Business North November 2021

26 | SABRE Construction Everything managed, from the ground up The SABRE Group prides itself on developing land and building complete turnkey solutions. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Geotechnical Specialists for Building and Land Development. • Commercial, industrial & residential • Soft ground specialists • Ground improvement • Retaining walls and foundations • Specialist monitoring & testing Geotechnical experts for Sabre Construction Terrane Consultants Ltd 24 Tenth Avenue, PO Box 13 607, TAURANGA P: 07 579 9708 E: admin@terrane.co.nz E xponential growth and family values underpin the Blackridge & SABRE Group of construction businesses. Based in Tauranga, the group was estab- lished by the Holwerda and Ross families in 2015, originally as horticultural construction contractors. The group now develops land and builds throughout the North Island delivering exceptional results across the civil, residential and commercial sectors also. The group prides itself on its capability to manage everything from the ground up, in house. Developing land and building complete turnkey solutions from high value horticultural orchards to beautifully designed homes or commercial buildings. The family is absorbed in all facets of land conversion, development and construction and it’s easy to see why as the sheer broad- ness of their applicable skill sets covers all bases. Typically their developments follow a careful path from one set of family hands to another and as such all members play a part in development selection and designation. Adam, who’s vocation lies in finance, invest- ment and commercial property manages the strategic direction of the group and develop- ment acquisition. Jan, with an extensive background in earth- works and civil construction ensures the land is ready for the project. If the development is deemed horticultural, John, with vast experi- ence in horticulture/agriculture takes over the project delivery. If residential or commercial, Piet, a licenced building practitioner who specialises in mul- ti-unit construction will manage the project to completion. Sophia, an interior designer en- sures the aesthetics are second to none and Milenka manages the final stages completing any landscaping. It has proven to be a winning formula for the family who now have a team of over 100 and currently have a recruitment drive under- way with the aim to double their size again in the next twelve months. Their recently estab- lished leadership team was carefully selected to ensure that the core family values remain upheld whilst they prepare the group for the more complex demands of a much larger organisation. Despite diluting the family pool, the team is tight knit with new additions automatically considered extended family. The family group is united in their strong commitment to loyalty and relationship build- ing with each other, clients and suppliers and this is vital to its success. Deliberately seeking out relationships with like-minded suppliers has meant the group has an assemblage of companies they chose to work with and this ultimately guarantees quality. Goodwill is placed at a higher premium than a marginal saving off the bottom line. The family see this as vital to their ability to produce a premium product: “SABRE’s work is often repeated business, which for the family is the ultimate accolade. “Group clientele return time and time again as our word is our bond - an old-fashioned handshake means a lot. We work hard to maintain strong partnerships with employees, clients, the local community and other busi- ness partners,” says John. This is now exactly what the family are currently doing in Omokoroa. Working closely with WBOPDC to establish a brand new subdivision of over 100 homes where they will manage the entire job from start to finish in-house and to an exceptional standard. “We are about creating neighbourhoods where people want to live, with one another and with the environment. “We respect that there needs to be a high level of amenity, both now and in the future,” says Adam. An important part of their business model is a close involvement with the local communi- ty – not only have the Holwerda/ Ross families grown up here, but there is now a new future generation of children to consider. Naturally being a part of building and shap- ing the community around them is something they are excited by and it plays into the over- arching aim of developing a legacy business.