16 | Punt pays off for builder Smaller jobs, like renovations and farm sheds, take up the majority of work for Caleb. South Canterbury: C King Construction REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT T T Rosa Watson Servicing South Canterbury, Timaru, Oamaru, Waimate, Tekapo, Geraldine and anywhere inbetween. Proudly supporting C King Construction Exterior Plastering Specialists Plastering New Builds & Renovations • AAC Panel • EIFS Systems Plaster over Brick & Block • Crack Repairs • Exterior Plaster Painting 027 361 9747 office@ultimate-exterior-plastering.nz Call us for all your frame & truss and building materials needs Timaru, Twizel, Oamaru, Tekapo, Fairlie - we cover the region. HOURS OF BUSINESS Monday - Friday 7.00am - 5.00pm Saturday 8.30am - 12.30pm 33 Seadown Road, Washdyke Phone 03 688 8074 Email sales@timaruitm.co.nz “We’ll see you right” TIMARU Freeman Roofing Timaru combines extensive local expertise and exceptional service with a broad and innovative product range, enabling you to enjoy the benefits of best practical solutions and purchasing power. The team is predominantly a manufacturing supplier for new roofs, reroofs, sheds, factories, fencing etc but also offer free measure/quotes, take offs & professional advice services. Freeman Roofing Timaru has your roofing/cladding completely covered – from ‘top to bottom’. It was less than a year ago that Timaru builder Caleb King decided to take the plunge and start his own company – and he hasn’t looked back. It all started with doing little jobs for family friends, which motivated him to take the plunge and go out on his own. “I thought I’d just take a punt.” And the punt has paid off. “From there I’ve managed to pick up a lot more work.” At this stage it is a one-man band, but hopes to grow the business and take on staff in the future. “I’ve started off just myself and I’ve got other contractors on board now.” His focus is on quality workmanship and great communication with its clients. Small jobs take up the majority of work for now, but Caleb plans to branch out into new builds. “I wouldn’t mind getting into the new builds … but also ticking along on the small jobs.” Along with residential renovations and repairs and maintenance, he “covers all bases” of services, including landscaping to decks and pathways, patios and pergolas. He said he enjoyed the variety in taking on different jobs. “If you can break it up with a few different things … it’s always a bit (more) of a challenge.” Travelling out of Timaru for jobs and getting out and about in the region was also something he enjoyed. “It’s a good way to see the countryside.” So far, Caleb has kept advertising to a minimum. But he did have an advertisement that ran during The Rock radio station’s Rock 1000 Countdown, which didn’t lead to jobs but had helped to get the name out there. “People still come up to me and say they heard it, so that’s cool.” He has a couple of signs up at jobs, including outside a local school, that had lead on to a couple of inquiries. But old-fashioned word-of-mouth seemed to be the most successful way of getting the name out there, he said. Caleb started in the industry at the aged of 16. “I left school and started my apprenticeship … and since then I haven’t looked back.” He did a stint working for a fencing contractor for a bit, which had been valuable for developing new skills to bring to his trade. But ultimately, he returned to the building trade. He said Timaru was a great place to start a business. “(It) always seems to have a steady stream of work. Timaru is a great place to make your dreams become a reality.” There were a number of builders popping up in the region, which made it a competitive market to start out in. “Timaru isn’t a big place, but it is filled with a lot of other trades including a lot of other builders, especially in the past four or five years there has been a lot more small building businesses pop up which makes for some healthy competition.” But over the years he had built relationships with other builders and small business owners. “Which is very handy when working by yourself because when I need to call on a hand with heavy lifting or marking out a project they can jump on board and lend me a hand, and vice versa.” The city had plenty of room for growth and it was good to see developments popping up and urban development happening. For the future he plans to take on staff, but would wait until the workload increased. “I would like to take on staff, I just don’t want to over-promise on work. “I’d rather just take it slow, rather than jumping straight into it” “(It) always seems to have a steady stream of work. Timaru is a great place to make your dreams become a reality.”
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