Waikato Business News April/May 2021

36 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS April/May 2021
VIBRANT CAMBRIDGE
‘Great team’ key for Construction Advantage
From page 35
project. We have a beautiful
building and the building complements
our amazing programme
and amazing staff.”
A second recent challenge
for the company was the construction
of the new Professional
Farm Services building,
with high-end architectural finishes,
in Cambridge.
The rebuild was complex
because it involved the demolition
and re-building of a
retail space while the business
remained operational.
The high-profile site is
bounded on two sides by overhead
power lines and tucked
up against existing buildings.
As always, the team loved the
challenge, and while careful
consideration of the building
sequencing and methodology
was needed, they landed precast
panels on an existing party
wall stabilised by a steel frame
founded on concrete piles.
Professional Farm Services
owner Lynda McMillan was
rapt with the entire build process.
“We were considering
knocking down our old showroom
and office area and were
keen to deal locally. We met
with John and his team and
both my business partner Dave
and I came away feeling confident
about using them. John
was easy to deal with and, after
a second meeting, we did not
really want to go anywhere else.
“We both felt confident
Construction Advantage would
get us through. They proved to
be efficient, were a pleasure to
deal with, their quantity surveyor’s
attention to detail was
impressive, and the site manager
lovely. I often say you are
only as good as your team and
John has an awesome team.
That said, he personally stayed
in touch throughout.
“We are pleased with the
end result, completed to a high
standard and any little issues
after handover were dealt with
efficiently.
“John asked me afterwards
if there was anything his team
could have done differently to
improve but I could not think
of anything. This was a big deal
for us but we felt we were in
good hands and I would, and
have, recommended him.
“They were a pleasure to
deal with and nothing was hard
work. Throughout the course of
the build, including the interruption
of Covid-19 our project
ran efficiently and was handled
in a professional manner. We
witnessed a 'great team' who
worked well together to provide
results on a very high standard.
We can highly recommend
Construction Advantage Ltd
as a construction company and
would not hesitate to engage
them again."
It is this attention to teamwork,
careful client consultation,
and a firm commitment
to deliver on time – all aspects
of the Little Thinkers and Professional
Farm Services builds
– that remain at the core of the
company’s approach to doing
business today.
Construction Advantage
offer a complete property
development package to their
clients – from initial feasibility
studies and cost consultancy,
through project, development,
and construction management,
and design and build. As a
result, the company can manage
everything from property
purchase, tender for services,
cost containment and on-time
on-budget project completion.
The teams sees itself as
Waipā-centric and pride themselves
on keeping a lid on costs
through their excellent working
relationships with local contractors,
tradespeople, engineers,
designers and architects. As
well, the Construction Advantage
team is proactive in buying
local whenever practical.
John sees his company sitting
neatly in niche development.
“We provide end-to-end
services, managing projects
from start to finish, dealing with
everyone from real estate agents
through to project funders. Typically,
our team starts with feasibility
studies and a look at the
numbers. We always strive to
formalise a bankable project at
the start, rather than confront a
set of unaffordable drawings.”
The success of the team’s
business philosophy perhaps
can be measured in the extraordinary
amount of repeat business
(up to 90 percent) offered
to the Construction Advantage
team. This, says John, is a direct
result of “the time we take to
look after the client”.
Construction Advantage’s
first big private job was the
Hillcrest Medical Centre in
Hamilton. Again, this was an
end-to end project delivered on
a very short timeframe on a difficult
site surrounded by busy
roads, with minimal parking
and difficult access.
Starting the double storey
build in February 2017, the
team worked closely with their
clients to deliver consulting
rooms to doctors two days early
in November that year.
However, all previous builds
have been eclipsed by Construction
Advantage’s latest
project – a $14-million development
in town consisting of
a two-storey residential block
atop a floor of retail with underground
parking.
The team are currently preparing
to build the new Hunting
and Fishing on another site in
Cambridge, the combination
of the two projects is great evidence
of the way Cambridge is
booming.
While many of the team’s
projects involve the latest
in building technology, the
company last year completed
the Tapapa wharenui, outside
Tirau, using a traditional
rammed earth building technique.
The wharenui is the first
of three buildings on the site.
Started right on lockdown the
build, during which the company
worked alongside members
of the Tapapa Marae Trust,
was completed six months later
in October.
Whānau Project Manager
Martin Miles said whānau
found Construction Advantage
open and interactive in their
communication and reporting.
“They are cognisant of the
statutory requirements and their
application to tikanga; and have
undertaken kōrero to align these
principles as applied to our
project successfully on a number
of occasions. We have no
hesitation or reservation in our
association with Construction
Advantage."
The showcase of the company’s
completed projects is varied
and impressive.
Builds include everything
from duplex villas to a
complex of multi shed storage
facilities at the Hamilton
Airport industrial site.
Civil Surveying • Construction Surveying
Aerial Surveying • Monitoring Surveying
Proud to work with Construction
Advantage on this project
We provide accurate and efficient surveying at all times
Plumbing - Drainage - Gas fitting - Heating
Local agents for The Fireplace selling and
installing Jetmaster Gasco fires
Local agents for Central Heating New Zealand
CONTACT US
Office hours:
Monday to Thursday 7.30 am till 5.00pm
Friday 7.30 am till 4.00pm.
Phone: 07 8237263
Fax: 07 8237264
administration email: Sharon - office@cominsplumbing.co.nz
pricing/technical email: Joe - joe@cominsplumbing.co.nz
205563AB
www.summitsurvey.co.nz 021 121 7481