Leading the concrete industry by example
Wallen Concreting is an award-winning family business that has been in the concreting industry for 38 years. We spoke to Director and family member, Jodie Wallen, about her family’s experience in the industry and their future plans for the business.
“My husband Martial, 53, comes from a family of concreters. He was working on site with his father in the mornings before school, and at the age of 15, he decided to move into the concrete industry full-time. He was confident in his choice, and it turned out to be a move he hasn’t ever regretted.”
Martial worked for his parent’s business for several years before meeting Jodie. When the time was right, Martial and Jodie went out on their own. Fast forward to today, and Wallen Concreting is a leader in its field with a number of staff.
It undertakes both residential and commercial projects, using exposed, coloured, ordinary, and permeable concrete. Projects include driveways, concrete floors, pools, factory floors, entranceways, patios, stairs and more.
“We are lucky that two of our three sons and their partners now work for the business. When our sons were young, they used to come on jobs with us and since then have developed a passion for our craft. While working with your family can occasionally have its challenges, we wouldn’t change it for the world.”
The Wallen Concreting team have won a number of awards. At the 2019 NZ Concreting Contractors Association Awards, the business received the Best Residential Concrete Award and a Highly Commended in the Commercial category.
The same year, Jodie took home a Highly Commended in the Tradeswoman of the Year category at the National Association of Woman in the Construction Awards, while son Jake won a BCITO Concrete Placing and Finishing Scholarship.
“We are really proud of our achievements and how our family are progressing through the business. Our son Jake, 24, is now a shareholder in the business and is taking on more of the work and with the help of Sam and other staff, they are now taking on larger roles in controlling the business. It has allowed Martial and I to take a small step back, to do more administration and business development. We also have more spare time now, as we rarely had time to go on holiday in the past!”
We are proud to have a family legacy of concrete layers to take our business into the future and be able to do an honest and reliable job for our customers.
Aotearoa New Zealand wants more people from all backgrounds to consider a career in the trades. To learn more, head to https://bcito.org.nz/apprentices/.
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