central today magazine 74

For more information about Purelana contact:Malcolm ChingPurelana Brand Manager03 357 8711021 330 [email protected]

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Get the best out of your wool cheque - sell direct to WSI

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4 | June/July 2014 www.centraltoday.co.nz

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Issue 74 June/July 2014

Central Today Issue 74

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Evelyn Gray Nick Douch Chris Graves Maree Aucamp Jill Wolfgram-Orr Clive Greenwood

VIEWPOINTS

6 ManagementBusiness consultant Kevin Vincent on becoming a customer focused company

6 Strategies Accountable Business Progress boss Colin Clapp says when it comes to business goals, bigger is better

7 Money Martz Group boss Martz Witty on getting ready for the looming tax payment changes

7 Leadership Essential HR director Mike Johnson on what it takes to be a bloody good employer

8 Hiring Malley and Co lawyer John Shingleton explains the difference between trial and probationary periods

8 HR Angela Atkins from the HRINZ demystifies the Holidays Act

9 BrandingChris Reid from Stimulus Creative explains how to create a logo you love

9 SalesWhitehot Jewellery’s Sharron Le Riche talks about building a white hot sales team

10 OnlineChristopher Reid from Stimulus Design talks about beauty vs. usability in website design

10 Events diaryThis is where you find out what’s on near you

FEATURES

11 On showHow to make the most out of expos

14 Ebbs and flowsSurviving seasonal fluctuations

16 Tech tips for 2014Ten tips to get your businesses booming

18 Getting work sites sortedA smart, simple way to sort construction sites’ health and safety systems

20 CV sortingAvoid recruitment blunders and hire the right person for the job every time

22 Left field ideasHow to trigger creativity and improve decision making

24 Getting selectiveEmma Clarke’s company The Selective turns the marketing paradigm on its head

IN BUSINESS

32 Property & Construction Modcom Portable Buildings can give you what you want, where you want it, and the inside word on how Morris and Bailey delivered the large Vet Services building in Dannevirke

37 FocusEast Pack, Health 2000, deugro’s leading logistics, the newly built $28.5m Avantidrome, Devan Plastics and the case for building with wood

49 Marine, Boating & FishingHamilton’s DMW Trailers can design and build a trailer for any type of transportable boat – be it large, small, old or new

52 Goods & ServicesHow DSK Engineering is delivering through diversity and CD Contracting Welding Services are specialists for the forestry and farming sectors

54 HospitalityThe Anglesea Motel and Conference Centre delivers a slice of tranquillity close to Hamilton’s heart, step inside Greytown’s grand old lady - The White Swan Country Hotel, and experience hearty food and friendly service at the Foundation Bar Kitchen Lounge

58 LandscapingHow Terra Firma Landscapes deliver the finishing touch to any new or existing home

26 The agritech revolution Peter Nation explains how Gallagher is delivering simple tools that are deceptively smart

30 King of the road How Tim Alpe turned Jucy Rentals into the hottest business on wheels

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Issue 74 June/July 2014

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About UsCavalier Woolscourers is the largest and most progressive

woolscouring company in the world. Each day of the week

we wash the wool from over 65,000 sheep or 1800 farm bales.

We are the only New Zealand owned and operated

woolscouring company.

Cavalier Woolscourers operates world class scouring

facilities in Napier and Timaru. Our uniquely set up

woolscours can wash carpet wool, Merino wool and

specialty fibre including Alpaca, Mohair, black wool, etc.

Minimum quantity is one bale.

What is not often recognized is that Cavalier Woolscourers

processed wool has the lowest fibre residue levels found

anywhere in the world. This adds considerable value to the

New Zealand wool clip as internationally New Zealand wool

is recognized for its superior quality attributes.

Cavalier Woolscourers washes wool for 90% of the New

Zealand wool exporters. Our customer base has a market

share of over 65% of all wool grown in New Zealand.

Cavalier Woolscourers provides support to New

Zealand wool growers and the shearing industry

to promote excellence through industry good activities

such as training, competitions and providing world class

early processing facilities here in New Zealand.

Globally, our business is well recognised. Today China is

the single biggest market for New Zealand wool,

consuming more than 50% of what wool is grown here.

Recently Cavalier Woolscourers hosted an influential

delegation from the Nanjing Wool Market to undergo a

study tour of the New Zealand wool industry. This group

represented some of the most powerful and influential

wool industry players in China.

Many woolgrowers now send their wool directly from

the farm to our wool scour facilities for processing as

we are accredited agents to weigh and core test greasy

wool.

Delegates of the Nanjing Wool Market study tour visit Hawkes Bay

Woolscourers in Napier

Managing Director of Direct Capital and shareholder of

Cavalier Woolscourers, Ross George shears a demonstration run at the Hales family farm at Wimbledon

for the Nanjing Wool Market tour delegates

www.cavalierwoolscourers.co.nz


Viewpoints | Management/Strategies

Become a customer focussed company

Kevin Vincent is a director of business improvement consultants Vincent and Nugent Limited. Visit www.vincentnugent.co.nz

• A customer is the most important visitor on our premises

• He is not dependent on us; we are dependent on him

• He is not an interruption on our work: he is the purpose of it

• He is not an outsider on our business; He is the part of it

• We are not doing him a favour by serving him

• He is doing a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so.

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

In order for organisations to excel, they must do more than simply satisfy their customers.

They must differentiate themselves and their employees in significant ways that add value to the customer’s experience. They must provide service that is unique, faster, more reliable, more responsive and more caring than ever before.

Organisations must:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the customer’s needs and expectations

• Exceed the customer’s needs and expectations.

Customer service is everyone’s responsibility and the secret is simple - make it easy and pleasant for your customers to do business with you.

Customers are really everything. We all recognise the importance of the provision of best possible customer service and that adding value to the customer experience will enhance our chances of future growth.

Why then do we encounter and are subjected to shoddy, sloppy and thoroughly unprofessional service?

When was the last time you felt neglected, frustrated and annoyed at the service you received?

I expect it wasn’t that long ago.

Dr. Albert Schweitzer (1875 – 1965) was a German and then French theologian,

organist, philosopher, physician and medical missionary who famously said “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve”.

This sentiment needs to be embraced by all in business who by their very existence pursue the exchange of goods and services for payment.

Organisations must focus on customer service. It is true that many companies have the same levels of technology, similar equipment and processes and that the only real opportunity to differentiate or stand out from your competitors is to provide better service and constantly seek ways to add additional value.

It is clear company goals must focus on obtaining and retaining satisfied and loyal customers.

My tips for the provision of best service include:

• Know your customer well. Understand their needs and your capabilities to meet those needs. Learn and understand their needs, wants, desires, issues and goals

• Constantly seek ways to add value to the customer relationship

• Listen to your customers. Listen to hear, listen to understand and listen to communicate your understanding. Everyone loves a listener

• Do the right things for your customer. Be empathetic and see things from their perspective. Have a real integrity and strong values with your customer. Treat your customer as you would like to be treated

• Provide best possible service to your internal customers. Try it, the results will delight. As we treat each other better so we will all play our part in the provision of best service to our external customers. Customer service is contagious

• Trust your customer and be trusted. It is the foundation of relationship.

When it comes to business goals, bigger is better

Colin Clapp is the Chief Thinking Officer at Christchurch based Accountable Business Progress. Visit www.accountable.co.nz

We all know the importance of setting goals, but what really makes the difference is setting the right goals. And in business when it comes to goal setting, it pays to think big. Goals can be scary things. That’s why most business people set relatively low goals. The reason for this? Fear of failure.

By setting low, safe goals, you can avoid feelings of failure by creating relatively easy hurdles to jump. Goals that are easy to attain also mean you can claim success and have a great sense of achievement by easily hopping over these hurdles.

It’s like adding things to your list after you’ve completed them just so you can have the satisfaction of crossing them off. Sound familiar?

This approach to goal setting can do wonderful things for your self-esteem, but it won’t do great things for your business.

Average goals also produce average results. If you want exceptional results for your business then you need to set exceptional goals. To do this, you need to think big. Oddly enough, the bolder you are, the more likely you are to meet and even exceed your expectations. And, even if you do fall short, you’re still likely to accomplish more than you would have otherwise.

One of my clients has a goal around being a role model for his children, his family and his friends - so much so that he has now set a life altering goal. Within three years, he will take the year off from his business and take the whole family on an around the world surf trip.

The beauty of this is that his entire family, friends, neighbours and workforce all know about this goal. He is motivated to show people it can be done. All we need to do now is build the support system behind him and put the planning in place. This is what will make it happen. Showing it can be done is a powerful driver for my client; everything else is just following the script.

The following five steps can help you set and achieve your big business goals.

Think big, and start with the end in mind

Nothing is too unreasonable or too unrealistic. A business goal, or even a life goal, should be seemingly out of reach, but with considerable effort - reachable. Don’t be afraid to set outrageous goals, saying them out loud or writing them down simply confirms your commitment to making them happen.

Connect your business goals to your personal happiness

Look at how your business goals affect your personal happiness. You need to understand how you’ll reach your goal and what wealth it will bring you – both monetary and personally. This way, you will be invested in achieving your goal practically and emotionally.

Create a plan detailing how you will achieve your goals

While you may know exactly what it is that has be done to reach your goals, it’s still important to specify the steps and actions you are going to take to get you there. Include timeframes to keep you on track. This will ensure your goals never seem out of reach, but are only a matter of small steps to be conquered.

Identify roadblocks and plan alternative routes

If you can figure out what’s getting in your way, then you are halfway towards removing the obstacle. More often than not, it is our own self doubt that gets in our way. Get rid of your self doubt by referring to your plan regularly and taking small steps to keep on track.

Continually remind yourself of your goals

Write them down and continually refer to them. Don’t keep your goals to yourself - share them with friends, family and your team. By making your goals well known to those around you, you’re ensuring that you don’t delude or cheat yourself – and you have something to prove. You are also giving the people around you an opportunity to support you and help keep you on track.

What big goal excites you? Be courageous - share it, plan for it and make it happen. The rewards will be worth it.

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Viewpoints | Money/leadership

Martz Witty heads the Martz Group, aligning chartered accountancy with the creativity of business development. Visit www.martz.co.nz

From October 1, 2014 there’s changes that may materially affect the way you make payments to the Inland Revenue Department.

Change is an ever increasing and challenging thing in business. As business owners and managers we need to know what’s happening and then asses our systems and procedures to cope with the change. It’s relentless, but it’s a given so best we keep abreast of things and plan for it sooner rather than later.

From October 1 payments made to the IRD need to be received by IRD on or before due date to avoid payment penalties and interest. No longer will a payment posted on or before due date be accepted. It must be received on or before due date by the Inland Revenue Department.

Cash is king in any business and managing cash flow is a crucially important function for every business, no matter what line of work you choose to operate in. Paying bills on time keeps your credit ratings in good shape, paying IRD on time is equally important.

Late payment fines, penalties and Use of Money Interest all contribute to spending money on items you don’t want to. Penalties and late filing fees aren’t even tax deductible; at least Use of Money Interest is but then why pay it if you don’t need to.

The days of using IRD as a bank have long since ended. That’s why they introduced Use of Money Interest all those years ago.

It was a common ploy by businesses to try and squeeze a few extra days’ time for payments by posting a cheque on the due date, then wait for the post to deliver a few days later. So long as it was postmarked with the due date or earlier everything was sweet with the Inland Revenue and you got to keep your money in your bank for another couple or three days – sometimes even longer.

Many businesses even relied on those few days as they waited eagerly for their creditors to pay them on the 20th of the month whilst their PAYE cheque (for example) was lurking in a post office bag somewhere up and down the country.

When a due date fell on a weekend you got an extra few days advantage.

Another change from October 1, is that Westpac will no longer be able to accept counter cheque payments and drop off returns. You can still make cash and eftpos payments, though these will be treated as received by due-date. IRD’s logic in removing this service from Westpac is that IRD offices can accept cheque payments, returns and forms directly.

Recent moves have seen a desire by IRD for taxpayers to use more online technology, from filing returns through to making online payments. It is fair to state that digital payments are more secure and faster than traditional payment methods. They’re also available 24 hours and seven days a week.

When a due date falls on a weekend from October 1, 2014 the return forms need to be in Inland Revenue’s hands on or before the due date together with payment in full. The next trading day will become the due date and receipt of forms needs to be before business closes on that day. Payment that evening will still be accepted by IRD as being received on due date.

It might seem a minor change, but the implications for businesses that have relied on keeping that payment out as long as possible will need some managing. So too will office procedures around the sending in of the returns if these are still going to be sent by post.

You can’t control the post and a post mark will no longer be argument enough that you fulfilled your obligations. Fines for late filing of returns can really mount up depending on the tax type you’re filing, be it Goods and Services Tax, P.A.Y.E., or Resident Withholding Tax to name just three.

A recent statistic from IRD informed us that they have about 70 percent of payments to them made electronically now. This hardened stand on payment due dates will bring all taxpayers into line so that they can all be treated equally.

If you have any concern about this planned change in policy from the Inland Revenue Department we recommend you have a chat with your accountant or financial advisors.

Big tax payment changes are afoot - are you ready?

Being a bloody good employer

Mike Johnson is the director of Essential HR with significant international and local experience. Visit www.essentialhr.co.nz

Being a good employer is good, as you are signaling to your employees that you care about them. And in many situations, this is enough to increase retention on its own. But in a highly competitive environment, being good is often just not good enough.A good employer is an employer that provides work for their employees, pays them on time, gives a work environment that is safe, impartial, developmental and provides equal opportunity for all.

Being a bloody good employer takes things to the next level. These are the employers that people really want to work for. The culture is great, the work is interesting and varied, the values are shared and recognised, and the company’s leadership is solid and inspirational. In short their employees are motivated and get excited about their work.

Naturally, therefore, being a bloody good employer also leads to higher levels of employee engagement and satisfaction. All of these factors lead to much higher levels of employee retention and a direct impact on your bottom line through increased productivity.

There are many companies that exist in general perception as anecdotally being bloody good, such as Google and Apple. In New Zealand specifically, several that come to mind include TradeMe, Flight Centre and AA Insurance.

But what can you, as an employer, do to become bloody good employers?

Well to begin with, it’s important to tick the boxes required by law, such as getting your health and safety practices into shape and giving everyone in your company job descriptions.

This should be followed by giving your employees the necessary tools to perform their jobs, such as the correct training and an ergonomic work environment. This includes things as simple as making sure your office chairs promote good posture and getting your left handed carpenters the tools that suit them.

Training, at its most basic, should ensure that employees can do the tasks that are required of them, but extends to enabling an employee to grow. I have just attended a review meeting where the employee was clearly excited about the prospect of being trained to take on HR administration responsibilities.

Critical though, is being genuinely one team, with a set of company values that are shared and recognised, and which permeate right from top management to every single employee. Management who walk the talk, and who demonstrate strong leadership, clearly model these values day to day.

Being bloody good means:

Your employees have clear direction, recognising where they are now in their career and where they aspire to be in the future. Plus it means giving them the help they need to get there, setting goals, and helping them achieve.

Employees know exactly where they are at. There is open and clear communication, not just from the top down, but also from the bottom up. Employees are encouraged to share their views on business operations, and can express their ideas - whether they are a top sales executive or a cleaner. It also means they get clear performance feedback.

An open door policy, providing a safe environment for issues and concerns to be raised at any time – without fear of retribution.

Caring about your employees, not just for what they can do for you, but for who they are as an individual, making them feel valued and respected.

Every bit of advice I have shared with you in this retention series has been a way in which you can be a bloody good employer.

Canterbury, today, is an exciting place to be both as an employer and an employee, so the more you can apply these principles, the better your chance of ensuring your top employees don’t jump ship to where the grass seems greener.

You have all fought a battle to hire the right employees for your company, now you can make sure that they stay happy right where they are – working for you.


Viewpoints | Hiring/HR

A proper employment contract is important to protect both employers and new employees alike. Since April 1, 2011, all employers can employ new staff on a trial period of up to 90 days. This article explains the differences between this 90-day trial period and a probationary period.

90-day trial periods

There are a few myths surrounding the 90-day trial regime.

First, the sky did not fall on our collective heads as predicted by the unions and second, it is not a “fire at will” regime as stated by certain politicians. Rather, the regime provides employers with a number of immunities if they strictly follow the law.

There is further evidence that the regime has contributed to the steady decline in unemployment and the Employment Relations Authority and Employment Courts have adopted a very strict interpretation of the legislation.

Trial periods are governed by ss.67A and 67B of the Employment Relations Act 2000 (“the Act”). An employer and employee can agree that the employee will be on a trial period for up to 90 days as long as:

The employee has not been employed by the employer before

The employment agreement includes written provisions stipulating that the employee is subject to a trial period, and that during the trial period the employee can be dismissed and cannot take a personal grievance or legal action against the dismissal.

However, an employer can still be liable if it disadvantages an employee in their employment or fails to act in good faith or give a reason for the dismissal, if an explanation is sought, or discriminates in breach of the Human Rights Act.

The leading case so far is Smith v Stokes Valley Pharmacy Ltd [2010]. In that case Chief Judge Colgan said that because the effect of the regime was to deprive

Trial period or probationary period, what's the difference?

John Shingleton is a partner and general manager at Malley & Co Lawyers. Visit www.malley.co.nz

employees from access to justice, the provisions had to be strictly interpreted.

He then identified a specific series of steps to be complied with cumulatively and held that failure to comply with any of these steps may disqualify an employer from the trial period immunities.

These steps are:

• Written reference to a 90-day trial period

• That during the trial period the employee can be dismissed

• The employee cannot bring a personal grievance or other legal proceedings against the dismissal.

The Employment Relations Authority has since consistently applied the Chief Judge’s decision.

Probationary periods

A probationary period should not be confused with a 90-day trial period.

A probationary period is a period of employment whereby an employee is subject to a trial of sorts but not under the provisions of ss.67A and 67B of the Act. This means the employer is not immune to a personal grievance of unjustified dismissal.

A probationary period also means the employee is entitled to feedback regarding his or her performance and if the employer breaches any contractual duties to the extent it’s reasonably foreseeable the employee could resign, then the employer could face a constructive dismissal claim.

If an employer is unhappy with the performance of an employee on probation, then the employer cannot terminate the employment without following a fair procedure or justification as defined in the Act.

Although the period of probation is not limited to 90 days, the employer must act fairly, reasonably and in good faith.

Trial periods vs. probationary periods

Sometimes an employee is simply not the right fit. Other times, the employee’s performance is not reflective of what their CV might indicate. Therefore, when asked, I always advise employers to consider a statutory 90-day trial period rather than a probationary period, or outright immediate permanent employment.

Help! Ben’s going on holiday. What leave applies?

Angela Atkins is GM of Elephant Training and HR, and president of HRINZ Auckland. Visit www.elephanthr.co.nz

The Holidays Act 2003 can be a little bit confusing in some circumstances. When you have employees taking holidays are you sure that you’re legally complying?It may seem fairly simple - an employee wants to take a holiday - but what happens if you can’t cover their role for that long? Or they go anyway? Or they get sick while they’re on annual leave?

There are a number of sticky issues around annual leave and we’ve got some cases we’ve had to deal with at Elephant to test you out. Can you deal with our favourite fake employee Ben and see if you’d comply with the Holidays Act?

Case study 1: You can’t turn me down!

Ben applies for three weeks annual leave but as his manager you turn down his request as it will be too hard to cover his role for that long. You offer that he can take two weeks. Ben wants to know what will happen if he takes the holiday anyway. Which statements are correct?

A: Under the Holidays Act an employee has the right to take three weeks in a block.

B: An employer can turn down annual leave requests if there is a genuine reason for saying no.

C: If an employee takes leave that has been declined, they could get a warning or even dismissal as this could be misconduct or serious misconduct.

D: The employee has the right to take annual leave whenever they want.

Answer: The two correct statements are B and C. With A, an employee does have the right to a block of two weeks, so you need to make sure they are able to take this at some point. As for D, annual leave is by mutual agreement.

Case study 2: I got sick

Ben has taken two weeks annual leave and returns to work saying that the first four days of his holiday he was actually really sick and had to go to the doctor. He wants to change his annual leave for those days to sick leave. Can he?

A: No under the Holidays Act if you’re on annual leave it can’t be changed to sick.

B: Yes he can change it to sick leave but only if his manager agrees to it.

C: If Ben got sick the day before be went on annual leave then he can change it to sick leave automatically.

D: Yes the employee has the right to change annual leave to sick leave if they have gone to the doctor.

Answer: The correct answers are B and C. If you’re already on annual leave and you get sick, you can ask to change it to sick leave, but a company can say no. However, if an employees gets sick before they go on annual leave, then they can automatically change it to sick leave.

Case Study 3: Daylight Savings

It’s October. Ben comes and tells you that he had to work a special shift last weekend, from midnight to 6am, as the IT team were changing systems and needed some people to be at work to test it out. The clocks went forward at 2am on Sunday morning and Ben wants to know what he’ll be paid and also what would happen if the clocks had gone backwards. Do you tell him:

A: He only worked five hours so he gets paid for five hours.

B: Even though he only worked five hours, he’ll be paid for six (12 to 6am).

C: If the clocks go backwards, he has to work seven hours, but only gets paid for six hours as it was 12 – 6am.

D: In going backwards he actually worked seven hours, so he gets paid seven hours.

Answer: The answer? B and D are correct. The employee gets the benefit each time. It’s about what time you start and finish! Of course this only happens twice a year and most people don’t have to work that shift.


Viewpoints | Branding/Sales

Falling in love with your logo

Christopher Reid is the managing director of branding, design, advertising and promotion agency, Stimulus Creative. Visit www.stimuluscreative.co.nz

Do you love your logo? Does it reflect the real you?A great logo is more than just a one-dimensional identification mark. It’s an integral part of your overall brand and it’s often the first opportunity your customers get to meet you – and first impressions count!

Your brand is the personality of your business. It communicates key messages about who you are, what you offer and how you make a difference. Its purpose is to create a relationship – an emotional connection between you and your audience.

If your brand is your personality, your logo is the face of your business. Its purpose is to ensure your business is easily identified at a glance. It provides instant and powerful recognition of your brand and the services or products you offer.

Get your logo right and you’re one important step closer to creating a strong brand.

Logos evolve as businesses evolve

A quick Google search on logo evolution makes for a great history lesson.

Take Apple, for example. In 1976, its logo featured a scene depicting Sir Isaac Newton under an apple tree. To keep pace with changing market, the logo has evolved into the stylised, monochromatic image of an apple with a bite out of it that we all recognise today.

A brand or logo refresh is a great way to ensure the elements that make up your corporate identity still reflect who you are today.

So what makes a great logo?

The big picture stuff

Looking nice is just one aspect of logo design – your logo also needs to convey a host of messages about your business. Here are some points to consider when you are creating or refreshing your logo:

Is it memorable? A good logo should clearly represent who you are, what you offer and how you are different. It should be recognisable in an instant.

Is it original? Your logo should be distinctive – it needs to differentiate you from your

competitors. It’s important to research your competitors but don’t be tempted to imitate them - it’s unoriginal, not to mention illegal.

Simple or complex? Striking a balance is important so that the design draws the audience in easily but also sparks curiosity.

Text only, symbol only, or text and symbol? Some companies are so recognisable they can omit their company name and rely only on a symbol; for example, Apple and Nike. What’s right for your business will depend on your current market position and your overall branding strategy.

Back to basics

Your logo needs to be adaptable in order to function well in a variety of applications – print, online, signage, maybe even on the back of a bus. Here are some tips to ensure your logo can handle everything you throw at it.

If your logo uses colours, be sure to test it in black and white as well – there will be times it needs to work in both.

Is it flexible enough to work in a number of variations and formats? For example, you may need a wider, landscape format to fit the proportions of a website banner or header, and you may need a reversed colour variation to create a different look for certain situations.

A lot of successful brands use only one colour. To create the greatest impact, choose two or three at most unless there is a specific reason to use more.

Your logo needs to work well no matter what the size. Viewing it in the smallest size is a good test to ensure it maintains its impact and integrity.

The design process

A solid design process (and ideally a full brand consultation) is essential to capture the essence of what a business is all about. The essence of your brand is something that holds an energy and life of its own.

You’ve really got to love your brand – hopefully you’ll be together for a long time!

Sales success is all about people and their performance. But, more than that, it’s about how each individual works, relates and achieves within a team, while still maintaining their own identity and personality. Building a strong and productive culture within your business takes time, commitment and consistency from the leadership team.

Culture is more than a statement on display in a photo frame; it’s a way of doing business and it requires everyone in the company to be committed to the collective end goals.

At Whitehot Jewellery our culture is one of supporting each other, working with a positive, can-do attitude, creating the best customer experience possible, and providing flexibility, support and training.

Maintaining and growing a dynamic team culture relies heavily on the recruitment process.

In my experience, attitude always outweighs skill. You must recruit people with similar attitudes (not skills) as they embrace and relate to your culture more easily.

Your training will then provide the necessary skills for the right people to become successful within your culture.

Your training programme needs to continually expand on the company’s key attitudes and provide the necessary skills to be successful within your culture.

Value authentic communication Regular communication is vital in maintaining your team culture. Transparently and authentically share the company and team goals with everyone. And encourage your people to speak up, share ideas, ask questions, become involved and help each other. This provides a sense of belonging and a feeling of genuinely being involved in the success of the company.

Real communication within a team helps people to work together, rather than against

Build a dynamic sales team

Sharron Le Riche is the founder and director of Whitehot Jewellery - a direct selling company that operates across New Zealand. Visit www.whitehot.co.nz

each other. Within our team we communicate changes quickly and often ask for ideas before making any changes, as this helps people feel involved; as opposed to feeling they are the “last to know”.

As well as team and companywide communication platforms (online, newsletters and phone conferences) it’s essential to have regular face to face meetings.

An engaged sales team needs a chance to get together - talk about their progress and challenges and share their experiences.

This sharing will help others be more successful and help solve problems. It also gives people the chance to get to know each other on a personal level. It is much easier to get teams working together when they know each other and view others as team mates, not competitors.

In our business, many of our reps work remotely, but we are still able to create productive working teams through virtual meetings – Skype, webinars, conference calls and social media pages.

Celebrate success Keeping people engaged requires recognition and rewards. Set goals with every individual and then always encourage and recognise achievements.

It’s important to celebrate the success of individuals and the team as a whole. I believe a heartfelt “well done” is worth more than the income earned from the sale.

On the flip side – address negative behaviours and attitudes when they arise, if ignored, these negatives can spread to others in the team.

Lead by example Trust is essential in a successful and dynamic team, and this means leading by example.

Show others you trust them by delegating responsibilities and letting them know you rely on them to deliver. Trust in others improves communication, ideas and productivity.

Through a planned schedule of training, support, trust and communication - your team dynamics will improve, and managed consistently, this can only lead to increased success.

www.molesworthtours.co.nz

Phone 03 5728025 [email protected]

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News | Events DiaryViewpoints | Online

“One Mississippi, two Mississippi,” - that’s how long your webpage has to make a good first impression! It’s also how long it takes before users navigate away if that first impression misses the mark.

So how can you make sure you capture your audience’s attention within those crucial two seconds?

It’s all about achieving the balance between beauty and usability, you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.

How to make your website visually engaging?

A far cry from the text-based web pages of the 1990s, websites now rely heavily on graphics. However, there is still a subtle balance to be achieved between the use of text and graphics.

The use of eye-tracking technology has provided fantastic insights into our eye movements; that is, where we look and for how long. And the research indicates our eyes are still drawn to text.

However, graphics should be used first to attract the user, and to support the text on the page.

Make sure your photos do you justice

Be aware that sometimes amateur photos can bring the overall look of your site down. Professional photos will convey the right message to your audience – that your business is well-established, trustworthy and reputable.

Make it an enjoyable read

Your choice of font, its size, alignment, colour and spacing, all contribute to the readability of your text. Cramped text is off-putting and poorly aligned text can look messy.

Some colours can be hard to read, whereas the use of contrasting colours can help to reduce eyestrain and focus attention.

Good typography also creates a visual hierarchy to guide your audience to important content by using larger fonts for headings and opening paragraphs, content dividers and effective combinations of imagery and text.

Stay true to your brand

Your brand’s image, look and feel should always be consistent. Your customers like to feel they are in a familiar place. Reduce confusion by connecting the colours and fonts on your website to those used in your logo and other brand elements.

How to ensure your website is user-friendly...

Don’t get too fancy

With so much technology available, and most of it pretty affordable, it’s tempting to add all the bangs and whistles to your website.

However, too many flashing images, animations, pop-ups and automatically playing multimedia are all listed as things people hate the most about web browsing.

Keep the navigation simple yet varied

Your website does not stand alone; it’s part of the World Wide Web and as such it’s worth adopting certain conventions – including, familiar navigation. Website users are used to navigating business websites in a particular way. Stray too far from the conventions and you may drive your customers away.

Your navigation design should also offer a variety of ways to get to the same place. The idea is to provide an easy and intuitive experience for people to search for information.

Don’t be afraid of space

Think about where you place content on your page and use adequate space between sections. This will allow the design to ‘breathe,’ which is important for both the aesthetics and usability of your website.

Eye-tracking studies indicate that the top-left corner of a webpage gets visual attention first. Following this, our eyes follow an F-shape – scanning the page from left to right, then in a downwards direction. This is repeated, and then we scroll to the bottom.

Using this knowledge, place important information where users are most likely to absorb it.

There’s no reason why websites can’t be beautiful and usable. Is yours?

Beauty vs. usability finding the balance in website design

Christopher Reid is the managing director of branding, design, advertising and promotion agency, Stimulus Creative. Visit www.stimuluscreative.co.nz

EVENTS DIARYWhat’s happening on the business and entertainment front

TUESDAY, JUNE 17KiwiHost Advanced Customer Service - Napier

Empower your staff with vital customer service skills and a positive attitude to keep your customers coming back. The programme, brought to you by KiwiHost training, is for businesses wishing to raise their customer service standard and to improve staff service skills. The key subject areas this course covers are customer profiles, can-do communication, customer loyalty, and handling customer concerns.

For more information, visit: www.biztrainers.co.nz

THURSDAY, JUNE 19Employer workshop – New Plymouth

This hands-on, interactive session hosted by the IRD covers all the basics, including completing monthly wage summary employees, calculating PAYE and other deductions, and filing your employer monthly returns online. Ideal for sole traders, partnerships and other small businesses it also covers deductions and allowances, record keeping requirements and completing monthly wage records.

To book or for further information email: [email protected]

SATURDAY, JUNE 28 – 29The Seriously Good Food Show – Bay of Plenty

The Seriously Good Food Show just keeps on getting better. This year it’s back bigger and better than before, and will be hosted in the larger six court arena at the ASB Arena in Baypark. Seriously good food, drinks and live cooking seminars, grab your family and friends for a day of ultimate tastings.

For more information, go to: www.eventfinder.co.nz

SATURDAY, JULY 12Young Farmers Fight Night for Charity – Hamilton

A young farmer initiative, members will be able to settle scores with each other in the boxing ring with all proceeds from the event to be donated to the charity Land Search and Rescue. The boxers are committed to an onerous training schedule leading up to the event and will square off in a series of three-round boxing bouts.

For more information or to book, go to: www.eventfinder.co.nz

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30Business Model Workshop - Hamilton

This half day SODA Ingnite Workshop is

designed to help you change the way you develop your business plans. It uses The Business Model Canvas (as opposed to the traditional, intricate business plan) to help organisations conduct structured, tangible, and strategic conversations around new businesses or existing ones. The canvas’s main objective is to help companies move beyond product-centric thinking and towards business model thinking. It is ideal for Start-up founders, business owners and operators, entrepreneurs, investors, and teams hungry for new sources of innovation with ideas worth exploring.

For more information visit: www.sodainc.com

MONDAY / TUESDAY, AUGUST 11-12 DANA Conference - Rotorua Rotorua’s Novotel Lakeside hotel this year plays host to DANA’s two day New Zealand forest industry sector conference. Included will be presentations on the state of the New Zealand tree plantation industry and New Zealand’s place among the global demand for institutional forest investment. Other topics include the trading environment and the direction of world’s largest softwood sawlog export industry, the state of the sawmilling industry and initiatives to improve it, among others. The second day has a field trip which leaves Novotel at 1.30pm.

To purchase tickets call: (07) 349 2764

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20Pitching Workshop – Hamilton Change the way you pitch your business to different target audiences with the SODA Ignite Workshop. This workshop is best suited to business owners and entrepreneurs who want to learn how to switch between their personal pitch, business pitch and customer pitch. Participates will learn how to form a powerful pitch suited to their target audience that with generate leads, upsell, grab attention and make your business a success.

For more information, visit: www.sodainc.com

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2Introduction to business seminars – Hastings

If you’ve got a good idea and/or are taking existing skills and going it alone, yet don’t quite know what boxes need to be ticked, this Inland Revenue Introduction to Business seminar is just what you need. Learn about working with the iRD’s online services, business structures, income tax, expenses you can claim, GST and more.

To book or for further information email: [email protected]

Off The Track is a family owned and operated Restaurant. The focus is on providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere for all and any diners from all walks of life. Off The Track is the ideal venue whether you are after a relaxing cup of coffee with friends, weekend brunch or a three course meal from our fabulous menu. Children can entertain themselves on the fantastic playground and large lawn while you enjoy grown up conversation.Off the Track also offers 3 private self contained cottages situated in rural surroundings with stunning views of Te Mata Peak.

114 Havelock Rd, Havelock [email protected] | www.offthetrack.co.nz

FOR BOOKINGS Call us on (06) 877-0008OPEN 7 DAYS 10AM – LATE


Even in the massive online communication world we live in today people still prefer to buy direct from people.

Human contact gives the customer trust in the business and trust they will receive a quality product, it also helps to build loyal customers who will become valuable repeat customers. Exhibitions offer a unique opportunity to meet potential customers face to face, build a rapport and seal the deal.

However, putting your business on show at exhibitions can be a big expense for small to medium sized businesses. So maximising the opportunity to create leads, grow customer base and make sales is vital in order to make a return on the money and time invested into the event.

Amanda Magnus is exhibition director of Exhibitions and Events New Zealand. In 1990 she started her career working on international hospitality trade shows in London. In 1998 she transferred to Sydney to manage Gift Trade Shows and in 2004 moved to Auckland to join the Home Show Team where she now manages Exhibitions and Events New Zealand for their Australian owners.

Amanda shares her wisdom of more than 20 years working in the exhibition industry on how to prepare for an expo, design a stand and make the most of the plot you’ve paid for.

Preparation Preparation is vital for success, giving you better value for money. Get the word out there your business will be at the exhibition and set yourself clear objectives so you can measure you achievement and success of the event.

The show organiser will undoubtedly do a large amount of pre-show advertising, but don’t rely on this alone to draw customers. Remember to value the worth of your existing customers by “making sure you let them know you will be at the show and the stand number you are on, pop it on your email signature, websites, newsletters, radio or print advertising pre show,” Amanda says.

She recommends whether you are a seasoned exhibitor or new to the game you should always set yourself clear, measurable objectives.

“Know exactly why you are exhibiting and what you wish to achieve, set yourself a goal of making 100 leads or 50 sales and then try to exceed it. Partaking in an exhibition is the only clearly measurable marketing activity a company can undertake.”

If you have any questions just ask the organisers and take advantage of their knowledge she says. “That’s part of our role - we want to ensure success stories and have repeat customers just like any other business.”

First impressions The design of your stand plays a big role in visitor’s first impressions of your company and your products or services. It dictates if people will even visit your stand let alone want to buy something.

Smaller stands have just a few seconds to catch the attention of the passing visitors so make it count. Amanda says the key to drawing foot traffic to your stand is by “keeping your message clear and concise” and clearly displaying what it is you do.

“Don’t overcrowd your stand with too much signage and make sure the signage you do use is sharp and clean looking with minimal words for big impact.

“Visitors won’t waste their time reading lengthy signs, they just move on. Reserve your more in-depth information for broachers to hand out to those who are interested.

“The better stands I have seen are always open without any form of barrier to the visitor; they are not blocked in with walls or steps to gain access. They don’t have sales people looking ready to pounce but rather bright, colourful, open space, clearly showing what it is they do.”

Show timeThousands of potential customers will walk past your stand, so it’s important from the moment the venues doors open till they close you are on your game.

Amanda says having the wrong staff on the stand is the biggest mistake exhibitors make.

“The single most important asset a company has for exhibition success is putting the right people on the front line - the staff who are most knowledgeable about their products or services, who are engaged and understand the objectives and really want to see return on the investment.

“Competitions and giveaways are a great way of attracting additional foot traffic to your stand and entering into a competition also enables you to gather data. It needs to be relevant and targeted - if not the danger is you get thousands of entries and not necessarily any leads,” she says.

It is important to follow up with the leads you make shortly after the expo to make the sale.

She says you may be too busy to speak to everyone who passes your stand, so have plenty of brochures on hand for people to take away. Brochures are vital for companies selling large or expensive products or services.

Customers who are on the hunt for an expensive item often want time to think about their purchase, compare it against the competition and weigh up their options. A good hand out will help them with this process and get them coming back.

Fact The Kolkata International Book Fair, in Kolkata India, is one of the largest expos in the world with more than 2,000,000 visiting the annual event.

Checklist:Find out where the power outlet is well in advance and purchase extensions cords if needed.

Bring more pens, business cards and brochures than you anticipate you’ll need; you don’t want to run out of these.

Have enough staff to work shifts which means ideally three people; two at the booth and one working the floor, this also allows for breaks which are needed.

On showBy Laura Hall

how to make the most out of expos

A recent Colmar Brunton survey shows how Kiwis respond to good and bad customer experiences and reveals why delivering great customer experiences is the key to business growth.

Colmar Brunton CEO, Jacqueline Ireland says New Zealand businesses must focus on the customer experiences they deliver because of how customers react to their experiences – good and bad – and the influence that has on business growth.

Customer experience key to driving business growth“Our survey shows that most Kiwis take action as a direct result of customer experiences. The first response is to tell others about their experience and then they look at changing their behaviour,” she says.

The survey asked 1,000 New Zealanders about their good and bad customer experiences.

Results showed that more people (70 percent) told others about their good experiences than shared their bad experiences (58 percent). But it is those with a bad experience to report who tell more people about them.

Fortyone percent of those surveyed told 11 or more people about their bad experiences compared to only 15 percent who told at least 11 people about their positive experiences.

Survey respondents almost all shared their good and bad customer experiences with others in person, but those who are subject to bad experiences are most likely to pick up

the phone (41 percent) or post on Facebook (20 percent) to tell others. By comparison, only 25 percent of those who shared good experiences used the phone and 13 percent posted on Facebook.

Of those surveyed who had a particularly good experience, 51 percent chose to make that company their first choice provider while 28 percent became less interested in the competition.

On the other hand 35 percent of those who had a very negative experience started looking for an alternative provider and a further 30 percent became more interested in hearing from competitors.

Great service (for 37 percent of those surveyed) and helpfulness (21 percent) were highlighted as the overwhelming reasons behind a good customer experience, ahead of price (18 percent).

Poor customer service was the biggest turn off (43 percent) with long waiting times (16 percent) and poor communication or lack of follow up (14 percent) also contributing to bad experiences.

Ireland says the survey underlines the critical role the customer experience plays in business and their ‘Grow’ seminar has been developed to deliver deeper insights into the customer experience.

“We are a passionate advocate for the voice of the customer to drive business growth and success,” she says.

“We want to share our insights on how to identify the types of experiences customers want, creating ideal customer experiences, empowering staff to deliver them, measuring their effectiveness and using the information to drive business success.”

News | Tactics

The face of flooring is revolutionised time and time again. This is particularly the case on the tiling front where the tidal tile changes sweep new trends in, and old ones out, every year. The contemporary choices available spoil us with a myriad of options meaning we can be as choosey as we like and change things up whenever inspiration strikes us.

One New Zealand business that has been indulging us with flooring options since way back when is Tile Trends – an iconic flooring firm that is here, there and everywhere through Aotearoa.

At the helm is owner and operator Graeme Clearwater whose importing, wholesale and retail smarts ensure Tile

Trends’ loyal Kiwi patronage is growing by the day.

LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS

It was about 10 years ago that Graeme Clearwater was surveying the New Zealand market for a solid opportunity when Tile Trends caught his eye. The business model and its potential represented a significant opportunity, and he’s been making the brand an even greater success story ever since.

“I had a corporate background and I decided to get out of the corporate world – owning and running my own business was something I really wanted to do. I looked at hundreds of business and it struck me as being a business with good potential.”

A triple threat – importing, wholesale and retail, Tile Trends is owner operated and Clearwater has worked had to expand its geographical reach in recognition of the need for better accessibility.

“We are a vertically integrated business and all our branches are company owned and overseen by me.”

It is this cohesive strategy that ensures continuity and complementarity between each of the branches, their customer service, and the Tile Trends products.

“We have much broader reach now than when I bought the business. Originally, it had a predominantly Wellington focus, but we have added new retail branches outside of Wellington – Tauranga, Auckland, Palmerston North and Kapiti.

“We also distribute right throughout New Zealand to independently owned stores who purchase direct from us. This wholesale element of our business is very important because it means customers who prefer and value our products, but are not in close proximity to one of our own stores, still have access to us.

“We work hard to support our distributors with very competitive pricing and industry leading service - any enquiries for our products from customers outside of our branch geographical areas are always referred to our distributors.”

It is the loyalty demonstrated by its strategic partners and customers, as well as the widespread acknowledgement of Tile Trends being a superior flooring supplier that gave the business the resilience it needed during the tough times.

“We were vulnerable to some extent during the global economic recession. Our close relationship with the construction sector means we were exposed to their losses too.

“We had to think strategically and reduce costs where we could. This means we had to unfortunately reduce our head count to some extent, hunker down and keep a close eye on what the market was doing.”

Despite all of the challenges, obstacles and a wildly fluctuating market, Tile Trends demonstrated tangible growth and continued to expand its product range throughout this time – much to the delight of is style hungry customers.

“We do have a very extensive product range and very high quality tiles – the best in the industry. We are particularly proud of this fact, and our ability to meet evolving needs and preferences.”

It is also a significant strength of the business’ that it can provide tiles to suit any budget. The range covers the full spectrum – from a no-frills tile for the budget conscious, right through to the most elegant flooring styles available at several hundred dollars per square metre.

“In addition to our extensive range, our other unique position is that we are a direct importer. What this means is that we actively hold stock in our local stores so customers can usually get their tiles the day they need them.

“We can also assist customers where they need it with installation. We don’t install tiles and flooring ourselves, but have comprehensive networks and knowledge in this area.

“We also supply all of the trade products for the construction sector who do install our products – from the adhesive right through to the tools they utilise. These are available through all of our branches.”

For the future, the focus will be on continuing to diversify, and expanding not only the business’ geographical reach, but also its functions and ranges.

“The recession over the last four years or so has definitely made things tough, and it has been a bit of a grind at times, but I feel like we seem to be coming out of that now, and things are definitely more buoyant.

“We will continue to expand our range – that is an ongoing thing. I am very aware of the importance of keeping in touch with what the rest of the world is doing – it is, of course, changing faster than ever.

“The other key focus will be looking at expanding our distributor and branch network where it makes sense to do so. This is something that has been on hold the last several years, but will be a major focus in the coming years.”

Wellington 124 Tory Street T (04) 801 5521 E [email protected] to Friday 8am-5pm and Saturday 9am-4pm

Lower Hutt2 Nevis Street (Cnr Petone Esplanade) PetoneT (04) 566 2333 E [email protected] to Friday 8am-5pm and Saturday 9am-4pm

Kapiti Coast 110 Rimu RoadT (04) 298 3999E [email protected] to Friday 8am-5pm and Saturday 9pm-4pm

Palmerston North 73 Bourke StreetT (06) 357 5313E [email protected] to Friday 8am-5pm and Saturday 9am-1pm

Tauranga64 Ninth Avenue T (07) 578 8533E [email protected] to Friday 7.30am - 5pm and Saturday 9am-1pm

Auckland 138C Harris Road (cnr Cryers Rd & Harris Rd) East Tamaki T (09) 273 5323E [email protected] to Friday 8am - 5pm and Saturday 9am-4pm

Tile Trends - the contemporary face of flooring

Tile Trends has showrooms throughout the North Island showcasing its extensive tile ranges. Check them out below.

Products

www.tiletrends.co.nz

Floor tiles Ceramic, porcelain, terracotta, and natural stone floor tiles in a huge range of design and size, including “timber look” Quebec range of porcelain tiles as shown in the background photo.

Winkleman Olde EnglishTile Trends is the New Zealand importer and distributor of Winckelmans Olde English tiles. This unique range of tessellated tiles has been made in France for more than 110 years.

Top quality, and made from fully vitrified porcelain, these tiles have been used in ancient churches and historic buildings throughout England and Europe for centuries. They are suitable for domestic or commercial situations and can be used inside and outside.

Natural stone and pebblesTrendstone granite, slate, basalt, marble,

riverstone pebbles, and sandstone are all available at Tile Trends, as well as the

sealers and cleaners to keep your natural stone floor and wall tiles looking great

for years.

The team can advise you on the right products to use and where to use them.

Outdoor tilesOutdoor tiles must be frost resistant and usually need to be slip resistant. Tile Trends has a wide range of suitable products available in many different sizes, colours, textures, and patterns.

Wall tilesTile Trends has an extensive range of different wall tiles. A great selection of sizes, colours, finishes and borders.

Glass tilesAn extensive range with a kaleidoscope of colours designed to complement any setting and style of room.

Underfloor heatingTile Trends’ underfloor heating systems offer the ultimate in luxury and are surprisingly affordable. The team will make it quick and easy to design and install the perfect heating system for your home.

Trade productsA full range of trade products including floor preparation, waterproofing, adhesives, and tools

- from quality brands including Bostik ASA and Mapei.


News | Working Life

Squirrels collect and store nuts so they’ll have food to last throughout the winter. Their thriftiness is a lesson for us all to be careful with our money, even when the sun is shining, and save it for a rainy day. This is particularly relevant to businesses that experience seasonal highs and lows. Preparation is paramount if you are to survive and thrive through the tidal ebbs and flows of seasonal business.

When we think of seasonal businesses we typically think of the tourism, hospitality and horticultural industries, but most businesses experience an aspect of seasonality, although they may not realise it.

A huge swathe of companies can predict an increase in work leading into Christmas holidays and retail in particular will also see highs during Valentines Day, mother’s and father’s days, schools holidays and Easter.

Recognising your own businesses peaks and troughs is the first step to taking advantage of the benefits that might be on offer, but also in mitigating associated risks.

Colin Clapp, chief accountability officer at Accountable Business Progress, and business consultant and accountant, Martz Witty of the Martz Group, share their experience to help you run your seasonal business at its peak.

Calm before the stormIt can be tempting to slack off, kick back and relax during your quiet months, but this time should be used wisely to review, renew and prepare your business for the flood of work on the horizon, because you won’t have the luxury of time once it hits.

Rejuvenating your company is all about “clearing out the dead wood” Colin says, so you are running like a well oiled machine.

“I like to use the phrase ‘pimp up your business’. The acronym ‘pimp’ stands for people, intellectual property, money and physical assets - these four things are the major resource categories in any business and should be maximised to their full potential.

“In preparation for the busy season businesses should look at each resource and ask, are we getting the most out of that we’ve got?

“For the first category, people, ask yourself - are we making the most of our employees, clients and financial stake holders or are there skills and capabilities we are not taking advantage of?

“The second category, intellectual property, do you have people in your organisation who have got qualifications that aren’t being used, do you have policy and procedures that are not being adhered to?

Ebb and flow“The third category, money - are you making the most on your return investment or have you got money sloshing around being wasted?

“The final category, physical assets - ask yourself, have we got cars, trucks, computer systems anything tangible that we have not put to good use? If you put time and effort into this task when you’re quiet you will be well equipment for the busier months.”

Hiring part time, temporary or contract staff for your peak season is common practise for most seasonal businesses. But Colin says thorough induction training for these people must be a priority if you want to hit the ground running.

“A lot of companies will treat there seasonal staff different from their full time staff which I would argue is a big mistake. If you are taking on temporary staff they need to be trained as though they were full time staff.

“They’ve got to understand the businesses policy, procedures and philosophy or you are at risk of them making mistakes that could cost the company money and its reputation.”

Plan to succeed It’s true, failing to plan is a plan to fail, and seasonal business must plan otherwise they face putting themselves at massive risk of going bust when times are tough.

A business plan is essential “I’m a big fan of the simple business plans” Colin says.

“It should include two sections, firstly short term goals for 30 days, 90 days and one year to keep you on track in the short term.

“Secondly long term goals, they should be big ambitious and almost seem impossible at the time, but you’ve have got to have something to work towards and give you drive.”

By Laura Hall

sale, even in their busy times - this means they are giving away valuable margin and it’s just crazy,” Martz says.

The best way to take advantage of the peak season is to “create and protect margin,” he says.

Don’t settle for just any business when you have high customer demand for your product or service. When you are not fighting for sales you should be maximising profits.

“There is no point in being busy if you’re not making any money, you are busy going broke.”

Offering discounts is an effective strategy to move stock in a slow moving period but that it is.

Budgeting Businesses new to seasonality tend to “make stupid mistakes by spending up large” thinking the wave of cash they are riding will last forever.

“Too often I see clients suddenly turn up in brand new four wheel drives and I think to myself ‘oh my god’, because I know they can’t afford it in the long term.”

Proper budgeting is the backbone of a seasonal business, Martz says. “You must know the costs of the business in every detail and they need to be assessed and

managed regularly, especially variables costs which fluctuate.”

If budgeting in detail falls into your too hard basket, then invest in a cost and management accountant, it will pay off in the long run.

He says it is also wise to “annually review overheads and look at what you are spending money on. I totally concur with the old saying you’ve got to spend money to make money but you’ve got to spend money on the right things.”

Big blunders to avoid:The biggest mistake is failure to plan. SME owners are too busy and too ingrained in their business to step back, look at it objectively and then make positive changes and plans for the future.

I see time and time again companies taking on full time staff when all they need is casual or temporary.

Seasonal businesses often fail to prepare for the high season; they don’t hire enough staff, have enough product ready to go and have neglected to carry out fleet and machinery maintenance in the slow season.

They forget to plan and budget for the low season and often have to borrow money, this ends up crippling them. You can’t bounce back once you start borrowing.

Too many businesses are busy offering discounts just to get the sale, even in their busy times, this means they are giving away valuable margin and it’s just crazy.

Recognising your own businesses peaks and troughs is the first step to taking advantage of the benefits it has to offer, but also mitigating the risks it poses.

Maintain margin Many businesses focus on making sales; they believe the more sales they make equals to more profit.

While this theory isn’t entirely wrong it should not be the be-all and end-all aim; better results will be achieved if the focus is shifted to maximising margin.

“I see this all the time. Too many businesses are busy offering discounts just to get the

“

”

”“


Ten technology tips to get your business booming this year

News | Technology

Bibby Financial Services Australasian managing director, Mark Cleaver says businesses need to boost their online presence and embrace the use of social media and technology to stay ahead of the competition in 2014.Then there’s the potential audience of billions around the globe, all now much more easily accessible online.

So here are Mark’s top 10 tips to ensure small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can boost their brands and profitability, without incurring exorbitant expenses.

10. Take advantage of the broadband

The roll out of national broadband networks, which will increase internet speeds, is considered to be a positive for small business owners. According to the Bibby Barometer, as many as 61 percent believe the impact will be positive with 27 percent believing it will have a very positive impact. Only six percent feel the roll out of broadband networks will have a negative impact on their business. It’s just another reason to be online.

9. Spend on hardware or risk being dated

Despite the increase in technology ownership, the level of SME expenditure on both hardware and software has decreased, according to the e-Business report. However, investment in the latest hardware and software can make your business more productive, so budget for technology upgrades and reap the efficiency windfalls that will pay for themselves over time.

8. Don’t miss a real-time sales opportunity

The number of purchases people make online is steadily climbing, so the ability to transact with the growing consumer pool in real-time can really boost your revenues. If you don’t sell online, then you risk losing business, particularly to overseas business.

7. SEO – more important than ABC

Your digital strategy must include search engine optimisation (SEO) so that once you have a website, consumers can easily find it. You may need an expert to help you because there are several tricks of the trade that smart businesses use to make sure people land on their website first.

6. Develop an overall digital strategy

A digital strategy isn’t just about having a website - it’s about all of your digital activity. You need to go beyond having an email address to achieve greater engagement through, for example, sms communications, developing mobile apps, search engine optimisation, social media marketing and online transaction capabilities.

The more broadly you act in the digital world, the greater your reach and potential sales. According to the 2013 Sensis e-Business report, only 19 percent of SMEs have an overall digital business strategy. Given so few SMEs are thinking about their overall digital strategy, this represents an opportunity for you to get ahead and develop an extensive strategy.

5. Think like a youngster

Business owners aged between 18-39 years are significantly more likely to be using social media (83 percent) than older business owners (56 percent), according to findings from the recent Bibby Barometer survey. To remain competitive, SMEs need to adapt to technology as quickly as their competition does. They also need to be as tech savvy as their customers and potential clients. That is the digital reality.

4. Don’t let your size or budget get you down

Approximately only 13 percent of micro business, or those with four employees or fewer, use social media, compared 52 percent of large businesses. Just because you’re small, it doesn’t mean you don’t exist. So embrace social media with regular updates about your activity and you’ll notice the difference. It doesn’t cost much to establish a website and email is free, so use the digital world to your advantage.

3. Target the right audience

Develop an online community where it matters. If you’re a recruiter, then a LinkedIn presence is an obvious necessity. If you sell products for young people, then you might want to be on Facebook or Instagram. Make sure you’re targeting the right audience to get the best results for your business. Social media marketing works - as long as you’re in the right places.

2. Use social media to spread the word

Overall, 35 percent of SMEs that are online use social media for business purposes, according to the 2013 Sensis e-Business report. This was most likely to be a Facebook page (93 percent), Twitter (28 percent), LinkedIn (17 percent) and YouTube (7 percent). Almost half of SMEs that used social media said it had a positive impact on their business. Social media is much cheaper to use than paid advertising and it’s an affordable way to reach millions of people in local markets and around the world in real-time.

1. Get mobile

The biggest growth area in technology ownership in 2013 was via owning a tablet, with more than four in 10 SMEs reporting owning a tablet, according to the 2013 Sensis e-Business report. By the same token, the strongest technology trend displayed by Australian consumers was the uptake of mobile devices with over two thirds of SMEs owning smart phones in 2013.

Just 17 percent of SMEs with websites reported that they had a mobile specific website, up from 9 percent last year, so it’s an area where SMEs can develop an advantage.

business booming this year


News | Ideas

Construction sites can be dirty, wet, chaotic environments, certainly not the ideal place to fill out paper work.

Getting work sites sorted By Laura Hall

Matt says the programme doesn’t introduce anything new to existing health and safety practices, but instead enhances the current outdated system by making everything instantly available, searchable and auditable.

“Our aim is to replace the paper system. I would like to see the whole construction industry standardised and utilising the technology to make workplaces safer across the country.”

Putting it to the testThe SiteSorted team recently completed final running tests to smooth out any kinks in the system. “We have received extremely positive reactions from our field tests,” Matt says.

Market research is also being carried out to help define what the end cost to the user will be, and while this aspect is still in its early stages, Matt says initial costings indicate it will be very affordable.

At this stage they are focussing on marketing and releasing the programme to the Canterbury rebuild SCRIT and alliance partners, including City Care, Downer, Fletchers, Fulton Hogan and McConnell Dowell.

But SiteSorted will be available nationwide after the official launch in late March.

“Initially we will focus on implementing the programme into the civil construction industry such as road and drainage companies. Once we are established we will then build up business in the vertical infrastructure industry, and from there the possibilities are endless.

“There are so many industries SiteSorted is desperately needed in, namely the forestry industry, which has been hot in the press lately with their poor safety track record.”

Matt has big ambitions for the programme that started from a university project. “My personal five year plan is to get SiteSorted into the mines in Australia, but that’s a whole other beast in itself.”

His goal for 2014 is to standardise the “clumsy” health and safety practises in New Zealand and make it a safer environment for everyone.

However, health and safety paper work is an important aspect on construction sites to keep workers safe. But the traditional method of crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s on hard copy is often fraught with difficultly onsite.

Documents can easily go missing or become damaged and it is incredibly inefficient to physically deliver hard copy documents to an office, especially if they are urgently needed.

But these problems will all soon be a thing of the past thanks to a pair of switched on university students and the collaborative help and backing of two Christchurch businesses. The solution is SiteSorted, an extremely logical, sensible yet genius programme that aims to streamline and standardise health and safety systems in construction industries in New Zealand and beyond.

Matt Cobham and Ashok Fernandez were both engineering students at the University of Canterbury. Last year was their final year of study and they were required to complete work experience, so Matt worked as a project manager on a construction site.

“My job was to essentially organise and review the information that was onsite, I quickly grew sick of the incredibly inefficient systems, the disorganised paper trials and the huge amount of lost information,” Matt says.

Realising there was a need for something more efficient utilising the technology available prompted Matt to find a solution, and in April last year the idea for SiteSorted was born.

At the same time Christchurch companies BVT Consulting and Worthington Contracting were independently working on similar ideas to implement within their own organisations. The three groups joined forces to create SiteSorted in a partnership that Matt describes as “mutually beneficial”.

He and Ashok lacked business smarts and BVT Consulting and Worthington Contracting needed an extra pair of hands and some fresh creative initiative; together they made an ideal team.

How SiteSorted works SiteSorted is mobile reporting programme for iphones, smartphones, ipads and tablets.

Initially it allows workers onsite to file health and safety reports and information instantly and accurately. Information from across the field is then analysed and the statistics can be used to determine risks and hazards before it’s too late.

The programme can minimise the risk of accident or injury by determining the most common accidents on site, what causes them and which staff member is most likely to have an accident.

Matt Cobham and Ashok Fernandez<

I have read hundreds of business books during the years and to be honest it’s hard to impress me these days. A lot of “so called” best practises are often nothing more than the same old myths that keep getting perpetuated. As a result, I seek out authors who bring meaningful data and intellectual rigor to their work. One of them is Professor Bob Sutton from Stanford.

I love it when research blows away my preconceived notions and as leaders we must always be willing to change our minds when better information comes to light.

If you want to have your beliefs challenged, I recommend any of Bob’s books, Good Boss, Bad Boss and The Knowing - Doing Gap and Hard facts, dangerous half truths, and Total Nonsense: Profiting from evidence-based management, for starters. I draw on his research often in my writing and in our work with clients.

Here is a summary of some pearls of wisdom derived from a presentation Bob gave to a group of human resource managers a while back.

Myth - Find rock star employees and pay them whatever is necessary to keep them happy (the “Wall Street mentality”).

Fact - The best performing organisations do pay above average salaries for roles, but the pay bands are more compressed i.e. the gap between what the CEO earns and what the lowest paid employee earns is far less and much less likely to cause employee resentment.

Myth - The most important thing we can do is to find and develop the senior leaders.

Fact - The most important thing we can do is to find and develop great front line supervisors.

Myth - The best organisations have the best people (the “war for talent” mentality).

Fact - The best organisations have the best systems and not necessarily the best

raw talent. Ordinary people can learn to perform at top levels in a well designed system, but even rock star employees are doomed to fail in a bad system.

Myth - Every company needs a great performance review system.

Fact - Most organisations do performance appraisals because they have always done them, and there is an entire industry vested in promoting this model. Forced rankings, merit ratings and other forms of grading that breed internal competition tend to undermine employee motivation and breed contempt.

Myth - Managers should focus on finding, hiring and developing the very best people.

Fact - Reforming or terminating the worst people is up to five times more important for raising overall team performance.

Eliminating the negative is more important that accentuating the positive when it comes to superior business execution.

The research shows that managers of high performing teams confront poor performance directly and quickly, issue more warnings and formal punishments, and promptly fire employees when warnings fail.

These no-nonsense managers inspire higher performance because they make it crystal clear that they will not tolerate poor performance.

This works so long as they are fair and consistent, and balance this approach with ample recognition and praise for good performance.

Don’t procrastinate when it comes to doing the unpleasant work. Rooting out poor performance and negative behaviours is not fun, but playing “bad cop” is an essential part of being a successful manager, and driving business execution success.

How well are you implementing these facts in your business?

Stephen Lynch is the chief customer officer at RESULTS.com. Information kindly provided by RESULTS.com: www.results.com

Management myths and facts By Stephen Lynch


News | Top Tips

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We see lots of managment articles about how important it is to empower employees. We are encouraged to give people clear directions and the necessary authority to get the job done, and then take a step back to let them get it on with it without micromanaging them.

This is all excellent advice and many companies are experimenting with different ways of managing people. Some are even trying to not have any managers at all.

I think we can all agree that no one likes to be micromanaged, but could the pendulum be swinging too far? Someone still needs to make sure things are getting done.

The biggest problem business owners report to me (by far) is that they are frustrated with the lack of accountability in their organisations. In other words, things are still not getting done on time, or to the level required.

In the book “It’s Okay to Be the Boss: The Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming the Manager Your Employees Need” the author claims that “under-management” is now the problem. Leaders have forgotten how to manage.

Here’s some of the key lessons from the book with a few of my own thrown in for good measure:

Set clear expectations

Structure is not a dirty word. People crave structure. People need to see how their own goals and tasks relate to the overall company strategy. They also need to know how their performance will be measured. Software management platforms help you to provide this structure and ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them.

Make decisions

Your team needs to see that you have a firm handle on the issues and can make good and timely decisions. Making decisions is what you are paid to do. Choose and prioritise the

key projects that address the issues your team faces, and assign tasks accordingly.

Make performance visible

Every employee should know how they are performing and whether or not they are doing a good job. Everyone should be able to see who is performing well and who is struggling. It’s called “radical transparency,” and is one of the keys to creating a high performance culture.

Praise, praise, praise

Praise and acknowledge people who are hitting their KPI numbers and getting their tasks done. If you are not careful, your top people can feel neglected and resentful if they are working hard for no recognition. Let people know when they are going a good job, each and every week.

Make the tough calls

Have the courage to pull the plug on projects that are not delivering the expected results. Have the courage to confront people who are not pulling their weight. Yes we all want to be liked, but weak managers are not respected. Weak managers let small problems grow into big problems, when they should have been dealt with earlier. Weak managers let people off the hook, instead of holding them accountable for performance.

Things don’t fix themselves

Those people who aren’t making the grade need your support, mentoring and training, and be given every chance to succeed. However, if you have honestly fulfilled your side of the bargain and the person still cannot perform to the desired standard within a mutually agreed timeframe, then you either need to find them a new role where they can perform, or you need to let them go. Don’t procrastinate on this.

Take responsibility

As a manager, it is your responsibility to proactively support and coach your team to keep projects and tasks moving forward each and every week, and to make sure everyone is hitting their KPI numbers.

As a manager you only succeed when your team succeeds. You praise the team when the team succeeds. But you alone take responsibility when the team fails.

Yes, being a manager is a tough job. Someone needs to do it. Are you up to it?

Stephen Lynch is the chief operating officer of Global Operations at RESULTS.com. Information kindly provided by RESULTS.com: www.results.com

Management - are you up to it?By Stephen Lynch


You’re advertising a job vacancy in your workplace. You’ve just listed the position online and you already have 50 applications, and counting, piling up in your inbox, plus a heavy workload.

Ten tips on how to sort CVs By Laura Hall

If you are a business owner then this scenario may sound all too familiar. Hiring new staff can often be difficult, stressful and a time consuming process. Because of these reasons the task can be carried out poorly with many inefficiencies.

Elephant Training and HR general manager, Angela Atkins, has worked in HR and leadership development roles for 17 years. She offers up her expert tips on how to streamline the CV sorting process, avoid recruitment blunders and hire the right person for the job every time.

Angela has worked with many businesses that overlook the importance of the hiring process. ‘’Hiring the best candidate for a job is critical if you want your business to run at its full potential, so you must put some thought and time into getting it right.’’

But a large number of businesses put the task of reading CVs and making a short list of applicants on the back burner until it is too late. This results in business owners making snap decisions about who to hire and often they choose a candidate who doesn’t meet the job description, and is inappropriate for the role.

Angela says the primary causes of SMEs making poor hiring decisions can be attributed to two reasons, which are all too frequently made.

The first pitfall SMEs face is a lack of time to do the job properly she says. ‘’SME business owners are often swamped with work and don’t have adequate time to dedicate to the hiring process. Time is precious in owner operated companies where the boss if frequently trying to fill several roles themselves.”

She says spending a little bit more time reading though CVs and interviewing candidates may seem like a hassle, but will pay off in the long run.

The second mistake Angela has identified business owners making may seem obvious but she says she sees it occurring regularly

in her line of work. ‘’I deal with businesses all the time who are advertising a job vacancy, but don’t have a clue about the type of person they are looking for or the skills they want the person to possess.’’

She says it is impossible to hire the right person for the job if you aren’t clear what you are looking for in an applicant. She recommends employers form a strong idea about what essential skills they are looking for in a candidate and what they could train or develop a person in.

‘’SMEs treat the hiring process as a low priority when it should be their primary focus if they are serious about hiring the right person. Good candidates are hard to come by so treat the hiring process with the importance it deserves,’’ she says.

Sorting through curriculum vitas quickly, efficiently and reliably is easier said than done. Angela shares her top ten tips on how to sort through CVs and find the right employee.

SMEs treat the hiring

process as a low priority

when it should be their

primary focus if they

are serious about hiring

the right person. Good

candidates are hard to

come by so treat the

hiring process with the

importance it deserves.

Angela’s top 10 tips

“

”- ANGELA ATKINS

1. Prepare a list of the top three skills or experiences the successful person MUST already have, as well as 3 – 6 things that would be useful, and use this when going through CVs. Look at the actual tasks the candidate has done rather than job title. There might be transferable skills.

2. If you’re receiving email applications, set up a folder in your inbox and move applications into it. At the end of each day do a quick read through and highlight in red those without any of your top three necessary attributes, orange if they have 1 – 2 and green if they have all three (or print them off and put some time aside at the end of each day to do this manually).

3. When you turn people down send a nice rejection letter. They may end up being a client or right for another job.

4. Get back to your shortlisted candidates ASAP and organise an interview, otherwise you could lose good candidates if you take too long.

5. If you think you’ll get lots of applications ask people to include something specific in their application or use selection questions. Those that don’t bother probably aren’t going to be the right person. For example, we asked people applying for our marketing role to do a quick mock-up of a website page for us.

6. Take preference over candidates who are progressing their career, this shows they’re eager to learn, rather those who have had five different jobs all in the same role.

7. Don’t get too caught up on grammar or spelling in younger candidates or migrant’s CVs unless that’s a key part of the job.

8. If you’ve got more than four people to interview – do a 10 minute phone interview with each person first and ask why they applied and what they’ll bring to the role to narrow it down.

9. Use computer testing or other skill testing as well as an interview to check if they really do have the right background.

10. Always call at least two referees. This will help to verify their work history and provide a second opinion on their personality. Ensure the referees number is a landline, preferably to a business. If the number is a mobile phone this can often mean it is not authentic.

Angela Atkins has worked in HR roles for the last 17 years and is the general manager of Elephant Training and HR. She is the best-selling author of business books Management Bites and Employment Bites (both published by HarperCollins NZ) and for the last two years has been the HR Institute of NZ Auckland Branch President. To contact her email [email protected]

At Acacia Cove, village living has taken on a whole new meaning with a planned environment aimed at providing superior, spacious accommodation with security and independence. Acacia Cove retains the real advantages a traditional retirement village lifestyle can have for independent mature people: less home and garden maintenance, additional security, access to facilities rarely found in a conventional home, and neighbours of a similar age with which to enjoy them.

The village has 213 villas and 10 indivual, fully self contained apartments that offer independence as well as the benefits of a vibrant and active community.

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A right to occupy a dwelling at Acacia Cove is unsecured.

A beautifully appointed meeting room forms the focal point for all activities from the walking group to the garden club, and provides a place to gather before and after going across the road to the Golf Course.

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If you’re 60 or over, value your independence but want less maintenance, greater security and neighbours like yourself, come and have a look around.

Call Bruce Cullington on 09 268 8522

Returning to Auckland to retire?Join the community at Acacia Cove

News | Top Tips

At Acacia Cove, village living has taken on a whole new meaning with a planned environment aimed at providing superior, spacious accommodation with security and independence. Acacia Cove retains the real advantages a traditional retirement village lifestyle can have for independent mature people: less home and garden maintenance, additional security, access to facilities rarely found in a conventional home, and neighbours of a similar age with which to enjoy them.

The village has 213 villas and 10 indivual, fully self contained apartments that offer independence as well as the benefits of a vibrant and active community.

The village is flanked to the east by Wattle Downs Golf and Country Club and to the west by an estuary teaming with aquatic life.

Within the centre there is also an open fire setting, billiard table, gym, spa bath, hairdressing salon, nurse’s station, library and computers.

The village centre created a great atmosphere. Every time I go there I feel like I’m part of a community“ ”

Wattle Farm Road,Wattle Downs, AucklandP: 09 258 8522E: [email protected]

A right to occupy a dwelling at Acacia Cove is unsecured.

A beautifully appointed meeting room forms the focal point for all activities from the walking group to the garden club, and provides a place to gather before and after going across the road to the Golf Course.

It also has experienced staff and management. All our villas and apartments come complete with 24 hour monitered emergency call system.

If you’re 60 or over, value your independence but want less maintenance, greater security and neighbours like yourself, come and have a look around.

Call Bruce Cullington on 09 268 8522

Returning to Auckland to retire?Join the community at Acacia Cove


You just can’t turn a three minute timer upside down and expect to immediately churn out original ideas stamped with a 10 year guarantee. Creativity doesn’t work like that.

News | Lateral thinking

Left field ideasBy Davina Richards

It also works in different ways for different people, but there are solutions to help us trigger our brains into making connections it doesn’t normally make during your standard daily pattern.

So here’s a list of suggestions which could incite great thinking, create creativity, as well as improve decision making by throwing out the odd strange interview questions.

Interview questionsSo, what’s your favourite swear word? If you were a punctuation mark what would you be?

We’ve followed the same set of interview questions such as “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” for so long now that some of them should be made redundant, because going by a dozen candidates’ responses you just heard this morning, you probably can’t determine one from another contender. So why not mix things up a bit?

If a candidate expects the expected in an interview what do we really know about their skill set or character before we allow them into our business domain? It’s up to the employer to ask the right questions, even if they are a little absurd.

Glassdoor.com is a job site which has come up with ‘Top 25 Oddball Interview Questions for 2014’, based on feedback from thousands of UK job candidates.

Here is a selection of the questions asked; they may seem completely irrelevant, but actually, are good indications of a candidate’s skill, value, performance and cultural fit.

It’s not about right or wrong answers, but about reactions which can say more about a person compared to what is written on their CV.

• What makes you happy about work on a Friday evening?

• How do you fit a giraffe in a fridge?

• Would you rather fight a horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?

• Are you more of a hunter or a gatherer?

• A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?

In another direction, you could also consider introducing a potential candidate to play a game which tests physical and mental skill. Employers will get an insight as to whether a candidate works well with others, if they’re competitive, leaders, problem-solvers or thinkers.

Stress relief Sometimes holding a stress ball in your hand just doesn’t cut it. Stress can make you feel like screaming at the top of your lungs – and actually, this isn’t a bad idea. But if this isn’t your thing, how about one of those laughing workshops?

Take a look at ‘25 Weird Breaks for Stress Relief’ at www.workhappynow.com to read suggestions, including:

• Curl your toes – tighten your toes for 15 seconds, then relax. Do this with all muscle groups working your way up through your body. Finish by wrinkling up your face

• Call a friend who you haven’t talked to in more than a year

• Admit a weird thing you did as a kid to a co-worker

• Ask a co-worker if they could talk to someone about their stress, living or dead, who would it be?

MotivationI think it’s safe to say that not everyone comes into work bouncing off the walls with enthusiasm. Individuals find motivation in different things, so introduce events or activities to fuel their passion.

• Allow your employees to take their pets to work for a day/week – it’s amazing how having a furry friend around can change the whole dynamics of a room

• Organise a flash mob dance in the office

• Hold a Sumo wrestling match (in Sumo suits, of course)

• Instead of recognising employees for making the most sales, reward those who stand out in other, silly ways. www.sillycertificates.com offer funny printable award certificate templates. Some awards may be presented to individuals for ‘coming in under budget and on time’, or ‘for just showing up to work – and you all should be thankful’

• Hold development seminars or workshops – find out what your staff are interested in and use this information to help you determine the right tutorial.

Create creativity“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way” said British physician, author, inventor and consultant Edward de Bono. Don’t let your mind go stale, approach issues with unexpected angles to solve problems.

• Combine – come up with new combinations: images, thoughts, products, places and skills. Throw in your most bizarre combinations to come up with an original concept or approach

• Think in opposites – check out www.7ideas.net which talks about reverse thinking and how to use it as a tool to find innovation

• Define a problem and take a random word from the dictionary – now, make a connection between the two.

Team building

Some may disagree, but there’s real value in team building exercises, as long as you ensure they are applicable and occur on a regular basis to make them effective.

No one ever completed a marathon by running for 20 minutes once a week; practise makes perfect.

It’s a great way of helping employees get to know each other, address challenges and perhaps connect over a shared sense of humour. Even in uncomfortable situations it can reveal how they work together and highlights where skills, such as leadership, creative thinking and problem solving, lies with individuals.

• Get the team to play a game of Jenga or the Human Knot

• Try a cooking game – buy, plan, prepare a meal. Set them against the clock and other teams

• Send them on an Outward Bound course

• Go to www.corpchallenge.co.nz for team building exercises including, flat pack frenzy, minute to win it, the big give and much more.

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RiverheadPoint

Contact Leo for more information - 0274 752 [email protected] | [email protected]

www.riverheadpoint.co.nz

Kiapara Portage Road comes off the roundabout on the Riverhead Coatesville Highway Entrance 500 Metres Away.

BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME.

Only A few Stage One Sections left.Stage Two Sections Are Selling Now.Opportunity To Choose Your Site.

Proud to be associated building homes with:Generation, Stonewood, Landmark, Versatile, G.J. Gardner, Cavalier, Signature, Golden Homes, Platinum & others

LOCATION LOCATION Kaipara Portage Rdcomes off theroundabout on theCoatesville - Riverhead Highway.

Riverhead presents a quiet rural atmosphere within

close proximity to Auckland City. Travelling by car to the CBD takes 20 minutes with 5 minutes to the new North

Western Motorway extension.

Riverhead has great local activities with Huapai

Golf Course, the historic Riverhead Tavern, Hallertau Micro-brewery, and nearby

local restaurants.

Riverhead primary School is within walking distance.

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Sunny North facing.Services includes gas and

fibre optics


Emma Clarke is a well known name in the New Zealand marketing industry, and rightly so with more than 15 years of experience.

News | Q&A

Getting selective By Laura Hall

a job by job basis so there is no on-going commitment required from clients.

Because each of the suppliers is independent we don’t have the same overheads that large agencies have, so there are financial benefits to the clients and suppliers.

We’re not a full service model like other agencies so clients can pick and choose their services, plus they can work direct with the creative supplier; no middle man.

I think for a long time the marketing and creative service industry in New Zealand haven’t been meeting the needs of SMEs. There are a large proportion of small businesses in New Zealand and the old fashioned model has really been screaming out for a reinvention.

If a SME has been in business for several years and never used a marketing company, what can you do for them?

If an organisation came to me wanting to do marketing for the first time I’d be drilling into them what there business objectives are and what they want to achieve.

If there objective is to compete, for example they may have a new competitor and they’ve taken there market share, then their objective is to try and win that market share back. So there are certain types of marketing we can do to achieve that.

It all comes down to business objectives and every business is going to have a different one. Ultimately marketing is about understanding why people buy things and influencing the purchasing decision process.

Whatever objectives you have heavily influence what marketing methods you should take. If you don’t know what your objective is how can you measure progress and how do you know when you’ve achieved your goals?

Has the computer technology and information age made it easier or harder for businesses to maintain a positive public image?

I think both; it’s made it easier and harder. Social media and internet tools available now make it a hell of a lot easier to measure what’s working and what’s not working in your marketing strategy.

Plus it’s certainly more cost effective compared to other methods. But I think it’s harder because you have to be really consistent with your messages and tone of voice. You have to monitor everything you are doing online and you have to check it on a daily basis; I think that’s where companies fall over.

Businesses often start a Facebook page, they chuck up a few things then they just forget about. This leaves it open for people to freely and publicly comment about them and that’s where they get into trouble.

I think although it is a really cost effective way to get your message and your brand out there if you do it well. But it can be really damaging too.

Even if you’re an honest, hard working SME, you can’t stop unfair or unjust online reviews tarnishing your reputation - so how does an SME combat this?

I think you’ve got to monitor your online presence; there are ways and companies who can monitor who is talking about your business and what they are saying.

You need to respond to negative comments quickly and efficiently to clear up the mess before it snowballs and gets out of control. People often make the mistake of ignoring comments but that is the last thing they should do.

Finally if you are in the wrong, just say sorry.

How competitive is the marketing industry?

It is competitive. I think a lot of marketing companies try to specialise in one industry to try and compete. Companies also try to compete on price, the New Zealand market is very heavily price driven.

But in the creative services industry you get what you pay for, so it can be worth investing in. I think the way you stay ahead of the game is by constantly reinventing the business model based on the customer’s needs.

What is the key to the success of your business?

Firstly having the best creative specialists on our team who are leading in their industry and making sure they fit our clients’ demands. Secondly we are constantly evolving to address our customers’ needs and we never loose sight of the purpose of our core business.

Do you have one piece of advice to people who are considering starting up their own business?

Always do your research, ask people if they would buy your product or service and what they’d pay for, and then listen to their feedback.

A lot of entrepreneurs have great ideas, and they invest all their money into product development. But then they have nothing left to pay for market research or advertising, so they’ve got this great product but no one knows about. I see a lot of new businesses fall over because they don’t invest in marketing.

What are your plans for the future of The Selective?

My immediate goal is to grow the number of creative specialists on the team. The short to medium term goal is to move into the Australian market.

A lot of New Zealand companies are breaking into the Australian market and they want to use a local marketing company to help them do it.

She spent the first eight years of her career overseas working for multinational companies as a marketer. The she returned home spending the last seven years as a marketing consultant, managing teams of creative specialists developing marketing and communication plans for businesses in New Zealand.

She recently added a new title to her name, founder and marketing strategy director of The Selective. Emma launched the marketing company in August last year in reaction to a dramatic shift in customer demand.

The Selective is a new take on the traditional marketing model, which conventionally requires clients to pay for the ‘’full service’’ including marketing, communications and creative expertise, which she says can often be costly.

Clients of The Selective can use its creative experts when and how they want, reducing cost and inefficiencies. This model opens up top quality marketing to SMEs, who were normally locked out of these services because of the high cost. Or it can offer an extra set of hands to large well established marketing companies when they have taken on a big job.

The Selective is comprised of a group of creative experts Emma hand picked and invited to be onboard. Each team member is a top player in their own field including photography, copy writing, public relations, website design, graphic design, social media and more.

So when a client needs someone to design a website, logo or newsletter they can go direct to Emma and she’ll put them in direct connect with a expert on The Selective.

Why did you create The Selective?

Over the last few years I’ve noticed more and more prospective clients want really specific services. So instead of saying we need to do some marketing, which is what they used to say, they’re now saying we want someone to build a website, handle our social media, or create a logo. I launched The Selective because I saw there was a specific need from the SME space, but also from larger companies.

You’ve been in business for a few months now, how is it going?

Good; we’re beginning to gain momentum and are getting some good feedback. But like all new businesses starting up presents its challenges. I’ve been out selling, cold calling and meeting people to get our name out there.

What distinguishes you from other PR or marketing companies?

We provide clients with direct access to top marketing and creative talent. We work on

I think the way you stay ahead of the game is by constantly reinventing the business model based on the customers needs.

“”


The Hamilton based agritech company has launched 19 new products or product improvements since January last year, with eight released this year.

And there are more on the way.

“Farmers laugh at me when I tell them we are in the business of providing them with technology they don’t even know they need yet, but I think that sums things up nicely.”

As the national sales manager for Gallagher Animal Management, Peter says the introduction of compulsory traceability for livestock is a key factor driving demand for new technology in the agricultural sector.

Farmers are now legally required to tag all their deer and cattle with EID (electronic identification) tags that enable their origins to be traced. While this scheme was initially treated with suspicion by a big chunk of the rural community, most farmers now recognise the benefits EID can offer.

“These benefits are considerable because farmers can closely monitor animal performance and use this information to improve farm productivity and profitability.”

Gallagher was quick to recognise that EID was the way of the future, and the company has invested millions of dollars into the development of a world class range of products that provide the best in livestock weighing and data collection technology.

News | Cover Story

This includes the award-winning SmartTSi, a product that combines three separate technologies – a weighscale, computer and animal management software – to provide the detailed livestock information necessary to make key farm management decisions.

Another recent innovation is an ‘intelligent’ electric fence Energizer that constantly monitors the performance of a fence and sends a message to the farmer’s mobile phone if it detects a problem.

But not all Gallagher products are high-tech. Some are simple twists on traditional farming tools.

Rising demand for farming technology is keeping Peter Nation and his team at Gallagher Animal Management very busy indeed.

The agritech revolution

The new Ring Top Post, for example, has turned the concept of the old pigtail-type electric fencing standard on its curly little head.

“We talked to farmers about what they liked and didn’t like about portable fencing and a common complaint about pigtail standards was that they were constantly getting tangled up when you are carrying them or storing them,” Peter says.

“Farmers were also frustrated about pigtail heads wearing through, resulting in shorting and increasing the risk of getting a nasty little shock.”

So Gallagher redesigned the fencing standard, giving it a ring-shaped head with no protruding parts. This makes it much easier to handle and erect standards. Its heavy-duty glass-fibre nylon head also eliminates the risk of shorting.

The Ring Top Post is a classic nod to the creative thinking that earned Gallagher its enviable reputation as a leading producer of electric fence systems.

The company’s origins span back to the 1930s when Waikato dairy farmer Bill Gallagher (senior) was searching for ways to stop his horse ‘Joe’ from rubbing up against his car.

These benefits are

considerable because

farmers can closely

monitor animal

performance and use this

information to improve

farm productivity and

profitability.

“

”


News | Cover Story

He developed an ingenious battery-powered electric fence unit and began selling these devices along with an expanding range of farm machinery.

The electric fence revolutionised New Zealand farming because it enabled farmers to manage pastures much more efficiently and at a lower cost than conventional fencing.

Today, Gallagher is recognised as a major contributor to the success of New Zealand agriculture and enjoys an international reputation for producing exciting and innovative products.

Employing more than 1000 staff worldwide and exporting to 150 countries, the company is a significant manufacturer of products for the fuel equipment and security industries. But in terms of annual turnover, animal management products are still the largest contributor.

Peter and his team are “steadfastly determined” to keep it this way.

“Our management team has a real desire to help farmers improve their lifestyle and their productivity.”

Reporting to Stephen Hoffman, international sales executive of Gallagher’s Animal Management Division, Peter heads a team of 16, which includes 10 territory managers spread throughout the country.

He says a key strength of the company is that a high proportion of its sales team is directly involved with customers.

“Our territory managers, for example, are always out there talking to farmers or resellers. They know their customers, know the area they are living in, and they are widely respected for their expertise and integrity.”

He says a major part of the company’s success is due to the significant investment it makes in research and development “to keep us at the leading edge of technology”.

Seven percent of annual turnover is reinvested into research and development and about half of this is devoted to animal management.

R&DIn recent years the company has made subtle changes to the way it approaches research and development for the agricultural sector.

“Nowadays there is a lot more focus on the research part of the equation. That means talking to farmers about some of the problems they face on-farm and how they can improve performance in specific areas of animal management.

“Then we’ve gone back to our research and development team and asked them to come up with a new product or improvement that will solve these issues in a simple and effective way.”

The end result is an innovative range of problem-solving products that have been warmly received by farmers.

Peter says demand for new technology is only going to increase as a new generation of techno-savvy farmers comes through.

“Gallagher has always been at the forefront of this technology and the challenge for us is to make sure we stay one step ahead.”

A man of the land Raised on a sheep and beef farm in the Turakina Valley, Rangitikei, Peter Nation left school at the age of 17 and walked straight into a job at ANZ Bank in Hunterville.

He spent 23 years with ANZ, holding 13 different roles and rising to a senior position in the rural lending department. In the late

“

”

Our territory managers,

for example, are always

out there talking to

farmers or resellers. They

know their customers,

know the area they are

living in, and they are

widely respected for their

expertise and integrity.

1980s he started part-time study at Massey University, graduating with a Diploma in Banking in 1991.

In 2003 he completed a Kelloggs Leadership Scholarship and soon after that he joined the Gallagher Group as National Sales Manager for Gallagher Animal Management.

“My job is basically about making sure people are looked after. As well as our own team I’m also looking out for our distributors and a wide range of other people and organisations that the company has links with.”

Peter and wife Ali, an accountant, live on a lifestyle block outside Hamilton with their children- Samantha, 16, and Thomas, 13.

Farming, gardening and ferrying their offspring to and from social functions and sporting events keeps Peter and Ali busy most weekends, but Peter still finds time for community commitments that include being vice president of the National Fieldays Society and treasurer of the Lake Karapiro-based Brooklyn Water Ski Club.

New Zealand has the highest youth suicide rate in the developed world, yet there are more than 6,000 charities dedicated to assisting our youth throughout the country.

Y for YOUTH co-founder Alex Greig says “There are hundreds of very successful programmes out there already in the community. The problem is that they are competing with each other for a diminishing pool of government grants, public donations and gaming trust money, which is limiting their ability to scale and expand capacity and in some instances threatening their very survival.”

Find Your Field of Dreams Foundation CEO, Craig Pollock says he and his organisation are fully aware of the impending youth sector funding crisis.

“Even as one of the larger youth organisations, it is a major challenge finding alternative revenue streams just to fund our current programmes. I suspect a lot of smaller youth organisations may simply not survive the next few years.”

Yet as traditional funding sources for the charity sector continue to decline, New Zealand’s alarming youth social statistics, such as bullying and suicide, continue to increase. Just last year there was a 40 percent increase in youth suicide for 15 – 19 year olds.

As New Zealand’s youth organisations face an unprecedented funding crisis, businesses nationwide are standing up with new social brand Y for YOUTH to solve our serious youth social issues.

Businesses stand up to solve youth social issues

What can we do about our youth social issues and the youth sector funding crisis?

“New Zealand’s youth social problems are not going to be solved with sausage sizzles and the old method of rattling the bucket outside shopping centres. Our serious social problems require serious resources and funding,” Greig says.

Y for YOUTH is a turnkey corporate social responsibility platform that enables businesses to contribute to the youth sector in such a way that they benefit from positive publicity and increased sales.

Businesses and brands contribute a percentage of their profits to the Y for YOUTH support network. In return companies display the Y for YOUTH trademark on their products and advertising, similar to Fairtrade or the Heart Foundation Tick branding models. Consumers are then encouraged to purchase from these companies.

Consumers want to buy from companies that support our communities

Greig says that today more than ever, consumers want to buy from companies that contribute to our communities. “We have developed a system that makes it easy for companies to donate to the youth sector, but in such a way that they

benefit from increased sales, positive publicity and an improved brand image. It’s a win-win.”

Through the creation of a sustained funding platform for New Zealand’s youth sector, youth organisations’ fundraising burdens can be alleviated so they can focus on expanding their programmes and impacting as many youth as possible throughout New Zealand.

Y for YOUTH co-founder Lara Jane says “We’re talking about transformation and positive social change for all of New Zealand. The more youth that are positively impacted, the more youth that grow up to be happy, healthy, contributing members in our communities.”

100 Founding Angels

As Y for YOUTH works towards becoming financially sustainable, it has created an opportunity for 100 forward thinking businesses and community focused individuals who wish to be involved in a movement to reduce New Zealand’s youth social statistics, to become Founding Angels.

Founding Angels support the development of Y for YOUTH by making an initial $5,000 donation (or $500 per month x 10 months), then $100 per month for three years.

Well known entrepreneur Michael Mayell, founder of Cookie Time, was one of the first to step up and claims that becoming a Founding Angel is a good way of practising corporate social responsibility. “This is just a great opportunity to give back, and it makes it very easy for businesses to do it.”

Twenty eight companies and individuals have already come on board as Founding Angels to support the development and growth of Y for YOUTH including Blacksmith Ltd, Navman Wireless, Academy Publishing, Coca–Cola,Tiki Taane, Kim and Mona Dotcom and Sales Star.

For further information and to get involved visitwww.yforyouth.org


News | Interview

King of the roadBy Davina Richards

You’ve probably seen her. Leaning over and blowing a cheeky kiss in your direction, usually accompanied with the slogan ‘Be JUCY, Live JUCY, Rent JUCY’. She appears in all her glory on the back of the distinctive green and purple rental campervans, gracing the roads across New Zealand and abroad. Well her name is Lucy, a fun-loving 1950s pin-up girl who revels in adventure and the spirit of travelling, and she anchors the JUCY brand.

Behind the scenes is Tim Alpe, one half of JUCY’s founders. He and his brother Dan launched the company 13 years ago, working from a small garage in Parnell, Auckland. Tim was 27 and Dan 25 at the time.

Following the success of JUCY here in God’s own, the company jumped across the pond in 2008, stuck a Kiwi flag in the sand and added some street value to Australian roads.

America was the latest market JUCY broke into in 2012, but this was no unlikely landing strip for the leading tourism business which already raves JUCY Cruise Milford Sound, a JUCY hotel in Auckland and JUCY car and campervan hire across New Zealand, Australia and the US.

The New Zealand tourism industry, much like Kiwi innovation, is a growing success story and still gaining momentum. So what better way to make a living than to help people have a good time on holiday?

The road to success Success is almost never a straight smoothly climbing line. It’s more of a spaghetti junction with the arrow barely piercing through the top.

You’ve pretty much made it once you’ve by-crossed the American border, but for Tim, success hasn’t come without the odd blip along the way. One of his earliest and biggest business decisions was to change the company name from Ezy Rentals to JUCY, where he admits they were a bit naïve and didn’t consider trademarks and protecting the brand.

“When we rebranded to JUCY we realised the importance of really focussing on creating a brand, as opposed to just having a business and we have created something with universal appeal that can cross into different sectors. Suffice to say the worst decision was not to focus on the brand at the outset,” Tim says.

“I think for us it’s really about ascertaining what are the best opportunities for the business, as there are plenty of opportunities for us to ‘JUCY-fy’ the world. But it’s about selecting the opportunities that best suit the brand and the business, and I suppose concentrating on the ones we know well and not focussing on opportunities that maybe aren’t right for the time being. And making sure we have the right people around us to achieve those goals.”

Like for any business, and for any business wanting to permeate the largest market in the world, challenges are inevitable and some seem almost impossible until they’re achieved.

Tim says launching into the US was like dealing with 52 different countries. Different states with each detailing red tape and

different time zones were consuming factors; he waited six months to secure a business license and four months to get a bank account.

“We overcame these obstacles by placing an employee from NZ HQ into the US for three months to help write the business plan. She understood JUCY and the brand and how we operated, and we put her into California for three months to help us write the business plan.

“Then we also looked to work with an existing operator up in the US for the first two years of operation which enabled us to get on the ground without having the expense of big leases and other major overheads. We made sure that we had our own staff in the market early on to really look after the best interests of the business and our customers.”

Onwards and upwards JUCY back home refuses to stand still. It has shifted into a different industry sector by moving from traditional rental cars and campervans into accommodation; the first JUCY hotel opened in Auckland in 2010.

We are not good at saying no to opportunities and

have been fortunate to have a board around us that’s

been able to ask tough questions – is this the right

thing for the business? And then having the balls to

turn around and say ‘no, don’t do it’.

“

”

Tim and Dan Alpe


News | Interview

JUCY facts: • 2,700 vehicles

• More than 240 staff

• One hotel

• One cruise boat

• Operates in 13 locations in NZ, Australia and USA

• 300,000 people drive, sleep and cruise JUCY each year

• More than 21,000 Facebook fans

• 7,300 Twitter followers

• More than one million You Tube views.

JUCY awards:• Tim Alpe won Ernst & Young Entrepreneur

of the Year 2010

• 2011 Winner University of Auckland Business School Entrepreneurs’ Challenge

• 2013 Joint winner in the NZTE International Business Awards – AUT Business School Most Innovative Business Model

• 2013 Finalist in NZTE International Business Awards – ANZ Best Business category

• For the seventh year in a row, JUCY was awarded the prestigious Golden Backpack Award 2013 for Best Car/Camper Rental in New Zealand.

“We had a huge amount of interest from our customers who wanted places to stay and they wanted to stay with JUCY throughout their journey, so we spotted the opportunity and launched the hotel in Auckland. It was a new learning curve for us, but it’s been fantastic,” he says.

While the company plans to roll out the hotel/accommodation offering in Christchurch and other sites, JUCY continues to expand its vehicle side of the business in America and a new range of JUCY rental cars have just hit Australian roads.

“We are not good at saying no to opportunities and have been fortunate to have a board around us that’s been able to ask tough questions – is this the right thing for the business? And then having the balls to turn around and say no, don’t do it.”

Arguably the biggest game changer for the business was moving from rental cars to campervans.

“We worked with boat builders to design a vehicle which was totally unique, using fiberglass and it proved a lot more cost-effective than our competitors. Also painting our vehicles green and purple when traditional motor homes were usually white created a huge amount of interest and a community of JUCY people driving and parking up together.

“Moving offshore to Australia in 2008 was also a huge milestone – we were unproven in overseas markets at that time and by launching there we proved we could go international, and this led on to the US.”

JUCY has its own campervan manufacturing division called JUCY by Design and is where the campervan units are built onto the imported second hand Japanese vans. JBD is based in Auckland and Los Angeles.

Spreading the word These days guerrilla advertising is what successful marketing material is made from and since the beginning JUCY was prone to try a bit of left field advertising to promote the brand, including parking campers outside tourist hotspots to get noticed.

“We had quirky merchandise such as branded g-strings and we sponsored unusual events like jelly wrestling – all the things that were a little bit controversial we got involved with.

“The guerrilla marketing was an inexpensive way to get our product out there and promote the business as we didn’t have the luxury of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertising. So we had to be creative and by being a little bit risky we definitely caught the attention of people,” he says.

Culture is key within any organisation and this is totally

true with JUCY. We are a marketing business and our

people are our biggest asset.

A strategy which worked a charm and couldn’t have been pulled off without the help of its dedicated and loyal JUCY crew.

It could have been (embarrassingly) misspelled or it could have been intentional, but the letter ‘i’ has been left out in its company name JUCY. I’ll just assume it’s because there is no ‘i’ in team because JUCY is a little family unit drenched in a culture all of its own. In fact, there have been five JUCY weddings and six or seven JUCY babies from people who have met as a result of working together.

“Culture is key within any organisation and this is totally true with JUCY. We are a marketing business and our people are our biggest asset. We have a person whose full time role is Queen of Culture and her role is that we get the right people on board, induct them accordingly and really invest in people. We don’t have an HR department at JUCY – we have a Queen of Culture and a People Jucyfier and we are prepared to invest in our people.”

Driving desire Tim’s work life began with Tourism Holdings Ltd in Los Angeles, Auckland and Melbourne. But there’s no denying that even as a young lad, Tim’s fate was always to be in business. His father, Chris, started Maui campervans in the 80s, to which Tim recalls cleaning campervans with his brother Dan every school holidays.

“Dad has been instrumental in helping Dan and I grow and establish the business, and he is still very involved. About two years ago we were struggling a little bit in the US and we sent him up there for a month to help out. He ended up buying a house there and spending about seven months of the year there helping us with the business.

“Dan and I have learnt a lot from him about the industry, how you grow and handle a fast growing, fast moving business and he is hugely influential in the way we have established the business.”

His father’s advice was to “employ your weaknesses”. “As it turns out we have about 247 weaknesses. It’s really important to appreciate you can’t do everything yourself and to get the right people around you to help you really achieve your goals.”

Tim clearly works hard to make a living, but he also doesn’t forget to make a life too. After all, what’s money and success if you don’t have anyone to share it with? He runs an international business and has a wife and three children aged three to eight, so you can imagine the demands of equal attention.

His brother Dan, is equally adept at juggling work and family life with his wife and two young children. But Tim says business and life is all one in the same.

“I’m an active relaxer so I’m always out doing stuff with the kids like taking them to tennis, school etc. I went to Hawaii last year with my wife and as long as I got three or four hours work done in the morning, then I was pretty good company in the afternoons.

“I’m not good at doing nothing. I’ve never slept-in in my life.”

“”

If you’re not here for a long time, but here for a good time, JUCY keeps its brand promise of funky and comfortable travel services at budget prices for those who’ve got the travel bug.

www.jucy.co.nz


Property & Construction | Modcom Portable Buildings

Flexibility takes on a new dimension as portable homes and offices are now widely available in New Zealand. One of the leaders in this evolving market is Modcom Portable Buildings Ltd, established in 1998. The business is 100 percent New Zealand owned and operated, which allows it to provide a quality product and excellent service.

Portable buildings are the best solution where speed, budget and limited or unavailable space is an issue.

Modcom buildings are constructed of either EPS insulated sandwich panel or fire resistant insulated sandwich panel; the buildings provide excellent insulation, strength and low maintenance properties.

In addition, all buildings come with a five year manufacturer’s warranty.

Modcom Portable Buildings is owned by Rex McIntyre and situated in Tauranga. Rex and his team are fully qualified and experienced technicians.

Manager Brendon Cole says the business manufactures an extensive range of transportable buildings for hire or for sale including offices, ablutions units, lunchrooms, accommodation units, and control rooms.

Buildings when and where you need them

“Hiring is an excellent option if you require temporary buildings on your site.

“Just hire the buildings as you need, for the length of time you require, and when you are finished with the buildings we will come and remove them.”

All buildings manufactured by Modcom are structurally engineered and built in

accordance with the New Zealand Building Code and relevant building standards.

The buildings are designed to be portable, making them easy and safe to transport.

With its own fleet of trucks and cranes Modcom can remove the reliance on outside providers and is able to provide hassle free delivery to your site nationwide.

Modcom Portable Buildings LtdPO Box 16349Tauranga T (07) 552 5271 T 0800 266 326www.modcom.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

A big thank you

Modcom Portable Buildings would like to say a big thank you to its suppliers

• Rylock windows and doors

• Designworks.

We manufacture an extensive range of transportable buildings for hire or sale

Offices, Ablution Units, Lunchrooms, Accommodation Units, and Control Rooms.

Phone: 0800 266 326 Email: [email protected] Portable Buildings Ltd

“If you require something specific we are happy to customise one of our existing plans or alternatively we can build a unit of your own design.

“Our buildings are built out of insulated panel so have a high quality finish while being low maintenance and are very easy to keep warm in winter and cool in summer.

“We are able to transport our buildings nationwide as we can do as much or as little as the customer requires.

“We believe in the quality of our buildings and personal service. All our buildings are built to the New Zealand standard building code,” Brendon explains.

Modcom hire buildings to many national events all around the country such as sports events, musical events, hospitals and V8 supercars.

The business is also part of the Supermac Group. With over 30 years in the industry Supermac Holdings Ltd is the market leader in the installation of insulated panels, both standard EPS and fire resistant, in New Zealand.

Supermac has worked across a wide range of sectors within the industry (including dairy companies, food processing plants, supermarkets and kiwifruit plants) to provide coolstore, freezer, chiller and canopy facilities. As well as providing facilities for the New Zealand market, Supermac has also worked in Australia, Tonga and China. CNT


BERNIE WALSHALUMINIUM & GLASS LTD

Contact us for all of your window and door requirements!

11 Miller Street, Dannevirke, Email. [email protected]

PHONE. 0800 347 789

W I N D O W S & D O O R STM

Property & Construction | Morris and Bailey

Award winning construction experts

The specialists

Morris and Bailey specialise in civil, commercial and residential construction and offers the following services:

• Bridging and civil construction

• Medical and educational facilities

• Precast concrete structures

• Commercial and retail buildings

• Industrial buildings

• Residential buildings

• Fit-out and refurbishments

• Farm buildings and bridges.

Morris and Bailey Limited is a specialist in commercial and civil construction, completing hundreds of significant projects since its formation 45 years ago.

The Dannevirke-based company prides itself on constructing high quality projects within the commercial, civil and residential markets.

General manager Greg Veale says while Morris and Bailey is not focussed on the residential market, it does build the occasional high quality home on request.

But one of Morris and Bailey’s main strengths is bridge building. “We specialise in bridges and are currently undertaking a number of farm bridges; this has been brought about by changes in policy by Horizon’s Regional Council relating to rivers,” says Veale.

“We have recently completed a difficult bridge in Whitby in Wellington. It proved difficult due to the curved nature, which resulted in redesigning element of the bridge during construction.”

Morris and Bailey has also recently completed a new coolstore at Oringi Business Park.

The company has achieved awards for numerous projects such as the KiwiRail Replacement Bridge in Feilding, Speight’s Alehouse in Palmerston North, the Kopane Bridge Replacement in Palmerston North, the Southern Star Abbey Monastery and residential house in Dannevirke.

The team prides itself on having a longstanding record of completing projects that meet customer needs in all areas.

Work is not only completed on time and on budget, but all the quality standards are met, along with personal attention to ensure excellent services are provided.

“Our philosophy is to work with clients to achieve the real intent of the contract and meet both the specified and unspecified needs. Our overall reputation is for high standards of workmanship and developing sound solutions for clients.”

Company historyMorris and Bailey was founded in 1969 and originally consisted of two offices in both Woodville and Dannevirke.

The Dannevirke office concentrated its effort mainly on the residential market, while the

Woodville office became more involved with civil construction and bridge building.

“We started doing some commercial work in the area and with that our staff grew and we became commercial builders who mixed in a bit of residential work as well,” managing director Peter Burne says.

“We had a fairly close working relationship with the Woodville company through the ‘70s and ‘80s.”

However, the Woodville office was wound up in the mid ‘80s, with two of its junior partners buying shares in the Dannevirke business.

“They brought a lot of skills with them, which allowed us to get into the bridge building and civil work too,” says Burne.

“Since that day we’ve continued to have a presence in both the commercial building field and civil and bridge building area as well, mixed in with a bit of residential building work.”

Today Morris and Bailey is still owned by Burne, together with three other shareholders, and employs about 18 staff from its premises in Cadman Road, Dannevirke, which it has owned for 40 years.

Vet Services Dannevirke’s new building, constructed by Morris and Bailey

Vet Services Dannebirke under construction

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Delivering a design of distinction Morris and Bailey has recently completed the large new Vet Services building in Dannevirke, a project which is being heralded as a big success.

Vet Services is a large rural veterinary practice with clinics in Waipukurau, Hastings, Napier and Dannevirke, offering a wide range of services for all animal species.

The practice had previously been operating out of a building that didn’t meet its needs and began planning its new building more than two years ago.

Morris and Bailey negotiated the contract, with construction of the new Vet Services practice beginning last May on a new site in Dannevirke’s main street. The building was designed by Dalgleish Architects in Wanganui.

Morris and Bailey general manager Greg Veale says the project involved a complete new build and hard landscaping.

It had its challenges, but was a complete success for the company.

“Some of the design aspects were tricky; the front area proved difficult with its high soffit.

It was quite a complicated design but we do quite a lot of work like that,” Veale says.

Morris and Bailey project managed the job, which went fairly smoothly. The company employed all the subcontractors for flooring, joinery, windows and doors.

“The client is very happy with the end result, which proved to be a very high quality build,” says Veale.

Increased capability Vet Services new Dannevirke building means its broad customer base is now receiving a better service. The building was constructed last year by Morris and Bailey.

Vet Services moved into the large new premises in December, which practice manager Peter McNeil says more than met their needs.

What the new building means to its owner

Vet Services Dannevirke’s large new premises, built by Morris and Bailey, means the company can now offer a more comprehensive service, including:

Pets – puppy pre-school, canine breeding

Beef – pregnancy scanning

Dairy – pregnancy scanning, lameness, nutrition, reproduction, mastitis

Deer – deer scanning

Equine – dentistry, equine ultrasound

Sheep – ewe scanning

Working dogs – flea and worming programme

“We needed a purpose-built building that catered for all of our large and small animal requirements, and our retail area as well,” he says.

“Our previous building was poorly designed and poorly laid out. The old small animal clinic was showing signs of wear and tear and needed updating.”

McNeil says Morris and Bailey helped the practice achieve its requirements for the new building.

“As well as the small animal clinic, we now have storage and a new showroom; our large animal vets have good access and we have a new horse treatment room out the back.”

The new building has allowed Vet Services to enhance its service to customers.

“We have scope to expand. We have a new digital x-ray facility that we didn’t have before. We have two surgeries instead of one and three consult rooms instead of one.”

A great job by Morris and BaileyMcNeil says Morris and Bailey did a fantastic job throughout the construction of the new Vet Services Dannevirke practice.

“Morris and Bailey were excellent to deal with and all the young guys were really good. We would recommend them for any commercial project; they have sufficient size that they can undertake these projects,” he says.

“They completed our project within about seven months and we’re very pleased with it overall. The design and construction work by Morris and Bailey were excellent and we haven’t got any regrets.”

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49 Cadman Road, Dannevirke, Tararua, Manawatu-Wanganu

Phone: (06) 374 4262Fax: (06) 374 9327

Huge knowledge baseVet Services Dannevirke has benefited from Morris and Bailey’s wealth of experience and range of resources.

“Our experience is number one,” Morris and Bailey managing director Peter Burne says.

“We’ve been in business a long time and the company policy we instil to our staff is to ‘do it once and do it right’.”

Morris and Bailey’s project managers and general manager have accumulated a total of more than 100 years’ experience within the construction industry.

“That’s in all fields; not just in bridge building or commercial construction. It’s also in residential and civil work. We have a huge knowledge of the central North Island area, which is a benefit to us,” he says.

“We’ve dealt with a lot of clients over the years and they’re good loyal clients. We’ve built a lot of relationships.”

Burne and his team have worked closely with Transpower, Transit New Zealand and the defence forces, completing large projects at Waioru, Linton and Ohakea bases during the years, as well as large contracting companies like Higgins, Mainzeal and Stringfellows.

“We also built our local community hospital here in Dannevirke when they closed the big one down. There’s quite a lot of versatility there.”

Morris and Bailey endeavours to stay within the central North Island region in order to be competitive.

Reputation for successBurne believes a major advantage to clients working with Morris and Bailey is the reassurance they are dealing with a reputable, long-standing company. This has definitely been a positive factor in the Vet Services project.

“We’re well funded, we have years of experience and they know we can deliver a project on budget and on time, and in some instances where we can offer our own ingenuity, can make some cost savings for them.”

Morris and Bailey has stood the test of time, even through difficult recession years.

“We’ve survived a long time in a competitive industry. We attribute that to being competitive, as the majority of the work we win is done on tender,” Burne says.

“There’s a lot of trust involved. Our clients trust us and we deliver what they want. We pride ourselves on the finished product because we believe that’s our best advertisement.

“We have faith in our staff and we like to think that we employ the best and we get the best out of them.”

Morris and Bailey also enjoy a good rapport with its regular subcontractors and suppliers.

“You don’t build that up in five minutes. You build it up over a period of time. They appreciate the fact that when they work for us they get paid on time and we invite them back for further work. We like to work with people who perform and deliver a good job.”

Vet Services Dannevirke has been able to improve its services to customers since moving into its new premises

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Focus on qualityMorris and Bailey keeps tight control of all its projects, including Vet Services Dannevirke, by employing all its own tradesmen.

General manager Greg Veale says a lot of construction companies are now employing labour-only subcontractors to reduce their overheads. This is not the case at Morris and Bailey.

“We employ all our own staff, including carpenters and civil contractors,” Veale says.

“One of our advantages is we still have fairly big gang, with 14 guys out onsite, which helps us keep track of the quality.”

Morris and Bailey operate a range of high-tech machinery from its workshop and storage facilities and has its own casting beds for precast concrete work. It also operates a rough-terrain crane and a fleet of forklifts, trucks, trailers and a hydraulic excavator.

Work is carried out as far south as Wellington and north to Gisborne, New Plymouth and Waiouru.

The company places a huge emphasis on staff training and has a continuing programme of apprentices, with two or three employed each year.

Portfolio of successful projectsMorris and Bailey has completed many significant projects in recent years, in addition to the new Vet Services Dannevirke building.

Some of its key clients include Linton and Waiouru Military bases, Ohakea Air force base, Massey University, Palmerston North Hospital and Dannevirke Community Hospital, to name a few.

Since 1985, Morris and Bailey has successfully completed many bridges of varied design and size for Transit, Kiwirail and District Councils throughout the region.

The company has worked alongside Higgins Contractors on a number of roading projects where bridge structures have been involved.

It has also been involved with the construction of Wind Farm turbine foundation and bases at TeApiti, Tararua and Makara.

Morris and Bailey Limited49 Cadman Road Dannevirke 4930T (06) 374 4262E [email protected]



Morris and Bailey were excellent to deal with and all the

young guys were really good. We would recommend

them for any commercial project; they have sufficient

size that they can undertake these project.

Bridge building is a specialty of Morris and Bailey

Morris and Bailey worked on the Papatawa Culvert between Woodville and Dannevirke

The high soffit of Vet Services Dannevirke proved particularly challenging to build

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Focus | Over the Moon Dairy Company

POWER CLEANING PRODUCTS

www.powercleaning.co.nzE: [email protected]

P: 07 577 0128

We service the wider Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, King Country and

Waikato regions.

POWER CLEANING PRODUCTS

-Our products clean the Bay & Beyond-

One stop shop for all cleaning needs!!!

Supplying a large range of cleaning chemicals and supplies for both domestic and commercial use;

including paper products, tea room supplies & brush ware.

Phone: (09) 636 0696Fax: (09) 636 0692

Email: [email protected]: www.rbs.co.nz

Your Barcoding Solution Provider

Wish to congratulateOver the Moon on their success.

RBS manufacture labels & supply a range of scannning

& barcode printing solutions toNew Zealand’s retail,

manufacturing, &the health industries.

The relentless pursuit of quality

Over the Moon Dairy Company Limited33 Tirau StreetPutaruru 3411South WaikatoT (07) 883 8238www.overthemoondairy.co.nz


Some of the unusual cheeses Over the Moon Dairy has invented:

Tomme (semi-hard blend of buffalo and goat) – won champion blend at the International Cheese Champs in Wisconsin in 2010.

Southern Cross – a blend of all the four milks in the factory – was only made three times in six years because it’s difficult to get all the different milks in the factory on the same day.

Double Delight – a brie which is a blend of goat milk and cow’s cream – won bronze at the 2010 International Cheese Champs.

Black Truffle Brie – won a gold medal at the New Zealand Cheese Awards.

From Cheshire and Roman cheese Over the Moon Dairy Company is quite the exciting adventure. Enveloped in lush countryside and prolific dairy herds, Over the Moon’s cheese factory, shop and cheesemaking facilities is a place that combines world class ingredients to produce brilliant diary products, yet stays true to the traditions of international cheesemaking.

Situated on State Highway 1 in Putaruru, in the heart of the South Waikato, Over the Moon is an adventurous boutique cheesemaker, producing only around 23,000kgs of cheese a year. It was founded in late 2007 by local resident and dairy lover Sue Arthur.

By early 2008, Over the Moon quickly made an impact and won gold and two silver medals at the Cuisine New Zealand Champion of Cheese Awards. Its success has continued to be celebrated over the years with 75 national and international awards.

Sue started the New Zealand Cheese School in April 2008 and was initially set up to fill a hole in teaching artisan cheesemakers in New Zealand – Sue went to Australia to learn technical skills.

“In my first year I realised there were loads of people who wanted to learn how to make cheese at home, just like I had been doing prior to setting up the factory.

“Neil Willman offered to run home cheesemaking classes for me too and we’ve been doing that ever since. I think it’s amazing that someone like him – head judge of the two biggest dairy competitions in Australia, international cheese judge and trainer of most

of the professional artisan cheesemakers in Austrailia - also loves teaching people how to make top quality cheese at home,” Sue says.

Neil was so enthusiastic about the new Cheese School he eventually bought into the company.

The business is composed of an all-girl crew – nine full time staff equivalents and two cheesemakers, but during Christmas time, which is the busiest season for the company, there can be up to 21 people on the payroll.

“We make top quality handmade cheeses especially for people who love good food. I love to invent new cheeses that are not on the market in NZ, Europe or even round the world such as Tomme (a blend of buffalo and goat cheese – a semi-hard cheese).

“And we especially love blending milks which is not done a lot here or through the rest of the world. We have access to cow, goat, sheep and buffalo milk - so the whole range of milks available in New Zealand.”

Sue and her team love to play in the factory to create new flavours which tantalise the senses.

“I travel lots, especially to France every year and come back with a head full of ideas about making new things. I specially like to see a cheese overseas and think about how we can make a twist on it.

“We get great feedback about our cheeses from New Zealanders and international visitors alike and have had wonderful support and pride from our local community too.

“We received Business of the Year at the Putaruru Business Awards last October and also won the Innovation Award in our first year. It’s lovely making beautiful food for appreciative people.”

Cheese School students

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L to R Michelle Mason, Cheesemaker, Sue Arthur, Owner OTM and Grietje de Vries, Senior Cheesemaker

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Focus | EastPack

New Zealand’s largest post-harvest kiwifruit supplier EastPack Limited has been packing kiwifruit for more than 30 years. EastPack’s grower-owned company structure and focus on operational efficiency has consistently delivered industry-leading orchard gate returns (OGR) to growers.

In 1983, it took six weeks to pack 65,000 trays of kiwifruit. Today that same volume takes just two hours with state of the art semi-automated fruit graders, sizers and robotic packing arms.

Last year EastPack was the only packhouse to achieve more than $5 per tray OGR for Hayward (green) fruit – the highest return in 10 years. And the company’s reputation for industry leading returns continued during the 2013 financial year, with a $1.5 million operating profit (after paying rebates) for the financial year ending 31 December, 2013.

EastPack business development manager, Toby Potter says the company’s success comes down to the grower-owned structure. “EastPack’s structure returns more money to growers because there is no pressure from non-grower shareholders to pump up dividends,” he says.

“There can be significant differences in grower revenue depending on who growers choose to pack their fruit, our reputation for strong returns means more and more growers choose to pack at EastPack.”

Established in Edgecumbe in the Bay of Plenty, the company initially operated under the name Rangitaiki Fruitpacker Co-Operative.

Industry leading efficiency

performance which have seen it become a key player in the post-harvest process nationwide.

EastPack aims to pack 25 million trays this season, improve green orchard productivity by 13 percent, achieve a $5 million profit after rebate and position itself as a leader of new kiwifruit varieties, while reducing fruit loss will continue to be an area of great focus.

Establishing the newly formed NutriKiwi brand as a category leader in Australia and other markets is also high on the list. EastPack’s joint venture with OPAC, DMS and Trevelyan’s called The Nutritious Kiwifruit Company, announced in March, will co-ordinate and market more than half of New Zealand’s Class 2 Green and 46 Count (excluding Zespri Class 1 volume) into Australia and other markets, with a focus on the well-known nutritional benefits of kiwifruit.

Toby says the industry is continuing to evolve and recover from the PSA outbreak of 2010 and confidence in the kiwifruit industry is continuing to rise.

“It’s now been more than three years since the discovery of Psa-V and it’s a challenge we’ll have to deal with now and in the future. We are fortunate to have a largely unified industry which shares ideas and management strategies. This means as time goes on we should all get better at managing Psa-V.

“Many growers are still achieving very good production and despite the strong NZ dollar, the outlook for grower returns in the short to medium term sound really encouraging.

“Property values have also recovered so overall, many growers are a lot happier. This said, we are all aware of how quickly things can change in horticulture.”

There can be significant differences in grower revenue

depending on who growers choose to pack their fruit,

our reputation for strong returns means more and

more growers choose to pack at EastPack.

In March 2013 the company merged with post-harvest kiwifruit and avocado packer Satara Co-Operative Group Limited – the biggest merger in the kiwifruit industry’s history.

EastPack has always punched above its organisational weight and, with a clear strategy for the year ahead, the company will continue to benefit from the continuous improvement, increased productivity, employee engagement and financial

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Focus | EastPack

EastPack Limited CnrNgunguru and Maruata Roads Glenbervie Whangarei T (09) 437 3003 E [email protected] www.eastpack.co.nz


Eastpack’s history

• 1983: Rangitaiki Fruit Packers Limited (now EastPack) begins.

Land purchased on Eastbank Road, Edgecumbe – now site of EastPack head office.

Packed 60,000 trays for 23 shareholders.

• 1987: Edgecumbe Earthquake.

• 1992: Kiwifruit market crash.

• 1996: Purchased Opotiki Co-op – increasing supply to three million trays.

• 1997: RFP changed its name to EastPack.

• 2000: Purchased Zest Company.

• 2001: Production increased to 6.6 million trays.

• 2001: EastPack invests more than $20 million in packhouse and coolstore in Te Puke.

• 2009: EastPack invests $9 million state of the art semi- automated fruit grader and sizer and coolstores in Te Puke.

• 2010: Psa discovered in Te Puke.

• EastPack reports $10.5 million profit.

• 2011:EastPack packs a record 21.4 million trays.

Two new coolstores in Te Puke and one in Edgecumbe.

EastPack offers 20 cents per tray reduction in packing costs for 2012 and 20 cents cash rebate.

• 2013: EastPack and Satara merge to become the largest Post-Harvest operator in the industry. The merger delivers sustainably competitive packing rates, greater depth of technical expertise, and continued strong grower returns.

Horticulture Bins, Crates and PalletsBin Repair Timber

Proud to support EastPack LimitedContact our Sales Manager Kelvin Perfect (KP) Mob 0274 940 782 or [email protected]

ISPM 15 Compliant (MB & HT)

EastPack Highlights for 2013

• Packed 21.7m Class 1 trays in 2013 (EastPack and Satara combined)

• Net Profit of $4.958 million compared to $3.896 million in 2012

• $1.521 million operating profit after paying rebates

• Rebate to transactor shareholders of $3.945 million

• Final dividend of five cents gross per investor share. In addition to the five cents gross interim dividend declared in December 2013 and paid in January 2014

• EastPack paid out $2.572 million in dividends during the year ended 31 December 2013

• $3 million capital investment of “Invision photographic grading” at Katikati and Edgecumbe pack houses

• Industry leading Orchard Gate Return (OGR).

Kiwifruit – a nutrition powerhouse

Kiwifruit consistently ranks at the top of fruit in nutrition density models which tell us exactly how nutritious our food is, so you’re getting more vitamins and minerals for every gram of kiwifruit than in most other fruit. But that’s not all this little powerhouse is good for:

Rich in vitamin C

Throw away the oranges! There is twice as much vitamin C in kiwifruit as there are in oranges – you only need one kiwifruit each day to get your recommended daily intake of vitamin C.

High in folate and potassium

Folate

Kiwifruit is a natural source of folate which helps prevent neural defects in unborn babies, assists in brain and cognitive development in children and combats cardiovascular disease. Folate is so important many countries are considering adding it to flour or bread to ensure the population consumes sufficient amounts.

Potassium

A kiwifruit has about the same level of potassium as a banana, with half the calories, making it an excellent low-sodium option to access potassium, which is potentially beneficial for heart health and in the maintenance of blood pressure.

High in antioxidants and phytochemicals Eating kiwifruit will provide your daily intake of antioxidants, such as polyphenols and carotenoids, to help fight the damage caused by free radicals and oxidative stress.

Improve immune system function

Kiwifruit can help ward off the effects of stress, inflammation and attack from bacteria and viruses. Recent and ongoing trials have shown kiwifruit to be highly-effective at beneficially modulating the immune system.

Improve digestive health

Recognised widely as a natural digestive aid, this is due to the unique combination of fibre and other components in kiwifruit.

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Many growers are still achieving very good production

and despite the strong NZ dollar, the outlook for

grower returns in the short to medium term sound

really encouraging.

CNT


Focus | Health 2000

Health 2000 has changed its logo to reflect what the Kiwi co-operative has evolved into over the past 20 years – while also acknowledging its roots.

Where caring is at the heart of business

In doing so, the nationwide 82 store natural health retailer has set itself well apart from competitors selling similar products by focussing on the emotional investment of its staff.

“We started 20 years ago with a small team of like minds who joined because they or someone they knew had suffered a health issue, and after trying conventional medicine finally had success with natural health,” says Health 2000 managing director Alan Morpeth.

“They therefore had a huge passion to help others.

“Today, we have around 300 people with that same motivation. Visit a Health 2000 store and you’ll find yourself talking with people who are clearly passionate and knowledgeable about natural health. Caring for the health needs of our communities is not just a part of our business, but at the very heart of it.”

A new lookThe new logo, launched on April 1, 2014, depicts a red and green heart. It represents staff passionate about caring for the health needs of their customers, and the green represents natural health. The heart, as a vital organ with its beat signifying life, is at the core of Health 2000’s philosophy of caring and passion. The new strapline “Where caring comes naturally” has changed the focus of the business from its shops and products, to its people and their knowledge

(L-R) NZ Olympic gold medallist and Health 2000 ambassador Barbara Kendall (MBE), Health 2000 managing director Alan Morpeth, and Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker open Health 2000’s 82nd store.

The Lighthouse brand was launched in October 2013. To date, it encompasses the most popular international weight management supplements based on African mango, raspberry ketone, green coffee bean and Garcinia cambogia, plus salmon oil and evening primrose oil, B complex

with vitamin C, vitamin D3 with coconut oil, and selenium with vitamin E.

Manufactured in New Zealand, the brand’s high standards comply with New Zealand regulations and laws, such as those required by The Natural Products Bill due to come into effect mid-2014.


Focus | Health 2000

Natural products for healthy living

Proud to support Health 2000www.weleda.co.nz

Health 2000 started in 1993 in Hamilton and this is where its national support office has remained, relocating in January to the city’s CBD alongside its 82nd store.

The new complex includes the warehouse for website orders, and employs 22 in total.

Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker and NZ Olympic gold medallist and Health 2000 ambassador, Barbara Kendall (MBE) were key guests at the opening ceremony on January 24.

Given 85 percent of Health 2000’s market are women, Morpeth says it was fitting to have two highly successful women open the store. The company also wanted to celebrate its special Hamilton connection.

“In a lot of ways it would make sense to have our support office based in Auckland. It is the biggest market in New Zealand, 90 percent of our suppliers are based there, and access to the rest of the country is easier with flights in and out of Auckland.

“However, what we have in Hamilton is a fine group of people in our support office team. We are very fortunate to have this talent, and they are what make Health 2000 such a special place to work.

“We are a company that has some pretty ambitious growth plans and it is exciting that they will be taking place here,” Morpeth says.

Health 2000 is no stranger to change. Initially with seven shops, some investor shareholders and a small group of preferred suppliers, today the business has 82 stores, 38 shareholders, 25 preferred suppliers, three second-tier suppliers and a group turnover in excess of $43m.

“The ownership structure was originally 50 percent investor shareholders and 50 percent retail members. The investor shareholders consisted of six shareholders which eventually became two, then one. In March 2009 we did a share buy-back buying the 50 percent owned by the investor shareholder so that our shareholders were just retailers.

“In September 2009 we then changed the legal structure from a public company to a co-operative. This has been one of our greatest successes as it has created a solid foundation and positions us well for future growth,” Morpeth says.

Health 2000 prides itself on providing quality natural health products such as dietary supplements, herbal and homoeopathic treatments, natural skin care and cosmetics, superfoods and sports nutrition, from stores and online.

The success of the business, however, can largely be attributed to its people, who together have more than twice as many health related degrees and diplomas than there are stores.

“The products we sell are sourced pretty easily, but our competitors don’t have the same passion for natural health.

“They are focussed on sales and profit, whereas we are first and foremost in the health care industry, and focussed on delivering a complete solution to customers. This service has resulted in long term relationships and friendships between many of our people and their customers.

“We are very fortunate to be in the business of improving people’s health, and this is not something we take for granted.”>

Launched in June 2012, HealthZone is a brand of 26 nutritional supplements exclusive to Health 2000 and New Zealand. This high-end, well researched range is similar to practitioner-only supplements, and has two unique mechanisms of action.

HealthZone products that contain mineral transporters deliver nutrients not only to specific organs, and specific cells in those organs, but to the specific parts of those cells that need nutrients the most.

Other HealthZone products contain nucleic acids – the repair molecules that allow DNA to duplicate correctly, rather than mutate, which addresses both cell and organ dysfunction.

The range offers complete support for people who, rather than deal with the domino effects of a sick body by default; seek to embark on a wellness programme.

HealthZone launched May 31, 2012

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Health 2000 magazineEvery two months about 650,000 magazines are distributed out of 82 Health 2000 stores, inserted into 27 newspapers nationwide, and delivered to 140,104 letterboxes in 23 different letterbox drops around the country. The publication has an educational focus and includes professional advice from three doctors, so readers can learn why we get sick, how to prevent it, what supplements can assist, and how they work. The aim is to empower people to make wise health choices

Focus | Health 2000

WORK ING IN PARTNERSH IP W I TH HEALTH 2000

RRP$34.90

CONGRATULATIONSON YOUR 20THANNIVERSARY

GO HEALTHYcongratulatesHealth 2000 on their 20th

anniversary and thanks them for their ongoing

support.

www.gohealthynz.co.nz

Health 2000Call us toll FREE 0508 69 4325 Monday to Friday: 8.30am - 5pm Hamilton Support Office 408 Anglesea Street PO Box 1348 Hamilton 3204 www.health2000.co.nz Like us on facebook


Health 2000 is New Zealand’s trusted supplier of natural health products – be it supplements, herbal and homoeopathic treatments, natural skincare, superfoods and sports nutrition, they can all be found in Health 2000 stores or online.

Situated across the country there are 82 stores full of great health products that will enable you and your family to feel better, look better and live healthier.

Alan Morpeth says that today we are exposed to so many toxins and chemicals in our everyday environment and a lot of the foods we consume contain added flavours, preservatives, and essentially chemicals that cause all sorts of issues.

“Even fruit and vegetables from the supermarket don’t contain the nutritional benefits that you would expect, so a certain level of supplementation is important.

“Skincare is also an interesting area. A lot of the perfumes and skincare products purchased from pharmacies and department stores contain real nasties that penetrate the skin and are absorbed deep into the body. We have a new skincare product called theCream, which is 100 percent natural and is colostrum based. It is a brilliant product that really looks after your skin.”

Health 2000 prides itself on providing the best products available and at the best price. The success of the business however, can largely be attributed to the trained staff.

Morpeth further explains that a passion for health is a prerequisite. “This passion and excitement for natural health often results in our great customer service. This service has resulted in long term relationships and friendships between many of our members and their customers”. CNT


Focus | deugro New Zealand

www.lganderson.co.nz Ph: 04 567 0353

✓ Specialist Container Transport✓ Airfreight & Seafreight Cartage✓ MAP Approved Transitional Facility✓ Container Devanning✓ Warehousing

Servicing Greater Wellington & Lower North Island

Proud to be a preferred contractor, working with deugro (New Zealand) Limited on the Mill Creek Wind Farm project.

TRANSPORT LTDL.G.ANDERSON

deugro’s logistics services

• Project forwarding and management

• General cargo services

• Over-dimensional and heavy-lift cargoes

• Turnkey project logistics

• Door to door delivery

• Airfreight and customs clearance

• Warehousing and container packing

• In-house logistics consultancy.

Leading logistics

deugro (New Zealand) Limited11 Tinley Street AucklandT (09) 377 6992E [email protected]

deugro (New Zealand) Limited Unit 4-5 Paraparaumu Wellington (Head Office)T (04) 296 1320E [email protected]


deugro (New Zealand) Limited is a leading logistics provider with the skills and global backup to manage significant national projects such as the Mill Creek wind project and Auckland’s Waterview Connection.

The company has been operating in New Zealand since 2005, with branches in Auckland and Wellington, but has an international history dating back to 1924. Originally deugro was established in Frankfurt, Germany, by Carl Press, as a heavy transport provider specialising in over-dimensional and heavy cargo.

Today deugro is still owned and operated by the Press family, with offices located in more than 35 countries. It remains a highly specialised freight forwarder, offering a diversified portfolio of services that include air, sea and land transportation.

deugro in New Zealanddeugro undertakes a large amount of work on national projects within New Zealand, under the leadership of country manager Jeff Dawson.

Dawson heads a small highly skilled team which has the ability to provide solutions for any logistical challenge.

The company services a range of industries including oil and gas, mining, petrochemical, renewable energy, plant relocation, power and water, and infrastructure.

From project forwarding, general cargo services, airfreight and customs clearance to inland transportation, warehousing and consulting, deugro’s experienced specialists and strong partners all over the world have everything it takes to make sure that when it comes to moving, nothing stands in your way.

“Our role is to project manage. We offer a turnkey package from door to door and as a global company we’ve got that reach.

“We’re well experienced to take anyone’s cargo from any point in the world, door to door. We’re a solution provider; if we strike a problem we come up with a solution.”

Mill CreekThe business has worked on many significant national projects in recent years including the Westwind Project in Wellington, HVDC Pole 3 Project at Haywards and Lake Benmore, with project freight forwarding remaining deugro’s core business.

The company has also been providing logistics solutions for the Mill Creek wind project north-west of Wellington, near the Ohariu Valley.

The Mill Creek project will have 26 turbines on the wind farm capable of producing enough electricity each year for about 30,000 New Zealand homes.

The Ohariu Valley area has consistently strong wind, which will make it one of the world’s most productive wind farms. It’s expected that turbines at Mill Creek will generate electricity 90 percent of the time.

reloading to transport at Wellington port,” Jeff says.

But staying true to their nature and by working in partnership with subcontractors it is a problem they have found a solution to and overcome.

The Mill Creek project once again highlights deugro NZ as a local and international logistics company experienced in providing project management service to some of New Zealand’s major national projects.

The tender was separated into stages by the client and deugro was awarded its tender package for the project in November 2013, but Jeff says they had been working on securing the deal since 2008.

And it’s no surprise deugro won the tender with its extensive experience. Since 2006 deugro has successfully shipped 200 wind turbines into New Zealand and more than 1,700 wind turbines have been shipped worldwide since 2003.

Their roll in the mammoth logistics project is to oversee operations at Wellington Port, this includes all discharge operations from vessels into port storage and reloading of transport to site. The delivery of the cargo from the Port of Wellington is expected to run from February 2014 to June 2014.

Jeff explains the equipment they are moving for the 26 turbines originates from China and Denmark with the final destination being the Mill Creek wind farm site located behind Porirua.

The massive 40 metre long blades have created a few obstacles for the deugro team.

“The biggest challenge is space for storage of the components while in their transitory period from offloading from vessels, to

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Focus | Avantidrome

AvantidromeHanlin RoadCambridge 3283WaikatoT 0800 VELODROME (835 637)E [email protected]


Getting Kiwi wheels turning The newly built $28.5m Avantidrome, a nationally recognised facility, is a haven for top track cyclists, recreational cyclists, aspiring cyclists with an Olympic dream, and for those who simply love to watch sporting talent in action.

Conveniently located in the backyard of Cambridge, it looks set to revolutionise all cycling disciplines, both locally and nationally.

With a vision of champions inspiring the participation of everyday people, the Avantidrome is New Zealand’s National Cycling Centre of Excellence and offers access to world class training and competition facilities for track, road, MTB and BMX, all as accessible community facilities.

The Avantidrome provides programmes for all ages and abilities. These range from Have a Go sessions for new riders and novices, to recreational and social activities such as 50 Plus, Family Fun and Mums N Tots, and of course experienced/competitive training.

Construction of the Avantidrome began in June 2012 and features a fully enclosed indoor velodrome; a 250m indoor cycling track with permanent seating capacity of 1,525 seats which is expandable to 4,000 for major events. Seven million dollars of the $28.5m complex funding came from the Government and $6m from the Waikato Regional Council.

The official opening of the Avantidrome in April was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prime Minister John Key, as well as Olympians including gold medallists and Cambridge resident Sarah Ulmer, who hosted the royal couple along with Home of Cycling Charitable Trust Chair Simon Perry.

Others present included Olympians Lisa Carrington, Mahe Drysdale, Eric Murray, Hamish Bond, Joseph Sullivan, as well as the newly crowned team sprint track cycling World Champions; Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster and Eddie Dawkins.

More than 2,000 people attended the official opening and Bike NZ national team athletes were seen in action. The complex has received a healthy number of bookings since its opening.

“It reinforces Cambridge as a key area of sporting opportunity and excellence, which we’re incredibly proud of,” Geoff Balme, CEO of Home of Cycling says.

“Providing programmes that cater for all ages and abilities at the grassroots level, right through to being the new home for Bike

NZ’s elite riders, this spectacular facility will continue to draw people into the area and put our riders up on the world stage.

“TriNZ and their high performance programme have also begun to use this facility as their base.”

More than meets the eyeThe Avantidrome also has meeting room facilities which overlook the velodrome and can be arranged in a variety of styles to suit your needs.

The two medium sized meeting rooms can be opened up to create one large room. Each room can host up to 50 people and is fully equipped with projector, screens, televisions and full audio-visual equipment.

The main Avanti Lounge has an adjoining kitchen which can be used by groups. This allows for full catering services to the rooms or you can self-cater for meetings.

Facilities

• Velodrome

• Avanti bike shop

• Revolve Café

• Equipment/ bike hire

• Infield and function rooms for conferences and meetings

• Bike skills park

• Te Awa cycle way link to Cambridge

• Programmes

• New riders/novice

• Experiences/competitive

• Recreational/social.

A few interesting facts

• The Avantidrome design allows for unimpeded views within the main arena which means that the main structure is required to be supported from the exterior circumference with no internal supporting columns

• The Avantidrome building (excluding the office/services building) spans 77 meters across and 120 meters long, bigger than a rugby field

• The Avantidrome building at its highest point is equivalent to a six storey building

• The steel structure has approximately 525 tonnes of structural steel, equivalent to 379 Holden Commodores

• The metal roofing/cladding covers an area of 6,800m² which is enough to roof 34 standard New Zealand homes

• 3,500m³ of concrete has been used, equivalent to a footpath running from the centre of Hamilton to the centre of Te Awamutu.

“We have got off to a flying start with 137 hours of community use in March, our first month of operation, which then grew by 20 percent to 165 hours in April. In April there were over 1,600 community rides,” Geoff says.

“On top of that during March and April there were 21 uses of our meeting rooms and in field by community and commercial groups, including the opening ceremony of the NZ Junior Disability Games and the 2014 Prime Minister’s Scholarships Award function.

“In April we also hosted seven organised tours of the Avantidrome with groups including 60s Up, Vintage Car Club and Lions. We are proving to be very popular.”

The Gallagher Bike Skills Park adjacent to the Avantidrome was also officially opened by Prime Minister John Key, also on April

12 and has since been a huge attraction for families on the weekends.

For further information on how to book your next meeting at the Avantidrome contact [email protected], or call 0800 velodrome.

Enjoy this unique cycling environment where champions and every day people come to improve their performance on and off the track. CNT


Focus | Devan Plastics

Settled on a small, isolated slice of land nestled comfortably at the bottom of the South Pacific, New Zealanders have always had a pioneering spirit and a strong rural bent.

Delivering designs with rural work in mind

Tauranga based Devan Plastics reflects this pioneering ethos through innovative designs, manufacturing processes and a quality, durable and cost effective end product.

Even the company’s history is a story of Kiwi ingenuity and innovation, general manager Jamie Lunam says. “Water tanks are our core business, but they haven’t always been,” he says. “Thirty years ago the company worked with a supplier to pioneer a large volume polyethylene water tank.

“We worked hard within this niche and despite competition coming up behind us, we still lead this market.”

From these beginnings in 1988, Devan Plastics has been manufacturing and distributing water tanks, water treatment systems and storage drums for a predominantly rural market.

Devan’s septic tanks are known to be watertight, strong, lightweight and easy to install. The company also manufactures and markets an environmentally friendly multi-chambered household Wastewater Treatment System; a system which treats

household wastewater to a clean, clear and odourless liquid suitable for irrigation of landscaped areas.

“When you are a market leader, you have to look like one and behave like one,” Jamie says.

“Every product we produce is in line with that. So while there are some great products on the market, our focus is on creating a point of difference, giving Devan products something which makes them stand out. The day you sit back on your elbows is the day you watch everyone else in the market sail by.”

One example is the brass outlets installed as standard on all Devan tanks, the only tanks which comes with brass or stainless steel moulded in outlets. Having metal outlets allows for an easy plumb that is solid and eliminates any risk of cross threading. Better yet, the company’s large tanks come with two of them as standard.

“Our competitors have either no outlets or plastics ones, so it is one less thing for our customers to think about or worry about,” Jamie says.

“We add the brass outlets for extra strength, we manufacture our tanks with thicker sidewalls than some and our delivery system is extremely thorough – our logistics team work closely with the customer to maximise the advantage for them. If they can get the tank into the position the customer wants then they will do what they can.”

After having its name firmly cemented in the large tank market, Devan Plastics has recently introduced five new smaller tank sizes. To complement the new smaller tank sizes the company now offers a full range of rainwater harvesting accessories including

leaf diverters, first flush diverters, plumbing kits, level indicators, valve kits and filtration systems.

The smaller tank sizes were the result of a body of research Devan Plastics commissioned several years ago into urban rain water collection. “This research showed urban rain water collection had promise, but not the same impetus as the rural sector,” Jamie says.

“Rural people have to store water, so they’re driven to purchase our products and, although the urban market is large, it’s not as productive.”


Focus | Devan Plastics

21 3 4

So Devan Plastics developed a 1000 litre water tank, a significant move for the company whose smallest tank at the time was 5000 litres. Then, about 18 months ago, Devan put a full range of small tank moulds into production to firmly signal their entry into this market.

“This was a natural extension for our business and we have not been disappointed with this move at all – the customer uptake has been really impressive” Jamie says.

“Now we offer tanks from 600 litres right through to 30,000 litres.”

Devan has also developed a range of drums (100 and 200 litres) which have attained United Nations dangerous goods safety ratings for the transport and storage of chemicals. Devan’s drums are designed for agricultural, domestic and commercial purposes including the storage of molasses and chemicals.

They can be manufactured to suit a range of applications and come in an extensive range of colours. “We will never be able to compete with imported blow moulded drums, but our niche is in low volume, multi coloured orders. You can order one drum or 1000 drums from Devan, and that is the difference,” Jamie says.

If you are importing blow moulded drums you are required to order in minimum volumes of 1000 and they all need to be the same colour. “One of our big drum customers is Agrisea in Paeroa and they order in small but regular quantities and in several colours at a time – good luck getting that service out of China!”

The company has also recently taken on the agency for Puretec filtration products, enabling the company to offer a range of water filtration, UV treatment options as well as iron removal and pH stabilisation. “Filtration has not historically been an area we

have been involved in, previously we have just offered products to catch the water.

“As a product range, moving into the filtration sector made sense to us.”

Devan Plastics spent considerable time investigating filtration product lines which aligned well with their own business. An Australian company not previously marketed in New Zealand, Puretec made sense.

“We wanted to be a close as possible to the manufacturer and you only have to look and touch Purtec’s range to know this high quality range of products aligns well with the Devan brand.”

Over the past few years Devan have exported into several Pacific Islands and is still growing with further development in the Pacific region. The company’s prime location near Tauranga and Lyttleton Ports has made exporting the product range into the Pacific a simple and easy process.

“We are currently working with a customer to put our wastewater treatment systems into all of the airports throughout Papua New

Guinea – a very exciting commercial project where shipping large concrete septic tanks is impractical.”

Devan Plastics’ head office is in Tauranga – one of New Zealand’s fastest growing regions – and its manufacturing and distribution centres are located in Tauranga and Christchurch, which have the benefit of being able to provide excellent customer service to both North Island and South Island customers.

It’s a competitive space to be operating in; Devan Plastics puts up a strong commercial fight. “We do what we say we will do when we say we will do it, and we will do absolutely everything in our power to deliver on that. We won’t ring customers' back to change plans unless we really have no other option. We would deliver that product at a loss before we would disrupt our customers’ plans.

“We’ve got the biggest fleet of trucks nationwide, allowing us to provide the best lead times and flexibility around delivery throughout New Zealand.”

Going forward Devan Plastics will continue to move forward as a strong example of Kiwi ingenuity, with its ongoing development in the urban rainwater collection sector, namely a new company brand soon to be released specifically targeting the market.

“Rather than just tanks, these will be bundles offering everything the customer needs to achieve what they want.”

Find out how Devan Plastics’ tanks are made, keep up with the latest developments and tell others how impressed you are with Devan and its products by liking the Facebook page www.facebook.com/Devan.Plastics or visiting their Youtube channel.

Devan Plastics 125 Birch Avenue Judea Tauranga T (07) 578 8726 E [email protected] www.devan.co.nz


VPLASInnovative Locally Compounded Powders for Rotational Moulding

Proudly supporting the New Zealand industry

Vision Plastics NZ Ltd 3 Furnace Place, Silverdale, Auckland | P O Box 44, Silverdale Auckland 0944 | Ph: 09 427 0674 | [email protected] | www.vplas.co.nz

Helping you mould your future

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Focus | New Zealand Timber Industry Federation

Timber has been the building material of choice in New Zealand for more than two centuries. Since the early European settlers arrived here in the 1800s we have been building our homes with timber.

And there are a number of good reasons why timber is still a leading construction material today. The New Zealand Timber Industry Federation says timber offers a number of advantages and benefits that its competition simply can’t match including safety, affordability, sustainability and durability.

Environmentally friendly Forestry has been a key industry in New Zealand since the beginning of European colonisation.

Today plantations occupy about six percent of our land area and produce more than enough to meet the country’s future needs. Almost all of the timber used in New Zealand’s construction is sourced from these sustainably managed plantation forests and not from our indigenous forests. This plantation resource continues to expand as harvested trees are replaced.

Both our native and plantation forests absorb and store carbon dioxide for the full duration of their life cycle. By actually soaking up and storing carbon, timber is the only construction material which has a positive impact on greenhouse gases within the atmosphere.

Other major building materials require very significant energy in the form of heat in their production and furthermore do not store carbon in their finished state.

Timber is easily the most sustainable and environmentally friendly building material available for residential home construction.

Seismic strength In New Zealand wood has long been favoured over brick for residential buildings because of its ability to flex under stress.

Experiments carried out last year by the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) show timber is the best construction material for coping with New Zealand’s seismic conditions.

Commissioned by the Ministry of Education to determine how much force its school buildings could withstand in an earthquake, the BRANZ tests showed timber framed buildings can cope with stresses three times that of the Canterbury earthquakes and remain standing.

Built to last A number of other factors make timber a superior product for use in construction, including thermal insulation and electrical insulating properties.

The New Zealand Building Code requires houses to comply with thermal insulation standards.

Timber framed construction methods have superior thermal insulating qualities to

Why building with wood works

Timber – why it should be your number one choice

• Creates a seismically safe space

• Cost competitive

• Superior thermal insulation

• Natural electrical insulator

• Ease of use building with timber

• Readily available

• Nationally recognised standards for use

• An all-natural product.

New Zealand Timber Industry FederationLevel 1038 Waring Taylor StreetWellington T (04) 473 5200 E [email protected]


competing products because of its lower thermal bridging properties.

Modern preservatives provide timber with protection against the effects of moisture and insect attack balanced with minimal use of chemicals and unlike steel, timber does not rust.

Timber is also a natural electrical insulator, particularly when dry as is the norm in modern house framing.

Although timber burns, its contribution to total fire load in a burning house is very small compared to the load from flammable building contents such as furnishings.

In addition, timber remains dimensionally stable and retains structural strength until the cross section has been considerably reduced, whereas steel will suffer rapid temperature rise and loss of strength when exposed to fire.

Another key benefit is ease of access to plumbing, electrical and communication services a raised timber floor provides.

“With piled systems you have that ease of access, whether you are installing, maintaining or repairing services such as your electrical wiring, plumbing, IT cabling etc under the house. In a solid concrete foundation this becomes much more difficult and a much bigger challenge,” NZTIF director Kevin Hing explains.

www.purepine.co.nz

Producing high quality New Zealand radiata pine products from a renewable resource.Located close to the major Port of Tauranga, we mill, kiln dry and machine for domestic and export markets.

Phone. (07) 573 9161Email. [email protected]

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Marine, Boating & Fishing | DMW Trailers

12 Karewa PlacePO Box 20116, Te Rapa, Hamilton

Ph 07 849 4721 Fax 07 849 9104E [email protected]

Specialist manufacturers of:Quality Boat Trailers, Parts & AccessoriesWOF & Braking Systems, Repairs & Re-galvanising

Extras available on request

www.dmwtrailers.co.nz

Happy to be associated with DMW Trailers. Strengthening Trailers through Hot Dip

Galvanizing since the early 1970s.

14 Manchester Place, HamiltonP 0800 650 724 or 07 8500 120, F 07 8500 129

www.perry.co.nz

Trojan is proud to have had a long association with all of its customers and we are pleased to congratulate DMW Trailers on their 25 years of outstanding contribution to the industry.As a specialist manufacturer of light trailer components including suspensions, braking systems, couplings, springs and accessories we strive to support an industry that is synonymous with New Zealand culture.

0800 TROJAN (876 526) www.trojan.co.nz

As used by New Zealand’s leading manufacturers.

Trusted, reliable quality that stands the test of time.Designed tough and backed 100% Call 0800 653 246

DMW Trailers Limited in Hamilton can design and build a trailer for any type of transportable boat; large, small, old or new.

The business celebrated its 40th year in 2013, which is a significant milestone. The company is believed to be the only New Zealand trailer manufacturer specialising exclusively in boat trailers. DMW Trailers is naturally very proud of this achievement and that of continuing to be a family owned business.

Owner Greg Dutton has been in the marine industry his whole life; he’s been either selling boats or building boat trailers since he started working in 1976.

This extensive history and experience means DMW Trailers has a wealth of knowledge to help create the ultimate trailer for every boat. “The added advantage for us is that I know boats; I know all the products, even the old boats,” he says.

Building quality trailersDMW Trailers builds trailers for jet skis and small dinghies through to trailers up to about 8.6m long.

“The criteria for the larger trailer is the on-road weight, which is up to 3.5 tonne,” Dutton says. “Last year we made a boat trailer for a 9.2m boat, which was made out of composite materials. It was lightweight for its size, so it met the 3.5 tonne limit.”

Quality is a big focus for DMW Trailers, which targets those at this end of the market.

“In the marketplace there are cheap import trailers but we are very much at the quality end, which has been one of our strengths. People who want to buy quality boats want to buy quality trailers as well.”

DMW Trailers uses quality Trojan trailer components, while all parts and accessories used meet the high standard required.

DMW Trailers

DMW Trailers is celebrating 40 years of building high quality boat trailers.

The company builds trailers for a huge range of boats, old and new, ranging from jet skis up to 3.5 tonne capacity.

DMW Trailers is the preferred trailer supplier for Stabicraft Boats in the North Island.

It manufactures for re-sale through boat manufacturers and dealers throughout New Zealand, as well as for the export market.

DMW Trailers specialises in general trailer repairs, refurbishing, regalvanising and WOF work.

DMW Trailers LimitedPO Box 20116 Te Rapa HamiltonT (07) 849 4721E [email protected]


The company offers a five year structural warranty on the chassis and a one year warranty on all components.

Whenever you call DMW Trailers for parts, accessories or servicing, just quote your serial number and they will be able to tell you exactly what trailer you have and what is required.

Growth and successDMW Trailers services customers throughout the North Island, but also sends trailers to the South Island and offshore. While the financial downturn in 2008 saw tough times for the company, Dutton says business has begun to thrive again now.

“I have a great team at DMW Trailers and they have worked really hard and it has paid off; business at the moment is great.”

“Stabicraft now sits alongside the already strong associations with Haines Hunter, Buccaneer, Senator, Smuggler, Profile and Nautiques, and various other boat builders who we deal with exclusively”.

New Stabicraft contractDMW Trailers has recently secured a contract as the preferred trailer supplier for Stabicraft Boats in the North Island.

Greg Dutton says the contract is a huge coup for his company, as Stabicraft is the largest manufacturer of aluminium boats in the country. “We’ve just got that contract and it’s quite significant for us and is at the top end of quality boats in the marketplace for aluminium.

The boat trailer specialists

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Goods & Services | DSK Engineering

Industrial Automation Specialistswww.crossmanrichards.co.nz | Phone. 06 873 4238

Crossman Richards has a highly focused team of automation engineers and electrical designers with extensive experience in software development, electrical engineering and robotics. The suite of services Crossman Richards offers has expanded as a result of a strategic partnership with DSK Engineering. Our deliverables now include robotics, turn-key mechanical and electrical automation solutions and machine safety solutions. This has been a successful initiative and together we are highly competitive in the robotics solutions and machine safety sectors.

Phone: (06) 879 9795 Fax: 06 879 4670Email: [email protected] Omahu Road, HASTINGS 4175

Laser Dynamics and CNC Pro Cut can offer your business a profile cutting service with a wide range of materials and thicknesses ranging from 0.5mm to 300mm.

ALL YOUR COMPANIES LASER CUTTING REQUIREMENTS

Delivering through diversityDSK Engineering’s food and beverage industry customers have the confidence of knowing they’re dealing with one of New Zealand’s leading engineering workshops, with the skills and expertise to offer quality at every level of the job.

DSK is one of the largest engineering companies in Hawke’s Bay. Its progressive and innovative approach to engineering allows it to be highly adaptable to the changing needs of industrial clients.

Leading the way DSK operates from two comprehensive workshop facilities (1,600 and 2,100 sqm) for machining, sheet metal and heavy fabrication, employing a progressive team of knowledgeable project engineers who serve clients throughout New Zealand and overseas.

The company’s versatility is the key, as DSK can fabricate products out of a wide range of metals requiring precision cutting, folding, welding and glass-beat blast polishing. Its team scopes every project with its clients to identify critical factors, such as standards, delivery dates and expenditure.

“We use precise processes through the project lifecycle to ensure we achieve the quality standards our clients have come to expect,” says director Shane Kerrisk.

“Computer-aided design ensures accuracy and repeatability in short and long product runs.”

Maintenance and backup supportDSK also provides a full maintenance, installation and breakdown service to all customers, including shift cover. “We provide a backup service to maintenance teams. They’re always refining their lines and looking for improvements, and with new products coming through they need a line to run it,” Kerrisk says.

“We’ve also done some plant relocation projects for Heinz, where we’ve gone over to Australia and dismantled existing lines and then installed them here in Hastings.”

He believes his company’s high level of experience with health and safety requirements and hygiene issues is a major advantage for DSK’s customers.

“Equipment has to be designed so it’s easy to clean. There’s nowhere for anything to sit that can’t be seen and cleaned easily.”

DSK Engineering can help New Zealand industry find solutions to problems. Its core work includes:

DSK also has the ability to alter existing equipment, engineer replacement parts or make new items.

Automaton and robotics

DSK undertakes the design and delivery of automation and robotics components for industrial installations, increasing efficiencies, reliability and repeatability. DSK can also incorporate robotic solutions for a variety of applications from heavy lifting to dextrous repetitive roles which are potentially harmful or onerous for people to perform.

Food processing

DSK has a long history working with clients in the food processing industry. It recognises that many operations are 24/7 and require the same from their engineering and maintenance service providers. As well as building new installations, DSK relocates plants, and maintains and repairs machinery and equipment used in the food processing industry.

Meat processing

DSK Engineering’s knowledge of food processing means it is well suited to the strict requirements of the meat processing industry. The company understands how raw materials pass through the production process to a finished packaged product ready for distribution.

All equipment constructed for the meat processing industry considers hygienic manufacture, water containment, worker health and safety, and ease of cleaning, maintenance and operation.

FlexLink

DSK Engineering has the agency for FlexLink conveyor systems in the North Island. FlexLink sets the standard in plastic chain conveyor systems and has a wide range of conveyor system products and solutions.

Manufacturing

DSK has the capability to handle a range of work from small projects to whole plant relocations. Its experience across a range of industries has given it the ability to find unique solutions for clients, sometimes requiring left field thinking. DSK manufactures architectural stainless steel fittings for industrial, commercial and residential applications, working equipment and tanks.

Wine industry

DSK has developed a range of products specific to the wine industry, from maintenance parts to complete laboratory and winery fit-outs. It creates drains, fermenters, walkways, stairs, chutes, hoppers, bottling lines and process pipework.

DSK Engineering does a lot of work for the wine industry, including catwalks and architectural work

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Goods & Services | DSK Engineering

P.P.S.PPS

Industries LimitedABRASIVES-POLISHING-PLATING-ENGINEERING SUPPLIES

AUCKLAND - HAMILTON - TAURANGA - HASTINGS - PALMERSTON NORTH - NELSON - CHRISTCHURCH - DUNEDIN

METAL FINISHING SPECIALISTS

FREEPHONE 0800 657 894 0800 454 445FREEFAXPPS Industries are proud to be associated with DSK Engineering.

Great engineering begins with a passion for steel. And we put that passion into everything we make.

(06) 872 7033 • www.dsk.co.nz • [email protected] • 510 Coventry Road, Tomoana, Hastings

Positive working relationships

DSK Engineering has developed a strategic partnership with Hastings company Crossman Richards, an automation and electrical engineering specialist.

Shane Kerrisk says the three year relationship means his company can provide a turnkey mechanical and electrical automation solution for industrial installations, including robotics.

This collaboration has allowed both companies to be highly competitive in the robotics solutions sector.

“Customers don’t come to us to provide an engineering solution and then go to someone else to provide an automation solution.

“We’ve done some robotic palletising and full automation jobs where the customer comes to us with a problem. They want to reduce their overhead with staff and install a palletising line.”

DSK and Crossman Richards have also been involved in some key guarding projects as well, which must adhere to strict health and safety requirements. “There’s quite a bit on the automation side that has to be taken into account when you’re guarding a particular machine,” he says.

“The benefit to the customer is that it’s one point of contact for the whole solution. We can do the full mechanical design and provide the layout and drawings and give them a scope to show them how it will work. It’s working very well.”

DSK Engineering Limited510 Coventry Road Tomoana HastingsT (06) 872 7033E [email protected]


Innovative wind machineDSK Engineering has helped develop an innovative Tow and Blow portable frost protection system for the horticulture and agriculture industries.

Tow and Blow is the first truly portable wind machine and offers many benefits over other stationery wind machines.

“They’re quite unique. Other people are building stationery units and have tried to adapt them onto a mobile trailer, but they’re pretty heavy and cumbersome,” Kerrisk says.

“These Tow and Blow machines have a shroud on the fan, which makes it a lot more efficient and quieter. Most standard wind machines are ugly and noisy and cost a lot of money to install, and you need a building permit for them. Ours can be put away when you aren’t using them. They’re not fixed and you don’t need a permit.”

The Tow and Blow is a portable and extremely affordable wind machine, which is highly effective in combating freezing temperatures, or frost, as well as soaring temperatures and the associated sunburn in plants.

DSK Engineering has the North Island agency for FlexLink conveyor systems The portable Tow and Blow machine, built by DSK Engineering < <

It is a highly adaptable wind machine that can be used in valleys as well as hilly terrain, and it can be easily relocated – so it protects trees, vines and any horticultural or viticultural crop against frost burn in the most challenging environments.

Tow and Blow approached DSK Engineering two years ago with the concept of the mobile wind machines. The DSK team took the prototype machine Tow and Blow had developed and from this both companies adapted a production model.

Kerrisk says the Tow and Blow has been adapted for use in feedlots as a portable evaporative cooling and ventilation system. Water emitted from fine nozzles spraying in front of the fan produces a rapid drop on temperature.

“Tow and Blow is selling the units all over the world. They’ve been sent to Chile, Germany, the UK, America and Canada. We’ve sold more than 100 units”.

A robotic palletising system, which takes individual trays and boxes and palletises them in various configurations

Square fermenters built by DSK Engineering for Craggy Range. The square fermenters, used for producing pinot noir, offer the most volume in the least amount of space

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Goods & Services | CD Contracting Welding Services

10 Mannering St, Tokoroa, Waikato 3420 │ T: 07 886 5555 │ M: 021 144 6602 │ [email protected]

Contact us for welding services in South Waikato

I N D U S T R I A L

Trade oneHOLSTER SUPPLY Co (2003) Ltd

Proud to be suppliers to C D CONTRACTING

Phone. (07) 886 1701

Chambers Street, PO Box 129, Tokoroa 3444, Fax. (07) 886 7176Email. [email protected] NOW STOCKING › Roundwood, › Indoor and Outdoor Timber, › Kitset Sheds,

› Bathroom Wares, › Paint and Insulation, › Assorted Hardware, › AND MUCH MORE.

PROUD TO SUPPORT C.D CONTRACTING WELDING SERVICES

4 CAMPBELL STREET, TOKOROA PH. 07 886 6611www.itm.co.nz

The welding expertsKeeping your machinery operating is critical to any forestry or farming business, something CD Contracting Welding Services in Tokoroa is committed to achieving.

CD Contracting provides welding and fabrication services to South Waikato businesses, with a large amount of its work involving the forestry and farming sectors.

The business is owned by Craig Drower and Heather Finlayson-Drower, who deliver a top quality job every time.

It offers a full range of welding services and has the capacity to take on anything from small domestic jobs to large commercial projects. Its onsite welding services can cater to trucks, heavy machinery, agricultural machinery and more.

Staff can weld steel, stainless steel, plastic and aluminium and will repair just about anything.

“We do repairs and maintenance to cow sheds and farm equipment using our two fully equipped service vehicles. We do repairs on boats including alloy and fibre glassing,” Craig Drower says.

“We do ongoing maintenance and emergency callout work for the forestry and farming sectors. We’re all ticketed welders and we’re available 24/7 for emergency breakdowns.”

Servicing South Waikato industryCD Contracting breakdown services involve a wide range of forestry and farming businesses, as well as other commercial operations.

It can fabricate almost anything out of steel, stainless steel and aluminium and will help customers develop a product to suit their needs. “We’re doing a lot of work for the South Waikato District Council recently making turnstyle and kissing gates,” Drower says.

“They’re to allow public access but to keep the stock in.”

CD Contracting also does a lot of general maintenance work for other large operators, including Fulton Hogan and the Rouse Group in Tokoroa.

A range of capabilities

CD Contracting is a specialist welding company servicing residential, commercial and industrial customers throughout the South Waikato. Its capabilities include:

• COF repairs LT400

• MIG, TIG and ARC welding

• Fabrication

• Site installations

• Stainless welding

• Aluminium welding

• Truck and trailer repairs

• Onsite welding

• Two mobile welding units

• 4.2 metre brake press

• Fibre glassing

• Plastic welding

• Repair and maintenance

• Heavy earthmoving repairs.

We can panel beat and

spray paint your machines.

Our customers come in

here and we do all the

maintenance on their

machines plus panel and

paint. They go out the

door looking like a brand

new machine.

- CRAIG DROWER

“

” CD Contracting staff can build, repair and weld almost anything<

CD Contracting Welding Services in Tokoroa

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Total maintenance CD Contracting Welding Services provides a complete turnkey service to customers including panel beating and painting.

The Tokoroa company operates out of a large five-bay workshop in Mannering Street, which features a big truck spray booth. “We’re a one stop shop; we do a lot of painting work,” Drower says.

“We can panel beat and spray paint your machines. Our customers come in here and we do all the maintenance on their machines plus panel and paint. They go out the door looking like a brand new machine.”

CD Contracting has a stir bank for mixing paint systems and can make up just about any colour in the world.

High quality workmanship is a focus on every job CD Contracting completes. The company has the skills, experience and qualifications to get the job right the first time.

“We don’t let anything go out the door unless it’s done to our satisfaction,” says Drower.

“We take a lot of pride in our work.”

This focus on providing a complete service to a high standard is clearly paying off, as CD Contracting’s turnover has doubled this year. “We’re growing and growing and it’s taking off really well.

CD Contracting Welding Services10 Mannering Street Tokeroa WaikatoT (07) 886 5555M 021 144 6602E [email protected]


Forestry and farm machinery is repaired and maintained by CD Contracting in Tokoroa

CD Contracting has been making kissing gates for the South Waikato District Council

<<

TYRES » WHEELS » SUSPENSION

Carter’s Tyres is proud to be associated with, and support C.D Contracting

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Ashworth Street, Tokoroat 07 886 8321

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Goods & Services | CD Contracting Welding Services

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Hospitality | Angelsea Motel & Conference Centre

“As a first time customer I was tremendously impressed.”This comment is just one of the many rave reviews Anglesea Motel and Conference Centre has received from its visitors.

The happy customer, who shared this review on Booking.com, goes on to say they “… arrived on a hot day and was welcomed with a complimentary cold drink and a welcoming smile. The room was large and had all that anyone could want for a stay. Would certainly stay there again.”

This is a pretty impressive accolade for the new owner of Anglesea Motel and Conference Centre, Marc Amarasekera, who has been in the new job for less than a year.

Marc admits the new position has been a continual learning curve and improvement process, one that he plans to continue by building on the motels impressive history, growth and standards.

The Motel was established some 15 years ago by Don and Gillian Jenkins. When it first opened there were just 16 units, but this has grown to 42 units accompanied by a conference centre.

There have been three owners during its years with Marc taking over ownership in July last year. He says he was inspired to take on a new challenge and buying the motel was the perfect opportunity in an industry which is growing steadily in Hamilton.

He says interacting with his guests is the most enjoyable past of the job. “We have such a variety of people stay with us from corporate clients to overseas tourists and families. It is enjoyable helping people grow to love Hamilton and all the wonderful things we have to offer.”

A slice of tranquillity close to Hamilton’s heart

Marc may be new to the industry but it is clear he is a natural. He says his success can be pinned down to something very simple. “Listening to guest feedback and then acting on it.”

This simple way of operating business has won him valuable repeat customers.

“When we have guests return to use us over and over again whether it is for our conference facilities or our accommodation, then we know that we are on the right track,” he says.

Accommodation Anglesea Motel and Conference Centre offers a range of quality accommodation options with all the facilities a guest could possibly ask for.

The beautifully appointed motel is located on the peaceful, tree-lined Liverpool Street, set back from the road in a tranquil leafy green setting offering a sense of calm that simply can’t be found on the bustling Hamilton ‘motel mile’.

While the motel may feel miles away from the city, it is central to Hamilton’s Founder’s Theatre, Waikato Stadium, Seddon Park and the lively Hamilton City Centre.

The spacious 42 unit complex facilities are second to none in the city with a vast array of perks including spacious rooms, plentiful parking for cars and trailers, guest laundry, Sky television, outdoor swimming pool, complimentary Wi-Fi and full use of the tennis courts and squash facilities, just a one minute stroll down the lane.

“We pride ourselves on offering quality, affordable packages to ensure you get the most out of your stay,” Marc says.

Breakfast is taken care of for you at the Anglesea Motel with the new breakfast form.

Choose from five options from the continental, topped toast or a good hearty cooked breakfast, you decide.

They can also serve it “extra early” so if you are wanting a early check-out you can still enjoy the most important meal of the day

Packages include:

• Golf package

• Wedding package

• Honeymoon package

• Family pack

• Girls weekend escape

• Guys weekend escape.

Accommodation options include:

Anglesea Motel can cater for every occasion and every need. Melt away the stresses from your day in one of our luxury spa bath studios. Or, finish your day’s work in the executive suite. Whatever your needs they can accommodate you.

• Shower studio

• Studio spa

• Executive room

• One bedroom unit

• Two bedroom townhouse

• Three bedroom townhouse.

Market Leaders in Service Programmes• Garment rental services

Industrial overalls, hi-viz garments, • food industry workwear, hospitality uniforms• Bed and table linen

For hotels, motels and restaurants• Other linen services

Teatowels, handtowels, food wipes and surface wiping cloths

• Cloth towel dispensers• Floorcare services

Greeting mats, safety message mats, corporate logo mats, anti-fatique mats and workmats

• Managed First Aid Systems

phone us on

0800 4 ALSCOwww.alsco.co.nz

List a table: (07) 839 3005185 Victoria Street, Hamilton

Bar open: Mon - Sun 4pm - lateCafe open: Sun - Thurs 5pm - 10pm, Fri & Sat 5pm - 11pm

Proud suppoters of

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Proud to support the Anglesea Motel & Conference Centre

Call us on0800 227 368 or Book online now!


Hospitality | Angelsea Motel & Conference Centre

Anglesea Motel and Conference Centre36 Liverpool StreetHamiltonT (07) 8340010E [email protected]


From our studio rooms, one bedroom units to our three bedroom townhouses, the

choices are endless.

PH 07 834 0010 | FAX 07 834 3310 | [email protected] | www.angleseamotel.com

Conference facilitiesAnglesea Motel has corporate conferencing facilities, located onsite with professional service.

“Our conference guests benefit from a personal host, to meet all their conference needs and complimentary tea and coffee on arrival always hits the spot.”

When you book your next conference with Anglesea Motel and Conference Centre you are guaranteed it will be a success. They have all of the equipment and facilities you need to take the stress out of organising your event.

On offer are the catering requirements to meet all of your needs, generous off-street parking, discounted accommodation and conference packages, discounted rates for 2/3 hour hires and evenings and your choice of three different rooms.

What you get with your conference booking:

• Tea and coffee on arrival

• Water and mints on the table

• Whiteboard

• TV/DVD player

• Wireless Internet

• Data projector in main conference room and townhouse.

Pick a package Marc says the main challenge in the Hamilton accommodation industry is changing visitors mind sets about the city.

He says many people view the city as somewhere to visit for the day rather than being a destination to stay overnight, or even several days.

The city’s accommodation providers are working with the local regional tourism board to change this view.

But Marc has taken the initiative and is going one step further to entice visitors into

the city for a getaway with weekend package deals. There is a range of packages on offer to suit everyone’s tastes and budget, they all offer great deals on accommodation and include vouchers towards fun activities in the city.

The Anglesea Motel has teamed up with Waikato’s Golf Courses to create the popular golf package. For just $85 a night per person you get to enjoy the city’s best accommodation at night and have your pick of any one of the region’s golf course during the day.

Courses include St Andrew, Cambridge, Waitomo and more. “Our Play and Stay Golf package is the most extensive in the Waikato, with over 14 courses to choose from there is somewhere to suit everyone,” Marc says.

“

”

In their wordsThe Anglesea is turning heads with impressive rave reviews from large number of guests.

“We had a group of 25 - Senior College boys, staff and parents. We were pleasantly surprised to find one of the town houses I had booked was upgraded to the Conference Townhouse.

“This was perfect for our needs - with extra space and so lovely to have a dishwasher!! I wasn’t expecting it - but it made our self catering - with extra dishes and platters for serving up food, so much easier.

“Having the supermarket just across the road was fantastic. We had a brilliant time - having the space to be together in the conference centre.”

- Wendy Rozenberg

In their words“Lovely clean room, a lot bigger than other places I have stayed. The bed was comfortable and they have super friendly staff. Loved the spa bath and the fact that it was so close to town. Having use of the gym was an added bonus. We will definitely be staying again.”

- Trip Advisor

“As a large extended family group in town for a wedding we stayed in one of the apartments. We found it very comfortable with plenty of room for everyone to relax in. The facilities are almost like being at home, making it easy to eat in if you want to. With a supermarket just across the road it’s convenient. The staff were mostly helpful and seemed keen to ensure that we had a lovely stay.”

– Trip Advisor

High achieversMarc is pleased to celebrate one year in business and is excited for the bright future of the motel which is only set to improve.

“We are currently renovating and upgrading our existing rooms and looking into how we can offer more facilities to our guests. Our main goal is to be the best motel and conference centre in the city,” he says.

With his unwavering drive to please guests and make their stay the best it can be makes it obvious; there is only one accommodation option for your next stay in Hamilton.

“

”

CNT


64 Waione Street, Petone, Lower Hutt City, Wellington

Ph (04) 566 2102 | Fax (04) 566 2104

Pleased to be associated with the White Swan Country Hotel

Artisan Style BreadCakes & Pastry ProducersBrezel Mania base their production on the age old tradition of German styled baking.

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Hospitality | The White Swan Country Hotel

It may well have been a case of Humpty Dumpty for The White Swan Country Hotel in Wairarapa when a relocation incident in December 2002 saw part of its building flirting with fatality after almost tipping over on the edge of a hill. Thankfully, the rogue piece was saved and guests have been enjoying the fully restored, magnificent hotel residing on the 125 year old Main Street of Greytown.

The development of one of the most recognised hotels in the Wairarapa was completed by a company called Greys Inn and opened in October 2003. Owner Rob Slater purchased the hotel in October 2005 and it now has a high rate of repeat business, including a following of loyal locals who treat the hotel like home, much to the delight of Rob, who has worked in hospitality on and off for 20 years.

“I have managed to grow the turnover of the hotel by over 30 percent since I purchased it which, given the tough economic environment over the past few years, I think is quite some achievement,” he says.

“I love the people contact, interacting with guests and having a bit of a laugh makes the days fly by”.

One of the finest establishments in the Wairarapa, The White Swan features seven luxury suites, each one with a unique design inspired by destinations and styles from around the world which make staying here so special.

The Swan has been a national finalist (top three in the country) for six out of the past seven years for the Hospitality Institute of New Zealand.

“I was not aware, but when we purchased the hotel eight and a half years ago it had a pretty average name for its food and service to say the least. It took a good 12 months to gain

people’s trust and get them to have faith in the hotel again. Daily challenges are the ever increasing cost of food and the increasing cost of compliance, thanks to the Government.”

Hotel guests can choose from a superb menu which includes casual modern twists on bar food, stone grill dining and an a la carte evening menu. Stone grill meals offers a unique interactive dining experience where meals are cooked at the table on hot natural volcanic stones.

Greytown’s grand old lady

The White Swan Country Hotel109 Main StreetGreytownWairarapaT (06) 304 8894 E [email protected]


The Heineken Bar New Evening Experience

One menu with all the favourites. You choose where you sit. Available from midday.

Twenty Dollar Tuesdays

Enjoy any stone grill meal for just $20. Available from 5pm - bookings advised.

Two for one Wednesdays

Order two casual mains and only pay for one! Available from 5pm.

Seafood Thursdays

Pop in and enjoy the freshest seafood in the Wairarapa. Available from 5pm.

Happy Hour

Purchase any drink during happy hour and spin to win! Available Monday – Friday 5-6pm.

2 for 1 Heineken

Start the weekend in style with ‘2 for 1’ Heineken’s at the Swan. Available every Friday from 5-6pm.

Opening Hours

Monday – Friday 12pm till late

Saturday – Sunday 8am till late

“All food is made here at the hotel with the freshest ingredients that we can possibly source; we simply do not believe in buying in ready-to-go type products.”

The White Swan is not only a place for resting your weary head or quenching your thirst at the Heinekin bar, the hotel is also a popular venue for weddings, conferences and birthday celebrations.

Feel free to talk to one of the friendly staff to discuss your wedding requirements, or perhaps check out its wedding pack on the website, which contains most of the starting information you may require.

Get yourself down to a well presented country hotel which is warm, relaxing and inviting. Not to mention staff who listen to their customers and go through extensive training to ensure customer satisfaction. Nothing delivers more than The White Swan Country Hotel.

Library

Hotel from the outside


Hospitality | Foundation Bar Kitchen Lounge

Crafting beers & ciders

since 1995www.hbib.co.nz

www.laroma.co.nz P. 07 846 0610

236 Kahikatea Drive, Hamilton, Waikato07 847 1206 Opening Hours: Mon - Fri:

8:30 am - 3:00 pm Sat: 8:30 am - 12:00 pm

Proud local supplier of

Foundation Bar

The foundation of good food and great service

Hearty food and friendly service is guaranteed at your local – Foundation Bar Kitchen Lounge.From the get go, three years ago, the Foundation Bar Kitchen Lounge promised to deliver the best dining experience in town thanks to its owner, Paul Gibson’s roots firmly imbedded in the hospitality industry.

“Hospitality isn’t just a job, it’s an adventure and I love it,” he says.

Paul managed the famous Cock and Bull Hamilton since its inception in 2004. His next step was to join forces with the former owners of the Cock and Bull to open the Foundation in August 2011. The second restaurant under Paul’s watchful eye has become a firm favourite among the locals serving up class A comfort food.

“We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and have a range of options from casual platters, tapas style dishes and a large a la carté menu, plus extensive gluten-free options,” Paul says.

“We have a large conservatory area which can seat up to eighty people for a sit down dinner, we also have the ability to turn this into a casual drinking and work function area, perfect for birthday parties.”

Teamwork Its great reputation in Hamilton means the restaurant is often a hive of activity serving large groups of people nightly.

Paul says no matter how busy it gets, each and every customer receives personalised service from the friendly staff and quick delivery on their meals. “What sets us apart is we have the ability to deal with large groups of people in a short time-frame.”

He says his strong team can be credited for the restaurants good name.

“The team are the most important part of any business. You could have the best fit-out, menu and systems and process, but if you don’t have a solid team and good communication you will fail,” he says.

“My hospitality experience has always been in high volume large food operations; there is no better feeling than getting through a big dinner service knowing you have got the job done.

“You can only do this through working together as a team, wheather it be front of house, chefs and even kitchen hands. If one fails we all fail, communication and preparation is key and there is no better feeling when you get this perfect.”

With the Foundation imbedded as the firm favourite in town Paul is understandably excited for the future and as such is “always looking to improve and develop among a team that care about each other”.

Foundation Bar Kitchen LoungeMaahanga Drive Te Awa HamiltonT (07) 849 2311E [email protected]


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Landscaping | Terra Firma Landscapes

Beautiful landscaping provides the finishing touch to any new or existing home, and can increase its value and appeal.

A passion for landscaping

This means Bay of Plenty homeowners are extremely fortunate to have Terra Firma Landscapes on their doorstep. The company has transformed hundreds of ordinary backyards into beautifully designed and landscaped spaces.

Terra Firma Landscapes was formed18 years ago by owner Paul Hammond, who developed a keen eye for landscape design when he was just a child landscaping his mother’s garden.

As a teenager, Hammond spent hundreds of hours after school working as a garden boy for a professional landscaper.

He formed his own business in his early 20s and has now established himself as one of the Bay of Plenty’s most sought-after landscapers. Hammond has a passion for landscaping and gardens, as well as a natural gift for envisaging the completed work of art.

High-quality residential workTerra Firma Landscapes is focused on servicing the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua Lakes residential landscaping market.

“We do the whole package from the initial consultation to cleaning the windows before we leave. My clients know exactly where they stand from the word go. They receive a written proposal down to the last cent.”

Hammond loves his work and gets a great deal of satisfaction out of making people happy. His work not only enhances his clients’

Terra Firma Landscapes specialises in:

• Landscape design

• Cobblestone paving

• Fencing

• Decks

• Retaining walls

• Revegetation projects

• Full developments.

Terra Firma LandscapesPO Box 282 Te Puke Bay of PlentyT 0274 923 161E [email protected]


Hammond takes great care in ensuring he understands what each home owner wants and needs from their environment. He gets to know their hobbies, passions, characters and tastes in order to make sure he gets it right.

Terra Firma Landscapes takes care of the total job, from the bare site through to the completed project. Landscaping isn’t just the pretty stuff; it also involves fencing, driveways, paving and retaining walls, as well as an overall theme.

He works with a team of subcontractors, plumbers, electricians and excavators, most of whom have been with him since he started out in business. They clear and prepare the site and carry out the full provisions for lighting, water features, rock placement, cobblestone paving, timber features and completed gardens and driveways.

“I’m meticulous about everything. I offer absolute attention to detail and I try to think of every little problem we might encounter and solve it,” Hammond says.

living environment, but also increases their home’s resale value and appeal.

“When you decide to put the property on the market, the landscaping will place it into a league of its own,” he says.

“It will be appealing on the market; it will get snapped up faster than something that is drab and you won’t have to reduce your price.’’

Revegetation workTerra Firma Landscapes is heavily involved in cleaning up Bay of Plenty waterways through its revegetation work.

The company has been working closely with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council for the past seven years in an effort to improve and protect the environment around streams, rivers and lakes.

Paul Hammond says farmers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to protect waterways on their farms and are fencing areas of land alongside waterways in an effort to keep stock out.

Terra Firma Landscapes has been planting those fenced areas with native plants, which helps improve water quality. “I’ve probably put in about half a million trees over the past few years.”

Terra Firma Landscapes in the Bay of Plenty undertakes a full range of landscaping services, including fencing

<

Terra Firma Landscapes has been doing a large amount of revegetation work for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council

Beautiful landscaping will enhance any home

< <

CNT

TaranakiPlastic Surgery

Martin Rees FRACSCosmetic Plastic Surgeon‘Carefirst’ 99 Tukapa St, New Plymouth.Ph 027 431 5152 | www.plassurg.co.nzAuckland Plastic Surgical Centre, 122 Remuera RoadPh 09 522 0652

Cosmetic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery

Before After

Quality Plastic Surgery and expert nursing care at the Specialists Centre, ‘Carefirst’, 99 Tukapa St, New Plymouth. Facelift, Breast augmentation, reduction, abdominoplasty,liposuction.Also Multi-discipinary Skin Cancer clinicConvenient location

See us for excellent advice and surgical care.‘Paramount’ Plastic Surgery

central today magazine 74

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