Our founder, Ron Andrews wanted to give back to the regional community where he grew up and built his business.
A foundation built from humble beginnings
The Andrews Foundation is a Perpetual Charitable Trust established in 1984 by Ron Andrews. He was an entrepreneur who lived and operated his businesses predominantly in the South East Region of Victoria. Ron was born in Pakenham and lived in Nar Nar Goon through the depression. He finished his education in primary school before entering the workforce as a truck driver.
The entrepreneurial spirit of the founder
Rons’ business acumen started in his twenties when he raised chickens and sold the eggs to raise money. He was a large, inspirational personality, with great business instincts and the ability to weigh things up quickly. He had great foresight and a drive to succeed but wasn’t extravagant or materialistic. He just had a passion to grow things, when he saw opportunities and wasn’t afraid to take a risk.
Building a thriving business
Ron Andrews was ‘one of a kind’ He was visionary in his thinking and created many opportunities through his desire to improve and grow his business. He was a self-made businessman, a true entrepreneur and a natural leader. He had strong business intuition and was determined to succeed against the odds, he loved a challenge.
When Ron was in his 20’s, he made the decision to buy land at the top of Mt Shamrock Road Pakenham. After much hard work, considerable cost and years of perseverance, Ron finally obtained a licence to extract bluestone and started operating ‘Pakenham Quarry’ in 1972. This land would become the flagship of the Pakenham Blue Metal Group (PBM) in years to come.
PBM was a major supplier of crushed rock, pre-mixed concrete, precast concrete and concrete products, used in the construction of roads, bridges and buildings, in Victoria. Ron’s ‘Blue Metal’ was reputed to be the best quality in Victoria, possibly Australia. With many sites in Victoria, the PBM footprint extended across Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Andrews Foundation has been giving back to the community since 1984 and will continue to do so for many generations to come
Ron was incredibly proud of his businesses and all his staff and contractors. He was very generous in assisting others and strongly supported his local community.
Ron diversified this interests with other businesses which included Tyre Recycling, Horticultural manufacturing, Landfill, Recycling facility, Property Development, Retirement Village and a Cattle Station.
All that knew and dealt with Ron were enriched by his wisdom, positivity, generosity and his charming persona. His legacy lives on through The Andrews Foundation for many to continue to benefit from for years to come.