How scion tripled output and built a $500M+ pipeline — while staying true to its roots
The modernisation of the 35-year-old family-owned construction business has positioned it for a new era and tripled its turnover in three years, while remaining true to the company’s longstanding values.
BRANDVOICE – PARTNER CONTENT
Every now and then you come across a brand name that perfectly articulates the business it represents. One such case is Scion, an intergenerational, family-owned and led property development and construction company in Sydney. The word scion refers to young shoots or twigs from a plant used for grafting, as well as descendants of notable families. And this is the story of Scion today: new growth from a business with established roots, led by the next generation of the Jabbour family.
Sebastian Jabbour, son of founder Sam, has spearheaded the modernisation of the 35-year family business, which has tripled turnover in three years and amassed a pipeline of more than $500 million in future projects, all the while keeping a firm focus on its roots. The upshot is Scion has earned a reputation as a trusted delivery partner that’s equally at home across construction and development and bringing the expertise to meet whatever a client’s project demands.
The story began when Sam and his family arrived in Australia in 1987, having fled the Lebanese civil war. Through years of hard work, resilience, and a deep appreciation for their new home, the family not only rebuilt their lives from the ground up but also began delivering homes to many others as well. For 35 years, Sam and his team have been developing medium and high-density residential projects across Sydney.
In 2023, the business entered a new chapter – formalising its succession plan and rebranding to Scion, reflecting both growth and continuity. Sam’s four sons and his brother George are now leaders at Scion, committed to continuing their father’s impressive legacy while also modernising the business. Sebastian, Scion’s Operations Director, has introduced new systems, digital infrastructure, and policies and procedures that formalise his father’s knowledge.
“The modernisation of the business started about 10 years ago, with Sebastian leading that effort,” Sam says.
“It most simply means we’ve put our day-to-day activities and processes into a digital system to allow seamless scaling of the company. Without modernisation and digitisation, we would have struggled through Covid and not been able to scale.”
Sebastian describes it as “new energy on proven ground.”
“The modernisation came at a great time, because COVID hit and we were really ready for it,” Sebastian says.
Sam describes how he and the team “decided to adjust the business model and open our design and construction expertise to reputable and like-minded property developers” and found a “huge demand for it”.
The systemisation and broadening of scope have seen the company triple its turnover in just three years. Sebastian describes these new clients as “a blessing, because we’ve chosen the right people”. “Where we used to do one project a year, this year we’re doing three, each contract around $40 million, and they’re all currently ahead of schedule.”
Scion’s Construction Director, George Jabbour, says while the company has been modernised, the fundamentals remain the same.
“We focus on what we are experts at. We’ve delivered medium and high-density residential projects since 1993 throughout greater Sydney, and we will continue to do so in the decades to come. Our supply chain, customers, finance partners, and the entire industry trust us to deliver this product, and we will continue to master this space.”
Built to last
Through every stage of growth, the company’s core values have held firm. Mutual success, authenticity and longevity underpin every project.
“Staying true to our values is critical, and you will see it daily at Scion,” says George. “Not cutting corners, a win-win mindset, and being deeply long-term minded.”
Sebastian adds that “from day one to completion, the three values are imperative to everything that we do”. He describes the value of longevity as having three parts – “longevity in our buildings, longevity in relationships, and longevity in mental health and wellness”. “Construction is quite a stressful industry. Safety is imperative, and the mental health side is massive too. The culture is that we really back each other.”
Scion also backs the quality of its own projects, offering to invest equity in its clients’ builds, and holding apartments to rent in its own projects.
“I’m a builder, I’m a developer, but really, I provide shelter. That’s what we do, in the simplest terms. Knowing that in December, 100 families are moving into our building in West Ryde, that’s what drives us,” Sebastian says.
“There are 300,000 odd people in Australia who are homeless, and it kills me. [The St Vincent de Paul Society] has 10 women a day calling in distress because of domestic or family abuse, and they have nowhere to put them and their kids. How is that happening in Australia?”
To address this, Scion is working with Vinnies to use some of their rental properties as crisis accommodation. “To be able to do something like that is very humbling,” Sebastian says.
“We are a values-led, future-focused family. We want to give people hope and show the light of Australia. We don’t want to be the biggest company. We want to be that mid-sized company that restores trust in the industry. That’s us – new energy on proven ground.”
This is certainly a story of business success, featuring the next generation of a 35-year construction legacy, combining family values, deep delivery experience, modern systems, and a long-term mindset to become a trusted development and construction partner for Sydney’s next generation of residential projects. It’s also a story of a family’s success in working together to make the most of a new life after harrowing circumstances and hardship.
“It’s such a fulfilling feeling to have them here of their own accord, working side-by-side extremely productively, and all united in achieving the same vision together,” Sam says.
Learn more at scion.com.au
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