Summary 2020
It has been an interesting year for DStevens, filled with a range of beautiful projects, unexpected challenges, and significant achievements by our team. Peter Stevens, Managing Director of DStevens, took a moment to reflect on the year that was 2020 and looks towards 2021 with anticipation in his annual message to our team.
Team,
There is no doubt that 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone. I am incredibly proud of the way in which we collectively handled the unexpected challenges we were presented this year. Your resilience and willingness to get stuck in as a team helped us get through an unprecedented time. The backlog of work created by a country-wide lockdown in March and April has been steadily worked through, putting us in a strong position for 2021.
As we prepare to celebrate the summer holidays, and hopefully connect with our friends and family, I would like to take a moment to reflect on what we have achieved together over the past year.
2020 marked the 65th anniversary of DStevens. This is an incredible milestone acknowledging the hard work and dedication you, and those who have come before you, give to each and every project – big or small. This year also marked Glenn Stichburys' 35th anniversary with DStevens. As one of our long-serving employees, Glenn has a wealth of technical knowledge in the joinery industry. Thank you, Glenn, for your significant contributions over the years.
We have continued to evolve by cultivating new leadership opportunities within DStevens. The appointment of Dylan Ngatoro and Ross Shanks as our new Workshop Leads in July is recognition of the skills and expertise that they both bring to the company. I have received excellent feedback from our clients about the projects that our workshop teams are completing under their leadership.
Despite the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, we have worked hard to fabricate beautiful kitchens and aluminium joinery and build a range of high-quality new homes, renovations, commercial buildings and education facilities. Building on our previous education work at Kaiti School, we assembled two new prefabricated learning spaces that were delivered as individual modules and craned into place. At Eastland Port’s new offices in the Inner Harbour, we extensively renovated a 1920s building into a modern workplace, with beautiful joinery details and timber features throughout.
We have also been busy with several new residential homes and renovations across Gisborne, including the completion of Iron House and FAB ONE. By utilising our workshop yard, we built FAB ONE off-site in two halves, before the sections were transported to site and assembled as a two-storey house. These sorts of projects are a great example of what DStevens can deliver for our clients when we plan meticulously, consult widely and pay attention to the smallest details.
It is a privilege to support and sponsor a number of community groups and organisations in Gisborne. In October, we sponsored the annual Friends of Chelsea Hospital Kitchen Tour – showcasing two beautiful kitchens designed and manufactured by our joinery team. This year, we also supported Awapuni School in the creation of a book of recipes to fundraise for the school.
Finally, I have been reflecting on what has been achieved at DStevens in the last six and a half decades. We have built our reputation on consistently delivering exceptional quality construction and client service. That is possible because we listen carefully to really understand the clients’ project vision and work with them to make it come to life. We deliver what we promise because transparency builds trust. The impact of well-designed and high-quality buildings on the people who occupy and interact with them cannot be undervalued.
Thank you for the extraordinary efforts you have put in this year to create beautiful buildings and joinery for our clients throughout Tairāwhiti. Here's to more great things to come in 2021.
Happy Holidays,
Peter Stevens
Managing Director
