Dedicated to natural timber in modern & character living spaces

Next Level Joinery is the newest player in the Auckland Joinery Market. Directors Adam Beswick and Brendon Sowerby founded the North Shore based company in 2017, hoping to shake the market up.

What makes Next Level Joinery different from other joinery shops? Our ability to understand builder’s needs, being both builders and joiners ourselves.

Teamwork makes the dream work

The team is currently made up of a Production Manager, Quantity Surveyor, Qualified Joiners, Apprentice Joiners, as well as a full time Spray Painter – all who have the common goal of delivering outstanding timber joinery as efficiently as possible.

Director Adam says “We have really invested a lot of time and energy into assembling a team who work really effectively together. Over the past three years, we have really encouraged our team to come up with new ways of doing things, which allows us to be continuously improving. Change is great, and we know that if mistakes are happening it is because the system needs to change. Having two full time staff based in the office, looking after the dayto-day operations has really allowed Brendon and I to invest time working on the business.”

This all plays into Next Level Joinery having a fun working culture, with plenty of social club events, shared lunches and smoko shouts. qualified joiner Dylan says that “Of all of the joinery shops I have worked for throughout Auckland, Next Level definitely has the best culture. They just do things with a more modern approach and encourage us to challenge what has been done in the past.”

The team at Next Level Joinery is interesting, as the average age here is only 26 which is unique in an industry where the average age has traditionally been far older. “We are really excited about the future of timber joinery. We do all we can to ensure our apprentices get the very best training they can through being able to work on a wide variety of jobs from very simple, through to complex jobs requiring plenty of attention to detail.”

Combining the very best of traditional joinery manufacturing techniques, with the latest modern machinery

Next Level Joinery uses the very best technology, including a programmable touch screen spindle moulder, Weinig Cube foursider, and a touch screen morticer that runs a double tenon on 56mm sash.

When asked why there is no overhead router CNC, Adam says “CNC machines can achieve amazing feats of precision on mass. However, they are not a replacement for a skilled joiner, they complement the skills of a joiner in the bespoke timber joinery industry. CNC’s still have their draw backs, and like European cars, parts are hard to come by. If it makes commercial sense, Next Level Joinery will embrace any technology, but not for the sake of it.

There is no point in having excellent machines if they are not able to be used efficiently, so every morning the team plans who will be using what machine at what point in the day to ensure nobody is held up.

Another priority is maintaining a clean, organised workshop. Instead of a massive clean on a Friday, everyone helps by cleaning as they go, something the team are proud of. Apprentice Kayla says “It is so good that everyone helps out with the cleaning, and it isn’t just left for me as the apprentice. We are all really proud of the workshop, we have amazing machines and so we respect them by keeping them, and the area around them clean.” All tools needed, as well as spare blades are kept right next to the machine that needs them – which cuts down on wasted time looking.

Exceeding Standards

As Next Level Joinery was established after the introduction of NZS 4211, the only way the team knows how to produce joinery is to far exceed the code. All joinery is tagged, meaning no joinery is floating around from Next Level Joinery which is not going to stand the test of time.

What does the (bright) future look like for Next Level Joinery?

Adam has always been optimistic about the future and says that “The long-term goal for Next Level Joinery is to be the market leader for timber joinery for the new build market –we aren’t here to renovate the very last villa.”

If you are interested in joining the team at Next Level Joinery, email Adam on adam@ nextleveljoinery.co.nz.