76 | The company’s central yard in Frankton gives easy access to jobs in Queenstown, Wānaka, Cromwell, Glenorchy and Kingston. Queenstown Scaffolding T T Kim Bowden CONTRACTING A Queenstown scaffolding company is growing steadily on the back of a simple promise: turn up on time, communicate clearly, and deliver quality work. Managing director Eli Fynn says professionalism was the gap he and his business partner identified when they started the firm. Too often, he says, scaffolding crews would arrive late or fail to keep clients informed. The flow-on effect for a building site could be significant, slowing other trades down, pushing out schedules, and ultimately costing the client more. “Making a phone call to let someone know where things are at isn’t difficult,” Eli says. “But it makes a big difference.” Although he holds a director’s title, Eli remains hands-on, helping to plan, organise, A professional approach to scaffolding and build scaffolding on sites around the Southern Lakes. The company’s central yard in Frankton gives easy access to jobs in Queenstown, Wānaka, Cromwell, Glenorchy and Kingston. Plenty of the work involves high-end, architecturally designed residential builds. “A lot of them are on tricky sites around Queenstown, whether they’re perched on the edge of a cliff or with steep embankments,” Eli says. “That’s what we specialise in.” The firm also provides scaffolding for subdivision houses, renovations, and maintenance and painting projects, as well as safe-access solutions so other trades can work at height without needing to wear harnesses. Output has doubled in the past three years, driven largely by reputation and word-ofmouth referrals. To keep pace, the company is steadily investing in more gear and equipment. Several major projects are lined up for the summer, which have already required new kit orders. The business employs three staff, with numbers lifting to around seven over the summer season, and the culture is strong. Two of the team, originally from Germany and the Philippines, stuck with the company during the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic. The company supported their residency applications, and both have since settled permanently in Queenstown with their families. The scaffolding industry itself has changed markedly over the past decade, moving, Eli says, from a “rough, throw it up, she’ll be right” approach to one where Health & Safety requirements are at the centre of operations. “There’s a lot more liability on business owners, but the result is a safer industry overall,” he says. Technology, including app-based Health & Safety tools, has also become a bigger part of daily operations. Eli still enjoys the challenges of scaffolding, a trade he fell in love with while travelling overseas. “I’ve been scaffolding since I was 19,” he says. “I started over in Canada when I was backpacking and just needed a job. I found a crew of scaffolders and just loved it. “I ended up travelling a lot with the work, including mining projects in Western Australia and big gas plants as a scaffold inspector. “Then I came back to New Zealand, got all my qualifications transferred, and now Queenstown is home.” He says experience is key when working on difficult sites, and collaboration with other companies in the industry is sometimes essential to getting complex jobs done safely and on time. 03 548 9932 | 10 Nile Street, Nelson 7010 | finn@fico.co.nz | bruce@fico.co.nz | scott@fico.co.nz | www.fico.co.nz Fico Finance is here to help you find flexible funding fast. We understand that deals can change - we're approachable, responsive, and focused on getting your project or property transaction across the line. We lend nationwide, providing first and second mortgage secured funding for business, investment, construction and property development. • Residential Investment • Commercial & Industrial • Urgent Settlements • Development & Construction Some of our loan types and features: • Bridging & Rescues • No line fees, no early repayment costs Pricing from 8.45% p.a + fee
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