Summary 2018
Peter Stevens, Managing Director at DStevens, took a moment to reflect on the year that was 2018, and looks towards 2019 with anticipation, in his annual message to the team.
Read his summary to the team below.
Team,
We’ve come to the end of an incredibly busy year for DStevens having taken on a number of exciting new projects across Gisborne and the wider Tairāwhiti region. It’s you, our team, that makes DStevens great and our success is due to your hard work, dedication, and passion. I am deeply humbled by what you do, and it’s a privilege to work alongside you. I want to thank you for putting our projects and clients first, always staying true to our values; and for all the times you refuse to settle for anything less than excellence in our work together.
The projects we delivered across 2018 are reflective of the wide range of work we undertake as a company. Building on our previous work at Kaiti School, we’ve helped create another new education space for students and staff with the renovation of Block B into a modern Flexible Learning Space. We have also delivered numerous residential projects across the district — showcasing our passion for high-quality living environments in projects like Sterling Park House and an extensive renovation of the Patty House (a house originally built by DStevens in 1982). Additionally, the completion of a new garage/studio and kitchen alteration at a family home in Russell Street is a great example of our teams working together to deliver outstanding spaces for our clients to enjoy. We have some exciting new projects on the horizon for 2019, including 3 brand new homes, 3 major renovations and 2 large commercial buildings; as well as completing our current commercial projects at Lytton High School and Evans Funeral Services.
This year we have continued to progress our Workshop Transformation Programme in anticipation of broader changes in the NZ building industry. The modifications we have made to our timber racks and large store shed have provided covered space for our site teams to pre-fabricate construction elements in poor weather conditions; while also improving the workflow of our timber and aluminium workshops. Coupled with these changes is the new machinery we have invested in for our workshop teams. The new edge bander machine in our Joinery Workshop is proving a great investment with fantastic results on the quality of edging to cabinetry being produced.
As the spring season kicked off in October, we put our best foot forward at the Poverty Bay A&P Show. Our team showcased a selection of the exciting new products from Rylock, Louvretec and Laminex coming to DStevens in 2019. Given the unexpected cold weather across the two days I am pleased to see we received keen interest in what we had to offer from those that attended the show.
Finally, I have been reflecting on what makes us unique. Derek founded DStevens upon a set of simple philosophies. We maintain a strong belief in the beauty of craftsmanship and manufacturing that sets an exacting standard. I believe our fresh thinking and can-do attitude allows us to turn our hands at anything. When others say it can’t be done, we embrace the challenge to find a way. By using the skills and expertise we’ve become known for we have achieved great things, exceeding even our own tough standards of built excellence.
Just as Derek always did in moments like this, we should all look forward to DStevens’ bright future and the great work we’ll do together in 2019.
Happy holidays,
Pete.
