A "SEAMLESS" operation, is how site manager Terry Stephens described the construction process of Masters Taree.
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Terry and his Mainbrace team completed the building ahead of schedule, with the help of predominantly local contractors who he praised for their professionalism, work ethic and attention to detail.
"I can't praise the locals enough, everyone here has been fantastic, I'm ecstatic," said Terry ahead of Friday's official site handover to Masters.
"The weather has been great and the quality of what we've done, it's just first rate."
The Taree store is the first Masters on the Mid North Coast and according to feedback and conversations Terry has had with Masters consultants, the 12,000 square metre building is their best yet. "By all reports it's the cleanest, the most consistent, the quality of the finish, there's been lots of praise so I'm stoked," beamed Terry.
The Taree store is Mainbrace's 15th Masters project, while they've completed about 130 projects for Woolworths in the last 25 years.
Masters Taree construction began on June 26 last year and will be officially handed over this Friday, March 14 and Terry also had praise for Greater Taree City Council.
"We've had no hiccups, they've been really helpful throughout the whole process," Terry added.
On average the operation has seen between 40 and 50 men on site each day, a large operation for Terry to co-ordinate, but he says it's "all about planning".
"I consult with everyone all the time, I'm constantly going around talking to the different areas and finding out where everyone's at, so we all have the same goals and we're on the same page," he said.
Mainbrace has offices in Sydney, Brisbane and Scotts Head and they're fast establishing themselves as the premier retail construction company on the east coast, with plans to take on more projects Australia wide.
The last part of the project is the beautification and finishing touches to the outside of the building, including landscaping around the site and the execution of the roundabout on Manning River Drive.
"We're really happy with how that's progressed so far because I know locals were dubious about what the construction would mean in traffic delays, but it's been pretty good," explained Terry.
"We've committed to maintaining the two lanes of traffic throughout the entirety of the roundabout construction so that there's a minimal impact on traffic, other than the speed decrease."
Masters will then send in their team to do the fitouts and stocking, before the official opening of the business expected in the next couple of months.