22 | “That early exposure gave me a clear understanding of how projects come together on the ground and, just as importantly, how relationships underpin successful delivery.” Kalmar Construction REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Firm’s vision built on strong relationships A disciplined approach has helped the company navigate the natural cycles of Auckland’s construction sector during the past two decades. Twenty-five years ago, Bert Denee stepped away from the security of senior project roles to help build a construction company from the ground up. Founded in 2001 by Bert, alongside Peter Kay, now retired, and Theo Ottle, since passed, Kalmar Construction was established with a simple premise: to create a company clients genuinely wanted to work with. Bert’s background as a project manager, combined with experience working in client-side roles, helped shape his delivery-focused approach. He holds a civil engineering degree and a project management professional qualification, grounding his practical experience in strong academic foundations. “That early exposure gave me a clear understanding of how projects come together on the ground and, just as importantly, how relationships underpin successful delivery,” Bert says. At the time, Auckland’s construction market was active, but highly competitive. Margins were tight, reputations travelled quickly, and contractors needed to demonstrate capability to secure repeat work. Despite the scale of Kalmar Construction today, and the numerous high-profile projects it has delivered, Bert says the company’s early focus was not on rapid growth but on credibility. “Our vision was to create a business grounded in trust, accountability and doing what we say we’ll do. “From day one it has been about being ‘good people to deal with’ and focusing on long-term relationships rather than shortterm wins.” The early years were lean. Kalmar began with a small team, with everyone taking on multiple responsibilities to ensure projects were delivered successfully. Growth came steadily, driven less by chasing every opportunity and more by backing the right projects, and building strong relationships with clients and consultants. “Our growth has largely come from repeat clients and trusted partnerships,” says Bert. “We’ve never tried to be everything to everyone. Instead, we’ve focused on sectors and clients where we know we can add real value.” T T Russell Fredric That disciplined approach has helped the company navigate the natural cycles of Auckland’s construction sector during the past two decades. “The objective has always been to build a sustainable business with a strong reputation. That means delivering for our clients, creating opportunities for our people, and fostering an environment where individuals take pride in their work. When those things are in place, the commercial outcomes tend to follow.” Looking back over 25 years, Bert says his greatest sense of pride comes not only from the projects completed, but from the people and relationships built along the way. “Seeing longstanding team members grow with the business and having clients continue to trust us with their projects is incredibly rewarding. “The buildings are important, but it’s the legacy of those relationships that stands out the most.” As Kalmar Construction celebrates 25 years in business, it is fitting to acknowledge the partnerships that have helped shape that success, partnerships grounded in trust, expertise and a shared commitment to delivering residential outcomes. Colliers Project Leaders, previously Greenstone Group, is proud to have managed projects Kalmar has delivered since 2005. Colliers Project Leaders director Shane Davis says milestones matter in the construction sector and provide an opportunity to reflect not only on longevity, but on the partnerships, capability and shared values that underpin successful project delivery. During the past two decades, the two companies have worked on 19 residential apartment developments together, collectively bringing more than 1,500 homes to the New Zealand market. These projects span a wide range of scales, complexities and delivery models, but share a consistent focus on quality, buildability and outcomes that stand the test of time. The relationship reflects a practical alignment between project management and construction capability. Colliers Project Leaders acts as the client’s representative on major developments, overseeing programme delivery, contract administration and coordination between consultants, contractors and developers. “For clients who are developers wanting to build an apartment building, we act as the client’s representative. Quite often we manage the contractor delivering the building and administer the contract to deliver the product,” Shane says. Kalmar’s focus on residential apartments has seen it develop deep expertise in a sector that demands technical excellence, disciplined delivery and the ability to work collaboratively with clients, consultants and project managers. That capability has been evident throughout the shared project history between the two companies. Projects delivered have included a range of design-and-build and early contractor involvement environments, where alignment, transparency and trust are essential. During the same period, Colliers Project Leaders has grown into one of New Zealand’s established residential project management practices. Its development has been driven by a commitment to professionalism, respect for project partners and a clear focus on delivering outcomes that support both client objectives and successful construction delivery. “We are two industry players that have grown up together in the sector and worked together on a lot of projects.” The growth of both companies has occurred during a period of significant change across the residential construction sector. Market cycles, regulatory reform and increasing project complexity have influenced how apartment developments are planned and delivered. The relationship between Colliers Project Leaders and Kalmar Construction has been characterised by mutual respect, open communication and a willingness to resolve challenges together. These shared attributes — trusted partners, experts in their respective fields and leaders within the residential sector —have been fundamental to the success of both organisations. “What has set this success apart is not just the number of projects delivered, but the way they have been delivered.” Colliers Project Leaders congratulates Kalmar Construction on its significant milestone and looks forward to continuing the shared work contributing to New Zealand’s residential landscape in the years ahead. A fruitful partnership
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