12 | T T Hugh de Lacy “Harrie’s” firmmarking 50 years Graham Harris Ltd has always had some involvement in sub-division work. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Graham Harris Ltd: STDC - Hawera Longview Email: admin@tsk.co.nz NEW BUILDS - RESIDENTIAL - RURAL - COMMERCIAL - CONCRETE Proud to support Graham Harris Ltd on the Longview Project Whenuku Road, Hawera Waiteika Road, Opunake Nukumaru Station Road, Maxwell If the 250-section Longview residential development in Hāwera represents something of a change of direction for Graham Harris Ltd, the fondly remembered founder of the company would be happy with it and the brand new premises being built by current owner Joe Ingram. Longview will have a substantial impact on the housing stock of Hāwera and the wider Taranaki which is one of only a couple of regions still so short of housing that prices continue to rise where elsewhere they’ve been slumping. The sections are being sold freehold and serviced, ready to build, with some houses already under construction through house-andland packages being marketed by the likes of Golden Homes, G.J. Gardner, Navigation Homes, Cambridge Homes, Latitude Homes and the Oakland Group. Graham Harris Ltd has always had some involvement in sub-division work, usually contracted to someone else, but it’s main work was civil construction under founder “Harrie” Harris, a legend in the Taranaki contracting industry who died in October last year at the age of 80. Harrie founded his company in 1973 and this year’s fiftieth anniversary will be marked not only by the completion of Longview but also of a big new purpose-built depot on a Bell Block industrial site on De Havilland Drive, about 15 minutes from the current premises on Junction Road. The new premises are on a site similar in size to the 4500qsm old one, and when completed about the middle of this year will sport nearly 1000sqm of covered space, comprising a 30x18m workshop with a 13x8m office tacked on one end, and a second 20x15m workshop. “It’ll be a big step up for the company owning its own premises, and that’s been the number one priority for me,” Joe Ingram says. A life member of the Taranaki branch of Contracting New Zealand, Harrie Harris sold the business to Lloyd Marr in 2000, who onsold it to Joe Ingram 17 years later, and today it employs a staff of 25. It’s notable that neither new owner of the business wanted to change its name. “No, definitely not,” Joe says. “No one knows my name but they all know Harrie’s.” Long after he sold the company, Harrie remained close to Joe, and it was Harrie who gave the seal of approval to Joe’s steering the company into property development and new premises. “We got on really well and he used to call down to the office once a week to have a coffee and a chat about the world,” Joe says. “When I wanted to get the new depot built I thought I’d talk to Harrie about it to see what he felt about where I was taking this company with his name still on it. “He was all for it, saying ‘It’s the best thing you can do’.” The first stage of the Longview development, on a corner block framed by Turuturu Road on one side and the railway on another, has been completed with houses under construction both there and on stage three, while titles have been issued for stage two and will be available about now for the final stage. The sections range in size from 502sqm to 763sqm, and are priced from $194,000, with house-and-land packages available from $680,000. 027 352 4245 ABevinsEarthmovingLTD andrewbevins@hotmail.co.nz FOR A L L YOUR EARTHMOV I NG R EQU I R EME NT S Proudly supporting GrahamHarris Ltd.
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