44 | CONTRACTING GT Civil Award and muffins for top team Rachel Graham The inaugural Bay of Plenty Civil Contractors New Zealand Hynds Construction Awards was held this year, and Steve Papa of GT Civil says his team was over the moon to be the first winners of the Supreme Award. Steve is the general manager of GT Civil. The company has two branches, one in Cambridge and another in Tauranga, and covers the Bay of Plenty and Waikato. GT Civil’s work includes drainage, pump stations and earthworks, including sensitive earthworks near wetlands and waterways. GT Civil like to say they are experts in those challenging civil projects. The company was set up by Tim Graham and Nathan Thomas nine years ago, and now has around 35 workers. In the 2022 Bay of Plenty CCNZ Hynds Construction Awards GT Civil won the small project award and the Supreme Award. The small project award was for a project under $300,000 in value and for a company which has a turnover under $20 million a year. The project which won GT Civil the two awards was the Sherwin Street stormwater upgrade for the Tauranga City Council. Steve says the main issue with the project was the very tight and restricted construction site, right next to several homes. “The Tauranga City Council was upgrading the drainage network in Greerton,” says Steve. “The project was in the backyards of a couple of residents. We really had to work with the residents, and make sure things were delivered in a well-organized sequence. You had to do A-B-C, you couldn’t go from A to C, and then back to B.” He says they also wanted to ensure the build took as little time as possible to limit the disruption. Steve says having a close and positive relationship with the residents was really what made the project so successful. “We are really fortunate with the personnel we have. And that was recognized with the recommendation we had for that award from our client and from the engineer. They highlighted how well our team dealt with both the engineer and the client, and the residents. Winners are grinners: from left, Josh Anderson (project manager), Tim Graham (owner), Steve Papa (general manager), and Trent Harding (drainlayer). For that team it isn’t unusual for them to be brought muffins or a drink from residents on projects. Which you don’t see much anymore, but for this team it happens quite often.” He says they also ensured that they left the properties better off than when they arrived, with the team completing some small projects, such as a deck and improving a driveway. The project was to increase the drainage capacity in the network which passed through the backyards of three properties. GT Civil cleared vegetation away from the area, put in new grated culverts, installed a new retaining wall, relined an existing pipeline, and landscaped the area. Steve says it was great to have the work recognised at an event like the BOP CCNZ Hynds Construction Awards. “It was fantastic having a chance for our region to get all the contractors, clients, and the suppliers together to celebrate some of the successes in the region. We don’t get many opportunities to do that.” NZWide • 0274 81 21 59 • neil@uul.co.nz Big or small • Talk to the experts • Horizontal Drilling • Pipe Jacking • Pipe Ramming • River Crossings & deep work a speciality
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