We've had a growth spurt

Kwanto has welcomed four new additions to the team since the last update. Sarah Melville was appointed as an Executive Assistant to James White in August and you'll no doubt speak to her the next time you call the Auckland office.

Kenneth Swanson joined Kwanto as a Quantity Surveyor in the Tauranga office. Kenneth comes from a background in the property and construction industry, working in both the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Joining him in our Tauranga office is Stewart Simpson who started at Kwanto in October as a Quantity Surveyor.

And our latest addition to the team is Leila Bernal, who is based in the Auckland office as a Quantity Surveyor. Leila has extensive experience in the construction and industry in New Zealand and abroad. It's great having new faces around the offices and we hope that you will get to meet them shortly.

Expert witness seminar

At the end of July, Kwanto hosted an expert witness seminar, presented by Matthew Sherwood-King, a barrister based in Wellington.

The seminar "How am I going to be helpful to the decision maker?" was designed to discuss how presenters in our field will be helpful when they are asked to provide evidence at a settlement case.

Having regularly presented at seminars to newly qualified lawyers and instructing at the NZ branch of the College of Law, Matthew delivered a flawless presentation, providing useful insight from his vast experiences in litigation. His enthusiastic delivery and encapsulating approach added to the enjoyment of the day.

The seminar was attended by a cross section of industry professionals; from building surveyors, architects and quantity surveyors to lawyers and mediators. It was a Saturday well spent, with beneficial material and experiences being shared throughout the interactive seminar.

We are planning another seminar for early 2012 that will summarise and extend on this seminar. Please contact nalika@kwanto.co.nz if you are interested in attending.

Happy birthday to Kwanto!

Kwanto celebrated its 5^th anniversary in style on 1^st November. The offices were shut and the team were whisked away for a day of activities on Waiheke Island. The morning was spent reflecting and discussing Kwanto's achievement to date and looking forward to our future.

Our growth has been nothing short of hard work, determination and enthusiasm by James and Maria, who started out with a vision to create a customer focused QS firm, providing quality services and expertise to our valued clientele. The team we are today and the clients we engage with are a true testament to this vision.

After a delightful lunch, the competition began, with a classic boys versus girls' setup. We enjoyed an afternoon of archery and laser claybird shooting and not even the rain could dampen our spirits.  The skill of aiming didn't appear to be everyone's forte, with the boys taking it out at the end of the day.

We had a fantastic day of celebrations and many laughs were shared, with thanks to Wild on Waiheke for the well organised day.

It's been an exceptional journey so far, but rest assured, it's only just the beginning.