Business South March 2021

102 | Southland - Kennedy Building Technology driving firm’s growth Russell Fredric Quality and style are hallmarks of every Kennedy Building project. BUILDING U tilising the most up-to-date software has empowered Riverton business Ken- nedy Building to create growth with an emphasis on quality systems and processes throughout the business. The company is owned by Will Kennedy and Louise McKewen who, together, bring an excellent synergy of business, administration, design and practical skills to the company. As well as being an experienced tradesman, Will is a member of both Master Builders Association and the NZ Certified Builders As- sociation, while Louise utilises her experience from her time as a mining technology consult- ant, ensuring the build process is as seamless as possible both on and off site. “The technology is one thing that has allowed us to grow. We’ve been quite quick to adopt various software that streamline our processes,” Louise says. “This includes quantity surveying software that we upload our material schedules into and that calculates how many hours labour will be required based on the materials used. “The project management software is used to track all time on-site and provides real-time cost information.” Louise believes utilising a combination of software for the past eight years has provided a competitive advantage by being able to price jobs more accurately and faster than some competitors, as well as enabling of tracking all costs to the specific jobs confidently. The software saves hours of administration deciphering time sheets, processing payroll and receiving and paying invoices. This allows Will and Louise to focus on growing the busi- ness and developing its overall culture, work- ing towards being a builder of choice when it comes to being a great employer. “One of our values is family and we’ve really put in a lot of effort this year to ensure our employees continue to do well and feel that they can prosper while working with us in building homes around Southland.” Although Riverton is a small town with a population of less than 1500, Kennedy Building employs 17 builders from around the region and covers a broad area of Southland. The company undertakes a diverse range of residential, rural and commercial work; some staff are based in Invercargill which creates efficiencies for projects in or near the city. Valuing its relationship with subcontractors is an important part of delivering a quality result. They pride themselves on their chosen subcontractors, as being the best in delivering quality work and getting the job done on time. A commercial project recently completed in in Invercargill is a high-end 380 square metre pre-school, with a total build time of just six months. The pre-school will be leased to child care provider Blue Duck Early Learning Centre and is a near replica of a pre-school built in Winton in 2018. Although functionality is key, attention to detail and quality throughout is evident. “All the service facilities, the kitchen, the childrens’ bathroom, the nappy change room is in the centre of the building, enabling the pre-school staff to be more effective in their day to day care of the children.” It will incorporate touches such as minia- ture individual bathroom basins with black tapware, backed by tiles with a striking ge- ometric design, a kitchen that would not look out of place in five star accommodation and most important, a cool outdoor play area with plenty of enticements for the high energy over 2-year-olds. Inside, white walls and ceilings are nicely complemented by pops of colour, and tasteful fixtures, fittings and joinery, while exterior cladding of warm horizontal cedar will be con- trasted by dark vertical coloured steel. “It’s got the feel of a warm modern home, it doesn’t look like an education facility”. “A lot of parents say they wish their house was as nice as that.” “The technology is one thing that has allowed us to grow. We’ve been quite quick to adopt various software that streamline our processes.” Phone: 03 983 5500 waterfordpress.co.nz Your Business, Your Industry, Your News. DO OUR READERS KNOW YOU EXIST? Phone 03 218 2822 www.alllaycarpets.co.nz AWS Legal are proud to support Will, Louise and the team at Kennedy Building Cameron Murphy M 0272 262 267 | P 03 211 1370 E cameron.murphy@awslegal.co.nz 151 Spey Street, Invercargill 0800 100 151 | www.awslegal.co.nz