94 | T T Hugh de Lacy BUILDING “As a business we’re very proud of our local roots, and like to think that we reflect the uniqueness of the environment in which we work. Summer or winter it’s a beautiful part of the country, with the population centres of Ohakune, Raetihi and National Park providing a steady source of work year-round.” Under Construction Under Construction, a diverse operation The Turoa Skifield on the southern side of Mount Ruapehu is one of the major drivers of the success of Ohakune building company Under Construction – hardly surprising since founder and owner Luke Gilberd grew up and learned his trade in the Ruapehu region. Under Construction’s work is heavily influenced by the presence of the ski-field, which was originally opened up by local people building the Ohakune Mountain Road by public subscription and donated labour and machinery, mostly from the town itself. Luke grew up watching the steady development of the road, and the ski-field’s resultant transformation into one of the most popular in the country. The ski-field’s development yielded steady work for Luke, primarily through a steady market for skiers’ new homes and baches, but also on the field itself and for local farmers. Two years ago Under Construction landed the major project of building and co- project-managing four buildings to house the machinery and hardware to run the two lower lifts on the ski-field for the newly-formed Pure Turoa Company that owns and runs it. “The client is Doppelmayer NZ, and a local company like ours landing such a project with such an old, prestigious and established international client has been a big feather in our cap,” Luke says. Doppelmeyer was established in Austria in 1893 as an aerial lift manufacturer that in 2002 became part of the global Doppelmeyer Garaventa Group, with the lift manufacturing arm based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It’s had a big involvement in the development of the New Zealand ski industry having, besides it work at Turoa, built the new D-line gondola in Queenstown that was opened in 2023, the combination lift for the Cardrona field in 2017, and the Sugarbowl Express D-line lift on The Remarkables field near Queenstown. Luke is a Licensed Building Practitioner who gained extensive experience as a project manager in Auckland before returning home to set up Under Construction. While the Turoa Ski-field provides a chunk of the company’s work it has the whole of the Ruapehu area, including the Whakapapa Ski-field area on the mountain’s western side, as its marketplace for both residential and light commercial work. “We have a very varied workload throughout the region, most of it residential, with the latter including a range of home styles from log cabins to high-end homes,” Luke says. HAKARAIA ELECTRICAL Mobile: 027 363 2568 Email: alex@hakaraiaelectrical.com Proud to support Under Construction DOMESTIC INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL RURAL “We supplement that work with a range of farm buildings and anything else we’re asked to turn our hands to. “This part of the country can be a somewhat challenging environment to work in over the winter months when it’s at its busiest, but our loyal staff has long since become immune to such challenges. “As a business we’re very proud of our local roots, and like to think that we reflect the uniqueness of the environment in which we work. “Summer or winter it’s a beautiful part of the country, with the population centres of Ohakune, Raetihi and National Park providing a steady source of work year-round,” Luke says. Proud Supporters of Under Construction CREATE YOUR DREAM BATHROOM AT MICO MICO WHANGANUI 80 WILSON STREET WHANGANUI, 4500 06 348 7001 mico.co.nz
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