member engagement knowledge sharing raises the standard of performance

Conference !!!!

I was hoping to be writing to you this month about gearing up for Conference 2022 in May but as you probably already know the Covid Red light wrecking ball has forced us to rethink this date. It became obvious we couldn't deliver the conference you all deserve if we're still under restrictions in May so we've shifted the date to September 8th-10th in the hope that restrictions have eased by then and we can safely deliver you the fantastic Conference we have planned. Big shout out goes to our Executive Director Allison for the countless hours of work she's put into the making sure this will be a memorable Conference. Registrations are still open and I would encourage you all to get in and get booked.

I'd like to welcome aboard our newest member of the teamMembership Engagement Coordinator Mary Graham. Mary is bringing a wealth of knowledge to our head office and I'm sure you'll all get to know her in the future.

Member Engagement

Master joiners staff and volunteers are constantly looking at it's services to members, it's something that keeps most of us up at night thinking of new ways to get our members engaged and involved. It's not just about opening your emails or attending meetings, often engagement can be more about conversations between members about who does what and how they do it which can also create mentoring opportunities. Knowledge sharing will raise the standards of performances a result which has to be good for the image of our industry.

Master Joiner members have a thing about standards and rightly so, without them what statement are we making in the market to set us apart from the others. Engagement is how we value our future, by identifying priorities and creating plans for growth, inclusion and diversity.

We need your help to make all of this possible, getting involved with your local associations and becoming part of the MJ team is how we can make ourselves stand out from the rest. NZJMF is a far more powerful brand than some of us give ourselves credit for, but to make it the only thing clients look for when choosing someone to create their masterpieces for their new or existing homes we need to be the brand that stands out from the rest. They need to know if they go with a Master Joiner member they're using the best the industry has to offer.

As we look to our newest members whose Master Joiner membership journey is just beginning, those members can leverage the experiences of long time members who benefitted from those engaging quality conversations at meeting, events and social networking functions. Here in Central it's the Golf day and the Race day which allows new members to assimilate into membership by meeting and learning from members.

Master Joiners is not a once size fits all, multiple engagement channels are critical to ensure the member can engage as when they need to and importantly include their staff, they are our industries future. When everyone gets the picture and understands the vision the the Master Joiner business can benefit across all it's strategic values.

The culture of Master Joiners is engagement and inclusion no matter how big or small the joinery business is. Engagement also includes retired members with the Master Joiners now offering retired membership status for individuals whose service to the profession can further support the learning of those forging their own pathways.

Until next time please stay safe.

Andrew Reilly National President Registered Master Joiners

Onto the next rollercoaster

The emergence of Omicron is presenting new challenges but not stopping business activity around the country. In this issue we have new product on display from bigger players to smaller ones and new business underway (Cutshop Napier) to support this notion. Our regular March look at CNC shows new machinery with updated features plus some old favourites. It clearly shows the nesting cell notion has very successfully established itself here in the manufacturing sector with local businesses adapting their operations to fit. There is some interesting material from machinery manufacturer Homag about using digitalization in the modern factory environment which many may find useful. This dovetails with contributions from software suppliers such as CADT, 3D Kitchen and Joinery IT. As always, in this issue we have several editorials about businesses and what they do and use in their operations. Life at the coalface!

An interesting feature this time is a look at how digital purchasing has blossomed through the Covid era with online purchasing growing significantly. For many businesses it has been part of their world for some time now while for others it has more recently become part of their world. Good contributions from Burns & Ferrall and Hafele. It is always good to see new product out there and this issue is no exception. A couple of examples include the Carbitool range from Sutton Tools out of Australia, Laminex NZ with their new range of Laminex Laminate, the continuation of the PureCoat brand now with Bates Surfaces and NZ Panels Group with their Prime Veneer. Must make a note of the interview I did with Murray Christensen from Laminex NZ. I’ve known Murray a while now and it was interesting to see how he and his Technical Team have evolved to be the meat in the sandwich between the seller and the buyer for Laminex NZ. He is well suited to the challenging role. Last but not least is news of the postponement of the 2022 Master Joiners Conference from mid May to mid September. A good move I think what with Omicron about. Having seen the programme and the guest speakers in particular, it looks to be a real winner so we will see you in September in Blenheim.

Bob Nordgren

Editor Michael Goddard michael@joiners.net.nz

Publisher Bob Nordgren bob@joiners.net.nz