Driving toward a sustainable future

Maycroft Construction is a key player in New Zealand’s construction landscape. Their services span every stage of the building process – from design conception to project completion.

Established in 1954, the business has a well-earned reputation based on the values of integrity, trust, and a commitment to quality. When Maycroft works with other businesses, they carefully choose those who honour the same values. So when they recently decided to begin the transition toward a hybrid-based fleet of vehicles, it was an obvious choice to partner with Brendan Foot Supersite.

We caught up with Maycroft’s Chief Financial Officer, Bruce Jensen, to find out more about why they chose Brendan Foot Supersite to help them go greener.

A better way forward

With branches in Palmerston North and Wellington and a team of over 150 staff, Maycroft Construction is kept busy servicing the lower North Island. Their long-standing clients include government departments, as well as the health, education, housing, and retail sectors. 

That means the team is constantly on the go. It also means a hefty fuel bill and a sizeable carbon footprint. As Bruce explains, there were obvious reasons for wanting to minimise both.

“Given the constant movement of our team across projects, fuel costs were mounting, and so was our carbon footprint. We wanted to address both for the future of our business and the planet,” he says.

Shifting gears – a hybrid approach

Because most materials were now delivered to their sites, Maycroft had a reduced need to pick up supplies in utes and vans. That meant the business could make the shift from a predominantly ute-based fleet to more versatile SUVs and cars.

However, because staff often travel long distances without always having access to a charging unit at construction sites, a shift toward Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV), rather than fully electric vehicles, emerged as a key strategy in transitioning from an internal combustion engine (ICE) fleet.

Bruce turned to Brendan Foot Supersite to help find the best option. “Brendan Foot has been around for a long time. Like us, they’re community-minded and well-respected within the area,” he says.

Bruce explains that Brendan Foot’s outcome-driven approach, commitment to customer service, and trusted standing within the community align well with Maycroft’s values.

“We deal mainly with Fleet Sales Manager, Gary Calcott,” says Bruce. “Gary is the type of guy you can actually build a trusted relationship with. He took the time to learn about our business and know what our requirements were.

“He’s not only incredibly responsive – something we really value – but also proactive in terms of finding the best options for us. And there’s never a hard sell or any desire to try and sell us something that doesn’t fit our needs.”

Bruce explains that another key benefit of their relationship with Brendan Foot Supersite is the access to their vast knowledge of what’s available product-wise. “Because they’re not tied to just a single brand, we can trust they’ll look at multiple options and find the one that’s best for us.”

Reaping the rewards

The Mitsubishi Outlander and Eclipse plug-in hybrid models Maycroft purchased from Brendan Foot have proven economical in every sense. Bruce says they cost around half as much to run as smaller hybrids Maycroft has used in the past.

As well as cost savings, Brendan Foot Supersite is helping Maycroft save time and hassle with their pre-paid service plan. “It makes life a whole lot easier when it comes to vehicle maintenance,” Bruce says. “When it’s service time, our drivers can just book in the vehicles and get it done. We know it’s already paid for in advance so they don’t need to worry about spending time sorting that side of things.”

For Maycroft Construction, partnering with Brendan Foot Supersite isn’t just about sourcing vehicles. “When it comes to doing the best for your business and your clients, it’s essential to build relationships with people you trust. We have that with Brendan Foot Supersite and we can highly recommend them to any other organisation looking for a good product range and good service.”

Ready to cut your fuel costs – and your carbon footprint? Contact the fleet team at Brendan Foot Supersite to get started.