Location & contact

Dunedin Overview

The University city has been good to ABL, and ABL, in turn, has left an indelible mark on Dunedin. From specialized, time-sensitive university and hospital projects to meat and dairy works to restorations of historic city landmarks, ABL is increasingly the contractor of choice.

ABL expanded into the Dunedin region in 1989, when the company was awarded the contract for the Oncology Unit at the city’s public hospital. The Fortex (now PPCS Silverstream) Meat Works near Mosgiel on the Taieri Plains followed the next year. A Dunedin office opened at that time, with a core of loyal tradesmen. That trade experience is still with the Dunedin branch, and, for manager and director Richard Johnston, remains at the heart of ABL’s continued and growing success in the region.

“Team performance in demanding situations is one of our main strengths,” Johnston says. “When the completion date is fixed and the project time frame is tight, clients and consultants know to come to ABL.”

The ABL advantage was seen clearly on the large-scale Milton Prison project. ABL was in charge of building three of the five cell blocks; other commercial contractors completed other work. All the construction firms working on the site were carefully benchmarked by the overseeing contractor. In each of the main categories – budget, time-frame and safety – ABL came out on top.

“We easily topped the productivity chart, and were number one for health-and-safety compliance,” he said. “It’s rare to get such a direct comparison, so we’re really pleased to see our performance officially recognized.”

ABL Dunedin seems to specialize in large-scale complicated projects. Indeed, nothing seems too hard, too challenging or too tight time-wise for the Dunedin team. The Dunedin Casino, University of Otago halls of residence commercial kitchens, the University Oval refurbishment, Te Tumu (the University’s uniquely waka-shaped School of Maori Studies), the Moana Pool gym expansion: all were delivered on time and on budget.

The 14-week, $2.5 million University Union kitchen upgrade is a case in point. ABL was only handed the job in late 2005, and had to have it completed before classes began again in February the next year. True to ABL tradition, it came in on time and within budget – even with the addition of a $300,000 space for post-graduate studies.