24 | Prestige Ltd / Prestige Modular Smart Homes T T Sue Russell A drive to do good in the community Lyndon and Derisa Hakopa - enjoying their journey. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT It is not long into the conversation with Hastings-based Derisa Hakopa that you begin to realise her and husband Lyndon have had a huge business journey, which has taken them from a very humble hardworking home maintenance service, to holding huge contracts for Housing Corporation/Kainga Ora, to establishing their own modular/affordable housing company. Derisa is philosophical about the journey which has been full of highs and lows and lessons learnt along the way. She’s proud of the contribution her and Lyndon have made to providing good quality social housing, employment for whanau and now the opportunity for whanau to own a solid, warm and healthy home. “Lyndon received his apprenticeship in painting back in the 1980’s. We actually started with a little Morris Minor and a trailer and we had nothing, except a strong desire to do good for our community, work hard and progress by seizing opportunities as these presented,” Derisa explains. In 1992, Prestige Ltd was formed and by this time the couple were busy undertaking Housing Corp contracts. Housing Corp were suitably impressed with their work ethic, bringing state houses up to scratch for new tenants to enjoy living in. The couple branched into Gisborne region, a challenging prospect in the day given the condition of the housing stock, branching then into Palmerston North and Taranaki. The way the contracts were structured increasingly brought more and more pressure on the couple and the decision was made to stop doing maintenance work four years ago. “It came down simply to the fact that the demands being placed on us as maintenance contractors we couldn’t meet any more in all honesty. We were expected to get through more and more houses without sufficient resources to do so. We couldn’t sharpen our pencil any more,” Derisa explains. At this point the couple had 260 staff and engaged subcontractors as well, amounting to 1100 people ini total working in the Kainga Ora maintenance contract. Currently Lyndon and Derisa have another Kainga Ora contract, undertaking a retrofit programme in Hawke’s Bay and Palmerston North with now less than 50 staff and subcontractors. Derisa can’t emphasis enough just how important the staff employed over the years have been – she calls them their ‘Prestige Whanau’. Derisa and Lyndon have turned their attention to a new business enterprise with a strong social bent, investing themselves and financial resources into establishing Prestige Smart Homes, hiring a factory in Napier and working out the ‘recipe’ to produce very cost-effective, strong, well-built affordable homes. “There is a lot of Maori land around for these homes to be placed on. We’re about trying to get whanau in whare; a place they can call home. These days parents are building on the back of their children’s property to live so our solution is perfect for both scenarios.” Made from steel framing, Prestige Smart Homes come in a range of sizes and floor plans. A showhome has opened in Napier, giving people the opportunity to see just what these small footprint homes can deliver. “We’re big on using recyclable materials, far more than would ever be seen in standard homes. This means less material ending up in landfills.” Insulation is derived from a revolutionary material which captures up to 15,600 recycled PROUD TO SUPPORT PRESTIGE LTD 409 Hastings Street North, Hastings • (06) 842 2925 TIMS CONSTRUCTION PH: 0275466417 - New Homes & Alterations - Building & Construction - Asbestos Removal - Project Management - Demolition and Excavation Email: matt@timsconstruction.co.nz JORDY’S PLUMBING LTD Residential • Commercial 020 4028 6986 jordysplumbing@gmail.com jordysplumbing.co.nz
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