CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
Construction wins in Christchurch scheme
Smoko antics Paul ‘Dizzy Hips’ Blair sets a world record by hula hooping a 45 kilo tractor tyre! www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcqRPdvb18w
The greatest take-up in the Government’s employment recruiting ‘3K to Christchurch’ scheme has been in the construction sector with 350 positions filled out of the 633 unemployed men and women who took up the offer of a $3000 payment to get them off the benefit and shift to Christchurch for a fulltime job. Better still, 204 of these new Cantabrians are aged 16-24 and will now discover the social and financial benefits of a real job before they get in the habit of being unemployed. Social Development Minister Anne Tolley says the Government is exploring extending the scheme beyond Christchurch to other parts of the country with high labour demands and low unemployment.
NZ Crane returns to its roots NZ Crane Group is now under the sole ownership of Deane Manley. Last month saw the company celebrate its 15th birthday and the founding shareholder and director buy the remaining 75 percent share in the company from its private equity partner. In 2005, AMP Pencarrow purchased a majority shareholding in what was then NZ Crane Hire, NZ Access Hire and NZ Tower Cranes. It amalgamated the three businesses into NZ Crane Group and took the company on a path of regional growth. Over the past four years the company has divested itself of the dry hire elements of the business, choosing to focus on mobile cranes, and centralised itself in Auckland. The business was put on the market last year but failed to find a suitable purchaser. Deane told Contractor that having an owner/operator set up was best for the business to compete with similar companies in the market, “so I put my hand up to buy it”. The purchase has provided the staff with certainty going forward. “It’s difficult for the team when your majority shareholder is only there to sell you,” Deane says. “But that’s what private equity firms are
there for, they’re after an end result.” He says that Pencarrow was a very good partner; patient and stable. But eventually it had to exit. “We now have the best of both worlds – a corporate structure but only one owner.” Deane says the purchase has energised the whole business. “We’ve gone from multiple owners, viewpoints and timelines, to just one. I may be a [expletive deleted] but at least it’s the devil they know.” With the future of NZ Crane looking stable, its focus will be on mobile crane hire. “Construction activity is looking productive, as is power generation and transmission. Marine is also very good,” says Deane. NZ Crane Hire was formed in 1999 with the acquisition of Central Cranes of Northland Port, along with another couple of crane companies including Partridge Cranes. A number of staff members at the company’s 15th birthday celebration on October 1 could trace their careers all the way back to these predecessor companies.
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