| 61 CONTRACTING Tu Meke Concrete Pumping Concrete, It's Our Craft Proudly Supporting Tu Meke Concrete Pumping With years of experience in the construction industry, we provide our clients with custom concrete solutions to serve all their needs. We serve the construction industry in a variety of ways. What ever your needs, we'll make sure we find the right solution for you. Foundations and Floors Structural and Agricultural Concrete Piling Earthworks Driveways info@customcrete.co.nz Andrew 021 22 222 15 customcrete.co.nz T T Russell Fredric The firm provides concrete pumping for residential, commercial and infrastructure projects, including house slabs, driveways, footpaths, foundations and multi-unit developments throughout Auckland. “I think that came about by being neat and tidy, well maintained and providing good levels of customer service.” Raising the bar in concrete delivery After a 35-year international corporate career, Graeme Watt is now working in a radically different world, running a family concrete pumping business alongside his son, William. Based in Whitford, South East Auckland, Tu Meke Concrete Pumping was established late 2024. William had spent three years as a concrete pump operator before father and son established their own business, sourcing a Putzmeister TK-50-line pump and a fourwheel-drive Isuzu truck capable of handling demanding work sites. The company provides concrete pumping for residential, commercial and infrastructure projects, including house slabs, driveways, footpaths, foundations and multi-unit developments throughout Auckland. “We wanted a business that was really well maintained. There’s a little bit of a lack of customer service in concrete pumping, so we’ve tried to be the opposite of that — clean, tidy, well maintained, polite, and we take the attitude that we’re all in this together. If something goes wrong on a job, rather than pointing fingers, we try and find solutions.” That customer-first approach reflects Graeme’s background leading major retail businesses in New Zealand and Australia before retiring in 2023. After travelling with his wife through the South Island and Asia, he found himself looking for a new challenge while helping William establish a business of his own. One of Tu Meke’s notable projects was subcontracting to Tauranga-based Jaxxon Concrete Pumping to help underpin transmission towers at Bombay during Northpower’s programme to strengthen infrastructure after the collapse of the 220kV transmission line supplying Northland. The concrete pump was moved to the remote site by tractor, with concrete being bucketed into it by helicopter, allowing crews to place concrete where conventional access was impossible. “Jaxxon had the boom trucks, they hired our small line pump, and we took it up there on a tractor before it was lifted into position.” Graeme says Tu Meke’s reputation has already opened doors in a challenging construction market. One opportunity came while the team was helping another concrete pumping contractor experiencing difficulties on site. During the job they were approached by a major Auckland concrete placing contractor, Custom Crete, who invited Tu Meke to become its preferred pumping business. “I think that came about by being neat and tidy, well maintained and providing good levels of customer service.” Although Auckland’s construction sector is subdued, Graeme believes the experience of building a business during tougher conditions is proving valuable. “If we can survive through this, William will have learned far more than he would have during the boom years as an employee. I’m only here to help get him started. In time he’ll scale the business with more pumps and employees, but we still want customers to know exactly who’s turning up and how we operate.” Graeme welcomes the introduction of formal BCITO training and certification for concrete pump operators, saying it will help lift standards in an industry where qualifications have previously not been required. “With concrete pumped at pressures of up to 4,000 psi, proper training is essential to minimise the risk of serious injury or equipment failure,” he says. “This is the first time certification is being applied to the industry, and I think it’s a really positive step.”
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