48 | Graham Civil Contractors T T Kim Newth Company built on Māori values With a fleet of diggers, graders, trucks and rollers, Graham Civil Contracting is well-equipped for most local council civil roading projects. “Today, we employ a team of around 20 people, including young people learning the ropes just like I did. If we’ve got someone struggling to get to work, we don’t turn our backs on them. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Since starting in 2020, Graham Civil Contractors Ltd has quickly become established as a trusted earthworks and civil roading specialist across the Whanganui, Manawatū and Waikato districts. During Covid, with time on his hands, founder Richie Graham realised he had all the expertise needed to start his own business and follow his dream. “Launching a new business during Covid wasn’t the best timing, but that’s when I really thought through what I wanted going forward,” explains Richie. “I’d started out working for tier 1 corporates like Downers and Higgins and learned so much from them – it was a really good grounding. I started in the field at 17, on a shovel and setting up signs. Then I moved into traffic management before starting to operate machinery, water tanks, trucks and trailers. “I kept stepping from one role up to the next until I ended up managing contracts and pricing jobs. By 2020, I was ready to go out on my own.” For Richie, the purpose of Graham Civil Contractors is not just about building better roads, but also better futures for people and communities. Values are at the heart of this 100% Māori-owned-and-operated business: He Tangata – putting people at the forefront; Hauora – helping yourself to help others; Whanaungatanga – nurturing and strengthening relationships; and Kaitiakitanga – protecting our taonga. Pulling all these values together and building trust with his crew and clients is a passion for Richie, who understands that strong teamwork is essential in their industry. “I’m lucky to have good people around me, such as my best friend Matt Mataki (managing director, Manawatu/Whanganui), who I grew up with in Fielding. “He followed a similar path to me, working for Downers and Higgins. My older brother Mike (managing director, Waikato/Bay Of Plenty) lives in Hamilton and takes care of our branch up there. It was through him that I got into the industry – he was my first supervisor at Downers. “Today, we employ a team of around 20 people, including young people learning the ropes just like I did. If we’ve got someone struggling to get to work, we don’t turn our backs on them. “We’ll sit down and talk with them to try and understand what’s happening and how we can support them to make a change. Having a business like this, for me, provides a tool for helping people to get in a better place.” With a fleet of diggers, graders, trucks and rollers, Graham Civil Contracting is wellequipped for most local council civil roading projects, and recently won a large pavement contract in South Taranaki. The company is also working as a subcontractor for Fulton Hogan on a key rural roading contract in the Manawatū district. “Winning the South Taranaki contract was a big boost for us, and we’re very thankful, too, for the good working relationships we have as a subcontractor with tier 1 businesses like Fulton Hogan, Higgins and Downer. In times like these, when the industry is a bit quiet across New Zealand, we feel very lucky to have these strong working relationships. “We still do a lot of residential work too, such as building people’s driveways, putting in house pads or shed pads, or doing residential drainage work. “We’ll send in a small digger and crew to do it. We like to help out where we can and it keeps us close to the community.” Graham Civil Contractors gives back in various other ways too, supporting local sports clubs, sponsoring events like Shemozzle (as a silver sponsor) and providing traffic management services when needed for events run through Fielding & District Promotion. Permanent and Temporary Recruitment EQUIP Recruitment are proud to support Graham Civil Contractors with their temporary labour requirements. equiprecruitment.co.nz Call 0508 327 927 Need Skilled Labour for Your Civil Projects? Trusted workforce solutions for Civil Contractors across NZ • Labourers, Drivers (WTR/Class 2–5), Machine Operators • Temps when you need them — fast turnaround • H&S-vetted and site-ready workers the best people!
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