| 59 T T Russell Fredric End-to-end excellence managing traffic TMS was the Supreme Award winner at the 2025 Southland Business Excellence Awards. CONTRACTING Traffic Management Services Traffic Management Services (TMS) director Kerrian Simpson was completely floored when the company was announced as the Datagrid NZ Supreme Award winner at the 2025 Southland Business Excellence Awards in September. This announcement added to his disbelief after TMS – Southland’s largest specialist traffic management provider – had previously won the Rio Tinto NZAS Workplace Safety Award at the same event. The awards dinner was attended by more than 400 business leaders, supporters and sponsors. A Southland Business Chamber statement said Traffic Management Services had introduced a planning division and invested in new technology, including automated portable traffic lights to remove workers from high-risk positions, and embedded robust health and safety systems that contributed to a record of zero notifiable incidents under the current ownership. “There’s a fair weight on our shoulders of us wanting to get our staff back home to their families safe every night, and we don’t take that lightly,” Kerrian says. Judges’ comments said the company, under Kerrian and his wife Lara Simpson’s leadership, stood out as the overall winner. “The application was comprehensive and well-evidenced, showing a business focused on performance and growth.” The award judges praised TMS for “endto-end excellence” highlighting its strong leadership, robust systems, and people-first culture, and the flawless safety record despite rapid growth. At the time Kerrian and Lara purchased it, the company had just four staff and four vehicles; it now has close to 30 staff and 23 vehicles. As a part of managing the ongoing growth and development of TMS, about a year ago they engaged general manager, Byron Dodge. Kerrian did not enter the awards on his own initiative, but was encouraged to do so after Southland Business Chamber Sheree Carey contacted him after reading a story about TMS in the May 2025 edition of Business South. “She said, ‘you need to enter into these awards’.” Kerrian was initially hesitant, but Sheree persisted, rating TMS as a real contender especially considering its rapid growth, Kerrian says. Still doubtful, Kerrian prepared a detailed submission, which itself drew praise from the judges. “The application was comprehensive and well-evidenced, showing a business focused on performance and growth.” Winning the awards was absolutely mind-blowing, Kerrian says. “It’s pretty humbling to have won the awards amongst other very high calibre, successful businesses and to be in the same league.” Kerrian is quick to acknowledge the huge contribution TMS staff have made to the business’s success and ultimately to the awards. In addition to providing site traffic management staff, TMS can take the stress out of compliance documentation and site setup by supplying equipment, labour, site monitoring and removing the equipment. Any work or projects on a public road have to have an approved traffic management plan signed off by the local authority. This process can be complex, but TMS has six staff that are approved plan writers. “We do a lot of work for hedge cutting contractors and tree trimmers, roading contractors and utilities companies and a lot of events.” TMS’s services and the incredible dedication of its staff came to the fore in the aftermath of the ferocious late October storm. By the first week of November the TMS team had put in 1600 man-hours providing traffic management for PowerNet which had the massive task of restoring power to thousands of consumers. “The staff have been amazing. They gave up their long (Labour) weekend and we worked around the clock, while managing fatigue, but still keeping the crews going to support PowerNet.” Batteries that last and last If it takes a ba ery, we have it! Battery sales, installation and maintenance Over the years we have been proud to be there for local residents in their time of need for all things batteries in the Southland region. 49 Bond Street, Invercargill 03 21 88300 southlandbatteries.co.nz OUR SERVICES From traffic management plans to equipment hire, we have you covered • TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN DESIGNING • SITE SET UP • TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT EQUIPMENT HIRE • CONSULTATION AND ADVICE • SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT Address: 241 North Road, Invercargill 9810 Website: www.tmsltd.co.nz Phone: 03 931 0748 Mobile: 027 205 5273
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