Moving houses runs in his blood

To say Neil Johnson was born to the house removal industry isn't over stating the facts.
In 1947, his mother gave birth to Neil in his father's brand new Chev house removal truck.
"I was two months premature and weighed two and a half pounds and for the first 30 days was kept in a hand-pumped oxygen tent at Waikato Hospital," said Neil, who today with wife Sue owns and operates Bay of Plenty House Removals in Tauranga.
The son of Hazel and Bert Johnson, Neil was born into a family with a tradition in house moving.
His maternal grandfather, George Jack, pioneered shifting houses in Hamilton as early as 1896.
Bert Johnson didn't want his son to follow immediately in his footsteps and encouraged Neil to complete a plumbing apprenticeship before eventually joining the family firm.
"When Pop Jack retired he sold half the business to my father and half to his son, Vic," said Neil.
So two new house removal business were formed, Jacks House Transit and Johnson House removals.
During his time working with his brother Graham, Neil helped move houses from the Waikato to the rapidly expanding town of Turangi, providing accommodation for those working on the Tongariro power scheme.
"We worked up to 90 hours a week, moving each house then heading back to get the next one," Neil recalls.
In 1989 Neil operated and managed Johnsons Home Removals Tauranga branch for his brother, then in 1993 Neil and two partners founded Bay of Plenty House Removals.
In 2001, Neil became to sole owner of the company.
Today the company moves about 150 buildings a year, plus the occasional boat. The challenges of the industry haven't lost their appeal for Neil.
"It's in my blood I guess. It's the trucks, the technology we have and working with people and helping them realise their dreams of moving and re-locating their homes, and solving the challenges - each job is different," said Neil.
House removal has come a long way from his grandfather's time when houses were moved by traction engine and draft horses.
Bay of Plenty House Removals has hi-tech, and highly expensive purpose-built trailers.
Tidd Ross Todd (TRT) of Hamilton built the company's high lift house removal trailers, one being three axle by two axle steer and the other 'walks' sideways, making working in confined spaces easier. Both trailers 'trombone' up to 21m in length.
The trailers are towed by one of two Western Star 550hp trucks, painted in the company's green and white livery.
"We take a pride in the appearance and maintenance of our vehicles and machinery. It's part of our professional approach to everything we do," said Neil.
That approach is also born out in the slogan on the removal trailers 'Success is doing it right the first time and every time', the philosophy which underlies Neil and his team's approach to their work.
"Many people may work as hard, but no one works harder than house removers," said Neil.
They work long hours, often through the night, sometimes in appalling weather, which turns even flat sites to muddy slush, always mindful they have in their care someone's home, or office, school building, wool shed, hay barn or boat which must be delivered and installed safely.
"Safety is paramount in our work because it has the potential to be dangerous.
"We stress safety all the time and our staff have to know each other's jobs and be watching out for each other all the time," said Neil, who also takes the safety of the buildings being transported very seriously.
"We have a very good reputation for doing an excellent job."
Neil credits much of the company's good reputation and its bursting files of 'thank you' letter to his transport manager Neville Hammond who has been with the company for 16 years, foreman John Callender, eight years with the business and Paul Copeland, the yard foreman.
"It's not easy to find good house removal people because it is hard work but we have a great team."
The company will move buildings from the Bay of Plenty to other parts of the country, and vice versa.
Bay of Plenty House Removals has its own certified pilots and pilot vehicles for escorting houses, plus a wealth of experience in working with the many authorities involved in the transport and removal or re-location of a building.
The company also buys and sells buildings for removal and will carry out demolition jobs and earthworks.