Business North November 2021

40 | Whāriki Business Network: Independent Traffic Control REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT One big whānau, an end-to-end partner T T Kim Newth Independent Traffic Control (iTraffic) has grown from humble beginnings. ƫ ƫ ɽȃǉǁɨʍǼ ɽǉɰɽȈȶǼ ɰɥǉƺȈƃȢȈɰɽɰ ʥʥʥӝɨǉɰʍȢɽ˃ӝƺɁӝȶ˃ ÇŹ ƺƺɨǉǁȈɽǉǁ AɨʍǼ ěǉɰɽȈȶǼ ČǉɨʤȈƺǉɰ ȶǁǉɥǉȶǁǉȶɽӗ ɨǉȢȈƃƹȢǉӗ ǁɨʍǼ ɽǉɰɽȈȶǼ ƃƺɨɁɰɰ Çǉʥ ŹǉƃȢƃȶǁӝ ĄǉɰʍȢɽ˃ {ɨɁʍɥ Ɂǹǹǉɨɰ ƹɁɽȃ ʥɁɨȟɥȢƃƺǉ ǁɨʍǼ ծ ƃȢƺɁȃɁȢ ɽǉɰɽȈȶǼ ƃȶǁ ɥɨɁɥǉɨɽʰ ȴǉɽȃƃȴɥȃǉɽƃȴȈȶǉ ɽǉɰɽȈȶǼӝ ѕѝѕѕ ўјј јѝј L aunched with a clear vision in 2008, Independent Traffic Control (iTraffic) has grown from humble beginnings into a large and successful 100% New Zealand Māori and Pacific owned business that today employs more than 300 people. The iTraffic crew is one big whānau where all have put in the mahi to train and acquire the skills needed to be the best in the traffic management sector. This ongoing commit- ment, coupled with investment in plant, equipment, technology and robust health and safety has seen iTraffic go from strength to strength. As a complete end-to-end partner, iTraffic ensures all projects are completed efficiently, safely and with transparency from start to finish. Core services offered are planning and managing traffic closures; designing traffic management plans (TMP); machinery and traffic management equipment hire; project management; and civil construction servic- es through their iConstruct team including asphalt, concrete and drainage. Their main area of operation is Waikato and Bay of Plenty through to Northland. iTraffic is a proud member of the Māori business network Whāriki that celebrates and connects Māori businesses and their whānau. “We see this as a collaborative way to work with other Māori and Pacific Island businesses to generate jobs and uplift whole communi- ties; we want to have those businesses come into our supply chain,” says Glen Harding Ruma (Ngā Puhi), one of iTraffic’s four direc- tors. “It’s about bringing people on board and helping to create wealth all the way through our communities.” Within the company, there is a strong focus on training – from numeracy and literacy classes through to advanced vocational train- ing - and creating a positive work culture that encourages progression. Glen says their staff retention rates have shot up as people have realised that traffic management offers real and tangible career opportunities for them and their families. “For us, the benefits of investing in our people far outweigh the costs – it’s a good way to do business.” The company’s other three directors are Finance Director Piri Kake (Ngā Puhi) and iTraffic’s founders, Cook Island Māori brothers Teruarau (‘Rau’) and Kelvin Tangiiti. Glen’s background is as a management con- sultant. He spent some years working in the UK before returning to Aotearoa in 2010 after the Global Financial Crisis. “I got an opportunity to work with a friend from university (Rau) with a business that had great potential. “We are proud of the fact that we have gone from working out of Rau’s garage to where we are today.” “I got an opportunity to work with a friend from university (Rau) with a business that had great potential. We are proud of the fact that we have gone from working out of Rau’s garage to where we are today.” Piri Kake is a chartered accountant by trade who learned about traffic management on the road before moving to the office and getting involved in the company’s financial manage- ment. iTraffic has been achieving growth of 20-30 per cent a year yet the people side of the equation is still what’s fundamentally important to him. “I do have responsibility for 300 odd people and their whānau and their kids; that [has] motivated me to do the best job I can, every day,” says Piri. Given that iTraffic’s main base of operations is in Auckland, the recent move out of Level 4 lockdown has come as welcome news and means projects can resume again with safety protocols in place. Online training helped keep staff engaged during Level 4. “It was only a couple of hours a week and we kept it fun,” says Glen. “We have stayed in touch with everyone and made sure their mental health has been good. As we did in the last lockdown, we made food parcels for staff [with reduced hours and income] and worked together with Dave ‘Brown Buttabean’ Letele to feed people in need.” Under Level 2, iTraffic’s branches in Whangārei, Hamilton, Silverdale and Welling- ton have been running at around 60 per cent of normal trade, while Auckland had been at around 20-30 per cent. However, the compa- ny is expecting a rapid recovery as lockdown conditions ease. “Since lockdown last year, we have added another 50+ people. We’re a fast growing busi- ness so I think it’ll be manic once we fully get back to work this time. The work isn’t going away: we’re delivering services on two major projects in Auckland: the Central Interceptor [tunnel to help make Auckland’s waterways cleaner and running underground from Grey Lynn to a wastewater treatment plant in Māngere] and the City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel project from Britomart to Mt Eden.” iTraffic has significant partnerships on many other key projects with leading compa- nies such as Fulton Hogan, Downer NZ and Watercare. “It was tough, at the beginning, to prove we were good enough; however, we now have a solid reputation with our clients throughout New Zealand. Our point of difference has come from creating innovative tools, training and efficiencies focusing on our kaimahi, our clients and ultimately the road users in our communities. We are accountable to all of them.” iTraffic welcomes enquiries from people interested in working with them. The com- pany is currently recruiting in Silverdale and Whangārei.