Business North October 2021

| 37 Kawerau: Putauaki Trust REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Putauaki Trust is ready for tenants on the 80-hectare industrial development. r e l i a b l e effective When James Whitley reflects on the rapid growth of the civil construction company he and his wife Tracy founded six years ago he has no doubt that quality staff and enduring relationships has been centre stage. With 28 years working in civil construction including with Tier One companies, returning from a contract working in the Islands James and Tracy felt the time was right to stamp their own mark on the industry, and Crossroads Construction Ltd was born. Based in Edgecumbe with a smaller yard in Tauranga, Crossroads Construction started as a two-man operation and now employs a team of thirty-eight full time workers, complemented with a dozen casual staff and a diversity of machinery. “Civil Construction seems such a large industry but it ’s not and a lot of people I worked with in my early days are now running or managing larger businesses. I always get on well with people and build a strong rapport with them. That ’s really given me the opportunity to put my foot in the door. I’ve always felt that if you communicate honestly with people and let them know what ’s going on, and they know you have a good business ethic then they will use your business.” Mainly operating throughout the Bay of Plenty region from Rotorua through to Opotiki, James and his team have also been contracted for significant projects as far afield as Waihi and Hamilton and are currently pricing a subdivision in Ngatea. “Our projects range from farm races and drains, like we’re doing for the Putauaki Trust, through to large-scale pavement projects, subcontracting to Tier One construction companies. We’re doing most of the pavement work for the Baypark to Bayfair roading upgrade. So we could be doing a house site in Edgecumbe or Whakatane to large-scale multi-million dollar projects for NZTA under the direction of Tier One construction companies. Whakatane District Council is probably one of our biggest clients.” James says the company’s ability to deliver quality projects comes down to the quality of his staff, a good business ethic and a good moral compass. “Communication is one of my number one business principles. I always impress upon my project managers that they have to get back to people within a certain amount of time. We don’t always get everything right, but we do guarantee what we do and if we don’t get it right we do our very best to rectify it. And people can still get to see and speak with the boss who owns the company.” Quality staff, quality projects