58 | nzdairy DAIRY SERVICES » Gibson Construction Blair is optimistic about the coming year Richard Loader With more dairy farmers milking further into the year and payouts on the rise, Gibson Construction’s Blair Atkinson is optimistic about the coming year. “It’s been pretty hard for dairy over the last couple of years,” he says, “but all the signs are pointing to things becoming quite a bit busier.” Positioning itself as “builders for farmers” has served the Te Awamutu company well during a time when the residential building market seems to have reached almost record lows. In value terms (not adjusted for cost changes or seasonal effects), the actual value of building work was $8.8 billion in the June 2024 quarter, down 2.6 percent from the June 2023 quarter, according to Stats NZ. Residential building work was down 5.1 percent to $5.5 billion, and non-residential work was up 1.8 percent to $3.3 billion. Having “quite a few strings to our bow” has allowed Gibson Construction to ride out the peaks and troughs of fickle markets. “We do housing, commercial building and rural. When one’s quiet, others are busy. Things are on the up at the moment; we’re beginning to see a lot more enquiries.” Blair and business partner Brent Bird took over the business four years after completing their apprenticeships with the company. Capitalising on an under-supplied rural market riding the peak of the dairy boom, they quickly built a reputation, initially in the Waikato and then nationwide. While the residential market has been quiet, Blair and Brent have used the time to analyse their business practices, looking at ways to gain Having “quite a few strings to our bow” has allowed Gibson Construction to ride out the peaks and troughs. Scott Schuurman Director / Operations Manager 021 429 858 scott@swsiteworks.co.nz 912A Ngahape Rd RD 3, Te Awamutu PO Box 3873 Specialists in all your General Engineering & Structural Steel work needs Proudly supporting Gibson Construction E: arcengineering@xtra.co.nz M: 027 497 1020 A: 9 Mahoe Street, Taupo www.arcengineeringtaupo.co.nz 4 WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK, TRACTOR & EXCAVATOR MOUNTED MACHINES Phone 07 856 8683 PO Box 13 074 Hamilton www.kingdrilling.co.nz o ce@kingdrilling.co.nz • Pile Driving • Pile Supply • Auger Drilling • Retaining Walls • Soak & Offal Holes • Residential & Commercial Excavation • Site Mixed Concrete • Stabilised Aggregate efficiencies and improve their pricing structure. “Everyone doesn’t always want a Rolls Royce,” Blair reflects. “We offer our customers different levels of product. “In terms of designs, we’ve narrowed the field. There’s less choice, but what we offer are products that we know work and are more cost effective.” New materials and building techniques have come to the fore, with Gibson Construction now “doing quite a few” polypanel rotary and herringbone sheds. The panels are polystyrene sandwiched between sheets of powder coated iron, are durable and have a decent life expectancy, Blair says. Quick to assemble, the result is less expensive than traditional timber framed sheds. Effluent systems are another Gibson Construction specialty.
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