114 | Tony Lepelaars Builders T T Sue Russell Staying small builds better relationships Tony has built up a solid reputation for the craftsmanship of his builds. BUILDING With a history that extends back over 50 years, Lepelaars Builders is today led by Tony (Bones) Lepelaars, son of founder Harry, who came to Central Hawke’s Bay back in the 1960s. Building on that legacy, Tony’s son Karl is also an integral part of the business, working with a small team of four builders, while assisting in all the important behind-the-scenes activities is Tony’s wife Lynda. “We choose to stay small as we find at this size we have a better relationship with clients, and we’re able to be very hands-on,” Lynda says. Waipukurau is Central Hawke’s Bay’s largest town, though Lynda says it is still small enough to engage with the locals within a friendly tight-knit community.“We also enjoy a lovely climate, and the town has grown somewhat over the last decade, which is good to see.” Tony has built up a solid reputation for the craftsmanship of his builds, and is especially noted for his use of cedar as his preferred building medium due to their durability and quality of finish. “It’s a high-performance product that suits most architectural designs, and i’s just a lovely material to handle and work with. It demands great capability as a builder and brings wonderful clean lines and craftsmanship to any project.” One key strength of the business is that Tony is the project manager on every build, and as part of this he enjoys regular contact with clients throughout each project. “He’s got a very good way of keeping clients absolutely up to speed on where a project is at, and for ensuring they understand timeframes really well,” Lynda says. “We like to think it eliminates any stress on our clients and makes the build really enjoyable, as it should be.” Tony is a licensed building practitioner and a member of Certified Builders Association, an organisation both he and Lynda believe represents and expects high standards from its members. Lynda says the local council is good to work with, and very helpful, which she puts down in part to the fact that they know Tony and his team don’t cut corners. She says people are moving into the district from all parts of the country, which bodes well for the future in terms of ongoing building work. “I have to say, recently it has been a little quieter than previous years; currently, we have two townhouses and a cedar-clad home under construction. I think the cost of living and higher interest rates from banks has dampened down prospective clients deciding to build new at this time.” Looking beyond their own situation, Lynda says generally the building sector has been struggling and believes this won’t really begin to turnaround until well into 2025. The Government’s desire to change existing rules reducing the amount of red tape will be welcomed. Acknowledging too, that both she and Tony are heading towards the end of their active building life, Lynda says their son Karl, who is similar to his dad, has developed a very good reputation for his standard of work. “We know the company will be in good hands when we begin to transition towards our next phase in life. I know that Tony can absolutely rely on Karl to continue the reputation we have with our clients, which is really important to us all. I think looking back over the years, we’re pretty pleased with what we’ve achieved. It’s really satisfying to see the pleasure our builds provide to our valued clients.” For all your windscreen, glass & garage door needs! Proudly supporting Tony Lepelaars Builders 33 Takapau Road, Waipukurau • 06 858 8441 or 0508 09 09 09 chbglass@xtra.co.nz • www.chbglass.co.nz New Homes ∙ Alterations ∙ Replacement of old wooden or aluminium joinery for single or double glaze ∙ Made on-site to meet your specific requirements
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