WeMix Concrete owner and managing director Mike Seatter said his new plant at the Powers Pit Quarry in Hāwea Flat would fit in well with existing suppliers Firth Concrete and Allied Concrete, who had struggled to keep up with Wānaka’s rapid transition from rural to urban.
"The two other guys, they just don’t have the capacity to meet demand."
WeMix bought the mobile plant from a company in Christchurch, and it had a history which included aiding the construction of a freezing works in the North Island and remedial work following the Kaikoura earthquake, he said.
The plant took about a day and a-half to set up when it arrived last month, and was capable of producing up to 100cu m of cement per day, enough to fill about 20 cement trucks.
WeMix had four trucks ready to service an area stretching from Glendhu Bay to Luggate, including a smaller 2.5cu m mini mixer for jobs in locations inaccessible to larger vehicles.
Mr Seatter said he had founded WeMix in Whakatāne two years ago as a response to the challenges his existing building firm faced sourcing concrete.
He said demand for WeMix’s services there had taken off, so much so that he made the decision to open a similar operation in Wānaka that same year.
In the few weeks since the plant had become operational, Mr Seatter said the response from local clients had been "really positive".
"There’s been high demand. I think everyone’s been getting in behind that whole ‘keep it local’ brand."
He said in order to manage demand and be as accessible as possible, WeMix would operate from Monday to Saturday.
The company was also about to launch its own app, which would allow clients to book deliveries online.
Mr Seatter said the company’s focus on supporting the local construction industry included employing staff based in Wānaka and sourcing cement ingredients from Central Otago suppliers where possible.
"We try to keep it local so we buy aggregate out of this quarry here, and we buy out of Parkburn, which is in Cromwell."
As for why Mr Seatter settled on Wānaka as the place to expand his business, his answer was one that will resonate with many.
"I’ve been holidaying down here for years. I’ve always loved Wānaka, it's kind of my backyard really."
