The ID Loader family business - A legacy of excellence in Whanganui

Celebrating its 70th this year, ID Loader Ltd is a proud testament to what dedication, passion, and family values can achieve. Based in the quaint region of Whanganui, it’s a civil contracting company that has evolved from rather humble beginnings. Despite its evident growth, its third generation owners, cousins Justin and Hayden Loader, have created a vibrant modern business while retaining its core ‘close-knit’ integrity – and that’s why they are Southpac legends.

The story of ID Loader began in 1954 when Ian Douglas Loader, the founder, and grandfather to both Justin and Hayden, made a bold decision to invest in a brand-new bulldozer, a move met with scepticism from many who believed it was too ambitious. However, Ian’s determination and skill quickly proved doubters wrong, laying the foundation for what would become a flourishing family business. Over the years, the operation expanded, and today, ID Loader employs over 60 staff. 

“Grandad bought the bulldozer brand new, and everyone gave him a bit of grief saying, ‘you can’t buy brand new with your first machine’. But he obviously proved them all wrong.” says Justin.

Not only was the bulldozer investment a big deal financially but Justin says that it was a lifestyle change too, with a lot of work requiring travelling out of town.

“Even for our fathers, a majority of their working life was away from Whanganui, chasing work,” recalls Justin. “We’ve probably been a bit luckier that there’s currently enough work for what we do in Whanganui. So, we’ve sized ourselves to stay close to the region and close to home.”

In terms of succession, the second Generation Loaders comprised of Hayden’s father, Ian Loader (Jnr), Justin’s father Allan Loader, their uncle Perry Loader and (in-law) Allan Chapman. 

With such a family lineage in the business, it’s easy to say that Hayden and Justin becoming involved was inevitable, however, it’s quite the opposite. 

“I guess I probably got a little bit of a passion for what we do as a child, I really enjoyed coming to work with dad and playing on the gear. I had always planned to be a mechanic, but  thought it would be outside of the family business,” Justin says. “However, as time went on, I guess it was simpler to get a job in Loaders than somewhere else,” he smiles.

Justin started at the very bottom, as a labourer, and has worked his way to the very top. “I’m happy that I’ve been able to do that. I guess I can relate to the guys a little bit better because of it,” Justin says.

Hayden’s route was somewhat different. 

“I was involved, like we all were, as kids. You know, school holidays, working as a lollipop person, and a little bit of labouring here and there. But I went to Uni and did a business degree, and had my sights set on big-town or big-city living.” says Hayden.

So, he moved to Wellington and worked in office environments for eight years. From there, he started his own family and the appeal of being close to home with extended family won out.

“There was an opportunity within the company, so I started in a contracts management role, in the office. So, I skipped the trenches,” says Hayden.

“Well, played,” Justin jokes.

Though, Hayden does believe that jumping straight into the office does come with some negatives around day-to-day ‘ground level relatability’, but the pair appear to have all bases covered between them.

It was around five years ago that Justin and Hayden took the reins of the company, and although it was already in good shape, they have set about structuring it further, pulling it more from being a general family business, to more of a true business. 

“The family has its perks, but also has negatives. So, we’ve sort of tried to separate that a little bit more and create a modern business.” says Hayden. “We definitely still have family values within our business, but we push the business values as well.”

Justin agrees, “that’s probably part of why we put in a GM, to have cut and dry expectations. It’s easy to push those against someone who’s not a family member to be honest.”

They both say that by having a GM releases them more too, allowing them to be able to see what’s going on outside of sitting in an office. 

As the building industry introduces new environmental regulations and health and safety standards, Loaders Civil has adapted to meet these challenges head-on. They have incorporated a range of technological advancements in their operations, utilising GPS technology in earthmoving equipment and tracking systems for efficiency and compliance. This commitment to modern techniques doesn’t come at the cost of their dedication to quality; they pride themselves on maintaining their machinery and ensuring that each job meets the highest standards.

“We’re right into technology.” says Justin. “And we keep our gear immaculate. So, we spend a lot of money painting, polishing, and tidying. We try to keep to top brands too, so obviously Southpac, with Kenworth trucks.”

Justin adds that their kit has a lot of technology in it. They use e-road for tracking and GPS with their diggers. “We can program a site into it, so no tape measures anymore. The digger knows it all.” 

Not only has the gear changed since Loaders began 70-years ago, but so too has the business landscape, with more environmental issues, health and safety, and traffic management, has meant that there have been extra challenges that have come along. 

“There’s people inside our business now that would never have existed in our grandfather’s day,” says Hayden. “Compliance Manager, Health Safety Manager, Quality and all that sort of stuff that you have to have now to prove that you’re doing things well.”

Justin agrees, “And obviously, with compliance and accreditations, the clients want to see that you can do all this stuff, and then you have to be audited. And so, there’s a whole range of things now that never existed, that it’s just part of the game now.”

He continues, “if granddad was to come back today, he’d hardly know the place to be honest. It used to be about digging holes, but now it’s about talking about how you’re going to dig a hole and why, and what you’re going to protect to do it, and all that sort of stuff. So, it’s quite different.” 

Along with being the local go-to civil contracting firm, Loaders have also been involved in some huge projects, one of their proudest being a retaining wall at SH4 in Wanganui. It was a joint venture type setup with Higgins and Emmett civil, a multi-million dollar project with 100-tonne cranes. 

“Probably one of the best aspects of it was being involved from the very start of the project.” says Hayden. “NZTA allowed us, [Higgins and Emmett’s, the concrete panel suppliers], to get in a room with the designers. To be involved in a project from the beginning, and actually sort any issues before we even got on the ground, was pretty cool.”

By its geographical location and size, staffing in a town like Wanganui could be a headache, however, Loader’s workforce also reflects its values, with many long-term employees, some of which having their own family members involved too. This creates a tight-knit company culture reminiscent of the family dynamic that has been foundational from the start. The Loaders recognise that happy staff contribute to exceptional work, and thus prioritise creating a workplace that views employees as integral to the business, not just as numbers.

So, what of the future for Loaders, the answer to that is still somewhat fluid, with the next-gen Loaders yet to jump on board, although Justin reminds us that ‘he never thought he would work there’.  In the meantime, both Hayden and Justin recognise that while they may not pursuing ‘global domination’, it’s their commitment to being the top civil contractor in Whanganui that drives their strategic direction. 

As a final note, when it comes to their spare time, Justin and Hayden’s families are deeply integrated into their lives, frequently spending quality time together and enjoying outdoor activities that strengthen their bonds. Whether fishing in Taupo or participating in local community events, the Loaders continue to uphold the values instilled in them by their grandfather: loyalty to family, dedication to quality work, and a commitment to the community.

The pair end by saying, “we enjoy being home each night, so we guess that limits what we are. We’re never going to take over the world if we’re not willing to travel to do it, but I think we just maintain being one of, if not the, best contractors we know and keep enjoying having staff working for us. Doing jobs locally and being proud of what we’ve done.”