KEN GRENDA
KEN Grenda made headlines around the world last year when he gifted $15 million to his employees.
His generosity and contribution to the Dandenong business sector has earned him the Greater Dandenong Star Person of the Year title for 2012.
In February, he deposited up to $100,000 into each Grenda buslines and Volgren manufacturing worker’s bank account along with their weekly wage, their years of service to the company determining the bonus.
The incredible act was his way of saying thanks after selling his father’s modest family bus business turned transport monolith for $500 million.
“We have been lucky to grow with Dandenong and the surrounding area,” Mr Grenda said.
“We have expanded, bought other companies and diversified, but we’ve only been able to do that because we had very good people the entire time.
“So our thinking was, they have contributed to the development of this business, it’s not all our money, part of it is theirs.”
The reaction to his generosity astounded the 80-year-old.
“The bus drivers got so excited they contacted the media and it went worldwide,” he said.
“We had CNN and BBC. We know we were in newspapers in 61 countries and I’ve had emails from nearly every country in the world saying ‘well done’.
“A few of the guys said ‘you can take the bonus back if you stay’ which was pretty nice.
“It made the difference between me going out with a bit of sadness that our business is finished and me going out on a complete high.
“I firmly believe we didn’t build the business on our own.”
George Grenda started the business 66 years ago with six buses, and had grown it to 40 buses and 60 employees when he died in 1961.
Under his son’s leadership it had grown to more than 3000 employees.
In a fitting finale to his 66-year career in Dandenong Mr Grenda was named the City of Greater Dandenong Corporate Citizen of the Year on Australia Day last year.
Joining the Honour Roll of the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame capped off a big 2012.
“Personally, I’m not so much as a manufacturer as an entrepreneur,” he said when he accepted the honour.
“There was an opportunity that presented itself in the mid-’70s that I took.”
That opportunity was to set up Volgren. Initially focused on bus repair, Volgren is now a bus-building company that’s enjoyed significant growth in recent years, from building about 250 buses in 2005 to more than 715 in 2011.
In a car market where locally-produced vehicles struggle to compete with imported models, Volgren has not only defended its patch but is taking its products to the world – largely thanks to Mr Grenda.
But ever-humble, he said it could not have been done without a workforce that took pride in what it created and co-operated with management to make sure the job got done.
“I believe this is a fantastic factory, the people all love the place,” he said.
“We’ve always had a good people culture in our business but the guys here are – I think – extraordinary.”
