122 | The Reno Guys T T Sue Russell Starting small leads to larger projects Your Business, Your Industry, Your News. Each edition priority delivered to your door. i i i i li . www.waterfordpress.co.nz/subscriptions . t f . . / i ti 03 983 5525 Stay informed; we work with business owners and decision-makers across all economic sectors, profiling their success. t i f r ; r it i r i i - r r ll i t r , r fili t ir . businessnorth “With us, there’s a lot of thinking on your feet and challenges that come with figuring out a problem you discover.” BUILDING Finding their niche The company builds between three and eight houses a year throughout rural Waikato. T T Hugh de Lacy Precision Built Upmarket rural and passive homes are a special niche within the residential construction industry, and it is by specialising in them that Jonathan Quigley’s Waikato company, Precision Built, has got 18 months’ work ahead in an otherwise straitened market. “We feel very blessed to have plenty of work ahead of us when we know a lot of builders are struggling, and we put it down to being in a high-value rural and lifestyle niche that we do well and stick to,” Jonathan says. “We take a holistic approach to the building of all our homes that encompasses every aspect of the design and construction, and considers and involves the homeowner and how they will live in the home, the way the building interacts with the landscape, and the impact of the building on its surroundings. “We’re in a market that very few people cater to, including especially the passive home, which can be sealed up to less than 0.5 ACH – like a balloon – providing mechanically controlled temperature and ambience through the ventilation system to ensure both a constant temperature and energy efficiency.” Precision Built is essentially Jonathan working with clients through the design and specification of their home, and project manager Mark Atkinson organising and supervising subcontractors, and helping to guide the client through to completion of their home. “My role is to work with the client from start to finish, and I see myself primarily as a builder of relationships,” Jonathan says. Jonathan has two main subcontractors doing the actual building for him, and those relationships, too, are part of the holistic approach. The company builds between three and eight houses a year throughout rural Waikato, and they are designed by a range of architects, though Jonathan has a particularly close relationship with LAD Architects of Cambridge, and Architecto of Hamilton. A current project is a 375sqm passive house for repeat clients particularly keen to enjoy the steady temperature and ambience that such high-performing buildings bring. “Our next two houses are a 460sqm one in Horotiu, then a 500sqm Oamaru stone home in Cambridge, designed by the Australian architectural firm Design Life.” Dan Grimshaw, founder of The Reno Guys, which is based near Hamilton, says that working in the smaller jobs, and renovation space has been the right call since establishing the business in 2013. Having spent time in the defence force and building in London for five years, Dan knew the best way to come into business back home was to start small. “I just went out on my own, and got the ‘humble pie’ projects, like bathrooms, decks and fences and slowly built up from there. Today, a decade later, we have a team of nine and Ali in the office.” Because the projects usually do not command a large amount of time to complete, it means at any one time Dan and the team can have up to 10 projects on the go, at various stages of planning and building. He takes care of organising all the subcontractors and has worked hard to build a strong, positive relationship with them. Living out towards Raglan on Waikato’s west coast, Dan says work often comes from areas such as Morrinsville, Cambridge and Raglan itself. He has also established a cluster of architects, who do the design work. “We had a huge tail wind of work during and post-Covid, and coming into this year things have slowed down; however, just in the last month there’s been an increase in demand, which bodes well for the rest of this year,” says Dan. When Business North caught up with Dan late July, his team included two apprentices, and he was in the process of training up a couple of young keen labourers. He is a great believer in the type of work they undertake providing apprentices with the best possible learning space. “If you’re only doing group housing work, then often there’s a limited amount of experience you have, the way a new home is constructed. “With us, there’s a lot of thinking on your feet and challenges that come with figuring out a problem you discover. This is a wonderful space for those new to the building sector to cut their teeth.” With renovations, often the clients are living in the home, where the tradies foster a good relationship with the client. They engage and practise their communication skills daily by managing the job on site. Often, it’s not all about just construction, it is building harmony 0800 PH DAMDOORS (0800 74 3263 ) sales@damdoors.co.nz | www.damdoors.co.nz | 118 Greenwood Street, Frankton, Hamilton Proudly Supporting Precision Built Ltd NT Joinery is proud to support Precision Built Ltd 92 Bruce Berquist Drive, Te Awamutu P: 07 871 6188 office@ntjoinery.co.nz www.ntjoinery.co.nz
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