118 | Twins taking on new challenge Calum and Blain Vernon - sharing the load. Verco Construction T T Virginia Wright BUILDING In 2011, Calum Vernon started working as a labourer for Steve Short before becoming the first apprentice Steve took on, although he had established his company, Short Construction Ltd, in 2003. Ten years later, Calum accepted his offer to become a director and shareholder in the company, then a few years after that Steve asked him if he wanted to buy him out completely. That was last year. Calum approached his twin brother, Blain, who was already working in the company, and between them they agreed to go ahead, and rebranded under the name Verco Construction Ltd. Given that little has changed but the name, the transition from Short Construction Ltd to Verco Construction Ltd has been seamless with both email addresses and websites still being active, and word-of-mouth efficiently spreading the news where it counts. For Calum, it is business as usual as he already had much of the responsibility for pricing and running the business. He is now sharing that load with Blain, who is running more of the operational side of things, programming the workload, and organising the crew while staying on the tools as much as he can. Calum has been off the tools (although he enjoys getting back on them when possible) since he worked out that he was getting so many phone calls about new and existing jobs that it was easier and more productive to focus solely on that role. Based in Hastings, the company services most of the Hawke’s Bay region with a mix of residential and light commercial work, but like the man whose company they took over, they are open to anything and everything, particularly in a tough economic environment. “We don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves, so we do a bit of light commercial, residential whether it’s new builds, renovations, decks or fences; and we do new projects and industrial maintenance for a lot of Hawke’s Bay’s food manufacturers,” explains Calum. They also do a lot of work for Landmark Homes in Hawke’s Bay, building their reasonably high-spec homes, but also enjoy doing their own builds and will turn around quotes quickly for interested clients. They enjoy dealing with new clients, while continuing to value their existing ones. One reason Calum believes he has been building for some of the same clients for the 13 years he has been working for the company is because of their down-to-earth attitude: “Nothing’s an issue for us, there’s never a problem, it’s always just finding a solution.” The Vernon brothers believe in honest and clear communication, which underpins their pride in the end product. “We believe in promptness. We aim to price something for a client as soon as we can. We like to explain everything and make sure the client really understands what’s happening before they sign a contract, and then we take care of them all the way through,” says Calum. Short Construction wasn’t well known for building homes in Hawke’s Bay, whereas that’s something Verco Construction is very interested to pursue alongside their light commercial and maintenance work. But whether it is a new build or part of their maintenance schedule, with a crew of 10 guys on the tools they are in a good position to respond quickly to their clients’ needs, especially if there’s an emergency. Your local First Windows & Doors manufacturer Contact us today for all your window and door requirements Ph: 06 878 0160 | E: info@twincity.co.nz | 121 Elwood Rd, Hastings We are working with the best product from Ardex, Sika and Mapei Waterproo ng | Screeding | Splashback | Wall and oor tiling Deck jack | Commercial and Residential services 027 441 2986 info@inspiretiling.nz www.inspiretiling.nz Proudly Supporting Verco Construction INSPIRE Tiling
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