Business Central December 2021

96 | Cameron Construction Phone: 03 983 5500 waterfordpress.co.nz Your Business, Your Industry, Your News. DO OUR READERS KNOW YOU EXIST? BUILDING Singular focus pays off Cameron Construction focuses on building high-performance homes. T Sue Russell I n 2017, Mason Cameron decided it was time to establish his own company, initially operating as a sole contractor. Today, along with Mason, a team of nine builders and an administrator have joined the company, which now operates as a Limited Liability entity. “To be honest when I set up I didn’t have a clear plan in mind. I just wanted to run my own company. It was about four months into establishing that I was encouraged to create a business plan for what I wanted to do and this certainly helped focus my thinking and direction,” Mason explains. The resource he used to cement a way forward was a company called Professional Builders; a company that helps builders scale their business. They put Mason on the right track. “But, it was still up to me to do the work and make it happen.” Generating work and building a reputation were the first key goals for Mason. He created a website and facebook page. He also realised that focussing on what he was most pas- sionate about would make the journey more meaningful in the long-term. “It was about creating a niche and for me that was working in ways that were envi- ronmentally sustainable from a design and building perspective.” With that core value in mind Mason became a member of the NZ Green Building Council; an association of like-minded professionals who want to give back to the environment in the process of creating meaningful homes for people to live in. Thought originally from Taranaki, Mason has lived in the Wairarapa since 2006. It’s a region he’s passionate about and one, he says, that is thriving in terms of new builds and opportunities. “It’s booming here and my team of three qualified carpenters and four apprentices, in various stages of completing their qualifica- tions, is flat out.” Overseeing the company, involves a mix of paper work, project management, procuring and pricing new work. Having joined the NZ Green Building Council it was not long before e-Haus, an environmen- tally focussed building system company, made contact with Mason and asked him to become their ‘go to’ person in the Wairarapa, for any- one wishing to build to e-Haus standards. Today, about 60% of the work that comes across Mason’s desk is e-Haus design and build. “Looking at an e-Haus home, there isn’t a lot of different necessarily in appearance, but there is a lot more passive design involved as well as a lot more labour and material content.” Windows and their ventilation system come from Germany and e-Haus homes have above-code levels of insulation throughout. A services cavity is built between the internal and external walls and ceiling and a mechanical heat recovery system controls all the air in and out of the home. “The majority of homes are designed to not need a separate heating system and all the design elements work in harmony to create an environment which controls the level of heat all year round.” An e-Haus design hub in Whanganui take care of the sales and design of homes built with these systems. For Mason, it’s really satisfying to step away from a project knowing the team have created a high performing home. “It’s all about things a lot of people don’t really think about in design, such as creating an environment for those who have respirato- ry issues. “Our ventilation systems are designed to reduce dust and moisture and extend the longevity of the house. “It is a really cost-effective way to build if you consider the whole performance life-span of the home.” Fallprotect is proud to support Cameron Construction DEDICATED • DEPENDABLE • INNOVATIVE Rob Macdonald Registered Electrician Proud to support Cameron Construction m 027 652 7247 e rob@compasselectricalltd.co.nz