About Us

Kā te Rama Switched On Group are national leaders in the New Zealand building and facilities management and maintenance industries. Our whānau and iwi-owned group exists to enhance environments for whānau, businesses and communities across Aotearoa, delivering projects that make a lasting impact for clients, families and local hapori.

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The Kā te Rama Switched On Group story

Born out of the humble wardrobe-office of founders the Hughes family in 1983, we’ve grown from grass-roots local tradies to experts in large-scale facilities management and maintenance, fit-outs, refurbishments and new-builds.

We now support government, commercial and private clients across Aotearoa, spanning housing providers, the education sector, retail and services brands, and much more.

What sets us apart is our ability to service the big and small jobs nationwide, utilising our national network of businesses and Master tradespeople and partners. We believe in treating every customer the way we would our own whānau.

As an Amotai Registered business, in partnership with Ngāti Toa Rangatira, people, families and communities are at the centre of our projects. Whether it’s servicing a heat pump to keep whānau warm, refreshing the exterior of our local kura, developing new whare, or keeping an airport humming behind the scenes, our teams provide personalised, local service.

From the far reaches of Tairāwhiti-Gisborne in the north, to Waitaha-Canterbury and the West Coast in the south, we are proud to leave every environment better than we found it, supporting whānau and hapori to thrive for generations to come. 

To find out more about working together, kōrero mai: contact us.

Our whānau

Kā te Rama Switched On Group is majority owned by Te Rūnanga O Toa Rangatira Incorporated and members of the Hughes whānau. Our family and iwi values are aligned and act as the poutokomanawa for our relationship.

Our businesses include:

  • Switched On Building Solutions: Commercial and residential construction: fit-outs, refurbishments and new builds
  • Switched On Facilities Management: national reactive and planned facilities maintenance delivery for housing providers, the education sector, and retail and services brands
  • Switched On Housing: Kāinga Ora Te Mahi Ngātahi Maintenance Partner
  • PAE New Zealand: National commercial facilities and asset management specialists
  • Hush Interiors: suspended ceiling and interiors specialists
  • Renovate IT: specialist home renovations

Our gifted te reo Māori name: Kā te Rama

Our Group was formally gifted a te reo Māori name, Kā te Rama, by iwi partners Ngāti Toa Rangatira in November 2022. The whakatauākī (proverb) that Kā te Rama comes from, ‘ka oho te wairua’, speaks to wellbeing and the importance of people, which are key values that our Group shares with the iwi. Kā te Rama literally translates to ‘the light burns’ and has a strong correlation to the metaphor ‘Switched On’. The name signifies the strengthening of our partnership and lays a foundation for our shared history going forward as we work to scale our impact in communities across Aotearoa.

Ka oho te wairua 
when the spirit is awakened 
ka mataara te tinana 
when the body is alert 
he aroha ki te aroha 
when love is unconditional 
ka kā te rama 
enlightenment flows

Above is our guiding whakatauākī, gifted by iwi partners Ngāti Toa Rangatira.

Amotai Registered: whānau and iwi owned

Amotai verifies Māori and Pasifika-owned businesses and maintains a national member database, supporting supplier diversity in Aotearoa. 

Watch the video below to learn more about our iwi-ownership and our gifted Group name Kā te Rama.