Business North November 2021

| 97 Elio Construction BUILDING Industrial warehousing done right T Richard Loader Elio Construction is building a set of nine industrial warehouse units at Hugo Johnstone Drive in Penrose. T he team at Elio Construction is in the closing stages of completing con- struction of a set of nine industrial warehouse units at Hugo Johnstone Drive in Penrose, Auckland City, for Southpark Corpo- ration. The company was awarded the fixed price project following competitive tender and took possession of the development site in March this year. While Covid has impacted on progress, Elio Construction is on target to complete the project by late November this year. Elio Construction’s Managing Director Adam Parmenter says because of poor ground con- ditions, significant work was required to get out of the ground. “There were basalt flows underneath one building that required a lot of rock breaking, while another area had to be undercut and required remediation.” Encompassing 4500sqm, the development is designed in two blocks and positioned on site in an L-shape. Designed by Tse Architects, the visual appeal of the building is captured by a rough sawn timber finish on the precast concrete panels and dark aluminium joinery. Adam says each unit has been future proofed with a mezzanine floor that can be easily converted into second level offices. “The units are a base build with flexibility so they can be adjusted to suit the tenants’ needs. All the fire rating has been done and it will be relatively easy to construct partition walls and bolt on stairs for a second storey. Three of the nine units are being built with the stairs already insitu, but with half height walls.” Prior to founding Elio Construction early in 2019, Adam spent 10 years working for a major commercial construction company learning his trade and the value of a culture centred on quality workmanship and making sure the project was a success for all stake- holders. “A lot of their work was repeat business on a negotiated basis. “But I have also worked for companies where the focus was less on delivery and more about the commercial aspect of it. With the first construction company, as soon as you proved you weren’t going to drown you were given a lot of responsibility and autonomy. “While the exposure to different issues, methodologies and challenges was tremen- dous, so was the learning. The exposure to a diverse range of experiences serves me very well now. Our success in securing projects comes down to developing strong relation- ships and a delivery focus.” Operating throughout the wider Auckland area, Elio Construction has an experienced team of seven full time staff members, along with a solid team of contractors that are kept employed full time on projects, bringing the team up to twenty. Selective about the people he hires, and looking after those people who do become part of the team, Adam says without the peo- ple the business cannot exist, and there is a very strong culture of valuing team members. “A lot of our management team are builders by trade and have worked their way up to management as opposed to starting in man- agement and learning how to build. “With our experience and the historic rela- tionships built over the last fifteen years we have a really strong supply chain of subcon- tractors and suppliers supporting us.” To date Elio Construction’s work has been based around commercial and infrastructure projects, including construction management of staff accommodation, platform shelter canopy, electronic ticket gating and pedestrian footbridge at a live bus/train interchange in Otahuhu. The company is now just completing the design for a high-end mid-density residential development, with development due to com- mence in the first quarter of next year. “We have also just been engaged to do another project for Southpark Corporation across the road from the Hugo Johnston Drive project. So we’re now getting that repeat business.” We are friendly and reliable, providing service to the wider Auckland area. For all your Plumbing, Gasfitting and Drainage needs contact us at: info@ventureplumbing.co.nz • 021 500 993 and 0800 32 10 32 PLANT HIRE FOR: From start to finish - Auckland-wide Civil • Road • Rail Infrastructure projects 022 535 1918 | byrneseal@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/john-byrne-174481196/