Construction on the new premises began at the beginning of this year and Coates took possession of the building at the end of July.
The final result is a building that the company can be proud of, according to Rands.
Built next door to the company’s former headquarters in Penrose, Auckland, the new building signifies a leap into the modern age.
“The team here has done a very nice job,” Rands says. “With the new building, everybody has got modern and up-to-date equipment, and the design has really meant an improvement in communication and teamwork.”
“But, while it’s modern and up to date, it’s not big and flashy.”
Coates New Zealand general manager Steve Parker launched the project in mid-2004 and says the plan was to create a modern, 21st century office space.
“Our intention was to have people closer together, and that helps immensely in terms of communication. We can also now easily see who’s in and who’s out of the office, and we are much more accessible to customers.”
Parker paid tribute to Coates’ John Finlay who did much of the work in terms of organising the building site and liaising with contractors: “John’s work on the project was invaluable and helped to ensure that the whole thing ran smoothly.”
