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DEVELOPMENT » Traverse Group
October 2016
Business North
Puhoi development proves popular Sue Russell Though Paul Fearon acknowledges steadily approaching official ‘retirement’ age, when asked about his plans to slow down, the busy property developer’s response is ‘no way’. “I believe that when you stop you drop and I have no intention of slowing down. “Our business has continued to evolve in new directions and that fuels the passion” says the property developer who started his journey in horticulture and landscaping back in the 1970’s. These days he and partner Bitten, lead a thriving development company that has diversified substantially from their first tractor and employee Paul’s father. “Dad was 89 and I think the tractor was older” Paul says. Son Kent heads Traverse Construction and leads the Traverse team when subdivisions are established, managing the development of the site though Paul still enjoys jumping on a machine to help, though his key focus is finding new projects, sales, marketing and finance. 2010 proved a milestone in the company’s biography when Paul decided to stop dabbling in property development and take it seriously, taking on more ambitious projects such as the development currently underway at Puhoi. Paul completed an MBA at Auckland University from 1994 to 1996 during his corporate years and subsequently discovered that marrying the theory with practice gave him the confidence to eventually take on property development. In keeping with the family focus of the company Kent’s partner Kelly Fearon is the office administrator for Traverse Construction. The Puhoi Subdivision is on a plot of land originally owned by the Shiska family, and Paul says he is very conscious of the legacy that goes with developing land that has been in the ownership of one family for 150 years. The subdivision is serviced by a new road Rosa Villa Lane named after the previous land owners Auntie Rose who lived on the farm and in the old villa all of her life. The development is 50km north of Auckland, is a rural life-style development providing twelve sites from 4000 to 20,000 square metres. So far 11 of the subdivision’s 12 sites have been sold. Paul says Having a construction wing within the group means that once a subdivision is formed Traverse Construction is involved with up to 90% of the residential builds on site. Paul says that one of the key qualities of the subdivision is that it is inclusive rather than exclusive. “We want to be part of the Puhoi Community” says Paul. When asked what he most enjoys about developing rural subdivisions Paul says he can
The Puhoi development, 50km north of Auckland, is a rural life-style development providing twelve sites from 4000 to 20,000 square metres. trace his interest initially in gardening and the land back to his grandmother and grandfather who he lived behind from 5 – 19 years of age. “My grandmother grew up on a farm in the Weka Weka Valley in the Hokianga and rode to school on horseback. “We spent time on the family farm when I was young and I spent most of my summer holidays on the coastal Scandrett Farm near Warkworth.” Paul and partner Bitten, who was born in Denmark have been married for nearly 40 years. His disarmingly frank admission that without Bitten in his life he would never have achieved what he has, speaks volumes to their relationship and the founding principles from which the Traverse Group has evolved. “We have been able to enjoy the Danish culture. In Denmark man has been on the soil for generations. There is no ‘wild’ but a sense of order which appeals, I am somewhat OCD or so my kids tell me.”
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PROUD SUPPORTERS
bunnings panmure
Bunnings is proud to support Traverse Construction and their new Puhoi subdivision project. We like to think our Trade Promises helped to make this project a success. For your nearest store visit bunnings.co.nz/stores or call 0508 BUNNINGS Trade Promises terms and conditions apply. See Trade Desk for details.