42 | CONTRACTING Balcrom Engineered Concrete Solutions Hugh de Lacy Road to success paved with concrete Director Phillip Bates says a key factor of Balcrom’s road to success is its range of product offerings. “The other big innovation driver over the last few years has been to move the precast and wider construction industries towards carbon neutrality and that’s a cause that has been taken up, especially by the Precast Association.” Balcrom Engineered Concrete is an industry leader, with a globalised team that has secured its position in the pre-cast market for decades to come. As the only Plant Certified pre-caster in Central Otago and ISO-accredited for Quality, Health and Safety and Environmental, Balcrom is deserving of its leading position in the region. Director Phillip Bates bought and rebranded Balcrom in 2013. Recognising the potential in the pre-cast market, Phillip took the risk of opening branches in Balclutha and Cromwell. Relocating his family from Auckland to Otago, the risk soon saw its positives. “No more spending three hours a day on the Auckland motorway, a much better lifestyle,” Phillip says. Phillip knew the risk of buying a business, let alone in a region he did not know. Confident in his well-encompassing background in construction, first as a builder in Auckland, then working in composites, joinery, windows and later the roofing and solar energy industries, Phillip felt his experience in construction made the risk worth taking. Soon after the move, he became the vice president of the New Zealand Precast Association, so he has his finger on the nerve centre of the evolving precast industry. Phillip says Balcrom’s success relies on its quality, range of offerings and the unpredictable boom of the Otago market that kickstarted a decade of customer relationships. To maintain a leading position in the Otago market, Balcrom relies on its quality control software. Balcrom provides real-time quality updates to its customers using a proprietary system of electronic files. The software saves 10 work hours a week per project supervisor and reduces work defects by 80%. Phillip says that a key factor of Balcrom’s road to success is the range of products it offers. Across the Otago region, Balcrom provides pre-cast concrete from anywhere between residential to infrastructure and even high-rise buildings. He says that the rate of evolution in precast concrete in New Zealand was substantially accelerated by the Christchurch earthquakes of 2010 - 2011. Phillip recognised the impending growth of the market when he bought Balcrom in 2013. “There was suddenly a lot more emphasis on reinforcement, not only of precast slabs but also where they joined other building components and in flooring systems,” he says. “The other big innovation driver over the last few years has been to move the precast and wider construction industries towards carbon neutrality, and that’s a cause that has been taken up, especially by the Precast Association”. “Meanwhile the product itself has been developing along more versatile lines, with things like aggregates containing green or blue silica chips that are iridescent and glow in the dark.” Northern Southland Transport has been providing transport services for over 55 years. • Rural Transport • Freight Services • Crane Services • Fuel Deliveries • Waste Services 027 233 9371 mark.hollis@nsth.co.nz Suppliers of quality timber products Proud to support Balcrom Engineered Concrete Solutions Sawmill: (03) 203 8520 Mobile: 027 224 9323 Email: office@ngaheresawmill.co.nz
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