102 | Insurance work this company’s mainstay Arthur employs eight trade staff, and estimates his business undertakes up to 400 insurance jobs a year, of varying scale and complexity, covering Otago and Central Otago. Arthur Stone Builder T T Russell Fredric “We try to minimise the cost and any delay to the clients, because every claim has got a different degree of importance...” BUILDING Business is humming for Arthur Stone Builder, a South Dunedin company that has created a niche in the market through specialising in a high volume of insurance work. Owner Arthur Stone is a long-established builder with an interesting back story. A former 1980s’-era All Black, he moved to Dunedin from Waikato in the same decade. “I started off working with Laurie Mains. When I first came down here he gave me a job with his team.” Laurie subsequently gave Arthur a hand up by allowing him to build two houses on sections Laurie owned, which became the catalyst for Arthur starting his own business. “And then I got a phone call from a friend who needed some help with a fire-related job in Waverly, and from that point I turned from doing houses with Laurie to doing maintenance with the insurance companies.” Arthur employs eight trade staff, and estimates his business undertakes up to 400 insurance jobs a year, of varying scale and complexity, covering Otago and Central Otago. The business also operates a dedicated joinery workshop that employs two staff, and is a strategic asset that complements the building business through streamlining jobs by not being subject to the production schedules of another company. The nature of the insurance work includes repair work on houses with timber windows, sashes and frames, which is another reason the joinery operation is helpful to the building business. The joinery takes on private work and also has a solid workload manufacturing kitchens and pre-hung doors for Placemakers. Arthur Stone Builders has established a lot of trust with insurance companies, and works hard to complete jobs efficiently and to minimise any stress to their clients. “I don’t believe they’d be using us if we weren’t doing our jobs properly,” Arthur says. While some repairs can be reasonably simple, situations that require working at height means scaffolding is automatically required for safety, adding considerably to the cost. Insurance companies have very good systems for processing claims and managing remedial work, which includes Arthur Stone Builders having access to a portal, and the insurers audit the contractors they engage. “They measure us every year and we have to be up with the standard they have set.” Likewise, Arthur Stone Builders has created its own robust in-house Microsoft-based systems for programming, prioritising and managing each job efficiently. “We’ve got a system where we’ve got direct contact with the insurance companies through a portal that they allow us into, so that makes it simple. We provide the insurance companies with a clear scope of works with costings, and wait for them to give us the authority and then talk with the clients. “We try to minimise the cost and any delay to the clients, because every claim has got a different degree of importance – some will have to live in a hotel or motel for a while because their house was destroyed, so it’s a huge cost if we don’t get it done quickly,” Arthur explains. “One of the things that we try to excel in is to bring everybody in the picture. “A happy client is gold to us, because it helps our name with being a good supplier.” PLACEMAKERS DUNEDIN & MOSGIEL PLACEMAKERSDUNEDIN & MOSGIEL 50 BURNS ST & 34 CARNCROSS ST (03) 466 4617 PROUDLY SUPPORTING WHEN QUALITY COUNTS. 027 227 2153 warrenmarriner.co.nz Proudly Supporting Arthur Stone Builder General Painting (Interior & Exterior) Wallpapering | Waterblasting | Airless Spraying Gib Stopping & Surface Preparation Domestic & Commercial Work Proudly supporting Arthur Stone Builder
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