October 28, 2021
Te Rarawa builds for future
Far north iwi Te Rarawa has fast-tracked its growth plans with the purchase of Kaitaia custom home builder KPH Construction.
June McCabe, the chair of the iwi’s commercial arm Te Waka Pupuri Pūtea Trust, says the company has been a feature of the town’s business landscape for almost 50 years, including completing major projects like the Te Ahu community centre, and it also has a strong record in training apprentices.
She says despite supply issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has a strong pipeline and can also take on the 22-home development the iwi has been trying to start for the past two years.
The opportunity to buy came at the right time.
“From a Māori economic development point of view and the Māori economy, our biggest challenge is around capability, so it was an opportunity to close that gap sooner rather than later because building it for scratch is that much harder, so it is well-established and we can leverage it better,” Ms McCabe says.
Managing director Brian Attwood has agreed to stay on for a year until his retirement to help with the transition to new ownership and a new chief executive is now being sought.