94 | LIFESTYLE Summerset Group Holdings Setting the highest care standards Richard Loader Casebrook Memory Care Centre Courtyard. Every loving son has a burning ambition to do something special for his mother or grandmother, and that was the genesis of Summerset Group’s portfolio of retirement villages. When John O’Sullivan went looking for a retirement village for his grandmother in 1994 he was disheartened by what was then available, inspiring him to create something quite special for her to enjoy the ’best of life’. By 1997 John and his team delivered the first Summerset Retirement Village, located in Whangarei. The business has been on a growth path since, always meeting the vision and high standard originally set by John. In 2011 Summerset Group released an IPO (Initial Public Offering) and now has over 30 villages in all of New Zealand’s main centres and most of the provincial areas, and five sites for development in Victoria, Australia. Summerset villages are aimed at the 70 years-plus bracket. In the next forty years New Zealand’s population in that age bracket will go from three hundred and fifty thousand to a staggering one million. Summerset Group’s GM of Construction, Dean Tallentire, says the business has the largest land bank in the sector and has increased deliveries for the year to meet the increasing demand for high quality retirement village living. “We will be delivering about six hundred independent units this year, along with fifty-two care beds. So we are the leading retirement village provider in terms of build rate. We’ve recently received consent for Waikanae and we’re progressing very well at St Johns in Auckland. The Hobsonville extension is also going very well. Future metropolitan sites include Parnell and Half Moon Bay.” Also progressing well is Summerset’s village in Richmond, near Nelson, land development at a new site in Prebbleton is underway, and a Cambridge broadacre site is in the early stages of land development. “One of the things that is pleasing for me as GM of Construction is that we have maintained our build programme. “Covid has thrown up quite a few challenges, particularly around the procurement of materials. But we have mature supply chain relationships and the procurement team plan well in advance so we have avoided any delays. Next year we will have over fifteen build sites live all over New Zealand.” While most of Summerset Group’s retirement villages are built on large broadacre sites and consist of comfortable high quality standalone villas and townhouses with surrounding amenities, metropolitan sites embrace apartment style living. All of Summerset’s newer broadacre sites have regional main buildings that embrace a diverse range of amenities under one roof. “We delivered our three-storey Avonhead regional main building in August this year but because of Covid we didn’t have an official to page 96 opening. We are looking forward to doing so in the near future. In June we opened our new regional main building at Richmond, and last year at Casebrook in Christchurch. With improved health care, people are enjoying longer and healthier lives and Summerset Group’s design ethos delivers a luxurious resort style of living that can include swimming pools, spas, hairdressers, cafes, comfortable libraries, cosy cinemas, bowling greens and well-equipped gymnasiums. “They really are very nice communities to live in, providing ‘best of life’ living where people can make friends, be active, and a live in a home they can proudly welcome family to visit. “Covid has thrown up quite a few challenges, particularly around the procurement of materials. But we have mature supply chain relationships and the procurement team plan well in advance.” Dean Tallentire
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