Business South August 2021

| 89 Brook Carr Building Clothes lines to quality new builds Hugh de Lacy Cromwell based Brook Carr building has established a name for quality builds but can also be relied on to tackle a variety of jobs. BUILDING E ven putting up clothes-lines for clients is not out of the way for Cromwell’s Brook Carr Building Ltd, which has interspersed a host of alterations and additions work with its new home building in Central Otago. Brook Carr got into business by being prepared to take on work that other start-up builders turned their noses up at, and he’s still prepared to do that despite being long established as a house builder of exceptional quality. “We do a wide variety of work – new homes, renovations, and, yes, we even hang clothes lines,” Brook says. “When I first started out in Cromwell the new home industry was booming but no one could find anyone to do the renovations and little jobs, so I saw an opening and away we went.” Brook started out working as a sole con- tractor in Balclutha after graduating from Southland Institute of Technology and com- pleting his building apprenticeship there with Anthony Groenewegen. There followed the move to Cromwell where he worked full-time for a couple of local companies while working after hours and on weekends to build his first house under his own name. Over the next nine years he built four of them in his spare time, speeding the process up by hiring an older tradesman who taught him a lot about the trade and the business. “I feel a big part of this industry is that you are always learning, and have to be open all the time to learning more to grow your knowl- edge and business base,” Brook says. His efforts came to fruition in 2016 when he formed Brook Carr Building Ltd and launched into the construction of a 300m2 home in Springvale, north of Alexandra, “as well as doing a lot of bits and bobs for a group home company.” Brook Carr Building has now grown to five employees “and a lot of gear. “A big thing is having gear – and more than one of a lot of things,” he says. “It’s not efficient running round chasing gear, and it takes less time and you get a bet- ter product with the right gear.” Renovations remain a major source of busi- ness, but, “You need some bigger jobs on the go all the time to keep moving as there’s a lot of organising and down-time in the renovation game.” Covid and the lockdown last year proved a big challenge. “We lost a couple of jobs, and worrying about the unknown created a lot of stress, but it all came right, and now things are crazy in the industry,” Brook says. “It’s gone from Covid panic, with some hav- ing no work to do, to too much work or just the right amount – but we can’t get materials. “It’s very frustrating having to explain to cli- ents why their job is running behind schedule, or why it’s so expensive, because materials keep going up each month. “You feel like the bad guy sometimes, but it’s out of our control.” Community, family and safety are key elements in Brook’s business philosophy, “and we take a lot of pride in what we do. “These are people’s life savings and hard- earned money going into new homes and renovations, and we want to make sure it’s spent on the best we can provide.” CALL John 027 273 2480 or Johnny 027 696 6758 Landscaping | Hor�culture Vi�culture | Land Development Moleploughing | Land Clearing Roading | Water Reservoirs Subdivisions EARTHMOVING ‘Ge�ng Something Done!’ Suppliers & Installers of: P: 03 445 0553 F: 03 445 0573 E: info@extremeroofing.co.nz Not Just Plumbing are proud to work with Brook Carr Building Ltd M 021 382 586 E admin@notjustplumbing.co.nz P.O. Box 318 Cromwell Jonathan Milne Certifying Plumber, Gas tter and Drainlayer “Proud to support Brook and his team” Ryan Brown : 027 441 4030 ryan@otagoelectrical.co.nz Servicing Central Otago and the Southern Lakes