Business View Oceania | March 2021

31 32 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA MARCH 2021 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA MARCH 2021 HECTOR EGGER NEW ZEALAND L IMI TED 12 months. Once we’re operating with a fully trained team and running a second shift, we can probably get that up to the equivalent of 100 houses. “We have found developers most interested in what we are doing and keen to look at what we can offer them. Obviously, speed to completion – shortening the project timelines is appealing, but also the higher quality product coming from the factory environment, compared to onsite. Architects are also looking toward sustainable materials for their projects, and in countries like New Zealand with zero carbon emission targets, there is a shift towards using more timber as a carbon-sequestering product, and minimising the use of steel and concrete, where possible. We have a lot of individuals contacting us because they hear a Swiss offsite manufacturing company has started here – these are people typically looking to build certified passive or high-performance homes. There is huge interest from that sector. And structural timber engineers are also supportive of our company and the capabilities that we can offer to the market. So we’re just at the very early stages of building those relationships. “We always knew we’d have to get the factory built and some projects completed before we got a lot of traction from some parts of the industry, and now we can feel that momentum building. We would never have set out to do this without our Swiss partners, their IP and proven model to copy. They’ve spent 20 years ironing out the complexities within timber offsite manufacturing, so we have the benefit of that experience. It’s given us a head start by being able to replicate what our partners are already doing, and we look forward to great success in the future. And just like the Hector Egger company motto – ‘Think. Plan. Build’– we will approach every project with the same methodology, and always in that order.” PREFERRED VENDORS/PARTNERS n Hanlon Plumbing & Mechanical https://hanlonplumbing.co.nz/hanlon-plumbing-mechanical-services n Treotham Automation N.Z. www.treotham.co.nz n Wayman Roofing Services Ltd www.waymanroofing.co.nz