Inside the new precast concrete factory of 12,000sq m in Papakura. Nauhria Group built this for its pre-cast concrete business. Photo / Nauhria Group
Inside the new precast concrete factory of 12,000sq m in Papakura. Nauhria Group built this for its pre-cast concrete business. Photo / Nauhria Group
Auckland-headquartered concrete and steel business Nauhria Group increased production 50% with its $55 million pre-cast concrete manufacturing plant and offices opened in Papakura two years ago.
Rakesh Nauhria, chief executive, said staff numbers grew from around 75 people in 2022 to 110 people now.
The factory of more than ahectare was built by Macrennie Commercial Construction.
Rakesh Nauhria of Nauhria Group shows clients a pre-cast concrete panel. Photo / Nauhria Group
The 12,000sq m building at 98 Hunua Rd has enabled the business to deliver more pre-cast concrete panel products to clients faster, Nauhria said.
Production from the premises began in November 2022.
“We did target a 50% production increase when we planned this. We expect production to increase another 10% to 20%,” Nauhria said.
Despite the building downturn, the business was able to expand, he said.
An existing plant at the group’s headquarters at 39 Hobill Ave, Wiri has a new use: instead of being a pre-cast concrete base, that is now used for fabricating reinforcing steel.
“That old pre-cast plant was too small. We needed to make it a lot more efficient,” Nauhira said of the rationale for the two-year-old base.
The business makes and delivers precast components to multimillion-dollar jobs including Mansons TCLM’s new $550m Daldy St offices now nearing completion and projects for NZX-listed Goodman Property Trust.
Nauhria Group's new pre-cast concrete factory building in Papakura. Photo / Nauhria Group
He said Nauhria Precast is part of the group, including Stahlton pre-stressed concrete, which the business bought from Fulton Hogan in 2017.
The group is headquartered at 39 Hobill Ave, Wiri and owns Nauhria Precast, Nauhria Reinforcing, Nauhria Reinforcing South Island based in Cromwell, Nauhria Property, Vida Precast, Stahlton Prestressed Concrete and Monarc and Indian News.
Nauhria Reinforcing was established in 1991 and is one of Auckland’s biggest reinforcing steel suppliers, he said.
“We are a total rebar product and full-service provider and take pride in our continued delivery of high quality, accurate products and services,” it says.
About 300 staff work at the overall group.
Monarch is an architectural pre-cast concrete brand that has won awards for innovation and design.
Rakesh’s father Roshan Nauhria founded the group more than two decades ago after emigrating from Punjab via Sydney in 1972.
“It’s a classic story. He came to New Zealand with $10 in his pocket. He was fortunate that he was already an electrical engineer. After a few years, he decided to found his own business,” Rakesh Nauhria said.
Roshan Nauhria has worked in various roles in the construction industry during the past 35 years: building and development, importing, manufacturing and distribution of building materials and components.
He founded Nauhria Building Supplies, in Christchurch, initially supplying cheaper nails packaged in cardboard boxes, to bring more competition to the construction sector.
In 2016, the Herald reported how he had for years donated to political parties but then founded the People’s Party.
Nauhria campaigned in a byelection that year against Labour’s Michael Wood and National’s Parmjeet Parmar.
His face was on hoardings on main routes, a ute tows signage advertising his pledge to use his salary if he became an MP to feed school kids.
Nauhria stood for the seat after Phil Goff’s departure to become Auckland mayor but former MP and ex-Transport Minister Michael Wood won the byelection.
Rakesh Nauhria said his father’s first job in New Zealand was for Culter Hammer, a United States electrical control gear company.
“My father founded a charitable hospital in Dharamkot, Punjab, India, where he originated from, in 1997.”
The hospital was fully funded by his family to help poor people in the area. Babu Ram Das Nauhria Charitable Hospital is named after Rakesh Nauhria’s grandfather.
Roshan Nauhria also co-founded the Bharitya Mandir Indian Temple in Balmoral, Auckland in 1986 - Auckland’s first Hindu temple.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 24 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
