Māori builders scale up and secure new opportunities

David Reid, who is of Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Hine descent, grew up in Moerewa and has been a builder his whole life. He started on the tools at age 16 and set up Reid Builders in 2014. Now with a team of up to 45 staff members and 40 contractors, Reid Builders cover all facets of building, both residential and commercial.Through recent connections made by Amotai, David and his team are unlocking even more opportunities to take on large scale building projects and secure valuable long-term contracts.

Putting people first

With over 80% of David’s team being Māori, whanaungatanga is a huge part of his company’s culture.

“We have a really cool culture in the business, and for me it’s all about the people. We’re about building up skillsets and keeping staff for a long time.If they grow, we grow,” David says.

“Some of our team members have been with us since the beginning in 2014. We have solid family values and put people first. It’s just the way that we are and it’s what drives us as a business”

According to David, if you concentrate on the people and your focus is on delivering a good product, you’re doing it right. That’s the best advice he says he can give to other business owners: “If your product is good and you treat your people well, the money will come.”

After a few challenging years and getting through the COVID-19 pandemic, Reid Builders are now poised for success.

“We’ve had some crazy ups and downs. A few years ago, we had a client who ended up going bankrupt and we had to deal with some dodgy developers as well. At one stage, we were so close to going under. We had to go into a lot of debt just to get out of the situation, but we persevered,” David says.

Although the pandemic didn’t affect the amount of work that needed to be done, David explains it has still been disruptive. There were supply issues, materials became more expensive, and they had to deal with extended time off for employees. Cash-flow seized up at times and some jobs fell behind, but David and his team have managed to keep going and worked hard.

Opportunities for growth

Through Amotai, Reid Builders has recently been given the opportunity to connect with Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities. They are currently working on their first contract with them, a 5-house building project in Kaitaia.

Up to 40,000 affordable, dry and healthy homes are planned to be delivered by Kāinga Ora over the next 10-15 years. Reid Builders was identified by Amotai as a great fit for the organisation as it is a growing, innovative Māori construction company with great values. They have scaled up in recent years which has put them in a position to cater for the large scale housing developments that Kāinga Ora undertakes.

Missy Armstrong, Amotai’s Supplier Diversity Lead (Te Tai Tokerau/Northland) who organised the connection between Reid Builders and Kāinga Ora, says: “It has been a privilege to get to know David and connect his business with this opportunity. I look forward to supporting his growth even further going forward. David is the perfect example of how Māori businesses are the untapped change agents in creating a more inclusive, sustainable New Zealand economy.”

David says they would not have secured the contract if Reid Builders wasn’t a verified business with Amotai and listed on their national database.

“We’re really grateful for Amotai’s support and practical advice,” says David.“They’ve given us the opportunity, and now it’s up to us to deliver and hopefully secure more contracts going forward.”

Ready for the future

David lives in Kerikeri but travels often to Auckland, where 70% of their work is done.They take on commercial and residential construction projects of any size, including large scale town houses and subdivisions.

Their biggest achievement as a business to date is a project they are currently working on in Takapuna. The Loxley development entails the construction of 47 apartments that are spread across two buildings linked by a covered walkway, with a rooftop garden on the top of the rear building. Once completed, Reid Builders will be recognised as the first Māori owned company to become ‘Tier One’ builders. This means they’ll have capability to deliver any development including multi-level concrete structures and subdivisions, from feasibility and procurement through to construction and delivery.

“Tier One” is the construction of commercial type builds such as the construction of apartments, high-rise builds, and concrete construction,” David explains.

“You can’t just call up any builder out of the Yellow Pages and ask them to build a high rise, so we’ll soon be in that circle of builders who can, and we’re the first Māori company to do so.”

This doesn’t mean that high-rises are the only type of work David and his team are aiming for. He says he works with anyone and is happy to take on smaller jobs as well.

“The focus is on building a reputation and providing training for our team. Building long-lasting relationships with our clients is how we operate, no job is too big or small,” he says.

Big on sustainability

As a keen free-diver, David has a strong bond with the ocean and sustainability is on the top of his priority list.Reid Builders uses renewable and environmentally friendly products where possible and are committed to sustainable business practices.

“My passion is free-diving - I just love to be in the ocean any chance I get. It’s my time to connect and relax big time. That’s why sustainability is meaningful to me, and as a team we get right into it. I’m also part-owner of Metra Panel, a 100% sustainable building product made in New Zealand,” David says.

Reid Builders are the main provider of Metra Panel builds in Auckland and Northland. The panels are manufactured from reconstituted (recycled) New Zealand plantation pine wood fibre, bonded together with moisture resistant resins and waxes.

David says, “It’s a big win for the environment that instead of cutting down new trees, wood fibre that’s left over from timber processing is being used to create the panels. There’s less waste too, as the panel offcuts are used to build shelving, benches, stairs, risers and treads, reducing wastage compared to traditional building methods.”

“It’s a versatile system that can be used across both large and small projects and it’s a faster, safer, more efficient way to build. We believe this system is the future of building in New Zealand and we’re massively privileged to be a part of it,” he says.

David is thankful for the opportunity to connect with Kāinga Ora and potentially other buyers in the future through Amotai as it will help his business grow further and unlock more opportunities.

“My advice for other Māori and Pasifika businesses is to get in touch with Amotai, take full advantage of being listed on the directory, and explore the many possibilities.”