104 | Specialised Structures - South Canterbury Russell & Batt Building BUILDING 9012 Proudly supporting Russell & Batt Building Proudly supporting Russell & Batt Building with engineering services in the building & construction industry. Contact Corey Reid: 021 0274 1972 • troutrivernz@gmail.com • 19 McNab Street, Kaikorai Valley, Dunedin REID ENGINEERING LIMITED. Personal approach pays off Russell & Batt Building has plenty on the go. T T Kim Bowden Steel proving its worth T T Hugh de Lacy In a slowing building market, Dunedin-based Russell & Batt Building has found stability through two steady revenue streams: insurance work and council property maintenance. Jason Russell-Hodge and his wife, Victoria, own the business, which evolved from Jason’s nearly decade-long stint as a sole trader. “We’re a standard building company that’s just diversified through the recession, basically, because the building industry for the last few years has not been great. It’s been pretty dead. So, we’ve just diversified, making sure that there’s always something to do,” Jason says. Victoria takes care of the company’s financial management, administration, and Health & Safety. “We just get to go and build stuff,” Jason says. One of the biggest opportunities to diversify came after the 2024 Dunedin floods, which brought the city’s wettest 24-hour period in more than a century. A long-time painter contact led to an Auckland insurance specialist, QC Build, and a “random phone call” soon turned into three months of strip-out work. “We got to site, figured out what was going on, and then all hell broke loose,” Jason says. “It was about three months of doing close to 80 hours a week, and there were six or seven A recently completed home in Twizel highlights the expanding capability of Specialised Structures NZ Ltd, as it moves beyond its traditional portfolio of portal frame buildings. The new build on Manuka Terrace was constructed to the closed-in stage by Specialised Structures South Canterbury Merchant, Mark Farrant Building Ltd, and showcases the company’s ability to deliver both habitable and part-habitable structures, complementing its already comprehensive range of steel-framed wide-span buildings. “We’re continuing to challenge the perception that we are just a shed company,” says Specialised Structures South Canterbury Merchant owner/operator, Mark Farrant. “There is growing demand for habitable portal frame buildings that can function as both a home and a workshop, and our system is well-suited to meet that need.” In the case of the Twizel project, the owners relocated from Christchurch and were drawn to the structural system due to its affordability compared with traditional timber-framed construction. “They wanted the build completed to the closed-in stage so they could manage the internal fit-out themselves, which is something we are very comfortable accommodating,” Mark says. A key advantage of the portal frame system is its clear-span design, which eliminates the need for internal support walls. This provides complete flexibility for owners to configure spaces for residential, commer- “There is growing demand for habitable portal frame buildings that can function as both a home and a workshop, and our system is well-suited to meet that need.” cial, for mixed-use purposes. Specialised Structures NZ Ltd is a well-established nationwide merchant network comprising 12 branches across the country, each operating within a defined regional territory. The business is now under new ownership, with Fitzgerald Construction Ltd (Nelson) and Breen Construction (Central Otago) providing strong industry backing and governance. All buildings are designed and engineered in-house, with a focus on delivering high-quality, cost-effective solutions, while maintaining a strong commitment to environmental, social, and economic responsibility. A core component of the system is rollformed steel portals supplied by Steel & Tube NZ, using New Zealand steel. “The strength-to-weight ratio of cold-rolled steel allows us to achieve large, open spans efficiently and cost-effectively,” Mark says. “It also enables more precise manufacturing, reducing waste and improving build efficiency.” The use of cold-rolled steel provides additional benefits, including dimensional stability – meaning it won’t twist, warp, or shrink – and a non-allergenic composition, as it contains no hazardous treatment chemicals. of us. It was potentially well over 100 different jobs in that three-month period.” Since then, insurance work – from flood and fire repairs to damage following major wind events – has become one of the firm’s mainstays. During one recent storm, they completed more than 300 jobs in about three months. Council work has provided a regular flow of projects, too. His crew is now called in for work outside the scope of the council’s larger maintenance contractors, across Dunedin City Council’s 1400-strong property portfolio, which includes community housing, residential, commercial and historic properties. Recent jobs have included leak remediation at the Edgar Centre and historic Olveston House. Jason says being a smaller company allows the team to take a more personal approach to the council contracts. “We bring pride and passion to the work that is often lost with bigger construction companies,” he says. Before qualifying as a builder, Jason worked as a tree feller then moved into conservation, where he maintained backcountry huts, bridges and boardwalks, often flown in and out by helicopter. The latest step has been adding former apprentice and now second-in-charge Daniel Batt’s name to the business, with Jason seeing him as part of its future. A core component of the system is roll-formed steel portals. 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