62 | MHS Drainage & Roading Contractors T T Kim Newth Working hand in hand with forestry and farmers Investing in quality forest road engineering is a good long-term investment as it can serve the owner through multiple harvests. CONTRACTING MHS Drainage & Roading Contractors Ltd, based in Te Kuiti, provide high quality forest road engineering, rural site clearance work and a range of farm drainage and maintenance work. The family owned and operated earthworks company has two busy crews servicing their forest and farm clientele across the King Country and beyond. Machinery, transport and roading is in the DNA for Jono Sheehan and Erin Brookes, founders of MHS Contractors Ltd. Jono gained his experience working as a machine operator for 17 years with Erin’s father’s business before he and Erin decided to start their own company in 2017. “A big motivation for us, as we got older, was wanting our children to have something later in life – MHS is named after them,” explains Erin. “The ‘M’ is for Marshall, who is nearly 18 now, the ‘H’ is for Heath, 15, and the ‘S’ is for Sheehan.” Heath often lends a hand with moving machinery or work like grass seeding on his breaks from boarding school. Marshall is studying at university, but still enjoys catching up with the MHS crews whenever he’s home. MHS Contractors offer a versatile range of rural earthwork services. Local landowners often turn to MHS if they want to clear a site for a new house; MHS will get the site ready for building and do the driveways/entranceways. Many local farmers rely on MHS for their stock race maintenance, drainage work, land contouring and fence line requirements. “At the moment we’re doing some work for a client who is wanting to rotate some of his less productive land into native planting instead, which will also help offset the carbon footprint,” says Jono. MHS is a trusted roading partner on forest rotation projects when farmland is converted to forestry with everything mapped out in advance including the best sites for cutting down trees. “Once the road has been marked, we strip, cut and build the new road to the skid site where the logs will be produced. Like everything today, all the work is done to the engineer’s specifications. Having the right gear is imperative. Forestry roading has to well-constructed so it can handle the volume of timber coming out of the forest.” Investing in quality forest road engineering is a good long-term investment as it can serve the owner through multiple harvests. As Jono observes, there is also growing awareness that well-planned and well-executed forestry infrastructure is better for the environment. “We have certainly seen an attitude change in that respect over the last 10 years.” MHS Contractors run a modern, well-maintained Caterpillar fleet of excavators, bulldozer, roller and loader as well as two truck and trailer units and transporter. Having reliable machinery is a must in this industry and Jono and Erin know they can rely on Jake Poole, of JP Mechanical, when repairs and services are needed. “If something breaks down, we ring Jake and he comes straight away and gets us up and running again,” says Erin, noting that there is often just a narrow window of time to get their work done. This year got off to a flying start for MHS Contractors with their forestry crew winning PF Olsen’s Most Improved Safety Award. PF Olsen is a market leader in the forestry sector. “Our staff are really chuffed with this award. They are doing a fabulous job and it’s great that their hard work and dedication has been recognised.” MHS is currently working for PF Olsen on a five-year forestry project in the Kawaroa Forest, involving roading and maintenance services. The long running project has enabled MHS to improve their health and safety systems while also building a strong working relationship with PF Olsen. MHS Contractors were also nominated for an award last year at the annual Central North Island Forestry Awards, acknowledging their quality road construction track record. Employing local people is a focus for Erin and Jono, who often train young people from scratch. “It can be very hard to find the right person,” observes Jono, noting that the lengthy and expensive process for getting a truck driving licence can be a deterrent for those wanting to enter the industry. Nevertheless, they like to help keen young people get their start and gain some experience while they decide on their next steps. In 2024, Erin and Jono say their business and team are tracking along nicely. Their main goal this year is to continue taking care of all their many loyal clients. “We don’t mind doing a bit of everything and we never turn anything away!” HAMILTON – PH 07 838 2692 LEVEL 4, BUILDING E, UNION SQUARE 192 ANGLESEA STREET MORRINSVILLE – PH 07 902 2004 190 THAMES STREET CLELANDHANCOX.CO.NZ CONTACT US TODAY FOR A CONSULTATION WITH NO OBLIGATIONS We proudly support MHS Drainage & Roading Contractors Limited by delivering client focused, trusted business advice and solution support. For over three decades, your success is our business.
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