The birth of kitset housing – how it all began
Building has always been at the heart of the McRae family. It all started with the ‘A Frame’.
It was the insight, aptitude and courage of our founder Ian McRae’s pioneering spirit that lead him to develop production-line ‘precut framing’ and ‘kitset housing’ systems that made building a new home more achievable for many New Zealand families, creating a form of delivery and construction which had not previously been available in any structured form.
Sadly Ian McRae passed away in 1992, however his philosophy of careful preparation, planning, and calculated risk runs deep in the culture and beliefs of the company today.
The company remains in the McRae family, with Ian’s daughter Raewyn Bell - Sales Manager and Director.
Fellow Director and General Manager Matt Tipa joined the company in 1994, having been involved in the Building Industry for over 30 years, in construction, project management, QS, architectural design, company management, research & development.
The company’s third director is Ron Joll, who joined McRaeway Homes in 2004 as financial controller and also has a degree in information science.
We have continued to evolve over the past forty five years, continually adapting and leading change, making us recipients of many awards for our stylish homes and innovative processes.
Today, we retain our strong values to provide best quality and value homes to heartland New Zealanders, bringing together the very best from the past with the technology and contemporary designs of today, to deliver a unique and streamlined building experience.
With over 6,500 families living in McRaeway homes, and a current portfolio of more than 50 standard house designs, McRaeway dispatches up to 20 houses per month from our Timaru production plant to destinations throughout the country. |