76 | Extracting waste keeps Kaitaia firm humming Drains.Co has worked on several high-profile developments. Suckit T T Sue Russell Drains.Co Big projects no problem T T Bernadette Cooney CONTRACTING Michelle Shepherd says one of the reasons she established Kaitaia-based SuckIt, a company that specialises in extracting waste and hazardous liquids from all manner of situation, was the opportunity to have steady work all year. “It was a complete change for me. Prior to starting the company in May 2007 I was in the pig breeding game for 28 years, so you couldn’t get two jobs more distinct from each other than this,” Michelle says. She’s a bright and bubbly person, with a positive ‘can-do’ attitude, an attribute required to succeed in this demanding industry. Another factor is that, while there are two other waste disposal operators in the region, there isn’t a feeling of any competitiveness, with sufficient work to go around. “We all keep in touch with each other and share similar experiences working often over challenging terrain to extract waste from tanks, effluent storage structures on dairy properties, grease traps in commercial premises, the list goes on,” she says. Working often in rural situations, given many homes in the Far North are on septic tanks, means taking the sucker truck across areas well off the beaten track, crossing bridges to get to the job, and dealing with hazardous ground conditions to drive the fleet over. “You have to have the attitude that you’re going to get the job done and prepare as best you can. I’ve been in this game long enough to know that there’s little room for error and the consequences can be very bad.” As the only female licensed waste disposal driver in the region, Michelle puts in the long hours, given she has only one other driver to call on. She admits she’s at the stage where the thought of stepping off the truck and concentrating more time on the admin and marketing side is becoming more appealing. Sometimes, her skills and equipment are called on to respond to unusual requests, such as a recent job where she was asked to suck Family-owned residential drainage contracting company, Drains.Co has helped shape Auckland city suburbs from the ground up for 30 years, and now the second generation is taking the reins as its founder enters retirement. Founded by Rodger Williamson, who built the business from a ‘one man and a wheelbarrow’ scenario, into a highly skilled 10-person team, Drains.Co is now led by his son Luke Williamson, the company’s new managing director. “I intend to continue the legacy Dad started, and operate with the same integrity and reliability he’s known for,” says Luke. With its base in Drury, Drains.Co services the wider Auckland region, Franklin, northern Waikato and the Hauraki Plains, completing wastewater and stormwater systems for over 600 new homes every year. Drains.Co specialises in residential drainage for new builds and subdivisions, stormwater and wastewater systems, polyethylene water storage tanks and concrete septic tank installation as well as small-scale commercial drainage projects. Luke is assisted by operations manager Morgan Reeve, and office manager, Karen Armstrong, who co-ordinate a crew of three certified drainlayers, two registered drainlayers, apprentices, and a journeyman. “We focus on precision, communication, and delivering outcomes that make builders, developers, and homeowners happy,” says Luke. a plastic bag on the end of a rope, some 200 metres through underground pipes where power cabling for a solar farm would be pushed through. “That was certainly an interesting and challenging job on a project of strategic significance for the region.” Other places where Michelle takes her equipment is in servicing the maritime sector in situations, for instance, when boats come aground along 90 Mile Beach and spill oil. At these times, her speed of response and ability to work in hazardous conditions delivers direct environmental benefits, averting what could have been a tragedy. One aspect to the business Michelle is very proud of is in taking the time to get to know the clients. “If a customer says ‘sit down and have a cuppa’ when I’ve completed a job, I’ll do so for sure,” she says. There’s also the uncertainty that comes with not knowing from one day to the next just how much work there will be. When the phone starts to ring Michelle always prioritises the Health & Safety jobs over others. “And you’re not just a truck driver, you’re a digger operator when you have to lift heavy lids, and you’ve got to understand how drainage on a site works so you can locate tanks,” she explains. Working seven days a week for years now, Michelle says when Covid occurred, looking back she doesn’t know how she managed. Her work can be seasonal, too. “Winter is when the phone rings. Often, people haven’t taken care of checking out tank levels and then discover they’re full. We also work across a lot of swampy conditions.” SuckIt is also the only waste-management company with a stainless steel tank, which means the pump can suck hazardous liquids without impacting the steel. “And after a job there’s all the washing of equipment used and gear we wear to be taken care of, so there’s more to this job than meets the eye.” “Plus, we’re well-equipped with our own fleet of excavators and trucks that enable us to tackle projects of all sizes. “Builders and developers need to know the drainage will be done right, first time, and that’s what we aim for on each job.” That philosophy has seen Drains.Co secure contracts on several high-profile developments of late, including at Lilliputt Mini Golf on Tamaki Drive, where the company installed a wastewater treatment plant comprising four chambers/tanks and an extensive drip line system to service the attraction’s new café and facilities. In Ellerslie, the Drains.Co team is part of Fletcher Living’s The Hill project, providing drainage for up to 80 proposed new homes overlooking Ellerslie Racecourse. Drains. Co has already completed works on the first dozen houses. They are also completing drainage works at Three Kings Quarry, another Fletcher Living development and one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Auckland. So far, Drains.Co has completed drainage for between 20 and 30 homes, with hundreds more to come as the 21-hectare site transforms into a 700-home community. Drains.Co is seeing demand rise in urban infill housing and terraced developments across Auckland, and to keep pace the company has upgraded its job management software, streamlining quoting, scheduling, and administration. • SEPTIC TANK CLEANING • SOAK HOLES • POST HOLES / PUMP CHAMBERS • ALL OTHER SUCTION WORK "Where your Business is our Business" Phone Michelle 021 116 6006 P: 0800-782-568 24 Hour Service Retail Stores: Commercial Store: 42 Matthews Avenue - KAITAIA 570 SH10 (Next to Z fuel) - TAIPA 3 Whangatane Dr - KAITAIA Trusted PVC solutions, built tough for NZ conditions. • Electrical conduit & fittings • Plumbing pipes & systems • Drainage solutions High-Quality PVC Solutions for Your Electrical, Plumbing, & Drainage Needs. sales.erpvc@gmail.com | (07) 828 6304 | 021 368 770 | erpvc.co.nz INNOVATIVE AND RELIABLE SEWAGE TREATMENT & WATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS Contact Us 03 342 1278 | nathan@drainpro.co.nz
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