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| Davor Tudorovic |
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(Croatian Version) |
fax number +61883412072
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Davor Tudorovic was born in the village of Nevidane ( Nevijane )on the Island of Pasman, Croatia, on 5th November 1936, younger brother to Nevenka. His mother Danica died soon after his birth. His father, Tome remarried and had four more children Mladen, Dara, Nada & Grozdana.
The family struggled through the hardships of world war two and the German occupation of the region. Following the war, Davor spend most of his youth working on his father's cargo boat running goods between the towns and villages along the Dalmatian coast.
As was the case with many young Croatians of the time, Davor escaped the difficult economic and political conditions of the then Communist Yugoslavia by rowing a small boat across the Adriatic to Italy in 1956. After almost year in an Italian refugee camp, Davor obtained a visa to immigrate to Australia and arrived in at the Bonegilla migrant reception center near Albury N.S.W. in1957.
For the next three years Davor worked in a variety of jobs before commencing work in Adelaide as a laborer on a road construction crew.
In 1962 Davor married Rose Rakusic. Rose was born in Kalgoorlie-Boulder second daughter to Ivan Rakusic (Veliki Prolog, Croatia) and Lusija Pisculic (Novi Vinadol, Croatia). Ivan migrated to Australia in 1926 to work in the gold mines of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Lucija remained in Novi Vinodol, with Rose's older sister Mary, until 1936 when she joined her husband in Australia.
In 1964 Davor formed his own company with Rose and began to build the family business. Employing 'new Australians' from Croatia, Italy & Greece, Davor set up crews to work on the burgeoning land subdivisions in Adelaide and country South Australia. By 1970 contracting in concrete works and kerbing had grown to the stage where the Company was the largest single buyer of pre mix concrete in Adelaide.
Over the same period Davor's love for the sea, born during the years spent on his father's cargo boat, developed into a new venture. In 1972 he salvaged a Tuna boat, shipwrecked at isolated Avoid Bay on the Great Australian Bight. He spent a number of years tuna fishing and pioneering deep sea trawling, before concentrating on the Spencer Gulf Prawn Industry.
In 1984 Davalan Concrete Pty Ltd was incorporated to supply concrete to the Adelaide market, and compliment the continuing metropolitan contracting interests of the Company. Davalan Concrete currently operates plants at Gillman, Elizabeth, Lonsdale and the Barossa Valley.
Whilst raising their daughter and three sons, Rose continued to take care of the majority of the administrative aspects of the business on her own until 1988. Rose continues to supervise the accounting and administration of the property arm of the Group.
In 1989 the Tudorovic family established Tudor Pavers Pty. Ltd. as a leading manufacturer and supplier of high quality concrete pavers. The Groups expansion continued with the establishment Cooke Pre Cast Concrete Pty. Ltd. (with long time family friend Harley Cooke) and Trenel Sands Pty.Ltd., a major Adelaide sand quarry for producing specialist grades of sand. The construction and construction materials group now employs over 130 people in South Australia. Many of the original kerbing crews of the 60's remained with the company, the last of the 'original crew' retired after 38 years of service in 2002.
With the end of the cold war and the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe the family turned its interest to the now Independent Croatia.
The family's company, Arsenal Holdings d.o.o, acquired in 1997, owns a substantial High Street retail property portfolio in Zadar Croatia along with controlling interests in some of the regions largest companies.
In 1999, the Group acquired a majority interest in the resort company, Ilirija d.d.,. This company owns and operates four, 4 Star hotels (1100 beds) and three Marinas (total berths 750), camping grounds (1000 parcels) and associated tourism assets, in the Adriatic resort town of Biograd.
The family continued to expand its Croatian property portfolio with the acquisition of Trgovinski Centar d.o.o. in 2004. This company held the centre management contract for Phase one of Zadar Mall along with a substantial land holding on which the Group developed the 24000m2 phase two of the Mall “City Galleria” opening in October 2008.
Davor and Rose's three sons continue to be actively involved in the family businesses. David, wife Monica and their three daughters spend the majority of time in Croatia, whilst Alan focuses on Adelaide operations and Peter, fishing interests. Their daughter, Sonya lives in Port Pirie with her husband Paul their two daughters.
Davor continues to oversee investment in property and acquisitions both in Australia and Croatia.
Affiliations:
-Foundation Member of the Adelaide Croatian Club.
-Foundation Member Croatian Sports Centre.
-Major Sponsor of the Croatian Soccer Club in Adelaide.
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Secure Site
South
Australia
Zadar County
