Business Central Autumn 2017

Volume 2 | Issue 1 | 2017

www.waterfordpress.co.nz

Living in the dream Nathan Finlay doesn’t do much hands-on building any more, but he’s flat out helping people into their dream house - page 6

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Page | 46

Good things ahead

Vision driven by humbleness

Hawke’s Bay grower, packer and apple marketer Longview New Zealand says its acquisition by Scales Corporation will mean good things for customers.

Twenty years ago Phil Caskey formed New Zealand’s first specialist honey company. Now the business produces two-thirds of New Zealand’s manuka oil.

INSIDE »

Business Central

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Page | 17

‘Design rationalised somewhat to make it work’

Houses designed with a difference

Building a new-style teaching and learning environment was exciting for Arrow International Hamilton. But some design elements had to be rationalised to make them work.

Alan Pye likes building houses with a difference. He sent put on his own three years ago, specialising in ‘spec’ builds and house-and-land packages.

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Local link reinforces proficiency

Community connection crucial

Gisborne-based Stead Construction has done a lot of education-related building. The most challenging aspect is working in a live setting, with school going on around you.

Mike Harnett knows profit is necessary for his Rotorua firm, but he takes satisfaction from his community connections with iwi, Maori trusts, incorporations and businesses.

Page | 64

Page | 54 Designed for functuality and fit

‘The quickest shopfitters in NZ’

Parson Architects won an award for this apartment complex, but getting through the various levels of approval, including the client, was far from straightforward.

Six years ago a joiner and a builder set up to provide fast turnaround services in shopfitting, office fit-outs, and commercial building. They’ve won an award and a reputation.

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BUILDING INDUSTRY » AWCI

Business Central

‘Exciting time’ for walls, ceilings Sue Russell The Association of Wall and Ceiling Industries (AWCI), based in Wellington, is a grouping of building industry organisations that includes contractors, trades people, manufacturers and suppliers.

Chief executive officer Richard Arkinstall says it is an exciting time of development in the organisation which exists to represent the interests of members and their customers for interior wall and ceiling-lining systems and related products. He took up the position in February last year after 10 years with the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) “When you think about it, the work our members do involves constructing the most visible part of a building. As such, it is integral to the quality of life for those working and living inside.”

Developing a stronger strategic plan which sets out how the organisation intends to expand its membership and represent their interests to government and associated agencies is a priority for him.

“We are all about developing relationships with government and other key organisations, such as BRANZ. Shifting from Tauranga to the capital is part of creating the necessary visibility to achieve this.”

The association places heavy emphasis on producing quality buildings, and this requires a high level of co-ordination with other sectors.

AWCI is researching methods of installing inner partitions and walls. The results will be made available to the industry with the aim of smoothing building projects and reducing time and cost.

Richard says most AWCI members are skilled in using interior systems, both residential and commercial, and constant adjusting to manage new technologies and materials heralds an exciting new era.

While membership of the organisation requires trade qualifications, the way of the future will be to engage and support all those working in interior construction, he says.

“There are a number of people who do exceptionally good work, but never got tradequalified. We are keen to find ways to engage and support these people as well.”

When Business North Central spoke with Richard, he had just returned from a visit

AWCI is researching methods of installing inner partitions and walls. The results will be made available to the industry with the aim of smoothing building projects and reducing time and cost.

to Taupo to secure a venue for this year’s national conference in August. He wants to see the conference evolve into an interactive, engaging and enjoyable experience for members.

Themes for discussion at this year’s conference will include how to address the national shortage of good staff.

“It’s the one time in the year where we can get together, listen to addresses from keynote, industry speakers, discuss issues of collective

• To page 5

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Business Central

BUILDERS » AWCI

|5

‘Exciting times’ for wall and ceiling specialists • From page 4

importance, and especially celebrate the fine quality of work our apprentices are producing.”

Case in point: The GIB work skills competition takes place during the conference to showcase the skills of up-and-coming apprentices. A separate committee has been formed to enhance this event, says Richard.

“The top apprentices from the regions are nominated and we fund them to attend the conference. Over the course of the two and a half days the conference is running, apprentices are given a project to complete... building a beach hut, for example.”

During construction, apprentices are tested on skills such as framing, installing plaster-board, and bracing and finishing off.

Their performance is scored by a group of assessors. The top two apprentices are funded to compete in the Australasian AWCI conference in Australia.

“It’s a great incentive for these young ones coming through to represent New Zealand against their peers in Australia,” says Richard.

Apprentice plasterer Rikki Dewes, who works with Hastings company Atlas Fibrous Plaster Co, won the 2016 GIB work skills competition at Rotorua in October.

Richard says such awards help highlight the significant contribution wall and ceiling tradespeople make in the construction sector.

The GIB work skills competition takes place during the conference to showcase the skills of upand-coming apprentices.

He also has his eye on the Kiwi Can Do course, which has been operating in the golden triangle of Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland for 18 months. He is looking to extend this pre-apprenticeship pathway to other regions.

And he would like to see a significant increase on the 160 who came to last year’s conference.

“We’re developing the format to include an opportunity for our members to submit jobs they have completed in residential and commercial categories. We’re going to call it Project of the Year and we’ve got a specific committee formed to develop this competition.”

Contact us to become a member today.

0800 AWCI NZ (292 469) PO Box 45098, Lower Hutt www.awci.org.nz

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BUILDERS » Anthem Homes

Business Central

A practical, client-focussed approach has worked with strong and consistent business growth, resulting in Anthem Homes reaching the Deloittes Fast 50 listing in 2016.

Builder helps others live the dream Sue Russell The aspiration to draw great houses led Nathan Finlay to establish Hamilton residential building company Anthem Homes nine years ago.

“When I started Anthem Homes, I believed that great houses could be built when the founding blocks of partnership between the builder and the client were in place,” he says..

“We’re very strong on partnership and helping our clients achieve what they want, while working within their budget.”

This practical, client focussed approach has worked. The company’s strong and consistent growth saw it reach the Deloittes Fast 50 listing last year.

Nathan says a significant contributing factor in this stellar performance has been the creating of a role dedicated to driving the company forward in a strategic manner.

Douw Van Der Merwe joined Anthem Homes 18 months ago, having come from

a large corporate background; he brings systems management and marketing skills.

“I think we deliver on the promise we make to our customers, and that comes down to developing quality around roles, systems, around finances and managing projects as efficiently as possible,” says Douw.

Managing growth is a big part of managing the company’s growth and direction.

“At one stage, we were thinking we were going to push the numbers, but actually it works the other way,” says Nathan Finlay.

“By having the systems in place and being true to our founding goals to deliver an empowering and engaging building experience to our clients, the numbers have taken care of themselves.”

The design-and-build process starts with a free consultation. Clients are assisted through a “wish list” process, allowing Nathan and his staff to get to know them better.

Ideas are then refined, and a concept plan drawn up and returned to the client within a matter of days.

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“We try to get the design 80 per cent right at concept level and then work through a process of refining the design from client feedback to 90% right. At this point we put a price together and tweak the plan based on budget considerations. It’s a process that works well for our clients.”

The company’s new show-home nestles into what was once a steep, inner-city section,

very close to Hamilton’s Fairfield bridge and Waikato River. It is testament to what can be achieved when an eye for design flair and a commitment to creating spaces are combined.

The 240-square-metre River Road showhome has expansive open light and bright living spaces that demonstrate what can be

• To page 7

Business Central

BUILDERS » Anthem Homes

|7

Imaginative design set to become ‘a key element’ • From page 6 achieved on a small, steep, inner-city section.

“As Hamilton develops and available sections become smaller, imaginative design will really start to become a key element as to whether the house is successful.,” says Nathan. “We’re saying that a small section doesn’t need to impinge on the house feeling welcoming and spacious.”

On arrival a glass staircase leads visitors up to the first-floor, open-living, dining, family and entertainment areas, and the master bedroom with en suite.

Picture-framed windows, an architectural feature through the house, create a sense of space outside much larger than the section’s physical footprint.

The wood-panelled kitchen with its wooden dining-table links the two living spaces.

Downstairs, three bedrooms have been positioned to make the best of the view to the west overlooking the river, while the lined, spacious bathroom’s walk-in shower has the latest trend in inset shelving.

When Business Central talked to Anthem Homes, the company had 47 residential builds on its books. This included 12 sections in Hamilton’s north-east quarter, along with projects in Raglan, Te Kowhai and in the Bay of Plenty.

These days, Anthem Homes contracts qualified builders to construct their designer houses, which range in value from the more modest to the upper end.

Nathan is particularly proud of the fact that no matter what the budget, the design process and engagement with clients in an easy, nofuss way means quality never takes a back seat to budget.

The 240-square-metre show-home in Hamilton has expansive open light and bright living spaces that showcase what can be achieved on a small, steep, inner-city section.

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BUILDERS » Landmark Homes Wellington

Business Central

Friends build skills into business Russell Fredric Long time friends Kim Baldwin and Darren Turvey, the new owners of the Landmark Homes Wellington franchise, rate their skills and experience as decidedly complementary.

Kim was relatively happy in the architectural project-management company he had owned for 20 years, while Darren, who had worked for trade suppliers and as a builder for a similar time, was looking for an opportunity.

They took over the Landmark Wellington franchise last July following the death of owner Ben Young.

“I was working in commercial design,” says Kim Baldwin. “The option of buying the Landmark Wellington franchise provided an opportunity for a change in direction and having a more hands-on role.”

Part of the appeal was the ability to provide creative input into house designs, as opposed to the commercial projects he had worked on that were often much more rigid in terms of design.

Landmark was also recommended by his father who is a building developer.

“He thought it was a great product and suggested I look at it seriously. It’s a highend product. I wouldn’t bother with anything that’s not got any design element to it; that’s a strength of Landmark.”

With Kim’s design knowhow available, there’s no need to employ anyone to cover this role, while Darren’s role as construction manager is also a seamless fit because of his experience.

“He oversees a job with a technical eye rather than a design eye,” Kim says of Darren.

“It works really well and I guess the economics of it are, having worked for suppliers before, that he knows what’s cost effective, what works and what doesn’t work, which ultimately benefits the client.”

Despite the made-in-heaven business match, Kim says the learning curve has been massive. However, it has been eased by Landmark’s structured, franchise, business model and training, he says.

“It’s a great system. Everyone supports one another.”

This support has proved an asset in the face of the Wellington property and construction market, which Kim describes as “crazy busy”.

“There’s a shortage of sections in Wellington and there’s a shortage of builders in Wellington. Property values are on the increase, but building costs are relatively stable, they haven’t crept up by much.”

Landmark Homes Wellington covers Wellington city, Porirua, the Kapiti Coast, Upper Hutt, and Wairarapa.

There’s a shortage of sections in Wellington and there’s a shortage of builders in Wellington. Property values are on the increase, but building costs are relatively stable.

Because of high property values, a cost effective option for some is to have an old house removed from a section and replaced with a new one.

“Property values have climbed to a point where its worth their while to start from scratch,” says Kim. Landmark Homes Wellington covers Wellington city, Porirua, the Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa.

As a result of the start of construction of the Transmission Gully expressway

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construction, Kim is already seeing interest from people wanting to build north of Wellington city.

Three full-time and one part-time staff complete the franchise staff team but Kim expects more to be added this year because of the workload.

He is seeing a house-design trend towards sustainability, including houses that have passive, energy-efficiency.

“I’ve got three clients whose subdivisions require some level of Homestar rating and sustainability. A lot of clients are asking for that anyway.”

Clients are increasingly wanting information about where materials have been sourced, solar power options, and the incorporation of

water tanks. The company uses a consultant to assist with designs of sustainable houses.

There is also a trend away from 2.4-metre high ceilings –Kim says 80 per cent of houses are now built with a 2.7-metre stud height or higher. The aim is to create a greater sense of space and light inside.

Landmark Homes has designs with significant architectural appeal and the ability to be adapted to suit individual client’s needs.

As a result, virtually every house is a bespoke build.

The company website (www.landmark. co.nz) reveals an incredibly diverse range of 70 designs, as well as showcasing some completed homes of uncompromising quality.

Kim and Darren say Landmark Homes Wellington can guide clients through the various options and phases – design and build; remove and rebuild; house and land packages from initial site assessment to design, lodgement of consents, project management, and completion.

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Business Central

DEVELOPMENTS » Arrow International Hamilton

|9

Creating a new teaching and learning facility to service Hamilton’s rapidly growing north-east quadrant was a three-stage process by Arrow International’s Hamilton office.

Project an exciting one for Arrow Sue Russell Creating a brand-new teaching and learning facility, catering initially for students to service Hamilton’s rapidly growing north-east quadrant, was achieved through a three-stage process by Arrow International’s Hamiltonbased Waikato/Bay of Plenty office.

Operations manager Tony Kavanagh says being involved in the design and build,

guaranteed-maximum-price project was exciting given the unique way the teaching and learning environments are being created.

“It is described as an initiative learning environment. The open-plan nature of the spaces allows for students to receive a multidisciplinary-style teaching structure where more than one subject is taught concurrently in modules.”

“The open-plan nature of the spaces allows for students to receive a multi-disciplinary-style, teaching structure where more than one subject is taught .”

• To page 10

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DEVELOPMENTS » Arrow International Hamilton

10 |

Business Central

The new school carries a 5 Green Star building accreditation, reflecting its energy-efficiency systems and environmental-sustainability factors.

Design ‘rationalised somewhat to make it work’ • From page 9 Construction began with the main teaching block, which was completed in November 2015, in time to allow the bulk of teaching resources to be set up over the Christmas break.

Phase two was the completion of the remaining teaching areas in readiness for the official first day in February 2016 for the 600plus students who had enrolled.

Phase three – the performing arts and library – was completed in April 2016.

Integral to the design of the school, which reflected the new approach to how children receive learning, was extensive consultation with the establishment board of trustees and Ministry of Education staff.

“This resulted in the original design being rationalised somewhat to make it work,” says Tony. “We contracted Jasmax as the project architect.”

Arrow International (Waikato/Bay of Plenty)

were required to work within time and budget constraints set down by the ministry. And while the design had an element of ‘work in progress’ to it in the initial stages, the build went ahead very well, he says.

Closing in the main buildings as quickly as possible was fundamental to maintaining the builds schedule and integral to that Tony says was a new façade system developed by APL in conjunction with the designers.

The school carries a 5 Green Star building accreditation, a rating that reflects the building’s energy-efficiency systems and life-span of the materials, along with its environmental-sustainability factors.

“The concrete we used was, in part, made from fly ash, a by-product from the Huntly power station. All the timber used came from sustainable sources.

“The heating and cooling system is a mixed mode of mechanical and natural ventilation.

• To page 11

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Business Central • From page 10 All the water is metered in and out, while five tanks act as rain-harvesters.”

Meanwhile, with the junior high school now fully operational and a role of more than 600 students, the first students in the senior high were expected at the end of January.

DEVELOPMENTS » Arrow International Hamilton A gymnasium, originally intended to be two basketball courts in size, has doubled in scope through additional funding from the Hamilton City Council.

Construction of this facility, which is intended for the use of both school and the wider community, is scheduled for completion this May.

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DEVELOPMENTS » Arrow International Wellington

Business Central

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Business Central

DEVELOPMENTS » Arrow International Wellington

| 13

New tech builds on history Sue Russell Work on the historic Manthel Motors building in central Wellington is going well – despite the challenges that come with ensuring the heritage-listed façade remains intact while a new building arises behind, says Arrow International construction manager Greg Brown.

The site, on the corner of Wakefield and Taranaki street, has had distinct chapters in its

life – from being used as an army storehouse during and immediately after World War 2, then for nearly 40 years as Manthel Motors, Wellington’s major General Motors dealership, and in the 1980s, as office space.

Now, in a dramatic redesign, Wellington’s first partly fabric-covered office block will soon be home to 600 staff working from cloud-based accounting provider Xero.

• To page 14

The redesign involves the demolition of the old two-storey building and erection of a new, five-storey, office-tower suite behind the preserved heritage outer facade...During the day the mesh blind will be nearly opaque in bright light, but will appear more transparent as the light changes towards nightfall.

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DEVELOPMENTS » Arrow International Wellington

Business Central

Mesh blind will move towards transparency as night falls • From page 13 The redesign includes the demolition of the old two-storey building and the erection of a new, five-storey, office-tower suite designed

by Neville Parker, of Inside Design, behind the preserved, heritage, outer façade.

When Business North Central spoke with Greg Brown, he said Arrow’s contract involved completing the base building rather than its internal fit-out, and the last slab of concrete for the ground floor was about to be poured.

“The building programme has focussed on completing the tower-block floors first, given that the sole tenant is keen to move its entire operation to this one location, then going down to the original floors.

“We’ve drilled down 136 piles under the building because of it being on reclaimed land. While doing this, we discovered quite a number of car-inspection pits to be removed and filled.”

The steel-framed tower, which is clad

• To page 16

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Business Central

DEVELOPMENTS » Arrow International Wellington

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DEVELOPMENTS » Arrow International Wellington

16 |

Business Central

An architect’s impression of what Xero International’s new office will look like, sitting atop the old Manthel Motors heritage facade.

Benchmark in melding the old and the latest • From page 14 in aluminium, will be covered with a revolutionary, semi-transparent, outer-sheath fabric called Stamisol.

During the day the mesh blind will be nearly opaque in bright light, but will appear more transparent as the light changes towards nightfall.

The fabric is expected to last up to 15 years, though this is not certain given that the site is one of the most exposed to Wellington’s often demanding climate.

• • • • •

Commercial Fit Outs Residential Industrial Maintenance Emergency Light Testing

INSOL, an international architectural façade treatment and design company with branches in Auckland and Invercargill, has supplied the wrap technology.

The use of LED lighting will also mean the building’s outer-colour pallet can change.

“It’s quite a funky use of design technologies and it is certainly creating a lot of interest as the building takes shape,” Greg Brown says.

Handover of the empty floors is expected to take place by July, he says. With the necessary fit-out work to follow, the entire new

• • • • •

building is scheduled to be ready for tenancy

by August or September.

Eight Arrow International staff are involved in project-managing the construction and more than 80 sub-contractors are engaged in the building.

Greg says one of the major challenges of working on a busy, inner-city site in downtown Wellington has been to ensure the health and safety of those involved on the project, as well as the general public moving about and working nearby.

“It was really challenging stabilising the

façade while taking out the building inside it. It involved a staged process to put in temporary propping and then demolishing the original flooring. Arrow International has a lot of experience in this type of work in Wellington.”

The $30-million project – owned by commercial property development business The Wellington Company – is poised to set a new benchmark in melding some of the old, traditional and historically significant architectures of the city’s former years with the latest thinking in design and materials technologies.

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Business Central

BUILDERS » Fleetwood Properties

| 17

Fleetwood Homes offers only spec builds and house-and-land packages, each with unique features. Alan Pye started Fleetwood Homes in 2014.

Houses designed with a difference Karen Phelps Fleetwood Homes builds houses with a difference. Each comes with unique features to cater to a particular niche market, says company owner Alan Pye. He started Fleetwood Homes in 2014 on the Kapiti Coast after having operated a group housing company in a partnership.

With a background as a registered property valuer and having operated his own propertymanagement company and real estate office, he feels he brings multiple skills to each project.

His business began with a couple of small builds for clients on the Kapiti Coast, and has cntinued to grow.

Fleetwood Homes does only ‘spec’ builds, and house-and-land packages. Each of them a one-off, says Alan, who uses Emerge Architects, in Palmerston North, as his key designer.

“We produce houses that are not standard plans,” he says. “It’s about having a good eye for creating a great product. I aim to

make the process easy by establishing good communication with clients every step of the way.

“We provide a fixed-price contract which spells out every detail of what’s included.

If there is a cost increase or an error in quantifying, it will be at our cost.”

A current house and land package – at Canary Way, Silverwood, Whitby, is a good example – is a good example. It’s a large family house with three-car garaging and entry on the lower level as a feature.

The package resulted from Alan speaking to local real-estate agents who said there was interest in this type of product, but few people catering to the need.

It’s around 317 square metres and is clad in Linea weatherboard. It has four double bedrooms, two bathrooms with separate toilet, an open plan kitchen/dining/family room, a separate lounge and a snug.

A double-sided gas fire connects snug and lounge and there are sweeping views and all-day sun.

Also available in the same subdivision is a 300sq m house at Pacific View. The three-

bedroom house also has a fourth bedroom/ office, is clad in a board -and-batten finish, has been “thoughtfully laid out”, and is sited well for sun and views to the Pauatahanui Inlet.

Alan says its point of difference is that one of the bedrooms and an en suite are at ground level, which could suit a dependent relative or a teenager.

He says the subdivision has proved popular with views to the inlet and is well positioned for access to the motorway into Wellington or to head north.

No sections are currently available in the subdivision but he plans to offer houseand-land packages in the developer’s next subdivision in Porirua.

He says he will also have more packages available on the Kapiti Coast in the next 12 months.

As a member of Registered Master Builders, Fleetwood Homes offers a MasterBuild guarantee.

Alan says he employs only top-quality, dedicated tradespeople and contract builders with whom he has worked for many years.

TIM LUCAS

CONSTRUCTION LTD

alanp@fleetwoodproperties.co.nz P O Box 197, Waikanae, 5250 027 518 1909

0277110220 tim@tlchomes.co.nz

www.tlchomes.co.nz

Emerge Architecture is pleased to be entrusted as architectural consultants to Fleetwood Properties www.emerge-arch.co.nz

(06) 353 0217

18 |

Business Central

CONTRACTING » Askew Contracting

Askew Contracting, sub-contracting to Fletchers Construction, installed 50 kilometres of wire-roped barriers and around 7km of W-sectioned barriers on the Mackays to Peka Peka Expressway.

No barriers to performance Karen Phelps Askew Contracting has just completed its biggest contract – on the Mackays to Peka Peka Expressway.

The company, subcontracting to Fletchers Construction, installed 50 kilometres of wire roped barriers and around 7km of W-sectioned

barriers on what Askew Contracting director Derek Glass says could be the country’s biggest barrier project at the moment.

At peak, Askew Contracting had around 20 staff working on the project, which started in mid-2016. The new expressway opened at the end of February.

Derek says that as barriers are usually the last part of such projects to be completed,

the company is often working to extremely tight timelines.

To complete the project on time, Askew Contracting has had to dedicate extra staff to the project, work nights and buy new engineering drill rigs (built by Kenepuru Engineers) for the foundations for the wire-roped barriers.

“The successful completion of this project leaves no doubt that Askew Contracting can

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tackle any sort of barrier project,” says Derek.

“It has definitely lifted our profile and shown, thanks to our strong project management skills and the skills of our staff, that we can complete challenging projects on time and on budget.”

The company handles mostly sub-contracts

• To page 19

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Business Central

CONTRACTING » Askew Contracting

| 19

Skills applied to seismic strengthening • From page 18 for civil construction for councils, companies and private customers in the Wellington and Kapiti Coast areas.

Askew Contracting was acquired about three and a half years ago to help diversify sister company Tasman Design & Civil, which does construction and civil works mainly in the power sector.

Originally based in the Waikato, Tasman Design & Civil has relocated to the Askew Contracting headquarters in Plimmerton, Wellington, to be closer to key projects and to improve efficiencies. Askew Contracting has had good growth over the past three years says Derek.

It has doubled its yard space to 4500 square metres, and focused on upskilling staff and investing in plant and equipment.

This has allowed the company to tackle larger contracts, such as the expressway, says Derek..

The company has also broadened its offering to include seismic strengthening, and has just finished strengthening three bridges. It offers a full service, supplying and constructing from engineers’ designs.

The work is typically challenging and recent projects have seen the company working off a small barge on the Seaview Bridge in Wellington. Full road closures have been required to excavate across the front of the Wingate Bridge at Lower Hutt so that the foundations cam be strengthened.

“These projects can be quite detailed and intricate,” says Derek Glass. “But we have the expertise and project management skills to complete this kind of work, even under tight time frames.”

Askew Contracting is also experienced

Askew Contracting mostly sub-contracts, civil construction work for councils, companies and private customers in the Wellington and Kapiti Coast areas. in retaining walls and is branching out into noise-control walls. It has recently begun this type of work at Transmission Gully on another stage of the new expressway.

And the company is involved in detailed concrete, open-drainage works in the challenging rugged country this section of the motorway project passes through. Derek says options to increase production of these drains, including vibrating screeds, are being investigated by Askew.

“As a result, there has been interest in us undertaking this kind of work on other stages of the project. It’s another example of our high level of capability in all areas of general contracting, and our reputation for completing special projects and intricate work to very high standards.

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20 |

BUILDERS » CD van der Meer Builders

Business Central

Carl van der Meer, of C D van der Meer Builders, still works on the tools as he takes a close personal interest in liaising with clients and designers while project-managing each job.

Local in thick of building boom Russell Fredric Residential building is booming on the Kapiti Coast. And long-standing building company C D van der Meer Builders is one of the locals in the thick of the boom.

Third-generation owner Carl van der Meer says the Kapiti Coast property market has been accelerating over the past year following a period of seven or eight years when it had been relatively dormant.

Catalysts include the Wellington Northern Corridor expressway projects, which will significantly reduce the commuting time from Wellington, plus interest from investors and others wanting holiday homes built.

“Suddenly Auckland investors are flying down here,” he says. “There’s a lot of properties being sold unseen. I’ve been in business 32 years and I’ve never seen such a boom.

“Commercial property is also going ahead now. That always means there’s money to invest and spend.”

Consequently, section prices have doubled during the past five years, now typically from $250,000 to $370,000.

C D van der Meer Builders usually has three or four house projects on the go, This requires a staff of nine, including Carl’s wife, Sally, who handles administration. Two of

their sons, Brook and Taylor, also work in the business.

Carl still works on the tools as he takes a close personal interest in liaising with clients and designers while project-managing each job.

He likes to match a client’s personality and the requirements of individual projects to an architect or designer able to understand and meet their needs and budget.

Combined with Carl’s guidance, this approach helps a build remain viable and on budget – from the time consents are lodged through to completion.

He estimates his company has built 400 houses in Horowhenua, Kapiti and Wellington since he took over from his father. They have created a loyal client base in the process.

Despite the volume, Carl emphasises that quantity is never at the expense of quality.

House-builds cover a diverse range, from modest to multi-million-dollar, architecturally designed projects.

An architecturally designed project finished last year was a two-level, 300-square-metre house in Lower Hutt for an orthopaedic surgeon.

Its design is based on a traditional fourbedroom weatherboard house with a combination of gable-end and hip roofs.

Space and light are important features.

“There’s plenty of daylight, lovely-sized bathrooms, just like the Hilton Hotel.” says Carl.

As with most modern builds, the kitchen, which includes a walk-in pantry, is the hub; anyone working in it is not isolated from family or guests.

A sprawling, Wanaka-style, cedar weatherboard house is under construction in Otaki beside a private water-skiing lake (Lake Inspiration), which was created for barefoot skiers. The house has a boat garage.

Built as a family-friendly 300sq m house, it also has parents’ and children’s wings. A large fireplace to gather around on cold nights is a feature of the living area.

As well as building new houses, C D van

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der Meer Builders has considerable specialist experience in remediating leaky houses.

The scale of the problem remains huge, with many houses still needing major repairs – an extremely distressing situation for owners, says Carl.

The good news, he says, is that he can discuss possibilities and generate a plan to repair a house to a high standard with the option of a payment plan.

“Home-owners needn’t continue living in a damp house because they feel they cannot afford to have reconstruction or recladding work carried out.”

Dan Smithson M 027 489 5721 E synergycontract@gmail.com

Business Central

BUILDERS » FEL Switchboards

| 21

R&D crucial to switchboard specialist Sue Russell When Richard Phillips became Managing Director of Napier based electrical engineering company FEL Switchboards in 2005 a key goal was to establish it as a market leader.

Back in 2010 significant changes to the Act and regulations governing electrical engineering created the very opportunity for FEL Switchboards to come in to its own.

“Before the regulations were tightened up there were a lot of people involved in installing design and manufacturing of switchboards who did not have the skills or experience to necessarily do the job well so we definitely saw an opportunity present at this time to really showcase our design, manufacturing, installation and maintenance capabilities,” Richard says.

Key to FEL Switchboards success is the depth of experience and skill in the team, ranging from dedicated design engineers and quality assessors to switchboard builders.

“The team themselves coined a saying that really illustrates what we are about; ‘Type tested switchboards built by field tested people’”.

All switchboards are custom-designed and built to the highest standards. FEL Switchboards designs and builds switchboards up to 7000A and are fully accredited level 4 Cubic and Schneider Switchboard partners.

With a background in electrical and mechanical engineering, Richard says that one of the most satisfying aspects of leading the busy business going forward, company is in seeing individuals growing to reach their potential.

FEL Switchboards has a strong and ongoing commitment to research and development. By using the most up to date software technologies including AutoCAD Electrical the company is able to create custom-designed, fully functional switchboards that comply with manufacturers and regulatory standards.

“We have designed switchboards for a wide range of industries and purposes and this results in us maintaining an ongoing awareness of how the electrical engineering demands from those sectors is evolving. This means when a client approaches us to design switchboards for their particular business we

can draw on these experiences.”

Mike Gower heads FEL Switchboard’s sales and engineering and has worked in the electrical industry since 1979. He is passionate about switchboard design, construction and installation.

“Our design engineer Ross McPherson came in to the company two years ago having accrued over 30 years experience in New Zealand, Australia and the USA working in a wide range of sectors including industrial, marine, HVAC and food processing.”

FEL Switchboards has just completed a major project at a central Otago sawmill.

“We did everything in the switchboard build …beginning with sitting with the client at concept stage, identifying their specific requirements and designing the switchboards.

We developed a power management system which encompasses plant longevity and an advanced level of safety.”

A strong emphasis is placed on ongoing

Key to FEL Switchboards success is the depth of experience and skill in the team, ranging from dedicated design engineers and quality assessors to switchboard builders.

“The team themselves coined a saying that really illustrates what we are about; ‘Type tested switchboards built by field tested people’.” professional development of staff says Richard, with one-third of the team actively engaged in formal training at any one time.

“We have a large external training budget.

I see it as essential that we continue to do all we can to maintain our place as a national leader in switchboard engineering and that means investing in people,” Richard says.

This investment is paying off with the company’s website home to testimonials from a raft of businesses and industries who have availed themselves of the services FEL

“Strong emphasis is placed on ongoing professional development of staff – a third of them are actively engaged in formal training at any one time. We have a large externaltraining budget.

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Switchboards has to offer.

Looking back on last year’s performance, which was the busiest year this millennia, and with projections that 2017 will be just as productive, Richard says key to this has been the appointment of a dedicated sales and marketing person, concentrating solely on FEL Switchboards.

“It is a competitive, exciting and challenging industry and we intend to not only maintain our leading edge here but to continually look at ways to build on our strengths.”

22 |

Business Central

BUILDERS » Camrei Homes

Camrei Homes justifiably proud Kelly Deeks Palmerston North residential building company Camrei Homes has entered the Registered Master Builders House of the Year awards for the first time.

And, says real estate agent Anthony Reid, co-owner of Camrei with builder Mike Campbell, the clients and the company are equally proud of the design and build.

Anthony describes the brick and plaster townhouse on Roy St in central Palmerston North as a crisp and clean, low-maintenance property well suited to the owners’ requirements.

“It’s a very easy-care house which suits our clients in regard to what they want to be doing – going away and travelling and not having to do a whole lot of work on their property.

“We designed their house to suit, and they were very involved in the process and invested in it as much as we were.”

The services of interior designer Jo Blomfield, from Interior Motifs, were engaged to help the clients create their dream interior spaces, and the result is some very houseproud clients, he says.

Camrei Homes has been in operation for the three years. Antho0ny Reid explains: “Mike and I saw an opportunity to bring our skills together and create Camrei Homes, not with the intention of building a large quantity of houses in a year, but to work with like-minded

people and fill a gap in the market. Plenty of spec builders are pumping out houses every year and its quite impersonal. At the other end of the market, premium builders are putting out heavily detailed and high-priced houses.

“There is a market there where people want a bit more input, and to be taken through the process with a personal touch.”

He says that after initially working on a couple of their own small developments, Camrei Homes got its own private clients and has continued to grow.

“We haven’t really pushed our company out there to the market as it’s not something we’ve needed to do,” Anthony says.

“We’ve ticked along and created our own market through word of mouth.”

He says the combination of their skillsets gives clients the expertise they need to turn their concepts into designs, get those consented, which can be a hugely stressful experience for a lot of people, and then be guided through the construction process by Mike.

Anthony says the residential construction market in Palmerston North has strengthened over the three years Camrei Homes has been in business, and there is more confidence amongst the local business community.

“With that and the demand for houses, people are looking at building because they can get a bit more and can get exactly what they want. People are paying about the same price to buy pre-built as they are to build, so why not have something brand new?”

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“Plenty of spec builders are pumping out houses every year and its quite impersonal, and at the other end of the market premium builders are putting out heavily detailed and high-priced homes. There is a market there where people want a bit more input, and to be taken through the process with a personal touch.”

www.jeffbaldwin.co.nz 8 Trent Avenue, Palmerston North M: 027 448 4487 | P: (06) 3540142 E: jeffbaldwin@inspire.net.nz 'I think it's most important that we give people what they want and hopefully a lot more, rather than giving them what I think they need. We try to find out what clients likes and dislikes are and take into consideration the positives and negatives of the site.'

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Business Central

BUILDERS » Stead Construction

| 23

Stead Construction’s work at Gisborne Intermediate School included building a new 120-square-metre, special-needs classroom with outdoor play area and sand pit.

Local link reinforces proficiency Karen Phelps Stead Construction has provided another demonstration of its proficiency in educational projects.

The company worked has closely with Architects 44 to ensure that recent projects at Gisborne Intermediate School would fit with the client’s budget and time frame, says Stead Construction project manager Kelly Allan.

“This is something we commonly do at for our clients as we have proven ability to deliver high-quality buildings within agreed time frames, and at competitive prices.”

This project included a new ramp and stair facility to enable access for everyone to the school pool. The pool toilets were also upgraded.

The company also built a new 120 square metre special-needs classroom with outdoor play area and sand pit.

The classroom was made from timber frame with timber cladding, and Stead Construction also did the interior fit-out, including kitchen, bathrooms and teaching areas.

Kelly says the most challenging aspect of any educational project is working in a live

school environment. The company applies stringent health and safety procedures to make sure every project is completed safely and to a high standard.

“We take a safety-first approach to construction. Above all else, we put health and safety first when working on a school or educational facility.

“We respect that schools need to be able to function without the added stress of having a potentially unsafe environment for pupils and teachers. Our key staff are fully trained and qualified in health-and-safety matters.”

The project was undertaken using Stead’s local Gisborne staff who had actually come through the school during their lifetimes and were happy to give back by constructing new buildings and improving on access and services to the pool.

All of the sub-contractors were based out of Gisborne, so this local link really helped provide a team feeling to the job, says Kelly.

“This is hard to achieve in the modern construction world where tight timelines and tight budgets often provide for an adversarial construction environment – something we fight hard to avoid.”

Stead Construction handles both residential and commercial construction work and

has projects in the Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Waikato, Northland and Bay of Plenty districts. he says.

The company’s services include residential and commercial building, civil excavation, demolition, asbestos removal, site preparation including Geotech reports, and council building permits and consents.

General manager Vanessa Treseder says the aim is to make the building process as stress-free as possible for its clients from start to finish through a firm focus on up-front communication and no hidden surprises.

A fixed price for the work is established, either by open book, negotiated contract, tender, or design and build.

All projects are supported by the company’s 1500sq m joinery workshop, which has extensive facilities and joiners on the staff.

Vanessa says this is a real point of difference as the experience of the company’s specialists people in supplying and installing custom-made joinery goes a long way to ensuring client needs are met through guaranteed service.

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24 |

Business Central

HOME HEATING » Firenzo

Superior heat, superior fires Kelly Deeks Handmade in New Zealand with high-quality materials, technology, and craftsmanship, Firenzo woodfires have been producing more heat with less emissions for more than 30 years.

Wood fires offer the cheapest method of home heating and an alternative source for heating water and cooking, with less impact on the environment and less demand on the national grid, says Firenzo business development manager Shaun Jameson.

But unlike other wood fires, he says, Firenzos are designed to heat the whole house, are customisable to suit any décor, and provide advanced wetback technology to improve water-heating abiloity.

Firenzo woodfires generate extraordinary warmth because they incorporate a unique combustion chamber that can reach temperatures over 1000 degrees, and then distribute this heat highly efficiently, he says.

“The unique mix of cast-iron cook-tops and steel firebox lined with a double-layered refractory lining of kiln bricks and ceramic insulation puts out a much more powerful and slowly released heat, as well as giving years of sustained, maintenance-free use.

“The combination of a super-hightemperature combustion process and our super-efficient heat distribution system, is what stands a Firenzo fire out from the crowd.”

Shaun says the fires are made to look like part of the house, further reinforcing the company’s logo – “the heart of a warm home”.

“They are not just black boxes, and we’re not just marketing appliances. We’re crafting superb furniture, creating heating, and warming people’s houses.”

Unlike many other heating options, the fires can be customised. There are styles to suit any size of house and décor, whether it be a traditional villa, art deco, or ultra-modern interior.

The look can be customised further from a selection of tiles, rail colours and base

Firenzo fires can be customised. There are styles to suit any size of home and any décor.

options. There are also wetback options which will save the customer on the electricity bill.

The free-standing woodfires provide waterheating efficiency through the positioning of the wetback unit into the upper chamber, and not the firebox itself.

This design feature draws heat from the high temperature gases passing through

the upper combustion chamber just before they disappear up the flue, scavenging every ounce of energy possible from the fuel you are burning, he says.

Firenzo also has a strong presence in the United Kingdom where it has built a significant dealer network over the past couple of years.

The company, which is headquartered

in Onekawa, Napier, has a large dealer base around New Zealand and 50 in the UK. The fires are made in New Zealand from New Zealand-made components wherever possible, and Shaun says Firenzo is dflying flag in the UK by renaming its models to include the Napier, the Hastings, the Wellingtonian, and the Aucklander.

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Business Central

BUILDERS » Gibson Construction

| 25

Examples of Gibson Construction’s work...above, Manuka Health’s new factory in Carterton; below, a new dairy sheda and yards

Builder completes two big jobs Kelly Deeks Rural building company Gibson Construction completed two major contracts last year.

Gibson Construction revisited a longstanding relationship with Manuka Health to build the honey processor’s new factory at Carterton.

Gibson’s financial administrator, Melissa Hare, says the two companies have been working together since 2009.

Gibson Construction built several processing buildings and modernised Manuka Health’s production suite before landing the major sub-contractor role for the construction of Manuka Health’s $10 million facility at Te Awamutu in 2014.

It was the largest customised honey facility

in New Zealand, and included internationally accredited laboratories, honey-drum storage, blending, packing, and distribution under one roof for the first time in Manuka Health’s history.

Last year, Gibson Construction started building Manuka Health’s new Carterton factory, which is now complete.

Melissa says the successful relationship between the two companies has seen Gibson Construction help assist with cost savings, use high-quality sub-contractors, and develop and maintain schedules to accommodate staff, logistical, and specific site requirements.

And in a project for Ata Rangi Pastoral, Gibson Construction was involved in a major dairy conversion where 2500 hectares of

• To page 26

26 |

BUILDERS» Gibson Construction

Business Central

Firm extends into broader spectrum of building • From page 25 forestry land near Taupo was transformed into Five dairy farms at Atiamuri, Mangakino, Twin Lakes, Tokoroa Downs, and Whakamaru.

Melissa Hare says Gibson Construction’s reputation as the builder for the farmers and the specialist skill sets and extensive experience of the team enabled the company to provide a complete package, from design concepts to completed builds.

“Taking farming practices into consideration and putting the needs of the herd first, we designed the buildings for optimum performance.

“Many years of experience enables us to understand the investment required and the impact a well-designed, efficient, and lowmaintenance building will have on the return of the investment.”

Gibson Construction was formed in 1998

by Pat Gibson, a Te Awamutu-based house builder who cut his teeth in rural building during his apprenticeship.

He recognised a huge opportunity in the rural market when the demand for dairy sheds started to include computerisation, and shifted away from small herringbone sheds towards much larger rotaries for much larger farms.

The company grew rapidly in the underserved rural market, and has continued to strengthen its position. Gibson Construction is still recognised as a dominant player in dairy shed construction.

As the business grew, Pat took on his first apprentice, Brent Bird, then his second, Blair Atkinson. They became equity partners in 2006 and 2008.

Two sheds constructed by Te Awamutu-based Gibson Construction, which now has residential, commercial and rural divisions.

Gibson Construction has since opened branches in Taupo and Timaru. Brent and Blair also helped Pat develop the company’s residential and commercial divisions, and a number of residential and commercial projects have been completed.

The residential arm, Gibson Housing, has built houses valued from $250,000 to $1.3 million, while Gibson Commercial builds and manages projects around the country.

In 2014, Pat decided to take a break, and Brent and Blair bought the company and founded Gibson Construction. Nine months later, they asked Pat to come back in the role of chief executive officer and quality-control manager.

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Business Central

DEVELOPMENT » Gull NZ Ltd

| 27

‘Gull effect’ about to spread Karen Phelps Gull has a large pipeline of new station rollouts planned for 2017 and the company’s chief operating officer, Ulrik Olsen, predicts it will be its biggest year of growth yet.

Gull plans to open 10 stations thisb year, including two in the Bay of Plenty, one in Wanganui and one in Auckland.

One of the latest to open is Gull New Plymouth. Set up as an unmanned station on 107-127 Leach St, it has drive-through, 24/7, pay-at-the-pump technology, providing Regular 91, Gull Force 10 (98) and diesel.

He says that since it opened on January 27, petrol prices in the region have fallen because of the increased competition.

“The ‘Gull effect’, as the New Zealand Automobile Association calls it, causes a localised price drop following Gull’s introduction to a new location. In New Plymouth the price of fuel dropped 15 cents a litre on our opening day and has remained that way.”

He says the company has always had its eye on New Plymouth, but because Gull imports its own fuel into a depot at Mt Maunganui, it had to wait for the right site in New Plymouth to make the venture possible.

When a piece of land in a high-traffic-count area was identified, the move was made.

Unmanned stations help make such ventures affordable, says Ulrik. The company opened its first unmanned station around 10 years ago in Hamilton and now has 23 in the North Island.

“We believe the people of New Plymouth have been paying too much for fuel for too long, and we have high hopes for our sales figures and believe this will be a good station.”

Another unmanned station opened recently

ICR

Gull NZ has opened unmanned stations at Wellsford above and New Plymouth below recently, and plans to open 10 new stations this year.

at 201-207 Rodney St, Wellsford. Gull Wellsford will also provide 12 carparks for customers of the Four Square next door.

“Even if motorists don’t buy their petrol from Gull, everyone in and travelling through Wellsford will benefit from lower fuel prices,” says Gull retail development manager Karl Mischewski.

“We think it’s about time our competitors take an honest look at what they’ve been charging for fuel in the area and that local motorists choose to vote with their dollar at Gull Wellsford, showing they’re no longer happy with being ripped off at the pump.”

Because Gull is a family-owned business with lower operating costs than its competitors, it can offer better prices on fuel, he says. This forces other fuel chains near Gull stations to drop prices. Gull has 77 stations in the North Island.

Ulrik Olsen says the company has also been instrumental in bringing biofuel options to New Zealand drivers since 2007. Gull biofuel is produced from renewable and sustainable sources – not extracted from the ground like other fossil fuels, he says.

Gull retails two types of biofuel: bioethanol blended with premium petrol for petrol vehicles, and biodiesel blended with mineral diesel for diesel vehicles.

The company’s tankers collect ethanol as part of a return-trip route, adding no extra carbon footprint to this production process, says Ulrik.

The company’s Force 10, which is available at all Gull stations, is the most popular of the biofuel options. It is a high-performance 98 octane fuel made with 10 per cent sustainable bioethanol.

Ulrik says Gull Force 10 emits up to eight per cent less carbon dioxide than other highperformance fuels.

It has been endorsed by New Zealand’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA)as an environmentally friendly fuel, he says.

Another popular product is Diesel Max, which combines the company’s ultra-low, sulphur diesel with renewable fuel (biodiesel) to improve performance and lower carbondioxide emissions.

“Our focus on biofuels goes hand in hand with our family-oriented business model and our focus on corporate responsibility,” he says.

“It’s our responsibility as an oil company to look to the future and to do things right whether that be biofuels or ensuring consumers have access to competitive pricing.”

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28 |

Business Central

BUILDERSÂť Hutt Construction

Totalling more than 12,000 square metres, the site on Merton St, Upper Hutt, will be divided into 23 sections by surveying firm Cuttriss and sold by Bayleys. .

Phil specialises in houses for Hutt Karen Phelps

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Hutt Construction, based in Upper Hutt, began building single-lot subdivisions around 15 years ago.

Company owner Phil Delaney, a qualified builder and licensed building practitioner with around two decades of experience, would buy a house, then subdivide and build another on the section.

Over time, the size of the subdivisions expanded as his experience increased, along with demand for new housing in Lower Hutt.

According to Phil, a local and an advocate

of the region, the market is presently busy as Wellington and Lower Hutt property values have increased considerably, pushing people further out into the Hutt Valley.

His latest subdivision, at Merton St, housed three commercial buildings, but its zoning as residential caught his interest.

He negotiated with seven owners who had buildings on the site before reaching an agreement, which saw him buy the land.

Totalling more than 12,000 square metres, the site was cleared by Quality Demolition and earthworks are being done by Groundworks.

It will be divided into 23 sections by surveying

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Business Central

BUILDERS » Hutt Construction

| 29

The land at Merton Street housed three commercial buildings, but its zoning as residential caught the interest of Hutt Construction’s Phil Delaney.

firm Cuttriss and will be sold by Bayleys.

Many of the sections have already been snapped up by local housing companies, says Phi. Hel may also build some houses and offer house-and-land packages of his own.

Phil is also busy on another subdivision at King St. He bought the land from the Upper Hutt Bowling Club and has offered 10 houseand-land packages to the market.

He says it was largely retirees – who favoured the central location, also near the Upper Hutt Cosmopolitan Club – who bought these sections, which are around 400sqm with houses of approximately 140sqm.

Phil works closely with clients who purchase early in his subdivisions to develop plans. The 155sqm home he is building at King St is an example.

It has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and an open-plan kitchen/living area. Clad in stained cedar and white brick, it has a bright yellow door.

The house is double-glazed, has a fully ducted heat-pump system and is insulated with the highest R rating in exterior and interior walls, roof and floors.

Two more plans for houses at King St are being drawn up, he says. Once these houses

have been completed, the development will be finished.

Hutt Construction’s subcontractors include Design Services, which designs the houses, Cuttriss Consultants for surveying, and a local builder.

Other completed projects on Hutt Construction’s portfolio include a fivelot subdivision in Marlborough Street, Silverstream, three new houses in Elm Street,

and another four houses in Sinclair Street, Upper Hutt.

He estimates the company has built more than 40 new houses in the Upper Hutt area over the past 15 years. He says Upper Hutt is home to a good bunch of people, and its proximity to Wellington with good motorway and train access. He expects continuing strong demand for building services, and says he has some unconfirmed projects in the pipeline.

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30 |

KAPITI » Caltex Kapiti Landing

Business Central

Station kick-starts development Kelly Deeks The new Caltex Kapiti Landing service station is well placed to cater for the projected business growth in the area, according to B & B Kapiti group operations director Sanjai Bagia.

He says it is spacious and well lit, has top-quality food and beverage options, a newto-region COMBI car wash, and the only LPG bottle-fill in the Kapiti area.

B & B Kapiti owns and operates the station, along with 17 other Caltex stations around Auckland and Hawke’s Bay. This is its first venture into the Wellington region.

Sanjai Bagia says growth in Kapiti and Paraparaumu has been rapid following the realignment of the Kapiti expressway, which has opened up opportunities for development at Kapiti Landing.

“A service station is a trigger point for other development that can happen in the area.

We’ve recently seen other developments, such as Placemakers, coming at the back of our store, and the likelihood of more business development coming to where the current Placemakers is. The Burger King on the state highway has closed and is likely to come closer to Kapiti Landing.

“The projected business growth in this area is going to be quite substantial and it’s quite fitting for us to be there.”

He says Caltex Kapiti Landing is different from other service stations.

“Our store is a totally different design, it’s quite upbeat and upmarket, and very spacious,” he says.

“We’ve got a lot of LED lighting in the shelving, and our shop and forecourt is very spacious. You don’t see that these days, especially in metropolitan areas.”

He says Caltex Kapiti Landing provides a substantial food-to-go offering, with Cafe Aurora coffee made from 100 per cent premium Arabica coffee beans, and Kai Pai pies from Wanaka.

“These are quality foods and beverages, and its unique to have pies on offer in Kapiti that are made in the South Island from South Island meat and vegetables.”

Kai Pai’s vegetable pie, which contains pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower, swede, and carrot, was selected as the ‘best pie in the country’ at the Bakels Supreme Pie awards last year.

Caltex Kapiti Landing offers Kapiti the most cost effective LPG bottles with the only LPG bottle fills in the area.

Kai Pai’s steak and cheese and other ranges were all finalists, too.

Caltex Kapiti Landing offers Kapiti the most cost effective LPG bottles with the only LPG bottle fills in the area.

“At $26 for a bottle fill as opposed to $35 at some locations for a bottle swap, this is the most cost effective way of filling LPG bottle and there is a substantial saving to be made,” Sanjai says.

Caltex Kapiti Landing’s COMBI touchless and/or softwash car wash brings new brushed and brushless technology guaranteed not to mark vehicles.

The station is the company’s own design, and the build was completed by local companies and tradespeople.

The builder was Aspec Construction from Wellington. Counters and food-togo equipment was provided by Napier’s Future Products Group, which specialises in refrigerated and heated cabinets for the hospitality industry. Shelving was provided by Auckland’s Display Makers.

Sanjai says LED lighting provides for

modern display areas inside, and a well-lit forecourt for safety and security outside.

He says Caltex is the only fuel to contain Techron: “it’s the best additive for fuel in the world today. Caltex and Chevron were the first ones to come up with anything like this.”

He says Techron is a specially formulated ingredient developed with the aim of helping keep engines clean to maximise power, improve fuel economy, and lower emissions to ensure reliable performance and a smoother drive.

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Business Central

KAPITI » D.G. Rutten Builders

| 31

This 1.5-million house at Peka Peka Beach was first project on which D G Rutten Builders worked for architectural firm Novak and Middleton.

Waikanae stalwart enjoys boom Russell Fredric While the boom is drawing many newcomers to the area, Davide Rutten is one of the few local builders to have operated in Waikanae for many decades.

“There’s probably a handful of builders that rode out the recession we had,” he says.”We just kept going and word of mouth (referrals) have got us through. Now we are flat out again.”

He attributes the constant work flow to the quality, attention to detail and fine tolerances put in to every house.

The result of this workmanship has been commented on by subcontractors and others who have worked on D G Rutten Builders houses, he says.

“My staff get comments all the time. They all work to a high standard. Our philosophy is

that, regardless of the value of the house, we try and instil the same quality standards and that’s why the phone keeps ringing.”

Last year D G Rutten Builders built a $1.5 million, two-storey, house designed by Wellington-based Novak and Middleton at Peka Peka Beach .

Set on undulating sand dunes, the 300-square-metre house is in a challenging landscape and environment, says architect Richard Middleton.

“The brief called for a contemporary house that reflected the essence of a beach house, responded to the site, is enjoyable to live in, and that can cater for extended family and friends.”

It comprises two primary forms set perpendicular to one another that extend out from the sand dunes to accommodate the owner’s day-to-day living needs.

“Large, open-plan areas, both internally

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and externally, interconnect to provide spaces where various functions can occur independently, but also remain connected.

Bedroom spaces are more discrete, providing sheltered and restful areas removed from the open-plan environment.”

The house also maintains privacy from neighbouring properties and creates a focus towards the water and Kapiti Island beyond.

Living spaces and bedrooms opening out to the sand dunes maximise sun, privacy and views from all areas of the house.

The use of materials, such as stained cedar weatherboard, is simple but deliberate, chosen to reflect the building’s beach-house origins and the nature of the site.

“The design clearly responds to its

dramatic and variable environment, providing a strong connection with its surrounding context where the weather can vary from still clear days to gale force winds and airborne spray threatening anything that is not fixed down.”

It is the first project D G Rutten has done for Novak and Middleton.

“They certainly came with a good reputation and I would say that, having been through the process, that’s well justified,” Richard Middleton says. “Davide Rutten is incredibly good at understanding the detail.”

A builder contractor who understands an architect’s vision also contributes to this vision being realised, he says.

“They were great. We’ve gone on to use them on other projects too.”

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32 |

INDUSTRY » Kapiti Coast Homes/Premier Group Intl

Business Central

Premier Group ‘not your average company’ Karen Phelps

A house built by Paraparaumu-based Kapiti Coast Home Builders..

New expressway helps Kapiti building boom Karen Phelps The completion of the Mackays-to-Peka Peka Expressway project is helping a building boom along the Kapiti Coast, says local builder Kerry Jones, from Paraparaumu-based Kapiti Coast Home Builders. He says this area, in particular, is extremely busy with demand from first-house buyers.

Kerry started Kapiti Coast Home Builders in 2007 after seeing a gap in the market for a building company managing jobs effectively and efficiently.

He is proud that several people from the same family have chosen to build a new houses with his company.

“Our objective is to build without the hassles.

We take hassles away in a transparent easy manner. We offer a fixed-price building agreement that is easy to read and understand. We work in an administrative role to bring all the pieces together to build new houses exactly as desired by our clients.”

In this process, he says, the company has been very successful in operating with low overheads and no franchise fees. This helps keep costs down for clients.

“We just focus on requirements to get the job done,” says Kerry.

Kapiti Coast Home Builders builds anywhere along the Kapiti Coast, but is typically kept busy with projects in Paraparaumu.

People can bring their own plans or the company can assist them with this part of the process. He uses a trusted group of local subcontractors.

But it’s with house-and-land packages where the company has really made its mark, particularly as land available for building can be hard to come by.

On offer is a three-bedroom, brick -and-tile house at Waterstone Ave in Paraparaumu. The 110-squaremetre house includes three bedrooms, a single garage, double glazing and a water tank. Everything is included –right down to the driveway and the letterbox.

Kapiti Coast Home Builders also does builtto-order baches, sleep-outs and cottages. Many plans and options are available, and they include all wiring, insulation and painting.

Customers moving house can use a sister company, Sure-Lock Storage, which has 250 storage units ranging in size from 1.5m x 1.5m to 7.5m x 3m, Kerry is in the process of expanding this business to meet demand in the region, and will be shortly have 660 units. Services include an on-site manager, an alarm-monitored electric security fence, closed-circuit TV surveillance, and courtesy furniture trailers for moving in. Customers have access to their unit any time through a personal PIN code.

Around 49,000 people live on the Kapiti Coast, and Kerry sees demand for housing continuing to grow. His company has now built more than 150 houses by being upfront, honest and generally good to deal with, he says.

“I know the industry and the region, and clients deal direct with me. That’s a big plus as it results in a very personal easy service. If people have a question, I always have the answer for them, ensuring they are kept well informed on progress and happy with each stage.”

Since Premier Group International won category and overall honours in the 2016 IBM Kenexa Best Workplaces Awards, people interested in working for the business have been flocking to its doors.

“It has really helped us to attract highly skilled people,” says the company’s managing director, Bernard Powell.

“We’ve also had awesome feedback from customers and suppliers and it has created a massive buzz.”

Premier Group International provides a range of house bricks, paving, retaining walls, schist stone paving and walling, garden edging and tree rings, plus bagged landscaping products.

Customers include house-owners, architects, landscaping consultants and landscapers, builders, pool-builders and paving-layers.

The company entered the awards for the first time last year. The contest is judged by anonymous feedback from staff.

More than 36,000 employees from 210 organisations, across both private and public sectors, participated in the survey, providing their perceptions of their workplace on areas such as leadership, development opportunities, involvement, recognition and so on. Fifty organisations reached finalist status.

Bernard Powell says the company’s awards are the result of a team effort and being a culture-based.

“Most people put customers or sales first, but we believe that if we put culture first, everything else follows.”

He admits he is a passionate follower of other strongly culture-based companies such as Google, Facebook and Virgin, and says it was two years ago that he recognised Premier Group International needed to make drastic changes.

“We were growing quickly, but it was stressful. You spend a third of your life at work and our team spends a big part of their precious life here, so why not make it a fun and happy place to be?”

The company identified that what everyone ultimately wants is to be happy, so Premier Group International’s over-riding aim to “deliver happiness, create raving fans and beautify our world” was born.

A major focus was on how the company could make the life of its staff better, and this led to the introduction of some innovative business practices.

For example, everyone contributes to decisions, has access to the business financials, and many are stakeholders in the company. Nerf gunfights, scootering around the office and lots of bright colour are commonplace.

The company also provides lunch for staff each day and offers benefits that affect people’s lives outside the workplace – such as medical insurance for staff, their partners and children.

And it seems to be working. The business is growing. Head office is in Hamilton where there is also a paving manufacturing plant, there’s a factory in Tauranga making house bricks, and on the West Coast, a facility processes natural New Zealand schist.

There are despatch yards around the country and about 200 tonnes of product is sold each day in New Zealand through outlets such as Bunnings and Mitre10.

Exports are also increasing, with product now supplied to Australia, the Pacific Islands, Japan and the United Kingdom.

“It is not an average company,” says Bernard Powell. “Every one of our products and services align with our mission and core values.

We never want to become one of those big companies that feel corporate and boring. We want to be able to laugh at ourselves and have fun while doing a great job for our customers.”

“The company identified that what everyone ultimately wants is to be happy, so the over-riding aim is to deliver happiness, create raving fans and beautify our world.”

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Business Central

BUILDERS » Livingstones NZ Farm Source

| 33

Firm has 250 staff in Nth Island Karen Phelps The Fonterra Farm Source premises in Inglewood is Livingstone Building NZ’s latest of many builds around the country for this client. The project involved the demolition of a building on the site, and the removal of substructures, roading and services.

A new building, including a carparking and yard area, was then constructed. Made from structural steel clad in iron and cedar, the building replicated similar ones in other parts of the country.

Livingstone Building NZ’s co-regional manager of the company’s New Plymouth office, Raymond Cooper, says this familiarity with the client’s requirements ensured that things flowed smoothly.

The New Plymouth office, which Raymond operates with the other co-regional manager, Blake Morgan, drew on resources at other branches to troubleshoot and be in a position to solve any issues quickly.

Raymond says work had to be undertaken during certain hours because of consent restrictions that were imposed as a result of proximity to residential housing. This involved accurate scheduling of works and project management.

Livingstone Building NZ also did the office fit-out, including the installation of kitchen joinery, decorative plywood screens, placement of feature panels, and finishing touches, which included desks, a reception counter, a free-standing fireplace and glassed panel doors. Works were scheduled to allow the client to to complete the shelving and racking ready for the store opening.

“We make our clients problems our problems,” says Raymond, reasoning as to why the company has had such a long-term relationship with Fonterra Farm Source.

“We sort everything out for them, so we have the headaches and not them. We’ll move heaven and earth to get things done for them on time and on budget.”

Livingstone Building NZ was founded in 1947 as Cavanagh Brothers Ltd; the name changed in 1982.

Head office is in Hamilton and managing director Peter Clarke and fellow directors David and Mike Livingstone are active in the day-today management and company operation.

Livingstone Building does construction

Made from structural steel clad in iron and cedar, the Farm Source building in Inglewood replicates similar ones in other parts of the country.

projects in the commercial, residential, educational, healthcare and rural sectors.

It also has maintenance staff to service the residential and commercial markets.

The company employs more than 250 staff and has branches in Hamilton, New Plymouth, Auckland, Te Awamutu and the Bay of Plenty.

Marketing and communications coordinator Monique McLennan. says the company has a culture of building excellence, both internally and externally.

“A good example of this is our internal development programme which coaches and mentors staff to understand the company’s building philosophy. So, long before the first nail goes in, our staff understand our commitment and our focus.”

An emphasis on building excellence can also be seen in the qualifications the business has achieved.

It has Enviro-Mark Platinum Certification and is Green Star accredited. The company is also a member of the Registered Master Builders’ Association of New Zealand.

Livingstone Building NZ has been involved in many award-winning projects around New Zealand. The Ebbett dealership in Hamilton East won a New Zealand Institute of Architects commercial award, plus gold and national awards at the Commercial Project Awards, and a merit at the Property Council awards.

The Avantidrome and Kinloch Lodge, on Lake Taupo, have also been recognised.

The company is currently completing a

number of Ministry of Education contracts on schools around Taranaki. The aim is to ensure the buildings are weather-tight and structurally sound.

“If we say we’re going to do something we do it,” says Raymond.”We have the resources and processes in place to achieve this.

“That’s why we’ve been so successful at what we do. It’s the main factor that has made Livingstone Building NZ a force nationwide.”

‘‘Our internal development programme coaches and mentors staff to understand the company’s building philosophy, So, long before the first nail goes in, our staff understand our commitment and our focus.’’

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34 |

BUILDERS » Livingstone Building NZ Ltd

Business Central

The new Bunnings store, on the corner of Kahikatea Drive and Quentin Drive in Hamilton, opened at the end of November. It was built by Livingstone Building NZ.

Relationship on solid foundations Karen Phelps Bunnings has expanded its presence in Hamilton with the opening of a multi-milliondollar store.

The store – on the corner of Kahikatea Drive and Quentin Drive – opened at the end of November. It was built by Livingstone Building NZ, which has worked with Bunnings on a number of projects – fitting out stores and demolishing and constructing warehouses.

Livingstone Building NZ project manager Blanton Benjamin says the firm’s relationship with Bunnings has been developed by a service based on quality, cost and time management. He says the most difficult part of the recent build, which began in January, was getting out of the ground.

“The site is located on peat, so the building

has a structural slab design. This means it will stay where it’s meant to be as the peat shrinks over time. We installed 3300 eight to 10-metre piles under the floor.”

The building is formed from 300 tonnes of structural steel, 150 concrete pre-cast panels and 5000 cubic metres of concrete. It has a total area of more than 11,000 square metres and includes a main store, an indoor timber trade-sales area, building materials, a landscape supplies yard. and an outdoor nursery.

The store will also include an indoor playground, a cafe and parking for 260 cars.

A number of energy and water-saving design features have been incorporated in the design, including LED lighting and rainwater tanks that will be used to irrigate the nursery and service amenities.

Blanton says that the burnish-finished

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Business Central

BUILDERS » Livingstone Building NZ Ltd

| 35

concrete floor on the interior of the building demonstrates the company’s capacity to work to a very high standard.

“To achieve such a result, we limited the size of the internal pours, and the quality of the concrete was heavily audited.”

Hamilton-based Livingstone Building NZ had its beginnings in 1947 as Cavanagh Brothers Limited. Managing director, Peter Clarke, and fellow directors, David and Mike Livingstone, take an active role in the dayto-day management and operation of the company.

The company is involved in construction projects in the commercial, residential, educational, healthcare and rural sectors.

It also operates does maintenance in the residential and commercial markets.

Almost 200 staff are employed across branches in Hamilton, New Plymouth, Auckland, Te Awamutu and the Bay of Plenty.

“We’ve built our reputation over 65 years on a platform of excellence and that’s how we’ve grown into the successful nationwide construction company we are today,” says Livingstone marketing and communications co-ordinator Monique McLennan.

“This commitment to excellence is also the foundation on which we’ve established longstanding relationships with our clients,” She says that the company has a culture of building excellence, both internally and externally.

“A good example of this is our internal

• To page 36

Bunnings Hamilton has a total area of more than 11,000 square metres and includes the main store, indoor timber trade sales area, building materials, a landscape supplies yard and outdoor nursery.

“The burnish-finished concrete floor demonstrates the capacity to work to a very high standard. To achieve such a result, we limited the size of the internal pours, and the quality of the concrete was heavily audited.”

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36 |

BUILDERS » Livingstone Building NZ Ltd

Business Central

Relationship ‘built on quality, cost, time management’ • From page 35 development programme. The programme coaches and mentors staff to ensure they understand the company’s building philosophy. Long before the first nail goes in, our staff understand our commitment and our focus.”

An emphasis on building excellence can

also be seen in the qualifications the business has achieved.

It has Enviro-Mark Platinum Certification and is Green Star accredited. The company is also a member of the Registered Master Builders’ Association of New Zealand.

Livingstone Building NZ has also been involved in many award-winning projects around New Zealand.

The Ebbett dealership in Hamilton East won a New Zealand Institute of Architects commercial award, plus gold and national awards at the Commercial Project Awards, and a merit at the Property Council awards.

The Avantidrome and Kinloch Lodge, on Lake Taupo, have also been recognised.

“Everyone at Livingstone Building NZ is committed to focusing on customers’

requirements and doing what it takes to consistently deliver top-quality projects,” says Blanton.

“We have established our reputation by completing projects on time and on budget to a very high standard – such as the Bunnings project in Hamilton. It is this work ethic and commitment to excellence that has been the foundation of success.

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Safe and easy access to rooftop plant items on the new Bunnings Warehouse South Hamilton was provided by Monkey Toe Group. Its range of ground breaking products and fixing method won’t compromise the structural integrity of the new, multi-million dollar building.

Monkey Toe Group marketing manager Jeff Poole says the Bunnings Warehouse South Hamilton project was fairly substantial, and one of about a dozen Bunnings projects the company has completed over the past 10 years.

“One of Bunnings’ requirements is for any of our system that can be seen from the street to be powder coated with Bunnings signature green colour,” he says. “We’ve done that in the past, but on this building we provided a walkway down the middle of the roof, so everything was kept hidden.”

Monkey Toe Group provided a lightweight fibre reinforced plastic SkyWalk walkway, which differs from the traditional timber walkways which are merely placed on top of the roof, trapping debris and leaching tannins from the wood causing damage and corrosion. Monkey Toe walkways are raised 200mm above the roof to allow rain

and debris to wash through. They have a unique beam design allowing walkways to span up to 3m between supports, while still maintaining a massive live load of 2.5Kpa/m, or about three people per square metre. This allows greater flexibility for installations and means there are less contact points with the roof. The system uses a knurled, non-slip mesh to ensure safe roof access in all weather conditions.

Aluminium handrails provide effective industrial protection on walkways and for full roof edge protection guard rails, fully compliant with building regulations and health and safety code.

Monkey Toe Group also provided its versatile condenser mounts system, which is mounted using Monkey Toe Group’s specialised clips. These support from the sub-structure and not from the roof sheeting.

Finally, the Monkey Toe Ladder system with premium quality KATT ladders is a lightweight, high strength system for a safe working load of 150kgs.

Jeff says the Monkey Toe system protects both people and buildings, providing safe access without damaging the roof.

The system’s development began when

company director Tim Prestidge was contracted by Fonterra to provide roof access systems for buildings with new roofs. “They wanted to figure out a way to do it without damaging the roof, so Tim came up with a series of clips that can safely grip a roof, without penetrating it or destroying its structural integrity,” Jeff says.

“One of these clips looks like a monkey’s toe.”

Monkey Toe Group’s products have continued to be refined and developed over the past 10 years, with new product lines added, and the company has now made a natural progression through its work with aluminium to include a range of glass balustrades.

The product shines when it comes to installation. With most of the system prefabricated at the Monkey Toe workshop, when it comes to site, installation goes smoothly.

“One of the beauties of our product is it goes together really quickly,” Jeff says. “The ease and speed of installation means we can assist our clients with quick delivery of finished buildings.”

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ScottPHS and Storepro Maximising coolstore capacity and floor utilisation was the project brief given to New Zealand based firms, Storepro Solutions Ltd and ScottPHS by Hawke’s Bay apple grower Longview NZ. Providing bespoke pallet racking and storage solutions, Storepro teamed with ScottPHS, a leading provider of automated handling solutions for ‘end of line’ materials to deliver a state-of-art turnkey solution.

Both Kiwi owned businesses operating within Australasia, Storepro and ScottPHS worked independently but collaboratively on the coolstore project.

Storepro’s Central Sales Manager Marc Padman says that the synergy that existed between Longview, Store Pro and ScottPHS was a primary factor in the projects success.

“There was a strong alignment with a likeminded business and a really good connection that comes down to the people you deal with,” he says.

Designing, manufacturing and installing a racking system that makes use of a battery operated semi-automated pallet shuttle cart system, Storepro has significantly increased Longview NZ’s storage density and capacity

within the same coolstore footprint.

“We did all the system design, installation and site project management,” says Marc. “We assisted with council compliance and the certification of racking with local authorities, understandably critical in earthquake zones like Hawke’s Bay.” One block of racking, 24 lanes long, sits on the right hand side of the coolstore, with a further block of 14 lanes on the left hand side.

Each lane is thirteen pallets deep and three tiers high with each level independently accessible by shuttle cart, providing a total capacity of 1500 pallets with scope to increase capacity by 390.

The jewel of the project is the shuttle cart, which tirelessly runs up and down the laneways taking pallets backwards and forwards, replacing the need for forklifts to stack every pallet in its own location, other than on the front of the rail on each lane.

“There’s a lot of smarts about these shuttles and they’re very energy efficient,” says Manny Roth, International Business Development Engineer for ScottPHS. “With ‘compact push and pull’ functionality built into them they are capable of leaving specific gaps between pallets, bringing

pallets continuously or singularly to the forklift driver and can detect when an object, such as a person, might be in front them.”

The Italian designed shuttles use a different lifting system than competitive products, providing significant energy savings that prolong battery life.

Rather than the shuttle lifting its own weight of 250kg as well as that of the pallet, steel plates on either side of the shuttle lift the pallet 30mm enabling the shuttle to move effortlessly down the lane.

ScottPHS is the Australasian agent for the Italian manufactured shuttles and has a team of technicians on board to service and maintain them. Spare parts and one or two shuttles are also held in stock in the event of urgent replacement.

“In addition to increased capacity, the use of the shuttle minimizes damage to the racking system and reduces the likelihood of accidents,” says Manny.

Marc Padman and Manny Roth both agree that key to the projects success was the working relationship that exists between the two independent businesses and their collaboration throughout.

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Business Central

INDUSTRY » Longview

| 39

Wayne Yule, left, from Longview New Zealand, says Longview was known internationally as a quality supplier - now it will become known as a volume supplier as well.

Good things ahead for Longview Karen Phelps The acquisition of Hawke’s Bay grower, packer and apple marketer Longview New Zealand

by Scales Corporation in November will mean good things for Longview customers, says the company’s Wayne Yule.

“Longview is known internationally as a quality supplier and now we will become a volume supplier as well,” he says.

Scales Corporation is an agribusiness company with three operating divisions (horticulture, storage and logistics) and food ingredients. It employs more than 500 staff around New Zealand. Longview was sold to

Scales Corporation through wholly owned subsidiary, Mr Apple New Zealand Ltd, which has acquired all shares in Longview Group Holdings Limited.

The transaction includes 76 hectares of orchard and bare land under long-term leases, the purchase of 22ha of orchard immediately surrounding the Longview packhouse and coolstore, and the lease of a further 17ha of orchard from parties associated with Longview shareholders.

Wayne says the sale increases Mr Apple’s production capacity and brings a market brand and experienced staff.

“We’re quite excited to be working with a bigger organisation where we can really take the brand forward and carry on the momentum we have built so far, especially with the Asian market growing rapidly.”

• To page 40

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40 |

INDUSTRY » Longview

• From page 39 He says that the strategy is to become the preferred supplier of apples within the Asia region. During 2016 Longview sold 62% of the approximately 530,000 TCEs it manages to Asia and was recently recognised by the China Fruit Marketing Association as one of the top 10 brands of fruit imported into China during 2016.

He says the award was the result of smart marketing of the brand in Asia over many years along with consistently delivering a high quality product through investing in the latest technology including optical grading and sorting technology which allows it to supply to precise specifications and requirements.

“I travelled extensively, meeting with clients to see what they wanted and were prepared to pay for. We then packed with the market as the prime focus. Quality was key - even if that meant slowing the shed down at times to complete colour breaks etc. From this we gained a reputation for being a quality, reliable supplier.”

He says growers have been a key factor in the building of the brand: “Once we knew what the market wanted we went to our growers and they grew to meet these requirements. It was a mind shift as it was a move to growing fewer but larger and better quality fruit. The growers placed their trust in us but at the end of the day the figures stacked up as the market was willing to pay more.”

Wayne says the modern Longview

Business Central

packhouse and coolstore was a key attraction for Scales Corporation. Recently a new racking system was installed by Storepro Solutions, with New Zealand based automation partner Scotts PHS, as the latest upgrade to the Longview plant to ensure the company stayed ahead technically.

“The end result has been a smart and efficient pallet put away and retrieval system.

This provided us with maximum storage density along with reduced downtime in forklift movements/double handling and damage while also having the ability to store three full pallets high with no stillage requirements improving pallet accessibility at any one time,” explains Wayne.

Longview was packing half a million cartons annually – or around 2.5% of the total apples exported from New Zealand. Mr Apple was packing around 25%. Wayne says the fact that the Longview post-harvest infrastructure is close to existing Mr Apple operations is expected to yield a number of operational efficiencies and improvements, including opportunities for improved packhouse specialisation and other revenue and cost synergies.

“We’re quite excited to be working with a bigger organisation where we can really take the brand forward and carry on the momentum we have built so far, especially with the Asian market growing rapidly. With lots of plantings in the ground and new varieties coming on we are excited to be playing a bigger part in the New Zealand apple industry.”

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Business Central

BUILDERS » Construct Wellington

| 41

Rebuild indicator of strong economy Kelly Deeks The rebuild of a long-derelict, prime shopping space on Upper Hutt’s Main Street is one of Construct Wellington’s first new retail development projects in the past couple of years. And company director Peter Clark says it’s an indication of how the local economy is doing.

The $1.75 million, five-month construction project of three retail titles is the start of the development of the Ashford Lane area opposite The Mall. The largest of the three single-storey stores face both Main Street and Ashford Lane, with the other two fronting the lane.

“It’s a great project for us to be involved in,” Peter says. “Construct Wellington has completed refurbishment and upgrade work at Upper Hutt Mall before, and it’s great to be back again and involved in a new build for the area.”

He says The Mall manager Grant Burns and owner Ganson Management are being very progressive with their development plans, and a huge push over the four years Ganson has owned The Mall has seen occupancy raise to 94 per cent.

“As everyone knows, success breeds success, and the more tenancies they get signed up there will bring in more retailers,” Peter says. “The completion of this development is going to create a very different Upper Hutt city-centre experience for retail tenants as well as shoppers.”

The Spencer Holmes-designed structural steel and precast concrete panel building has been a straightforward project for Construct Wellington, which has really had to battle only with the weather during Wellington’s exceptionally windy spring and wet summer.

Construct Wellington is part of the Construct Group, which was established in Auckland in 2005.

Owned by quantity surveyor Peter and builder Dave Groves, Construct Group aims to provide professional and compliant building services, with a small company feel.

“We as directors stay involved in the day-to-day running of the business and the delivery of projects,” Peter says. “As a company we are a small group of highly skilled professionals who enjoy what they do. We like to get on board with our clients’ projects and their visions, and help deliver it.

The key is working collaboratively with our clients and sub-trades.”

Construct Group offers main contractor construction services for new builds,

Construct Wellington is part of the Construct Group, which was established in Auckland in 2005. Pictured is some of the company’s work.

refurbishments, seismic upgrades, and interior fit-out projects.

“We understand the demands of delivering construction projects and the unique challenges of every project we are involved in,” Peter says. “We have developed proven systems and processes to ensure we cover all aspects of projects, including health and safety, environmental, quality, programme, and value.”

The company specialises in working in live environments: “We ensure we cause the least possible disruption to businesses. We value the relationships we build alongside the buildings we work on.”

He says Construct Group is all about people, and within the organisation, a healthy culture is encouraged and hard work and honest values are rewarded.

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42 |

BUILDERS » Mike Harnett Builders

Business Central

Mike Harnett Builders has a strong community connection with local iwi, Maori trusts, incorporations and businesses.

Connection with community crucial Russell Fredric Rotorua builder Mike Harnett combines sound business practice with a sense of mission in his community.

The owner of Mike Harnett Builders Ltd says that while profit is necessary for his business to exist, its community connections with local iwi, Maori trusts, incorporations and businesses provide a strong sense of satisfaction. He attributes this to his Ngai Tahu ancestry, which he keenly identifies with.

“I’m very proud of that fact.”

He also gains satisfaction from seeing the community benefit as a result of his completed work.

“Keeping our local Maori culture is an important part of Mike Harnett Builders, and keeping buildings, infrastructure and tourist attractions in pristine condition requires regular maintenance,” he says.

His firm helps with the maintenance and upkeep of Te Papaiouru Marae, which includes Tamatekapua Wharenui (meeting house), surrounding buildings and landmarks.

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The company is also working on repairing and restoring the Waikuta Marae.

“Recent years have seen the deterioration of the wonderful Waikuta Marae and we have started our restoration program to bring it back to its former glory.

“This project not only involves interior and exterior work, but requires understanding of Maori culture and the significance of what we do, and how we do it.”

Among the large Maori business organisations with which his company has a long-standing relationship is Pukeroa

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Oruawhata Holdings Ltd (POHL), a major commercial developer in Rotorua.

Mike Harnett Builders was a subcontractor to Fletcher Construction during the construction of the Rotorua Central Mall, a $106-million, retail development by POHL completed in 2013.

His firm is working on a current community project – rebuilding Rotorua’s community hospice which was relocated from the Rotorua waterfront last year to a new site in Hinemoa St. The waterfront site is earmarked for a major hotel and tourism re-development by

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Business Central the landowner, Pukeroa Lakefront Holdings Limited.

The 1220-square-metre hospice building was transported to its new site in three pieces.

“We started it in August [2016] and then had six weeks of continuous rain,” Mike recalls. “So during that time we demolished the inside of it.”

The building has been reclad with Linea, reroofed and reinsulated; a four-vehicle ambulance bay has also been added, and

BUILDERS » Mike Harnett Builders work has progressed to painting its exterior.

Further work will include re-wiring, relining and painting the interior to bring the hospice up to the standard of a new building.

Completion is expected about June.

“It’s a brand new building essentially,” says Mike.

The hospice’s relocation and rebuild is significant community project for Rotorua, costing more than $1 million. More than 420 patients are cared for by the hospice in a year.

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Over the last year Mike Harnett Builders has undertaken upgrades on five houses as community projects for Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust.

The company is also a contractor for Perrin Agriculture, which is closely aligned with with several Maori agribusiness ventures and farming operations Mike says his firm brings combined experience of more than 100 years to its work.

He alone has 40-plus years of residential and

| 43

commercial building experience.

He describes his staff of 14 as a well-gelled unit.

“Each has their own strengths that contribute to a top-quality finish on time and on budget.”

As well as having a sense of mission about the community work, Mike also gains satisfaction by making a difference in the lives of people of Rotorua through the employment opportunities he provides.

44 |

DEVELOPMENT » Briscoes

Business Central

Archaus was involved from the start in designing the new Briscoes Homeware and Rebel Sport stores in Lower Hutt.

New complex nears completion Karen Phelps New Briscoes Homeware and Rebel Sport stores in Lower Hutt are nearing completion.

The build is taking place in Te Puni St, in a growing bulk retail area. The project was designed by Archaus Ltd and is being constructed by Naylor Love.

Archaus senior technician Mark Dray says Archaus has been working store fit-outs and alteration projects for the Briscoe Group Ltd off and on for more than a decade.

It was involved in the Lower Hutt project from the start after Briscoes Group bought the site and sought a design to bring the Briscoes Homeware and Rebel Sport stores together.

Archaus decided to use only part of the site

and keep the remaining building, which is now leased, then build the new stores on two-thirds of the site.

The aim was to achieve something practical and relatively maintenance free.

Two sides of the building were left as natural precast concrete panel. The frontage on Te Puni St includes stepped-back panels with exposed aggregate, metal façade and landscaping.

The frontage faces the carpark area to the south, and changes of cladding, stepped-back façade and varying heights of canopy lines offer a subtle difference that draws attention and differentiates between the two stores, he says.

Mark says the main challenge was getting the new building out of the ground – the

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Business Central soils had been contaminated by a factory that previously operated there. Once extensive remediation works had been carried out, the project was relatively straightforward, he says.

Naylor Love had just six months to complete the build to meet the deadline. The firm had to demolish the buildings on the site then, lower the ground by 800 millimetres for the new earthworks.

The build was staged so that foundations and preparation work for pre-cast panels could take place simultaneously for the 4000 square metres of buildings.

Parking was a logistical issue as Lower Hutt City Council regulations did not allow the workers to park on the street. Works were staged to take this into account and some

DEVELOPMENT » Briscoes workers car-pooled to get to the site.

Mark Dray says his firm’s long-standing working relationship with Briscoe Group made a definite difference to the project. He says the project was typical of Archaus’s philosophy of concentrating on cost-effective results and a focus on innovation.

Archaus, headed by directors Mike Cole and Dennis Burns, has branches in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The company works on a diverse range of architectural and interior-design projects – from commercial and industrial developments to multi-unit, residential.

A pioneer in the adoption of computer, three-dimensional modelling and BIM, Archaus has a philosophy of identifying the

opportunities and capabilities of each aspect of a project and how they can complement and enhance one another.

Mark says this leads to better outcomes for both the designer and the client.

Computer-generated visualisations are also produced in house, and the company’s images and animations can be used for massing studies, material selection, consent applications and marketing.

Archaus is also working on the renovation of the Briscoes Homeware store in Taranaki St, Wellington.

The project will add an 500sqm of retail space, provide 27 new customer carparks, and provide the store with a facelift in the form of new façade.

“The main challenge was getting the new building out of the ground – the soils had been contaminated by a factory that previously operated there.”

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| 45

46 |

INDUSTRY » NZ Manuka Group

Business Central

Business Central

INDUSTRY » NZ Manuka Group

| 47

Vision driven by humbleness Russell Fredric There are many words you could use to describe the vision and culture of those who work for the NZ Manuka Group. Boastful is not one of them.

When Business Central spoke with the group’s chief executive officer, Karl Gradon, who has worked for the business for a year, the first word he used to describe the qualities of founder Phil Caskey was ‘humble’. Phil established New Zealand’s first specialist manuka honey company 20 years ago.

“The amazing thing about this organisation is the humility Phil carried into forming the company and creating partnerships based on a real wish to see all stake-holders thrive,” says Karl.

“He was adamant that land-owners, in particular, would receive much greater return from the money the manuka honey products generated.

“This was a real shift from what had traditionally happened, and it really speaks to the qualities of the man.”

Last year this humble and hard-working company – which in the space of three years, has grown in capacity to now produce two-thirds of the country’s manuka oil from plantations owned by East Cape Iwi – won Export Bay of Plenty’s Page Mcrae excellence in exporting Innovation award.

The award recognised the company’s achievements in innovative strategies and practices. The judges were particuarly impressed by its ”matrix of innovative science, an ethos of environmental sustainability and smart investment in know-how and people capability”.

Phil was also presented with the Beca export achievement award. Presented each year to an individual in an export business, this is often referred to as the award for the unsung heroes of the business community.

The judges noted “Phil’s vision and determination to establish a business that has a real commitment to benefiting communities everywhere, is a significant achievement in its own right”.

“Our Fair Share programme is an open and transparent scheme that gives a percentage of the income gained from the manuka honey and oil back to the land-owner,” says Phil.

As demand for firstly manuka honey and subsequently manuka-oil products grew, the

Phil McCaskey, who founded New Zealand Manuka Group 20 years ago, has received an award for his vision and determination.

need for beekeepers and land-owners naturally increased, creating the opportunity to form partnerships.

“It’s a win-win when the way you operate builds community, creates employment and gives Ngati Porou people a reason to return home and be part of innovative developments taking place on their whenua,” says Karl.

Research and practice have shown just how potent manuka oil is in killing the bacteria that causes acne, the MRSA super-bug and ring worm.

The company’s flagship brand for its manuka oil is Melora, and Karl says the aim is to continue to lead the market in formulating manuka-based medical devices and applications.

• To page 48

48 |

INDUSTRY » NZ Manuka Group

Business Central

‘Visitor experience’ planned as a tribute to manuka • From page 47 One of its latest initiatives is to share the story of manuka with public. It goes back centuries to when the plant’s medicinal properties and its power to heal and protect, were innately understood by the tangata whenua.

“We want to tell this story and tap into the history in a hands-on interactive way,” says Karl.

A new “visitor experience” hub is being established next to the Skyline luge facility in Rotorua.

It’s a $30-million joint venture between the Rotohokahoka D North 4D Trust and NZ Manuka Group, and is expected to attract more than 180,000 visitors a year. The development will be built on 20 hectares of land owned by the trust.

A new visitor experience hub is being planned in Rotorua. We want to tell this story and tap into the history in a hands-on interactive way.

Trust chairman Paora Tapsell says the trust has been waiting a long time to see the land put to good use.

Phil Caskey came up with the concept about 16 years ago and says securing a partnership with the trust to go ahead and develop the tribute to the history and place of manuka honey is very exciting.

New Zealand Manuka Group has also gained recognition for its record as an employer. It received the Spark Business Bay of Plenty work/life balance employer of the year award at the 2016 Horizon Business Excellence Awards run by the Eastern Bay of Plenty Chamber of Commerce.

“We have always held the vision to be the employer of choice and to have this confirmed through the award process is an achievement we are very proud of,” says Karl.

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As responsible employers seeking to manage risks in the workplace, New Zealand Manuka Group brought in The Drug Detection Agency for a full package of policy design, training and education, and testing for its staff.

The Drug Detection Agency licensee for Tauranga, Rotorua, and Taupo Errol Brain says he began working with New Zealand Manuka about two years ago, when the company decided to hit the ground running after the new Health and Safety at Work Act came into play.

“It talked about managing risk, and drugs and alcohol are identified as a risk in the workplace,” he says.

“As a good employer, New Zealand Manuka made the decision to have a policy around it, which we were able to help them design, they wanted to educate all their managers and staff around it, and then they also made the decision to start testing.”

Errol says the important part of policy design is making sure it reflects the business and what it is trying to achieve.

“New Zealand Manuka was quite unique, as a company that manufactures and exports honey,” he says.

“They have offices in Whakatane and a factory and offices in Opotiki, as well as lots of beekeepers travelling in and out.

“That’s a very different scenario and they needed to make sure they had the

ability to deal with drugs and alcohol in the workplace.”

He says a policy serves to inform business owners, managers, and staff about the company’s stance, as well as laying out the process around testing and what happens if there is a positive result.

The Drug Detection Agency spoke with key personnel from New Zealand Manuka and also at some health and safety workshops run by the company, educating staff on minimising risks, the testing process including pre-employment testing, post incident testing, and random testing, and what to do if they suspected someone was under the influence at work.

The Drug Detection Agency was established in New Zealand 12 years ago, and now includes offices across New Zealand and Australia.

The company invests heavily in research and development to keep up with emerging trends in drugs and new testing methods.

Errol has been a licensee for four years.

His former workplace was the rugby pitch and as a professional rugby player, he was drug tested 26 times.

“I think it’s a really good thing,” he says.

“If you look at it as a health and safety issue, making sure you look after your people, that’s why I wanted to be involved.”

Business Central

BUILDERS » Sunnycourt Homes

| 49

Simple, yet stylish, designs offered Karen Phelps Simple yet stylish designs and high-quality building are the aims of Taupo-based Sunnycourt Homes.

The building company was started in 1995 by Doug Simmons, who is the current president of Registered Master Builders’ Taupo branch.

He says he employs only highly qualified builders on Sunnycourt Homes propjects.

“We have a great team who work well together. This helps us to build a quality product on time and on budget.”

Design company McGowan Consultancy works exclusively (in Taupo) for Sunnycourt Homes, and Doug maintains its designs set the company apart. Houses can also be built from clients’ plans.

Whatever the case, houses are designed to suit the section, and client requirements and budget, he says.

“We’re very client focused in terms of design, specifications and basically delivering a house the customer is really thrilled with.

We achieve this by being honest, transparent and establishing good rapport with our clients from day one.

“Engaging our clients in a collaborative approach to all aspects of the design/build process is very important.”

The company’s ‘show home’, at 19 Noumea Drive, Huka Falls Rise, opened last July, and is a good example of what can be achieved, he says He describes the 205 square metres house on a 416sq m site is a simple yet effective contemporary design.

It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living areas and a double garage, and is clad in James Hardie Linea weatherboard and Axon panel.

“It’s the little features that make the difference – raked ceilings in the living areas and 2.55m studs throughout the rest of the house. The focus on building it was to display an affordable ‘wow’ factor, and public response suggests this has been achieved. .

“It has been popular with a wide range of people as many of them don’t want larger sections to look after and want a brand-new house with no maintenance worries. It has been extremely successful and has generated a lot of interest.”.

He rates the ‘show home’ as an excellent example of what can be achieved on a small site within budget.

However, the company’s in-house designer allows Sunnycourt to develop options across all budgets. Sunnycourt Homes has won several house of the year awards.

Sunnycourt builds come with a Registered Master Builders 10-year guarantee, plus what

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Sunnycourt Homes is a Taupo-based building company that was started in 1995 by Doug Simmons.

“At Sunnycourt Homes we believe building someone’s dream house requires a collaborative approach to achieve the levels of excellence required.”

Doug says are the best building contracts available. Master Builders also keeps members up to date with the industry trends and requirements.

Doug says the Taupo district is enjoying a high level of building activity.

He enjoys his community involvement, including Rotary membership and his role as trust chairman of a major community fundraiser, the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge.

“We believe building someone’s dream house requires a collaborative approach to achieve the levels of excellence required.

“At the end of the day all the clients and trade contractors share the same small community.”

Grant Fisher

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50 |

BUILDERS » Accurate Builders

Business Central

Accurate Builders was started in 2013 by local couple Jeremy and Papauta Madderom and it is very much a family run operation..

Small is personal, in Jeremy’s eyes Karen Phelps Accurate Builders’ capacity to handle an entire project is a big bonus for its clients, say Jeremy and Papaula Madderom. The Wairarapa-based business can construct anything...from new houses to fencing and driveways.

The couple started the business in 2013, and it remains very much a family-run operation.

Jeremy is a second-generation builder with more than 10 years’ experience in the construction industry. He sat his apprenticeship under his father, Gerald Madderom, fulfilling a wide variety of tasks. The tables have now turned, with Gerald contracting to Accurate Builders part-time.

“He never really liked the paperwork side of building, so this leaves him free to just tackle the physical side, which he loves,” says Jeremy.

The company has taken off quickly. Initially, there was a lot of insurance work, but when this dried up, it freed up the couple’s time to market the business and concentrate on new house builds and renovations.

Accurate Builders works predominantly with architects to design houses. Jeremy can whip up an initial concept drawing, which is then

passed onto an architect to flesh out. Clients are also welcome to arrive with their own plans.

As a preferred supplier of Boundaryline Fencing Systems and Quin garages, the company can offer these product ranges to clients.

Boundaryline Fencing Systems produces steel, timber and panel fencing with a range of styles and colours.

Quin’s kitset garages can easily be customised. They are made with 90 x 45-millimetre timber-frame construction and have double studs in all corners and vehicle doorways. They are arguably New Zealand’s strongest garage, says Jeremy.

Accurate Builders also offers house-and-land packages to clients. At present the company has a 208 square metre, four-bedroom house and land package on offer on a 697sq m at 156 Pownall St, Masterton.

Jeremy says the house has been customdesigned to the section, capitalises on the sun, and creates a base for entertaining with indoor/ outdoor flow.

“Early on is an excellent time to get involved in the building process for one of our house and land packages. That way, kitchen design, tiles and paint colours can be selected, and anything

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We enjoy being a smaller business. It means we can offer a personal service with open communication to build what our customers want, not just what we think they want else can still be changed to suit a client’s tastes.”

As an example of the lengths the company will go to, he points to a new-house build in Masterton: “Three weeks prior to the owners moving in, we had a letter from the power company saying it was denying the power connection because of the length of feed through the subdivision. We had to chase up documents from 10 years prior on the subdivision, and we found one signed by the power company granting permission for the feed.

“It took the full three weeks to organise connection between about four companies, bouncing back and forward every day. But nothing was standing in the way of our clients

moving into their new house and we managed to pull it off for them.”

Renovation and alteration form a large part of business. The company is currently working on a small extension to a dining room for a client in Masterton and an alteration for another.

A small carport is also on the go and work is about to start work on a new house in Carterton.

“We enjoy being a smaller business,” says Jeremy. “It means we can offer a personal service. We strive to deliver attention to detail, with open communication to accurately build what our customers want, not just what we think they want.

“I don’t want to get so big I can’t keep an eye on quality. That’s vital to our business.”

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BUILDERS » Pepper Construction

Business Central

| 51

John Mana Way, Pepper Construction’s new ‘pocket’neighbourhood in New Plymouth is a new venture for the company reflecting an interest in building happy, healthy communities.

Interest in ‘healthy, healthy communities’ Karen Phelps Pepper Construction has just completed a new ‘pocket’ neighbourhood of sustainable houses – John Mana Way at 23 Whakawhiti St, Marfell, New Plymouth.

Pepper Construction director Andrew Pepper says it is a new venture for the

company, and reflects an interest in building happy, healthy communities.

Each house is unique and encompasses sustainable living features at affordable prices, he says. These include: structurally strong frames and driven piles; solar-oriented design; solar power; natural ventilation; high R-value

Today, Pepper Construction continues to deliver top quality building/construction work and employs a team of 34 experienced professionals.

• To page 52

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52 |

BUILDERS » Pepper Construction

Business Central

Building happy and healthy communities • From page 51 insulation including sub-floor and garage door; low inherent chemical content; energy saving appliances; edible gardens.

The house range in size from 120 to 180 square metres, and include two-, three- and four-bedroom options. Some of them have sold; the rest are on the market.

Pepper Construction plans to build two more pocket neighbourhoods in the same area this year, as well as a larger development of 20-30 houses next year. The developments reflect the company’s history of contributing to the local community.

The New Plymouth-based business was formed in 1936 when Andrew’s grandfather, Len Pepper, started an independent building company.

Pepper Construction now employs 34 professionals who manage and complete a wide range of residential and commercial projects. Andrew takes an overseeing role.

The standard of the company’s work was evidenced when it was named the national award winner in the ‘new homes under $300,000’ category at the 2015 Registered Master Builders’ House of the Year competition.

Pepper Construction has also acquired the distributorship of Fair Dinkum sheds for the region. These include a wide selection of steel-framed buildings, from simple residential sheds to fully commercial warehouses.

Structures are customised to suit customers’ specific needs.

Andrew cites the benefits of the system as being strong, quick to install, and cost effective.The steel-framed buildings are also available in kitset form.

Pepper Construction had its beginning in 1936 when Andrew’s grandfather Len Pepper started an independent building company.

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BUILDERS » Pepper Construction

Business Central Andrew says Pepper Construction is set to build its own new premises with the system, which will also be used as a display building for clients to visit.

The kitset the offering complements the company’s traditional business of full designand-build, turnkey, building.

As a family owned business, culture is important, he says.

A lot of effort goes into upskilling staff, and the company employs a large number of apprentices. This is a benefit for the business, for customers and for the staff themselves, he says.

“It’s about respect, pride in workmanship and simple family values. We want our

| 53

people to be successful because if they are successful, then we are successful.”

All elements of each development are fully managed and built by qualified building professionals.

Current projects include a warehouse extension for New Zealand Post and a chapel for Omega Funeral Services.

Because of strong regional growth in Taranaki, with the energy and rural sectors doing well and the region increasingly attracting tourism – assisted by Taranaki being named in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2017 as the second best region in the world to visit – Andrew sees good potential for Pepper Construction.

Your Safety is our Business Greg Lykles 0274763548 P: 06 7511514 E: SYBLE@xtra.co.nz www.firewatch.co.nz

Bending the rules again Well-known for undertaking unconventional projects, stainless steel and sheet metal fabrication company Rivet is once again bending the rules as well as the steel with a project in collaboration with Pepper Construction, which is building Te Henui Chapel for Eagars Funeral Services.

Rivet is providing a two-part service for the new chapel, which is set to become a ‘life event’ centre holding services for the dearly departed, newborn babies, and couples tying the knot.

Firstly Rivet is providing the structural steel component of the building, and secondly is working closely with Eagars Funeral Services to create a rotating video screen.

“Eagars Funeral Services is offering a point of difference with Te Henui Chapel, with a multi-use space which can cater for a wide range of events,” says Rivet founding director Steve Scott. “Rather than just a standard whiteboard or video screen, they wanted something with a ‘wow’ factor, which would suit the design of the building.”

The rotating video screen comprises nine television sets each displaying their respective part of one image.

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P 06 769 6408 E office@rivet.net.nz W ww w.rivet.net.nz

combination of my ability to see what the customer wants, and put it together with my talented team of fabricators and designers. Their expertise combined with my electrical background allows us to stretch typical fabrication ideas and techniques.

The combination of skills lets us think outside the square.”

Rivet’s typical response to what its customers want is ‘if it can be done, we can do it’.

With parts on the way to put the rotating video screen together, Rivet is now building a gin distillery, the first one Steve knows of to be built in New Zealand, since normally they are imported as a finished product.

“Our client Begin Distilling had seen us provide the rippling stainless steel façade for the Len Lye Centre, and rightly thought if they can do that, surely they can build a still,” Steve says. “Begin Distilling had done the research and knew what they wanted. They’ve got the know-how of the gin distillery process, and they needed someone alongside them who knew the sheet metal and design process.

We’ve been liaising with them all the way through.”

Steve says similar products are available overseas, but since no-one is bringing them into New Zealand, Rivet is going to make its own.

Steve says Rivet’s services are highly collaborative and understanding the customers’ wants and needs is key.

“Our company is quite well-known for doing stuff that’s a bit different,” he says.

“I call it ‘flat to finish’,” he says. “It starts out with a flat idea, or a flat sheet, and we take it through to a finished product, doing whatever it takes to make it happen.”

“Rivet’s capabilities come down to a

54 |

DESIGN » Parsonson Architects

Business Central

The basic layout of the Zavos Corner complex is an L shape, with the crux of the L facing north, allowing sun to come straight in to the centre of the building.

Designed for functionality and fit Kelly Deeks An award-winning apartment complex on a small, central Wellington site resulted from Parsonson Architects talking an approach to design with functionality and fit very much in mind.

Zavos Corner architect Gerald Parsonson

says the multi-unit housing model is really popular at the moment as cities become denser through the housing shortage.

“When you’re looking at doing something like this, it has to be really functional, and made to fit in with the local environment,” he says.

One of the first design strategies towards making this work was to put the parking

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space underground, with a sloping sidestreet allowing vehicles to continue down and straight into the carpark.

“By putting the parking underground, we don’t have a ground floor full of garages; instead, we have nice courtyards for the downstairs apartments.”

Seven single-level apartments and one two-level apartment are spread across three

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storeys, on a corner site of 564 square metres in Mt Victoria.

The basic layout of the complex is an L shape, with the crux of the L facing north, allowing sun to come straight in to the centre of the building.

The entrance to the building is a split in the L where residents walk in under a two-storey deck, providing a ‘sense of entry’.

DESIGN » Parsonson Architects

Business Central The apartments are set out around a northfacing courtyard, and all apartments are open on at least two sides.

“We’ve put a deck or a walkway on both ends of each apartment to create a nice travelthrough, with morning sun on one side and afternoon sun on the other,” Gerald Parsonson says.

“Where these decks are at the end of the living spaces, we’ve turned these into frames which create a rhythm with the street and relate to the scale of the building.”

A stairwell was put on the street corner “We wanted to make a strong statement with it,” says Gerald. The firm also came up with the idea of creating a clock tower to define the street corner.

| 55

The firm worked within the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria design guide to produce an initial design, but the client wasn’t too keen on the result.

“We advised our client that he may have to fight a bit harder if he wanted to go outside of the design guide,” Gerald says.

“We came up with something that reflected the scale of the area in an abstract way, at the same time creating a connection with the buildings and the community of Mt Victoria.”

The Wellington City Council’s urban designer approved the second design. So did the client. And, as it turns out, so did Home

• To page 56

• Educational Buildings • Light Commercial • Industrial • Apartments • Refurbishment • Interior Fitout • Siesmic Strengthening Tel: 04 387 9470 | Fax: 04 387 2424 | Email: info@fieldandhall.co.nz www.fieldandhall.co.nz | 267 Coutts Street, Rongotai 6022 | PO Box 14-069, Kilbirnie 6241

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56 |

DESIGN » Parsonson Architects

Business Central

Apartments designed with functionality and fit in mind • From page 55 magazine and the New Zealand Institute of Architects.

Parsonson Architects was awarded Home magazine’s Home of the Year multi-unit award, and at the 2016 New Zealand Architecture Awards, won the local and national multiunit awards, and the Ian Athfield Award for housing.

Specialist Wellington building contractor

Field & Hall was the project’s main contractor, and rates Zavos Corner as one of its most challenging projects of its near 95 years in business.

Managing director Richard Field says the building site in the centre of Mt Victoria with the main bus route on one side, made parking and access a challenge.

Putting together a complex design of four levels with apartments over the top of one another, and without a central lift-tower was

also a hard-won success, Richard says ‘We’ve been around for quite a long time and we’ve done one-off buildings and other apartment buildings before, but this was one of the most complex designs and challenging builds we’ve ever done.

“A lot of effort had to go in to it, and we worked hard alongside Parsonson Architects to get it finished.

Everyone is happy with the end-result,” he says.

“A lot of effort had to go into it, and we worked hard alongside Parsonson Architects to get it finished.

Everyone is happy with the end-result.”

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Quality acoustics crucial As medium density housing brings neighbours closer together, it brings the noises of everyday living closer as well.

While the building code and other regulations address some of these, designers and builders are still left responsible for providing acoustic quality, and not always with clear regulatory guidance.

But steps taken at the planning stage can avoid headaches down the line.

Marshall Day Acoustics associate Miklin Halstead says the current building code provides a minimum level of protection of acoustic amenity between adjacent dwellings, but only for connected buildings, and only for sound travelling through the inter-tenancy connections.

“In practice, this leads to heavier internal linings, the use of infill insulation, and resilient fixings,” he says.

“Where vertical connections exist, the impact insulation requirements generally result in a massive floor and a resiliently fixed ceiling, as well as a stringent examination of the flooring underlay material.”

He says the building code is a minimum performance requirement to provide adequate protection from reasonable noise, and it is usually necessary to exceed these requirements to produce a high quality acoustic environment.

“The design process must extend to other noise factors relevant to medium density housing, such as the separation of noise sensitive spaces like sleeping

areas from living spaces, finding appropriate locations for external heat pump units, and ensuring noise from vehicle movements or from people using common footpaths doesn’t intrude on private living areas.”

These issues can be satisfactorily solved with overall project level acoustic design.

Separating garage entrances and front doors from bedrooms can be achieved by spatial separation or mirrored floor plans, and recreation areas, external heat pump units, and other fixed mechanical plant may be grouped on the site to minimise the noise constraints on the layout and the location of sensitive living areas.

“By considering noise during concept design, setting appropriate performance criteria and using appropriate constructions, a good degree of acoustic amenity can be achieved while increasing the utilisation of available residential land,” Miklin says. “Living in closer proximity to neighbours always carries the potential for greater noise effects. Quality acoustics in medium density housing depends on good planning, a willingness to exceed minimum regulatory requirements where appropriate, and good communication of expectations with residents.”

Marshall Day Acoustics draws on the experience of over 40 acoustic consultants across New Zealand and 80 worldwide, who work on a range of acoustic projects from the very simple, to world class concert halls like the Philharmonie de Paris.

BUILDERS » Ryder Builders

Business Central

| 57

Visitor hub a combined effort Kelly Deeks Construction of a new, architecturally visitor hub is under way at Kapiti Coast’s Queen Elizabeth Park.

The hub, near the park’s entrance at Mackays Crossing, is intended to be the focal point of the park for many visitors.

It includes a meeting room capable of seating 60 people for community groups and other events, a covered deck area with displays of the park’s history and natural environment, a new park-ranger office, and a visitor-toilet block.

Paraparaumu based Gil-plans Architecture,which has won several architectural awards over the past few years, did the design and Ryder Builders was awarded the building contract.

Ben Gilpin, from Gil-plans Architecture, and Ben Ryder, from Ryder Builders, have worked together previously and were confident they would bring an imaginative and highly detailed design to fruition.

After receiving the brief from the Greater Wellington Regional Council and after much consultation with others, including local iwi and Heritage New Zealand, Gil-plans Architecture came up with a design drawing inspiration from the park’s history – from its lengthy Maori heritage as well as the influence of the United States Marines occupation during World War 2.

The design incorporates two separate gable buildings linked by a gull-wing roof, tilted walls, and large decks for mixed use.

The gable forms refer to traditional Maori wharenui, the use of timber battens and the separation of the buildings creates a strong connection to a traditional pa site, and the walls tilted to 10 degrees provide reference to the tent structures from the marine camp.

Angled screens resemble typical tent flies, and the gull-wing roof references the coastal environment in which the park and its buildings are set.

Iwi and Archaeological NZ have been involved in the project, especially at the time of groundworks and foundations.

Ben Ryder says he has enjoyed working in with them.

“It was important for us that the right process was followed and other people’s beliefs and cultures were respected.

“Throughout this process I found iwi advisers helpful, and the flow of the project was never hindered. Also, Bronek and his team from the Greater Wellington Regional

When it is finished, the new visitor hub at Kapiti Coast’s Queen Elizabeth Park will become a focal point of the park for many visitors. .

• To page 58

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58 |

BUILDERS » Ryder Builders

Business Central

• From page 57 Council, and the local park rangers (Wayne, Brendan and Gary), have all been great to work with.”

Both the ranger’s office and the meeting room have been built from tilted, concrete panels with timber grains running through them. The exterior walls are cedar, and other internal features are ply and cedar.

The extremely large and heavy concrete panels were made and transported from a specialist concrete company in Hastings, and had to be delivered by an alternative route because they were too big to fit under the Waikanae bridge.

“They could bring only one or two panels at a time, because of their size,” Ben says. “The largest was 4.9 metres high and 10m long.

As well as the timber grain, the panels have large openings for windows which required extra care through the process of design, manufacture, delivery, and installation.”

Ryder Builders has experience in feature work to an architectural level of finish, but this is its largest commercial project in terms of scale, says Ben..

He and staff Kiel, Gary, and Dylan work predominantly on architecturally designed houses, and are enjoying the challenge of a large-scale, infrastructure project.

“While we are able to do this type of work, the shortage of skilled labour in the Kapiti area is still an issue,” says Ben. “There is huge potential for growth, and people need to be continually upskilling to make the most of this.”

The desire to build something a bit different, visually appealing and structurally sound is the enjoyable challenge, he says. . “When you are a team of guys working

together day in and day out, it is important to balance the work and seriousness of what you are doing with a bit of fun, and also to go home safe at the end of the day with a sense of pride in what you have achieved. We are doing this, and we are proud to be involved in this community project.”

Ryder Builders is due to complete the visitor hub at Queen Elizabeth Park by the end of August.

Ryder Builders is due to complete the visitor hub by the end of August.

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DEVELOPMENT » Placemakers Kapiti

Business Central

| 59

Located on Lodestar Place just off Kapiti Road, the new store is due to open mid year and will have a total building area of 2835sqm plus a 4170sqm timber yard and 80 carparks.

New Placemakers rises in Kapiti Karen Phelps PlaceMakers Kapiti is building new premises in Kapiti Coast Airport’s new business park, Kapiti Landing.

The new store, in Lodestar Place just off Kapiti Rd, is due to open mid-year. The current PlaceMakers Kapiti store at 158 Kapiti Rd, which has been there since 1988, will operate until the new store opens.

The Kapiti Landing store will have a total building area of 2835 square metres, plus a 4170sqm timber yard and 80 carparks.

Greg Kusabs, the joint-venture operator of PlaceMakers Kapiti, says it is part of a major, national investment programme by PlaceMakers to upgrade its stores and create a safer, more efficient and environmentally friendlier operation.

The layout of the Kapiti Landing store will

seek to make it easier for customers to shop.

It will include a modern kitchen, bathroom and heating showroom, storage racking, and energy-efficient lighting.

“The layout is key,” says Greg. “It’s more user friendly for both customers and staff, so it will be easier for customers to call in and pick up materials. Everything will be more readily available – they will save time as they’ll be able to find what they need quicker and easier.

“Our staff have very good trade knowledge.

Whether you’re a tradesman, DIYer or a complete novice, they’re more than happy to help.”

He expects the location on the Kapiti Coast near the new motorway will have a big impact.

“W will be able to service and deliver south more easily than ever, and people from this

• To page 60

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60 |

DEVELOPMENT » Placemakers Kapiti/Timber Trail Lodge

Business Central

New Placemakers rises • From page 59 area will be able to visit us more easily. With further development to come, Kapiti Landing is becoming a central hub for the area.”

Tim Evison, director of Kapiti-based Multibuild which is doing the build, says the tendered project has progressed quickly, although the Kaikoura earthquake created supply-chain issues nationwide. The big storm in the Wellington region also slowed progress.

The company began work on the project last October. Project management company RCP is the main point of contact for everyone involved.

Multibuild was given an overall development programme and target date for completion, which takes into account PlaceMakers’ need for access to certain areas by April so that it can start fit-out.

As a result of the project, the airport control tower had to be decommissioned and a new

one built elsewhere. Multibuild is doing this at the same time as the PlaceMakers build.

A temporary control tower was built before to Christmas, and construction of a new permanent tower will take place.

The large structural-steel tower, with infill timber framing built on concrete slab, will reach 9.5 metres high, and will offer 360-degree views in the flight control area at the top. It is due for completion by the end of March.

Tim says the airport’s private owners have a vision to secure the long-term future of the airport as a strategic regional asset and as the gateway to the Kapiti Coast region.

He understands that the airport’s aviation activity will be supported by commercially and environmentally sustainable activities that bring commercial and employment opportunities to the Kapiti Coast including Kapiti Landing.

The lodge will initially offer 25 beds – a combination of dorm, double and twin room options with shared ablutions facilities.

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Karen Phelps A new lodge at the halfway point of the Pureora Timber Trail will open in April to provide accommodation for trail users, says Timber Trail Lodge operations manager Bruce Maunsell.

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Previously, trail users have had to camp or go off-site overnight.

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More than 6000 people last year completed the two-day trail, which is part of the New Zealand Cycle Trail.

“We believe the lodge will help increase use of the trail by widening the market,” says Bruce, who has been involved in the business case, planning and project management of the lodge.

The lodge is owned by a group of private investors, including King Country locals.

Building work on the lodge build last August. Cambridge Homes is the contractor and the physical build is being done by a local subcontractor, Andrew Buchanan Ltd. Bruce says the plan is for the lodge, which is on Department of Conservation land, to fit in

with natural surroundings and be sustainable.

The aim is to showcase sustainable tourism in action, he says. ”It will have a composting system for food and paper scraps, which will be used to feed an on-site vegetable garden. UV filters will provide purity of the water from an on-site spring and rainwater from the roof, and a biodynamic waste-water system will cleanse water to fertilise plants in a dripper field below the lodge.

“If water is short, the waste-water system can be adapted to recycle fully processed water back through the toilet cisterns.

Recycling will be encouraged where possible to minimise packaging and unnecessary consumption of paper and plastic products.

And there is a goal to have 95 per cent of electricity generated by solar within three years of opening.

“We will offset carbon emissions by the trees we are planting, and native forest we are regenerating, and also buy carbon credits.

“We are involving ourselves in local initiatives to control weeds and pests and

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ACCOMMODATION » Timber Trail Lodge

Business Central

| 61

The lodge has composting system for food and paper scraps which is used to feed an on-site vegetable garden. UV filters will purity water derived from an on-site spring and rainwater collected from the roof, and a biodynamic waste-water system will cleanse water to fertilise plants in a dripper field below the lodge.

replant areas of former plantation forestry.

Bruce says the interior will be an eclectic fit-out reflecting the natural area and its history. It will include Maori and early-New Zealand art and photography.

The lodge will initially have 25 beds – a combination of dormitory, double and twinroom options with shared ablutions facilities.

A second wing will open in October, adding 10 private rooms with en suites.

On completion, the lodge will cater for

around 50 people. Services will include linen and meals to guests. There will be a shared lounge/dining area with the aim of encouraging the guests to mingle.

Trailer-users will be offered packages where they can spend a night at the lodge, be transferred by shuttle to the start of the trail, spend their second night at the lodge, and then complete the trail.

• To page 62

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62 |

ACCOMMODATION» Timber Trail Lodge

Business Central

Lodge seen as ‘great opportunity’ for business getaways • From page 61 Bruce also expects the lodge will be used by those just wanting to experience the many shorter walks and trails the area offers.

Although primarily aimed at trail-users, the lodge will also cater to groups, he says.

They will be able to book out the lodge in the off-season for conferences, seminars, reunions and the like.

The lodge will be equipped with wifi and video-projection facilities. It is located literally in the centre of the North Island – an accessible location, he says.

“It will be a great opportunity for businesses to take their staff into a wilderness area, but also provide them with high-quality accommodation and food,” he says.

“The space is quite flexible, so we could cater to a variety of uses, from seminars to quieter break-out groups.

Timber Trail Lodge is owned by a group of private investors including a core group of King Country locals. On completion the lodge will cater to around 50 people total. A complete service will be offered, including providing linen and meals to guests.

“We like to say Timber Trail Lodge is in the centre of the North Island but in the middle of nowhere. It’s a very special place.”

“It will be a great opportunity for businesses to take their staff into a wilderness area, but also provide them with high-quality accommodation and food.”

Taking your investments seriously since 1989 Proud to have been chosen to work in partnership with Cambridge Homes to complete the Timber Trail Lodge, an asset for Trail adventurers.

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Proud to be involved in the creation of the Timber Trail Lodge in Pureora Forest Park 164 Hakiaha Street, E: centralsparkiesltd@xtra.co.nz Ph: 07 895 7559 or Glenn M: 027 241 2646

INDEX »

INDEX » AWCI ............................................................. 04 Accurate Builders ......................................... 50 Anthem Homes ............................................. 06 Arrow International Hamilton ........................ 09 Arrow International Wellington ..................... 12 Askew Contracting ........................................ 18 CD van der Meer ........................................... 20 Caltex Kapiti Landing .................................... 30 Camrei Homes .............................................. 22 Construct Wellington..................................... 41 D.G Rutten .................................................... 31 FEL Switchboards ......................................... 21 Firenzo .......................................................... 24 Fleetwood Properties .................................... 17 Gibson Construction ...................................... 25 Gull NZ Ltd .................................................... 27 Hutt Construction .......................................... 28 Kapiti Coast Homes....................................... 32 Landmark Homes Wellington .......................... 8 Livingstone Building...................................... 33 Longview....................................................... 39 Mike Harnett Builder ..................................... 42 NZ Manuka Group ......................................... 47 Naylor Love Briscoes .................................... 44 Parsonson Architects .................................... 54 Pepper Construction ..................................... 51 Placemakers Kapiti ....................................... 59

GOT A PROJECT?

Premier Group International ......................... 32

NEED MARKET PRESENCE?

Ryder Builders .............................................. 57

FEATURE • STORY • PROFILE

Stead Construction........................................ 23 Sunnycourt Homes........................................ 49 Timber Trail Lodge ........................................ 60 Your Solutions ............................................... 64

Talk to us today, the feature profile experts

Phone: 03 983 5500 Fax: 03 983 5552

www.waterfordpress.co.nz

64 |

INDUSTRY » Your Solutions

Business Central

The ‘quickest shopfitters in NZ’ Kelly Deeks Shopfitting, joinery, building, and project management company Your Solutions says it has a loyal following of satisfied repeat clients around New Zealand.

The business was established in Napier in 2011 when joiner Adam Satherley and builder Troy Morgan identified a need for fast turnaround services in shopfitting, office fitouts, and commercial building.

Just one year on, Your Solutions won the Westpac Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce small to medium business and emerging business awards.

The business has now grown to 18 staff and has a number of national projects.

Adam says the company is based around honesty and reason.

“Our company ethos means we take ownership of the entire job, and we always go the extra mile for our customers to make sure they are happy when we leave their site,” he says.

“We are the quickest shopfitters in New Zealand. As a single-source, all-trades provider for shopfitting, building, and joinery, we get in and get the job done without compromising standards.”

The diverse range of experience of its staff in the building and joinery industries allows the company to foresee and understand project complexities, provide accurate quotes, and deliver on time and within budget, he says.

In-house design and manufacturing capabilities aids troubleshooting, problem resolution, and keeping jobs on track.

A large part of Your Solutions’ growth can be attributed to its working relationship with Big Save Furniture, which began about four years ago, says Adam.

It began when Your Solutions provided Big Save Furniture founders with a new kitchen for their house, and led to some small projects on some of their stores.

When Big Save Furniture decided on a retro-fit programme across its New Zealand stores, it brought in Your Solutions to do the job.

Your Solutions has now completed retro-fit outs to Big Save Furniture stores in

Your Solutions was established in Napier in 2011 by joiner Adam Satherley and builder Troy Morgan and has now grown to a team of 18 staff. SUPPLIED IMAGE: HAWKE’S BAY TODAY

Invercargill, Wellington, Napier, and Auckland, and is working its way around the country.

“Big Save Furniture has been huge for our company and we hope we’ve been the same for them, completing their stores in the time frames allowed,” Adam says.

“We move heaven and earth to hit our targets so that our clients can let their customers know when their upgraded stores will be up and running.”

He says the company is also prepared to take on projects that rivals deem too difficult and timelines too stringent. The business’s

Last September, Your Solutions did a seven-figure contract fitting Weta Digital’s new Wellington offices. No other shopfitting firm was willing to take it on. It was a massive fitout, including 50,000 metres of data cabling.

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biggest project to date is a prime example.

Last September, Your Solutions did a seven-figure contract fitting out Weta Digital’s new Wellington offices.

Weta’s landlords, the Big Save Furniture founders, were confident Your Solutions could meet the project’s ambitious 11-week timeline.

“No other shopfitting firm was willing to take it on,” Adam says. “It was a massive fitout, including 50,000 metres of data cabling.”

He says hitting the 11-week target came

down to organisation and working with the landlords, architects and council to ensure timelines were met.

“We put parameters around the materials used on the project to make sure what we used was readily available and we had everything we needed to complete the job.

“We also brought our own team from Hawke’s Bay, including our subcontractors Best-Forsyth Electrical and Advanced Plumbing..