88 | Macreadie Builders BUILDING Scheduling key to Covid Craftmanship and attention to detail are features of Macreadie homes. Sue Russell Joel Macreadie, from Auckland-based Macreadie Builders, says adapting to the challenges the Covid era has brought has been at times challenging, but with careful planning and attention to scheduling well, the company’s projects have not been too impacted. “We seem to be adapting pretty well to the constraints, shortages of materials and time-delays. Honing in on scheduling is critical to being able to keep projects going well,” Joel says. He also recognises that the success of a project depends on other important factors adjusting to the new ‘norm’. Ideally clients and architects making timely decisions and not readjusting their thinking on plans and specifications goes a long way to helping a build progress well. “It’s costly in time and financially especially more so now if the architect and client make lots of adjustments to the project. We have really appreciated their ability to also adapt. It’s basically saying ‘Once we’ve made up our mind, lets not change it’.” When Business North spoke with Joel the team were working on two projects and ahead, once these are completed, is a development project involving four homes built on land the family own. “I developed some land at Oratia, in west Auckland as you drive our to Piha, two years ago and was left with four sections so I have had our architect draw up some plans. I’m looking forward to getting into this project. The architect has done a great job ensuring that the unique situation of each section is taken into account with the homes’ designs.” While the design of each home is the same, the positioning of each one on its site makes it unique and best suited for its situation. Working with Joel is a small team, including Jesse, who has been with Macreadie Builders these past seven years. “He is like my 2IC, helping me run the jobs on site. Then we have Brenna and Hannah, with Brenna nearly through her apprenticeship and Hanna has a couple of years to go.” And adding to the capacity, Joel engages a contract builder. He says the current size and arrangement of staff seems to work well. It means he’s on the tools most of the time. Asked whether the plan is to grow much larger Joel says he’s had time in his building career where upward of 15 staff and full-time project managers were engaged. “It was good and we were very busy but it was very demanding running it at that level. I have a young family at home and I’ve now got a much more manageable balance between work and family life. That’s really important to us at this time.” Plans ahead are to focus increasingly on development work. It means that Macreadie Builders will increasingly align with constructing its own projects. It’s also, Joel says, an opportunity for Jessie to evolve his own building career. Joel thinks that working in the building sector offers a lot of opportunities for those with ambition and drive. “Like anything, you can take your skill set and grow your experiences and opportunities.” Supporting Joel’s own growth was completing a Business & Innovation course at night school. It gave him the tools to think about where to take his own company in time. Macreadie Builders are members of NZ Certified Builders. He chose this professional organisation to belong to because of its entry standards and the quality of the support the organisation provides; with model employment agreements, building contracts and the like. Another strength Joel says is working closely with one Architect, who provides the designs for most of the work the company undertakes. “We bounce of each other. When people have tricky builds I certainly encourage them to go Mahendra Dahji, our architect, because I know the quality of his work. We’ve worked with each other since 2014.” Joel is keen to pursue building projects near where he lives in Piha, on Auckland’s northwest coast. “This is the area we most want to concentrate in as it keeps our projects local which works best for me and the team.” Rel iable and Professional Electrical Services in Auckland RESIDENTIAL DATA COMMERCIAL SECURITY • Land Surveying • Service Location • Health and Safety • Project Management • Resource Consents • Construction Setout • Traffic Management • Civil Engineering Design • Tendering and Estimating Services list ANTONIO CIVIL ENGINEERING LTD ARE SPECIALISTS IN PROVIDING CIVIL ENGINEERING SERVICES TO CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANTS. Mobile: (027) 233 1172 | Email: antoniocivil@xtra.co.nz | www.antoniocivil.co.nz antonio civil engineering
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