QRS gives back to community

Roading company Quality Roading and Services has returned over $1.2 million to the Wairoa community via distributions to its owner and local sponsorship.

The financial boosts, published in its Annual Report 2024 this month, include a $1.05 million distribution payment to company owner Wairoa District Council, and $205,000 in sponsorship of community events and youth initiatives.

“Our community has faced incredibly tough challenges over the past two years, particularly with the severe weather events,” says QRS board chair Guy Gaddum.

“By returning a portion of our profits to the community we’re investing in our shared future and helping build resilience.”

QRS has posted a record revenue of $47.9 million, up from $33 million last year. It achieved a pre-tax profit of $4.4 million exceeding last year’s record of $3.4 million.

“We’re proud to be making our equal largest-ever distribution payment of $1.05 million to WDC. We understand the positive impact this contribution has on our community.”

Mr Gaddum says QRS was in the right place at the right time and equipped with the right people to help after the severe weather challenges the district faced.

“QRS was paramount to the district’s response and recovery after Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023, and the flooding event along the north-west side of Wairoa in June this year.”

QRS has advanced from being a civil construction and roading company, into a cornerstone presence in the community, he adds.

“QRS was in the process of growing its operational strength and service to meet the needs of the district even before the weather events.”

In the past three years QRS has added concrete batching, temporary traffic management, bitumen spraying, and more recently, concrete aggregate extraction to its capabilities.

“We’re proud to be fundamental to our district’s economy and to the repair work still going on,” says Mr Gaddum.

Chief executive Jeremy Harker says QRS has stepped up as a Tier 1 supplier of roading services while increasing the company’s scale and complexity of services.

It’s given the company the opportunity to employ more locals, invest in their training and qualifications, and as a result, circulate more money through Wairoa’s economy.

“Our team has grown from 90 to 134 staff, meaning families in our region can thrive thanks to a secure, regular income.”

Mr Harker added that QRS had increased its training expenditure by 41 percent from $237,000 to $335,000 reflecting its commitment to staff development.

“If someone comes to us without a license or qualifications but with the right attitude, we’ll help them grow into a valuable contributor to QRS and our community.”

This month QRS was announced as a finalist in two Pan Pac Hawke’s Bay Business Award categories: Outstanding Social Impact, and Resilient Business. The company is also vying for two Civil Contractor New Zealand Hawke’s Bay East Coast construction awards. Winners at both events will be announced next month.

This year’s annual report, presented to Wairoa District Council today, also celebrates QRS’s eight project supervisors and the new Operations Hub. 

23 October 2024

Back to News