Company using Kathmandu Coast to Coast for team building and to see rebuild

One of New Zealand's largest structural steel company’s D&H Steel Construction Ltd and sister company Clearwater Construction Ltd is using the Kathmandu Coast to Coast not only as an opportunity for team building, but also to see the Christchurch rebuild work many of its Auckland staff have been involved with.

With a large number of staff from Auckland joining those based in Christchurch to participate in the February event D&H Steel Construction’s Managing Director Mike Sullivan said the Coast to Coast offered a great opportunity for not only staff to bond and get to know each other better away from the office, but it also provided a unique chance to see some of the rebuild work its Auckland based staff have been involved with.

“It means our Auckland staff can go to Christchurch and not only get to know faces and names they may well only know from the phone and emails, but as a business we have been heavily involved in the rebuild so there will be a chance to see some of the sites the company is involved with after we’ve done the event.”  

Sullivan, who participated in this year’s Coast to Coast as part of a three person team to gauge whether the event could work as a large team building exercise, said that with a number of the company’s team in Christchurch it made ‘good sense to do such an iconic New Zealand event that was in the South Island.’

“It’s all about team bonding and making the most of working together away from the office in an environment that’s very different to our usual day to day business,” he said. “

The company has entered eight teams in the corporate challenge which involves teams of three with each participant doing one element of the two day event, either running, cycling or kayaking. It is a real family affair as well with many family members as well as work colleagues being included as part of the team’s various support crews.

“What was really obvious to me was how achievable it is as part of a three person team,” Sullivan said. “It’s the biggest event the company has ever been involved with and it’s already had an impact as we’re been working on it for a while and everyone’s talking about their training and how they’re going.”
D&H Steel Construction has booked nine campervans and plan to travel in convoy across to Kumara on the West Coast on the Thursday before the event.  

“Staff are setting goals, planning logistics and are spending time training together and there’s also the opportunity to involve other staff, family and friends as part of the support crew. It’s such a good opportunity to invest in a company’s culture and have some fun away from work and everyone is really looking forward to it.” 

For the Corporate Challenge two of the team members must be employed and working for the same company, but that does leave room to have a third team member from outside the business which Sullivan said meant they did in fact have a fewassociates as ‘ring in’s that could kayak, run or bike to fill several of the teams.