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RURAL SERVICES » Paul Smith Earthmoving
Business Rural
PHOTOS: Left: Paul Smith Earthmoving was involved with the earthworks for the new Holcim silo (above) at the Port of Timaru. Below: Construction work under way at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval in preparation for the 2015 Cricket World Cup tournament.
Firm has a long reach Sue Russell
SUPPLIERS OF EARTHMOVING AND CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH
PAUL SMITH EARTHMOVING LTD
Sue Russell Over the last 13 years Canterbury earthmoving and transport business Paul Smith Earthmoving has undergone rapid growth, spurred on in part by the Christchurch rebuild. Chief executive officer Mark Rogers, who is based at the company’s Timaru headquarters, has been leading the company for 15 months. He describes the role as exciting, seizing fresh opportunities for work, working with highest-quality staff, and experiencing a diverse workload. “The business grew significantly from 2011 to 2015 to the point where we now employ 120 permanent staff over three locations, each with dedicated staff working independently in their catchment.” While its head office in Timaru and depots in Ashburton, Twizel and Christchurch, the company’s activities cover a significant area of Canterbury.
P 027 212 2880 E scott@kerbco.co.nz P O Box 133 Cust 7444 North Canterbury
www.kerbco.co.nz
Bruce Tinnelly, one of two directors, looks after the Christchurch depot. “We already had a presence in Christchurch, but after the earthquakes our workload grew significantly, initially clearing away rubble and then directly involved in the rebuild with Fletchers and other large contractors,” says Mark Rogers. Forty-five permanent staff are currently based in Christchurch and, while there is some movement of personnel from one depot base to another, staff generally work in the areas they live. The company opened its Ashburton base in 2014 to capture some of the burgeoning dairy and rural work. “Certainly it wasn’t easy in the early days in that district, with the drought and now the low payout affecting farm servicing businesses such as ours, but we have made significant inroads,” says Rogers. The company owns an extensive fleet, but has hire agreements in place to access additional gear if necessary. It’s an arrangement that provides the
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Work on the Redruth landfill at Timaru.
ability to respond quickly if a new project comes up. The permanent fleet includes excavators, ranging in size from 1.8 to 30 tonnes, graders, rollers, loaders, scrapers and bulldozers. The company carries ACC tertiary, Site Wise and ISO 9001 accreditations, and has been granted “pre-qualified contractor” status by a number of city and district councils. “We are the only contractor approved to undertake all Timaru District Council works,” says Mark Rogers. “We really value the relationships we have built up with councils.” The company is also the preferred subcontractor for many large national organisations. “We concentrate on what we are good at, and that list is extensive,” says Rogers. “Excavation, construction, building rock walls and cutting in driveways, irrigation ponds and drainage work.” Another director, Tony Moir, oversees the South Canterbury, Mackenzie and North Otago operations, while Rogers moves between all the branches. “The decision was made when we had undergone a period of significant growth to formalise the structure into independent operations each with an overseer in charge,” says Mark Rogers. He describes the company as very focused on encouraging staff through their professional pathways rather than just looking elsewhere to employ highly qualified operators. “We invest a great deal in our staff and have a mix of people. One of my responsibilities is in the longer-term strategy of the company, and central to this is care of our staff.”