Business North July / August 2021

38 | Shared goals, passion and commitment A healthy mix of small and large scale works keeps the team busy. “All of our team is passionate about the region’s future. We’re a team that looks out for each other, and because of this, we get great results.” Downer Waikato REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT C reating a strong company culture is at the heart of the new Downer Waikato construction team. One of the main focuses is shared values. “Across the whole team, there are a lot of honest people,” says Downer construction manager Mark Watkins. “Everyone is not only highly driven, but they also have high integrity and a high level of emotional intelligence. “We’re driven to get people into the team who have those character traits. That’s where we see building a diverse group of people with both the skills to apply smart thinking to real-world situations and the emotional strength and empathy needed for challenging situations.” The team comprises a management team of eight, along with an extensive network of su- pervisors and project crew across the Waikato. Mark says that the company’s ethos to support and encourage its people has helped it to attract skilled talent and retain long-term team members. It is this which assists the team to successfully meet the demands of the region and continue to expand the portfolio of delivered works. “All of our team is passionate about the region’s future. We’re a team that looks out for each other, and because of this, we get great results,” says Mark. Many of the team are well known in the lo- cal community with a large number born and bred in the Waikato. Mark says that this is important as it pro- vides them with the insight and experience to Karen Phelps find the right solutions for local projects. Mark is a case in point. Putāruru-born he has been part of the Downer family for nearly 15 years, starting with the team as a contract manager before becoming senior operations manager and now construction manager. He says he enjoys looking for a challenge or problem to solve, which has been the driving force throughout his career – including this new role. “What I enjoy is the ability to get to the heart of what our clients need and supporting them with real solutions that work.” Construction supervisor Samuel McHugh echoes Mark’s sentiment, saying the team shares a commitment to provide a straightfor- ward, no-fluff approach to any project. He says each team member brings their own perspective to a project, thanks to their diverse industry experience. This abundance of skills and creative ideas helps them to solve problems to reach successful solutions for their clients. “We’re all very practical. If we’re faced with a challenge, we’ll bounce ideas around and together we modify the methodology that will work effectively.” BULK HAUL T R A N S P O R T L T D Rochelle 021 490 383 Mike 021 270 3035 Email bulkhaultransportltd@yahoo.com Truck Hire · Trailer Hire Metal · Sand · Fertilizer Garden Products