John Lawson joined Donovan Group with a passion for enabling better efficiencies within the construction industry. As part of the DonoBrace development team, John worked extensively with customers to ensure that the product was not only a clever piece of engineering, but was also simpler to use, design and install.  

Optimising costs for structural projects is two-pronged. The first priority is to minimise material usage and improve product efficiency. The second is to simplify construction processes to reduce the time, labour, and transportation required to get products installed. 

Creating steel buildings structures with up to 40% less embodied carbon is a phenomenal achievement, and one that Donovan Group is proud to own. We talked with Director Gavin Tonnet to understand more about how Donovan Group has worked with Building 4.0 and Monash University to verify this figure, the carbon journey so far, and his huge optimism for the future.

KiwiSpan designs, supplies and builds high-quality steel-frames for rural, lifestyle, commercial and industrial sheds and buildings.  They have been building quality steel sheds since 2003 and have licensees based all over New Zealand.

DonoBrace is a tension-only rod bracing system designed to make on-site installation easier and more efficient.  

It’s now more than twelve months since Matt Woodley was appointed to the role of Chief Executive of Donovan Group, charged with bringing formalised structure to the vision of Donovan Group’s directors.

Being from a small country lends Donovan Group an important advantage in the American construction industry: its products are developed and refined in what is possibly the perfect prototype market, right here in New Zealand.

For most of the year the Donovan Group team is getting on with the mahi: The hard work involved in technical development, manufacturing, design, marketing and sales – and all the myriad aspects of business operations.

Warren Dingle is National Sales Manager for Modern Building Product – the arm of Donovan Group selling New Zealand designed construction products direct to industry. A one-man powerhouse of customer service excellence.

Before joining Donovan Group, Kerry McCollum worked on engineering projects in the USA, Australia, and many areas around the world. With a mind for detail and engineering excellence, Kerry supported the DonoBrace team in developing the high capacity tension-only rod bracing system.

Efficiency means nothing if a product isn’t also predictable and up to code. DonoBrace has undergone rigorous independent testing to ensure that it performs to the same high standard – every time.   

Donovan Group has welcomed a highly experienced new General Manager - NZ Operations, Fraser Haldane, to its team supporting the company ahead of a period of substantial growth across the teams involved in design, manufacturing, and distribution.