Latest news with #Versatile
NZ Herald
30-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Concrete tradie Jason Mark Lambert accused of duping 28 clients and not paying bills
'He didn't complete any work' Police prosecutor Steve Hickey said Lambert offered concreting and landscaping services on Facebook and also answered requests for services wanted. Contact was made, and quotes were given for complainants from around the Bay of Plenty and Waikato, including Hamilton, Huntly, Te Awamutu, Kihikihi, Ngaruawāhia, and Tauranga. Lambert often sought a 40% deposit before work started, which was paid into a bank account nominated by him. On two occasions, cash was paid. 'Evidence will be given that the defendant, on most occasions, did not complete any work.' Complainants will refer to messages or conversations they had with Lambert, and some would also produce photos. Other times, a small amount of work was done before Lambert was accused of offering 'multiple excuses for not returning to the properties'. As the relationships broke down, refunds were sought, but none were given. Lambert used four different bank accounts for the complainants to put deposits into, but he was not named as an owner of any of the accounts. 'Viewed separately, it could be argued that each of these failed transactions are a civil breach of contract,' Hickey said. 'The prosecution case is that due to the number and regularity of the failed transactions, the behaviours displayed by the defendant and the lack of compensation, the defendant never intended to fulfil the work as agreed, therefore deceiving the complainants into paying the deposit sought.' Hickey said once police got involved, it was clear to officers that Lambert 'intended to cause a loss to these people'. 'There wasn't any bad faith' Co-defence counsel Johnathan Myers said all but one complaint related to 2020 and 2021, when the country was struck by Covid-19, lockdowns, and supply chain issues. He denied there was any bad faith by his client in entering into contracts. 'Mr Lambert entered in good faith and Mr Lambert had every intention to complete the work. 'However, while Mr Lambert was not new to concreting work, he was new to running his own business and all the pitfalls that come with that. Concrete contractor and fraud accused Jason Mark Lambert pictured in the Hamilton District Court this week. Photo / Belinda Feek Myers said 2020 and 2021 'were some of the most challenging years'. The defence counsel said the police had tried to elevate the allegations beyond what they were, 'a civil dispute about contract work'. He reminded the judge that she would need to be sure that Lambert made false representations or that he was reckless as to whether they were false, and that there was an intention to deceive the victims, and that he was aware that some loss was likely to occur. 'I saw him featured on Fair Go' Gerald Fieten dealt with Lambert in October 2018 when he was suggested as a contractor to do a small concreting job at his rental property at Murphy Lane, Taupiri. He was given Lambert's details by a Versatile garage representative after asking for a recommendation to do a small concreting job. 'We asked him if he could do it, and he said he could do it. He had a look at the job and texted us a quote.' That quote was $2800, of which he asked for a 60% deposit. Fieten paid $1500 and was told it would be done a couple of days later. 'Did he?' Hickey asked. 'No, he didn't,' Fieten replied. Lambert asked him to pay the remainder of the money in December, but Fieten refused, because the job still hadn't been completed. 'I didn't think it was wise to do that.' By February 2019, Fieten began asking for his deposit back, and Lambert agreed, but nothing was ever paid. Lambert's co-counsel, Kerry Hadaway, put to Fieten that Lambert had visited the property and prepared the area for work. 'He didn't get it ready. I had to get it ready myself,' Fieten said. 'Didn't Mr Lambert put the timber edging in?' Hadaway asked. 'No,' he replied. 'Didn't he box the area and get it ready for concreting?' she asked. 'No,' he said again. He also rejected her suggestion that Lambert had spent four hours at the property. 'But you can't be sure of that because you didn't live there,' she put to him. 'I can be sure of that because I put the boxing down myself to get the job done,' he replied. He eventually made a complaint to the police after seeing Lambert featured on Fair Go in 2021. 'He never, ever paid' But it's not just clients who were unhappy. The court heard Lambert also failed to pay his bills. Karl Sinclair, of Kowhai Hire, testified that initially, when Lambert hired goods from him in early 2020, he paid each time. 'He seemed like a real nice guy, trustworthy guy at the time.' However, by March of that year, the payment of invoices stopped. 'He just continued to hire quite a bit in a short period of time, probably like two months or whatever. 'They were not paid for. 'It was never disputed that he didn't owe the money, but they were never paid.' The total money owed from three unpaid invoices was about $4000, Sinclair said. He said Lambert was always good at responding to requests for payment, but he 'never, ever paid'. 'He told me again and again over different times that he would pay. Sinclair eventually sent the claim off to the debt collectors, but then finally realised 'it's a waste of our time'. The trial is set down for three weeks. Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for 10 years and has been a journalist for 21.
The Star
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Versatile's subsidiary NSK Grocer proposes RM25.85mil retail mall acquisition in Petaling Jaya
KUALA LUMPUR: Versatile Creative Bhd 's 51%-owned subsidiary, NSK Grocer (KL) Sdn Bhd, has proposed to acquire a leasehold land and building comprising a two-storey retail mall and basement carpark at Plaza Pelangi Astana in Petaling Jaya for RM25.85mil. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Versatile said NSK entered into a sale and purchase agreement with Empire Benefit Sdn Bhd, which is currently undergoing liquidation, for the acquisition. Versatile said the purchase price would be financed through a mix of internally generated funds and/or bank borrowings, with the exact allocation yet to be decided. 'The proposed property acquisition is in line with NSK's strategic growth plan to expand its retail footprint in high-density and commercially strategic urban communities. 'The property's location and configuration are suitable for enhancing operational capacity and long-term value creation,' it said.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buildots raises $45M to help companies track construction progress
In the construction industry, managers can easily become disconnected from what's happening on-site. Among the many tasks to juggle are staying apprised of costs, communicating with all stakeholders, and assessing risk related to aspects like contractor billing and performance. Buildots wants to change all of that through AI and computer vision. Founded in 2018 by Roy Danon, Aviv Leibovici and Yakir Sudry, the Chicago startup offers a platform that tracks construction progress by processing images captured from 360-degree cameras mounted on managers' hard hats. The system doesn't just observe; it also forecasts. Teams can use a chatbot to ask questions about a project's status, and check a predictive tool that alerts them to possible delay risks or pacing issues that could turn into costly problems. "It's transformative for site managers, construction executives, and other stakeholders," said Danon, Buildots' CEO, who tells TechCrunch the company's clients include Intel and around 50 construction firms. "[They're] able to make informed decisions based on real, measurable data as opposed to information trickling in at different times from different sources and with different levels of reliability." To build on its momentum, Buildots has raised $45 million in a Series D funding round led by Qumra Capital, with participation from OG Venture Partners, TLV Partners, Poalim Equity, Future Energy Ventures, and Viola Growth. The new cash brings the company's total raised to $166 million. According to Danon, the capital will mainly be used to expand Buildot's product to "cover more stages of the construction life cycle." The plan is to use historical data to train AI models to further benchmark — and optimize — construction project performance. Buildots isn't the only company applying AI in the construction domain. Others include BeamUp, which is developing an AI-powered building design platform, and Versatile, which — like Buildots — captures and analyzes data across the construction site to provide a picture of construction progress. With over 230 employees, Buildots ranks among the larger players in the space — and it's planning to expand its North American operations this year, with a focus on growing its R&D teams. "[Our] differentiation is strong due to our operations-focused platform and our approach to performance management in construction," Danon said. "The funding will accelerate all of [our] initiatives, but more importantly, it validates that the market is ready for the transformation that we're bringing." This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Sign in to access your portfolio
Zawya
20-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Building the future: Priorities for construction sector in Gulf region
Gulf construction firms are at a pivotal moment, driven by the scale, speed, and complexity of growth across the region. As the Gulf races to deliver over $1.5 trillion in transformative projects, firms are being called on to build faster, smarter, and more sustainably than ever before. A new white paper from Versatile International, 'Construction in 2025: Paving the Way to 2030 and Beyond,' offers a strategic roadmap for the future - defining four clear priorities that construction firms must embrace to remain competitive and future-ready. The white paper draws on insights from Versatile's inaugural Construction Pulse Survey, conducted by Ipsos, which engaged senior construction professionals across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. While the data highlights key pressures and expectations, the paper's core focus is on actionable strategies to help the sector lead the next phase of growth. 'There's huge ambition in the Gulf right now and the construction sector is right at the centre of it,' said Marco Fahd, Chairman and CEO of Versatile International. 'However, the way we build needs to catch up. The good news is, we're already seeing some of the most ambitious and forward-thinking projects in the world taking shape right here in the Gulf - and that momentum is only growing.' The four strategic priorities outlined in the white paper are: 1. Embracing AI and automation as essential enablers of efficiency. According to the report, 57% of construction professionals in the UAE and KSA see AI and automation as the most significant trends influencing the sector. In the UAE, this rises to 61%, reflecting a more advanced digital transformation journey. Already, 60% of firms are integrating AI-powered tools into project management processes - though barriers such as inconsistent adoption and high upfront investment remain. 2. Embedding sustainability at every stage of delivery. In the UAE, 72% of surveyed professionals already rank sustainability as a top priority, with 31% doing so in Saudi Arabia - an emerging but rapidly growing focus. More than half of the respondents are prioritising local sourcing to improve supply chain resilience. At the same time, 64% of UAE-based professionals cited regulatory changes as a pressure point as firms work to align with national decarbonisation goals. 3. Reimagining supply chain models for resilience. The report finds that 55% of professionals now prioritise regional supply chains, while nearly half still value international procurement for specialist materials. This trend reflects a move toward hybrid models that balance reliability, quality, and cost. 4. Building future talent pipelines and reducing inefficiency. Rework is now the leading cause of project cost inflation, cited by 57% of respondents. This is often linked to gaps in planning, training, and workforce capabilities. Meanwhile, 42% of firms say they allocate 5–10% of their budgets to rework contingencies. Labor shortages - especially in skilled trades - are a growing concern, with 56% anticipating continued challenges over the next decade. Firms are increasingly turning to automation and skills development to close the gap. These priorities offer a blueprint for a sector under transformation. They reflect not just challenges to overcome, but opportunities to lead - with data from the Construction Pulse Survey providing the rationale behind each focus area. The white paper also brings together a diverse range of voices - including developers, architects, engineers, contractors, and consultants - to provide a multi-dimensional view of where the industry stands, and where it's headed. Versatile International is the Middle East's first fully integrated project management consultancy, specialising in destination-scale real estate development projects. With offices in Dubai and Riyadh, the company provides asset developers with supply chain certainty, risk mitigation, and procurement excellence. Versatile International is part of the Versatile Group, Australia's leading end-to-end real estate development and construction company. – TradeArabia News Service Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
