I grew up in Nelson, and proud to call the Nelson Tasman area home.

Since my father was a builder, I began working on his projects with him on the weekends and in the evenings when I was relatively young. Even though I was young and often was given the lacky tasks, I began to develop a connection with building and construction. seeing the clients' expressions of appreciation for the finished product and what you were able to accomplish with your own two hands. It is a true privilege to take concrete, Timber, and steel and transform them into someone's dreams. 

While I was still a college student, my father was able to secure me a one-day per week work experience onsite with Gibbons Construction, a local Nelson family business. The eight months of work experience helped me become even more passionate about the industry because I was shortly offered an apprenticeship. Geoff Goodenough, the foreman of the site where I spent the majority of the work experience, saw my potential early on and worked hard to help me succeed.

Due to the highly skilled group of carpenters I was working with, I rose through the ranks at Gibbons, I picked things up quickly. After finishing my apprenticeship, I began to take the lead on a variety of construction projects, but one in particular stands out: a high-end architectural home with 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a swimming pool, and tennis courts at 53 Ariesdale Terrace. With every aspect of this build, I gained knowledge on how to produce work of the finest quality. With the intricate cedar features and Gaboon ply soffits, I was able to demonstrate my finishing abilities in the end product.

The next level for me was becoming foreman, one of my first job as foreman was fitting out apartments where our clients would have a design, layout and chosen fixtures and fittings for us to deliver, these were high end fitouts becoming more detailed in each floor above. I could mainly focus on delivering top quality workmanship while managing the subcontractors as the main structure base build was already complete.

As Foreman my standout project was the Nelson Tasman Hospice Building. This is a purpose-built facility containing 10 patient rooms with areas for all the support staff that run the Hospice. The building is comprised with a timber LVL structure and clad almost entirely with western red cedar, while installing tens of thousands of lineal metres of cedar I maintained our uncompromising quality until the last board went on. I gained valuable experience in managing budget, quality, manpower and subcontractors and at its peak we had over 150 workers onsite.

With a shift at Gibbons, they formed a partnership with a national business known as Naylor Love Construction, and I was immediately offered the position of site manager. My understanding of project and site management for various projects in the Nelson Tasman area quickly expanded. I was able to learn about the entire construction process, not just the physical construction of buildings. 

Completing Countdown Richmond was one of the most distinctive projects performed while working for Gibbons Naylor. The build's timeline was incredibly constrained, but my site team and I were up to the challenge. I put in an extensive amount of effort working with our suppliers to make sure we minimize material delays, and I kept our subcontractors informed about where, when, and how long they had to finish their work through constant communication. Along with program, it was my responsibility to ensure that our site neighbours were informed of site developments while maintaining the lowest possible noise levels. By keeping our clients informed of our progress and addressing any problems that were beyond our control, I furthered my communication skills and improved the quality of our relationships

With a fractured pelvis and a dislocated hip, the desire to give back first emerged. I had a motorcycle accident hours away from any kind of help, which was unfortunate. As I heard the distant sound of the helicopter coming to my aid, my life was forever altered. As I lay there in agonizing pain, they quickly landed and I got the care I needed. After a lengthy recovery, I returned to work with a deep appreciation for the Nelson Marlborough Helicopter trust and how crucial it is to our community's ability to save lives. Later, Mitre 10 Helping Hands developed the "Helicopter House," where a home would be built using supplies provided by Mitre 10 and labour from various Nelson businesses, with the proceeds going directly to the Nelson Marlborough helicopter trust to keep the helicopter flying and providing its vital service to the area. I started volunteering with Gibbons Naylor and never looked back. I've already worked on every heli house and will do so again if they decide to build more. I continue to be passionate about creating exceptional homes of the highest calibre in addition to volunteering my time so the helicopter can keep flying.

Midway through 2022, I felt it was time to deliver projects to my own clients using the valuable skills and experience I have accrued, giving them the best of what I learned over the years. My long-held dream of founding JR Construct finally came true now that I knew enough about Building and Construction to confidently venture out and deliver on my own projects. As I built some other residential homes in my own time, I began to hear some negative stories about how some people were treated during their joinery with other builders, which inspired me to make it my mission to offer a hassle-free build experience with a big smile from beginning to end.

My Partner Hazel and I decided to build our own home ourselves to build exactly what we envisioned as in the existing housing market we had already done a major renovation and thought why not start from a blank canvas. While maintaining a tight budget we were able to cost save and squeeze in a pool to enjoy a swim after working long days on our house while we built, not to mention the pool acted as our firefighting water source. Although my interests are of the outdoors motorbiking, hunting and fishing gathering food, my passion is still working with my hands building projects at home and around our property.

I’ve always been a massive believer of providing great service and quality projects.  Over the years working with a multitude of tradespeople I have nurtured a collaborative and people-focused culture because I strongly believe that communication is the key to an efficient and effective build process and job well done.