58 | “We can see a project completely through to clearing the site, removal of any hazardous materials and reinstating the land.” A strong and loyal client base The majority of work Henderson Demolition undertakes is in the greater Auckland region, DEMOLITION INDUSTRY Henderson Demolition T T Sue Russell Proudly Supporting Henderson Demolition Ltd 0800 800 600 | 09 951 1533 admin@jobsitehire.co.nz | www.jobsitehire.co.nz Temp fencing, Road plates, Portaloos & Portable showers Ground protection mats Solar security camera systems As CEO of Papakura-based Henderson Demolition Rikki Jones’ tasks extend from looking at the technical sequencing of a demolition project, through to pricing jobs and even washing the dishes – he say he’s fine with that too, and is happy with how the company has evolved since its founding in 1999. “I have an engineering background, more the mechanical engineering side, so I have the understanding of how structures go together; a bit like a giant Meccano set.” Rikki’s involvement in the company goes back, in fact to 2006, when he worked for founders Glenn and Joan Henderson. Keeping true to the founding name just made sense, as the strong and loyal customer base had formed by the time Rikki took over. Today Henderson Demolition has grown to a team of 75+ permanent staff, supplementing additional resources with hired labour. Rikki describes 2023 as a steady year. “We have good clientele and a lot of repeat customers. Things have been a bit up and down and its quite an aggresive market we operated in.” The business is divided into three core activities: general demolition, asbestos removal, and earthmoving. Each one interacts with the others often on projects given the nature of the jobs the company engages in. “It actually works really well because we can see a project completely through to clearing the site, removal of any hazardous materials and reinstating the land and we can do this all inhouse.” Henderson Demolition also owns all its gear and key to enabling this to happen is a rigorous maintenance and replacement programme. Three mechanics plus a welder are engaged full-time in the workshop. An annual CAPEX programme is implemented and on average each year the business invests up to $1million on plant and equipment. “We are our client; how we represent ourselves is a representation of our clients.” Currently Rikki says, he’s keen to hear from any Class 5 drivers, excavation and asbestos supervisors, and he’s proud of the fact that some of his team have been with the company since 1999. “That’s a wealth of knowledge our team has built up over many years but we are always training. Even the guys who have been here 20 years undergo routine professional development.” At this year’s NZDAA (New Zealand Demolition and Asbestors Awards) Henderson Demolition was runner up for the prestigious Health & Safety Best Practice Award. “We employ a full time Health & Safety Manager and two juniors. It’s a huge emphasis for us and is the most important aspect of the Business to get right. There have been instances where we have had to stop a job because something hasn’t quite gone the way we expected. The team knows they have the right and are emplauded to stop a job at any stage they feel that on-site safety may be compromised.” By far the majority of work Henderson Demolition undertakes is in the greater Auckland region, but Rikki stresses they will go further afield for their key clients. “We are heading to Gisborne in the new year to demolish 6 properties following the Cyclone which was really an eye-opener for us and we are happy to be involved in helping any way we could.” Henderson Demolition offers a scholarship programme with a training provider and when Business North spoke with Rikki 12 staff were involved in the programmes. “Training is absolutely massive to us and we’re prepared to invest to give our team every opportunity to upskill.” The company also sponsors several worthwhile causes, including the Westpac Helicopter, Police Managers Guild Trust, and has been involved in native planting across Clevedon and Papakura. “One of our team members has a son who went to the NZ Handball Champs, and we were happy to support this opportunity.”
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