| 61 T T Richard Loader Heco Group specialises in the supply and installation of residential and commercial facades. “We’re our customers’ ‘go-to’ business and handle some of the biggest construction projects in New Zealand. We also do a little bit of passive fire protection.” Heco Group CONTRACTING Specialising in the supply and installation of residential and commercial facades, Heco Group’s progressive journey spans 24 years following the foundation of Symonite in Auckland. Much has changed from the days when Symonite’s sole focus was the provision of aluminium composite panels and the company consisted of a team of thirty, generating a small turnover. In 2013 John Cobb joined Ben Heald in the business and an ambitious expansion plan was initiated embracing larger facilities, an investment in more plant and the opening of regional branches in Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch. The acquisition of Symonite’s largest competitor and a number of other smaller companies prompted the evolution of Heco Group Holdings as a parent company to facilitate management efficiencies and shared services. Passionately owned and operated by Ben, John and Steve Eagles, and supported by a team of 280 staff throughout New Zealand, Heco Group embraces four separate companies — Symonite Panels and Symonite Solutions, ACMF and The Building Agency. “The essence of the Group is that we design, supply and install architectural commercial and residential façades — so all claddings, windows, doors and roofs,” says Ben. “While many people may still have the impression that Symonite is only about aluminium façades, our products cover the full gamut from aluminum, terracotta, fibre cement, porcelain — products right across the board. “We’re our customers’ ‘go-to’ business and handle some of the biggest construction projects in New Zealand. We also do a little bit of passive fire protection.” While Symonite Panels provides façade panels only, Symonite Solutions was established two years ago to supply and install the full façade of a building including windows and doors. Operating from Auckland and Northland, ACMF provides the same range of products as Symonite Solutions, but to the residential and lite commercial market. Symonite Solutions’ focus is large-scale commercial projects. Providing and installing modular/unitised façade systems is also a large part of Symonite Solutions’ business, making the systems off-site and utilising cranes to position them on the building — something that no other business is doing. Nestled in the centre of the Group is The Building Agency, an importer and distributor of a wide range of architectural façade products. “The Building Agency also does all the testing and compliance of those products for New Zealand conditions,” says Ben. “As a building ‘skin’ specialist, the Building Agency curates and sources the best international products so that architects and contractors can design and build beautiful, enduring buildings that will be enjoyed for generations.” Heco Group’s primary brands include; Terreal terracotta, Alucolux, Alucobond, Alucore, Cupaclad slate roofing and cladding, Frontek porcelain cladding, Owens Corning roofing shingles, Aliclad alumunium weatherboards, Cedral FC weatherboards, Equitone HDFC panel, Innowood, SPS timber shingles and Siderise passive fire protection. Ben says while The Building Agency sells all its products to companies within the Heco Group, it also sell products direct to the open market, including building supply companies, contractors and builders. “What we try to do with Symonite and ACMF is if you are developing a residential or commercial building, we want to do the whole of the exterior. Traditionally if you were building a four-storey building you might have a little bit of aluminum cladding, some terracotta cladding, some fibre cement cladding and some windows and doors. Rather than getting in five different suppliers, which is a coordination nightmare and terrible for sustainability and efficiency, we can do everything.” A single-source solution for high-performing building exteriors, Symonite and ACMF look after everything, end to end, from the framing out. From the initial drawing to the final screw, the customer is dealing with a single team from a single company: coordinated, cost-efficient and completely self-contained. “As soon as we’re engaged and the developer has done a concept for the client we’re assisting the architect with the design and engineering of the façade, completing all technical drawings and consenting along with the supply and installation of the full façade. “The Heco Design Team is a business on its own and works for Symonite and AMCF as well as a lot of work for the Building Agency’s external customers.” With the scale and capacity to successfully deliver any project on time and on budget, Symonite is a large, capable operation led by seven construction and operations managers supported by ten designers, two engineers, and over 100 installers on staff. “One of the keys of success to our business is that we employ our own installers, we don’t use sub contractors, which is very unique in this market. “There’s massive advantage in employing our own installers, because they are committed to providing the best quality and service to our customers. We continually train people and there’s no disconnect. Building exteriors sorted “Our company culture is hugely important, highly collaborative, and it’s the reason we have such good long-term relationships with developers and contractors.” Ben says Kainga Ora’s $120 million redevelopment of 139 Greys Avenue, in Central Auckland is a prime example of the end-to-end work carried out by the team at Heco Group. “We’re supplying and installing the entire façade, including windows, doors, louvres, aluminium, terracotta and fibre cement cladding, as well as balustrades and passive fire protection. “The project also required a significant amount of design work.”
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