Auckland Today Magazine Issue 124 by Academy Group

THE ACCIDENTAL

COMEDIAN

Rhys Darbyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s road to success was no laughing matter

GOING TO POT THE GREAT MARIJUANA DEBATE - WHO HOLDS THE HIGH GROUND?

GET YOUR PROPERTY VALUED FOR FREE! Details on page 10

6 FEEDING OUR OWN DEMISE Food waste costs - and we're all paying the price

START-UP SECRETS

RUSHING TOWARDS DISASTER The recruitment mistake not to make

PPS Industries

Providing tools for a variety of trades PPS Industries Limited is one of the leading suppliers of products for the manufacturing, fabrication, machining and metal finishing industries.

However the company has now diversified to the point now where 90 percent of its business is supplying a huge range of engineering products for different industries, where metal fabrication, machining and finishing are their requirement.

The range also includes products such as engineers’ files and rasps, wire wheels and brushes, hole saws, tungsten burrs, mounted points, flap wheels, spiral bands and other coated and non-woven products. Rex-cut products are unique and are made using a blend of cotton and abrasive grain, which is compressed to produce products used for cutting, grinding, blending, deburring and polishing stainless steel and aluminium. Ruko, another German manufacturer, makes a comprehensive range of drills, taps, rotary burrs, countersinks, core drills, saw blades, hand burrs, magnetic drilling machines and pneumatic tools.

Wide range of products

Sunmight Korea is a leading manufacturer of coated abrasives. Its range of sanding/orbital discs, sanding paper, and sanding/finishing belt products are well accepted within industry.

Exclusive agency lines include brands such as Pferd, VSM, G-Wendt, Ruko, Egeli, Kromas/ Rosler and FE out of Europe, Rex-Cut from America, PME, Sunmight and Tailin from Asia, and Flexipad and Osborn/Lea from the UK. VSM is a German manufacturer with more than 150 years’ manufacturing expertise in coated abrasives, manufacturing internationally accepted abrasive belts and discs using aluminium oxide, silicon carbide, zirconia and ceramic materials. Within the Pferd range, which is also manufactured in Germany, are the wellrecognised thin cutoffs and grinding discs.

FE Power Tools Germany has a comprehensive range of power tools for the engineering fabrication industry, including magnetic drilling, pipe cutting, bevelling machines, and punching machines. PPS is also the exclusive importer of the Houghton range of oils and coolants and Suhner power tools used in industry. PPS Industries supplies the renowned 3M range of automotive and industrial products,as well as its safety range. PPS supplies products from Henkel, Bonderite and Loctite, power tools by Hitachi, Bosch, AGP and Makita, plus other major power tool manufacturers.

PPS Industries is focused on only supplying the best products available

Servicing the electroplating, anodizing and powder coating industries still plays a very important area of the business unit, and as such it works closely with Henkel and other international suppliers. PPS still manufactures a range of chemicals, polish, polishing buffs and sanding/finishing belts, although the majority of its products are purchased locally and imported as their own exclusive agency lines.

PPS Industries stocks a huge range of products for the manufacturing, fabrication, machining and metal finishing industry

The company was founded in 1974, manufacturing and importing a range of chemicals and polishing products for the electroplating and polishing industry.

The company provides customers with a comprehensive range of hand tools from suppliers such as Teng, Koken, Stahlwille, Thor, Sykes, Strong, Grip-On, Vice Grip, Komelon, Limit, Lufkin and Toledo, as well as a huge range of miscellaneous engineering products including power leads, paint markers, engineers chalk, cable ties, adhesive tapes sprays, and industrial aerosols. In addition to these are a range of welding consumables, and welding safety products.

A history of success PPS Industries’ key strengths are its loyal, knowledgeable staff, customer service and a large range of stock carried in all branches by its field representatives. It has developed strong relationships with key international suppliers, sourcing products from world industry leaders in their field.

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This focus on only selling the best products ensures PPS Industries’ reputation stands strong on the quality of the products and service it provides for many years to come. PPS has many loyal customers dating back to 1974 and welcomes new customers who require quality products, good service and competitive prices. The company has branches in Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch, with sales representation in Dunedin, Christchurch, Nelson, Palmerston north, Hastings, Tauranga, Hamilton, Auckland and north. AT PPS Industries Ltd 86 Hugo Johnston Drive Penrose Auckland T (09) 579 1001 E sales@ppsindustries.co.nz www.pps-industries.com

ABRASIVES

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Innovative strength, reliability & quality cutting tools matched to the requirement of industry & craftsmen. Available from

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www.aucklandtoday.net.nz January/February 2017 | 1

form of advertising you can measure, then increase or decrease, so you can manage your workflow accordingly! You’ve probably heard people talk about digital marketing, Google AdWords, online traffic, SEO and social media. Then on top of all that, you need to have a lead generating web presence with good traffic etc. This can sound complicated – but it doesn’t have to if you talk to the right people.

Let’s start with the basics Right now there are people looking for a business just like yours. However, if you don’t have AdWords, there’s a very good chance they’ve just clicked one of your competitors’ websites. Most businesses would benefit from Google AdWords. It’s simple to set up, it’s fast, you set the monthly budget, and you can see the results immediately. Included is a complimentary call tracking service to measure daily results, plus you get a monthly report that’s explained in as much detail as you like.

Don’t let another year go by without truly discovering what digital marketing can do for your business. We have seven years’ experience and have delivered outstanding results, as we have some of the best digital experts in the business. We are so confident, that if you aren’t 100% happy after the first month, you won’t pay a cent for the management fee. And if you mention this ad, set-up is free – a service other companies charge up to $3,000 for. FREE call tracking, which means you can actually hear recordings of the phone calls coming into your business to see if your staff are doing things correctly or if they need more training. This tool can make a massive difference to the FAT on your bottom line. Available to the first 25 people who book a consultation.

With 15 years’ experience - we know what we’re doing. 2 Ivan Jamieson Place, Christchurch 8053 , New Zealand Level 1, 112 Buchan Street, Sydenham, Christchurch 8024, New Zealand Level 6, 10 Scotia Place, Auckland 1010 , New Zealand. Call 021 860 911, or email swaran@fatweb.co.nz to book a FREE consultation.

We have many success stories where people have thought marketing is a waste of money, but have finally found something that gives them a transparent Return on Investment. If you would like to be our next success story, please call or email: swaran@fatweb.co.nz We have offices in Auckland and Christchurch and can discuss your needs over the phone or by Skype.

0800 444 090 | www.fatweb.co.nz

Viewpoints AUCKLAND TODAY | ISSUE 124 MAY/JUNE 2017 HEAD OFFICE

2 Ivan Jamieson Place Christchurch Airport Christchurch 8053

AUCKLAND OFFICE Level 6 10 Scotia Place Auckland

MANAGING DIRECTOR Gary Collins

GENERAL MANAGER OF OPERATIONS Kylie Palermo

NATIONAL SALES & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Clive Greenwood

ADMINISTRATION

Phone: (03) 961 5050 Fax: 0800 555 054 Email: admin@academy.net.nz

SALES & ADVERTISING Monice Kruger Grant Williams Mariska Du Preez William Stock Warrern Wilks Chris Graves Shala Hall

6: An investment in our future Bill English outlines education-based initiatives as, arguably, the best thing any government can do 6: Differentiating your business Kevin Vincent explains why competing on price is problematic for most businesses 6: Safe as houses Traditionally investing in bricks and mortar has been a low risk investment, but Martz Witty asks if that’s still so

7: Being better than good Daniel Nixon on why simply being good at what you do doesn’t cut it

AGENCY SALES & DEVELOPMENT MEDIA CONSULTANTS

Phone: (03) 961 5176 Email: sales@academy.net.nz

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PRODUCTION Jarred Shakespeare ART DIRECTOR Carolynne Brown PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATORS Sophie McGinn Sarah Betman DESIGNERS Olivia O'Callaghan Georgia Due Phone: (03) 961 5077 | 0800 555 097 Email: production@academy.net.nz

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Management

7: The age of leadership Debra Buckley says the retirement age is worth considering within the context of leadership 8: Virtual reality doesn’t compete with reality Stephen Knightly explains VR’s impact - from training and sales, to planning and communication 8: What’s your company’s story? Michelle Hider on why you need to be pitch perfect 8: Events diary This is where you find out what’s on near you

Feature sections

Pages 9-20

Pages 6-8

7: Handling a P contaminated property Purchasing a contaminated property can be devastating, so John Shingleton advises how you can be safe rather than sorry

Louise Keates Angela Barltrop Laura McLoed Lyn Wright Jo Pritchard

Pages 22-58

9: Rushing towards disaster The one factor causing more recruitment problems than any other

22: Hospitality Fine fare with The Difference catering, and Tusk Thai’s 20 years of amazing flavour

10: Eastern etiquette The subtle art of forging successful business relationships in China

28: Goods & Services Cabjaks’ simple solution to kitchen design hinges on an innovative approach to

11: The impossible dream Hannah Martin takes a leap of faith 12: Turning the employment tables Want quality staff? Then go find them yourself 13: Six start-up secrets Emma Lovell’s six tips for small business success 14: Five top tips for passing building inspections Simple things you and your builder can do to save time and money on building inspections 15: Lifestyles Selected items of desire to add a little style to your life

cabinet manufacturing

30: Initiatives Mahu Oils’ natural products that help you care for your pet 32: Focus The Halberg Disability Sport Foundation, CBD Panelbeating and Mechanical, Joshua Ltd, Drainage TV, Morgan Pools, Total Industrial, and Ward Demolition 40: Property & Construction Firma Construction, The Tank Guy, Creative Kitchens, SolarKing, Smith Construction, Morrison Architects, Shamrock Design and Build, DHD Landscapes, NcNaughton Windows and Doors, Above Board Contractors, Northern Pools, Auckland Stonemasons, and Fence World

16: The accidental comedian Why Rhys Darby’s road to success was no laughing matter 18: Going to pot The great marijuana debate - who holds the high ground? 20: Feeding our own demise Food waste costs - and we’re all paying the price

FOR ALL ADVERTISING ENQUIRERS

Contact the sales team on (03) 961 5176 | sales@academy.net.nz

Disclaimer This publication is provided on the basis that A-Mark Publishing is not responsible for the results of any actions taken on the basis of information in these articles, nor for any error or omission from these articles and that the firm is not hereby engaged in rendering advice or services. A-Mark Publishing expressly disclaim all and any liability and responsibility to any person in respect of anything and of the consequences of anything done, or omitted to be done, by any such a person in reliance, whether wholly or partially upon the whole or any part of the contents of this publication. Advertising feature articles are classified as advertising content and as such, information contained in them is subject to the Advertising Standards Authority Codes of Practice. Contents Copyright 2013 by A-Mark Publishing (NZ) Ltd. All rights reserved. No article or advertisement may be reproduced without written permission.

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32,290 ABC circulation as at 30/06/15

ISSN 1173-1508(Print) | ISSN 2230-6168(Online)

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4 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

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CHICKEN ‘n’ THINGS

Only the freshest New Zealand meat

Chicken ‘n’ Things (2012) Limited processing facilities are based in the picturesque surroundings of Whenuapai in West Auckland. The factory has the capacity to process over 30 tonnes of fresh poultry, lamb and beef a week. Our own refrigerated transport and courier partners ensure that our products are delivered to our customers as fast as possible without sacrificing on quality. We currently service the greater Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions. We are a family-owned business which employs 15 full-time staff and specialise in portion control and have vast experience in servicing the hospitality industry. Being a company with more of a hands-on approach, we are able to do fiddly little things and tailor our products and production schedules to specific customer needs.

We consider that the quality of the product supplied to our customers is of the utmost importance to the long term success and growth of our company. We recognise that we must work as a team with all our customers, to provide the highest quality and value for money. Every care and attention is taken to comply with all relevant New Zealand legal and safety requirements. To achieve this we have implemented a documented Food Safety and Quality Management System, incorporating all relevant food safety and qualitative standards. This ensures that all employees are fully aware of the importance of the requirements within this document, to achieve this company’s and our customers’ goal of a consistent high-quality standard of product.

All our poultry is locally-sourced from New Zealand suppliers. Our poultry products include barn-raised and corn-fed free range chickens. Fresh quality New Zealand lamb and beef also forms part of our product range. Chicken ‘n’ Things is committed to providing the highest quality products and service to all our customers.

14 Brigham Creek Road, Whenuapai, West Auckland admin@chickennthings.co.nz | 09-416-5106 | www.chickennthings.co.nz

Management | Viewpoints

Rt Hon Bill English

Kevin Vincent

Martz Witty

Prime Minister

Managing director of Vincent Consulting www.vincentconsulting.co.nz

Head of the Martz Group www.martz.co.nz

An investment in our future

Differentiating your business

Safe as houses

Auckland is our biggest city and home to more than a third of the country’s population - including many students of all ages.

Competing on price is problematic for most businesses. In many cases the end result is not sustainable.

The Government is committed to ensuring the city offers these students the best possible opportunity to learn, and that it has the capacity to accommodate more as the city grows.

All businesses must find or create a way to differentiate their business in order to demonstrate that their product and service capabilities are unique or better than competitors.

A number of our clients have rental properties and many use these as a way of saving for retirement. Traditionally bricks and mortar types of investments have been seen as a low risk investment, but are they safe?

I recently visited Long Bay Primary School to announce a new two-storey classroom block, which will provide six new learning spaces to cater for projected roll growth. As a result of initiatives like these, more than 17,000 new student places will be created in Auckland by 2019. One of these new schools is the recently announced Flat Bush South East School for Year 1 to 6 students. It will be constructed under a Public Private Partnership which will also cover maintenance for the next 25 years, so the Board can focus on teaching and learning rather than maintaining buildings. Joining Flat Bush South East School will be other new schools such as Ormiston Junior College, and new primary schools at Scott Point, Kumeu and Hingaia South. Last year, we also announced $268 million of school redevelopments in Auckland. Warkworth Primary will be redeveloped, with 10 existing classrooms on the senior campus to be demolished and replaced with 14 new classrooms and renewed administration, library and resource spaces. The redevelopment of the junior campus, including a 16-classroom block, administration area and hall was opened last year. As Auckland spreads north, Warkworth Primary School will play an increasingly important role.

This is a critical part of the business strategy and the best way to be able to obtain a premium price. We all want to be seen as special by clients and this in itself is not a new concept, but in reality it is quite often hard to actually do. The object of differentiation is to convince the target market that a product or service is clearly the best choice to suit their needs. Product differentiation is the act of distinguishing a product from its competitors on basic performance, quality, features and benefits. Service differentiation is focused on understanding and anticipating the market (customer) needs, and attempting to meet those needs with focus, due care and attention. An important part when selling your differentiation is to be able to demonstrate your product and/or service as the ideal solution to the clients’ needs, and show that the value of what you are selling outweighs the price you are asking. In effect, the customer values your product or service greater than the cost. Here is a tip that may help you in defining your differentiation (or lack of). Ask your customers these questions:

The redevelopments span the length and breadth of Auckland too. They include Western Springs College, Macleans College, Takapuna Grammar, Te Huruhi School on Waiheke Island, and Koru School.

• What made you decide to engage our company?

As parents know, what counts most in a school is not the buildings but what happens inside them.

• Would you refer us or do you refer us?

When I’ve visited schools around the country, I’ve been impressed by the attitude of teachers, parents and students who are motivated and raring to go. At $11 billion, investment in education is higher than ever. It has increased 35 percent since 2008 while student numbers have increased just 3.6 percent. It is precisely because this Government values education that we are investing so heavily in modern school facilities. Providing kids with a good education is arguably the best thing any government can do, both for them and for the country. With highly educated and motivated kids, Auckland and New Zealand’s future is in good hands.

CHANGE YOUR JOB CHANGE YOUR LIFE! 6 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

• What’s one thing we do better than others like us? • What’s one thing we could do better? • If you would refer us, what would you say? If your clients or prospects can’t tell you how you are different, they are then likely to use the only measure they recognise and that is price. Differentiation is attainable but requires constant attention. Often, your competitors will copy, or even improve upon, your unique values or advantages, and therefore the advantage is soon lost.

Earthquakes aside, we have recently been made aware that there are even more insurance issues to be aware of that may affect investment property owners. Some insurance companies are now reviewing whether the landlord has taken sufficient steps to protect their investment when determining if they will accept a damage claim. Take the scenario of a couple who are looking for a new tenant for their empty rental property. A prospective tenant agrees to pay the full rental amount and even offers to pay six months’ rent in advance to secure the property. The tenant moves in and a few months later the police advise that they have found a methamphetamine lab at the property. Decontamination costs amount to over $100,000. This should be covered by your rental property insurance, shouldn’t it? In a case we are aware of, the insurance company declined the claim on the basis that the owners could not prove that they had taken any steps to vet the tenant or do regular property inspections which may have limited the damage to the property. In an article on Stuff recently, it was advised that Airbnb owners may not be insured if a guest damages property or steals contents from the property. So what is the answer? The first step is to ensure you have adequate insurance cover for your requirements. Secondly, know the fine print of what your insurance company requires from you as the property owner to mitigate any damage to ensure a successful claim if the need arises. If you are using a property management company to manage your property, you also need to make sure that they are aware of the insurance company’s requirements. Thank you to David Hopkins from Rent Right Property Management for his assistance in compiling this article.

To combat that loss of advantage or uniqueness, your business needs to be continually developing new added value and benefits in existing products or services, and/or develop new products and services to remain in a market-leading position.

PROUD

To be a finalist ONCE AGAIN in the last NetGuide Best Employment site category!

0800 486 329 | 2 IVAN JAMIESON PLACE, CHCH AIRPORT, CHCH 8053, NZ.

Management | Viewpoints

John Shingleton

Daniel Nixon

Debra Buckley

Director of Onlinelawyers www.onlinelawyesr.nz

Managing director of Foundation One www.foundationone.co.nz

CEO of the New Zealand Institute of Management and Leadership www.nzimleadership.co.nz

Handling a P-contaminated property

Being better than good

The age of leadership

As a lawyer, I am amazed at the number of contracts for purchase of rental or ex rental properties that are not subject to a meth test contractual condition. Yet, we are seeing more and more incidents of house purchases going bad due to historical P contamination.

Here’s a deceptively simple question: How does your company provide value?

The recent debate about the retirement age in New Zealand is certainly something to think about, including within a leadership context.

Just recently, the NZ Herald further reported that an analysis of waste water in Auckland confirmed P was the number one choice of drug in Auckland.

For example, our company maintains commercial buildings. If you watched our team, you’d see them checking, maintaining and fixing the things that keep buildings operating.

Let’s not kid ourselves in thinking Christchurch is not the same.

It’s important, necessary work. And we strive to do it well.

For a purchaser, the ramifications of buying a contaminated property can be devastating both financially and health wise.

But from our clients’ perspective, the kind of value that gets them excited only shows up when they can see that what we’re doing enables them to achieve their business goals.

I have read several articles on the health risks and they are scary. Other than the immediate effects such as burns or fatal scarring to the lungs, if exposed to a high amount of P contaminants - spare a thought to emergency services personnel - there are insidious risks from long term exposure to medium levels of contamination. These include cancer, damage to the central nervous system, heart, kidney and liver damage, as well as memory loss and psychosis. The damage to young children bares not thinking. The cost of cleaning up contamination is also very high. From what I have read, the costs can range from several thousand dollars to more than a hundred thousand dollars. So, what should you do, or look out for? First, if buying a rental or ex rental, please don’t muck around. Always make the contract subject to a meth test. Second, for other property purchases, use common sense. A quick Google search will provide you with plenty of information on what to look for. But, again, who knows what previous owners have done with the property. Just because the vendors are a nice-looking family does not mean there has not been historical meth use. Or, the vendors might have hidden tell-tale signs. I should also mention that if you own a property and suspect you may have bought a P house, you really need to get the house checked. The health risks are too high. If you find it is contaminated, you might be able to make a claim from your insurer, depending on the wording of the policy. According to a recent newspaper report, insurer Vero has stated that claims for P contamination have more than doubled over the past two years which was described as a worrying trend.

If you answered with some version of “by doing x and doing it well,” let me suggest you’re missing a key point. Doing your core business well is vital – but clients are unlikely to see that as adding value. For them, that’s simply what’s expected of you.

Unless you provide that kind of strategic value, you’ll struggle to differentiate yourself from your competition. Most of our clients are commercial property managers. Their main concern is enabling their clients to gain maximum value from their buildings over time without undue worry about compliance, health and safety, cash flow, or any of the other issues that come with owning a commercial building. We’ve made it our business to enable our clients to deliver value to their clients. Now here’s the key point. With that in mind, we’re clear that we’re not in the business of doing things. We’re in the business of delivering outcomes. If you want to be a strategic asset, you have to be clear on the outcomes you’re delivering, and own them like your life depends on it. It’s not as complicated as it might sound. We still repair, maintain, install, refurbish, reinstate and build. But always with the intention of helping our clients better deliver on their promises to their clients. That means we also anticipate issues and talk to clients about them before they blow up. We seek opportunities to do things more efficiently, or defer costs to facilitate cash flow. We hire not just for technical competence, but also for strong communication skills and a great customer service attitude. We stand behind all our work, fixing things quickly when they go wrong and ensuring our quality standards are high enough that things rarely do go wrong.

For instance, does it follow that if ‘50 was the new 40’... it will now be replaced with ‘50 is the new 60'? Initially I thought that extending tenure in a leadership role by a further two years could feel like a long haul, especially if you acquired this responsibility at age 25, as is often the case now. It is probably a reflection of my own age/generation that I had acquired much more experience before the word ‘leadership’ surfaced in my own career ambitions. This year, two members of my team have celebrated as their own children take a leap into the world of adulthood and personal leadership. One is embarking on a career as a nurse and the other shifting cities and diving head-first into university. Allowing for three years of further study and another three years to develop their trade, if they are in a leadership role at age 24 and retire at 67 years of age, they will have had 43 years in a leadership capacity. If that had been me, knowing this, would I have signed up? I am not certain. One impressive attribute I have noticed in young leaders in 2017 could be described as an evolution in their readiness to contribute in meaningful ways. In a recent Emerging Leaders programme, I was astonished by how ‘connected’ these young leaders are in their thinking. They are conscious that the role of a leader impacts not only business, it extends to family, society as well as politics. One of their first programme tasks was to craft for themselves a defining ‘leadership quote’ and one of these particularly resonated with me: “Leadership is a state of mind whereby we influence ourselves and others to achieve a shared goal”. Reflecting upon our discussions and thinking about my own contribution to the development of the next generation of leaders, I saw a correlation to the wider debate about the age of retirement. My conclusion is that two more years may not make much difference at all. The retirement age set by our political leaders is more about finance than it is about wider contribution or leadership maturity. My greater pre-occupation is that in the final years of my career I am still a leader who will be able to contribute and make a difference – by then, in even more ways than I do today.

We hire people who can deliver on those promises and give them autonomy to solve problems without deferring to a more senior person.

They also advised customers to read their policy information carefully so to be aware of entitlements and policy obligations.

Real success comes from going beyond the doing, and putting your attention on delivering outcomes that your clients regard as offering real value.

Better safe than sorry!

Do that, and success will not be far behind.

www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 7

Management | Viewpoints

EVENTS DIARY Stephen Knightly

Michele Hider

Managing director of InGame www.ingame.co.nz

Director of Priority Communications www.prioritycomms.co.nz

What’s happening on the business and entertainment front

THURSDAY, MAY 4

Virtual reality doesn’t compete with reality Virtual reality is here today. You can buy a headset from the electronics shop at your mall, plug it into a PC or games console and be transported to an impressive 3D world. You can move around freely, manipulate things and equipment, and lose yourself in beautiful environments with your friends – everything that sci-fi promised us. Even low-fi versions where you simply slip your smartphone into a casing or even cardboard box are surprisingly effective. Goldman Sachs estimates that once we get past the initial hype and wow factor, the virtual and augmented reality industry will be worth $100 billion per annum by 2025. It truly is an impressive experience and one that you quite simply have to try out to appreciate. Chances are your first experience will be a demo in a local mall or technophile friend’s house and most likely of a game or 3D movie. Once you’ve done that your mind will race as you brainstorm business applications and uses in training, sales, planning and communication.

What’s your company’s story? Picture this. You’re at a networking function, when someone introduces you to your dream client. The client flashes you a big smile, pats the enormous wallet in their back pocket, and says “so tell me about your company?” Do you: a) shake their hand and say I’ve got someone who’d love to talk to you and hurry to find your more articulate sales manager, b) stammer, fidget and blurt out a bunch of buzzwords that would fit your competitors better or, c) reach to the recesses of your brain and deliver your finest ever 15-second elevator pitch. From what we know c) is a rarity. One of the most common reasons companies seek our help is because they don’t know their own story and often who they need to connect with. It’s not only new companies that struggle with their identity. Some businesses manage to get through life with a great product or a great service that masks their inability to define themselves. I’m sure you will have seen them - bland logo, unmarked truck, utilitarian website and a name like Something & Sons.

The training and education industries are already being shaken up by the possibilities of virtual simulations, especially for expensive, hazardous, easily damaged or high-risk scenarios.

They might be doing well enough to feed themselves, but have no idea what profits they could make by being more visible and really telling potential customers what they are all about.

Expensive technical equipment, such as MRIs or plant machinery, can be hard to access for training or expensive if broken by rookie mistakes. The memorable experience also leads to greater retention of processes and a higher likelihood of changing behaviour – often the real purpose of training.

Other businesses may have known their company story, been well branded, and had a good marketing communications strategy in place when they first started, but over the years they may have changed direction, started offering different products and now appeal to a different demographic.

In the world of sales, VR has obvious wow factor. It can fully demonstrate product features to prospective clients and personalise it to their tastes or location. High-end virtual real estate is already a thing.

All of a sudden, the CEO will start stammering at dinner parties and realise the story they’ve been telling no longer fits.

VR is also interactive, making it an ideal planning tool. Beyond merely viewing new premises you could map out various factory and warehouse configurations to plan and optimise your processes. We can improve on the real world by adding a layer with immediate feedback, guiding instructions, multiple configurations and the ability to mix things up however we like. Rather than simulating equipment, good training is about simulating processes, best practices and consequences. The result is more effective experiential training, done safely virtually, with analytics certifying employee skills and identifying areas for improvement. So many things important to our business processes are invisible to us. Smart use of virtual reality techniques can help us see more than previously possible.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10 BETTER EXPORTING: ROUTES AND CHANNELS TO MARKET Explore different channels and routes to offshore marketing and define a clear strategy for your business. The seminar will cover the customer’s decision making process, tradtional channels, implementing several routes at once for exporting, social and digital channels and gain further insite through an exporter case study. For more information, go to: www.exportnz.org.nz

THURSDAY, MAY 11 MARKET DAY Take this opportunity to showcase your business and network with up to 300 like-minded people. It is a chance to connect with other local businesses and raise your brand profile while listening to inspiring guest speakers over a quiet drink and a bite to eat. For more information, go to:www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

FRIDAY, MAY 26 HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT Help better the chance of your success by your improving your ability to influence people. Learn the psychological principles needed to build mutually beneficial relationships. For more information, go to: www.australasianleadershipinstitute.com

Developing your company story isn’t rocket science.

TUESDAY, JUNE 6

The knowledge is already sitting around your boardroom table, but you are likely to need help to develop a strong value proposition, produce your story and then refine it to a 15-second elevator pitch.

GST WORKSHOP Learn how to complete a mock cashbook and GST return in a hands-on and interactive environment. The workshop will give you a greater understanding of GST, how to register, the best way to keep records, online and manual filing and payments and how to use IRD’s interactive ‘Tool for Business’. For more information, go to; www.ird.govt.nz

Questions to consider might be what is your core offering; who are your customers and why; and who would you like to attract to your business in the future? What are your competitors doing? Do you offer something distinctly different from them? Once you have a great story to tell, the language and imagery that you use on your website, social media, cars and all your collateral can be developed. It’s an exciting process and one definitely worth considering if you want to hide whenever someone asks about your company.

Training Associates Ltd The Dawn of a New Era Through Training

Costs: $995.00 per candidate with a 10% discount for three or more attendees from the same company. Date: 20th and 21st June 2017. Location: Auckland (actual venue to be confirmed). Contact: Andy Loader 021379297 E-Mail: ajloader@xtra.co.nz 8 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

BREAKFAST WITH AN ASTRONAUT Join US Shuttle astronaut colonel Mike Mullane for an exciting and educational breakfast presentation. Mike uses his experience to tell a personal story of the importance of leadership, teamwork and health and saftey. For more information, go to: www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

TUESDAY, JUNE 13 PREPARING TO RAISE CAPITAL This half day workshop will teach you how to prepare your business for new shareholders or an outright sale of the business. The workshop will cover your options for raising funds and identifying the why, what, when, how much and intangible costs. For more information, go to: www.theicehouse.co.nz

Training Associates Ltd is providing training for all Health and Safety Professionals, Co-ordinators and other persons wishing to gain knowledge of and become accredited as Occupational Safety and Health Internal Auditors. Training Associates Ltd is offering this training and accreditation with the approval of the New Zealand Safety Council (NZSC) and all persons successfully completing “all” of the course requirements will be offered accreditation by the NZSC and the ability to be listed on the NZSC website list of Accredited Safety Auditors. The course is two full days and when candidates successfully complete the post course assessment requirements they will be awarded credits for NZQA unit standard: 5620 Evaluate occupational health and safety standards and practice. Level 6 Credit30. Morning tea and Lunches will be provided along with copies of Training Manuals and assessment tools.

Management | Your people

Rushing towards disaster By Michael Hempseed

As 2017 is now well under way, many companies will need to think about recruitment, either to replace staff who changed jobs during the summer, or to expand their current workforce. Often a poor recruitment process leads to serious workplace problems. We’ve all worked in a business or heard of a situation where the completely wrong person has been hired for the job. It is a very expensive, but sadly common, mistake. There are many factors that lead to poor recruitment, such as inexperience, poor interview structure and unintended biases. I believe there is one factor that causes more recruitment problems than any other: being in a rush. It’s easy to imagine that if a vital member of staff leaves, many managers will feel the need to replace the person immediately. Being short staffed can add high stress to existing staff and often has an impact on the customers. However, choosing the wrong member of staff can be much worse. Take one example: a very experienced manager had an unexpected resignation from a valued staff member. The manager was faced with the possibility of not being able to operate due to staffing shortages.

"It’s easy to imagine that if a vital member of staff leaves, many managers will feel the need to replace the person immediately. " They managed to take on one of the worst staff members I had ever seen. Within three months the best staff were threatening to quit and word soon got out about the disastrous service that was offered by the business. This was solely due to one bad staff member. Whatever the cost of being short staffed was to the business, it was nothing next to the cost of choosing the wrong staff member. It took the business four years to get back to where it was before they hired this person.

The worst part was they knew at the interview stage that this person was not suitable, yet they still went ahead because they thought being short staffed was worse. They were aware the person who applied was not at all suitable - she did not have any of the skills required. Because she was the only person to apply, they thought she was better than no one. If you unexpectedly lose an important staff member, sometimes even the person whose good at sweeping the floor can seem like a good option. Whatever other pressures you may be facing, it is vitally important that you take your time with recruitment.

I often hear people saying something to the effect of “we were going to check the references, but we got caught up”. Reference checks are vital and it is vital that you allow time for a solid recruitment process. If in the first instance you don’t find the person you should not just hire them because you are short staffed. Just about all the recruitment disasters I have seen with clients of my business have occurred because people were in a rush. Michael Hempseed is the managing director of Employee Solution Service. Visit www.ess.org.nz.

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www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 9

Management | International

Eastern etiquette Doing business in China is about relationships and subtleties

New Zealand company director Annie Govan says two things are absolutely essential to doing business in China – building relationships and understanding the many subtleties that come with the Chinese culture. Actively involved in several business streams with China, a few years ago she and husband Bert Govan founded Challenge Steel – a company which has quickly risen to become one of New Zealand’s largest importers of fabricated structural steel. As the company’s international director the Chinese-born mother of two says Challenge Steel’s success can be more attributed to building on its strong relationships in China than breaking into the New Zealand construction market. “Bert has been doing business in China for about 20 years and I was brought up there, so we inherently understand and respect the business environment – an environment that has many potential pitfalls for those who don’t do their homework,” she says. Challenge Steel had its genesis in the Christchurch earthquakes, when the Canterburybased Govans flew to China in the search for emergency housing alternatives. What they returned with was a budding relationship with the Shangdong Iron & Steel Group (Shan Steel) – a wholly state-owned steel conglomerate and one of China’s largest steel makers and fabricators. As international director, Annie Govan has since been assigned the task of maintaining that all-important supplier relationship for Challenge Steel. “As you can imagine, Shan Steel is a massive entity with staff coming and going all the time. I am constantly reaching out to them, networking and building, and maintaining the trust. It’s also important to keep pushing up that ladder of management hierarchy - to engage with the most senior people possible.” Annie says while in New Zealand a lot of the inter-business relationships are relatively low maintenance, but doing business in China puts the relationship at centre stage. “In New Zealand business, you can probably get away with not knowing much about the other person’s background and personal circumstances, but in China it pays to understand, even study up on, who exactly you’re doing business with.” She says getting the translation right is critical, as is the translator themselves.

Annie Govan

“In China you can’t just walk in off the street and have them sign a contract. Nor do they want bullet points emailed to them. They do things face to face.” - Director/International relations, Annie Govan

“You could bring in a professor of languages to translate Mandarin and English word for word, but you’d miss many of the cultural subtleties along the way. “A translator must also reflect and filter a Chinese person’s upbringing, education, political beliefs, social and professional status. It’s a minefield but if you don’t get it right, it can cause misunderstanding and even conflict. “In China it’s not about a literal translation, it’s a cultural transfer of information, so a translator with good local knowledge and emotional intelligence is essential.” Annie says for most New Zealand businesspeople a contract is everything, but in China that is only part of the deal. “They have to trust you and like to deal with you. In China you can’t just walk in off the street and have them sign a contract. Nor do they want bullet points emailed to them. They do things face to face. It’s about establishing a solid relationship-based foundation before the

building blocks of business can be added.

both parties.

“You have to gradually work your way into people’s wider circle of influence, perhaps by knowing people they know, and then work on building a relationship and the elements of trust. It’s been that way for 1,000 years and it’s not changing any time soon.

She says as well as making sure you know and understand who you are doing business with, making a genuine effort to understand and embrace the Chinese culture and taking a personal interest in people will help to create the correct impression.

“I suppose the New Zealand term is probably ‘reference’ but the Chinese take this to the next level. References are never given lightly, but are carefully considered and reflect one’s business track-record and reputation.

“Chinese really appreciate it when asked after the likes of their health or family. Gifts are also essential, especially when they can see you’ve put in a lot of thought and taken the time to select the most appropriate ones. It’s great when you can tell them a story about the gift, where it’s come from, and what makes it special.

“If you give a reference, you’re like a matchmaker, so you’ll always remain somewhat part of the newly established relationship going forward. Being effectively ‘bonded’ acts almost as an insurance for the other Chinese business person embarking on the new relationship that you helped establish.” She says Kiwis often make the mistake of thinking one visit will do it, but adds that, securing an enduring business relationship in China typically takes repeated visits with demonstrable commitment, so people should be prepared to invest a lot of time and personal energy upfront. In China, business negotiations are ongoing and a deal can never be viewed as totally done. “Today’s Chinese businessperson is of course keen to do business, but you need to be prepared for them to at some stage diminish you or your product somewhat. Here in New Zealand we’d probably view any such resistance or negativity as disinterest or even disrespect. “However, in China such a reaction is a purely cultural thing and more often than not they actually do want to do business, but they want to also get the best deal so it’s all about dominating the flow of discussions. “You certainly shouldn’t get discouraged by such a reaction. You need a thick skin and Chinese businesspeople respect those who show they have one.” Annie says as someone who often plays translator on company business trips, she often finds herself in the middle and playing the negotiator to identify the outstanding issues and to land on some middle ground acceptable to

“When abroad it is also important to invite Chinese businesspeople to visit New Zealand, not only as a courtesy, but to provide an opportunity for them to observe you conducting business with your own networks in your own country.” One protocol she says Kiwis are getting better at is around the presenting and receiving of business cards. “You always give and receive it with both hands and you certainly don’t put it straight into your back pocket. One thing I then do is lay out the cards in front of me to mirror where people are sitting around the table. “It’s important during the meeting that you also take the time to study the cards, then look at the person, and refer back to the cards. It shows people you’re engaged and are interested in them.” While a lot of Chinese traditions and protocols remain resolute, she observes that a younger generation of Chinese businesspeople are now very technology led, more willing to take risks, more au fait with Western culture, and generally demand quicker results. “Having said that, when you’re doing business in China or with the Chinese, it will always stand you in good stead if you understand and exercise all the protocols as best you can. Chinese young and old will always appreciate that, and that’s only going to be good for business.”

Mumtaj Agarbattiwala Sales Consultant

Mobile 021 678 685 | Phone 09 261 3550 Email mumtaj.agarbattiwala@harcourts.co.nz 9 Sharkey Street, Manakau 2104 | www.preetandco.co.nz

Want to know what your property is worth?... Call Mumtaj for a complimentary Property Valuation 10 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

Management | The entrepreneur

The impossible dream By Natalia Rietveld

Hannah Martin knew from a young age exactly what she wanted to be when she grew up. She never had dreams of being a doctor, a teacher, or even a fairy - Hannah wanted to be an accountant. “It’s sort of a weird thing for a kid to want to be,” she admits. But that’s what she wanted and she was geared up to walk that path.

Being a self-acclaimed introvert, Hannah wasn’t ever one to do anything crazy. She worked hard in school and got good grades, and to her delight, she got accepted into an accounting course at university. “I couldn’t wait to start climbing that corporate ladder,” she says. The fat pay cheque she was to work towards was hard to look past as well. Three years into her degree, she began losing her passion. Her friends tried to reassure her that it was just the typical ‘three-year blues’ that everyone gets over. But Hannah knew it was more than that. Sitting in a lecture hall surrounded by 300 students all after that same “coveted grad job” was a huge wake up call for her. Moreover, in one particular lecture Hannah recalls the class being asked a very specific question about an accounting update. “I had no clue what she (the lecturer) was on about. It turns out we were expected to use our free time to research all the latest accounting updates.”

big trip away from home planned. She and her partner Nathan Buchan were off to Vietnam for a month. Although it was chaos, Hannah loved it – she felt alive again. The intrepid seed had been planted.

Hannah couldn’t think of anything worse – the passion was gone.

Hannah knew she couldn’t go back to her normal life, but travelling the world for a living was an impossible dream– so she thought.

For Hannah’s 21 birthday and at the end of her third year at Waikato University she had her first

Hannah and Nathan have turned that impossible dream into a reality and for three-years have

been running successful online ventures while travelling the world. Hannah currently has more than 107,000 followers across all of her social media platforms. She believes anyone can take that leap of faith and she and her partner are inspiring thousands of others to do just that. Find out more about Hannah’s journey in our next issue of Auckland Today and uncover what it takes to make this impossible dream possible.

www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 11

Management | Your people

Turning the employment tables The ever-increasing number of job seekers expecting employers to turn up on their doorstep, with an offer in hand, means employers are now having to play a different game to get the staff they desire. Research from the global talent solutions company Hudson, shows a significant shift in the job seeker mindset, placing pressure on employers to be more proactive when it comes to finding candidates, in the most competitive hiring market since 2008. According to Hudson’s Talent Insights research of more than 1,500 professionals in New Zealand, 46 percent of employees now consider themselves to be passive job seekers who are open to opportunities, up from 35 percent in the second half of 2016. This means that almost half of the employees surveyed would consider applying for a great role if it landed in their inbox, or they were tapped on the shoulder by a recruiter. Meanwhile, the number of employees who describe themselves as active job seekers has dropped significantly from 41 percent to just 22 percent.

attract the best candidates, rather than relying on reactive job ads.

Roman Rogers Recruitment New Zealand regional general manager

Recruitment New Zealand's regional general manager, Roman Rogers, says this reflects a change in mindset for job seekers. “People are redefining what passive means. You’ve got this large pool of talent who are not necessarily actively looking to jump ship, however they are deliberately setting up job alerts and online digital profiles, and meeting with specialist recruiters and then keeping an eye on what’s out there so they don’t miss out on a great opportunity.” He says that the explosion of recruitment platforms means that a lot of professionals now rely on technology to do the work for them and expect roles to come to them, rather than having to go out and look for them.

Pressure on employers to be more proactive to find the best people Roman says the shift from active to passive job seeking means employers will need to be more proactive in the way they find and

• Ensuring they have a clear idea of the capabilities and experience they are looking for • Building and nurturing relationships with potential employees at the places where they are, both online and in person, such as industry conferences • Having a strong employment value proposition (EVP). “Creating an appealing offering that engages potential hires with more than just salary is a must in this market.” In fact, ‘compensation’ rated seventh in a list of factors that attract potential candidates to a company, according to a 2016 Hudson survey of candidates, coming behind: work environment, work/life balance, a challenging role, advancement opportunity, the chance to make a difference, and flexible work arrangements. A strong and authentic EVP is even more important considering the biggest hiring

“Cultural fit needs to be built into the hiring process from the get-go, so the right people are attracted to your organisation in the first place and are identified early on,” he says.

Competition for talent strongest since 2008 As job seekers take a more passive approach, competition for the best people is getting tougher, with 93 percent of New Zealand employers planning to increase or maintain headcount in 2017, according to Hudson’s research.

Engaging and retaining staff a challenge In this environment, employers need to be vigilant to hold onto their most valued employees, Roman says. The research showed the top two challenges identified by employers were keeping employees engaged and motivated, and retaining topperforming staff. “Employers should be having regular one-onones to ensure their people are feeling engaged, motivated and valued, as inevitably their best talent is likely to be keeping an eye on the market and may well be approached with an attractive opportunity.”

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NZ Recruit is offering services to help reach and fill your current vacancies by advertising your currentjobs on Seek , Trademe and Myjobspace, also by expanding your reach through social media. Not only can NZ Recruit offer advertising services, we will ensure applicants are contacted accordingly. Communication is key. We can help

He says employers need to take a more strategic approach to sourcing talent, which includes: • Planning ahead for the roles they will need to hire for

NZ RECRUIT IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE YOUR COMPANY WITH ALL ITS RECRUITMENT SOLUTIONS. Developing extensive knowledge during years of recruitment and sales, both in the UK and New Zealand, we wanted to bring this platform and provide a service to help and develop your recruitment needs.

“Some organisations are struggling to fully leverage the tools available to find the best talent, because the adoption of technology by prospective employees is more advanced than the utilisation of it by hiring managers.”

challenge identified by employers in the research was finding candidates with the right cultural fit for their team.

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Management | The entrepreneur

start-up secrets

CoziGo creator Emma Lovell’s light bulb moment was the outcome of flying and using an in-flight bassinet with a very distracted and overtired baby. She used masking tape and a sheet to try and create an in-flight canopy for her baby.

Emma also grew frustrated when the blanket covering her daughter’s pram would fly off, fall off or get pulled off. CoziGo – Sleep on the Go, was her solution to both of these problems and in 2014 she launched her universal stroller and airline bassinet sleep cover. Emma appeared on Shark Tank and courageously won over investor Janine Allis from Boost Juice, and she openly admits the journey has been a rollercoaster of a ride from day one.

Here she shares her six top tips for small business success: 1. Got an idea? Research the heck out of it So many people come up with great ideas and for most of them it will just stay that way – an idea! The brave part is actually doing something to turn that idea in to something real. Be careful though, the world is a big place with many bright minds, so the first step is to make sure that it hasn’t already been thought of and isn't already out in the market. If your idea already exists, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re dead in the water – you may just have to simply work out how to do it better than your competitors!

2. So you’ve decided to have a crack! Do you have the money? You need to bear in mind that most startups don’t turn a profit for the first three years, so you need to work out a budget and see if you can afford to launch. A lot of entrepreneurs continue to work in their full or part time job until they start to see income from their business. Carefully research all the set-up costs that are ahead of you – and be prepared to double it - there’s almost always something you forget.

3. Are there grants or loans that you can take advantage of?

5. Pitching – make it relevant and valuable to your audience

There are many grants and loans that small businesses may qualify for. The deadlines and conditions are strict and if you get it wrong, you may be missing out on tens of thousands of dollars.

When you’re creating your pitch – remember it’s not about you. A great pitch thinks about your audience and concentrates solely on their needs and requirements. If you do this, then you are more likely to resonate with them and spark their interest.

4. “Build it and they will come.” Yeah right - you need to market your business So many start-ups make the mistake of ploughing everything they have in to getting off the ground and then have no funds to get the word out there. You may have the best website around, but if there’s no one visiting, the cash register won’t be saying ca-ching.

If you are product based and pitching for wholesale purposes, make sure you have thoroughly researched the market and you know the relevant margins and mark-ups that is expected in your industry or you might just blow your first impressions and lose your one opportunity.

If you find yourself in overwhelm mode – write a list of everything that has to be actioned and only concentrate on one thing at a time. Sometimes looking at the big picture can be just too much and to get yourself started again, you need to do some micro tasks.

Also – learn to be brave! Don’t be afraid to keep sending your pitch over and over, they may be interested, but just way too busy to reply. For this reason, it’s good to research potential buyer’s cycles so you can hit them with your pitch at the right time of year.

Ensuring you have great SEO is a great first step, but even then it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll make it to page one on Google, especially if you’re in a competitive market. And even if you do, you often have to wait for six months for the search engines to crawl to your site – who can afford to wait six months.

6. Be careful of paralysis and isolation

It’s absolutely imperative that people know about your great product or service so ensure you spend time and allocate funds to executing a kick-arse marketing plan.

Most entrepreneurs start off working on their own and from home. Paralysis from either being overwhelmed or frightened is a huge risk to look out for.

Emma Lovell

Isolation can be another problem of the ‘solo-preneur’. Combat loneliness by joining business groups, relevant Facebook groups and perhaps finding a friend that also does it alone and agree to meet for lunch once a week. If you don’t have time for that, make it a meeting and help brainstorm each other’s issues to justify the time out. Either way – you need to give yourself space to breath and think outside the box (sometimes, your box is quite literal – my first office had no window, no natural light and started to send me quite batty at times.)

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0800 444 090 | www.fatweb.co.nz www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 13

Management | Property

Five top tips for passing building inspections If you are planning a building or renovation project, it’s likely you will need to obtain an approved consent before beginning work.

Remember that knowing your health and safety obligations will help to protect you both on site and legally. 4. Feel free to ask inspectors questions They are highly trained and very knowledgeable about the Building Code and are very up-to-date on the latest trends and construction techniques.

The process of gaining a consent and following through to obtain a Code of Compliance Certificate at the end can be daunting, time-consuming and frustrating.

While the inspectors are always willing to help wherever they can, they must remain impartial and independent, so don’t go asking them for their preferred product or builders.

There are some simple things you and your builder can do to save hours, weeks and dollars on building inspections. Jeff Fahrensohn, inspections manager for Auckland Council’s Building Control team, says there are some simple things you and your builder can do to save hours, weeks and dollars on building inspections. Here are his top five secrets to passing building inspections: 1. Make sure you are ready for the building inspection A lot of contractors are so busy they find it easier to use an inspector to compile a snag list of issues to address. Approximately 80 percent of all inspection fails can be avoided by having a quality system in place. This doesn’t have to be a complex process, even a quick “once over” to ensure it's complete would help save between 15,000 and 20,000 re-inspections. That equates to about $2.5m in fees and 18,000 hours saved.

2. Address any changes as soon as possible Substituting a product or material, or changing the design, results in a loss of productivity due to the inspector needing to assess and approve the changes. If the change is considered a “minor variation” then the inspector will try and approve this on site during the inspection. In some cases, they will need to research product compliance and this may delay the approval process. Occasionally, a proposal is bigger than a minor change and needs to be submitted as a full amendment. This will need to go to the processing team to assess, and add weeks onto the process. To reduce possible delays, be sure to discuss these changes with the inspector as early in

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the process as possible. Something you may find minor, like changing the size of a window, may end up affecting wall bracing, lintel sizes, ventilation or light requirements, and the like. 3. Keep learning Keep developing and improving your own technical knowledge, particularly if you are working with materials or products you are unfamiliar with. Researching manufacturers’ specifications can often lead to new learnings which may have been missed on site. Take the opportunities to develop professionally by attending conferences, workshops and trade breakfasts whenever possible. Make sure you conduct regular 'toolbox talks' on site to impart this knowledge to your colleagues.

In saying that though, in the building game, a little knowledge can save a lot of money, so make use of inspectors and don’t be afraid to ask. 5. Get your paperwork in order Make sure you have all of your outstanding certificates and other paperwork when applying for the Code Compliance Certificate (CCC). Nearly all CCC requests result in a request for further information which “stops the clock” and delays its issue. Having these documents prepared and available at the final inspection would help the process run much more efficiently. To help you identify what paperwork will be required, inspectors will list these, as they are required on their inspection checklists. Another source of these is the 'advice notes' listed in the Building Consent documentation issued with the plans.

Management | Life and style

Lifestyles

By Lydia Truesdale

1. Montague full-size folding bike Combining high performance and portability, Montague is a world-leading provider of both recreational and specialised bicycles. With superior folding technology for ease of transportation, and backed by decades of research into comfort and durability, make the most of the beautiful outdoors with absolute effortlessness. Simply fold and stow the bike when you’re done. RRP: $1,199 www.montaguebikes.com.au

2. Norlan Whiskey Glass Norlan is proof that with fine craftsmanship comes fine experiences. The UK-based company has modernised the whiskey drinking experience with its sleek, first-of-its-kind tumbler-snifter hybrid glass, designed to excite the senses and celebrate whiskey’s essential aromatics through an aesthetically-refined vessel. Whisky aficionados, this is most definitely how whiskey should be enjoyed. RRP: From $73 (set of two) www.norlanglass.uk

3. Brass bedside table from Alva This brass bedside table from Alva epitomises understated sophistication. Alva is new on the homewares scene and presents its first collection of carefully-curated luxury items inspired by the artisans of Asia, India and the Middle East. Each piece embodies the exotic mystique of distant lands, which turns everyday objects into extraordinary statements. True to its name, which means 'sublime' in Arabic, Alva promises an evolving collection of bespoke homewares that celebrate individuality through luxury.

RRP: $1,000 www.alva.nz

4. Trakdot trackable luggage There’s nothing worse than arriving at your holiday or business destination sans the carefully-selected necessities you brought with you, wondering where instead they might have ended up. With Trakdot you can track the location of your luggage every step of the way from the very palm of your hand. Simply register and activate the device, download the app on your mobile, then turn on the device and place it in your luggage. Et voila! RRP: From $119 www.trakdotluggage.co.nz

5. Frank coffee body scrub As we say goodbye to summer it’s time to say goodbye to the parched versions of ourselves. Frank’s original coffee body scrub is just the answer; a unisex, organic, vegan, and PEG and paraben-free scrub made with love to leave your skin feeling fresh and rejuvenated. Use the recommended 3-5 times per week, 2-3 minutes at a time for radiant results. RRP: $19 www.meccabeauty.co.nz

www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 15

Management | Cover story

THE ACCIDENTAL

COMEDIAN By Natalia Rietveld

Rhys Darby: well-known soldier, sports fanatic and budding journalist – wait, what?

Photo credit: Kate Little Photography

16 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

Management | Cover story “The UK had so much of their own talent. I got the feeling that they were all like ‘you’re from over there (New Zealand) - we will laugh at you, but we won’t give you job’.” - Rhys Darby

Making America great again It’s hard to imagine Rhys as anything other than an actor or a comedian. He has this natural way of being a little bit odd, that works in his favour – most wouldn’t be able to pull it off. Throughout his career, Rhys has remained Rhys. His voice is one that can’t be disguised and the way he portrays himself on stage and on screen has remained timeless and distinctive. He says his original plan of making it big in the UK was a struggle and America had been put in the ‘too hard basket’. “The UK had so much of their own talent, I got the feeling that they were all like ‘you’re from over there (New Zealand) - we will laugh at you, but we won’t give you job’.”

Rhys Darby & his wife Rosie Carnahan-Darby. Photo credit: Kate Little Photography

You’d think for someone as naturally gifted in the comedy department as Rhys Darby, performing would have been something that he’d planned all along, but having a hit TV series, sought after stand-up acts and starring in many a movie was never in the pipelines. In fact, as a child his mother’s main concern was to keep him out of trouble. Rhys says growing up he had no time to think of anything other than school and sport, let alone becoming, arguably, one of New Zealand’s favorite actors. “I was too busy being a boy to think of acting,” Rhys explains. “My mother had me involved in a bit of everything, I was in soccer teams, I was a cyclist, I was in the school athletics team, I even played tennis and as a teenager I was in the Air Training Corps and the Army Cadets. I think her main aim, looking back, was to keep me off the streets or from falling in with the wrong crowd.” Being the epitome of energy, it was probably more to tire him out.

After finishing high school, Rhys joined the New Zealand Army and became a soldier. Now if you’ve ever seen how Rhys portrays his time in the army, you’ll know that this wasn’t his calling. If one was to try and make sense of it, it would be the equivalent of trying to turn a block of jelly into a brick. Suppressing his theatrical nature would be a daunting task – even for the army.

“It was really a destiny that I didn’t know was meant to be, until it squarely knocked me on the head.” - Rhys Darby

“It took a while for me to grow up and realise what I was supposed to do. In the army I enjoyed doing all the physical stuff but I realised ‘I don’t want to be doing this forever’ and I left after about four years because it didn’t wsuit me,” he says. His time in the army clearly wasn’t lost on him, and like all great comedians he took his experience and turned it into some hilarious gags. His live performance of Imagine That referenced his time as a soldier and when released on DVD went platinum here in New Zealand. After the army Rhys went on to study at the University of Canterbury where he aspired to be a journalist. “I was always quite good with my English skills so that was the plan there.” The six o’ clock news would be far different to what we see today if he’d stayed on that path. But thankfully he “fell” into comedy.

Realising his calling Rhys says “it was really a destiny that I didn’t know was meant to be, until it squarely knocked me on the head.”

He admits, looking back over his life, one thing that remained consistent was his “crazy sense of humor”. Practically on arrival at university, Rhys signed up to The Comedy Club as a bit of fun. “It was really just a bunch of like-minded guys meeting once a week, writing sketches and stuff, then I got a part-time job at a restaurant and met the chef there (Grant Lobban) and we created a comedy duo.” At the time, stand-up comedy wasn’t a thing in New Zealand, so the idea had never crossed Rhys’ mind and if he was to be honest, he wasn’t really interested in it either. “The thought of someone standing up behind a mic seemed really boring to me.” And to this day, even when doing standup, he has never been one to just ‘stand up behind a mic’ and that is what got him noticed. He is animated and often described as ‘different’ - not the words we all like to hear, but it couldn’t work better for him. Initially inspired by Monty Python and Rowan Atkinson, he thought “maybe I could do something like that”, but living in New Zealand - that would never be possible. It is so easy to plant a seed of doubt in your mind and give up before even starting. While Rhys, like most, was guilty of this in his earlier days, as he got a bit older, he realised that life wasn’t just about making money and he certainly didn’t want to wait to be comfortable before starting his comedy career, it just took a slight mindset adjustment.

Rhys planned on heading home after season one of Flight of the Conchords (FOTC), in which Rhys played the character of Murray Hewitt the band manager. But the universe had other ideas. America opened its doors to season two and Rhys was offered a role in the hit movie Yes Man, so instead of heading home, Rhys took a slight detour. Something that had originally been placed in the ‘too hard basket’ was now the more viable option. Throughout the years, Rhys has appeared in many sitcoms, TV adverts, movies, cartoons and comedy festivals. Currently living in LA with his family, Rhys is run off his feet with several projects including filming his part in the sequel of Jumanji which is set to be released in December this year. He’s taken by surprise when he’s known by these ‘famous actors’ because though, in his own words, he hasn’t done much, the things he has done have been really well-received. “Even Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson comes up to me on set and makes me be in his videos for his friends. “I’ll be thinking, ‘really? Okay, I mean he’s The Rock - but sure, I’ll be in a little video for your friends’,” he laughs. “You get over the star-struck feeling pretty quickly - now we can all enjoy a sandwich together.” Although he’s enjoying his time in LA and the opportunities that have come from it, New Zealand is still home. We may not have Dwayne Johnson here, but Rhys still misses us and squeezes New Zealand into his schedule every now and then.

Rhys says, what started purely as a hobby with a bunch of mates just having a laugh, has been forged into a lifelong career. It was when he began his solo act in Auckland that he began getting noticed. Naturally Rhys got excited and decided to give the Edinburgh Fringe Festival a go and from there it all happened in a very linear way, everything just began falling into place.

His show Mystic Time Bird will be touring NZ from July 9 through to August 15 this year. Tickets are still available but selling out quick. Rhys may not have made the best soldier, sports star or journalist, but when he’s on the international stage representing New Zealand, he’s giving us a pretty good name. AT

www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 17

Issue | Marijuana

GOING TO POT By Natalia Rietveld

It’s the conversation that never goes away. Whether you love it or loath it, marijuana is one of the most debated drugs in New Zealand. This particular debate has been raging on since its illegalisation under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. Though it does seem in recent years people are becoming more open to the benefits of marijuana, both medicinally and economically. Currently we as tax payers are forking out thousands of dollars yearly in the legal fight against it, when there is potential to be making a large profit from it. In a poll conducted in August 2016 by the NZ Drug Foundation, a majority of the public voted that they would like to see a change in the cannabis laws.

Where do we stand Presently in New Zealand cannabis in its plant form is considered to be a Class C drug. If you are caught in possession of cannabis it could result in a maximum of three month’s imprisonment or a $500 fine. If you are caught to be cultivating cannabis you could be looking at seven year’s imprisonment, and selling or supplying cannabis carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison. Cannabis oil and hashish are considered as Class B drugs; though they come from the same product, they are a more concentrated form of cannabis, which gives them a higher potency, and therefore they carry a much tougher sentence.

- Associate Minister of Health, Hon Peter Dunne

If you are caught supplying or selling hashish or cannabis oil to a person under the age of 18 the penalty is a maximum of 14 years in prison. These penalties are what cost tax payers thousands of dollars.

Of the 15,000 people surveyed: 33 percent believe a small amount of cannabis for personal use should be legal and 31 percent believe it should be decriminalised. Only 31 percent were in favour of retaining prohibition.

According to a Ministry of Health survey showing drug-related prison sentences between 2007 and 2011, 1,050 people were sentenced for cannabis possession costing tax payers $12, 250 per person.

Maybe it’s time New Zealand came to a decision once and for all.

That’s a total of $12,862,500 of tax payer’s dollars on marijuana-related sentences alone within that timeframe.

18 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

“The Government’s view is that widespread availability of cannabis is likely to have detrimental health and social impacts for a significant proportion of the population”.

These costs do not include police costs, court costs, legal aid costs, probation costs or social costs, it is only the cost of imprisonment. The Dangerous Drug Act, which was passed in 1927, only put a stop to recreational marijuana use in New Zealand - it still allowed marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Issue | Marijuana But even he sees the medicinal benefits. “The lack of cannabis-based products is disappointing and frustrating, but a clinician-led pathway exists to access existing products, for those whose specialists believe such products would have therapeutic benefit.” His main concerns around cannabis as a medicine are the limited evidence available to support its efficiency and the limited availability of the pharmaceutical grade products.

The gateway drug We’ve all heard the argument that marijuana is the gateway to harder drug use. Ross believes this statement is hard to prove. “Is there a component in marijuana that causes people to turn to other drugs? Science would say no, there is nothing in cannabis that makes people go on to other drugs. “People who use drugs are generally risk takers, they might go onto more dangerous drugs but certainly the majority don’t.” He refers back to Professor David Fergusson’s findings. “The potential gateway effects could be because it is an illegal drug and you are having to purchase it from a tinny house, and at that tinny house you may come into contact with people who want to sell you other drugs, and that could be the gateway effect.” This was quashed under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. As it stands the only form of medical marijuana available in New Zealand is Sativex. Sativex is a formulated extract of the cannabis sativa plant. It contains cannabinoids THC and CBD as well as other minor cannabinoids and non-cannabinoid components. The drug is in spray form which is created to be used orally and absorbed under the tongue or in the cheek linings. This particular product is largely intended for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are finding that traditional medicines are not relieving their symptoms. The product however is very rarely used. An annual prescription of Sativex will cost more than $20,000 because Pharmac does not subsidise the drug. The Ministry of Health must approve the prescription before access is granted. Because of the high cost of the medication many people are opting to use the drug illegally.

Medicinal purposes The medicinal benefits of cannabis are often the driving force behind this debate. Former Union leader, Helen Kelly, was a major advocate for making medicinal marijuana available for those in need. She was very public about her illegal marijuana use during her battle with lung cancer. She used marijuana for pain relief after exhausting all other options. Helen Kelly died in 2016.

“The problems we see though are in the people that use it heavily. People don’t see it as a drug you can get hooked on, like meth, but people certainly become dependent on it.” - NZ Drug Foundation director, Ross Bell

Rose sees so much potential in New Zealand for marijuana. Aside from the medicinal benefits she sees, industrial hemp can be used in a number of commercial ways, including making plastics that don’t harm the environment and hemp when planted is known to absorb toxins from the soil. “We can draw toxins out of the ground and regenerate our rivers and lakes - New Zealand has the perfect conditions for it. Marijuana grows here beautifully.”

The issues we face NZ Drug Foundation director Ross Bell knows better than most the issues marijuana causes. There have been studies done in Dunedin and Christchurch including Professor David Fergusson’s longitudinal study which brought to light the effects on people who use marijuana heavily from a young age.

He was the first patient in New Zealand to be allowed use of cannabis oil (CBD) as treatment for his illness while in hospital.

It has a real impact on their outcomes in school which then flows onto their job prospects and their likeliness to end up on the benefit increases. There are potential health risks as well, says Ross, according to the study.

Now Rose fights every day to make CBD and other medicinal marijuana products available to everyone who needs them. Ultimately she would like to see cannabis decriminalised and eventually regulated. “If you’re a person with a condition that cannabis can treat and your GP says ‘yes it will help’ you can then find a medicinal strain of marijuana and grow it yourself. We need to take the criminal element out of it which will also get it off the black market in the streets so the sick people can then gain access,” she says. “In time it should be regulated across the board, with better education. You drive through Blenheim and see acres and acres of wineries, you can go to the dairy at 18 and buy cigarettes, we’ve got pharmaceutical companies that you pay for your prescriptions, those three industries they actually all kill and are all profit-based industries in New Zealand. “Cannabis doesn’t kill; we need education and it needs to be regulated.”

“We’ve seen in countries that have decriminalised, such as Portugal and some states in Australia, there’s lots of models where marijuana has been decriminalised in some way, and that hasn’t necessarily led to increase in use. In fact there’s either no change in use, or potential decrease, so I don’t see it as a problem we actually support decriminalisation.” Legalising marijuana however is a completely different issue which Ross believes could go very wrong but if we are smart it could be done right. The last thing he wants to see is marijuana becoming a commercial product like alcohol.

Medicinal marijuana advocate Rose Renton has been on the same crusade. Her son Alex Renton died in 2015 after being in an induced coma for three months, battling prolonged seizures, caused by what is thought to be an auto-immune disease.

After receiving CBD Alex’s seizures stopped, he was breathing on his own and eating home-cooked meals. Rose believes had he been given access to CBD sooner he would have survived.

The NZ Drug Foundation deal with different aspects of drug use on a daily basis, but are still in support of decriminilisation of marijuana.

So what now? It’s clear when it comes to this debate there is a lot to consider. So over the next few issues we will continue to delve deeper into marijuana in New Zealand. We will look at legalisation vs decriminlisation and the effects those options could potentially have on us. We will delve further into what the marijuana industry could do to our economy and what it’s done in places overseas, as well as how it could affect your workplace. The issue of marijuana in New Zealand effects every one of us in one way or another. It’s likely to be a hot topic come election time so whether you love it loath it having a clear understanding of it, will hopefully bring this long-lasting debate to a close, once and for all. AT

Though the issues with cannabis may be more obvious in younger people it’s not an issue they face alone. Ross says they set up a self-help page on their website after noticing people around the age of 40 were seeking help. “They would wake up and realise they couldn’t even head down to the shop without smoking a joint beforehand.” New Zealand is among some of the higher users of cannabis in the world with half of the country having tried it at some stage in their lives Ross says. “The problems we see though are in the people that use it heavily. People don’t see it as a drug you can get hooked on like meth but people certainly become dependent on it.” So as far as making the drug legalised, there are certainly implications that need to be considered Associate Minister of Health, Hon Peter Dunne, says “the Government’s view is that widespread availability of cannabis is likely to have detrimental health and social impacts for a significant proportion of the population.” www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 19

The big picture | Food waste

Feeding our own demise By Lydia Truesdale

Food waste is a global economic issue right now. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), roughly one third of food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tonnes — gets lost or wasted. Bringing those statistics closer to home, the average New Zealand household in 2015 lost around $563 through food waste (Household Expenditure Statistics: Year ended June 2016, Statistics New Zealand). The economic disadvantages of food waste don’t just occur within households at the consumer level; they effect businesses and the environment, says Love Food Hate Waste New Zealand spokesperson, Jenny Marshall.

Efforts to combat the aggressive rate of food production and food waste can certainly be implemented at every stage of the process, from planting and harvest to retail and consumerism.

“Wasting food not only wastes people’s money, it also wastes people's time and energy. Every time we throw away our leftovers we then need to cook another meal from scratch, which involves more time shopping, cooking and washing dishes.

According to FAO, “in developing countries, food waste and losses occur mainly at early stages of the food value chain and can be traced back to financial, managerial and technical constraints in harvesting techniques, as well as storage and cooling facilities.

“For businesses, there is the cost of producing the food, the cost of disposing of the unsold food and the opportunity cost of loss of revenue from sales.

“Strengthening the supply chain through the direct support of farmers and investments in infrastructure, transportation, as well as in an expansion of the food and packaging industry, could help to reduce the amount of food loss and waste.

“For the environment, increased CO2 emissions. Household food waste alone creates more than 325,975 tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum. That’s the equivalent of taking 118,000 cars off the road each year, or planting 130,970 trees per year,” Jenny says. Continuing on an economic perspective there is huge commercial opportunity in the mitigation of food waste. Aside from fiscally the most beneficial flow-on effects of this are less strain on our resources and on the environment. “A just released study from the World Resources Institute shows that for every $1 companies invested to reduce food loss and waste, they saved $14 in operating costs. “For food manufacturers donating food to food rescue groups for example, saves them the cost of rubbish disposal, but also allows them to quantify just how much avoidable food waste they are creating, allowing companies to identify on areas for improvement e.g. improving inventory management in warehouses.” “A ranking of 27 possible food waste remedies by ReFED, a consortium of businesses, NGOs and others fighting food waste, named standardising date labels as the most effective money saver for both businesses and consumers. “Many countries have now formulated national food waste strategies to enable business government and NGOs to work together to identify opportunities and solutions. Australia is looking at developing a national food waste strategy.

“In medium and high-income countries, food is wasted and lost mainly at later stages in the supply chain. Differing from the situation in developing countries, the behaviour of consumers plays a huge part in industrialised countries.” The study identified a lack of coordination between actors in the supply chain as a contributing factor. Farmer-buyer agreements can be helpful to increase the level of co-ordination. “Additionally, raising awareness among industries, retailers and consumers, as well as finding beneficial use for food that is presently thrown away, are useful measures to decrease the amount of losses and waste.” How you can mitigate your own personal food waste: • If possible, grow your own and give excess produce to friends, family and food banks • Try to recycle and compost • If you must shop, shop for only 1-2 days in advance to minimise wastage and support local farmers' markets where retail standards aren’t as strictly imposed • When cooking, don’t over serve; using smaller plates can help with portion control • If you do overcook, save and actually eat the left overs

“But it is also important to raise awareness of the issue at a consumer level, regardless of what changes occur higher up the supply chain to minimise food waste, if the food that is eventually purchased by households is then thrown away uneaten, all those other efforts have been wasted.”

• Storing food properly (in the right place) will help it to last longer

If every individual adopted a conscious approach to food waste, it would be a case of small, collective changes creating big impact.

• Use food apps and gadgets for helpful tips and techniques on mitigating food waste. AT

• Avoid clutter: keep your pantry and fridge neat with everything visible so it’s easy to see and use what you have • Try your hand at canning and preserving

Key facts you need to know about food waste: • Food losses and waste amounts to roughly US $680 billion in industrialised countries and US $310 billion in developing countries • Fruits and vegetables, plus roots and tubers have the highest wastage rates of any food • Every year, consumers in rich countries waste almost as much food (222 million tonnes) as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (230 million tonnes) • The amount of food lost or wasted every year is equivalent to more than half of the world’s annual cereals crop (2.3 billion tonnes in 2009/2010) • In developing countries 40 percent of losses occur at post-harvest and processing levels while in industrialised countries more than 40 percent of losses happen at retail and consumer levels • At retail level, large quantities of food are wasted due to quality standards that over-emphasise appearance • Food loss and waste also amount to a major squandering of resources, including water, land, energy, labour and capital and needlessly produce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming and climate change • The food currently lost or wasted in Latin America could feed 300 million people • The food currently wasted in Europe could feed 200 million people • The food currently lost in Africa could feed 300 million people • Even if just one-fourth of the food currently lost or wasted globally could be saved, it would be enough to feed 870 million hungry people in the world • Food losses during harvest and in storage translate into lost income for small farmers and into higher prices for poor consumers.

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A food gift company with a difference Manufacturer - Wholesaler - Retailer - Café A new website, new products and a new address, to view, to have a taste, to visit and to buy mouth-watering Rococo Gifts and Cottage Fare’s products from. Manufacturing and wholesaling since 1991, the family-owned Kiwi company had humble beginnings. It started at the Takapuna markets where mum Linda and her kids would camp out to get the “best spot” to sell the fudge and cookies made in their home kitchen after school and work. Dad thought they were “mad”. The business grew, their previous jobs were left behind, and a factory was opened. The wholesale business continued to grow from strength to strength with Cottage Fare’s fudge becoming well known in the route trade. As the manufacturing customer base and the distribution network were geared to the route trade, the company turned its attentions to gift lines. Rococo Gifts was born, initially as a brand supplying the gift trade through customers like Smith & Caughey’s, Farmers, and Woolworths. Sales were great but margins were not. Subsequently, the brand became the business and Rococo transitioned to

Rococo Cafe and Shop 39C Cavendish Drive, Manukau City P. (09) 277 5392 | E. orders@rococogifts.co.nz www.rococogifts.co.nz

a food and gift company – now with its own website, retail shop, and its latest addition: a Café. The manufacturing and wholesaling remains an integral part of the business and has also been relocated to the new address. Rococo’s point of difference is manufacturing. Most of what the company sells is made using local produce, and if it doesn’t make it itself, it sources it from local companies. For whatever is not available locally, it buys trusted European brands. Its early days for the café but the Rococo team has grand hopes for its future. They love the customer contact and the ever-increasing diversity of products. Of course there are challenges in hospitality, but they are enthusiastically meeting them head on. See them on Facebook, view the online shop at www.rococogifts.co.nz or better still, visit at the Café and retail shop in person at 39C Cavendish Drive, Manukau City - open 7 days. They would love to see you.

Hospitality | The Difference Catering Company

Fine fare with The Difference The Difference Catering Company has been making a big difference to the Auckland catering scene for the last 20 years. Headed by Stephanie and Philip Reynolds, The Difference’s aim has always been to bring stunning cuisine, superb presentation and impeccable service to catering events. “We really enjoy cooking, but that’s only half of the joy of it,” Stephanie says. “When someone employs a caterer, it’s usually because the event is really important to them, whether it’s a 21st or a big corporate do. We love helping make it really special and it’s such a thrill when you see the client enjoying themselves with exactly the food and the vibe they wanted to create.” Philip Reynolds is a Michelin-starred chef. Among his many notable achievements are catering for America’s Cup boats, running restaurants and working as the head chef at a Michelin-starred establishment, as well as in other high-profile eateries, including Harrods. Stephanie and Philip’s story began when they did their chef apprenticeships together at the Regent in Auckland. There was a definite connection, but Philip’s career took him away from New Zealand shores and it would be another 12 years before they were to see each other again. Stephanie worked as a chef from the age of 19, including at Auckland icon, Mikano. She

also catered for friends’ functions. When this workload became too great she took a leap of faith in 1997 and officially started her own catering company. She says it was all go from the start, especially as she started catering for chartered boats. “During the America’s Cup I would sometimes do two a day, finishing at midnight, only to return to the kitchen and start prepping for the next day.” And it wasn’t just boats, there were many corporate and private functions too, and over the years she gained regular large clients like Briscoes, Bradfords, Deloittes, Westpac, Spark and others. While Stephanie was busy with her catering company in New Zealand, within three days of arriving in England, Philip had landed on his feet, working for Anand Sastry, as Marco Pierre-White’s first sous chef at a restaurant called Avoirdupois.

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Every year he would do a ‘stage’, gaining experiences with the likes of Pierre Koffmann, Michel Gerard and Nico Lardenis. He even did a two year stint as the head chef of the main restaurants at Harrods. As if this line up wasn’t impressive enough, by the age of 24, he was head chef at L’Escargot in London when they got their first Michelin star. Philip came home for a holiday to take a break from regularly working 17-hour days. Perhaps it was the sunshine, the lifestyle, or meeting the gorgeous Stephanie again, but he never went back. By 2005 the couple were married and soon had the first of their two children. Philip continued cheffing at Ottos on Alingi during the America’s Cup, at the Heritage Hotel, as well as developing cheese and ice cream for the Kapiti range. He set up the restaurant The Attic in Mission Bay, but when he realised he wasn’t seeing enough of his family, he gave it up to work with Stephanie.

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“When someone employs a caterer it’s usually because the event is really important to them, whether it’s a 21st or a big corporate do. We love helping make it really special and it’s such a thrill when you see the client enjoying themselves with exactly the food and the vibe they wanted to create.” - Stephanie Reynolds

The couple bring their extensive complementary skills to The Difference and after many years in kitchens nothing is a problem. “We love food but we love people to and The Difference gives us the best of both worlds,” Stephanie says. AT

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You may be the best in the business, but if you don’t tell anybody about your great service or products, then you are missing the opportunity to gain new customers. That’s where Coffee News can help.

Don’t pay for more coverage than you need. If most of your customers come from your local community, Coffee News enables you to precisely target that area rather than wasting money on advertising outside your region. Of course if your target market is wider than your local community, Coffee News also has weekly editions covering the whole of the Auckland Region and around New Zealand.

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www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 23

Hospitality | Tusk Thai Restaurant and Bar

Tusk Thai’s 20 years of amazing flavour Tusk Thai Restaurant has been a flagship of Balmoral, and a popular dining institution in Auckland since 1997. For 20 years, Tusk Thai has been tempting and delighting diners with its delicious contemporary Thai cuisine served in an exotic atmosphere.

Its team of chefs from all regions of Thailand bring together the different takes on Thai cuisine, including char-grilled dishes like seared Angus beef, and provincial favourites including duck, cashew and mango salad.

It opened in response to a growing demand for good Thai cuisine, says owner Michael Bennett, evolving from the earlier Green Elephant Thai café The soups are superb, especially the Tom Yum, and curries are, likewise, skillfully prepared, which was opened on the same site in 1989. and full of flavours that grow slowly in the With its great reputation for food served in stylish mouth. And let’s not forget to mention the wide surroundings, Tusk Thai has become one of selection of vegetarian and seafood options on Auckland’s leading Thai restaurants. the menu.

Flaming chicken or Gai Ob - a whole marinated chicken – is Tusk Thai’s signature dish

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Hospitality | Tusk Thai Restaurant and Bar

“The big advantage in New Zealand is our quality meat, seafood and fresh produce. Our chefs are able to combine this with their knowledge of Thai flavours to produce something quite special.” - Owner Michael Bennett

Taste sensations

The whole dining experience is elevated by a comprehensive and well priced Tusk chefs are regularly creating new dishes for selection of classic and boutique Kiwi wines, their customers to experience and enjoy the new flavours and textures that evolve from this cuisine. carefully chosen to match the varied flavours of the cuisine. “The big advantage in New Zealand is our quality meat, seafood and fresh produce. Our chefs are Enjoying a good atmosphere is a big part of able to combine this with their knowledge of Thai the dining experience. With the vibrant chatter flavours to produce something quite special,” of satisfied diners set against Tusk’s smart and Michael says. stylish interior, featuring huge wall sculptures Tusk’s modern Thai cuisine is perfect for sharing and relaxed comfortable seating, customers appreciate the superb atmosphere while dishes across the table, and the prices are reasonable – appetisers start from $9 and mains enjoying a myriad of tastes. from $19. Two of us dined there for $73 including Soft lighting, the comfort of air conditioning in two glasses of wine! summer and a cosy fire in the winter all add to One of the restaurant’s signature dishes is the the positive dining experience. Gai Ob - a whole marinated chicken, baked and served flaming at the table. It‘s certainly a sight to Tusk is well known for its excellent service where diners receive a warm welcome from the behold. The adults enjoy the spectacle as much professional staff. > as the kids do.

www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 25

Hospitality | Tusk Thai Restaurant and Bar Location and facts Tusk is conveniently located on the corner of Dominion and Balmoral roads, with plenty of off-street-parking nearby. It is perfect as a meeting point for those travelling across town. Tusk is the ideal venue for both small and large groups and features a private conservatory dining area, which is ideal to book for those special occasions.

In their words: Tusk Thai testimonial

“The food was amazing, so aromatic, so tasty and presentation was wonderful. Beverages were decently priced and the service was perfect. Absolutely loved our dining experience. Thank you for making my sister’s birthday dinner a great one!”

It is also popular with locals and cinema goers at the nearby Capitol Cinema and as a dinner venue after shopping at the nearby St Luke’s mall. Tusk is highly recommended as a relaxed stylish venue, with fine Thai food, and a warm attentive level of service. AT

– Maxy Singh

A stylish Restaurant & Bar with great atmosphere and featuring delicious Thai Cuisine.

590 Dominion Road, Balmoral Phone: 09 638 9516 | Email: info@tusk.co.nz www.tusk.co.nz

26 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

• Dinner 7 nights from 5:30pm • Easy Parking Nearby

• Private function room • Fully Licensed/BYOW

Mention this ad when you make a booking for 4 or more and receive your main course with our compliments (not valid for use in conjunction with any other offers or promotions)

Hospitality | Tusk Thai Restaurant and Bar A BRIEF GLANCE AT WHAT’S ON OFFER AT TUSK: PROVINCIAL FAVOURITES Duck, cashew & mango salad, shallots, coriander, chilli lime dressing 22 Green papaya salad, prawns, chilli, cherry tomato, roasted peanuts

Chicken larb, poached chicken, toasted rice, red onion, mint, lime

Angus beef salad, coriander, mint, red onion, shallots, chilli lime dressing 20 Lemongrass prawns, mint, shallots, mild roasted chilli dressing CURRIES Massamun curry of slow roasted lamb, coconut milk, potato, peanuts, crispy shallots

Green curry, chicken or tofu, aubergine, coconut milk, market vege, kaffir lime, basil[v] 20 Red curry, chicken, beef or tofu, coconut milk, kaffir lime, market vege, basil[v] 20 Yellow chicken curry, potato, onion, butternut, coconut milk, crispy shallots 20 Panang curry of chicken, beef or tofu, coconut milk, kaffir lime, market vege, peanuts[v] 20 BBQ duck curry, pineapple, beans, rambutan, market vege, kaffir lime, basil 23 WOK TOSSED / GRILLED BBQ Pork, coriander, pepper, garlic, tamarind chilli sauce Seared angus beef, soy, pepper, tamarind, namjim sauce

Thai style grilled chicken, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, namjim sauce

Chicken or tofu cashew nuts, water chestnuts, market vege, roasted chilli[v] 21 BBQ duck basil, mushroom, market vege, onion, pepper

Black pepper tofu, sweet soy, asian greens, fried shallots[v]

Sweet & sour pork, cucumber, pineapple, tomato, market vege

Ginger chicken or tofu, spring onion, mushroom, market vege[v]

Garlic pepper chicken, beef or tofu, market vege, mushroom, bok choy[v]

Soft shell crab, turmeric, galangal, lemongrass

Chilli pepper chicken, lemongrass, beans, capsicum, red curry sauce

Ginger fish, spring onion, mushroom, market vege

Basil chicken or tofu, mushroom, onion, pepper, market vege[v]

Prawn green curry, aubergine, coconut milk, market vege, kaffir lime, basil

Flaming whole baby chicken, Thai spices, brandy

Sizzling beef, black pepper, market vege, Thai herbs

SEAFOOD Tempura fish, cashew nuts, green apple slaw, fresh chilli, kaffir lime leaf

Garlic pepper prawns, mushroom, spring onion, market vege

Lemon steamed whole snapper, Thai herbs, chilli, pickled garlic

Spicy fish, deep fried (whole or fillet), capsicum, spicy sauce

Tusk Thai fast facts: • Open 7 nights from 5.30pm • Fully Licensed / BYOW • Vegetarian and gluten free food available • Takeaway service option. Tusk Thai Restaurant and Bar 590 Dominion Rd Mt Eden Auckland (09) 638 9516 info@tusk.co.nz www.tusk.co.nz

One of New Zealand’s oldest and most respected boutique wineries owned and operated by the renowned fourth generation, Ivicevich family winemakers.

Celebrating Tusk Thai's 20th Anniversary Ph: (09) 411 9924 Email: info@westbrook.co.nz www.westbrook.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

Offering you the very best quality beer that we can produce.

Cakes • Cupcakes • Cookies Confectionary • Chocolate Coffee • Hot Chocolate Gourmet Food

Providing Insurance Cover and Independent Advice to Tusk Thai Restaurant We are proud to be associated with their ongoing success 6 Westward Ho Rd, Glen Eden Phone: (09) 818 4247 Fax: (09) 818 8677 Email: broker@primesure.co.nz www.primesure.co.nz

When it came to offering a great coffee to its diners, Tusk Thai's first choice was Altura Coffee

FREEPHONE: 0800 258 872 www.alturacoffee.co.nz

Rococo Cafe and Shop 39C Cavendish Drive, Manukau City (09) 277 5392 | orders@rococogifts.co.nz www.rococogifts.co.nz

www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 27

Goods & Services | Cabjacks

The simple solution to kitchen design A new kitchen for $3,000 or less, ready in three days - is that even possible?

“We have design planners on our website so our customers can play around with different combinations of units and see what it all looks like. In our showroom we also have several different setups for people to see how to go about creating their own design.”

It is with Cabjaks’ innovative approach to cabinet manufacturing, combining quality materials with a highly efficient production process. Cabjaks was founded six years ago by Steven and Carolyn Phillips. After years in the kitchen manufacturing industry, Steven developed the Cabjaks concept, offering quality cabinetry at a value price. Taking his cue from European manufacturing processes, combined with the knowledge of what works in a kitchen, he devised an extensive range of kitchen units to suit all room shapes and settings. The entire product offer is built from New Zealand Melteca board. Using mass production principles a variety of designs can be created from a limited number of components. “We are proud to have been the first company in New Zealand to adopt this means of production which originated in Europe,” Steven says. “Now we make not only kitchen componentry, but also wardrobe and laundry units.” The simple kitchens, freestanding kitchenettes and laminate benchtops are eminently suited to installing in first homes, rental properties, sleep-outs, baches and second homes. Cabjaks have taken much of the cost associated with traditional kitchen design and manufacturing out of their model, enabling them to sell fully-assembled components at an extremely competitive price.

Customers take control of the design process, creating their own kitchen, wardrobe or laundry to suit their lifestyle. “That may sound a bit of a challenge, but it really is pretty straightforward. We have design planners on our website so our customers can play around with different combinations of units and see what it all looks like. In our showroom we also have several different set-ups for people to see how to go about creating their own design.” Customer orders are manufactured every day in Cabjaks’ streamlined factory. The process has been so refined that there are hardly any offcut materials, which also contributes to maintaining the low selling costs of the units. Cabjaks offer free pickup from their factory or they can deliver throughout Auckland and the North Island.

Steven says that builders and competent handymen were the first to see the advantages of purchasing from Cabjaks, but the market is developing as people become aware of the helpful tools that the company has online. “But should customers not be comfortable with doing their own installations, we have relationships with contractors in Auckland who can assist.” Steven and Carolyn have put a great deal of energy into Cabjaks since 2010, building it into a very successful company. Recently, seeking new ideas and renewed drive, they passed the reins to new owner, Jason Shaw. Jason has a business development background and an eye for future opportunities. “Steven will remain with the company for some time as a mentor and consultant, giving us the benefit of his vast industry experience and manufacturing expertise,” Jason says.

- Steven Phillips

“We’re in a sweet spot right now with a top product and a highly efficient process in place, so we need to think carefully before making any changes to the formula. “But, having said that, there is potential for further development in various areas and for making Cabjaks even more innovative and cutting edge.” AT Cabjaks Ltd 14 Ra Ora Drive East Tamaki Auckland 2013 T (09) 274 6488 E info@cabjaks.co.nz www.cabjaks.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

making kitchens work We import and distribute Europe’s leading ranges of designer appliances Unit 2, 604 Rosebank Rd, Avondale, Auckland P: +64 9 377 7523 F: +64 9 377 4414 E: info@eurotechdesign.co.nz www.eurotechdesign.co.nz

28 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

O T N I E B

WIN

3 and 3 e g a p Turn to out our ad check Porchetta for a Lacount! dis

La Porchetta – serving much more than just great flavour It was once said, the trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you’re hungry again. While the saying references the satisfyingly filling nature of the cuisine of our nor-western neighbours, it goes some way towards outlining the popularity of Auckland’s very own ode to Italy – La Porchetta. Yet despite La Porchetta Henderson and La Porchetta Parnell earning a reputation as two of the city’s most delicious spots, there is so much more to these dynamic dining destinations than good food. This multi-award winning couple have been bringing you great Italian food at the very best of prices since 2008. “We absolutely love it! I’ve been in hospitality since I was 16. I tried leaving when I was 35 and I went crazy. Hospitality runs through my blood,” Henderson and Parnell franchisee Debbie explains. Sean and Debbie run the two popular restaurants along with their dedicated team. After purchasing the Parnell franchise in 2008, they enjoyed it so much that when a larger La Porchetta became available in Henderson five years later, they again jumped at the opportunity. The La Porchetta brand – which celebrated 30 years in business two years ago – is today one of the largest restaurant franchises in Australia and New Zealand, yet despite its astounding success, it still maintains the strong family-friendly environment that is at its core.

“Everything is handmade and you can see your pizzas being made from scratch, it’s a great sharing environment where you can select two or three dishes to share amongst the table and a friendly environment for children.” Offering dine in, take away and online ordering you can’t go past La Porchetta. The days when all you could order online was a pizza are long gone. Feeling a steak tonight or a Chicken Parmigiana or maybe a Tiramisu? If they make it you can order it to take home. This passion for what they do has culminated in the couple’s restaurants winning La Porchetta’s coveted New Zealand Customer Service of the Year award four times (2012, 2013,2014 and 2016), and the group’s New Zealand Franchisee of the Year in 2013 and Franchisee of the year for both Australia and New Zealand in 2016. “The most important concept we train into our staff in is ‘let our customers walk in as a stranger and walk out as a friend’,” she says. “That really sums up what we’re all about. Great food at a great price is fundamental, but you can get pizza all over town. It’s the place that treats you like family that you’re going to go back to - where every time you dine, your food will be as great as the time before.”

Online ordering www.laporchetta.com/order_online

While La Porchetta has become renowned for its pizzas, there is much more to La Porchetta Henderson and La Porchetta Parnell than just delicious pizza. The full-range menu has something for everyone, at great value prices, with Italian-style meals made only from the best ingredients. There is huge diversity in the menu. Staying on top of current trends and dietary requirements they have many options for gluten free and vegetarian patrons. And they are fully licenced. With large pizza from $15.20 and large pastas from $17.90, you can feed two for less than $35 and a family of four for around the $60 mark. Great value, great food topped off with great service and the friendliest of smiles.

La Porchetta Parnell, 167 - 171 Parnell Road, Parnell, Auckland | T (09) 309 0807 La Porchetta Henderson, 199a Lincoln Road, Henderson, Auckland | T (09) 838 7370 www.laporchetta.co.nz

Initiatives | Mahu Oils

Nurture by nature Healthy Pets Happy People

All pet owners know how expensive it can be to take an animal to the vet. Wouldn’t it be great to have a natural first aid kit you can turn to for those day to day ailments? When Mahu Oils director Nita Maaka was unable to find natural products she wanted to use on her cats and dogs, she decided to create her own first aid kit. Made from natural aromatherapy oils such as cedarwood and peppermint oils, the products are a safe alternative for ailments including fleas, ticks, rashes, wounds, and for cleaning animal coats. Nita was concerned about the effect of unnatural products on animals.

“Our philosophy is to ‘nurture by nature’. We work with the animal not against it. Our products are safe for pets, safe for me and safe for our children.” - Nita Maaka

Newflands’ products maintain your fur baby’s wellbeing, by supporting healthy immune systems which enable maximal health. Newflands can also aid in treatment if your fur baby suffers from arthritis, itchy, flaky or scratchy skin conditions, eye conditions, heart problems or other immune related disorders. Newflands’ supplements and treats are Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) sourced, top quality, human grade and made right here in New Zealand. Available at all leading veterinary clinics and pet nutritionists, globally. Stock us today.

For example, while a vet’s flea product will kill the fleas - what effect does it have on the animal? And what about children who then touch their pet which has been treated with an unnatural product? “Pet owners are more informed when it comes to their pets and are becoming more aware of what unnatural products are doing to their animals, and noticing it doesn’t smell nice and you can’t touch it; sometimes it just doesn’t fit with their needs.” These concerns prompted Nita to research and create a natural range, comprising a Flea Guard, Coat Care Soap and Cut Aid Cream.

Phone: 09 233 4060 Email: info@newflands.com

www.newflands.com

30 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

Nita believes that nature provides the ingredients to heal animals, and the Maori name Mahu, meaning “to be healed”, reflects the business philosophy. “Our philosophy is to ‘nurture by nature’,” she says. “We work with the animal not against it. Our products are safe for pets, safe for me and safe for our children.”

All Mahu Oils' products are made from 100 percent pure essential aromatherapy oils, and are safe and easy to use. Mahu Oils' Flea Guard is made from cedarwood, peppermint and natural citronella, it's easy to apply and smells lovely. The oil mixture stops fleas and ticks from infesting the animal. While fleas don’t like the taste of the product, it doesn’t harm the animal, she says. She says the natural product can also be used by humans, and she uses it herself to repel mosquitoes. This comes in two handy dropper bottles, 10ml for your cats or small dogs, and 30ml for your bigger dogs or horses. The Coat Care Soap for cats, dogs and horses is handmade using goats’ milk and is infused with natural aromatherapy oils. It provides care for the animal’s coat and skin, and also helps prevent fleas and ticks. This comes in a 100g bar.

Initiatives | Mahu Oils

Fast facts about Mahu Oils: • Made in New Zealand • Created from natural products • Free shipping in New Zealand.

The Cut Aid Cream includes Manuka, Tamanu, Vitamin E and helps with the healing process of cuts and scratches. The effective cream is suitable for all pets – cats, dogs, horses and is available in three handy sizes.

Happy Customers

Mahu Oils also offers a Carekit which gives you all three products as a starter pack, this is a great, small pet pack or as a gift to purchase for someone’s loved pet. All these items are available online at www. mahuoils.nz, and delivery is free throughout New Zealand. It is also sold at the Tauranga farmers’ market on Saturday mornings. “I am amazed at the responses that I have from my clients that use the Cut Aid Cream in particular, I have seen horse wounds heal in as little as six weeks,” she says. This is causing special interest from the equine industry, and scientists from Callaghan Innovation. Currently Nita is forging links with the equine industry here in New Zealand and Australia, and is looking at exporting the range internationally. With three bull mastiff dogs and two cats, Nita describes herself as a very inquisitive person, and started the businesses after years of

research to educate other people about natural products, and to help animals. “Creating Mahu Oils has been a journey of learning and remembering what nature has to offer,” says Nita. “Being able to provide these products to provide ‘peace of mind’ to other pet owners is our first priority.” AT Mahu Oils PO Box 15602 Tauranga 021 257 1417 nita@rawpawz.co.nz www.mahuoils.nz www.rawpawz.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 31

Focus | Halberg Disability Sport Foundation

The 54thHalberg Awards The 54thHalberg Awards ceremony took place on Thursday, February 9, 2017 at Vector Arena in Auckland and saw canoeist Lisa Carrington claim New Zealand’s highest sporting honour for 2016 – the supreme Halberg Award. Hosted by the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation, the Halberg Awards is the nation’s pre-eminent event to honour and celebrate sporting excellence by New Zealand teams and athletes in 2016. The annual event is also the major fundraiser for the Foundation, the charity set up by Olympic champion Sir Murray Halberg (ONZ) to enhance the lives of physically disabled New Zealanders. The Halberg Awards ceremony was an evening of glamour and celebration with a red carpet arrival, three course dinner, entertainment and the prestigious awards ceremony. The Awards were broadcast live on Sky Television with a preceding red carpet show hosted by Monty Betham and Sarah Walker, followed by the ceremony with hosts Melodie Robinson and Eric Young and commentary from Scotty Stevenson throughout the evening. During the Awards show Lisa Carrington, who won two medals at the Rio Olympics, was named the High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year, before being presented the supreme Halberg Award by Rob Waddell and the Prime Minister Bill English.

Halberg Foundation enhancing lives of disabled New Zealanders The Halberg Disability Sport Foundation was founded in 1963 by Olympic running legend, Sir Murray Halberg, on the belief that all people, regardless of their ability, should have equal opportunity to enhance their lives through sport and recreation. A team of disability sport advisers around the country help make this a reality. The advisers work with physically disabled people and their families to connect them to sports and recreation opportunities. They also collaborate with schools, local sport and recreation organisations, facilities and clubs to offer support and provide support for inclusive events, coaching and programmes. The advisers also deliver Halberg No Exceptions Training ‘NET’ - a course on adapting sport and recreation to include physically disabled New Zealanders. The course is open to schools (as a PLD course), coaches and organisations and based on a model of best practice for providing physical activity.

Full list of winners and finalists for the 54th Halberg Awards Supreme Halberg Award winner: Lisa Carrington (Canoeing)

Buddle Findlay Coach of the Year winner: Gordon Walker (Canoeing)

High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year winner: Lisa Carrington (Canoeing)

SKY NEXT Emerging Talent winner: Campbell Stewart (Cycling)

High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportsman of the Year winner: Mahe Drysdale (Rowing)

Lifetime Achievement Award winner: Myra Larcombe (Swimming)

Team of the Year winner: Men’s 49er – Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (Yachting)

Hall of Fame inductees: Ruben Wiki (Rugby League), Don Jowett (Athletics

The Halberg Youth Council In December the Halberg Foundation launched its first ever ‘Halberg Youth Council’ – a group of young leaders from around the country representing the voice of physically disabled young people.

Lisa Carrington

The Council members are aged between 16 to 21 and come from Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Napier and Dunedin. The group features many leaders and talented athletes including Jacob Phillips, who

The printer of choice for the Halberg Foundation for the last six years.

32 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

Sport New Zealand Leadership Award winner: Sophie Pascoe (Para-Swimming)

Disabled Sportsperson of the Year winner: Liam Malone (Para-Athletics)

The Foundation also hosts the Halberg Junior Disability Games - a national, three day sports competition for physically disabled young people. The Games will be held at Kings College from 6-8 October 2017.

Liam Malone

New Zealand’s Favourite Sporting Moment winner: Eliza McCartney (Athletics)

represented New Zealand in Para-Athletics at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. The Council will first met in February 2017 to coincide with the 54thHalberg Awards. In their role the members will contribute to the Foundation’s important disability sport and recreation programmes. Other responsibilities will include working with the Advisers on new initiatives, programmes and attending key Foundation events or activities. AT Halberg Disability Sport Foundation 56 Cawley Street Auckland (09) 579 9931 www.halberg.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

Focus | CBD Panelbeating and Mechanical

Professional repairs During its 20 years in business CBD Panelbeating and Mechanical has witnessed the automotive industry change for better and worse, but the company is proof that professionalism, honesty and integrity still exist and do not go unwanted. For clients of CBD Panelbeating and Mechanical, a visit to the workshop is a friendly and hasslefree one. Take for example one elderly customer, in her 90s, who personally bakes a cake for the team every time she visits, just as a token of her appreciation. Owner Tyrone Hale says this is indicative of the personalised and upfront service he’s committed to each and every client since establishing the garage in 1997. Back then the company operated out of a leased site on Wakefield Street, in the middle of town, hence the name CBD. Tyrone established CBD Panel, as it was then known, as the inner city’s go-to place for panelbeating. The practise soon outgrew that site and moved to a larger location in Grey Lynn where the services of painting, mechanical and towing were chronologically added. CBD exists today as the preferred mechanic of choice for both private clients and insurance companies in central Auckland due to its full complement of ‘one stop shop’ services backed by honesty and excellence.

It specialises in offering a full-service for insurance accident repairs, including towing, and is an approved repairer for IAG, NZI and State. It’s also a member of the well-known and respected Motor Trade Association (MTA). Tyrone provides clients with the option to visually track their vehicle’s progress through photographic and in some cases video evidence of each step of the process.

“Clients are dealt with individually and really appreciate that we can physically show them the amount of time and care that went into their vehicle,” Tyrone says.

further than the experienced and friendly team at CBD Panelbeating and Mechanical. AT

“This helps to build an open and honest relationship between the two of us and many find it fascinating to see how much work is behind each service and where their dollars are spent.”

CBD Panelbeating and Mechanical 390 Great North Road Auckland (09) 309 1906 info@cdbpanel.co.nz www.cbdpanel.co.nz

For a trustworthy and reliable service that gets you and your vehicle back on the road, look no

IAN K EVERETT

Otbury Refinish Solutions - NZ’s exclusive importer & distributor of the AkzoNobel premium range of automotive paint systems, congratulates CBD Panelbeating & Mechanical on their 20th Anniversary.

A.I.I.N.Z

INSURANCE BROKER

Congratulating Tyrone and the team at CBD Panelbeating & Mechanical on their 20th Anniversary. PO BOX 19004, AVONDALE AUCKLAND 1746 PHONE: 09 820 2259 FAX: 09 820 2249 MOBILE: 021 890 292 EMAIL: iank.everett@xtra.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

DEALING IN ALL BRANDS OF TYRES, SPECIALIZING IN TRUCK, BUS, AND FORKHOIST TYRES. Congratulating CBD Panelbeating & Mechanical on 20 years

09 276 2200

157 Great South Rd. Otahuhu www.advantagetyres.com

49 Mahunga Drive, Mangere Bridge, Auckland P: +649 633 4920 E: info@otbury.co.nz www.otbury.co.nz

Your Sinotruk dealer from Auckland to Hamilton SINOTRUK

A delicious and wide variety of pizza, pasta, chicken, steak, seafood and salads with gluten free and vegetarian options to suit all tastes. Generous portions at a great price with friendly service. Come and see us at La Porchetta. Order online or takeaways – Email Parnell@laporchetta.co.nz to recieve your activation code for a 15% discount for all orders. No $ limit* Or dine in and mention this ad to receive 15% discount, not available on Saturday nights*

Full service workshops for your support in Auckland and Huntly

*Offer valid from 3/05/2017 until 3/07/2017

Dine In and Take Away La Porchetta Parnell, 167 - 171 Parnell Road, Parnell, T (09) 309 0807 La Porchetta Henderson, 199a Lincoln Road, Henderson, T (09) 838 7370 www.laporchetta.co.nz

FOR ALL SALES ENQUIRIES PHONE: Dave Sills - 021 713 525 or email dave@williamgill.co.nz or salesa@williamgill.co.nz 24 HOUR SERVICE FREEPHONE: 0800 329 331 ADDRESS 72 Grayson Ave, Manukau City, Auckland www.williamgill.co.nz www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 33

Focus | Joshua

Producing the perfect orchid The Cymbidium orchid is one of the most popular and desirable orchids in the world because of the beauty of its flowers and the impression of luxury it creates. Orchids have been cultivated for thousands of years, especially in China. Continuing this ancient tradition in their nurseries near Auckland are identical twins Gus and Joe Sonneveld of Joshua Ltd. Gus and Joe immigrated to New Zealand in 1987 from Holland, bringing with them knowledge of horticulture and floriculture that has been passed on from their father and grandfather. “We are the third generation of Sonnevelds involved in the growing business. Our grandfather grew vegetables; our father started out growing vegetables, but changed to growing cut flowers, including Cymbidiums. “As children we both helped out in the nursery and from an early age we knew that we wanted to do the same thing. It must be in the blood.” New Zealand beckoned to the two young men seeming to offer them opportunities to establish their own Cymbidium growing business. “We both came to New Zealand on holiday in our early twenties. We liked the people and we

could see that the moderate climate would be excellent for growing Cymbidiums.” Gus and Joe say their first few years of operation were not easy. “There were hurdles to overcome. Interest rates were very high in the late 80s; we also tried to do too many things. Eventually we realised we needed to specialise. These were expensive lessons to learn – but good lessons.” Since those early days Joshua Ltd has both consolidated and expanded. With a second nursery operating since 2011 - one now growing early varieties and the other growing mid-late season flowers - they are able to supply 200,000 stems annually with the season stretching from April until November. The company specialises in growing Cymbidium varieties with clear colours and strong stems. “Our aim is to make only the highest quality flowers available to our buyers around the world and we place very strong emphasis on finding the right varieties to meet our customers’ needs.

Congratulations Joshua Limited for 30 years in orchid growing! OnGas is a proud supplier of natural gas to Joshua Limited and looks forward to continuing to work together in the future. Contact us on 0508 PIPED GAS or email naturalgas@ongas.co.nz www.ongas.co.nz/naturalgas Sign up for a no-obligation quote at www.ongas.co.nz/naturalgas/get-connected

34 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

“We regularly visit our markets in Japan, Asia and the USA to keep up to date with the trends there. Green orchids are still extremely popular, but the Japanese market also likes other colours, such as white, pink and yellow.” Joshua Ltd sources its plant stock from New Zealand, Holland, Australia and Japan, but the company also has its own small breeding programme. “We are constantly on the lookout for new varieties that might be more productive, have

a better shape and be easier to work with. We are very passionate about growing Cymbidiums and doing business by the book the Bible in our case.” AT Joshua Ltd 415 Karaka Road RD2 Drury 2578 E info@joshua.co.nz www.joshua.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

Focus | Drainage TV

The answer to all your drainage questions There aren’t many women working in the drainage industry. But for the past 10 years, since Drainage TV Ltd was established in Auckland, it has been headed up by Sallie Norman, a woman in a maledominated environment. “My husband Mitch is a drainlayer. He purchased his first camera to ensure the quality of his drainlaying was 100 percent and with this Drainage TV was born. “That’s where I came in. Mitch suggested I run the company while he continued his work in the field. I was pretty keen to do that as I’m from a corporate background and used to managing staff and handling large budgets.”

“We maintain excellent communication trails and all our responses to clients are timely and comprehensive. Making the process easy has always been my aim. These things set us apart.” Although the staff of Drainage TV Ltd don’t have to have trade qualifications, they all do. They are registered drainlayers and qualified CCTV operators. This is part of the company’s emphasis on quality. Their equipment too has been a major factor in them being able to attend to drainage inspection jobs on time and in difficult terrain. “Our camera systems are fully portable. This means we can easily access manholes wherever they may be – in a backyard or down a gully - and it’s so much more cost effective for clients. “The versatility of our inspection concept and range of camera sizes and mobility units enables inspections to be carried out almost everywhere. We can even fly the units to locations. Recently we’ve been to Great Barrier Island with our cameras, so there really are very few jobs that we are not able to tackle.” CCTV drainage inspection is the company’s speciality and they carry out the work for a range of clients from surveyors and architects, to housing companies, home buyers, builders and drainlayers.

New drains require inspection to determine if they are compliant with regulations and correctly laid, while clients may need to ascertain the condition and location of existing drains. “There is certainly plenty of work out there for a company like ours particularly because of the building boom.” Drainage TV Ltd also offer drain unblocking, root cutting, smoke testing and repairs and maintenance.

“Our camera systems are fully portable. This means we can easily access manholes wherever they may be – in a backyard or down a gully - and it’s so much more cost effective for clients.” - Sallie Norman

“We have achieved a great deal in the past 10 years, but we are always striving to do better and looking to the future. We would like to put more units on the road and perhaps expand into other towns – but making sure we are number one in Auckland is our current priority.” AT

Sallie doesn’t deny it wasn’t easy in the beginning. “This industry is traditionally a male domain. When I answered our phone some clients would assume I was the office staff. “Over time however, people have learned that I know what I am talking about, that I have experience out on sites through working with Mitch and so they have come to respect me. I have to know my stuff because I am constantly working with engineers, surveyors, architects and other professionals.” Sallie set out to realise Mitch’s vision of offering high quality service. “To become known as an honest and reliable company providing a good product, I have developed online systems that allow clients to view and accept quotes and to make payments, as well as accessing their inspection reports and video footage.

Drainage TV Ltd 12c Andromeda Crescent East Tamaki Auckland (09) 392 7789 021 378 462 E sallie@drainagetv.co.nz www.drainagetv.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

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Alistair Gauld Level 1, 320 Ti Rakau Drive, East Tamaki, Auckland Phone: 09 272 4000 www.harts.co.nz www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 35

Focus | Morgan Pools

Creating ultimate outdoor environments When Carlos Morgan started to work in New Zealand’s emerging swimming pool industry in the early 1970s, there was little or no landscaping done. So Morgan Pools set out to provide elegant pools integrated with the stunning New Zealand landscape. For more than 40 years, Morgan Pools have been building pools for prestigious residences both in the Auckland region and throughout New Zealand. During this time the business has won many national and international awards, enhancing its enviable reputation.

“Whilst winning awards is pleasing, our primary focus is always on aspiring to deliver our best work for every customer,” Morgan Pools managing director Carlos Morgan says. “We custom design every pool we build, because no two sites are the same and every client is an individual with their own ideas and preferences.”

The gold medals were for Residential Pools over $100,000; Environmental Swimming Pool Setting; and Swimming Pool Refurbishment.

“While we at Morgan Pools don’t deliberately set out to win awards, these latest accolades are further testimony to the importance we place on superior design and solid lowmaintenance construction techniques, together with the timeless craftsmanship we bring to every project.”

Morgan Pools has a reputation for crafting elegant swimming pools in stylish settings. Each pool is custom-built by craftsmen, and designed

By crafting the landscape as well as the pool, Morgan Pools create an environment in harmony with the owner’s lifestyle.

This oasis, created by Morgan Pools, won the Environmental Swimming Pool Setting section at the New Zealand Master Pool Guild Awards

The company dominated at the recent prestigious New Zealand Master Pool Guild Awards, winning three gold and three silver medals in the 2016/17 competition.

around the client’s lifestyle and the constraints of the site.

“With our customer-oriented approach, you can be sure your pool will complement and enhance the character of your home.” Every Pool is engineer designed from highstrength reinforced concrete. In fact, on more difficult sites, which are becoming more commonplace these days, concrete is the only base material that can be used. Step by step, the team will guide customers through the process, working with an architect, engineer and landscape designer. But first they will discuss your ideas and plans.

What do you want to use the pool for? Is it for exercise and fitness or entertaining? Or just so the children will invite their friends over more often? After determining the customer’s objectives, the team looks at the constraints of the site which will influence the design. Contours, shape, size and budget are all impacted by the site. “I never sell a pool on the basis that it will add value to your home,” Carlos says. “Instead I emphasise the pleasure it will add to the enjoyment of your home and lifestyle.”

The gold winner of the award’s renovation division

This Morgan Pools’ creation won gold at the New Zealand Master Pool Guild Awards in the over $100,000 category

Distributors of Top Quality Energy Efficient Eco Friendly Pool Products The Pool People Ltd would like to congratulate Morgan Pools on their recent success at The Master Pool Builders Awards 2017. Email: info@thepoolpeople.co.nz | www.thepoolpeople.co.nz

36 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

International brands you can rely on Proud to be associated with Morgan Pools P: 09 570 9570 F: 09 527 7641 W: www.austral.co.nz

Focus | Morgan Pools

Focus | Total Industrial

Engineering customised solutions From its base in Papakura Industrial Park, just south of Auckland, newly refreshed engineering company Total Industrial provides the heavy industrial sector with top quality engineering solutions.

This setting by Morgan Pools was awarded a silver medal in the over $100,000 category

Most pools are heated, or have provision to add this feature in the future. A vast range of finishes is available, from decorative tiles to specialist coatings. Morgan Pools' also use the latest technology to provide low-maintenance cleaning systems and so the whole pool is designed around the needs of the client. Most pools in New Zealand are built outdoors to take advantage of our long summers and outdoorsy lifestyle, including barbecues and al fresco entertaining. However, the business excels at both indoor and outdoor, and some pools have been a mixture. Many pool owners both overseas and in New Zealand will upgrade and renovate their pool every 15 years or so, such as installing new tiles, or adding heaters, or even a complete

makeover, by stripping back the pool to its concrete shell and installing new landscaping. Renovating and remodelling is a growing part of Morgan Pool's business and gives the pool owner the opportunity to make the most of the latest trends and technology. Morgan Pools has the experience and expertise to turn your ideas into reality, and perhaps even into another award winner. AT Morgan Pools Unit 3, 136 Marua Rd Ellerslie Auckland (09) 525 1242 office@morganpools.co.nz www.morganpools.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

Total Industrial’s extensive engineering capabilities cover a whole range of services. It started trading in 2015 after company director Ben Bonner recognised an opening in the market for high quality precision engineering across the board. In 2016 Ben acquired and merged EPS Engineering – a business with 30+ years’ experience manufacturing custom concrete moulds and process plant for the timber manufacturing industry –with Total Industrial to achieve his mission to deliver superior solutions for all facets of the engineering industry. “We don’t aim to be the cheapest – our aim is to cross the T’s and dot the I’s, and be the highest standard of quality in the industry,” Ben says. Total Industrial’s short term goal is to merge EPS Engineering’s 30+ years of concrete moulds and general engineering with the experience of quality mechanical plant maintenance and installations. Right now its target market is those requiring precast concrete for the construction industries and mechanical plant maintenance and engineering services.

instructions, training and supervision that they need to ensure their health and safety will not be compromised. “The biggest challenge [facing the engineering industry] right now is the lack of skilled tradesman; we are focusing on apprenticeships and are also looking at upskilling current staff members.” The company draws on its extensive industry expertise and experience to deliver its professional, highly-skilled services to clients throughout the Pacific. AT Total Industrial Ltd 61 Hunua Road Auckland (09) 299 6877 admin@totalind.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Industrial engineering requires attention to detail during the manufacturing stage to ensure quality finish and seamless operation in the future. “The implementation of quality control procedures allows us to machine, fabricate, weld and install pipe work, plant and structural steel work to the upmost precision and weld quality, saving rework and unscheduled delays,” Ben says. The young, vibrant team is continually looking at ways to improve industry procedures to offer updated, innovative solutions that deliver leading-edge results. ‘Safety by choice, not by chance’ is the company’s safety motto and the team at Total Industrial are committed to health and safety to ensure all employees are safe from injury and risk to their health while at work. “A safe working environment and safe systems of work are continuously regulated, including monitoring for areas of improvement, and employees are provided with the information,

World Leaders in Stud Welding Stud welding is an electric arc welding process, providing a bond or weld that is stronger than the metal of the stud and the work.

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Phone: 09 820 9133 | Fax: 09 820 9131 | Email: info@nelsonstud.co.nz | www.nelsonstud.co.nz

www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 37

Focus | Ward Demolition

The art of deconstruction Ward Demolition has the knowledge and expertise, combined with a huge fleet of machinery, to ensure even the largest and most complex demolition is carried out to the highest possible standard.

Today Peter heads a staff of about 80 across a range of business ventures, including demolition, machinery hire, resource recovery, salvage and recycling.

Huge range of demolition resources Ward Demolition is a deconstruction artist, spanning the commercial, industrial and residential sectors. The deconstruction of a building usually involves salvaging items for clients or recycling, removing asbestos and asbestos-containing materials (ACMs), and hard demolition of the remaining structures. The company possesses a huge resource of knowledge and expertise, which is centred around excellent methodologies and project management, backed by an impressive stable of machinery, equipment and large plant.

Ward Group are experts in complex demolition work

Ward Demolition is part of the Ward Group of companies, and was the first business to be established by owner Peter Ward in 1987.

Ward Group has a reputation founded on providing a high-quality service with integrity and honesty at its core. It is a pioneer in deconstruction techniques and is one of the country’s leading demolition businesses.

This high level of expertise involves working with clients in the creation of deconstruction methodologies, programmes and costs; and completing on time and to budget. Ward Group owns more than 60 excavators and 30+ trucks.

Safe removal of contaminants

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Current intensive development and construction trends involves significantly more ‘brownfield’ development activity, resulting in the removal of existing buildings and associated contaminants, such as asbestos and asbestoscontaining materials (ACM) soils. Ward Demolition is a registered remover of Class A asbestos and ACM materials, and

provides leading-edge experience in this field, as well as subsequent demolition.

Commitment to recycling Ward Demolition recycles as much building materials as possible, with up to 85 percent of demolished material diverted from landfills. In its recent demolition of the Downtown Shopping Centre project in Auckland, the company removed a total of 9,519 tons of material and recycled 84.3 percent of it, meaning about 8,000 tons of demolition materials were diverted from landfills. The company still aims to achieve even higher rates of re-cycling and waste minimisation in its projects going forward.

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Congratulating Ward Demolition on their 30th anniversary

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24 Railway Street West, Papakura, Auckland P. 09 296 8431 | F. 09 296 8461 | E. sales@safeworx.co.nz | www.safeworx.co.nz

38 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

Focus | Ward Demolition Ward Demolition’s main areas of expertise include: • Providing input into demolition methodologies and creating options • Demolition and removal of structures and buildings • Asbestos removal • Removal of contaminated materials • Resource recovery • Recycling.

Salvaged timber can be cleaned and prepared for use based on a customer’s specification. Recycled timber can be used in flooring, sarking or mouldings, adding character while minimising environmental impact. The company has a demolition salvage yard containing a huge variety of recycled building materials salvaged from demolition sites. It has a dedicated team managing the salvage, sorting and on-sale of these items, which range from native timbers through to aluminium joinery, steel, roofing iron, doors and bricks.

Ward Group owns more than 60 excavators and 30 or so trucks

Properties, as well as the demolition for construction of the new International Conventions Centre being built by Sky City.

Wherever possible, the company involves community groups that may be interested in re-using materials from buildings destined for demolition. Ward Demolition carries out large projects throughout New Zealand, working to achieve successful outcomes for all stakeholders. The company worked in Christchurch for many months after the Canterbury earthquakes in 2011. The largest building it has ever demolished was the Grand Chancellor Hotel in central Christchurch.

Ward Demolition was involved in pulling down damaged buildings in Christchurch, following the 2011 earthquakes

Formed in 1995, Ward Demolition has recently completed demolition of the Downtown Shopping Centre in Auckland for Precinct

Throughout every project, Ward Demolition pays close attention to achieving successful outcomes for all stakeholders involved, as well as reaching individual recycling targets for materials being removed during deconstruction and demolition. AT Ward Demolition 13-17 Miami Parade Penrose Auckland (09) 622 3111 larry@ward-demolition.co.nz www.ward-demolition.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 39

Property & Construction | Firma Construction

A painless construction process Auckland’s vibrant, new commercial construction company. Firma Construction’s latest project at Lot 27 Vinegar Lane, Ponsonby, clearly demonstrates the creativity and dynamism of this relatively young company. Designed by Chris Tate of Chris Tate Architecture, the building has become known as The Bubble Building because of its interesting use of circular windows that give the impression of bubbles rising up the side of the building. “It’s very unique, something that hasn’t been seen before in this particular development,” says Samuel Owens, director of Firma Construction. “Chris Tate has a reputation for funky designs and this one is very different from all the other buildings in the area.” Samuel says while Lot 27 on Vinegar Lane is a stunning building, its construction presented some challenges for the company.

The Active Roofing team brings together a wealth of knowledge, ranging from corporate sales through to design and specialist installation. Warren Green comes from a corporate background, having successfully owned and managed multiple businesses across a range of construction disciplines. Glenn Bodger is a registered architect with over 20 years experience in private practice who now brings his specialist knowledge and design flair to the roofing trade. Kate O’Neill comes from a sales and architecture background, she is also a health and safety specialist and ensures Active Roofing delivers the highest standard of safety in the industry. We have a passion for all things roofing and deliver premium results, on time, every time.

Phone: (09) 827 7902 | www.activeroofing.co.nz

OFFERING HIGH QUALITY MODERN KITCHEN AND JOINERY FIT-OUT SERVICES We offer services in; Kitchen, Laundry, Wardrobes, Vanities, Reception Counters, Contract CNC Machining. VSP Design Consultant We start our journey with a consultation, inspecting your premises and chat about your requirements. We will help you through the process of deciding what particular needs your custom cabinets should be tailored for. VSP will guide you in the process of designing your dream solution for any space. VSP is your design consultant, but will also carry out the manufacturing and installation of your project. We will be part of your dream cabinet idea from start to finish. We offer services to the following markets; • Cooperate End Users • Healthcare & Medical • Education & Childcares • Custom Made & Residential • Retirement & Apartment Living

VSP INTERIORS ARE PROUD TO BE SUPPORTING FIRMA CONSTRUCTION P: (09) 442 2588 E: info@vspinteriors.co.nz www.vspinteriors.co.nz 40 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

Property & Construction | Firma Construction “Firma was formed with the vision of producing a premium product on time within budget. We have built an agile, responsive business culture that focuses on our clients’ needs and is capable of providing bespoke solutions with certainty of delivery.” - Director, Samuel Owens

It is a very tight area, with the building taking up almost 100 percent of the footprint. There was also the added complication of building in an area where there were numerous other construction companies working at the same time. It was a very busy commercial area, with a large amount of construction related traffic and machinery from others working nearby. “We were working within strict council and committee requirements on a site with very awkward access,” Samuel says. “We often had to work outside normal working hours, and of course health and safety had to be on point, not just for the personnel on site but for all the people around the work site.”

However, he says challenges such as these are what the team at Firma Construction thrive on, and its successful completion represents everything that Firma Construction is becoming known for in the construction industry. Samuel says the team are extremely capable, and unashamedly young and hungry, taking pride in bringing a fresh approach to the industry. “Firma was formed with the vision of producing a premium product on time within budget. We have built an agile, responsive business culture that focuses on our clients’ needs and is capable of providing bespoke solutions with certainty of delivery.” >

www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 41

Property & Construction | Firma Construction Firma Construction offers an integrated service across the property life cycle, covering: Pre construction • Feasibility studies • Budget pricing • Estimating • Design management • Resource consent management • Design and build • Cashflow and drawdown expectations • Budget programming.

Post construction • Consent processing management • Completion documentation • Final account resolution • Defects management.

Construction • Project reporting • Prompt and accurate financial reporting

Maintenance • Tailored maintenance programmes to ensure warranties are upheld.

• Value management • Health and Safety management • Site/project management.

“Our company mantra is ‘partner, plan, deliver’, and that’s what we do.”

Samuel says having spent their entire careers in the construction industry, from site hut to boardroom, he and Michael are highly motivated, demanding leaders with exacting standards.

- Director, Samuel Owens

Formed in 2015, the company has quickly grown and now has a large portfolio of key clients. Current projects include creating high quality commercial, industrial and retail properties for clients such as Creative Architecture, Wallace Development Company, Vantage Group, Dawson & Co furniture, Paul Izzard Design, Material Creative and a variety of other high profile clients. The company was also behind the recent fitouts of the Atomic Café chain.

Firma Construction is headed by Samuel Owens and Michael Money. Prior to starting Firma, Samuel had 14 years’ experience in the Auckland and South Island construction industry as a qualified builder, project manager and quantity surveyor. Michael also had 14 years’ experience in the Auckland construction industry prior to forming Firma, as a commercial estimator/ quantity surveyor.

Samuel says the company’s growth and success comes down to a simple formula. “Our company mantra is ‘partner, plan, deliver’, and that’s what we do. We partner with our client and their team of consultants early in the design phase to make sure budgets and timelines are realised early on and constraints are mitigated or eliminated.

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“We plan with our production team down to the finest details to isolate any health and safety, traffic control and potential site difficulties prior to establishing on site and ‘deliver’ speaks for itself.” He says Firma Construction prides itself on never standing still. “An important part of our culture is our collective sense of responsibility to continually find ways to improve. “This surfaces through from our leadership team, where the determination to continually challenge ourselves and conventional construction techniques allows us to grow from within.” He says Firma Construction makes it a priority to understand customers’ needs and tailor services and solutions to fit.

PLAN

DELIVER

Commercial Construction

Phone: (09) 488 9339 • Email: info@firmaconstruction.co.nz • Website: www.firmaconstruction.co.nz 42 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

Property & Construction | Firma Construction

Property & Construction | The Tank Guy

Making water work for you For the past six years The Tank Guy has been helping homeowners save thousands in rates, as well as reduce their impact on the environment. Since co-establishing The Tank Guy to offer nationwide water containment solutions at incredible value, Andrew Ross and Gary King have been actualising the company slogan of “Best quality/Best value/Best advice”. Installing a rainwater retaining tank at your home comes with an abundance of benefits. It’s something every homeowner should consider and before you think you’ve got a reason not to, The Tank Guy will prove otherwise. “We strive to find solutions that offer greater utilisation, quicker delivery, lean construction and lower costs. We don’t just share a culture of collaborative working with our clients and project teams. We work closely with supply chain partners to ensure project delivery is executed efficiently.” Firma Construction works with construction project managers, architects, engineers, landlords and developers, and they work on a diverse range of projects, with both small and large budgets. Samuel says no matter what the size of the job Firma Construction brings the same meticulous approach to every project.

“We keep things simple, no matter how complex the project, and are resolutely committed to the highest standard of delivery.” AT

Firma Construction Suite 6 38 Barry’s Point Road Takapuna Auckland (09) 488 9339 info@firmaonstruction.co.nz www.firmaconstruction.co.nz — Advertising Feature

The collected water can be used for a multitude of purposes; it can be temporarily retained for stormwater detention, or held in the tank for extended periods for usage like watering the garden and washing the car. The tanks can even be plumbed into your house and council consent is generally not required for garden use. “People are getting more conscious about water saving, not only for the planet but for their rates as well,” The Tank Guy himself, Andrew, says.

a full suite of products including rain harvesting accessories like filters, pumps and diverters, as well as an installation service. Ranging in size from small (200L) to large (30,000L), the superior quality plastic tanks are manufactured in New Zealand specifically for the New Zealand climate and come with a minimum 10-year warranty. All tanks are manufactured to industry best practice with materials that meet AS/NZS 4020: 2002 Potable (Drinking) Water Standard and AS/NZS 2070: Part 1 and Part 8 Australian Standards for Food Contact. Contact The Tank Guy today to see how you can save on water rates whilst doing your part to preserve the environment, and if you’re in the Auckland region you’ll receive a free, noobligation quote. “Our Policy is – If we do not use it, you will not be charged for it.” AT

“There are customers that require large water tanks to service their rural properties and those that want to save on water rates by collecting water, using it for the garden, or to connect into their home for use in the washing machine and toilet.” The Tank Guy’s modern approach to business complements busy Kiwis’ lifestyles by providing easy online access to extensive products and knowledge.

The Tank Guy Formed as a subsidiary of PRM – a market leader Auckland (09) 579 4583 in the rotational moulding of plastics – The Tank Guy has grown from originally just manufacturing www.thetankguy.co.nz and selling tanks, to being recognised as offering

We have one of the leading specialist property and construction teams in New Zealand with extensive experience in all aspects of property and construction. If you are looking for a down-to-earth quick thinking lawyers who share your passions for property and construction and can take your business to the next level, talk to us. ANTHONY HARPER IS PLEASED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH FIRMA CONSTRUCTION AUCKLAND Level 6, Chorus House, 66 Wyndham Street PO Box 2646, Auckland 1140 P: 09 920 6400 F: 09 920 9599 E: edward.dunphy@ah.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

Helping you mould your future Innovative Locally Compounded Powders for Rotational Moulding

Vision Plastics NZ Ltd P. 09 427 0674 | E. enquiries@vplas.co.nz | www.vplas.co.nz

Wide range of plastic water tanks for agricultural, domestic, and commercial purposes.

CHRISTCHURCH Level 9 HSBC Tower 62 Worcester Boulevard PO Box 2646, Christchurch 8140 P: 03 379 0920 F: 03 366 9277 www.ah.co.nz

FREEPHONE 0800 338 268 • Email info@devan.co.nz • www.devan.co.nz

www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 43

Property & Construction | Creative Kitchens

Creative solutions for the heart of every home Most of us spend at least an hour a day in our kitchens, and the team at Creative Kitchens has the skills and experience to ensure that time is enjoyable. Does your kitchen design provide maximum bench area? Is there good usable space? Is there an efficient work triangle? As the most important room in the house, a kitchen must be practical, add value to the home, and be aesthetically pleasing while fitting in with the rest of your home. Creative Kitchens Ltd has been supplying and fitting kitchens for new homes, renovation projects, apartments, hotels and commercial environments for over 20 years. Having installed many in that time, the Auckland business has established its reputation for providing high-quality kitchens.

0800 401 403 Total Coatings are specialist spray painters producing quality finishes on timber, veneer and MDF cabinetry, panelling and joinery.

Proud to support Creative Kitchens Ltd

• Shop Fit-outs / Retail Project • Marine Interiors • Panelling • Fire Retardant Coatings Contact us for no-obligation quotes:

info@totalcoatings.co.nz Residential | Commercial | Marine

www.totalcoatings.co.nz

Company director Ernie Downes says the company has gone from strength to strength since it opened in July 1996. Ernie and business partner Mark Morrow created the company after working together in the industry for three and a half years beforehand. “We supply upper-middle to high-range kitchens, laundries, bathrooms and entertainment units,” says Ernie. “It’s so much easier for a client to deal with the one company for all, as opposed to several.” The business, which designs and manufactures kitchens using quality European hardware, is proud of its reputation for providing superior quality and outstanding design ideas. “Our business has been established by consistently maintaining high standards. Our costing structures do reflect the quality of product we produce but we are confident no one ever complains about quality.” The design process requires careful thought and consideration. The team at Creative Kitchens will visit your home to get a feel for your specific needs. However, if necessary, a kitchen can also be created off existing plans. A CAD (computeraided design) system using 3D images allows customers to visualise the new kitchen within the context of their home. The team of highly skilled craftsmen at Creative Kitchens will manufacture your new kitchen in their Auckland premises. A smooth delivery is an important part of getting a new kitchen. Creative Kitchens can provide a guaranteed delivery date with seven days notice of the installation date. Many tradespeople are involved with the installation of a new kitchen, and having a

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ADAMS PAINTING LTD ARE PROUD TO BE SUPPORTING CREATIVE KITCHENS LTD

guaranteed date will ensure you can confidently book the plumber, electrician etc. and get back to normal living in your new kitchen as soon as possible. “We are proud of our track record and our ability to always meet supply and installation deadlines efficiently.” Creative Kitchens provide a 10 year warranty on all workmanship and a lifetime guarantee on its quality hardware that is all German-engineered. You are welcome to visit the showroom to view inspiring kitchens, and talk to the team about ideas for your next kitchen design and kitchen renovation project. “Our goal is your total satisfaction and the opportunity to provide you with customer service and care beyond your expectations.” While families make up the bulk of its business, the team is also happy to work with companies, constructing multiple houses or apartment projects, retirement villages, and hotel or motel complexes. With its exacting approach to quality, and careful attention to the design process, Creative Kitchens will help you create the kitchen of your dreams.

“We are proud of our track record and our ability to always meet supply and installation deadlines efficiently.” - Ernie Downes

Creative Kitchens also build wardrobes and bespoke furniture, and provide creative, custom bathroom design and installation. Showroom hours: 8.00am - 4.30pm. Weekdays: 9.00am - Noon Saturdays

Creative Kitchens Ltd 30c Kerwyn Avenue East Tamaki Auckland (09) 274 1484 www.creativekitchens.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Specialists in: • KITCHENS • INTERIOR DOORS • SHOPFITTINGS • WET SPRAY Contact JASON ADAMS • Mobile: 027 505 8242 • Phone: 09 274 4145 Email: jason@adamspainting.co.nz • 3/36 Zelanian Drive East Tamaki

Add an affordable, luxurious benchtop to the heart of your kitchen A beautifully crafted granite, marble or engineered stone benchtop is the most stunning and luxurious part of the kitchen. Here at Granite Kitchen Direct, our team of specialized craftsmen is dedicated to fabricating a benchtop customized to your requirements -- at the most affordable price. We also have a team of friendly and professional installers providing full delivery and installation of your benchtop.

44 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

Contact us today for any enquiries so we can add a touch of luxury to your kitchen. Phone: 09-2741613 • Email: info@granitekitchen.co.nz • www.granitekitchen.co.nz Come visit our showroom at 46 Andromeda Crescent, East Tamaki, Auckland.

Property & Construction | SolarKing

Helping people empower themselves Solar power certainly isn’t a new concept, but New Zealand was slow to catch on.

In 2011, due to proliferation of solar products in both Europe and China, prices for quality solar power products reduced internationally by up to 80 percent. Upon realising this, Roy Maddox and Jon King established SolarKing here in 2012. During that year SolarKing set up Auckland’s first full solar showroom in Takapuna to service the growing market and have since become one of the largest suppliers and installers of solar power systems in NZ. Initially the market for solar power was largely residential, but particularly in the past three years, there has been more interest from the commercial sector.

For people building in areas with no power or infrastructure, power companies can charge anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000 to get power to a building site, making off-grid solar power systems viable. SolarKing have a passion for the benefits of solar power for the community as well. Through their off-shoot organisation ‘Little Rays of Sunshine’ SolarKing are involved in community-funded solar projects for the community. To date SolarKing have enabled Peria School in Northland, Mid North Hospice in Kerikeri, Cancer Society Domain Lodge in Auckland and the Cancer Society’s Margaret Stewart House in Wellington to move to solar power and save significant annual power costs.

SolarKing’s 5Kw system on a concrete tiled roof

Historically, solar power in most western countries, particularly in Europe, Australia and the USA, was rapidly growing in popularity due to the introduction of government subsidies for renewable energy, which was not available in NZ.

system that SolarKing installs is custom designed specifically for the client. “This is how we ensure the maximum benefit is achieved,” Roy says. In solar there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution, whatever your power requirements, SolarKing are here to help. AT

SolarKing PO Box 33-1525 Takapuna Auckland 0740 (09) 486 7443 0508 765 276 www.solarking.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

Roy says, in total over the last three years, SolarKing have assisted in raising over $250,000 for these community projects.

“Making the move to solar power really does make sense; there is a lot of conflicting SolarKing has installed over 20 commercial information in the market in regard to solar solar systems around New Zealand, ranging power, some of it ill-informed or based on from relatively small 10-20kW systems for small old information and some of it verging on to medium sized businesses, through to a 170kW the malicious. system on the Mainfreight depot in Hamilton. “Naturally the established market sees solar With the cost of installing solar power power in all of its forms as a disruptive dramatically decreasing over the last five technology and therefore we are seeing various years, installing solar power in a commercial moves from the establishment to curtail the environment is now not only viable, but uptake of solar power. potentially very lucrative. “However, like all new technologies that change SolarKing are able to show building and business the way we live and consume, solar is here to owners, returns on investment of up to 20 stay and at the end of the day it is the consumer percent per annum, from installing solar power. who will prevail.”

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Suppliers of Renewable Energy Solutions to New Zealand and Pacific Islands Taspac Energy and Fronius International are proud to support SolarKing and the NZ Cancer Society

COMPANY PROFILE

There is also a move towards power independence through battery storage systems and full off-grid solar power systems.

FREE

COMPANY PROFILE Contact us on: (03) 961 5176

SolarKing provide all clients with a free fully detailed analysis outlining the costs and benefits of solar power on a case by case basis; every

Talk to us today and see how we can help promote your business in print, for FREE.

Our aim is maximum efficiency, not just in terms of energy conversion, but for the PV system as a whole throughout its entire service life. This is why we strive to minimise expense, reduce risk and maximise yields with our commercial, industrial and field installation solutions.

1 Heremai Street, Henderson, Auckland Phone: (09) 390 2280 Freephone: 0800 101 632 Email: info@taspacenergy.co.nz www.taspacenergy.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND'S SPECIALIST SOLAR PANEL SUPPLIERS AND INSTALLERS HOME SOLAR • COMMERCIAL SOLAR • OFF GRID SOLAR PHONE: 0508 SOLAR NZ (0508 765 276) • WWW.SOLARKING.CO.NZ www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 45

Property & Construction | Smith Construction

Building beautiful homes Turning an architect’s plans into a stunning bespoke home is not something every builder can achieve. But Smith Construction NZ Limited can. The Northland company specialises in building beautiful, architecturally designed homes their owners love to live in. landscaping, offering a full spectrum of building services and managing every stage of the build.

“We build people homes they can feel proud of owning,” director Nick Smith says.

“We will work alongside you and your designer/architect to ensure the entire process is inspiring, stress-free and enjoyable for you,” Nick says.

“I like to be involved in transforming exceptional architectural home design into stunning homes, using innovative building techniques and sustainable modern materials and building systems.” Smith Construction is a leading home builder in the Mangawhai district, with a reputation for delivering a superior standing of building and providing a stress-free, enjoyable experience to clients. Nick employs a skilled team of professionals, who share his commitment to high standards of workmanship through every stage of every build. Smith Construction takes its clients from initial consultation right through to completing the

“We’ll happily answer any questions you have, and keep you up to date with progress through every stage of your project.”

Smith Construction builds bespoke, architecturally designed homes

Smith Construction builds high-end homes for discerning home owners, focusing on quality and service in every project.

For clients wanting a more environmentally friendly home, Smith Construction can advise on how to reduce your carbon footprint through utilising the right materials and systems in order to be more sustainable in the construction and running of your home.

High-quality renovation projects Smith Construction is experienced in a wide range of renovation projects, from modernising kitchens and bathrooms to making extensive alterations to floor plans.

CARTER

ROOFING www.carterroofing.co.nz

Proud to be supporting Smith Construction

50 Matakana Valley Road P: 09 422 7804 E: sales@matakanakitchens.co.nz

stunning floor. great service. everytime. 46 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

Specialists in: • Colorsteel® Longrun Roofing • Spouting • Re-Roofs • New Roof • Repairs

Proud to support Smith Construction

Simon Carter MOBILE: 027 479 5509

562 Ocean View Road, Te Arai, Rd5, Wellsford

Property & Construction | Smith Construction “I like to be involved in transforming exceptional architectural home design into stunning homes, using innovative building techniques and sustainable modern materials and building systems.” - Nick Smith

If you are looking to build an extension or reconfigure the layout of your house, or just want to introduce a modern look to your existing house design, the team at Smith Construction can help. “We will go through the different options available to you for creating the required changes so they harmonise with the period and structure of your home,” Nick says.

Smith Construction has a reputation for delivering beautiful homes in Northland

“We can also assist with any permits, engineer’s reports and other consent processes that may be required.” >

PLUMBING • DRAIN LAYING • GAS FITTING

09 431 45 19

Bruce 0274 932 751 Craig 021 431 470 Email: wil.co@xtra.co.nz RUAKAKA / BRYNDERWYN / SILVERDALE / TAKAPUNA / KUMEU / PANMURE / WIRI P: (09) 486 3333 • E: sales@atlasconcrete.co.nz • WWW.ATLASCONCRETE.CO.NZ

WILSON PLUMBING & DRAINAGE LTD ARE PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH SMITH CONSTRUCTION LTD

Warkworth Ltd

YOUR LEADING INDEPENDENT TIMBER MERCHANT

Timber • Pre-nail • Trusses • Landscaping • Fencing & Retaining • Full Range Builders Hardware • Insulation • Panel Products • Mouldings • Power Tools • Hand Tools Masonry • Blocks & Paving • Plumbing & Drainage

WARKWORTH 16 State Highway 1, Warkworth Phone: 09 425 1021 Email: sales@timberworld.co.nz www.timberworld.co.nz

Timberworld Warkworth are proud to be supporting Smith Construction

Leading home builders in NZ architectural house designs www.smithconstructionnz.co.nz

Partnering with leading architects and designers to create spectacular homes from cutting-edge house designs Mobile: 027 664 2799 | Email: sales@smithconstructionnz.co.nz www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 47

Property & Construction | Smith Construction

WE ARE DEDICATED TO THE SAFETY OF YOUR STAFF, CONTRACTORS AND THE PUBLIC. Smith Construction takes its clients from initial consultation right through to completing the landscaping

With more than 50 years’ experience in the construction sector we are well aware of the needs of the industry. This means we realise how important the safety of your best asset – your staff – is to you and your company’s future.

An exceptional home by Smith Construction

So, as a local company servicing Aucklanders in the construction industry, we are committed to the safety of your staff.

Smith Construction has built many stunning bespoke houses in recent years and has a portfolio of beautiful homes on its books.

And when you deal with us you’re dealing with the owner, which means you receive a superior and speedy service – every time.

The Mangawhai company partners with leading architects and designers to create spectacular homes from cutting-edge house designs.

Our extensive construction knowledge ensures we understand local compliance issues and we realise how critical your deadlines are and we guarantee to be on time – check out our Secureguarantee.

The team at Smith Construction thrives on a challenge and loves to take on a project that is different to the rest.

Secureguarantee

“It’s an architectural design featuring floorto-ceiling sliding doors and windows, cedar cladding inside and out, pre-cast concrete walls, and a uniquely finished oak floor.”

“It’s the personal touch that we offer that makes a big difference.” - Nick Smith

• We guarantee to beat any written quote by 10% • We guarantee to return all quotes within 48 hours otherwise you will receive the first week rental FREE of charge! Securescaffold covers all NEW Worksafe working height requirements providing fall protection for builders, painters, home handyman and roofers on new and existing home constructions.

The house features a large internal courtyard, which can be completely closed off to protect it from the site’s prevailing winds. Smith Construction employs all its own builders, which is an essential element of maintaining control and quality.

The good Chippy’s choice

* Terms and conditions apply to the Secureguarantee

“

Nick says his team recently completed an amazing architectural home set high on the Mangawhai Heads. “It is the most detailed house we’ve ever built, and my favourite,” he says.

Ask your builder if he’s using Securefence and scaffold – it will save you money.

Nick works hard to develop a personal relationship with his clients, who are free to contact him directly with any questions or concerns. “It’s the personal touch that we offer that makes a big difference.” AT

18 Hewlett St • Whangarei 0110 Phone 0800 533 240 • Fax 09 438 9120 Email info@althermnorthland.co.nz

Supplying Smith Construction

Smith Construction NZ Limited PO Box 51 Mangawhai 0540 027 664 2799 sales@smithconstructionnz.co.nz www.smithconstructionnz.co.nz — Advertising Feature

“

P: 0800 66 00 22 Part of the

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336 Te Ngae Road, Rotorua 3010 Level 6, 10 Scotia Place, Auckland, 1010 2 Ivan Jamieson Place, Christchurch Airport, Christchurch 8053

48 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

SUPPLIERS AND INSTALLERS OF

GRANITE

MARBLE

LIMESTONE

Proudly supporting Smith Construction 10 Portage Road, PO Box 15064, New Lynn, Auckland Ph: 09 827 8633 | sales@italianstone.co.nz | www.italianstone.co.nz

Property & Construction | Morrison Architects

Bringing architectural design to life Using 3D modelling, photo-realistic rendering and animation, Morrison Architects enables clients to fully understand and visualise their building project. Director Roger Morrison says this technology is more than just pretty pictures. It allows clients to experience their new building at the design stage and see exactly how it will look when it is completed. “We like to think that offering 3D modelling and photo-realistic views of a project, including high resolution animation, gives the client a greater understanding of the design plans. “It allows for more feedback and more extensive feedback from the client, and more detailed plans for our builders,” he says.

“We like to think that offering 3D modelling and photo-realistic views of a project, including high resolution animation, gives the client a greater understanding of the design plans.” - Director, Roger Morrison

They have diverse portfolio of projects that includes new residential buildings and residential alterations, as well as commercial, education and church buildings, and projects in the aged health care area. Whatever the style of the project, the budget or the size, Roger says they always place an emphasis on providing a reasonable-cost, highquality design and construction documentation strongly targeted to the client’s design brief. They also work within budget and to a reasonable time frame as they strive to bring the client’s dreams into reality. Roger heads a team of predominantly graduate architects. They take a collaborative approach to design, which Roger says enables a pooling of knowledge and experience. “We tend to work collaboratively because it gives better results for the clients,” he says.

“The client has the advantage of more than one person being involved in the process.” Morrison Architects aims to make the design process as easy and straightforward for clients as possible. Starting with a free, no obligation initial design meeting, they guide the client through the design process, the construction drawings and documentation, to the final contract administration where they call for tenders. Their input doesn’t end there and they meet regularly on-site with the client throughout the construction process to ensure the project is completed in accordance with the plans. Morrison Architects’ office in Mount Eden is easy to access, and importantly for Auckland drivers, has plenty of easy parking. AT

Morrison Architects is presently investigating the use of a virtual reality option. This technology will give the client the impression that they have stepped into the new building and are able to walk around, enabling them to provide even greater feedback to the designers. They’ve been designing new homes and renovations to existing homes for 27 years and work with home owners, builders, building companies and developers on a range of housing projects, from high-end homes to more modest dwellings.

Morrison Architects Level 1 Danske Mobler Building 983 Mt Eden Road Three Kings Auckland (09) 630 7756 www.morrisonarchitects.co.nz — Advertising Feature

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Proud to support Morrison Architects

Terrace housing and apartment complexes are a particular speciality at Morrison Architects, and they have extensive experience in this area.

We have been working with MORRISON ARCHITECTS for many years on new homes and large alterations. Their innovative designs and details create good light spaces, great family living, and attractive concepts. We enjoy working with them as a team to produce excellent results. We recommend them for your next project. Email: dennis@goldlineconstruction.co.nz

Phone: Dennis 027-2944909

GOLDLINE CONSTRUCTION LTD www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 49

Property & Construction | Shamrock Design & Build

Architectural homes at affordable prices If you want to build a new home but don’t know where to start, Shamrock Design and Build Limited can take all the stress out of the process with its brand-new range of architecturally designed plans.

Shamrock Design and Build specialises in new residential homes, creating dream houses for its clients. While the company offers a complete design and build service, Braydon says they have recently employed an architect, Sam Naus of Homepacks, to draw up 10 home plans to offer clients. The plans are currently being priced up and will be available as fixed-price packages. “They are architecturally designed homes and are single storey, three to four bedroom homes,” Braydon says.

“They’re not your basic brick and tile home. They stand out from other homes and have architectural features, such as six-degree roofs, shadow cladding and cedar board.” The plans will be available as a starting point for clients, who can make any alterations or additions to them they wish. These changes can be made within a week, with the plans then ready to be submitted to council. “These plans eliminate the need for a lengthy planning stage and they’re all ready to submit to council,” Braydon says. “All that needs to be done is a Geotechnical report and surveyor’s report from the site; there’s no waiting time.” The homes are in the mid-to-upper price range and offer a fantastic opportunity for people seeking an architectural home on a restricted budget.

The new home plans were designed by Sam Naus, of Homepacks

Shamrock Design and Build is a family owned and operated building company with more than 30 years’ combined experience in the building industry. It is owned by Braydon O’Neill and his father Patrick O’Neill, with Braydon’s brotherin-law Tinirau McCauley recently joining them as director.

“If the client wants anything altered or added, it can be done right there and then on site.” - Co-owner Braydon O’Neill

“Because we’re a small company, we can offer a lower home package price, as we don’t have any big overheads; we can build a more affordable house.” Shamrock Design and Build also builds homes for people with their own plans, or can help clients find the right architect to create their dream home from scratch.

Large commercial project Shamrock Design and Build is currently working on the large new West Edge housing development on the former Crown Lynn pottery site in West Auckland. The company has secured a contract for the first stage of the project and is building foundations before it starts construction of some complete units in May. “We’re doing the first stage, which is 69 apartments,” Braydon says. “They are three storey terrace units located right around the property, with a 25 storey high rise right in the middle.” The contract for the Avanda Group is Shamrock Design and Build’s largest commercial project to date.

A beautiful new home design by Shamrock Design and Build

www.bachpodz.com

WE CAN HELP WITH PROJECTS LARGE OR SMALL! www.shamrockdesignandbuild.co.nz 50 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

Contact: What We Do : +64 021 935 464 • Slabs/foundation/piling • Earthworks/drainage • Structural engineering/civil engineering • All consents resource/building consent • Building residential/light commercial • Driveways • New home builds • Home addition

Property & Construction | Shamrock Design & Build

Property & Construction | DHD Landscapes

A decade dedicated to brilliant landscapes They’re in celebration mode at DHD Landscapes. It’s been 10 years since Denise Hammond established her landscape gardening business while she was completing a Diploma of Landscape Design. “Those early days of garden maintenance taught me a great deal about plants and gardens and different climates. Now I have five staff who are out gardening each day. It’s become the major part of the company’s operation.”

Kawau Island retreat Shamrock Design and Build is currently completing a unique fishing lodge on Kawau Island, designed to accommodate its owner family and international guests. Tinirau says the lodge was designed by architect Darren Gibbs and features a 60 square metre communal kitchen and lounge, and a 153 square metre deck made with purple heart timber. The kitchen / lounge is lined with cedar batten, with a marine ply interior and a skillion roof. The project also includes three 22 square metre Bach Podz, from BACH PODZ NZ, with their own private views, an ablution block and an outdoor kitchen for filleting fish.

NORTH HARBOUR ENGINEERING

Shamrock Design and Build tendered for the project, with work beginning last July and due for completion within the next few weeks. Tinirau says the unique custom project presented quite a few access challenges, due to the remote nature of the island and the site, but has been a huge success for the company. AT

Shamrock Design and Build Limited 650 Sandringham Road Auckland City 021 935 464 info@shamrockdesignandbuild.co.nz www.shamrockdesignandbuild.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Besides garden maintenance, Denise and her team at DHD Landscapes provide a full landscape design and consultation service, along with garden installation.

A recent project for the company was the transformation of the garden around the house on a lifestyle block into a tropical garden. “It was just a lawn and hedges to begin with. After moving masses of soil and planting hundreds of plants we had created a garden worthy of a tropical resort. The impact is absolutely stunning and what made this project extra special was that the client worked on it with us every day driving a digger and getting his hands dirty.” Pest and fungal problems can affect popular garden plants, especially in Auckland with its humid, wet and dry weather conditions, so Denise says it is essential to maintain a good spraying programme.

“Other landscapers often call on us to help them “I do a lot of consulting work with clients advising with pests and diseases because we have built up a very good reputation in this field. them as to how they might effect changes to their environments to make them more beautiful. "We've worked hard and that is our fundamental Sometimes those changes might be quite small; ethos. We have also been open to learning new at other times they might be major. It all depends techniques, to researching and playing with on what the client wants.” new ideas. AT All the staff at DHD Landscapes are experienced horticulturalists who bring their expertise to every DHD Landscapes job they undertake. 1475 State Highway 16 RD3 Waimauku 0883 “We’re like a family here. It gives me and my 0800 215 749 team a great deal of satisfaction to make a difference to a space so it improves and enriches 021 215 7499 dhdoffice@xtra.co.nz people’s lives. We love what we do and are www.dhdlandscapedesign.co.nz passionate about creating and caring — Advertising Feature for gardens.”

Specialists in • General Fabrication • Sheet Metal • Welding

North Harbour Engineering specialise in custom made large order or one-off projects - sheet metal, steel, stainless steel, wrought iron, and aluminium products for commercial and residential situations. Phone: 09 421 0352 | Fax: 09 421 0353 | Mobile: 021 478 796 www.nhe.co.nz

www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 51

Property & Construction | McNaughton Windows and Doors

Bespoke window and door joiners McNaughton Windows and Doors sets the standard for timber joinery in New Zealand. For the past 80 years, the Auckland company has built a reputation for quality in every job it completes, whether standard or highly complex and bespoke. McNaughton Windows and Doors specialises in manufacturing timber joinery for architecturally designed new-build and renovation projects. Founded in 1937 by Jack McNaughton, the company quickly became a leader in New Zealand’s timber window and door market.

Today, McNaughton Windows and Doors employs a team of experienced and visionary designers and craftsmen ready to produce a huge range of windows, doors, shutters and stairs. General manager Andrew Riley says the company is the number one choice of home owners wanting bespoke, non-standard timber joinery items, especially those that require a high degree of design complexity to reach their desired solution.

requiring a lot of skill, particularly in the design aspect,” he says.

NcNaughton Windows and Doors can enhance your renovation with high quality timber joinery

“Whether it’s a standard or non-standard design, it all takes craftsmanship to ensure a top-quality result is achieved in a realistic timeframe.” McNaughton Windows and Doors operates the latest five-axis CNC equipment, while CAD drawing all products for customers, designers and builders to view prior to production. Having designed and tested its suite of exterior windows and doors to satisfy the NZS 4211building code requirements, McNaughton’s has again taken the industry to a new level as the only New Zealand company manufacturing an Energy Star-qualified timber window system.

52 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

High-tech machinery in action at the Mt Roskill workshop

“Everything is custom designed and made to measure. Some of it is highly bespoke,

• Exterior timber joinery • Interior timber joinery • Shutters • Fyador and Fyawindow fire products • Skyvue rooflights • Stairs.

The business grew on the back of its commitment to using the best people and equipment to create the best products, developing systems to offer a top level of service.

McNaughton Windows and Doors designs, manufactures and installs a range of high quality timber joinery, including:

Property & Construction | McNaughton Windows and Doors “Across 39 employees there’s an average tenure here of nearly 10 years. Our director Dave Cunningham, who started here 35 years ago and is now president of the Auckland Master Joiners, has a relentless ambition to leave a positive mark on New Zealand’s architecture,” Andrew says.

Property & Construction | Above Board Contractors

A household name for plastering and painting

“And personally, what drives me is that every day I get to work with the best timber joiners in the country who understand success, which allows all our families to succeed to a greater level. “Given the growth of the business and the resurgence of timber windows and doors, there are real opportunities for the right people wanting to learn the joinery trade, or qualified joiners, wishing to join the team.” <

McNaughton Windows and Doors employs a team of experienced and visionary designers and craftsmen

Employing the best people and looking after them is an ethos that has proved a success for McNaughton Windows and Doors. The Auckland company is committed to staff and their families, and employs many highly skilled, long-term team members. “Many of the team have completed their apprenticeships here and gone on to become our leaders,” Andrew says. “A lot of that skill base has been channelled into our design service, which is what differentiates us.” Founder Jack McNaughton’s son Gary is still involved in product design, while many staff have been with the company more than 20 or 30 years.

Master Joiner Awards McNaughton Windows and Doors continues to be recognised by its peers for its design and manufacturing skills, with the company winning the Best Window and Door award in the NZ Master Joiner Awards for the past two years. Last year the company also won Master Joiner Apprentice Awards, which Andrew says shows the quality of the apprentices coming through yet again. AT

Plastering firm Above Board Contractors marks its 10th anniversary this year.

standard. “Bad plastering jobs can leave imperfections that show up long after the painting.”

Director Lyndon Johnson says its 10 years of providing quality workmanship and a reliable service to residential and commercial clients throughout Auckland. “Reliability and honesty is our number one focus. We concentrate on client relationships and providing quality solutions.

McNaughton Windows and Doors 42 Frost Road Mt Roskill (09) 620 9059 info@mcnaughton.co.nz www.mcnaughton.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

“Unfortunately not all tradies can say that they’ll turn up on time and do a good job, but that’s what we do at Above Board Contractors. We turn up, do a good job, leave a tidy workplace and know we can take pride in all our work.”

ABEL ELECTRICAL LIMITED

He says Above Board’s reputation for providing quality workmanship means that they are the preferred supplier in the market and consistently set the standard in the industry.

Congratulating McNaughton Windows & Doors on their 80th Anniversary

Lyndon has 18 years’ experience as a plasterer and heads a team of 11 trained and experienced tradesmen. He says having a reliable, hardworking team who take pride in their work is one of the main reasons why Above Board has such an enviable reputation.

Industrial & Commercial Electricians 53 Patiki Road, Avondale PO Box 71 040, Rosebank, Auckland 1348

PH: 09 828 9944

“We trust each other and value working in a supportive team environment,” he says. “We welcome new people to the team and know it’s important to help them learn our systems.”

info@abelelectrical.co.nz

He says having clear communication within the team and with the client is also essential and it is an area that Above Board places an emphasis.

Interior plastering and plasterboard fixing specialists Above Board specialises in interior plastering, and plasterboard fixing.

Atlas Glass has been providing the greater Auckland area with a range of specialist glazing services for more than 40 years, including retrofit double glazing and timber joinery glazing. Ph: 09 820 0160 | Fax: 09 820 4122 | E: enquiries@atlasglass.co.nz www.atlasglass.co.nz

They undertake both large and small jobs, in a range of areas including new builds, renovations, insurance work and commercial fitouts and refurbishments. Lyndon says no matter what size the job, it is important for it to be done to a professional

He says this applies equally to plasterboard fixing, and the team has seen some nightmare DIY jobs and poor workmanship over the years. “Even on a small patch a bad job can sometimes lead to having to redo the whole job.” He says it’s important to choose the right plasterboard for the job, the right size boards, to ensure that the finish on the job is as flat as possible and, of course, for the job to be done professionally. Once the interior plastering and plasterboard fixing has been completed, the next stage is the painting. Lyndon says this is where any flaws in the jobs will be exposed. He says Above Board’s preparation ensures the final layer is even and blemish-free, but to get the most out of a professional plastering job it is advisable to use a professional painter who uses good quality materials. Above Board works with painters who work to their same high standards and they are happy to recommend them to clients. Lyndon says the entire team are pleased to have reached the 10 year milestone of providing a high quality professional plastering service to Auckland clients. “We know that we get out of the work what we put into it, and the highest quality work will result in us having pride in ourselves and in our workplace.” He says this is why Above Board Contractors has gained a reputation for excellent workmanship over the last 10 years and will continue to live up to that high standard for many years to come. AT Above Board Contractors 021 446 716 Aboveboard2001@yahoo.co.nz www.plasterersauckland.kiwi.nz — Advertising Feature

Trowel trades are proud to be suppliers and support Above Board Contractors. We are committed to offering the trade quality products that add value to your business, together with great service. We supply all trades that involve a trowel. Auckland Branches: 2E Rothwell Ave, Albany, Phone 09 415 9822 8 McDonald St, Morningside, Phone 09 815 8993

Monday - Friday: 7am - 5pm Saturday: 8am - 12pm www.troweltrades.co.nz

www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 53

Property & Construction | Northern Pools

Inground pool building experts Northern Pools Ltd has been building and maintaining swimming pools for 20 years, focusing primarily on the Rodney area.

They use concrete shells because they provide the ultimate in strength and durability, and use the very best finishes, including plastering and tiling. For pools that need refurbishing they also offer a fibreglass option which provides a smooth finish. Shaun says whether a client decides to have their pool refurbished using fibreglass, or plastering and tiling is a matter of choice, but they like the customers to have options.

Owner/operator Shaun McClintock says the company has continued to grow over those two decades, due primarily to word-of-mouth referrals, and he is thankful to his clients for their support.

He says when a pool needs refurbishment it can also be a good time to upgrade and modernise the look of the pool.

“We’ve been lucky over the years to build up a good name. It’s been nice that clients have recommended us to others.”

From left are: Annie McClintock, Shaun McClintock, Raine and Mike. Team member Zach the odd man out and not there on the day

Northern Pools can also enhance the area surrounding the pool, with attractive lighting and water features. For those who want to swim all year round there’s also the option of using heat pumps.

Along with building pools they also supply a full range of swimming pool equipment and accessories, and Shaun says they have built up extensive product knowledge during their many years in business.

“We are passionate about moving away from a chlorine based water treatment, that is why we promote the Enviroswim unit, as it gives people the opportunity to swim in a healthy environment.”

He says choosing well designed accessories is one of the reasons Northern Pools has established itself as one of New Zealand’s top swimming pool builders. >

McClintock & Co Chartered Accountants

- Shaun McClintock

MEMBER INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS OF NEW ZEALAND

While the company has been building pools for 20 years, Shaun has 30 years’ industry experience, starting with building pools in the Bay of Plenty, then basing himself in the lower part of the North Island before moving up to Warkworth. He heads a team of five professionals who have been with the company long term. Within the team there is one team member dedicated to pool servicing and one dedicated to the pool valet service. Northern Pools builds a wide range of inground swimming pools using the latest in modern pool construction techniques to deliver high quality pools which are both strong and durable.

COVERS 4 POOLS LTD

Relax and enjoy the colour. A unique finish that truly sparkles. Seven designer colours to choose from. Northern Pools use and recommend Quartzon Pool Render for a durable and vibrant, long lasting pool surface.

Congratulations NORTHERN POOLS for a successful 20 years in quality pool services. From your Business Minder McClintock & Co Chartered Accountant. Providing practical business advice to run and grow your business.

09 426 7575

mcclintock.co@xtra.co.nz

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Protect your children, your wallet and your planet... Without a swimming pool cover, your pool is not only a risk to children, but will incur large heating, cleaning and maintenance bills. Our range of custom swimming pool safety covers and swimming pool enclosures remove the risk of tragedy while heating and protecting your pool.

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Phone: 09 426 0625 • Mobile: 021 663 854 • Email: sales@autopoolcovers.co.nz 553 Horseshoe Bush Road, RD4 Albany 0794 • www.autopoolcovers.co.nz

www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 55

Northern Pools

Property & Construction | Auckland Stonemasons

Solid as rock for 90 years Stone has been prized as a building material for thousands of years and Auckland Stonemasons use traditional techniques to create stunning stonework on sea walls, houses and bridges, parks and council projects, and many other products.

“We are passionate about moving away from a chlorine based water treatment, that is why we promote the Enviroswim unit, as it gives people the opportunity to swim in a healthy environment.” As part of their after sales service, Northern Pools has comprehensive pool valet and maintenance programmes. The pool valet service can include such things as vacuuming the pool, water analysis to keep it at optimum standard for swimming, chemical treatments, cleaning of skimmers, pump baskets and backwash filters, and cleaning tiles and other surfaces. This service is designed to keep your pool looking great, and the water clean and inviting. The maintenance programme includes pump and filter repairs, filter media changes, leak repairs, and pool resurfacing. Clients also have the option of using the scuba maintenance service. By using scuba gear the team member can mend leaks and address other maintenance issues without the need for the swimming pool to be emptied. Shaun says he has seen a rapid development in pool maintenance and valeting technology in the 30 years he’s been building and maintaining swimming pools. These developments have made maintaining a pool easier for the client and ensured a much healthier swimming environment. He says the entire team are looking forward to continuing to serve the local Rodney area for many years to come, and providing the same high level of service that has given them an enviable reputation in the industry. AT

Northern Pools Ltd 48B Hill Street Warkworth North Auckland 0508 NORTHERN (0508 667 843) shaun@northernpools.co.nz www.northernpools.co.nz

The company specialises in traditional stonework. From Auckland’s Tamaki Drive sea walls built in the late 1920s to Mount Cook’s Hermitage, to many residential and commercial stone walls, stone pillars, fireplaces, monuments and buildings throughout New Zealand, the craftsmanship and quality of Auckland Stonemasons is of the highest order. The family business is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, having been established in 1927 by Ivan Lavas. Ivan arrived in New Zealand from Korcula Island on the Dalmatian Coast, and brought with him generations of stonemasonry experience and knowledge. Now the third generation of his family continues the tradition, using methods honed in early Europe. As well as private work, such as houses, fireplaces and walls, the company provides services for councils, the New Zealand Defence Force, the Royal NZ Navy, the Department of Conservation and insurance companies, and numerous private individuals. The company has repaired or rebuilt numerous historic walls along coastlines and in parks, and also built many new stone walls, with an historic appearance. Auckland Stonemasons built the sea walls for the Whitianga Waterways, as well as at Marsden Cove and Pauanui, and was commissioned by the Thames Coromandel District Council to rebuild the historic sea wall at Whitianga’s Ferry Landing Wharf in the Coromandel Peninsula.

One of the many projects Auckland Stonemasons have on the go at present is the building of a canal wall 1.7 kilometres long at the Whitianga Waterways, using Tairua stone and Copu stone from the Coromandel ranges. The project will take about five months to build – but in reality the process can start long before building begins. Some projects take a lot of planning. “On some big projects - we work with engineers, obtain resource consents, there’s a tender process – some projects can take two years. “We give them the construction details, put the manpower in, get the building of the project done, and built on time.” Other simpler projects can be completed more quickly.

All of the work of Auckland Stonemasons is guaranteed for life. “If built correctly, a stone wall will last for centuries.” Building with stone is a trade, and the professional tradesmen at Auckland Stonemasons provide superb workmanship. They carry out a lot of work for insurance companies, repairing products built by people who are not professional. Sometimes the walls haven’t been built correctly, or there are no foundations. “A storm blows in and if there are no foundations, there goes your wall.” With 30 fulltime staff, Auckland Stonemasons are New Zealand’s leading commercial and residential builders of quality stonework.

Sometimes it can take months to source the stone. Wherever possible the company tries to use local stone – 95 percent of stone used is local, with about five percent imported.

“We are specialists in both residential and commercial stone masonry who take great pride in offering superb workmanship and quality in the projects we complete,” says Len. AT

“We source a range of types and varieties of stone from New Zealand’s rich geological veins, and from around the world,” Len says. “Whatever the job you can be sure that we’ll source the finest stone for your stone project.”

Auckland Stonemasons Ltd 1 Sandstone Road Whitford Auckland (09) 530 8906 sales@stonemasons.co.nz www.stonemasons.co.nz

The company will usually use stone from the area where the project is being built.

— Advertising Feature

The stone wall and wharf dates back to 1838 and is one of the oldest working stone wharves in the southern hemisphere. The company also refurbished the sea wall around Devonport’s naval base. The company also designs and builds private coastal sea walls, and takes care of every detail, from the planning stage, to the consents, the building of the structure and right through to signoff. “We do the whole thing,” says Auckland Stonemasons director, Len Lavas. Stonemasons today do use machinery such as diggers, but the bulk of the work is still carried out by hand – using the tried and true methods that have been established for generations.

— Advertising Feature

NEW ZEALAND’S LEADING STONEMASONS Boundary Walls • Retaining Walls • Sea Walls Historic Walls • Columns & Pillars • Entranceways Kerbing • Stone Buildings • Paving & Steps • Bridges Fireplaces & Chimneys • Gardens • Water Features PO Box 152, Whitford, Auckland • Phone: (09) 530 8906 • Email: sales@stonemasons.co.nz • www.stonemasons.co.nz www.aucklandtoday.net.nz May/June 2017 | 57

Property & Construction | Fence World

For the look, security and value One of the easiest ways to enhance the look of your home or business and keep it secure is through good fencing and gates, which can be fully automated for both security and ease of access.

Fence World in Papakura designs, builds and installs high quality fencing and gates, specialising in driveway gates, gate automation and pool fences. The company produces and installs fences for the home, educational facilities, child care centres, rest homes and all types of commercial properties. It also makes barriers, bollards and many other specialised products.

Fences and gates

Fence World manufactures fences and gates from steel, stainless steel, aluminium and wood.

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Powder coating industry Large runs / One-offs Full pre-treatment process Industrial wet spraying for large components Zinc shield & epoxy base coat powder coating - on protective surfaces Powder coating to aluminium Extrusions / Large panels/ Balustrades / Shelving / Steel components Full colour range / Specially matched Colours from recognised suppliers Fast turn around / Large capacity conveyor line Discount offered

3 Parkwood Place, East Tamaki, PO Box 23 0097, Botany, Manukau 2163 Tel: (09) 274 8489 Fax: (09) 274 8487 Mob: 021 424 413

“Whether you want a simple mesh fence for your tennis court, an aluminium pool fence or an architecturally designed fence with custom made ornaments, we can do it,” director Ron ter Huurne says. “We have a fully equipped engineering workshop with experienced fabricators to ensure that your fence is built to our strict quality standards. We take pride in our ability to design and engineer even the most difficult designs.”

Fence World manufactures fences and gates from steel, stainless steel, aluminium and wood

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The automation specialists Fence World keeps up to date with the leading automation and security technology to provide customers with the best peace of mind. It can cater for all needs, whether you want a simple automatic opening gate or a sophisticated high-security system with controlled access, alarm monitoring, security lighting, CCTV, barbed wire and electric fencing.

Fence World’s gates not only look good, but also open and close reliably and are engineered to withstand years of use without sagging and misalignment.

Ron says his business uses DEA automation systems, which are highly reliable technology fully designed, manufactured and tested in Italy.

The company has teamed up with Heritage Gates, makers of hand crafted modern and traditional timber gates, to further increase the range of gates available.

“DEA systems are very reliable and good quality. The gates can be sliding or swinging and there are different systems and weights; there’s a great range,” Ron says.

“Many industrial sites, especially those that are owned by overseas companies, all want to ensure there are no random people coming on site.” Well aware that no organisations stands alone, Fence World thanks all those it has working relationships with, including those on these pages: DEA, East Tamaki Powder Coaters and NZ Aluminium Supply Co. AT Fence World Limited 13 Croskery Road Papakura Auckland 0508 101 101 021 708 487 info@fenceworld.co.nz www.fenceworld.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

NZ ALUMINIUM SUPPLY CO. LTD Safeguarding People & Property with Style, Safety & Security FENCES

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Driveway Swing Gates Driveway Sliding Gates Pool Fences Landscape Fences

GATES

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Security Fences School & Kindergarten Fences Palisade Security Fencing Pipe & Mesh Chainlink Fencing

PO Box 72-1359, Papakura, Auckland 2110 Phone: 09 299 7256 • Free phone: 0508 101 101 Email: sales@fenceworld.co.nz

58 |May/June 2017 www.aucklandtoday.net.nz

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NZ ALI

Your Local Aluminium Supplier

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Enclosure Fencing Sports Ground Fencing Electric Security Fences EliteWall Panel Fencing

GET A FREE QUOTE NOW! www.fenceworld.co.nz

Standard Extrusion Aluminium Sheet 09 527 8168

Custom Extrusion Checker Plate

info@mdtrading.co.nz

Marine Engineering Ltd Auckland City Workshops and Slipway 14 Hamer St, Freemans Bay Phone +64 9 307 3930 Fax +64 9 307 3931 PO Box 91091, Victoria St West Auckland 1142, New Zealand Email: info@titanmarine.co.nz www.titanmarine.co.nz

SHIP REPAIR All Commercial Vessels Including Superyachts, Tugs, Trawlers, Ferrys, etc.

MARINE Marine Engineering Specialists/Technical Stores Supply

SLIPWAY 1500 Tonne x 80 Metre Slipway and Berthage in Central Auckland

FABRICATION Heavy Fabrication, Certified Welding, General Engineering

MACHINING Full Machine Shop Facilities, Large Capacity Machining

ELECTRICAL Marine Installations and Repairs

INDUSTRIAL Shut Downs and Installations, Repairs and Maintenance

INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH HEAVY FREIGHT DELIVERY

Whether its moving a child’s play house from one address to another or moving 20ft containers, we do it all... FEATURES

SERVICES

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We operate a large PK27 palfinger hiab with a 19 metre reach We operate 24/7, by appointment and an be there quickly when needed Our charge out rate is $135.00 per hour or part thereof, plus GST Minimum charge is one hour, this includes truck hiab and experienced driver We are an affiliate company to Titan Marine Engineers, so boat engine lift outs and fittings are our expertise • Industrial strength, heavyweight freight delivery, nationwide

Boat engine installations/repower Stone freight pallet relocation Container transport - capacity 20ft Vessel slipway services Building fabrication services Heavy machinery relocation Portacom relocation Vehicle recovery Depot deliveries Onsite fine positioning of heavy plant/machinery etc

PROUDLY SUPPORTING TITAN MARINE ENGINEERING Let us do the lifting! Call us on 0508 626 6684 14-24 Hamer Street, Auckland 1010

E: info@mgmfreight.co.nz www.mgmfreight.co.nz