26 | Lattey Group T T Karen Phelps New facilities enhance productivity The new Hastings site, occupied since late 2024, has fundamentally reshaped the way the business manufactures precast concrete. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT A year after moving into its purpose-built Irongate premises Lattey Group is seeing clear operational gains, improved staff morale and momentum in its expanded product range following the acquisition of HEX-LOC. CEO Mark Hook says the new Hastings site, occupied since late 2024, has fundamentally reshaped the way the business manufactures precast concrete. “We have seen efficiencies from having the indoor precast facility at Irongate,” Mark says. “Before, a lot of the work was done outside in all weather, so the upgrade from the outdoor-based operations has improved productivity and resilience.” The facility spans over 6500sqm and includes a 4250sqm purpose-built precast factory, a 1200-ton prestressing bed and a 1400sqm civil, fabrication and mechanical workshop, joinery workshop and CNC machine. The Irongate plant, which complements Lattey Group’s 4500sqm precast plant in Levin, includes gantry cranes that Mark says have streamlined production and freed up the company’s mobile cranes for hire. A larger stressing bed has expanded capacity for pre-stressed panels and bridge beams, supporting a growing workload across multiple projects. It utilises solar power for renewable energy generation and energy-efficient curing methods to reduce carbon footprint and operational costs. The previous premises had reached its limits: “We’d outgrown it” explains Mark. “The Irongate facility gives us the scope and size to continue to grow with a much better working environment for staff.” “Our staff are extremely proud to be working in this site and we are proud to host our clients,” says business development manager Kieran Woodham. The new site has already proved its worth amid signs of recovery across the construction sector. The company is currently supplying and installing 94 precast panels for the Woolworths Flaxmere project, and has recently completed installing precast panels for Quest Apartments in Havelock North. Further afield, Lattey Group is supplying and installing precast panels for the Crown Relocations warehouse development in Porirua. Its civil division is busy as well, recently completing a design-and-build bridge project in the Urutomo Forest – a 24-metre span with a 95-tonne capacity, and finishing the installation of 96 screw-piles for Christchurch’s Forte Health private hospital. The acquisition of EcoReef in 2024, now rebranded as HEX-LOC, has added a fast-growing coastal protection and erosion-control product line to the Irongate operation. HEX-LOC modules are now being manufactured in five areas around New Zealand to support local production and reduce transport emissions. “This model enables local companies to grow, create jobs and minimise environmental impact,” says Mark. A HEX-LOC project has recently been successfully completed in Te Awanga, Hawke’s Bay. Installed in just five weeks, the structure spans 210 metres along the beach directly in front of the lagoon, in an area that plays a key role in Hastings District Council’s stormwater network. “Designed to help safeguard the lagoon and nearby infrastructure from erosion and storm damage, the structure is comprised of 1385 interlocking hexagonal HEX-LOC blocks,” says Mark. With nearly 80 years of experience delivering infrastructure, civil engineering and precast concrete solutions, he says Lattey Group has developed a reputation for quick, effective problem-solving, making it a preferred partner for local authorities and private developers alike. With Irongate fully operational, HEXLOC growing, and the pipeline strengthening, Mark says Lattey Group is prepared for the market’s next upswing. “We’re starting to see green shoots in the economy. “The new facility is being put through its paces, and it’s proving exactly why we built it.” Representing Excellence Master Plumbers Proudly delivering plumbing and drainage for the new Lattey Group Ltd factory. P 06 876 5057 W pantonplumbing.co.nz Proud to support Lattey Group Ltd “BUILT WITH INTEGRITY” Commercial & Domes�c Building Contractors Phone: 06 878 4115 Cell: 027 3290 175 Email: david@truebuilt.co.nz Postal Address: PO Box 2458, Stor�ord Lodge, Has�ngs, 4153. T T Innovative new system - page 28
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