Company name:
Generation Developments Ltd

Website:
www.generation.co.nz

Address:
36 Cameron Rd, PO Box 14232, Tauranga

Phone:
(07) 928 3940

Fax:
(07) 578 8561

Chief contact:
William Carter or Kathryn Redmore

1. Give a brief description of your company size, history, the scope of its work and the market it is trying to reach.  Include any other information you would like shared about your company.

Over the last five years, Generation Developments Ltd has grown from a two-man band building 30 houses per year, to a team of 35 building around 200 residential houses per year in the wider Bay of Plenty and Waikato. Now with a winning combination of product and service, we intend to continue in our quest for excellence and sustainability within the building industry.

What makes Generation Developments unique is that we provide our customers with a move-in date and a fixed price the day they sign their contract. We offer a seven-year Master Build guarantee and involve our customers as much as possible throughout the building process.

2. What piqued your interest in the BRANZ Sustainable Foundations Programme?

Generation Developments is a member of the Bay of Plenty Sustainable Business Network and we attended the National Sustainability Conference last year. We have always had an interest in sustainability with it being the focus of one of our company missions, and the confer ence highlighted so many opportunities for us to really make some headway and potentially become a role model for other New Zealand residential builders.

We attended a seminar fronted by BRANZ, and through that became involved in the development of the Sustainable Foundations Easy Guide. We were then asked to participate in the Foundations programme and to apply the Easy Guide to our business as a case study for the programme.

3. What is your current understanding of sustainable business practices?

Sustainable business practices focus on maximising benefit in three key areas – financial, social and environmental. When sustainable practices are effectively incorporated into business structure and process they not only yield significant financial benefits, but also reduce adverse effects on the physical environment and make for a happier work environment.

4. In terms of your business practices, what areas do you anticipate could be run more sustainably?

All our business practices could be run more sustainably. Our construction programme offers the most scope for improvement as it has the greatest impact on the widest range of internal and external partnerships.

5. List some benefits you hope to achieve through participating as a case study company.

Greater profitability, smoother process, lower environmental impact and more positive social impact. We strive to have a positive effect on everyone we deal with internally and externally, and we believe an emphasis on sustainable practice will help enhance our ability to deliver this.

6. What value does management see in running a sustainable business?

Sustainability has always been core to our business planning and becoming involved in SBN and BRANZ is helpful to us in order to track and continually develop.

Management sees the high value of our sustainability tracking and development, and the Easy Guide step process is an ideal format to ensure sustainability is a point of focus and to maintain momentum.

7. How do you think your clients/customers will perceive your efforts?

We hope that our customers will recognise the effort and attention that is continually going into making our business as sustainable as it can be. We would also hope that they would feel proud of the fact that the building of their home was conducted with little waste and an excellent use of time and resource.

8. Describe your perception of the construction/building industry.  What are the strengths of the industry and what challenges does it face?

The New Zealand construction/building industry has faced many challenges in the last few years, from labour and skill shortages to regulatory review and confusion over implementation.

The consumer is also becoming more aware and educated about what they want.

New Zealand has a history of innovation and is famous for a can-do attitude. We in the construction industry are in a great position to effect positive changes towards sustainability, not only how we build but also in what we build.

9. How do you envision sustainable business practices improving the construction/building industry?

If those that make up the building industry are made aware of the benefits that can be gained from focusing on sustainability, then we can work together through forums and case studies to learn from each other to achieve these benefits (power in numbers).

This focus will help develop a positive perception of the building industry nationwide and may lead other industries to take similar steps. One would also hope that the government and council bodies would recognize the industry’s su stainable efforts and help us to further develop and deliver the cause.

10. Is there any other information you would like to share or comments you would like to make at this time?

Sustainability isn’t just a ‘nice’ thing to do. It ensures the ongoing viability of your business providing significant benefits. It should be looked at as a pragmatic business decision rather than just a movement towards being ‘green’.

The three key aspects of sustainability as we see it are financial, social and environmental. Each is vital and must be balanced for a truly sustainable business. As it is impossible to find balance without understanding the issues, we feel the BRANZ Easy Guide is a great tool to train our focus on environmental aspects.