Business North November 2021

96 | Legacy Construction BUILDING Commercial fit-outs that stand out Legacy Construction has a proud record in the commercial sector, both for new builds and refurbishment projects. A uckland commercial construction com- pany Legacy Construction concentrates its skills in the often challenging com- mercial conversion and fit-out sector. The company has a strong core of seasoned professionals, led by Managing Director and founder Shane Hartner. In its history, Shane has been responsible for delivering many of the company’s larger and more complex projects. “We’re very fortunate to have evolved into one of the region’s most experienced commercial refurbishment companies. We’ve grown on the back of our people, it’s that simple.” Shane is most proud of the company’s care of staff and its record of staff retention. This is coupled with valuing the long-term client relationships that have evolved. “We have a lot of repeat clients, including work on Government and local Government projects.” As a result, over time, Legacy has grown organically. Big growth spurts are not how the company has evolved and Shane believes that’s a very positive thing, given the ups and downs of the commercial construction sector. He describes the COVID lockdown and sub- sequent period as ‘interesting’ with a respon- sibility toward retaining and supporting staff being a key focus. “We’ve certainly seen factors coming into play that are impacting on the supply chain. At different times, different pinch points. “There have been long lead times associ- ated with supply of steel, timber, cladding products and things as simple as drawer rails that have pushed out time-frames by three months plus.” And like many large-scale construction company’s operating in this climate, there’s a degree of uncertainty on pricing projects, however Shane says they are well-positioned to manage this. “You can only control what you can control. “In addition to this, where it is challenging is that some of our products, sourced from Europe for instance, only have a 3 or 4 month shelf life. Things like plastering systems that come through from Italy have both a short shelf life and are now facing even longer ship- ment times.” Working often in old and historic buildings means that building systems employed are not necessarily what would be used in modern new-build projects. S hane says this fact alone provides those in apprenticeships, acquiring their skills, with a wider learning experience. “We have 14 apprentices across plumbing, joinery and carpentry and I think they are learning in a rich environment. We tend to shift our staff around on projects depending on their skill-sets, so there is plenty of variety.” A current project underway for Auckland Transport, involves replacing the roof mem- brane and refurbishment of windows on the Britomart building; using a specialised roof system. “Another reroofing project is at Auckland’s central library, a project that has been under- way for 8 months. Sustainability is a term that is bandied about often when describing company culture. In the case of Legacy, the word is expressed in practical ways, across the environment, social, cultural and financial realms. “We think its really important to reflect sus - tainable practice across the whole operation of the company.” Legacy Construction is a member of the Green Council, has strict site waste manage- ment practices, engages in supporting nu- merous organisations, with a focus on youth, encourages and enables internal promotion of staff, and is in a secure financial position. “We’re proud of our track-record and the environment we have created for our staff to work in. “Our company culture is central to this.” T T Sue Russell