Switched On Group are leaders in kaimahi and customer care in the construction industry. 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.
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 maintenance, renovation and specialist interior projects, supporting government, commercial and private clients across Aotearoa.
Our Group is made up of several business units spanning social housing maintenance for government, home renovations for whānau, commercial upgrades and fit-outs for large organisations, and specialist interior solutions to support main contractors.
Our extensive network of Master Tradespeople and trade partners have a heart for their mahi and treat our customers like they would their own whānau. With pioneering project management technology and processes behind them, our teams are well-versed in delivering complex projects that tick all the boxes – and more!
As an Amotai Registered business, in partnership with Ngāti Toa Rangatira, people are at the centre of how we operate. We believe in forming long-lasting partnerships with local organisations to deliver projects for community benefit, from the far reaches of Tairāwhiti-Gisborne in the north, to Waitaha-Canterbury and the West Coast in the south.
Our whānau-focused team culture puts hauora first and we use our collective voice to take action on mental health and wellbeing issues in the construction industry. We leave every environment better than we found it, supporting whānau and hapori to thrive for generations to come.
You can rely on Switched On Group to not only deliver exceptional mahi, but to truly become a part of your team and community.
Kōrero mai: contact us to find out more about partnering with Switched On Group.
Our whānau
Switched On Group is 50% owned by the Ngāti Toa Rangatira Trust and 50% owned by members of the Hughes whānau. Our family and iwi values are aligned and act as the pou tokomanawa for our relationship.
Our gifted te reo Māori name: Kā te Rama
Switched On Group were formally gifted a te reo Māori name, Kā te Rama, by iwi partners Ngāti Toa Rangatira in November 2022.
Ngāti Toa Rangatira Pou Tikanga Dr Te Taku Parai and Tumu Whakarae Helmut Karewa Modlik led our Ōtautahi team through a ceremony to celebrate the taonga. They explained the significance of the whakatauākī (proverb) that Kā te Rama comes from, ‘ka oho te wairua’, as speaking 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.
Amotai Registered: whānau and iwi owned
Our whānau and iwi-owned construction group is leading the way in kaimahi and customer care. As an Amotai Registered business, in partnership with Ngāti Toa Rangatira, people are at the centre of how we operate.
Amotai is Aotearoa's supplier diversity intermediary, tasked with connecting Māori and Pasifika-owned businesses with buyers wanting to purchase goods, services and works. Amotai verifies Māori and Pasifika-owned businesses and holds a national database of Māori and Pasifika-owned businesses that are ready for work.
Supplier diversity is an important, inclusive and intentional business process that proactively supports businesses owned by indigenous peoples, women, and minority groups, as well as social enterprises.