Our Story
We've been on one hell of a business adventure. From startup to global expansion, we've discovered that if you do things you love with people you care about, good things happen. They say that "Change is the only constant" and this has proven to be true for BlueRock as we continually evolve and challenge how things are done. Read on to learn more about our growth story!
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In the Trenches
In October 2003, BlueRock founder Peter Lalor signed the lease on his first hospitality venue…a cozy little piano bar called Murmur, which you’ll still find heaving with singalongs in a Melbourne laneway on cold winter nights. It was the days before BlueRock, when Pete knew that there was a better way to help business owners than what the accounting firms were offering. But to do that, he decided to first get his hands dirty. Over the next few years, Pete continued his work as a specialist tax accountant while learning about launching and growing successful businesses like Murmur , The Mint and Phoenix Hotel.
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Do Things You Love
In 2008, it was time. Pete rounded up a crew of 8 awesome OGs (who also happened to be dynamo accountants!) and started BlueRock. Founded on the vision that if you "Do Things You Love With People You Care About, Good Things Happen", they set out to do things differently - to break the rules and push the boundaries, to inspire and support business owners to try new things. It worked. BlueRock grew quickly and in 2014, the team moved to what became our first official headquarters at 414 La Trobe Street, Melbourne. They decked out this huge empty office with fossils, band posters and random art and objects that, to this day, remind us that business is an adventure and adventures are fun.
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Advisors, Not Just Accountants
At BlueRock, we're advisors, not just accountants. And that means helping entrepreneurs with everything they need to grow an amazing business and achieve their personal goals. So, we introduced additional services to create a one-stop-shop that makes life easy for business owners and removes the headaches...to focus on the fun. We launched BlueRock Law , which was a milestone moment in our multidisciplinary service model. Over the following years, we introduced wealth services, a digital agency, finance brokers, insurance specialists...the list goes on. Before long we were a growing team of 10 service lines and over 200 people, all working together.
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Technology Makes Things Better
Our strong entrepreneurial spirit means we’re always trying new things. In 2017, we took a long leap and founded our first technology-led business in the form of proptech startup Propella.ai . Propella provides data solutions and analytics to property professionals through the power of big data and AI. The team now works with some of Australia’s largest institutional property investment and development companies, which has taught us a lot about the power of automation and data-led insights. It set us on the path to augmented advisory for BlueRock, so we can spend less time on manual, low-value tasks and help business owners to make data-informed business decisions.
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Business For Good
See Our ImpactWhile we place a strong commercial lens on everything we do, at our heart we define our success through the positive impact we have across our people, clients, partners, community, and the environment. In 2017, BlueRock applied to be a certified B Corporation , which requires us to go through a rigid certification process every three years. This is an important aspect of our culture that we're committed to, as a business, and it provides us with a best-practice framework to have the biggest community impact. In 2021, we also launched our own philanthropic foundation, the Be BlueRock Foundation , to give individuals and organisations a simple, cost-effective and tax-effective way to get involved in philanthropy and distribute funds to charities of their choice over time. We want people to know that working with BlueRock means joining a community.
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BlueRock Goes Global!
In 2022, off the back of a couple of huge years of growth and pandemic chaos, founder Peter Lalor decided to take BlueRock global! Working with over 7,000 SME businesses in Victoria, we knew we could help so many more entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and plan an awesome financial future. We launched BlueRock New Zealand and have our sights set on adventures far and wide. Soon, BlueRock will be the go-to, one-stop-shop for business owners all over the world. It's a great reminder that anything is possible.
