Working together as a team – Dave and Barb Milina

Dave Milina

I entered the masonry trade at a very early age.  Working with my father in a relatively small town required a tradesman to be very versatile, therefore I was trained in almost all applications of masonry, be it bricks, blocks, stone, chimneys, plastering…whatever!

Being trained initially to be versatile has stayed, and the requests from both the public and private sectors to brainstorm many different varieties of work has been the story of my life.

However above all the desire was to work with natural stone and the pleasure of creating structures with stone continues on.

Working on varying projects can be quite stimulating – it keeps you motivated.  The most enjoyable part, no matter how big the challenge, is to continue seeking better ways and methods to present a superior result. 

Barb Milina

My main career has been teaching, however I have spent time working in the building and property development area and more recently six years in the real estate industry.  Throughout this time I have always created gardens, not only for myself but for development/investment properties, and for friends and relatives.  To be working outdoors and working on creative projects along side Dave is an absolute pleasure.

Like Dave, I have always had the desire to work smarter, become more resourceful and to create with efficiency – that is where sustainability comes into it.  Coming from a rural background I have had this desire to learn and share more of the way nature works and to incorporate that into the way we live and work.   In 2007 I worked with Kate Jackson from the North Shore Council to establish Sustainable Paremoremo, a community group which has won three major Auckland Council Sustainability Awards since 2010.  The following quote truly resonates with me.

Treat the earth well;  it was not given to us by our parents, it was loaned to us by our children.