| 123 Schaw Building Ltd: Waipawa Development Local support the catalyst for growth Schaw Building employs a team of eight, including six full-time builders and two part-time employees. T T Virginia Wright BUILDING When Marcus and Sarah Schaw and their young family came back from Perth, where they had owned their own building company, to Central Hawke’s Bay, where they had both grown up, they intended it to be a stop on the way to Tauranga. Fate intervened in the form of two redundancies for Marcus in six months as the GFC took its toll on the building industry, and they decided to set up their own company again. Now they can’t imagine living anywhere else, with a thriving building company of their own, and the family making the most of everything a simple, rural lifestyle has to offer, including having their grandparents nearby. “When we started back in 2011 we had lots of support from people who knew us and needed things like sheep yards done, and houses repiled, or underfloor insulation put in, and things like that. Then we won a big contract to convert a wool store into a retailer a year later and took on an employee and basically the company’s grown from there,” explains Marcus. Fourteen years later, based in Waipukurau, Marcus and Sarah run the business together. They currently employ a team of eight, including six full-time builders and two part-time employees to help out with admin and site cleaning. Given what’s happening in the industry around them they are waiting to see how things go over the next few months before taking on anyone else. “Over the last 18 months we’ve seen a lot more renovations coming through, rather than new builds, but that’s just starting to swing back,” says Sarah. One of the new builds Schaw Building Ltd has been working on for the last four months is a passive house in Waipawa. This is the first time Schaw Building has undertaken a passive build, and the process is exciting. Collaborating with the client has been a key part of getting the build underway, and the client will also be carrying out the electrical work. “He’s from Scotland, where passive houses are more the norm, and they’re really passionate about it. “They’re looking for a very high-performance home that’s really cheap to run. It’s about 200 square metres and it’s completely off the grid with solar panels and a battery, so no power bill,” says Sarah. Marcus says having a variety of work on the go at any one time is key to growth, and so the passive build is being run alongside two other big projects – a major renovation of an original farm home, and a new build. The farm renovation has been exciting, they say, and working alongside clients that are passionate about sustainability and using New Zealand made products with a smaller impact on the environment has been inspiring. Wool insulation and carpet is being used throughout the renovation. Living and working in a small rural town, the Schaws draw on local suppliers and subcontractors, from draftsmen to plumbers. Looking after relationships, whether with clients, staff or subbies is essential to the company, and the Schaws enjoy the interconnectedness that comes with working in a rural community, while their clients enjoy the quality of their work, whether it’s a renovation, a woolshed revamp, or a new passive house. DOORPRO PREHUNG DOOR SPECIALISTS • PREHUNG INTERIOR DOORS • INTERIOR BIFOLDS • STAIRCASES • CAVITY SLIDERS • INTERIOR SLIDERS • FIRE DOORS 027 490 6595 | 027 490 6596 sales@doorpro.co.nz | www.doorpro.co.nz 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
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