56 | CONTRACTING Acrow Construction needs covered Acrow’s scaffold division supplies Ringlock, Layher, Tube and Clip, and mobile tower systems, alongside a full design and engineering service. T T Karen Phelps Acrow, the country’s largest scaffolding, formwork, falsework and event infrastructure company, has continued to expand its national footprint since it began operating in New Zealand in the 1970s. The Kiwi-owned business now employs more than 350 people across five branches, in Auckland, Hamilton, Manawatū, Wellington and Christchurch, serving the industrial, commercial, civil, residential and events sectors. “We’ve built the business from the ground up, and our branch network, our people and our engineering expertise mean we can take a project from concept right through to completion anywhere in the country,” says managing director Mark Irvine. The company’s core offering spans four main areas: scaffold, formwork, falsework and propping, and its Acrowtube product line. Its scaffold division supplies Ringlock, Layher, Tube and Clip, and mobile tower systems, alongside a full design and engineering service. Clients can choose a materials-only hire arrangement, a labour-only service or a complete turnkey package that includes engineering approval, local body permits and sign-off before handover. “We work with clients to provide what they need, whether that’s creating a full service solution, supplying the equipment, providing the scaffolders or managing the entire process from design through to completion,” says Mark. On the formwork side, it supplies Doka products including wall, column, climbing, single-sided, circular and floor formwork systems, drawn on experience gained across large commercial and civil projects. Its falsework and propping range includes the original Acrow Props, Shisham props, the Acrowshore system and the high-strength Superslim Soldier system, which can carry up to 150kN per prop. “The Acrow Prop changed construction when it was first introduced and it remains one of the most versatile and reliable products on the market,” he says. Acrowtube, meanwhile, is a waterproof PVC tube product manufactured in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Ranging from 300mm to 1050mm in diameter and produced to any length, it is used across structural, piling, civil, infrastructure, architectural and geotechnical applications from motorway street light bases to bridge and pier foundations. Underpinning all of this is an in-house design and engineering team with more than 100 years of combined experience in temporary works, using AutoCAD, Revit and BIM software to develop solutions in line with New Zealand Standards. “Our engineers work alongside site teams from the earliest stages of a project so we can keep things safe, on budget and on programme.” The company has also carved out a significant presence in the events sector since 2006 supplying grandstand seating, stage roofs, platforms, decking and access solutions for everything from school performances to international stadium tours and Rugby World Cup fixtures. Health and safety remains central to its operations. It is SiteWise and Impac pre-qualified and supports MATES in Construction for its workforce. “It’s simple; everyone who comes onto one of our sites should leave in the same condition, if not better, than when they arrived,” says Mark. “That commitment shapes everything we do.” With a workforce of hundreds and a footprint stretching country wide, he says Acrow shows no sign of slowing its growth across New Zealand’s construction and events landscape. Whether you need workplace drug testing, pre employment testing & medicals, drug testing & training classes, substance policy design services, annual health monitoring, DL9’s and flu vaccinations, TDDA goes where you need us, when you need us. Your complete solution for workplace drug testing & occupational health needs. Visit tdda.com or healthtick.com or call 0508 3784 to learn more. Drug and alcohol building sites everywhere. Accredited to AS/NZS 4308:2008 and AS/NZS 4760:2019 Industry Standard. That’s why we go anywhere! Our Mission: To Protect The Girl on the Bike New Zealand's job market is in recovery mode. According to recent data, job ads are up 13% year-on-year (YoY), with the biggest gains in construction (+36% YoY) and trades, manufacturing, transport and logistics (each up 22.5% YoY), industries where workplace safety is non-negotiable. Here’s where some companies make the big mistake. In a rush to move quickly and fill roles, they skip key due diligence checks that ensure the company is not inviting issues, like drugs and alcohol, into the workplaces. In the push to secure the best talent, pre-employment testing turns into an afterthought, and an inexpensive test that greatly reduces workplace risk gets skipped. Instead of setting expectations on day one, people wind up on the job unfit and noncompliant with regulations. TDDA's Q1 2026 Imperans Report, shows drug use is an ever-present concern for owners and managers. Opioid, usually prescription pain medication, detections rose about 35% from last year. It’s the largest increase of any substance nationally, with rises recorded in 11 out of 16 regions. People in the trucking, trades and manufacturing are known to accumulate wear and tear, and back pain is a known issue. But you can’t use opioids and get behind the controls of a digger. Opioids quietly embed themselves into workplace culture before most employers even notice. In safety-sensitive roles, operating machinery, driving vehicles, working on site, substance use is a risk to the individual and also to everyone around them. Taking prescription medication is absolutely legal, but it still needs to be managed as a workplace risk. If left unchecked, business owners’ risk compromising their chain of responsibility and exposing themselves to legal challenges. Substance use policies must cover illicit, synthetic, prescription drugs and alcohol. Unlike illicit or synthetic substances, opioids are usually prescribed, but that distinction does not reduce the risk they pose in safety-sensitive roles. Whether a substance is obtained from a pharmacy or otherwise, impairment on the job puts people and businesses at risk. Pre-employment testing is one of the most effective tools for stopping, or managing, risks at the door. It is not about penalising job seekers. It is about two things: • Identifying persistent, habitual substance use that puts people and businesses at risk • Establishing from day one that a company's substance use policy is more than words on paper. Pre-employment testing sets the tone of the employment relationship from the very beginning. It communicates clearly that workplace safety is a commitment, not just a compliance checkbox. For industries like construction, trucking, and logistics, a growing workforce means growing responsibility. Embedding pre-employment testing into the hiring process is not just due diligence. It is essential. Because behind every policy, every test, and every hire, there is a real person trying to earn a living and get home safely. The Hidden Side of New Zealand’s Hiring Recovery By Glenn Dobson, CEO, TDDA
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