From dining table discussions to Ground Level Contracting - Alannah Moeke-Smith

Hutia te rito o te harakeke, kei whea ra koe te komako māku e ki atu.

Ko wai koe?

Ko Kahuranaki, ko Te Tahu o Te Hao ngā maunga.

Ko Ngaruroro, ko Maringi-a-wai ngā awa.

Ko Takitimu, ko Mātaatua ngā waka.

Ko Kohupatiki, ko Papakainga ngā marae.

Ko Ngāti Kahungunu, ko Ngāi Tūhoe ngā iwi

Ko Ngāti Toa Harapaki, ko Ngāti Koura ngā hapū.

Ko Alannah Moeke-Smith tōku ingoa.

He Māmā ahau, tokotoru ōku tamariki.

He whaiaipo anō ahau.

E noho ana au me tōku whānau ki Pāharakeke.

I was raised in a small town called Whakatu, where my parents built our family homestead back in the late 80s. I was brought up in a home of Te Āo Maori, Master carvers, Kai Gatherers and raised by a whānau living sustainably off the whenua.

I kuraina ahau ki Hukarere Māori Girls College, I then became a Mum at the age of 16. I was navigating my way through life as a young Māmā, trying to grow up at the same time. Life has taught me many lessons.

He aha to pakihi?

Like most pakihi, ours started as a discussion around the dinning room table with my whānau and tamariki. Our whānau have 10+ years experience in Civil Construction, Traffic Management and Roading Infrastructure. With the right guidance and business support through Tipu Ake Tonu, we were able to put a plan together and Ground-Level Contracting was born.

We are a Māori owned business in Pāharakeke, specialising in Civil Construction and Concrete Services. We are a small team that each brings a unique set of skills and qualities to the table.

The whakaaro behind the name Ground-Level resonated with my home. Everything starts from the ground up; without a solid foundation, there's no structure. We faced many challenges throughout the start-up process of our business. We were amid a pandemic; I was taking care of my dying father and holding it down for my own whānau too. That didn’t hold me back from pursuing my goals and aspirations. I continued to hustle and work my ass off, spending my late nights studying, planning, networking, and finally reaching a position where we could establish our pakihi.

The yellow symbol on our logo represents my three sons, who will have a legacy for their future.

How has Tipu Ake Tonu supported your business?

Tipu Ake Tonu guided me through the development of my pakihi. The Kurawaka programme taught me about myself and how important it is to take care of your taha wairua and taha hinengaro as a business owner. I completed Kurawaka as a Māori business owner, with a completed business plan and a kete full of mātauranga.

What have been your business highlights so far?

Our biggest highlight so far is being able to give back to the community and doing mahi repairing and restoring our Kōhanga Reo, and assisting with mahi in our local marae and kaumātua homes.

This year has taught us about growth, learning and continuous strategic planning.

What are your future aspirations for your pakihi?

My future vision is to provide additional business streams, including industry-based training opportunities, employment and career pathways for our whānau and the betterment of our hapū and iwi.

He aha te mea nui o tēnei ao? Māku e ki atu he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.