ABL has done a tremendous job and the facility is looking fantastic – it is an absolute asset to the people of Invercargill, and the wider Southland community.

We delivered a massive project on budget, on time, in Covid driven supply cost times and a tight retail environment.

The team at ABL were helpful and very professional with regard to all aspects of this project.  We encountered a number of challenges on this project and throughout it all ABL were very co-operative and always maintained a positive attitude which allowed us to keep moving forward to find solutions.

In general, they were very proactive which meant there was a good working relationship that made a complex project successful.

ABL were very thorough in their approach to this project.  They had obviously done their preliminary research, which meant the surprises were minimized down the track.  Team work and communications were good within ABL - from their management right through to their people on site.  Issues were dealt with very professionally. 

I have worked with ABL on a number of projects, and would happily work with them again and recommend them to others.

“They were very proactive……had done their preliminary research.”

They’re good Southern guys with a great knowledge-base built up over decades in the industry and I’ve had good experiences with them building a number of projects on time and to budget.

They make it really easy from my point of view because they just take control and do the job, and it’s all about transparency, honesty and team performance.

“We reviewed four tenders but ABL instilled a sense of confidence from the word go.

“They presented with a high standard, were competitively priced, good to deal with and they had the ‘horsepower’ to get the work done.

“During the build, ABL just got on with it, allowing us to get on with our business, even suggesting areas where we could make savings, which we took.

“They are absolutely the best contractors we’ve dealt with!”

"ABL did a great job of upgrading the Dunedin Chambers, auditorium and town hall. I couldn't speak more highly of them.

This was a complicated project due to the historic nature of the buildings, one that required a good relationship between, client, contractor and architect.

As the main contractor, ABL rose to the challenge working closely with us and the architect to come up with common sense solutions and specifications.

Not only this, but they completed the $31-million project in the set time-frame.

We are very pleased with the results.

DCC has worked with ABL before - they were the main contractor on the Regent Theatre rebuild, which was also very well done - and we look forward to working with them in the future."

For us as a family business we really value the relationship we’ve made with ABL. We really felt that they had our best interests at heart, always suggesting and researching different materials and products to improve the build or the budget.

From the first tender straight through to completion they’ve been fantastic.

ABL met the timetable.  The variations to the original quotes were relatively minor and there was a very good liaison between ABL and the developer (Shotover Park Ltd).  They managed the project for us very well and reporting back was on a very regular basis.

From our point of view, the whole process from quoting, obtaining the building consent, processing compliance requirements, dealing with Shotover Park on a regular basis, to progressing it through to finality was very smooth. 

The fitout development for the tenant was also carried out by ABL and this overlapped with the completion of the building for Shotover Park and there was a very smooth and acceptable arrangement for all.

“They managed the project for us very well and reporting back was on a very regular basis.”

From the word go, ABL has impressed us.. The tender document was well done, comprehensive and accurate. 

The quantity surveyor and foreman did excellent jobs. There were some challenges, but the team handled these seamlessly, seeing only solutions, not problems. They completed the job on time and to budget, without touching the contingency allowance. 

Our tenants are also very happy with the rebuild. 

"It was a job well done and we are very glad we picked ABL".

Delivery of stage one of this rebuild was extremely challenging. Because construction had to fit in with the brew cycle, timing was unusually difficult. There were many changes made to the original contract but despite this, variations of less than one per cent of the total project cost were achieved.

Throughout the project ABL were extremely flexible – overcoming challenges and completing the rebuild of Three Boys Brewery on time and on budget, enabling the tenant to begin their fit out as scheduled.

Due to ABL’s service delivery we have already agreed on the next project with them and intend to include them in all future tenders.

“They completed the build …on time and on budget, enabling the tenant to begin their fit out as scheduled.”

ABL Construction did an incredible job pulling together so many teams to build a stunning part of our campus in what was a very small location.

ABL is an established company who have proven procedures in place.  Their effectiveness ensures benefit to both the client and subcontractors. 

The Regent Theatre project was a challenging project.  We were trying to turn an 80-year-old lady into a 20-year-old girl!  There was a lot of unforeseen work that had to be dealt with to bring the auditorium back to its former splendour.  In the end, the project came in on time and within budget.

They coordinated the project well, including the liaison with The Historical Places Trust, which they managed successfully.

They are a very good firm and I’d recommend them to any prospective clients.

“A challenging project.”

ABL has a very good team from the top down.  They are very co-operative, very professional and really diligent when carrying out their work.   Being a fire-damaged property, this project had a lot of challenges.  ABL secured the property, cleaned it up and worked late at night.  The project work had to carry on while the hotel was operating, being mindful of hotel guests, noise and shutting down sections of the hotel at a time.  It took a lot of co-ordination.  They also successfully worked with council on their requirements.  In the end, they met the programme deadlines.

They are fantastic in every way, I can’t say enough about them.

“Very co-operative, very professional and really diligent.”

ABL are extremely professional, positive and very good to deal with. 

There was an extremely large challenge to deal with on this project.  They had to construct a 20-bed addition on the 4th floor of an existing building during the Christmas holiday period, a very short programme.   In the end they were vacuuming the carpet at midday of the original completion date.  Very impressive.

“Very impressive.”

Our board found ABL from the initial proposal stages right to the end of the project easy to deal with and above all presented themselves in a professional and helpful manner at all times. This professionalism was company-wide and demonstrated high achievement targets which it expected its staff and subcontractors to all maintain.

We presented some unique challenges which made meeting Ministry of Education funding guidelines difficult and required ABL to provide rigorous costing detail. ABL had to bring together a number of other specialist organisations and take the lead in contractual requirements.
 
The best way to describe ABL’s approach to the build process and forward planning work would be “nothing was a problem”. They genuinely wanted to produce a product that was going to withstand the rigours of primary school life and be a great facility. 
 
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend ABL from a commercial perspective or as one that understands MOE requirements. Dealing with any government organisation, especially one that has a multimillion dollar project, requires a significant overhead and depth to that organisation and ABL brings that size, experience and structure to the table.

“Nothing was a problem.”

Over the years RCP has worked with ABL on approximately 15 different projects and in all cases we have only had positive experiences.

Along with their proven competitive pricing, one of ABL’s main strengths is their ability to tackle every project as a team, with all staff supporting each other whenever possible.  Their CAN-DO attitude and willingness to ensure the best outcome for the client is always evident as is their ownership of projects to ensure they deliver a quality job on time.

“Tackle every project as a team.”

The ABL team won the competitive tender for the construction of the Gorge Road Cool Store and undertook and completed the construction of this project. Although small in size, the project did face specialised engineering requirements and issues around utility services. During the job from tender, construction, management and accounting, the competent team was lead from the front by Karsten and supported by other skilled ABL personnel. ABL presented the completed building to a high standard and in a professional manner. The skilled team made my design vision a reality and project management easy. Thank you Team ABL.

ABL is now undertaking another project for myself!

“Made my design vision a reality.”

I have been working with ABL since 2003 on a steady upgrade of our flagship Invercargill H & J Smith department store. 

In 2003 we developed a very close working relationship as ABL created a work space as large as a house inside the department store and installed two new escalators. 

This massive job along with all of the other upgrade projects have always been done to a very high standard and with the most professional tradesmen who appreciate the customer environment they are working within. 

I would highly recommend the Invercargill team of ABL builders for interior or exterior work and look forward to working with Bruce and the team in the future.

“Highly recommend the Invercargill team.”