16 October 2026

Hawke's Bay Business News, Profiles and Expert Advice

Local design and construction excellence

A team of Hawke’s Bay design and construction excellence has delivered Hastings a world class Primary Health Facility.

“The way we procured and built the project meant we were all one team working in partnership,” says project manager Nick Ward of Proactive Management (PML).

He’s full of praise for the team of local construction specialists with main contractor Gemco Construction, Architecture HDT, building services engineers Ensor Consulting, consulting engineers LHT, geotechinical engineers RDCL and planners and surveyors Development Nous.

“Gemco came on board during the early design process and were actively involved in the documentation phase advising on efficiencies, buildability, materiality, budgeting, sequencing etc.

“We de-risked the project before we got to commence construction which helped to ensure an efficient build phase, reduced construction queries, mitigated any construction cost surprises, and streamlined the construction programme.”

At any one time, there were up to 80 contract staff working on the site.

The health centre was built to highly technical specs as it needs a much stronger structure that was heavily engineered above and below ground, along with complex and intelligent building systems and services throughout.

The wall cladding was constructed of thick precast concrete panels with the structural steel frame and the heavy foundations, engineered to be resilient to seismic activity.

The patterned exterior precast concrete panel claddings are a unique feature that’s a first for Hawke’s Bay. The concrete was poured into cleverly-made rubber moulds to achieve the textured look.

Glenn Cook Technologies, maintain HHC’s servers, medical databases, email and applications. GCT also provides offsite backup services, firewall management, reporting and support to medical staff.

The move to the new premises involved detailed planning to enable the practice to close at the former site and open at the new site the following morning with zero business interruption.

“We are proud to have played a major part in the success of the new health centre,” says Glenn Cook. Visitors, patients and staff can now enjoy a world-class health facility.

Damon Harvey is the Editor and Publisher of The Profit, Hawke’s Bay’s leading business magazine, and the person behind The Profit Unleashed, the region’s most talked-about business event series. With more than 20 years across journalism, marketing, PR and content, Damon founded The Profit with a clear purpose: to celebrate the businesses and people driving Hawke’s Bay forward. The magazine and the events that have followed are built on the belief that great local stories deserve a great platform. Alongside his wife Anna Lorck, Damon is a Director of Attn! Marketing PR, a strategic communications agency working with organisations that want to build trust, strengthen reputation and get real results. He brings serious governance credentials to everything he does. Currently Chair of Gemco Construction, he previously chaired Sport Hawke’s Bay and spent nine years as a Hastings District Councillor, where he focused on community and economic development. When he’s not chasing a story or a swell, Damon can usually be found on a mountain bike trail or spending time with family and friends. Got a story worth telling? Reach Damon at 021 2886 772 or damon@attn.co.nz

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