Kā te Rama Switched On Group are leaders in the New Zealand building and maintenance industry. Our whānau and iwi-owned group exists to enhance environments for whānau, businesses and communities across Aotearoa, delivering projects that make a lasting impact for clients, families and local hapori.
Born out of the humble wardrobe-office of founders the Hughes family in 1983, we’ve grown from grass-roots local tradies to experts in large-scale maintenance, fit-outs, refurbishments and new-builds.
We now support government, commercial and private clients across Aotearoa, spanning housing providers, the education sector, retail and services brands, and more.
What sets us apart is our ability to service the big and small jobs nationwide, utilising our national network of Master tradespeople and partners. We believe in treating every customer the way we would our own whānau.
As an Amotai Registered business, in partnership with Ngāti Toa Rangatira, people, families and communities are at the centre of our projects. Whether it’s servicing a heat pump to keep whānau warm, refreshing the exterior of our local kura, developing new whare, or keeping an airport humming behind the scenes, our teams provide personalised, local service.
From the far reaches of Tairāwhiti-Gisborne in the north, to Waitaha-Canterbury and the West Coast in the south, we are proud to leave every environment better than we found it, supporting whānau and hapori to thrive for generations to come.
To find out more about working together, kōrero mai: contact us to find out more about working together.
Our whānau
Kā te Rama Switched On Group is owned by Te Rūnanga O Toa Rangatira Incorporated and members of the Hughes whānau. Our family and iwi values are aligned and act as the poutokomanawa for our relationship.
Our businesses include:
Our gifted te reo Māori name: Kā te Rama
Our Group was formally gifted a te reo Māori name, Kā te Rama, by iwi partners Ngāti Toa Rangatira in November 2022. The whakatauākī (proverb) that Kā te Rama comes from, ‘ka oho te wairua’, speaks to wellbeing and the importance of people, which are key values that our Group shares with the iwi. Kā te Rama literally translates to ‘the light burns’ and has a strong correlation to the metaphor ‘Switched On’. The name signifies the strengthening of our partnership and lays a foundation for our shared history going forward as we work to scale our impact in communities across Aotearoa.
Ka oho te wairua
when the spirit is awakened
ka mataara te tinana
when the body is alert
he aroha ki te aroha
when love is unconditional
ka kā te rama
enlightenment flows
Above is our guiding whakatauākī, gifted by iwi partners Ngāti Toa Rangatira.
Amotai Registered: whānau and iwi owned
Amotai verifies Māori and Pasifika-owned businesses and maintains a national member database, supporting supplier diversity in Aotearoa.
Watch the video below to learn more about our iwi-ownership and our gifted Group name Kā te Rama.