16 | Baptism of fire for new company Abby and Adrian Collier are the force behind whanau-oriented earthmoving and drainage company Collier Civil. Collier Civil REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT T T Hugh de Lacy Launching their company during the second Covid lockdown tested the patience and resilience of Abby and Adrian Collier, but the outcome is a Maori-owned and whanau-oriented earthmoving and drainage company called Collier Civil, based in Gisborne. And while having to do everything on-line to launch the company was a trial, the clean-up after Cyclone Gabrielle gave them the ideal environment in which to prove themselves. Abby has a background as a paediatric social worker at Gisborne Hospital and as a social worker for the Cancer Society, while Adrian is a Licensed Building Practitioner in carpentry with 25 years’ experience in construction and a love of machinery. Abby’s switch to a civil business was prompted in part by her feeling that her social work was like being an ambulance at the bottom of a cliff. “I started to see some recurring themes and the impact that mental, emotional and financial poverty, homelessness, health illiteracy and intergenerational trauma were having in our community,” she says. “I knew there was a way that I could utilise our skills and be part of some practical change.” For Adrian it was a case of wanting to go out on his own and, “with lots of encouragement from his sister Ange and cousin Rob, the fire was fully ignited and the wheels were in motion.” The principal services that Collier Civil offers include earthworks and excavation, foundation preparation, including gravel rafts and earth stabilisation, river ford crossings, storm and wastewater drainage, concrete work, retaining walls, MSE and gabion walls. It’s a comprehensive range of capabilities that was further extended in the aftermath of the cyclone by the company’s completing three new transportable homes for Kainga Ora, along with local council repairs, connect- “I started to see some recurring themes and the impact that mental, emotional and financial poverty, homelessness, health illiteracy and intergenerational trauma were having in our community.” ing houses to storm and waste-water services, concreting driveways and building decking and fencing. Collier Civil has a staff of six – two in the office and four on the ground – and all are whakapapa Maori. The two youngest staff members are Kura Kaupapa graduates fluent in te reo, and “We are proud to be a Maori owned and operated company,” Abby says. “We have a qualified builder, certified drainlayer, truck drivers and machine operators, and currently three of our staff are completing their drainlayers’ apprenticeships. “We believe in training, upskilling and supporting them to follow their dreams, whatever they may look like, to go out on their own or further their studies.” Abby sums up her managing director’s role in Collier Civil as “anything other than using the digger,” but that includes administration and payrolls, and preparing quotes and health and safety systems, helped by having university degrees in social work and professional creative practice. Adrian serves as Chief Operator and a director, built around his building and machinery operating skills, and his understanding of the flow-on effects of ground-works on subsequent house builds. They have no immediate plans to expand the size of the company. “We formed the company to create a real work-life balance for our whanau first, and everyone we take on,” Abby says. We are supporting business owners throughout New Zealand with Asset Finance, Truck Finance & Vehicle Finance. With 120+ 5-Star Reviews on Google, we provide excellent service and competitive interest rates. Apply online now or give us a call. www.financehq.co.nz 0800 704 738 NZ’s Most Trusted in Asset Finance
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