Robin Singh — ARCA Agriculture, Taupiri

Robin Singh runs ARCA Agriculture from his family's fifth-generation property on the outskirts of Hamilton. What started as a practical decision during Covid has grown into a thriving ag contracting business - and with it, a fleet of machinery that needed proper protection. The old open-fronted sheds weren't cutting it. Implements were left exposed to the weather, there was no space to service anything, and then a possum got into the baler.

"It took us an hour to get it out of there, and it had caused damage to the wiring. That was an expensive lesson."

That was the final straw.

Robin contacted around ten shed companies before settling on Alpine. The difference was clear from the first conversation.

"I never felt pressured into anything. It was more about them listening to what I actually needed the shed to do."

That no-pressure approach carried through the entire process — from quoting to consent to build. Alpine handled the council consent end-to-end, kept communication tight, and when issues came up, sorted them quickly.

"Whatever I said to them, they basically just knew in their mind what I wanted — so they helped me adjust where we needed."

Robin had a clear brief. This wasn't about building the biggest shed possible - it was about building the right one.

Size, Height and Depth. The shed needed to handle the current fleet and leave room to grow. After eight design iterations, they landed on 24m wide x 30m long, to comfortably store two machines front-to-back.

"The extra depth future-proofs us."

Clearspan Design. Full flexibility to park, manoeuvre, and work without obstacles.

"It makes everything more user-friendly - you're not trying to work around poles or awkward spaces."

Timber Framing with Steel Rafters. Everything else on the property is timber, and Robin wanted the shed to match. Quieter in the rain, easier to fit out with shelving and wiring later. The heavy-duty, hot-dip galvanised structural steel rafters were another level again.

"Even lifting the rafters during the build, you could see how solid they were."

Motorised Doors. Three 5.5m-high remote-controlled doors.

"I didn't realise how handy it would be just pressing once and having the doors open automatically while you're driving machinery in."

Bird-proof Rafters. Alpine's enclosed rafter system eliminates nesting spaces.

"It's one of those things you don't necessarily think about at first, but it makes a massive difference once the shed is in use."

The shed was up, and concrete was poured in 17 days - a credit to TC Shed Builders, who specialise in Alpine builds. The entire contracting fleet is now under cover, organised and ready. There's a clean workspace for servicing, extensive lighting that turns night into day, and room at the back earmarked for racking, shelving and a full workshop setup.

"It gives us flexibility - when the weather's right, we can go. Everything's organised, protected and ready."

This is more than storage. It's a shed built to serve ARCA Agriculture for decades. "It's definitely futureproofed us. You walk in here now, and you know everything's got its place. We're ready for whatever comes next."