from the president 15.05.2022
frustration but progress
T
hree years running now the NZJMF AGM has been disrupted and once again has disconnected from the traditional conference venue and will be run via an online meeting. Perhaps 2023 will be the year to get things back on track.
Joiners around the country can learn more about these and other business practices at conference in Blenheim this September.
I want to shout out to the Executive committee who quietly get on with matters at hand. For many in our community the work of our Executive can sometimes seem like another chore but the camaraderie of the committee is truly borderless despite our branches being regionalized. From the top of the North island to the bottom of the south our branches have a representative at the table and together we advance the strategic work to ensure the future of our industry sits on strong foundations.
Our conference, Inspired to Lead, was postponed but is certainly well underway to ensure the entire event is high quality and a annual flagship event for knowledge sharing and connecting with the industry. I am looking forward to meeting members who are attending conference for the first time, you are all welcome. Please make yourselves known to our Executive Committee members at conference, you will know us by the colour of our name tags. Our conference committee will continue to monitor the progress of conference and we extend thanks to Kristine Holmes of Central Master Joiners and Cherie Van de Poel of Waikato Bay of Plenty Master Joiners for their ongoing support in this event. I encourage industry to get along to conference as we further enjoy the opportunity to meet leaders of our National Associate network. These are our quality suppliers to the industry and their presence at conference providers everyone with critical product learning opportunities. I am proud to have Laminex back on board as our host sponsor this year and New Zealand Panels Group sponsoring our annual excellence awards gala dinner. This team work makes our conference a real collaboration which we are proud of.
We also welcome Paul Baker of Allsop Joinery who now represents Canterbury Master Joiners. Paul has been part of an excellent, inclusive and insightful succession plan which has been lead by Nathan Busch to ensure the branch benefits from business continuity planning. Continuity planning and succession planning is not a new activity and Master
The transition of xero to regions has not been an easy road and is still ongoing but promises to be a game changer for all the regions secretaries and treasurers. Group reporting is another fantastic initiative and promises to make things much easier for the regions to manage their own governance. Other major achievements during the year include newly
2022 is becoming a frustrating year with the obvious covid at the forefront but now we have to deal with an uncertain future. Cashflow is becoming everybody’s headache caused by continuing delays in essential products such as Gib which is causing building sites to grind to a halt so any continuity we once had is rapidly diminishing. There doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel on product delays which is concerning for everyone and with material prices going through the roof we are certainly in for interesting times ahead.
JOINERS Magazine June 2022 page 4
Executive can sometimes seem like another chore but from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South our branches have a representative at the table and together we advance the strategic work to ensure the future of our industry sits on strong foundations. formed complaints committee spearheaded by past president Anthony Neutroski, this four member team are all experts in their respective joinery fields and have a wealth of knowledge to call upon for dealing with customer complaints. This new system is far superior to the previous one and more emphasis is now put on giving members the tools and know how to help stamp out complaints before intervention by the new committee is required. We’ve also formed a new health and safety committee to help with representation to Worksafe and make sure all Master Joiners members interests are being heard before we get the dreaded workshop inspections. Dust inhalation in particular beards and masks have been a hot topic for Worksafe recently and lots of work is being done to ensure our perspective is being heard on how we can operate safely but effectively in our workshops without major disruptions or hold ups to productivity. Lots of work is going on behind the scenes to help with the Te Pukenga transition from the BCITO and several of our members are part of working groups looking at the qualification structure and how
apprenticeships will be shaped in the future. Lots of emphasis is on what suits the changing face of joinery and how workshops are becoming more specialized in either kitchens or timber joinery and those who can still train in all aspects of joinery. Now is the time to shape training for how joinery will look in the future so we’re there to make sure the people making the decisions are listening to what our industry wants and needs. With the disbandment of the BCITO came the Building and Construction Training Fund (BCTF) of which comes with an 80 million dollar surplus left over from the BCITO, this group is now in charge of management of this fund and overseeing how it's used to benefit industry, trades and apprentices. I’m proud to say our own Reuben Bogue has been appointed as a director on this board to ensure the joinery industry will have a voice. Master Joiners main role is to ensure your voices are being heard in all sectors whether to government departments or suppliers its important you are being represented and its our job to make this happen. Without a voice in the industry, we would have to follow guidelines set out to us by people who don’t fully understand what we do and how we do it. It’s a privilege to be part of a driven team whose focus is to do the best for its members and ensure a better future for the joinery industry.
Andrew Reilly National President Registered Master Joiners
