36 | East Coast Traffic has 14 trucks on the road running seven days a week. ECT very much a family business REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT East Coast Traffic T T Kelly Deeks From lollipop lad to big business owner in just five and a half years, Ryan Lawson and East Coast Traffic are now being sought by other regions who are looking for the high quality service that Ryan and his team provide. Following his stint as a lollipop boy in 2017, Ryan went to work for big civil engineering firm Russell Roads, which has since got out of the traffic management industry as the arrival of East Coast Traffic on the local scene has made it too difficult to compete. He then moved to Top Line Contracting and in 12 months he established that company’s Traffic Management Services division which was launched in 2020, after identifying a gap in the local market. Then Ryan’s grandad Frank and dad Aaron, recognising Ryan’s ability to bring in new customers, asked Ryan if they could help him to get out on his own, and East Coast Traffic was born in April 2021. “And look at me now,” Ryan says. “We’ve got 14 trucks on the road running seven days a week, and 40 staff working out of the Hawke’s Bay and the Manawatū.” From his first customer, Rayonier Matariki Forests, who told Ryan they loved the fact East Coast Traffic was a local company, that they knew his background, and they wanted to support a young local guy who was pursuing a career, Ryan picked up work from major New Zealand construction companies Higgins Construction and Fulton Hogan, whose local branches liked East Coast Traffic for the same reasons. Ryan is only 28 and East Coast Traffic is very much a family business. East Coast Traffic is now looking at building up its management, getting the right people in the right places like administration, operations, and temporary traffic management planning, so they can specialise in their own fields and the Lawsons can all put more focus on growing the business. The current tightness of the labour market is the obstacle, and East Coast Traffic has a very tough employment process. “We can’t afford to have Mickey Mouses,” Ryan says. “This business relies on its reputation and all of my guys are out there representing the name on the truck they are driving.” East Coast Traffic only broke into the Manawatū market because Ryan had people in Palmerston North who were looking for a great traffic management company to work for. His contacts at Fulton Hogan and Higgins “This business relies on its reputation and all of my guys are out there representing the name on the truck they are driving.” Hawke’s Bay recommended him to their Manawatū branches. “When we’ve got good relationships like these, it’s a walk in the park.” The 20-strong Manawatū team are now operating in Masterton, working on a major roundabout and State Highway 2 aerial widening project for Higgins Construction. “The previous TTM supplier failed to deliver so Higgins rung only the best. “We had all this cyclone recovery work on but I said make it worth our while, so we’re getting time and a half on top of our day rates.” Ryan doesn’t want East Coast Traffic to be the biggest, but he definitely does want it to be the best. He can see East Coast Traffic could be a very big company, and he has been offered to start up in both Masterton and Wellington, which he says would be fine if he had the manpower and resources. But also, Hawke’s Bay is home, and Ryan is happy with what he’s got. “And I like having the family influence as well. “The younger generation can then have the opportunity to grow, and my younger brother can look up to his older sibling and realise he could be in the same position.” Temporary Traffic Management Services to offer a great friendly service 55c Austin Street, Napier, New Zealand, 4110 | 027 391 9429 ryan@eastcoasttra c.co.nz | www.eastcoasttra c.co.nz WANTED, Ops Manager, TTM Planner, STMSs, Foremans
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