We are
Crema
Our Story
We’re a passionate, family-run construction company with Italian blood and a strong loyalty to Melbourne. Since 1951, we’ve been creating the buildings that make up the city, delivering exceptional quality commercial and residential projects and priding ourselves on being a pleasure to do business with. Now with a third generation leading with purpose, and demonstrated capability for projects of scale, we feel like we’re just getting started.
You can feel our beating heart in everything we bring to life, long after the tools are down.
When you meet us, you realise we don’t do things the same as the rest. We prefer face-to-face over phone, collaboration over control, and a handshake over haggling. There’s nothing we love more than a challenge, and we care a lot about our projects. Maybe too much. But that’s what makes a Crema building different. We’re fuelled by curiosity, conviction, and coffee. We live and breathe Melbourne. We’re inspired by our city, and we’re proud to be part of its ever-evolving makeup.
The rich history of Crema
1951
Humble beginnings
The Crema story began with the vision of company founder, Gilberto ‘Beppi’ Crema. Arriving from Italy in 1951, Beppi started working with cousins Dino and Terry Camillo, who ran a small terrazzo, concrete and formwork business known as Camillo Brothers. When Dino and Terry returned to Italy in the early 1960s, Beppi refocused the business on concrete and formwork, establishing a new head office in St Kilda.
1970s
Expansion in more ways than one
Under Beppi’s guidance, the Camillo Brothers business expanded in the 1970s, taking on larger building and development projects. During this time the company emerged as a pioneer in the manufacture and use of tilt-up precast construction. Soon, Beppi’s three sons – Luciano, Louis and Romeo – joined the business.
1980s
A new headquarters
During the 1980s, the company continued to build upon the strong relationships it had developed with its clients over the last decade. The business was rebranded as Crema Camillo and a new headquarters was established in Salmon Street, Port Melbourne. This included a new precast concrete factory, which saw the establishment of Cambar Precast, a new exciting division of the company.
1990s
Strength to strength
Further growth in the 1990s resulted in the creation of another specialist division, Piave Premix Concrete.
2000s
A new generation
The business name changed to Crema Group, to better reflect the nature of the group’s various divisions.
2010s
Proud family tradition continued
The company’s proud family tradition continued during this period, with the third generation joining the business in various roles.
2022
Crema lives on
Crema Group is simplified and Crema emerges, with a strong reputation as one of Melbourne’s best large-scale construction companies. Still based in Port Melbourne, Crema now employs over 400 people, and the vision that helped build the business from its humble beginnings lives on in the third generation of the Crema family. In their hands, the company continues to deliver high-quality projects, pushing themselves further and embracing an exciting future.