72 | Focused on social housing Hi-Tec is responsible for all the earthworks and the retaining walls; 50% of the concrete slabs and 50% of the carpentry. Hi-Tec Property Developments T T Virginia Wright “I’m happy building social housing. I don’t do this for money, I do it for love really.” DEVELOPMENT Steve Palmer started his company Hi-Tec Property Development in 2017 with his son Mark, but has been building since he left school and worked in his father’s earthworks company before training as a carpenter. That was over 40 years ago, and Steve has been involved in construction ever since, from commercial to high-end architectural, but with Hi Tec Property Development his focus is Kainga Ora social housing. Working with Kainga Ora build partners, who run what he calls “the back office”, Steve and his team are on the ground taking care of construction, staying outside where he prefers to be. “It takes me back to my roots. We do the whole thing, the earthworks, the drainage, all the concrete work, carpentry, cladding. Basically, we deliver the whole project.” Steve’s son Mark is the construction manager, and Steve has recently appointed a new, younger director, Ryan Immers, who trained with him as a carpenter. “Over time, he’s going to buy more shares and Mark and Ryan together will carry the business into the future,” says Steve. With a staff of 35 and all the expertise and machinery you could wish for to do the job efficiently, from stripping the top soil through to putting on the door handles and everything in between, Hi-Tec has got the build covered. Each team is run by a qualified carpenter, and all the carpenters have come through BCITO and trained on the job over the last 10 to 15 years. “Very few have left, which is a good sign. It’s a team effort and without the dedication of the staff the business would be nothing, You’re only as good as the people around you,” says Steve. The current 21-lot subdivision for Kainga Ora in Te Kamo near Whangarei has 20 houses to be built. Hi-Tec is responsible for all the earthworks and the retaining walls; 50% of the concrete slabs and 50% of the carpentry. With the goal of delivering 20 houses by the end of June 2025, three other carpenter teams and two other slab contractors are also hard at work to meet the tight delivery programme. They are off to a good start: the entire site is cut, with 80% of the retaining walls installed and five concrete slabs ready to go, all within six weeks. Making good use of the Pro-core project management software programme to run the project helps Steve track the many tasks in play across multiple teams for maximum efficiency. Planning is the key to the successful delivery of these Homestar7 rated, mainly stand-alone, three- and four-bedroom houses. “Anyone would be happy to live in one of these homes. “They’re beautiful houses, single- and double-level, brick and weatherboard, well-insulated and built to a very high standard,” says Steve. He knows what he’s talking about, having completed multiple high-end architectural builds in the more affluent suburbs of Auckland, but he doesn’t miss them. “I’m happy building social housing. I don’t do this for money, I do it for love really,” he says with a laugh. Of course, he has to make enough money to pay everyone’s bills, including his own, and he can be confident their client won’t go bust, but it’s his belief that all kids deserve a roof over their heads that keeps him building Kainga Ora houses to his usual high standard. It’s a win-win all round. Hi-Tec Property Developments Limited are a New Zealand owned company, with our office in Auckland, offering Build, Design, Renovation/Extension and Project Management Services. From small to multi-million dollar projects, be it commercial or residential, our highly motivated and professional staff excel at building projects of every scale and type, and are capable of delivering projects of all sizes and specifications throughout the North Island. www.hi-tec.co.nz accounts@hi-tec.co.nz Explore Our Extensive Selection of Survey, Erosion Control & Civil Consumables sales.nz@prosolveproducts.com www.prosolveproducts.co.nz We provide quality construction consumables for the Survey and Civil industry, from set out stakes, Marking Paint to Temporary Fence, Geotextiles etc. Contact us for reliability!
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