126 | T T Hugh de Lacy Totara Construction BUILDING Vibrant culture key to success Totara Construction is especially interested in architecturally designed buildings. Wanting to create a construction company with a vibrant culture was what drove Grace and Matt Saathof to launch Mt Maunganui-based Totara Construction in 2016, after their return to New Zealand from stints in Papua New Guinea and Fiji. With Matt’s double diploma in construction management and quantity surveying – he earned them while working full-time on building sites – and Grace’s background in interior design, the couple has built up a team of 10 staff, including two apprentices, working mostly in the Bay of Plenty residential construction market. Totara Construction is especially interested in architecturally designed buildings, and is prepared to venture into the light commercial market to chase an attractive project, but mostly it produces two or three new houses a year. “We’re mostly residential, but if a good-looking architectural project comes along in the commercial sector, we’ll be into it,” Matt says. “We’ve got that degree of versatility, and we’ve built a culture around the company based on us not only doing a good job but actually enjoying it.” Matt has 18 years behind him in the building industry after completing his apprenticeship with an upmarket Hawke’s Bay residential builder. Picking up a diverse range of skills, he won the Hawke’s Bay Apprentice of the Year Award and was runner-up in the national awards, resulting in his being promoted first to foreman and then to site manager. He later took his skill-set to Papua New Guinea, where he worked on a large missionary complex, then to Fiji where he worked on the Fijian International Airport, honing his project and team-management skills. On his return to New Zealand, Matt worked with another builder that had a good work reputation, but he didn’t like the culture, so he and Grace decided to launch out on their own. They were able to land a couple of house contracts in Tauranga to get the company underway, allowing them to establish their reputation for quality and on-time finishes. From its start eight years ago Totara Construction has grown rapidly, with Grace handling the often complex interior design aspects. “Grace is a great listener and her interior designs result in the new house feeling like a true home,” Matt says. “She takes a genuine interest in the client’s individuality and has the knack of successfully integrating this into her designs.” Matt says a key element of Totara Construction’s service is the great team of top-quality subcontractors they engage, ensuring all specialist work from electrical fittings to plumbing reflects their own high standards. Matt has always been a firm believer in organic growth for Totara Construction, and views further expansion of the company as a factor of this, rather than the state of the market. “Again, it all comes down to the culture that you foster within your workforce, be they employees or subbies, because the outcome of any job reflects the culture that inspired it,” he says. “We’ve got a loyal and hard-working staff that’s seen us through the recent tough times in the industry.” Ph 07 579 4000 E: Jared@wrac.co.nz 120c Birch Ave | www.wrac.co.nz 8 View Road, Rotorua Ph: (07) 348 5370 Fax: (07) 348 5367 Email: richard@totaldoorsystems.co.nz Totara Construction Ltd
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