De Mol means business
When you think of Midland businesses, it’s hard to bypass Steve De Mol. He’s the man behind the eight-storey mixed use retail, commercial and residential development under construction on The Avenue in the New Junction precinct. This is an important project, and is the first of three blocks Steve has purchased in the precinct.
We met with Steve De Mol to hear his recollections of development in Midland and his vision for the future. Steve has lived in the City of Swan for 48 years. This is the place where he got his start and made his name.
Steve recalls Midland as a very different place - reliant on workshops, the abattoirs, sale yards and business from the wheatbelt. La Salle College, where he was educated, had only 200 students (where now there are 1,400). Steve made his own opportunities, and his first job was packing groceries at Centrepoint. He completed an apprenticeship as a vehicle bodybuilder in Bellevue and went on to pack bricks for Midland Brick. Since starting his own business 34 years ago, he’s employed thousands of people.