Alastair Kalin — Kalin Contracting, Hawera

Kalin Contracting has been running agricultural services out of South Taranaki since 1961, when Alastair's grandfather Alf started with a Massey Ferguson 65 and a square baler. Three generations on (Alf, then Paul, now Alastair alongside wife Louise), the business has grown steadily over time.

That growth has resulted in more machinery, and more expensive machinery, than the operation has had in the past. Leaving gear exposed in Taranaki's corrosive coastal conditions wasn't an option - it would only cost more in the long run.

Alastair had been considering the idea of an Alpine shed for many years before committing and now says his only regret is “not doing it sooner.”

Alastair came across Alpine through research and seeing them at the National Fieldays.

"Dealing with Alpine was a walk in the park. The design phase is very inclusive; you get exactly what you want, plus they're very flexible and think outside the box."

That extended to the quality of the build itself. For a shed that needed to endure a harsh coastal environment and last for the generations to come, that mattered.

"This shed's not just for me, it's for the next generation. Gear has become so expensive that leaving it outside in corrosive coastal Taranaki is not an option."

Alastair had a specific brief, shaped by decades of family experience and a clear eye on what the business would need in the future, not just right now.

Futureproofing. The 18m x 28.8m clearspan shed was a future-proofed design, giving the business flexibility if the use or machinery size, quantity, or requirements change over time.

“This shed's not just for me; it's for the next generation.”

Clearspan Design.  No internal columns to work around, just an open span that makes storing, manoeuvring and maintaining machinery straightforward and safer.

"The clearspan was needed to utilise the workshop space… clearspan gives us plenty of room, very easy to work with.” 

 Bird-proof   Rafters.  The design had to be bird-proof, which is where Alpine's bird-proof rafter system really delivered.

"When they said 'birdproof' they meant it, not a starling, sparrow or magpie in sight." 

 Design Flexibility.  Originally, Alastair wanted 2 open bays on one end. Halfway through the process, he decided to add cladding to these bays and make them fully enclosed instead. Alpine adjusted without missing a beat.

"Thankfully, making this change wasn't a drama for the Alpine team, who got straight on the job accommodating all changes. The finished product bears no evidence of my indecision."

The shed arrived as one complete, well-organised kitset on one truckload, and the build itself went smoothly from there with good communication throughout. What Kalin Contracting now have is a purpose-built shed that protects the fleet from harsh coastal elements and sets the business up for future growth.

"The free span was really for that workshop space utilisation. We looked at a lot of different sheds, spent quite several years thinking about what we were going to do. But it was around the materials, the clearspan, and the use of the space really — that was key in our decision-making."

"Having a purpose-built, reliable and spacious base makes all the difference. I can expand, adapt, and keep everything in one place. It gives me options, and in farming and contracting, options are king."

Sixty-plus years after Alf started out with a couple of square balers, the business is now in its third generation - and continuing to grow. This shed isn't just storage for today’s needs; it's built for the generations who run Kalin Contracting next.