The Story of Civilshare

A platform created from sheer frustration, CivilShare is the product of two brothers whose different backgrounds brought them together to solve a problem.

 

Regan Burke spent years on the tools watching building materials sent to landfill. No way to sell, reuse or redistribute, this did not seem like the right solution to an overwhelming industry issue in New Zealand. In addition to wasted materials, working in an industry that operates on tight budgets, tight margins and tight timelines were more cause for vexation.

 

Constantly under the pump, problems faced as an industry were most definitely multidimensional; additional infrastructure and housing urgently needed, a shortage of labour, strain on resources and generally being time poor. As a collective, there was a need to make better use of the resources available to everyone. Too frequently equipment lies idle or material is wasted or unused. There’s not only a financial cost to all this, but environmental issues also massively come into play.

 

In an industry predominantly run by the baby boomer generation, technology was noticeably lacking and the gap in the market for a tool to benefit everyone was clear. Regan had an idea, but how to produce a solution that generated value for everyone? Teaming up with his brother Mike, a background in business consulting and tech, the foundations of CivilShare were laid.

 

Plenty can be said about the potential dangers of starting a business with family, however Regan knew that his older brother and him had the skills requisite for creating something special. Regan, forever an ideas man passionate about making change, was perfectly balanced by Mike’s experience in business coaching, lending itself to the propulsion of CivilShare and helping to grow the business.

 

Regan and Mike wanted to help the industry share resources side by side with knowledge; to do that alongside saving businesses money, bringing communities together and reducing C&D’s impact on the environment seemed like a no-brainer. But, where to start?

 

Arguably one of the most crucial pieces of the journey became extensive R&D into the pain points of the construction community as whole; finding the right elements and experiences that users would find the most valuable. Regan spent the better part of a year interviewing many in the industry, from CCNZ to construction owners and workers alike. Finding the shortfalls and potential solutions that would remove issues or propel opportunities. Regan, again with a never ending supply of ideas, had hundreds of options and features for the industry. But what ONE would benefit construction the most was the million dollar question.

 

These were the humble beginnings of where CivilShare is today. An incredible journey with plenty of ups and downs and invaluable learnings, many of which we can’t wait to share with you as we give you an insight into the CivilShare story.

 

Come back soon for more as we take a deeper dive into the creation of CivilShare and share some stories from our journey to date. For now, keep up to date with our journey on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.