This year at DStevens, we have completed beautiful projects, found new ways to do things, and have kept moving forward.

Peter Stevens, Managing Director of DStevens, took a moment to reflect on the challenges we faced together and celebrate the work of our incredible team in his summary of 2022.

Tēnā koutou katoa,

As the year draws to a close, it's fitting that we take a look back at the journey we have been on together over the last 12 months.

I want to welcome our new team members who joined DStevens this year. We aim to provide you with a positive, progressive, and productive working environment and create a culture that attracts, retains and enables you to reach your individual and collective potential. It is always exciting starting at a new workplace. I hope you have settled in well and are finding the work to be both challenging and rewarding.

Undoubtedly, 2022 has been full of challenges with material delays, labour constraints, extreme weather events, and an ongoing global pandemic. While these challenges have been demanding, it has been uplifting to see us all come together – as a business and an industry – to build the very best for our clients. Your resilience and willingness to get stuck in as a team has helped us get through an unprecedented time in the building industry.

DStevens worked on a diverse range of projects across Tairāwhiti in 2022. Our workshop teams manufactured incredible timber and aluminium products that showcase a passion for good design and craftsmanship. By integrating refined hand-crafted techniques with leading-edge technology, we created beautiful kitchens, timber joinery, and aluminium windows and doors that our clients absolutely love.

Our construction teams built a range of new homes and renovations, including the completion of Country House and an extensive renovation of Bushmere House (a project built originally by DStevens in 1997). We also delivered engaging education spaces at Kaiti School, Lytton High School, and Gisborne Girls' High School.

The refurbishment and extension of Lone Star completely transformed the river end of Shed 1. With large expanses of glass and a Louvretec opening roof, the new outdoor area at Lone Star is an outstanding addition to the inner harbour. Projects like these are great examples of what DStevens can deliver for our clients with our long-standing experience and expertise.

It was fantastic to see Eastland Port's offices win Silver at NZ Commercial Project Awards held in Christchurch in May. Fiona and I were very proud to represent the incredible efforts of our hard-working team at these prestigious national awards.

Staff safety continued to be a top priority in the third year of a global pandemic. We managed constant change in our operating environments by adjusting our approach to keep working on the projects we love. It was heartening to see our staff looking out for each other and making sure they kept each other safe. Thank you for your frequent adaptation and understanding as our response to the pandemic evolved.

Proactively managing the inherent risks of our construction and workshop operations continues to be a core focus of our wellbeing and safety planning. Our annual independent health and safety audit was conducted by SiteWise in early October. I am incredibly proud of DStevens achieving a 100% rating across the 12 performance indicators – successfully building on our results from the last couple of years and achieving Gold Status once again. As always, I am interested to hear from you in the coming months about how we can improve further.

We are committed to acting in the best interests of New Zealanders and the environment we live in. As a construction company with the ability to influence others, we have a responsibility to lead the way in our industry when it comes to environmental, economic, and social sustainability – through our actions.

DStevens has long fought to reduce construction waste to landfill through the well-adhered recycling processes embedded in our everyday activities. While intentional changes have had a positive impact, we know more work is needed. I am excited about the next steps we will take in 2023, which will continue to improve our working environment and build a sustainable future.

Our clients have been very understanding of the many challenges we faced in 2022 and highly supportive of DStevens, for which I am incredibly grateful. It's you – our team – that makes DStevens great. Our success is due to your hard work, dedication, and passion for quality. We have built our reputation on consistently delivering exceptional quality construction and service. We plan meticulously, bring people together, and focus on the details that matter. That way, we maintain the highest standards across our company, and we're rewarded with repeat business. Thank you for everything you do to make DStevens what it is.

We have some exciting projects on the horizon in 2023 that I think you will love. For now, I hope you enjoy your summer break relaxing and spending quality time with friends and family.

Ngā manaakitanga,

Peter Stevens
Managing Director