As a family owned and local Wellington business, Holmes Construction places high importance on maintaining an ethically and environmentally conscious company. With this in mind, we continually educate ourselves on the best practices for operating our business in a socially, economically, sustainably and culturally responsible way.
Broader Outcomes
Economic Impact
We are committed to looking after and investing in our people
Our commitment to the well-being of our people is woven into the fabric of our ethos. We view our employees as invaluable assets and invest in their growth and development. Through robust upskilling initiatives, we empower our workforce and cultivate the next generation of skilled construction professionals. Our comprehensive training programs, spanning across all levels of the business, encompass apprenticeships and diverse learning opportunities. Not only do our employees benefit, but subcontractors also gain invaluable insights through site-based learning and specialised safety training initiatives. By fostering a culture of continuous learning, we contribute not only to the success of our business but also to the prosperity of the entire construction community.
Our ongoing training programmes below are an essential part of this.
Site Safe Gold Passport
First Aid
Manual Handing Workshop
Ramset & Hilti license
Accident/Incident Investigation & Prevention (US17601)
Safety Representative Training; Incident Investigation & Prevention
Supervisor Training; Site-Specific Safety Training
Level 4 Construction Site Supervisor Certificate
Level 5 Main Contract Supervision
Unit Standard 17459 Safe manual handling in the workplace
Unit Standard 23229 Use of a Safety Harness for personal fall prevention
Unit Standard 23966 Elevated Work Platform
Unit Standard 15757 Working at Height
MATES in Construction training
It is important to us to support local businesses on our projects, and wherever possible we ‘buy local’ while balancing factors such as H&S, Quality, and Value for Money.
Environmental Impact
We are committed to investing in the kind of world we want to pass on to our tamariki
The construction industry is one of the largest waste-producing industries in New Zealand – and industry-related waste may represent up to 50% of all waste generated in the country. Holmes are committed to reducing our emissions and waste where possible.
At the heart of our commitment lies a profound dedication to shaping a world that reflects our values for the generations to come. We envision a future where our legacy to our tamariki is one of environmental stewardship and responsibility. In our pursuit of sustainability, we not only adhere to industry standards but continuously push ourselves to exceed them. The Holmes business, underpinned by a fervent passion for sustainability and social impact, actively engages with clients, stakeholders, and manufacturers. We take pride in meticulously selecting alternative materials and integrating innovative design features at every phase of a build, fostering a positive impact on both our economy and the environment.
We strive to meet industry standards across these areas and challenge ourselves to raise the bar further. We continue to work towards creating the most sustainable version of the Holmes business.
Cultural Impact
Holmes acknowledges the importance of Te Reo Maori in the workplace.
In 2020, Ben Holmes (Ngāti Porou) took on the role of Holmes’ Managing Director across both the Wellington and Wairarapa offices. He is currently studying te reo as part of exploring how te reo and tikanga Māori can be supported throughout our firm, especially in the delivery of projects.
We offer equal opportunities to all those interested in a career in construction, irrespective of nationality, ethnicity, gender or background. Approximately 10% of our staff have Maori heritage, with many others hailing from all around the globe.
We have recently engaged with local iwi (in the Wairarapa) and have reached out to connect with Wellington-based iwi as a means to strengthening our partnership and taking positive steps to provide opportunities for our staff and subcontractors to develop a greater understanding of tikanga and how it connects with the work we do. We have further cemented this through the development of a Commitment to Tikanga Māori, as a company policy.
Holmes are committed to supporting the learning of te reo from a young age. To date we have provided te reo learn to read books to a number of primary schools across the Wellington region, as well as Ronald McDonald House.
Although we are still newly on this journey, we have begun to more clearly explore the way te reo and tikanga Māori are supported throughout our firm.
Social Impact
Wellington is the region we know and love
As long-standing members of our local community, the team at Holmes Construction are always looking for opportunities to give back. Our community engagement is extremely important to us. We support local events, sporting teams and charity initiatives across the Wairarapa and Wellington region. We are proud to provide ongoing sponsorship and donations to the below organisations:
Wellington Free Ambulance
MATES in Construction
Wellington Lions Rugby
Wellington Olympic Football
Greytown Rugby Club
Boulcott’s Farm Heritage Golf Club
Greytown Netball Club
Wairarapa College
Wairarapa Cricket Association
Life Flight
Coastguard NZ
The Cancer Society
Martinborough Golf Club
Circus Quirkus
Autism NZ
Among many others…
We pride ourselves on our strong relationships with our staff, which are built from trust and respect. It is important to us to foster this relationship through recognition and continue our positive culture. Our active Social Club brings together our team regularly outside of project sites and the office throughout the year.
Health and Safety
Health & Safety informs Holmes Construction’s operational decisions and is firmly at the forefront of everything we do.
Providing a safe, positive environment for our employees and the people we interact with is something we prioritise both on-site and in our office.
Holmes operates a Quality Management System (QMS) for all major construction projects based on the ISO 9001 Quality and Procedures Manual. As a member of Site Safe and prequalified with Impac Prequal, we are confident in the robustness of our Health and Safety Management System, which has been prepared in accordance with legislative requirements and supports best practices for H&S management. We are guided by policies, procedures and best practices to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of our workers and our clients.
In addition to our Health and Safety Management System, we create a site-specific Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) Plan for each new project. The HSE Plan encompasses everyone and everything that may be affected by our work, including the client and consultants, the on-site personnel, the general public, and the environment. The key principle is to work as a team to protect the health, safety, and well-being of our people and our environment.
Manaaki whenua
Manaaki tangata
Haere whakamua
Care for the land
Care for the people
Go forward
Diversity and Inclusion
Our approach to diversity and inclusion is simple: everyone is welcome at Holmes Construction. We believe when people are included, respected and supported they work to the best of their abilities and success. At Holmes we invest in cultivating a flexible and supportive work culture for all of our staff.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion spans across race, gender, age, religion, identity and experience. Over 10% of current Holmes staff hail from Maori or Pasifika heritage, while we are hugely supportive of women in construction and wholeheartedly support organisations such as NAWIC (National Association of Women in Construction).
