Overview
Mainstream are an innovative freight company, specialising in NZ and international shipping, transport and logistics. Their new Hamilton transit freight facility in Chalmers Road is a purpose-built warehouse hub for receiving and distributing freight around the Waikato.
Completed in just 5 months, the 2,400m² warehouse was constructed with clean span CWB structural steel and precast concrete panels. A compact 158m² office block sits alongside the warehouse.
About the project
Features include extensive pallet racking down each side of the building, rainwater collection and solar panelling on the roof. Power supply to the site was quadrupled to run EV vehicles, forklifts and, in the future, trucks. This meant collaborating with external contractors to schedule work during the construction programme.
Begun in March 2023 and delivered in August, this project was handed over a month earlier than the original programme.
We were pleased to fully exceed the expectations of this client, creating cost-savings on rent and enabling the facility to be fully operational weeks earlier than scheduled.
2023
2400m2
$5.1M
Client testimonial
Mainstream’s new 2,400m2 transit freight facility was constructed in just 5 months, creating cost savings for the business, and enabling operations to be up and running 4 weeks ahead of schedule.
Mainstream Property Manager John Daley says Fosters was considered for the job because they were part of the New Zealand Construction Alliance, with whom Mainstream had worked to build their Palmerston North depot.
He adds that Fosters won the tender due to their collaborative approach from the outset.
“Fosters were not the cheapest, nor the most expensive” says John. “We were simply impressed by how proactive they were in establishing a relationship and then working through the tender process. From the get-go, Fosters made it clear that they would give feedback on the design and areas of improvement. We welcomed that engagement.”
Fosters knowledge of the area was another key strength, according to John. “Having an intimate understanding of their backyard - where and what they were building - they projected a sense of confidence all the way through.”
The construction agreement was signed in January 2023 and key materials procured by the end of March, which is when the construction team broke ground. By the end of August, John had the keys to the building.
“That turnaround is simply amazing” says John. “I talk to plenty of people about this job and delivery in five months is unheard of.
“Fosters are a superb team with an innate ability to manage stressful situations and deliver solutions, which we very much appreciated.”
Specific features in the project included installation of pallet racking, 126 solar panels on the roof, high-end EV charging for standard and heavy-duty vehicles, rainwater collection tanks for grey water use, and data cabling and security provisions.
“Scheduling contractor work and connectivity added extra challenges alongside a demanding construction programme, but Fosters managed it all exceptionally well.
“With their collaborative approach and operational efficiency, Fosters absolutely exceeded our expectations. We got a high-quality build, delivered ahead of programme and on budget.”
“Fosters are a superb team with an innate ability to manage stressful situations and deliver solutions, which we very much appreciated.”
John Daley, Mainstream Property Manager