THE INFORMER 17 SEPTember 2019 Joining of forces helps local businesses deliver m

The joining of forces between three Mercury Bay contractors to undertake a major tree removal operation in Hahei is being heralded as a win for the local economy and a blueprint for how smaller local businesses can successfully work together.
Family-run company, Land & Tree Works, responded to a request for tenders from Thames-Coromandel District Council to fell 250 pine trees along Lees Road to facilitate widening of the road.
“We knew it was a job we wanted. Our company regularly works in the Mercury Bay South area and has a sense of whakapapa and belonging to those 250 or so trees,” says director Pete Wilson. In order to compete with larger national corporations, the Whenuakite-based operator decided to get creative and see who else they could bring on board to secure the contract.
Consequently, when work kicked-off, 16 Mercury Bay residents were inducted onto the site with Land & Tree Works subcontracting Whitianga’s Tree Man Trav and Roadworx to help deliver the job.
“Trav and his team have worked seamlessly on site with the Land & Tree Works crew. Amber, also of Tree Man Trav, has delivered traffic management, easing the wait time with a friendly smile for patient Lees Road residents while trees were felled,” says Pete.
Ray Blackler of Roadworx has worked extensively in the past with both tree care companies.
“Ray has a quiet integrity, a passion for projects and a real willingness to share his wealth of knowledge.

The joining of forces between three Mercury Bay businesses to sucessfully deliver a major Thames-Coromandel District Council tree removal contract in Hahei is heralded as a win for the local economy.

​He’s a great mentor to many and is invaluable to the next generation of operators wanting to gain experience delivering contracts at this level,” Pete says.
Both residents of and visitors to the Lees Road area will benefit when the road is widened and sealed before Christmas 2019. Pete says through awarding the tree removal contract to a local business, TCDC has helped foster a network of professionals capable of delivering significant local contracts.
 “The whole project has been extremely rewarding. We have a local council supporting local businesses, who in turn employ local people. We also collectively have a real understanding of the local environment and our communities. The success of this approach should give TCDC confidence in using this model for future contracts,” says Pete.
TCDC’s District Manager North, Allan Tiplady, says, “Our council is big on endorsing and supporting local as much as we can. This is another quality example of our business community working together to get the job and doing it well. We were also fortunate to be able to do the same thing with our Whitianga town centre upgrade.”