Canterbury Today Issue 108 by Academy Group

Issue 108 | August/September 2011

of the town Paul Lonsdale and the Central City Business Association are leading the charge to rebuild CBD retailing

Working through it

Dealing with earthquake stress in the office

Investment

Where to spend and how to get

Shaky science

When it comes to earthquake predictions, what exactly do we know?

Shaken perspectives

Life changing decisions in the wake of the quake

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www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 3

tember 2011 Issue 108 | August/Sep

of the town

the Central City Paul Lonsdale and the tion are leading Business Associa retailing CBD ild rebu to charge

ough it office Working thr the quake stress in Dealing with earth

Investmed nt and how to get Where to spen

ence Shaky sci predictions, s to earthquake When it come we know? what exactly do

Be in to win…

es perspectiv Shaken decis of the quake ions in the wake Life changing

… one of 10 copies of Quaky Cat, a children’s picture book created in the aftermath of the September 4 event which has now raised $100,000 to aid the quake affected. See page 17 for all the details.

Canterbury Today

Issue 108

17,116 ABC circulation as at 30/06/10

www.canterburytoday.co.nz Head office Academy House 47B Birmingham Drive Middleton PO Box 1879 Christchurch

6 Working through it • Dealing with earthquake stress in the office

7 Growing your company

• Can daily deals work for your business? • Making sales meetings rock

8 Economics

• Gareth Morgan explains why falling property prices please him • The No.1 money making secret

managing director Gary Collins

9 Productivity

General manager Rebecca Harris administration Kylie Moore admin manager Kelly Clarke Rebecca McQueen Kimberley Wells Judy Slater sales & advertising Steve Dando Melissa Sinclair Mandy Woods Janet Campbell Miranda Hearn Annabel Judd Robert Cochrane Kerry Wilson George Ziegler Verne Williams Jane Watson Grant Williams

News

• Putting the spotlight on workplace productivity • Finding familiar faces — where to find relocated Christchurch companies

10 PR & HR

• Handling the media in a crisis • Six top tips for keeping time on your side

11 Legal and Online Issues sales executives

newsroom Jonathon Taylor Marie Sherry Bridget Gourlay Melinda Collins

• Retail compliance laws and the RWC • Navigating new file sharing legislation

12 Shaken Perspectives

• Life changing decisions in the wake of the quake

13 Shaky Science

• Some sciences are exact, some aren’t, and earthquake prediction falls firmly in the latter. So what are the known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns?

14 Cover Story editor

Phone: 03 961 5050 Fax: 0800 555 054 Email: editor@academy.net.nz

production Carolynne Brown assistant Melanie Stanbury designers CJ McKay Hayley Brocket Ian Knott Kirsty Opie Jarred Shakespeare Phone: 03 961 5050 Fax: 0800 555 054 Email: production@academy.net.nz

• Paul Lonsdale and the Central City Business Association lead the charge on rebuilding CBD retailing

18 Investment Special

• When it comes to financing growth, where do you start and what are your options?

20 Lifestyles

• The ultimate night’s sleep, Fujifilm’s GPS tracking camera, an affordable private island, a processor to amaze, the ultimate desk toy and the king of cognacs

21 Events Diary

• Courses, events, seminars and workshops in your area in the next couple of months

83 Grape expectations

• NZ Wine’s Phil Gregan on an industry that’s altered landscapes, fuelled the economy and revolutionised our lifestyle

Business

Rebuilding Canterbury 24 Being Prepared… Preparing for and recovering from disaster

31 Dealing with the Damage

Assessing the state of Canterbury’s infrastructure and what it is going to take to put back the pieces, with comment from the Christchurch City Council, CERA, New Zealand Contractors Federation, City Care, IPENZ and more. And then there’s the role being played by Hire Industry Association members as they make sure they’ve got all the tools ready for the rebuild

50 Business development

Daiken New Zealand, through its Ashley plant, is a world leader while The Hairy Mussel Company’s commitment to fresh fare is taking business to new heights and the revamped Christchurch Casino is bring the fun buzz back to the central city

64 Initiatives

Rainbow Print is extending the boundaries through Print Monday and Les Mills Riccarton is pumping! Adrenalin Forest makes the most of challenging times while Le Race returnins in October. Classique Furniture remembers a valued staff member earthquake and the Kmart Palms keeps customers happy with a shuttle sevice. Another returnee is the Women’s Lifestyle Expo with lots to entice. Terra Lana’s wool insulation is winning fans and Base 7 knows all about flooring options. An iconic Arts Centre business, Beadz Unlimited has made the transition to new premises

78 Pride in Print 2011

All about the award winners, plus features on Amcor Cartons Christchurch and GEON Print & Communication Solutions

83 Hospitality

Hunter’s Wines was an innovator at the beginning of Marlborough’s farmlands to vines transition and is still a force to be reckoned with today. Little India gives more than just a taste of another cuisine while The Pukeko Junction Café has a solid reputation for quality and quirkiness. The Honeypot Café is up and running from its new home in Sydenham while Westport’s Town House Resturant is becoming a West Coast icon. The Restaurant @ Rossendale and The Vineyard @ Rossendale combine for memorable food and wine experiences

97 Property and Construction

Looking good is the Fisher Aluminium credo. Fitzgerald Construction is a leader in residential and commercial building around Nelson. Other Nelson businesses making names for themselves include Glenn Roberts Electrical, IMB Construction, Scott Construction and Arthouse Architecture. TransPortable Cabins are coming into their own in these earthquakeaffected times while Affordable Sheds are proficient at passing the most stringent tests. Breen Plumbing in Timaru has the accolade to prove it is the best of the best and another with a strong reputation is Powerserve Electrical

111 Manufacturing

Northwest Engineering Group is an engineering success story along with Crown Sheetmetal

114 Goods and Services

Nationwide Horse Transport is a specialist in equine travel arrangements and innovation and hard work has made Weldwell what it is today

Knowledge for growing business since 1985

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 2011 by A-Mark Publishing (NZ) Ltd. All rights reserved. No article or advertisement may be reproduced without written permission.

* CONDITIONS OF ENTRY: One entry only per person and must be sent on the official entry form or as otherwise stated. Entry is free and open to all residents of New Zealand. All entrants must be over the age of 18, proof of identity and date of birth may be requested. Employees and their immediate families of Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication are ineligible to enter. Winner(s) will be notified by e-mail/phone. The judges’ decision is final, no correspondence will be entered into. No responsibility is accepted for late, lost or misdirected mail. Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash. Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever suffered (including but not limited to direct or consequential loss) or personal injury suffered or sustained, during the course of prize winning travel or in connection with any other prizes won. Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication accept no responsibility for health, luggage, insurances, travel, personal expenses and transfers other than specified. Entries remain the property of Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication and cannot be returned. Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication reserves the right to photograph and publish winners. Entries may be used for further marketing purposes by Academy Publishing, the promoter and agencies associated with any promotion in this publication but are not made available to any third party.

4 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

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www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 5

News | Earthquake Recovery

Working

through it

By Bridget Gourlay

Living and working in Christchurch right now is tough. The constant aftershocks frazzle nerves and wake us from sleep. Grief, trauma, and uncertainty about our houses and our jobs are never far from our minds. Despite this, those of us with jobs still have the same workload as before — if not heightened from quake disruptions, colleagues leaving Christchurch and the added work of changing premises. Clinical psychologist Dr John Dugdale says when there’s serious disruption there’s a loss of cohesion; and people don’t function as well as they used to. “There is so much uncertainty ahead. I’ve got the theory that uncertainty is psychologically one of the most difficult things to work with. That’s why the terrorists use it. They know it freaks people out because you can’t pin it down.”

Clinical psychologist Dr John Dugdale: Encouraging others to take small steps helps in dealing with earthquake fears.

Meeting deadlines In the workplace in Christchurch today, staff need understanding, calmness, certainty and information. Those in leadership roles want motivated engaged inspired staff. Dugdale says talking with and not at employees, in an honest direct open and appropriate way works best. Employees should be invited to help solve any difficulties. For example, an employer could say “I understand that you are worried about getting the house insurance sorted, but I would like to discuss how we can help you fit that in and still maintain work deadlines.”

Tackling fear We’ve all seen, after the earthquake, how each person reacts differently. Some seemed to recover quite quickly, even if they saw or experienced terrible things on February 22. Others have taken longer. Some people feel scared whenever they leave their houses and others feel fine when they’re out and about but become panicked when at home. Some are fine during the day but have trouble sleeping at night. Dugdale says that’s because we all have different life experiences and different personalities, meaning everybody is affected by this major event in a different way. For those with serious earthquake fears, Dugdale says their colleagues should work with them to encourage small steps. For example, if they are returning to work at a fourth storey building, they should be encouraged to go up the steps to the first floor, then further if they feel able.

Dugdale says persuasion is ineffective for dealing with fear. Instead of saying “of course you can go up four storeys, you can cope with that!” a manager should say “Why don’t you just try the first level and see how you go, because you might find you can do more than you thought you would.”

Resolving conflict With sleepless nights and heightened stress, many workplaces may have had more than their usual share of frayed tempers. When it comes to resolving conflict, Dugdale says it’s important to “keep arousal levels down. When people get too angry they say and do things they don’t mean. Criticism isn’t helpful; it’s about power not problem-solving.” He says it’s important to label the act, not the person and to focus on the positive. Using ‘I’ messages instead of ‘you’ messages is also important — when resolving conflict, communicate what you’d like instead of saying ‘you should’ or ‘you never.’ For example, try starting a sentence with ‘I’ve noticed you sound…” or “how would you like to deal with…”. Avoid saying “You should/ must/ought to…”. It’s also important for employers to be positive where they can, and have fun events like themed morning teas and Friday night drinks to lift people’s spirits. For extra support contact your GP, or phone 0800 777 846 or go to www.canterburyearthquake.org.nz

6 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

How to take care of yourself Routines

Lifestyle

● Familiarity is comforting

● Balance is healthy

● Keep your normal activities

● Stay active, for example by going for a walk

● Treasure familiar things

● Relax, take a break

Stay connected

● Limit alcohol ● Try to get enough sleep

● We need each other

● Try to eat well

● Stay in touch with family and friends

● Do something nice for yourself

● Take moments to give others your full attention ● Listen to and answer children’s questions simply ● Be brave for each other ● Ask for and accept help ● Save your energy, keep it for important things ● Lower expectations of yourself and others

Safety ● Protect yourself in every way ● Limit exposure to earthquake news ● You are not helpless — remember the things you do well ● Take care of your spiritual and emotional health ● It is OK to be emotional

● Take breaks and lighten your workload ● Be tolerant of yourself and others ● Lots of things can wait ● Children may act younger — that’s OK for a while

Taking Care of Yourself information provided by the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists

News | Sales How to make daily deals work for your business…

Top

10 tips

By Colin Fabig, CEO of LivingSocial and Jump on It

About to list a deal on a coupon site and not sure what to expect? With the massive impact daily deals sites have had on the SME sector in markets over the world, merchants in New Zealand are looking for tips to best utilise the benefits of these sites to their business. Small businesses recognise that the hardest part of business is generating leads. Daily deals sites carry out this hard work for you — but you need to be prepared for the new business that comes knocking. It is up to each business to structure the deal based on the money that’s coming in. With alternative marketing channels coming at a hefty price tag, daily deals offer good value. Ten top tips for businesses using daily deals sites:

Designing

powerful productive sales meetings

By John Treace

Designing a powerful sales meeting is not an easy task, but it is one of the most important aspects of building and maintaining a high-velocity sales organisation. The objective of all sales meetings should be to increase sales — period. That’s why we call them sales meetings. Entertaining the participants and having them leave full of enthusiasm is a good thing, but it should never overshadow the need to produce sales. It is the sales management’s responsibility to be a good shepherd of corporate resources, so spending money without expecting a measurable return is not good business. Every high-performing salesperson who attends a meeting will be thinking, “Is this meeting making me money, or is my time being wasted?” High performers will usually produce at least 60 percent of the company’s revenues, so when sales managers waste top salespeople’s time with poorly designed meetings, they send several negative messages:

■ that management is not considerate of employees’ time (high performers know that time is money), and ■ that management does not understand the business, does not know what needs to be done to increase sales, and is wasting corporate resources. If the sales team begins to suspect that management doesn’t know how to increase sales, morale will be negatively affected and team members will question their choice of employers. Unproductive meetings also signal to salespeople that management is not committed to excellence. They want to make money, they want to focus their attention on that goal and they want to work for managers who are committed to being the best.

Bringing value With so much at stake in a sales meeting, how can we ensure that the meeting will bring value to the sales team and produce sales? The answer is simple, but the implementation is not: Managers need to develop a statement of strategic intent for the meeting, along with defined, time-sensitive metrics that will be used to measure the meeting’s success. For example, we might say that the strategic intent of our meeting is to train reps to sell X

product, with the goal of 80 percent of them exceeding quota within thirty days of the meeting and maintaining that performance through the end of the year. The challenge in developing a statement of strategic intent is in knowing what needs to be accomplished in the meeting to reach the required performance goal. The specifics must be laid out, and an aggressive but realistic performance goal must be defined. This statement of strategic intent is useful for ensuring powerful results meetings and as a management evaluation tool. Powerful sales meetings driven by statements of strategic intent and clear objectives are at the core of powerful companies. Management teams that hold them regularly will always stay on top.

Understand it’s a way to reach new customers: It’s best not to treat daily deals websites as a revenue stream. Listing on daily deals sites are a way to bring in new customers and generate brand awareness.

Do your homework: Know the date the deal will go live. Daily deals sites can reserve the right to post your deal at any time, but staying in close contact with them can save you from any inconvenient surprises.

Know your deal: Know the full details of the deal — what is being promoted and brief your staff. Don’t rush customers through — what you are seeking is return business.

Read the fine print: Understand your commission on each deal, and how and when it is paid to you.

Man your phones: In the first week, and especially on the first day, ensure your staff are briefed to take calls and make bookings.

Ensure you have the resources: Think about hiring additional staff to take bookings in the first three days, and prepare a script for them. This internal process is just as important as external marketing.

Don’t let your existing customers down: Ensure you are prepared for extra business. You need to provide the same high quality service to your existing customers. They will notice if you don’t.

Develop an ongoing strategy: Before the deal goes live, have sales and marketing strategy in place to create loyalty and maximise repeat bookings. Don’t use daily deals in isolation.

Take ownership of the process: John Treace has 30 years experience Make it work for you on your terms. as a sales executive in the medical Only take on what you can handle. products industry and has spent a decade Track the success of your deal: restructuring the sales departments of Collect information on purchases new struggling companies. In 2010 he founded customers make beyond the deal. This JR Treace & Associates, a sales management will help you determine the success of the deal consulting business. For more information and whether you should do it again. visit www.treaceconsulting.com

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 7

News | Economics

the investment property cycle Gareth Morgan says why he thinks falling property prices are a good thing

property that’s yielding you something like 7-9 percent on the value of the property once you take your rent and take off all your expenses, then stay in that market. That’s a good asset to have. But if your net rent, after all your costs, is only earning you 2-4 percent, then you’re a speculator, and I would like to see that carpet pulled out from under your feet. Absolutely I would.

Interviewer: Gareth, I hear you’re pretty delighted that house prices are falling and continuing to fall. Morgan: I’m absolutely thrilled, actually, and let’s hope they fall quite a bit further, because we’ve had two decades of New Zealanders thinking the only way to get rich is to buy houses. How dumb is that? I mean they’re nothing but speculators, sponsored by the Reserve Bank telling the commercial banks to lend on housing before they lend on anything else, and sponsored by some tax breaks. So the whole thing’s been driven by stupid policy and the result is that we’ve over invested in housing by a ridiculous amount, to the detriment of all the other industries that employ people and generate income. So it has to change. Most economists will tell you that. It’s just a matter of when and we’ve been in that process now since 2007, the house prices are adjusting, absolutely, and I’ve got a fairly famous graph now that shows how much more to go. We’re about half way, a bit over, perhaps and I sort of feel it’s probably better to get it over with now, we’re so far into the process, let’s not draw it out anymore, let’s just dump the things down another 15 percent probably, and then we can get on.

How does a business make money? The

No.1 secret is…

What we’re trying to do is get a clear message to mums and dads out there — “Don’t invest in property to make money. Invest in property to have a house — whatever level of house you want — it’s up to you, but don’t invest in it to make money”. And once you get that message stamped on their foreheads, then we’ll start allocating the capital in this country correctly so we’ll start generating incomes and jobs and we’ll start climbing back up that OCED ladder. So bring it on, I say, just drop them.

Interviewer: So if house prices do continue to drop and maybe go down another 15 percent, is that just good because it will allow a whole new generation of people to own homes? By Jamie Tulloch

I call it a secret, because so many business owners don’t know or understand the number one secret to making money in a business. The number one secret is tuning your business so as you make a healthy gross profit (GP) percentage. Why is a healthy GP percentage the number one secret to profits? I call the generator of your GP percentage the engine room of your business. If the engine room is not fit, healthy and powerful, no matter what you do in the rest of your business, you will never overcome a weak, under-performing engine. Imagine having a car weighing 1500kg (say an SUV) and a four cylinder engine of 1.5 litres. No matter how hard that engine works, your vehicle will make slow and uneconomical progress because the engine room cannot produce enough power and torque to move the vehicle swiftly along the road.

What numbers go into creating your GP percentage? It’s simple. It is your sales minus your cost of sales (or S minus COS). Identifying exactly what your cost of sales are (sometimes also called cost of goods sold or COGS) is vital to knowing what “friction” is inside your business engine room.

8 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

Morgan: Well there’s that, because more and more people are getting locked out of the housing market, obviously the younger ones, and I don’t think that’s good, because the younger ones are the dynamos of the current day and the future. And what happens is they just leave the country. So you start hollowing out, and you’ve got a bunch of bloody old pensioners, playing one-upmanship against each other on household speculation. I mean what the hell is that? I think the benefits far outweigh the costs, and the costs will be people in that market up to their necks and beyond with debt, who will get cleaned up, but too bad, it’s the countries’ income that matters far more than that.

So it’s not a downer on property, it’s a downer on the pricing of the asset. It’s been nothing but a speculative boom. The rules of investment are if you want to make money you concentrate your investment. Well we all know that, and we have been concentrating that in housing. But it’s just gone beyond a joke, it’s ridiculous. And the number of land agents has gone down by 30 percent, well I would like to see it down 60 percent, which would be the natural rate. But you can concentrate in other assets too, like factories or farms, or whatever they are. But it’s all about yield, we are in a new era now. Yield matters. Investing for capital gain is extremely high risk in this environment.

Interviewer: So if I had a rental property, and I was going to sell it up, what would I invest in instead?

And the reason is because globally credit is not a free lunch anymore. Banks aren’t ringing you up trying to get you to double your mortgage. The banks are trying to stay alive.

Morgan: Let’s just start on the rental properties first. I think if you can have a rental

The world has changed totally on that. So it’s great news what’s happened.

Different businesses have different components to their COGS. If you are a plumber for example, your COGS is the trade/wholesale cost of parts, plus consumables (say adhesive) and the direct labour cost (wages) for doing the actual plumbing work. As an example let’s say you sell $1000 of plumbing services. The parts are $200, you use $20 of adhesive and use 10 hours of labour for which you paid your employee $30 per hour. Total cost of sale is therefore $520 ($200 + $20 + $300). This gives you a Gross Profit of $480 or 48 percent on the total job ($480 is 48 percent of $1000).

In the example above, 48 percent GP is near the bottom of the survey results. This has occurred because of any one or a combination of the following:

➜ The job was under-priced and should have been sold for $1,100. This would have yielded a 58 percent GP

➜ The job was completed inefficiently and should have taken seven hours, not 10. Doing the job in seven hours would have yielded 57 percent.

➜ The cost of the parts and/or consumables was not correctly priced and cost more than expected. Now, look at the GP percentage if the job

Key question: how do you know what was sold for $1100 and took seven hours a healthy GP percentage should be for with no change to the price of the parts or your industry, business or trade? consumables. If this was the scenario then the E3 Business Accountants (and so should your accountant) has access to two national databases that benchmarks just about every industry type in New Zealand. Using the plumber as an example, our database contains actual figures for the top 25 percent, the middle 50 percent and the bottom 25 percent performers.

You need to ask yourself, why do some plumbers perform more profitably than others? And even more importantly, where does my business rank? In the survey a plumber’s healthy engine room GP percentage is 65 percent. A weak engine room would yield just 45 percent. The difference between 45 percent and 65 percent is the difference between profit and purgatory.

GP percentage would have been right up there with the top performers yielding 67 percent.

In summary: The business secret number one to making a sustainable and deserved profit is making sure your GP percentage is enough to run your business. Jamie Tulloch is the managing director of E3 Business Accountants and can be contacted by calling 0800 11 33 99, email askjamie@ e3accountants.co.nz or go to www.e3accountants.co.nz

News | Productivity

Lighting & workplace

productivity By Kevin Cawley

Improving worker productivity is a major aim of all businesses from one-man-bands to corporations. But most are unaware that improving their lighting design can do wonders in this area. Lighting is one of the most important parts of any workspace from the open plan office to the factory production line. It’s well known that incorrect lighting can cause migraine headaches and eye strain, but few people recognise its impact on productivity. Open plan offices are a classic example. Once office blocks are built, developers usually get engineers to introduce a blanket cover of lights. This doesn’t even take into account where the furniture will be. This causes problems because everyone has different lighting needs. This depends on their tasks and the state of their eyes. Have you ever had a workstation that just didn’t seem comfortable, but you couldn’t put your finger on exactly what the problem was? It may have been the lighting. Generally speaking, people are more motivated when they work under lights that are close to the colour of the sun. Colder colours that are bluer in nature make people feel cold, and when we feel cold, we are less motivated and less productive.

recently who had bloodshot eyes after working in an incorrectly lit room for many years. She had to look up from her computer to greet visitors. The problem was that the ceiling lighting was creating a glare and after so long, her eyes had had enough. This problem was easily fixed, but it could have been dealt with years before. Very few business owners are aware that productivity suffers when their lighting is below par. And many are not even aware it is below par. It usually requires a complaint from someone before anything is done. It’s like people who install a burglar alarm after their house has been broken into. It’s not until ACC or OSH is brought in that any changes are made.

Once the correct colour has been determined, the next consideration is the intensity, or quantity of light. For example, when writing onto white paper, more light is needed than when typing on a computer screen. This is important for people who do both of these tasks. A good idea is to have a task light that can be switched on and off when necessary.

Many business owners are also unaware that flexible lighting options are available. This means they can be simply moved around without taking up too much time. There are now LED light fittings available that can be remotely controlled. These give each person control of their workstation, allowing them to control their own light intensity and colour temperature.

So many people run into problems when they need to multi-task like this. I met a receptionist

Savvy business owners know that the best way to get the best out of their workers is to

Kevin Cawley is an award-winning independent lighting designer with clients across the world. He can be contacted through his website at www. lightingdesign.co.nz

make them as comfortable as possible in their workspace. If people are feeling cold, getting eye strain or migraine headaches, they will always be looking for ways to move away from that space. And while they are working, they will lack motivation. It may not be mentioned much when it comes to raising productivity, but lighting is vital to the success of any business.

shopfitters • designers • builders

Finding familiar faces Sourcing relocated companies hasn’t been easy, but a collection of websites have popped up where businesses can let customers know where to find them, how to buy from them, and whether they are open or not. Here are a few sites to help you find what you need:

● www.lovechristchurchmade.org.nz

● www.chchcreative.co.nz

● www.openforbusiness.org.nz

● www.bethere.co.nz

● www.whatsopen.co.nz ● www.supportchristchurchbusiness.com

Suppliers of high quality building products including the new Eclipse internal partition system

• high quality • cost effective • user friendly • stylish •

● www.mychristchurchbusinessisopen.co.nz ● www.gapfiller.co.nz There are also sites where you can list your business if you need or can offer free assistance to others:

● www.recovercanterbury.co.nz

● www.nzbizhelp.co.nz

scottb@tr-interiorsystems.co.nz www.tr-interiorsystems.co.nz •

syDenham

•

ChristChurCh

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 9

News | PR & HR

Dealing with the

media in a crisis

By Pete Burdon

When it comes to crises and how well companies deal with them through the media, most people think of big events like the Christchurch earthquakes or the Pike River disaster. But what few people realise is that any business, big or small, could suffer a crisis at any time with the potential to threaten its very existence. Unlike the Christchurch earthquake, most crises involve a single company. They are put under the media spotlight as likely instigators of the crisis. How they respond determines how well their business survives. For example, an apprentice electrician could fall off a building, bringing into question his host company’s safety procedures. A local bakery could be accused of inadequate hygiene after a customer suffered food poisoning, or a lawyer could be blamed by a client for losing money following bad advice. While these examples are not as serious as the Pike River disaster, negative publicity through the media can be disastrous for business bottom lines. That’s because if public opinion

is against your business, clients will leave and prospects will look elsewhere. The key is knowing how to handle approaches from the media before anything happens. As an example, what would you do if a TV reporter and a cameraman arrived at your house as you were leaving for work asking you about some crisis that had just happened in your business? The last thing you should do is run, look angry, try to push the camera away or say ‘no comment’. These things all make you look guilty and are great pictures for the TV news. This is probably what the news crew is looking for. What you should do is confidently say with a smile that you will look straight into it and you’ll be available for an interview at your office in two hours. That way there is no publishable footage for the news, you looked relaxed and when you do see the reporter in two hours, you will be ready with your response.

Taking control Those who have been media trained will then know how to control the interview, getting their points across, rather than defensively answering the questions thrown at them. It’s important that you do front up to the media. Firstly, if you are not there to clarify

the situation, it could get blown out of proportion. That’s because the media will find someone else to comment, and that person will not know as much as you. It could also be a competitor. Research shows that this is vital. It shows that a crisis itself rarely affects a business negatively. What does cause problems is how the crisis is handled. While no businessman can eliminate the possibility of a crisis, if he takes control quickly, responds professionally and communicates well, his business is likely to prosper. For these reasons, all businesses must have someone trained to communicate with the media, preferably the boss. This is not only to handle crises, but also other more positive situations. If your business is ever contacted by the media for some other purpose, it would be disappointing not to have the skills to make the most of the opportunity. Pete Burdon is managing director of Media Training NZ, a company specialising in media and presentation training. He can be contacted at info@ mediatraining.co.nz or through the website www.mediatraining.co.nz

In their words

… reactions to the Government’s land package

“The government has set in place a process as to how individual home and property owners make their decisions and it will then be over to individuals and their insurers to reach agreement.”

Insurance Council chief executive Chris Ryan

“Full land repair in these (red zone) areas may mean that every house would need to be removed, regardless of its degree of present building damage. The resulting ongoing social dislocation would have major impacts on schooling, transport and employment for whole communities. Giving people the ability to relocate on land where they can rebuild immediately is the best option we have.”

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee

“We need to find out how many residents in the red zone were without insurance and what their situation is. Many of these residents could be left homeless and destitute.”

Green Party earthquake recovery spokesperson Dr Kennedy Graham

“There has been much comment about whether we have enough property to satisfy people looking to move from the red zone to other parts of the city. And the answer is yes.”

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker

Keeping time on your side By Megan Alexander, general manager at Robert Half New Zealand

Most professionals we deal with have experienced “time regret”— that feeling of frustration over yet another day passing by without having made a significant dent in the ‘to do’ list. Work is easily derailed by time-eaters such as meetings, ad hoc requests and the distractions enabled by technology — including email and mobile phones. Difficulty in meeting job productivity goals is a common problem at all levels in the workplace, even the highest. The situation can be improved however, by making some simple adjustments to the way you work. The real secret to time management — and accomplishing objectives — is better selfmanagement. Here are six tips that can help you take control of your day.

Analyse your schedule Where does your time really go? For the next week, write down what you do and when during the work day. Examining how you spend a typical day at the office will help you to identify when you are most productive, how often you sort through emails, make phone calls or engage in meetings and in what ways (or by whom), you are most often interrupted or distracted. In addition, you will learn which projects take the most time and can decide whether they deserve such a large portion of your attention.

2 Create ‘time windows’

After you’ve determined what can be changed, develop an action plan. Think about setting aside “time windows” for specific tasks, such as reviewing emails, making and returning phone calls, or catching up on articles in industry publications. Also, create a regular schedule that takes advantage of your body clock — if you are sharpest before lunchtime, schedule more difficult tasks for completion in the morning hours.

3 Let messages wait

Keeping a constant vigil on your email and voicemail can distract you from more demanding tasks. Unless your role requires it, try to avoid reading and responding every time a new message arrives. Instead, schedule times throughout the day when you focus exclusively on messages. You’ll cut down on ongoing anxiety while making your responses less hasty and more useful.

4 Rediscover single-tasking

You can’t solve a technical challenge while talking on the phone, filing paperwork and planning for an upcoming meeting. When working on a crucial assignment, give the issue at hand your undivided attention so you do it right the first time. Fight the urge to multi-task, which often impedes real productivity by leading to oversights and errors.

5 G‘check ive yourself permission to out’

If unnecessary interruptions tend to prevent you from completing important tasks, don’t

10 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

be afraid to close the door, or advise your colleagues that you are off limits for the next few hours, so you can focus on your work.

6 Reward yourself

Keeping to a schedule, no matter how personalised or flexible, is challenging because it takes discipline. Give yourself credit for adhering to your agenda and accomplishing all “must-do-today” items. Be realistic too — some days you will be more productive than others, so don’t worry if you get off track temporarily. Ensure you also create a balanced schedule that makes the most effective use of your time while

allowing you to do things for yourself, such as a daily coffee or a lunchtime walk. Making more effective use of your time while at work requires commitment and good communication with managers and colleagues. By creating a flexible yet realistic plan that also takes into account how you work best, you’ll be able to keep your “to do” list from snowballing. Before long you’ll find yourself spending less time scrambling to get things done and more time enjoying a sense of accomplishment.

News | Legal & Online Issues

Employers By Ian Knott

NZ Copyright Act

network should have signed already. Your policy needs to specifically cover P2P, torrent files and illegal downloads of music, movies, software and other copyrighted material. Your employees need to know beforehand that even the minimum infringement fine may result in business closure and therefore everyone’s jobs.

On September 1 this year the highly controversial Infringing File Sharing Act kicks into action. Despite its well documented shortcomings, discrepancies and punishments for repeat offenders, the law has the potential to have an impact on ➜ Monitor your monthly data usage. Watch for any unexplained spikes in your usage, small and medium sized businesses. which is much easier to monitor and Of course, it will impact on large businesses too, but these are often the ones with dedicated IT personnel, detailed employee IT policies, solid firewalls and monitored traffic. For a smaller business however, having your internet service cut-off along with the possibility of being fined $15,000 for downloading even a single song could be crippling, to say the least. The law works on a “three strikes” system where copyright owners get IP addresses from Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks. They will then contact the ISP of the user and initiate an infringement notice. The ISP will then send out the notice to the account holder — this is the first warning. That warning lasts for 28 days during which any further infringements will not attract further warnings (but will be logged). After that though, another two warnings will be sent, both lasting for 28 days. At the expiry of the third strike, and providing the infringing is still taking place, an enforcement notice will be issued that the account holder will have 14 days to challenge before court proceedings are started. That’s a minimum of 98 days before the proverbial hits the fan — plenty of time to get to the source of the problem, but not long if you procrastinate and put it into the ‘too hard basket’. Your ISP can only trace traffic back to your router though, not back to the individual computers connected to your network. The onus is on you, as the account holder, to investigate who is doing the offending.

Protective measures So how can you take steps to protect yourself and your business from the ignorant, malicious, selfish or technologically naïve employees? There’s no easy answer, as any determined user ‘in the know’ will be able to circumnavigate your attempts to block them:

➜ Prevention should begin with your employee IT policy — which anyone you employ who uses a computer on your

explain the smaller your business is. Sudden spikes of 2GB or more should arouse suspicion. Operating systems, office suites and design programs regularly update themselves, which can be sizeable downloads — so these can be a cause of some data spikes.

➜ Block the download of some specific

more computers (with trusted users) can be ‘unlocked’ to allow to download. This is done at a server/firewall/router level and requires a medium level of IT knowledge, so it might be worth getting the experts in. Again, there are ways to circumnavigate this but should be sufficient to cover most users.

➜ Make sure your wireless network is fully secure. It is incredible how many still aren’t. Someone in the general vicinity could be illegally downloading using your internet connection – and there’s no way of finding out who. Make sure only authorised users are allowed to access your network.

➜ Check computers for Bittorrent Clients. As a rule, downloading P2P torrents requires a piece of software to do so. Bittorrent, uTorrent, Vuze, Transmission are all popular options, but there are dozens more. There is no need to have them on a computer unless someone is downloading torrent files. However the web browser Opera also has torrenting capabilities —so be vigilant.

➜ Bittorrent clients usually route traffic through a specific port by default (although this can be changed if a user knows how). This port can be blocked on your router, again consult an expert.

file types. .torrent, .avi, .mp4, .mov, .mp3, .m4a, .flac. If some of these file types are actually needed then one or

Ultimately, the issue is a real one and should be addressed by every business that uses computers before the law comes into full effect. If you’re not technologically minded enough to put protection in place then there are a heap of eager professionals out there who can come in, advise, secure and even monitor your network and web traffic. Ian Knott has been commentating on various forms of technology for the last 16 years. He’s had columns on gadgets, gaming, computing and digital entertainment in many newspapers, magazines and websites in New Zealand and overseas.

Compliance breaches could cripple By Anya Anderson

Many businesses are in for a rude awakening as the Commerce Commission toughens up on sales compliance laws in the build-up to the Rugby World Cup later this year. The Commission has said it will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action on those that breach any of New Zealand’s sales laws before and during the event. While most sales breaches covered by the media usually show business people willingly breaking the law, there are many examples where breaches have occurred due to ignorance. This is why anyone in the business of selling must undertake basic sales compliance law training. This includes those on the shop floor and anyone else who sells goods or services. The most well known regulations are the Fair Trading Act (FTA) and the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA). The FTA protects consumers from being misled or treated unfairly by retailers and other businesses. It does this by prohibiting misleading or deceptive conduct, false representations and unfair practices.

There are many prosecutions under this act, and most are due to ignorance rather than an attempt to willingly mislead. One common trap is a failure to clearly state that a quote or advertised price does not include GST. New Zealand companies have been prosecuted for this.

some goods. Otherwise there must be some serious defect with the good and in many cases, the retailer still has the right to repair it rather than replace it. Another act that is often misunderstood is the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA). This applies to anyone providing credit to a private individual under a credit contract. It is intended to protect borrowers by imposing strict disclosure requirements on lenders. It also limits the fees lenders can charge and even how they are calculated.

It is not just small companies that have been bitten by the FTA. The Warehouse pleaded guilty to multiple breaches in 2009 and was fined $209,600. While the FTA generally covers claims about products before sale, the CGA focuses on the quality of goods and services after purchase. Under the CGA, consumer rights are defined by a series of guarantees that a seller makes whenever a good or service is sold. These include things like the goods must be of an acceptable quality, be fit for the purpose the buyer asked about and match their description.

Many businesses that offer these services are unaware of this act’s requirements. A company was recently fined $146,600 for multiple breaches of it. As the Rugby World Cup approaches, businesses throughout New Zealand must allow their sales staff to come to grips with these laws. Failure to do so could lead to serious business damage.

This act can also cause confusion. For example, if a customer asked an assistant for a bathroom heater and was sold one that short-circuited and caused a fire, the shop could be liable for the fire damage. Not many people realise that. The CGA also discredits the myth that customers can return a good within the first seven days of purchase if they are unhappy with it. The seven day rule only applies to

Anya Anderson is managing director of RedSeed Limited, a company specialising in online sales training including retail selling, business to business selling and sales compliance law. She can be contacted at anya@redseed.co.nz

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www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 11

News | Earthquake Recovery

perspectives By Bridget Gourlay

Everything changed at 12:51pm on February 22. Lives were lost, buildings fell, houses were trashed and destroyed. On that terrible afternoon, we collectively realised how petty our concerns that morning had been. Many of us, in the aftermath, rethought our lives.

“What would life be like without her?” As the sun set on what John Key described as “New Zealand’s darkest day,” James Gordon* decided he would propose to his long-term girlfriend. When the earthquake struck, he had been working in Hornby and thought it was just a violent aftershock.

“I made a life changing decision” Since her son’s death three years ago, Kerry Wilson had struggled to cope. She managed to function at work each day, but drank red wine to numb the loneliness of being at home alone, to talk to people and to help her go to sleep.

He didn’t realise how bad the earthquake was When the February earthquake hit, Kerry until he was driving home half an hour later rushed outside to see the city in ruins. and heard on the radio people had died in the “I made it home, like everybody else, centre city, where his girlfriend Amanda Jones* devastated. And we couldn’t go back to work worked. He immediately tried driving into because the building was buggered. The idea town to find her, but the roads were jammed of working from home was overwhelming. I with traffic. made a life changing decision about dealing “It was horrible, I could hear the radio saying with life on life’s terms.” numerous buildings were down and there Kerry went for help. were deaths. I couldn’t get through to her cellphone and she wasn’t answering my texts. “It was time for change in myself, I decided I was thinking about the worst case scenario - about six weeks after February 22. what would life would be like without her.” “I rang Drug & Alcohol and they saw me Finally, a text from Amanda came through immediately. I hadn’t realised how easy to say she was alright and was cycling home. it was to get help, even with buildings not That night, Amanda told him how she had just there any more.” come back from her lunchbreak in Cashel Mall She stayed in a facility for a few weeks and when the earthquake struck. now has a case manager to help her keep If she’d been a few minutes later, she could focused on positive things to do when she is have been hurt or killed. James realised how feeling sad or lonely. lucky they were she had survived, and decided “It was a matter of getting help. I’ve known I he would propose. A week later, the ring couldn’t go on for years with drinking red wine. was bought, the question was popped and It was the same feeling as losing my son — the happy couple plan to marry in summer. They’ve picked a date, and are scheduling their the helplessness of the whole situation.” honeymoon for after February 22 so they will But if there’s one thing she wants to be in the city on the first year anniversary of emphasise, it’s that all sorts of people go to the earthquake. rehab. “It’s not just winos on the street, regular people are there, just like you and I.” “We will be here to mourn and to be thankful we still have each other. We know people who lost their partners and we know we are just so lucky.” 12 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

“It’s about quality of life” A trip to Oamaru in the days immediately following the February earthquake led to a permanent shift for one family. Philippa O’Connell and her two sons, Ben (16) and Nick (13) stayed with family friends for a few days after February 22. A few days turned into a week, and pretty soon the decision was made. Philippa resigned from her corporate job, put the house on the market and moved the family. She’d thought about resigning in the past. Juggling being a single mum to her boys and an intense job which required travelling every three weeks was exhausting. But she was passionate about her work and loyal to the company, IHC, which had been so good to her. After the quake, it was announced her sons’ schools would be only open in the mornings, meaning Philippa would need to find a caregiver for weekday afternoons and when she travelled. Her older son has Downs Syndrome and the family who cared for him every second weekend were too traumatised to continue. “There’s a bit of guilt about leaving, but we can’t judge people who make decisions based on their particular needs. The infrastructure of Christchurch would be so challenging for me and the boys. Oamaru is a super place for Ben it’s so supportive of him.” Philippa says financially, it has been harder. Although IHC has given her some contract work, she is not earning the salary she once did. But it’s worth it. “My decision was about quality of life. I’ve never baked as much as I have in the last few months! I’m really enjoying spending time with the boys.” * Names have been changed.

News | Earthquake Recovery

science

No. The effects of the Canterbury earthquakes in changing the stresses in the New Zealand crust do not extend as far as Wellington – the changes are contained within the Canterbury region. What part of New Zealand has the least risk of earthquakes? There is no place in New Zealand that is earthquake-free however, Northland and Southland have relatively fewer quakes than other parts of the country. Nevertheless, where an earthquake is centred is only half the story, as a strong quake can still cause damaging shaking a considerable distance from its epicentre. As we have seen in Canterbury, faults can be silent and unseen for many thousands of years before rupturing and causing damage.

Some sciences are exact, some aren’t. Earthquake prediction falls firmly in the latter. So the Royal Society of New Zealand, with the Office of the Prime Minister’s Science Advisory Committee, has convened a research consortia (hosted by GNS Science), to answer critical questions based on current best scientific information and knowledge.

Prediction Why didn’t scientists know about the faults that caused the two earthquakes? Prior to September 4, there were no surface signs of the Greendale Fault or the fault that generated the Lyttelton aftershock and there was no evidence for seismicity on these faults. Seismic surveys have located some ‘hidden’ faults across parts of the Canterbury Plains, but these particular regions had not been surveyed for this purpose. It was predicted that aftershocks from the September 2010 earthquake might reach magnitude 6, and some smaller aftershocks had already occurred under Christchurch city. Why wasn’t some warning given about the possibility of a big and damaging aftershock under the city? Warnings were given over the risks from large aftershocks. The prediction of aftershocks of approximately magnitude 6 is based on statistical analysis of historical earthquakes (Bath’s Law), which states “the average difference in magnitude between a mainshock and its largest aftershock is 1.2, regardless of the mainshock magnitude”. A quick survey of some of New Zealand’s largest historical earthquakes conforms to this average, although there is significant variability. The 6.3 aftershock is not outside the average range. The isolated and smaller aftershocks that occurred under the city CBD do not necessitate the presence of a larger fault capable of generating larger earthquakes however, this is possible. Seismic and aerial surveys are targeting this area in the near future to provide constraints on the geometry, extent, and magnitude potential of a fault under the city. Why did the February aftershock occur so long after the September 2010 earthquake? It is not unusual to have a six month gap between a magnitude 7.1 earthquake and a 6.3 aftershock. How predictable was the 22 February quake - and what was the influence of the moon and the tides; do more earthquakes happen at night? Despite substantial scientific effort, the specific timing, location, or magnitude of earthquakes

Rebuilding

cannot be predicted. Although it is not possible to reliably predict individual earthquakes, it is possible and routine to identify areas and times of higher or lower earthquake activity based on models of crustal stresses and faulting. In addition, on the basis of observations of past earthquakes, it is possible to expect a series of aftershocks after an earthquake which follows a general and decreasing pattern, but there is always some level of unpredictability as to their timing, location and severity. For this reason, it is not possible to give specific predictions about aftershocks in terms of severity, location and timing. Are the recent natural disasters in Queensland, Japan and New Zealand linked in any way? No. The Canterbury earthquakes are in no way related to the flooding events in Queensland or the massive earthquake in Japan.

Facts Why was the magnitude 6.3 earthquake able to cause so much more destruction in the CBD and Christchurch suburbs than the magnitude 7.1 quake last September? The main reason was that the earthquake was so close to Christchurch. Although the total energy released by the February 6.3 aftershock was only about 1/20 of the energy from last September’s magnitude 7.1 event, the 6.3 quake was much closer to the Christchurch CBD (6 km to the south-east, compared to the 7.1 earthquake being 44km west), so a greater percentage of the total energy released from the 6.3 earthquake hit Christchurch itself. It was the closeness of the earthquake to the city and its shallowness that led to the increased destruction. Was the Christchurch magnitude 6.3 earthquake an aftershock? Yes. The term ‘aftershock’ refers to an earthquake that is smaller in magnitude than the preceding main shock, part of the sequence of earthquakes that closely follows the main shock in time, and in the region influenced by changes in crustal stress levels due to the main shock. The M 6.3 earthquake fits all of these criteria and is therefore considered an aftershock.

After liquefaction, does the ground ever stabilise again? The risks from liquefaction will remain. Strength-depth profiles under some parts of Christchurch indicate up to 9m of ‘liquefiable’ material. Immediately following some of the largest aftershocks from the 7.1 earthquake, liquefaction reappeared in the same areas. During the 6.3 earthquake, liquefaction was widespread and vents continued to surge during the aftershocks immediately following this event. Although some ground settlement may occur, the large reservoir of liquefiable material and these examples suggest that similar characteristics of ground shaking are likely to result in similar amounts of liquefaction in the future. Have new faults appeared under Christchurch after these earthquakes? It is not yet known. All aftershocks are earthquakes and most earthquakes occur on faults. There has been some aftershock activity under Christchurch however, this activity has occurred on small faults that may not be connected. In order to better understand the extent of faults under the city, further seismic studies are required.

Future activity

What scientific studies have been done or could be done to help in our urban development planning for the future? In regions such as Canterbury, where the basement rocks are covered by gravels and other deposits, the location of faults and how they link to each other cannot be determined by surface observations alone. A range of geophysical measurements can be made, and are now being made, to determine properties of the crust and identify the locations of buried faults. In addition, after major earthquakes such as experienced in Canterbury and Christchurch, the entire region will have many very small earthquakes. With detailed observations, we can and are mapping the locations of these very small earthquakes and are finding other faults in the area, not otherwise visible at the surface. With an inventory of these faults, we are in a better position to address issues such as the maximum size of possible future earthquakes, how faults relate to each other, and whether there are some locations ill suited to high density development. When large areas of a city and its infrastructure have been destroyed in an earthquake - what’s next? Other cities have recovered from similar damage. Christchurch is not alone in having experienced a devastating earthquake causing extensive damage and fatalities throughout the city: San Francisco, Tokyo, Kobe, Santiago, Mexico City and Napier have all suffered devastating earthquakes and had to grapple with the challenges of rebuilding.

The effects of the recent large earthquake and, particularly the accompanying tsunami in northern Japan are well known. The decisions to be made go well beyond the realm of science alone, although science and engineering can and will inform policy makers. However, New Zealand has always been an earthquake prone part of the world. It will therefore be important to plan, design and engineer to deal with such risks, as was the Will these earthquakes trigger an eruption case after the Napier earthquake. It may be of the Banks Peninsula volcanoes, and are other volcanic areas like Timaru, Oamaru and that the detailed investigations now under way will lead to recommendations that some areas Dunedin likely to get earthquakes like this? in Christchurch should not be rebuilt, or should No. The last time the Banks Peninsula be used for alternative purposes. At this stage, volcanoes erupted was 5.8 million years ago. it is far too early to be definite. There is no evidence of magma remaining. There is no link between these geologically Is Christchurch now a safe place to live in? ancient events and the current patterns of Yes. While all of New Zealand is at risk of earthquakes in Canterbury. earthquakes, what will keep people safe is How long will the current sequence of aftershocks go on for? The frequency of aftershocks will generally decrease over time, and earthquakes that can be felt will become less common. One year from now the rate of earthquakes that people can feel may be on the order of one per month.

Is the big earthquake predicted for Wellington now more likely to happen in the near future?

thorough science, engineering, strong and well-enforced regulation and comprehensive preparation and disaster planning.

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 13

News | Cover Story

By Bridget Gourlay

Napier, February 3, 1931. Students are bent over schoolbooks. Shoppers meander the streets. A harsh summer sun beats down. There is nothing unusual about this serene Kiwi scene, except that it’s about to be pulverised. When the 7.8 earthquake strikes, nearly the entire CBD collapses. The following days are biblical in terms of the scale of disaster; fires rage, the earth shakes and the body count climbs.

It was predicted the city would never recover. But it did… and then some. In a Listener article a decade later, a school headmistress said Napier was now a “far lovelier” city than it had ever been. Why? Because it had been rebuilt so enthusiastically! Far from being wiped off the map, it morphed into an Art Deco (the contemporary building style of the time) shrine that is now a magnet for architecture fans far and wide. Seventy years later and the big one strikes again. This time, on a drizzly February afternoon, an aftershock opens a faultline only a few kilometres underneath Christchurch’s central city. Memories from ‘that day’ will never leave us. Many of us have not entered the red zone and by what we can see from the cordons or images on the news, the city is unrecognisable. Empty sites and broken buildings stand on what was, for more than 150 years, our city’s heart. Within days of the disaster, talk turned in Christchurch to what we can build from this calamity. Much like Napier, we too could build a city for our time. Share An Idea has been filled with suggestions of green buildings, pedestrianised roads and modern structures which reflect and compliment our Gothic Revival past.

Bringing it back

successfully controlled “antisocial” behaviour. A team of city ambassadors monitored the streets during the day to assist visitors to the city and enhance safety. Early on in his job, while working on a city mall upgrade, Lonsdale discovered some business owners who worked side by side had barely spoken since the last upgrade 23 years ago. “As soon as I heard that I thought — that is the key issue in the city, no one communicating.” Once he persuaded more and more businesses to join the association, the community joined together. It began talking about issues they had in common. Due to lack of funds, Lonsdale taught himself how to build websites and got one going. Weekly newsletters keep everybody informed. Things were looking up. By September 3 last year, Lonsdale says the city was in much better shape than it had been for years.

Seismic shifts The past year has been a tumultuous time for all of us. After the September 4 quake, Lonsdale remembers working 18 hours a day, seven days a week, trying to get as much of the city open as possible and support businesses with damaged properties. Thanks to the communication already established, retailers got through the Christmas shopping season. Exhausted on Boxing Day morning, Lonsdale says “I remember lying in bed thinking I had three days off!”

Turning our devastated city back into a thriving centre of commerce and leisure is no easy task. Thanks to the shallow 4.9 aftershock, retailers One of the people at the helm of this is Central lost the biggest day of the year after a rough City Business Association head Paul Londsdale. three months. But Lonsdale sped into action once more, and organised the Boxing Day A proud Cantabrian since he was 11 years old, Replay. On a warm summer’s day in early Lonsdale came from a background in shopping February, crowds gathered and enjoyed the mall management when in 2007 he was sales. “We made back all the money we lost employed by the recently formed Central City on the 26th,” Londsdale remembers. Business Association, after an unsuccessful marketing campaign of the centre city by the “After that I was feeling pretty comfortable. Chamber of Commerce. Everything was back on track. Then of course, there was February 22 and that’s the day That campaign failed, he says, because Christchurch changed forever.” before you market anything you need to get the environment right — safety, cleaning, parking and consistent shopping hours. He felt there was a lack of cohesive communication Six months on from ‘that day’ and most of between the stakeholders such as the council, us have not re-entered the central city. We business owners, property owners and the live, work, shop, play and dine in the suburbs. police. And he quickly set about putting it right. Seeing the central city, something he worked

Starting again

“It was challenging,” Lonsdale remembers. “The suburban mall has one thing that gives it a competitive edge, and that is centralised management.” It dictates opening hours, uses a portion of rent for marketing and operations such as cleaning, and pays for parking to make it free for customers. “A central city is very different. There were hundreds of different business owners — from national chains which had set opening hours to smaller boutique places that can basically open and close whenever they want.” Within a few years, Lonsdale had achieved more results than expected. He produced a city map and directory so people could find what shops they wanted to visit quickly. Classical music started playing in Cashel Mall, which delighted shoppers and 14 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

so hard to revive, in such a state must be devastating to Londsdale. But he’s been hard at work almost since its collapse, putting together the first stages of getting it back on its feet. First up is Restart; 29/10/11. This is a Central City Business and Property Owner Group initiative. On Cashel Street, the area from the Bridge Of Remembrance to Colombo Street will be open for business in time for the annual Cup and Show Week, at the end of October. By then, the dangerous buildings will be demolished and new temporary containers will be set up for other shops. Ballyntynes, the heart of central city retail for more than a century, will be the anchor for the Restart. The building came through the quake without serious damage and the business is keen to start trading again.

News | Cover Story

Lonsdale says research shows if life doesn’t return to the city within six to nine months of a disaster then people’s routines become ingrained. He is concerned that some businesses in temporary homes in the suburbs will never come back. “Of course they have to get back and trading, they’re obligated to minimise their loss by their insurance companies. But I’m still worried. However, a number that have located into suburban areas still want to be part of the Restart, they want to come back into the city and we’ve just got to provide a platform for that to happen. It is about saving those boutique retailers, it is about keeping the fabric of our city so that when the rebuild happens they’ve got places they can go back to. “The idea behind it is to provide an opportunity for businesses spread throughout the Red Zone who cannot open where they were. For most, it is an opportunity to open sooner than otherwise possible. Restart is not simply re-opening businesses that were already located in the mall area. It is hoped that the tenants will represent the wider Christchurch CBD retail and hospitality businesses and some national chains.” Once the rebuild gets under way, the containers from the Restart can be moved. So when buildings are being constructed in Cashel Mall and it becomes a noisy dirty building site, the containers can be moved to another spot in the city with demolished buildings, creating a new temporary shopping precinct. This will allow the estimated five years of building work to go ahead but for the central city to still remain open in part and not shut away. Lonsdale says in the short term, the new events centre in Hagley Park, the Arts Festival, Cup and Show Week and the Santa Parade will all keep vitality and commerce going near the centre city.

Positive changes The best part of rebuilding a city centre means problems that previously existed can be rectified. Before the earthquake, the centre city had been fading for years. Most “damaging,” Lonsdale says, was the 1999 council decision to open up industrial lands to retail activity. He says in the three years following this decision, retail floor area increased by 72,000 square metres and continues to grow, with virtually all of this occurring in out-of-town

centres. Over the past seven years, less than 15 percent of new office space was within the CBD. Another issue, he says, was that the central city’s numerous heritage buildings were hard to modify because they were protected, leading to them becoming derelict and unused. Many of these have come down in the earthquakes.

Public transport Envisaging a new city, Lonsdale wants to see an efficient and attractive public transport system with proper cycle lanes that will tempt people out of cars, and he likes the idea of light rail. However, he says cars are still the preferred mode of transport for the shopping experience and the new city will need parking spaces to compete with suburban malls. He also believes the central city will need to have a smaller retail centre, because “spreading retail too thinly dilutes the vibrancy. That’s why shopping malls are so successful.” And he wants facilities back into the centre city. “We need to bring the convention centre closer to the heart of the city, bring QEII Park back into it. I haven’t been to QEII since 1978 when Bowie came!” More than just working and shopping, Lonsdale says a truly successful CBD has people living in it. He hopes the new city centre will achieve the council’s long-term aspiration of having 30,000 people living in the city centre by the year 2026. “This now can become a reality with the right incentives. There should be a good mix of housing within the commercial and retail precincts and they should integrate in a way that makes them attractive and desirable to live in. “I have no doubt the city will come back; we need that city plan that carries with it a great vision. If you have a great vision, the rest will follow. People will come and they’ll want to be part of it. We are aging faster then other parts of the country, so we need to build a city that is sustainable in the long term. One we can pass onto future generations, one that inspires people. We want to attract young talented people into our city, so we don’t become a retirement village.” Mother Nature, in her callous, indiscriminate way, has devastated our city. Just as Napier had to do before us, we must restore and rebuild. It’s entirely possible in 70 years time we could be New Zealand’s most iconic city, reinvented and fresh.

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 15

10 WEEK COMPANY CHALLENGE CREATING HEALTHIER LIFESTYLES Do you believe you and your company have what it takes to succeed on the health and fitness playing field? Do you have the fittest GM/MD in town? Bring your team together and raise money for charity while creating a healthy workplace environment at the same time!

CATEGORIES FITTEST COMPANY

FITTEST GM/MD

COMPANY WEIGHT LOSS

You and your work colleagues will compete in selected events to find Christchurch’s fittest company.

Nominate your company General Manager/Managing Director to compete for the title.

Take your company on a weight loss journey that will challenge you both mentally and physically.

TO REQUEST AN INFORMATION PACK PLEASE CONTACT: Paul@activehealthandwellness.co.nz www.activehealthandwellness.co.nz

16 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

RAISES $100,000 FOR CHRISTCHURCH Scholastic announces that Quaky Cat, the children’s picture book created in the aftermath of the September 4 Christchurch earthquake, has now raised $100,000 for Christchurch. Written by Diana Noonan and illustrated by Gavin Bishop, Quaky Cat has brought comfort to Christchurch children and their families since its publication in December 2010. No one involved with the book’s production could ever have envisaged that, less than six months later, Christchurch would be struck again, this time by an even more devastating earthquake. Proceeds from sales of Quaky Cat, including all of Noonan and Bishop’s royalties, have been donated to the Christchurch Women’s Refuge ($25,000) and Te Tai Tamariki Children’s Literature Trust ($25,000) with Scholastic’s contribution ($50,000) going to the Christchurch Earthquake Mayoral Appeal. 15,000 copies of the book were gifted by Scholastic to year 1 and 2 children in the Christchurch region.

Bob Parker with Scholastic Publishing Manager Diana Murray

Te Tai Tamariki Chairperson Rosemary Bonkowski, with illustrator Gavin Bishop and Diana

Quaky Cat has consistently appeared in the NZ Top 10 bestseller list, alongside books by authors such as Jodi Picoult and Nigel Latta, and is also being sold by Scholastic worldwide, with funds continuing to be donated to Christchurch. In the words of Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker, Quaky Cat “is a book our very brave children (and adults) will treasure”. Scholastic is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and a leader in educational technology, creating quality products and services that educate, entertain and motivate children that are distributed through a variety of channels including retail stores, school book clubs, book fairs and libraries. www.scholastic.co.nz

Women’s Refuge with Diana

Simply email promotions@academy.net.nz with “QUAKY CAT” in the subject line by 12 August 2011 to be in to win a copy of this book.

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 17

News Special | Investment/Finance

Growing your stake By Bridget Gourlay

You want to grow your small business, but where do you start? Do you invest in your staff? What about new equipment or software? Marketing? R&D? Although there’s no set formula, there are some rules that apply to all businesses looking to grow. Business Mentors NZ CEO Ray Scholfield says firstly he recommends using his own not for profit organisation. Completely free, businesses can get an experienced mentor to cast their fresh pair of eyes on your accounts, direction and ideas. “People get married to a business, and with working long hours they can’t see the woods for the trees. The old corny saying ‘they’re working in it, not on it’ applies. “Often someone independent can come in and be totally objective. Their only agenda is to help a business do better.” In terms of growth, BMNZ has plenty of experience in that. Schofield himself was a voluntary mentor for years before becoming CEO and says a mentor often sees areas for growth the owner doesn’t. “Sometimes people’s perceptions of what they need can be absolutely accurate, less than accurate, or nothing like what the real need is. People think ‘I could be doing better; I just need some sales and marketing assistance to lift the business up and perform better.’ “But often in those circumstances, whilst they could benefit from a more focused sales and marketing approach it may well be that their financial management and performance needs major work on it as well. 18 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

“There’s no point trying to develop strategies and planning if in fact the performance of the business is not appropriate. Then you look to address planning and sales and marketing.”

Do…

Stick to your strengths

● Have a business mentor for a fresh look and good advice

Scholfield advises business owners stick to their strengths when trying to grow.

“Someone could start off as an apprentice panel beater. And over time they could prove to have real skill in that area and decide they want to own their own business. “They may be a very good panel beater, but suddenly they’re trying to be a general manager. As they start to grow their business and employ staff they are doing something they don’t have any skills in — and managing people can be quite challenging! “Managing clients can be challenging. Collecting money owed to you is not easy. All those things take people outside of their key skillset.” That’s where you invest. If, for example, doing accounts is challenging and boring for you, Scholfield says to hire someone else to do them. “It’s better to concentrate in the areas you are strong in. When people try to do things they’re not very good at, they don’t do them very well the whole thing gets in a mess and the things they are good at also get neglected.”

Do your research “Typically, New Zealand businesses do not do adequate research,” Scholfield says. “Where are their customers coming from, where are they spending, what are the opportunities? Where is your competition? Some people wouldn’t have a clue. You really do need to think about it. There’s some good tools out there.” These tools don’t involve spending a lot of money on expensive surveys and research. Often it’s free.

● Your research — use Statistics NZ

● Stick to your strengths — hire people to do jobs you do not like or are bad at

Don’t… ● Work in your business. Instead, work on it ● Be afraid to ask for help or advice ● Try to do everything yourself “If you were a panel beater and you were thinking about buying a panel beating business in Matamata — you can use Statistics NZ and determine how many cars there are in the Matamata area, how many accidents there were in a given time, how many panel beating competitors you’ve got. That can help you plan if you’re going to expand your business or buy one down the road and merge the two.” BMNZ has access to the University of Waikato’s benchmarking information for free, which is also commercially available. With that information, the panel beating business could see the analysis of panel beating in New Zealand. It gives the lower, median and upper quartiles and it gives every single cost centre associated with that type of business and that sector. “You can benchmark your business against industry average,” Schofield enthuses. “So if your rent is typically ten percent end of turnover and the median is seven, you’ve got a problem!”

News Special | Investment/Finance

Show me the money Once you’ve decided where you want to grow your business, the matter of where to get the money from arises. Generally SMEs have four options available to them; personal equity, a bank loan, angel investors and venture capitalists. Westpac’s Martin Brennan says it comes down to personal choice.

Personal equity

Firstly, you can reach into your own pockets to finance your growth, such as taking out a loan against your house or from personal savings and investments. Brennan says there are good and bad sides to this option. “Ultimately, personal equity gives you control. You’re accountable to no person. Personal equity also leads to less expectations of return. But the more personal equity you’ve got in a business means that

money isn’t available to do other things you want to do.”

Bank loan

Banks give businesses loans if they believe in it. While you must pay it back (with interest), you still keep 100 percent ownership of the business. “My view and I have a bias, is that with bank debt there is a guaranteed exit price. In other words, you borrow $100,000 and you know exactly how much it costs to, in effect, pay out that partner. Equally, a bank doesn’t want to have a stake in your business. Debt I’d say to people is the opportunity to keep control of your business.”

Angel investors

Angel investors are people prepared to invest in a promising business. They usually are already familiar with the industry. “Angel investors are only for the bigger end of medium-sized businesses,” Brennan points out. “Unless they saw potential like a new invention, it would be problematic to get them onboard. I would only go to them if you felt you had substantial growth opportunity.”

www.nzvca.co.nz

According to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), angel investors’ expectations are usually at least a 30 percent return on their money and often want some equity (ownership) in your business to offset their risk. The advantages of having angel investors are that you get the cash right away and can start growing. On the other hand, you must be completely comfortable with only owning a part of your business.

www.nzte.govt.nz

Venture capitalists

Useful websites www.business.govt.nz www.angelassociation.co.nz

www.bmnz.co.nz www.frst.govt.nz www.thesmallbusinessgame.co.nz www.businessresourcecentre.co.nz

NZTE says venture capitalists are investment companies or fund managers that give cash in return for part-ownership of your business. They provide more money than an angel and will also provide expertise, support, contacts and management help. In return for risking their funds, they tend to favour only high-growth companies that are

likely to provide them with high returns. They plan to realise their gains on exit from the investment. NZTE says some investment firms are only going to want to give you money, provided you follow all the rules to the letter. This can be a little bit difficult, especially for a business that is just starting out and needs a little bit of leniency so that they can grow to their full potential. Although the money that you get from one of these firms can certainly help your business, if they are too restrictive, it can also tie you down considerably. “Venture capitalists tend to look for an exit strategy in one form or another of that business, so if you were looking to work with a venture capitalist you would have to buy into that strategy of an exit over a 3-5 years timeline. It might not be suited if your aspirations were longer term,” Brennan says. He usually asks his clients if they have seen the popular reality TV show Dragon’s Den. “That’s a good snapshot of what angel investors and venture capitalists will put you through. You need to decide how much of your ‘baby’ you want to give up.” Brennan says businesses need to see an investment, whether it’s a bank loan or money from an angel investor or venture capitalist, as a partnership. “Do it for the right reasons, not just for need of money. Build good sustainable long-term relationships. Generally I’m a great believer that it’s about partnership and you must get that balance right. For most low-end SMEs it’s (financing growth) really an equity and debt solution. In my experience, it’s how much do you want to partner with people for what that mix is.” Other words of wisdom Brennan has learned from a long career of working with SMEs are that good things take time. “Don’t grow too quickly and without a sound foundation. The analogy I use is it’s like trying to put a third story on a house that’s designed for one floor.” www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 19

News | Lifestyles

lifestyles

enjoying the journey…

sweet dreams

king of cognacs

picture perfect

The Beautyrest Black bed

Black Pearl Louis XIII

Fujifilm FinePix F550 EXR

Nothing beats a great night’s sleep, but why not catch some quality snooze time in style? If this sounds like you, then the Beautyrest Black bed is the cat’s pyjamas, offering ultimate comfort and opulence. It features triple woven springs, advanced memory foam, progressive latex with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and alpaca fibres, all offset by sparkling, hand rivetted crystals.

So dark it’s almost black, Black Pearl is a limited edition cognac from Rémy Martin’s stock of 100 year old Louis XIII. Just one type of oak barrel has been used, meaning only 786 bottles were ever available for purchase. Its value is amplified by the Baccarat crystal bottles, each individually numbered and hand-blown from black crystal. Because of its unavailability, this limited-edition bauble sells for wildly varying prices, but a single shot of this deliciously sinful treat runs for about $2,900 at New York’s finest hotels.

Packed with features and loaded with some of the latest technological innovations, Fujifilm’s FinePix F550 EXR is the traveller’s best friend.

The foam is pre-crushed three times and eliminates the body impressions that form in the bed over years of use. It comes with a 15-year warranty, in four sizes and with three different bases. It all adds up to the ultimate sleep solution in a timeless fashion statement. RRP: $16,500 for a king Available: From selected retailers, visit www.beautyrestblack.co.nz

RRP: $40,624 for a 1.5 litre magnum Available: Not readily available try www.distinctwhiskeycompany.com

island life Bora Bora Marara Beach and Private Island

A tag is also placed on the image which, when using place names, can easily be searched for, enabling you to quickly find shots of a specific location or point of interest. Or if you took a shot at a restaurant you want to return to, find the picture and the F550 will provide the distance and direction you need to travel from your existing location to get back there. Now that’s a pretty cool camera! RRP: $699 Available: From leading photo specialists

Having your own private island is perhaps the ultimate indulgence. However for corporate incentive and conference groups, or those simply planning a group escape, it’s not beyond reach.

apple of my eye

Bora Bora is one of the South Pacific’s most spectacular retreats, often called the most beautiful island in the world, encircled by a protective necklace of coral and boasting 360 degree panoramic views. Sofitel Bora Bora Marara Beach & Private Island features its own private island or ‘motu’, just 150 metres long and 70 metres wide and available for three night private bookings from November 1 to May 31 until 2013.

This is one processor that refuses to act its size and in fact, the Mac Mini is pretty incredible, no matter how you look at it. This latest incarnation is sleeker and stronger, powered by a 2.4GHz or 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, with a superfast 1066MHz frontside bus and 3MB of L2 cache for a nice little performance boost.

RRP: From $258 per person per night (accommodation only) Available: Book at www.sofitel-frenchpolynesia.com

ultimate desk toy Buckyballs Brace yourself, because a whole new level of time wasting entertainment is here — Buckyballs. Each Buckyball cube contains 216 magnetic balls that can be shaped, molded, torn apart and snapped together in any shape you choose. You can mash them for stress-relief, mold them for fun, make sculptures and shapes, stick stuff to the fridge or learn Buckyballs tricks. But be warned, these things are seriously addictive. RRP: $42.90 Available: At www.giftbob.co.nz.

20 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

Yes, it’s ideal for point-and-shoot photographers or SLR users who want to travel light, without compromising picture-taking versatility. It has 15x optical zoom, anti-blur, HD movie capture and 360° panorama mode, but the masterstroke is its GPS capability. Regardless of where you are in the world, the FinePix F550 EXR will recognize your location and display it either as longitude and latitude or by place name.

Mac Mini

Add the fastest integrated graphics processor on the market today, Nvidia’s GeForce 320M, plus speedy DDR3 memory and this thing just cooks, delivering up to twice the performance of its predecessor. What all this means is you get serious pixel-pushing power for games and graphics-intensive applications. A raft of ports means you can also plug this baby into HDTV screens and entertainment systems and removable bottom allows for easy hardware upgrades. RRP: From $1,199 Available: From selected retailers, www.apple.com.nz

News | Events Diary

Courses, events, business happenings… august

Coaching for Performance — NZIM Southern

For anyone responsible for the performance and development of a team, this two-day workshop that works particularly well for leaders of virtual or multi-site teams. For more information visit www.nzimsouthern.co.nz Monday

august

Project Management: Advanced — Organisation Development Institute

The aim of this two day workshop is to provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to move to a more senior or comprehensive project management role. For more information visit www.development.org.nz Wednesday

august

Business Ethics — NZIM Southern

This one day seminar is designed for leaders and managers to Friday develop their understanding of ethics and improve their ability to both identify and deal with ethical issues in the workplace. Participants will get an appreciation of how personal ethics impact judgements, examine business practices from a variety of ethical perspectives and learn tools available to support ethical workplace behaviour. For more information visit www.nzimsouthern.co.nz august

Introduction to Law for Governance and Management — Wednesday Organisation Development Institute

resolution as they relate to the governance and management of New Zealand companies and organisations. For more information visit www.development.org.nz august

Thursday

Employment Relations Kit — Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce

A workshop assisting employers to improve procedures so they can reduce lost time and resources and enhance employment relationships. Participants will receive a comprehensive kit. To register email maryb@cecc.org.nz or visit www.exportnz.org.nz august

Exporter After 5 — Export New Zealand

Exporters face unique business opportunities and challenges ay sd Thur and these networking sessions provide a chance to share experiences and knowledge with like-minded exporters. From 5.30pm to 7.30pm. For more information email canterbury@exportnewzealand.org.nz or visit www.exportnz.org.nz august

Export Procedures and Documentation — Export NZ and CECC

This single day, hands-on workshop, focuses on the export process and documentation, including completing of actual export documents against a letter of credit and an insight into what can go wrong. To register email maryb@cecc.org. nz or visit www.exportnz.org.nz Tuesday

Financial Arrangements for SMEs — NZ This one day workshop delivers an overview of Institute of Chartered Accountants the New Zealand legal system, using selected aspects of commercial law and disputes

This half day seminar is ideally suited to chartered accountants who have SMEs or high

net worth individuals as clients and company accountants and CFOs of SMEs who have tax oversight. Participants will get an overview of the financial arrangement rules for SMEs, and understand the common pitfalls with financial arrangements and related regimes in the SME environment. To register visit www.nzica.com sept

Assertive Behaviour Strategies — NZIM Southern

A two day course to develop confidence in achieving positive y da Mon outcomes in interpersonal relationships. It aims to give participants the skills and confidence to utilise different communications styles, present ideas and opinions with more confidence, communicate with difficult people openly and easily, handle demanding situations. For more information visit www.nzimsouthern.co.nz sept

Tuesday

Accounting for NonAccountants — Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce

Accounting for non-accountants is designed specifically for those who need to read their basic financial statements and improve their understanding of key accounting concepts. By the end of this course you’ll be able to read profit and loss statements and balance sheets, and understand the common classifications and groupings within them. To register email maryb@cecc.org.nz or visit www.cecc.org.nz sept

16 Friday

Building your Brand — NZIM Southern A single day seminar for anyone interested in making their product or service stand out in

If you have events you would like featured in the Events Diary, email newsroom@academy.net.nz at least two months before the date of the event. Or, if you have held an event and would like to supply photos for the Been Seen section (along with 100 words about the event and a caption for each image), send to newsroom@academy.net.nz

the crowd. For more information visit www. nzimsouthern.co.nz sept

27 Tuesday

Costing, Pricing and Cashflow Planning — Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce

This workshop explores the costs in a small business and gives you some of the tools you need to start planning your future revenues and expenses. To register email maryb@cecc.org.nz or visit www.cecc.org.nz sept

Contract Management — Organisation Development Institute

This single day workshop is for anyone entering, or recently entered, the field of contract management and who needs some formal introduction to the concepts in this field. It also serves as a refresher for experienced practitioners in contract and project management. For more information visit www.development.org.nz Thursday

February quake and that will have to restart at some stage. Debtors are going to be faced with mounting bills.

Davey urges any business suffering from debt collecting problems to contact them.

“In Christchurch, for a whole lot of businesses and for their debtors, now’s the time they will be striking trouble.”

“I’ve been talking to finance companies and car dealers who say they are expecting the hit around about now. People have been able to cope, they’ve been using their credit cards and savings, but now those times are nearing the end. They’re going to be hit with the stark reality that they don’t have the money to pay their accounts. Who’s going to be not paid first?”

“In today’s circumstances it’s a matter of getting a commitment from the debtor they will pay something. Too often we see clients become debtors themselves when they are owed money. If you’re going to get behind in your debts – honesty is the best policy. Go through the proper channels and come to us, because at the end of the day, that debt’s not going to go away.”

This sobering message comes from Baycorp’s South Island Regional Manager Greg Davey, who is concerned the financial ramifications of the February earthquake are going to escalate in the near future.

Statistics from Veda Advantage show that in March credit applications in Christchurch were down 29 percent, while nationwide credit applications were up 2.7 percent compared to last year.

For nearly 30 years, in one form or another, Baycorp has been operating as a debt collection business in the mainland. And key to the company’s future goals is focusing its attentions in the South Island. That’s why Davey left his career overseas to return to New Zealand to join highly experienced Bev Wall in Christchurch last October.

May applications were only down 3.7 percent on same time last year which means the region is regaining its credit appetite. However, these figures would have taken a further hit after the June 13 quakes.

Baycorp P O Box 1343 Christchurch 8140 T (03) 345 7200 T 0800 BAYCORP (0800 229 267) www.baycorp.co.nz

Despite a series of earthquakes and the Baycorp team losing its inner city offices, Greg Davey and Bev Wall say they are “now more than ever” committed to their customers. They are concerned that in the current economic climate, without their help, businesses will be in real strife. “The honeymoon period of the Government’s support package is over,” Davey says. “People have been made unemployed, companies have gone under. A lot of big businesses haven’t been proactively seeking out or chasing debt in the greater Christchurch area since the

There is good news though. Baycorp is there to help its clients in any way they can with accounting procedures and debt recovery. It can send its specially trained field agents or do legal action on a client’s behalf. Baycorp’s attitude is not about hounding debtors but about finding a way to make repayments through good communication. Baycorp has moved into a modern office in Hornby, with new furniture, new computers and new systems now linked directly with the Auckland head office. They have also taken over the Baycorp operations for the Nelson and West Coast area – another sign of its clear commitment to the South Island.

Bev Wall being presented with a certificate by Greg Davey, thanking her for 27 years of service.

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 21

22 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 23

Prepar

Helping Canterbury businesses

Recover i ng & r Fo

om Fr

Rebuilding Canterbury | Being Prepared

is a s

survive, revive and thrive The work of Recover Canterbury

Recover Canterbury is a joint venture that brings together the resources of the South Island’s two largest business support agencies, Canterbury Development Corporation (CDC) and Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce (CECC), along with several government agencies. Formed with the single-minded purpose of driving business recovery in Canterbury following the September 4 and February 22 earthquakes, Recover Canterbury has provided support to thousands of local businesses since September. Working with CERA, other Central and Local Government departments,

the New Zealand and Canterbury business communities and the Christchurch City Council (CCC), Recover Canterbury is committed to working on immediate and longer-term solutions to local business needs.

fund can be accessed through Recover Canterbury to provide cash injections into strong, but earthquake-affected businesses to ensure, firstly their survival and subsequently their revival.

The organisation has a team of Business Recovery Coordinators that are available to provide and procure business recovery, relief assistance and advice to Canterbury businesses that have been impacted by the earthquakes. This may include financial assistance, grants, business mentoring or access to professional services depending on individual business circumstances and needs.

CBRT has now paid out over $1million in funds to businesses in need following the Canterbury earthquakes. Uses of the fund include, but are not limited to, such things as:

To access a Business Recovery Coordinator, call Recover Canterbury on 0800 50 50 96 or visit the Recover Canterbury website at www. recovercanterbury.co.nz

Canterbury Business Recovery Trust Fund Canterbury Business Recovery Trust Fund (CBRT) was established to support earthquake impacted businesses in the Canterbury region. While independently administered, the

●

Temporary or permanent relocation costs within Canterbury

●

Connection to essential services such as telecommunications

●

Restoration of damaged ICT hardware and files

●

Access to expert advice and assistance.

It is guaranteed 100 % of CBRT donations will go back into Canterbury businesses. To apply for financial support through the CBRT visit the website www. recovercanterbury.co.nz. To make a donation to CBRT visit the website www.cbrt.co.nz.

Focus on support… Recover Canterbury is focused on supporting Canterbury businesses that have been adversely affected by the recent earthquakes and driving business recovery in the region. Four months on from February 22 the benefits of this support are starting to be seen.

24 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

The Coffee House on Montreal Street which recently reopened following the earthquakes, is an example of a business that Recover Canterbury and the Canterbury Business Recovery Trust Fund have helped.

The support offered by Recover Canterbury isn’t just focused on financial assistance, with hundreds of companies benefiting from the input provided by a team focused on helping Canterbury business to recover.

“We are so grateful for the support we’ve received from the Trust. We are going through extraordinary and difficult times. Without this support I’m not sure we would have had the will and wherewithal to carry on” said Ben Dunkin, owner of the Coffee House.

“We’ve literally had thousands of businesses contact us,” says Toni Brownie, COO of Recover Canterbury. “Each one has different needs, but whether it is funding assistance, access issues, training or just needing someone to discuss options for taking a business forward we are here to listen and help.”

“We’re not used to asking for help but my team and I will be back in business, doing what we love — looking after our customers.”

Recover Canterbury T 0800 50 50 96 www.recovercanterbury.co.nz

Prepar

Recover i ng & r Fo

om Fr

Rebuilding Canterbury | Being Prepared

is a s

Keeping positive Shaken they may be, but almost half of Christchurch businesses expect revenue to increase next year. Despite ongoing aftershocks, Christchurch businesses remain positive in their outlook for the future, with almost half (46 percent) of local businesses expecting revenue to improve during the next 12 months, and only 17 percent expecting it to fall, according to a mid-June MYOB survey. The survey of more than 260 businesses based across the city highlighted the cost of the last 10 months of earthquakes, with 45 percent reporting a fall in revenue compared to the same time last year. Christchurch businesses are also expecting to see ongoing effects of the earthquakes on their operations during the next quarter, with 40 percent expecting less, or a lot less, work in the pipeline during coming months. However, some sectors continue to do well, with over a quarter (27 percent) reporting more work in the pipeline. MYOB general manager Julian Smith says Christchurch businesses are proving to be extraordinarily resilient.

Online Security offers a complete range of secure paper-based and electronic business information storage.

Business security services Christchurch businesses that backed up their digital and hard-copy data and stored it offsite with Online Security Services were able to get back up and running quickly after the February earthquake. Online Security is a nationwide wholly New Zealand owned company that specialises in providing secure management of business information. Online has purpose built secure facilities in Auckland, Wellington, Palmerston North and Christchurch dedicated to the protection and storage of both electronic and paper-based business information. Sales manager Yvette Milne says being prepared for disaster is essential in today’s business world. “It’s all about preparation. Certainly with the recent earthquakes we’ve had, the clients who were working with us and storing their essential backup data at an alternative location from their premises were able to recover quickly, as they hadn’t lost their vital business information,” she says. Online Security offers a complete range of secure paper-based and electronic business information storage.

Archive security provides secure off-site storage and retrieval of hard-copy documents with access 24/7. Milne says many clients don’t have room to securely store paper documents on site while the earthquakes have forced businesses to relocate to smaller premises. All paper files are stored in Online Security’s purpose-built secure facility in Sockburn and can be delivered back to the client within the hour if needed. “Those clients who were working with us before the earthquake were very well protected,” Milne says. “They didn’t lose their hard-copy files.” She also advises all businesses to back up their electronic files and store them off site. Online Security offers an extensive data security service through its specially designed, restricted access, environmentally controlled vaults, which are located throughout New Zealand for off-site computer tape management. Back-up tapes are collected, archived, stored and rotated back to the clients as per their requirements, using real time scanning, which enables the client to monitor the movements of information via a secure web portal. Milne says as well as natural disasters like earthquakes, fires and floods, using Online

Security’s data security services also protects businesses from localised events such as power outages. “The February earthquake had a lot of impact at a regional level, with many clients looking at how to get that business information out of the Christchurch region. We have a lot of clients who are now storing their data in a vault in Auckland or Wellington,” she says. “It’s really important to have a back up of that business critical information stored securely off site. Christchurch CBD businesses that had a back up with us were able to get back up and running straight away.” In addition to its information storage services, Online Security offers a document destruction service, which many Christchurch businesses have used since the earthquake. “We can shred documents and dispose of them in a secure manner so they don’t go into the landfill or possibly fall into the wrong hands.” Online Security also offers a secure distribution service, which provides the ultimate in secure warehousing for valuable or sensitive products.

“Christchurch and the Canterbury region has always been the quiet success story in our regular MYOB Business Monitor research, consistently outperforming the rest of the country,” he says. “And despite the massive costs and disruption caused by the quakes, Christchurch businesses are still focused on growth and development.” According to the MYOB Christchurch report, two thirds (67 percent) of businesses in the city are planning for revenue and customer growth in the next 12 months – this optimism contrasts with the national average where 48 percent of businesses seek growth in 2011. Employment indications are also positive, with 63 percent expecting to maintain the same level of staffing and 26 percent expecting to employ more staff in the next 12 months. The key quake-related pressures businesses face are insurance costs, location of business premises and disaster recovery activities. Flow-on effects of the earthquake are also applying pressure to the local economy, with Christchurch businesses highlighting cashflow (66 percent), customer payments (58 percent) and consumer spending (55 percent) as their top concerns. Costs have also increased with insurance spending up 40 percent, and office and facility costs increasing by 15 percent. Investment in R&D and the number of sales and promotions held in the city have decreased, but Christchurch businesses have continued investing in marketing and advertising and activity in new markets.

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 25

Recover i ng & r Fo

Keep in mind

‘worst case scenario’

Prepar

om Fr

Rebuilding Canterbury | Being Prepared

is a s

The biggest mistake New Zealanders can make is believing that a disaster won’t happy to them, according to Insurance Council of New Zealand chief executive Chris Ryan.

Ryan says there are several good websites available for New Zealanders to look at and work out what preparations they need to take. However, he believes only a small percentage of Kiwis are well prepared.

If the Canterbury earthquakes have changed anything, they have made people realise they could be the victim of any type of disaster, including fire, flood, storm or earthquake.

“What’s coming out of a lot of disasters around the world is that people don’t read their insurance policies until after the event.

Ryan believes that in order to be prepared, people need to accept the fact that disaster can happen to anyone, including them. “When we do a lot of surveys we find that one of the reasons people don’t have insurance is that they think it won’t happen to them, or that if it does happen, it will be a minor event and a minor recovery,” he says. “You have to expect that it will happen to you. Any catastrophe will interrupt your normal life and you should have emergency food, water and supplies.”

QUAKE SAFE

“You have to cover yourself for a worst case scenario. The worst is that your house has burnt down or is destroyed in some other way, such as an earthquake.

“Have a good look at your policy and ask questions when you buy the policy. The cheapest insurance will probably have the fewest conditions to protect you. You have to treat insurance like any other purchase — don’t just buy on price, make sure everything you need is covered.”

the business is killed or incapacitated, they will be insured.” While the Christchurch earthquake is a “once in a lifetime” event, there are many other disasters that can hit, and worrying about your insurance after the event is generally too late. Ryan says there has been a huge nationwide increase in the number of people reviewing and increasing their insurance cover since the Canterbury quakes. However, he believes the disaster will permanently change the amount of insurance cover New Zealanders will be able to get in the future, and the cost of that cover. “In Australia you can’t get insurance for flood at all. In Japan you get only tiny amounts of cover for earthquake and tsunami and in California you might only get half the cover for earthquakes, as the risk is just too high.”

Protecting your business Ryan says while businesses are slightly different, they still need to be prepared for any scenario. Business owners need to ask their insurance brokers a lot of questions and think carefully about what cover they need. “Make sure you have business interruption cover and make sure you have key person insurance, so that if the main person in

Insurance Council of New Zealand PO Box 474 Wellington T (04) 472 5230 F (04) 473 3011 E icnz@icnz.org.nz www.icnz.org.nz

Planning for disaster is a plan for success

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Results.com is a Christchurch-based business with 15 years’ experience in helping clients turn their business potential into extraordinary results. Varley says Results.com works with a wide range of businesses, with many clients thriving in the post-earthquake environment. “People in Christchurch want to know how things apply to them in the middle

of a natural disaster,” he says. “Businesses in the suburbs which are doing well have a real opportunity to build loyalty with customers. It’s about doing the fundamentals right.” Results.com is running workshops for clients to help them recover and grow since the earthquakes. These workshops are focused on four needs: Planning and adapting to a new post-earthquake market; helping and supporting staff back to productivity; reviewing your brand and the new way people access goods and services, with a growth in online sales as people choose to stay home rather than go out; and how to generate sales. Varley says the demand for Result.com’s workshops has been strong, as businesses strive to adapt to a changed market in

Christchurch. “It’s a lot harder now for many businesses to generate sales and there’s a lot of uncertainty,” he says. “It’s about how you create that genuine value for people and there’s a lot that any businesses can do to get back up and running quickly after a disaster.” Varley says it is critical that businesses don’t try to do too much, but instead stop and focus on what matters the most. “Having a plan is far better than no plan, and then you have the ability to adjust it as the situation changes. We’re seeing some really good success stories coming through. It starts with planning - you have to focus on your key targets and get your people productive again. You have to grow your people in order to grow your business.”

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Rebuilding Canterbury | Being Prepared

Partner Kent France says the firm’s 70 staff vacated the building immediately after the quake, leaving behind all its computers, documents and files. In the weeks following the earthquake, select staff were allowed only a few brief trips into the offices, which were in a chaotic state with files and paper all over the floor.

Fortunately, three years ago Wynn Williams began a comprehensive process of backing up its electronic and hard-copy files offsite. “We embarked on a project that involved taking all our information offsite and storing it with Recall Total Information Management,” says France. “As we did that we also scanned all the core documents for our clients and stored them electronically. We acquired an electronic data system that allowed us to match those scanned documents with the client. That

Prepar

France says on February 22 the staff of Wynn Williams left their building knowing that all files and client information right up until the earthquake was stored and safe. An offsite server was quickly put in place, with computer staff working hard to restore operational access to all information.

Extensive document backup

means even if we couldn’t get the paper record, we could still get the scanned records. We’ve also replicated our server so we have data backup as well.”

is a s

At the time of the February earthquake, Wynn Williams was on the sixth and seventh floors of the BNZ building in central Christchurch.

They were not allowed to retrieve everything from the building until early June, which France says would’ve been a disaster for Wynn Williams and its clients if the firm had not been so well prepared.

Wynn Williams and Co in Christchurch is proof that being prepared for disaster makes it so much easier to recover from it and get your business back up and running.

Recover i ng & r Fo

om Fr

Comprehensive back-up pays off

Within a week Wynn Williams staff were back working from their homes and various remote locations, until a permanent replacement site was located in the Home Base centre in Shirley. “With what we’ve done in the last three years, the return on that process since the earthquake has been immeasurable really,” France says. “It meant that we could respond to the raft of things people were asking immediately. We had access to their leases and documents of ownership.” France says while the process of backing up electronic and hard-copy data over the past three years and then retrieving it after the earthquake was expensive, it has paid off enormously. Wynn Williams is now looking at replicating its electronic back up even further with servers based outside of Christchurch. However, he acknowledges many smallto-medium businesses might not be able to afford to undertake such a process. “But the resilience that we’ve seen since the earthquake has been amazing. It was incredible how people just managed to keep going and there were some wildly different ways of dealing with disaster recovery.”

Easier to start over with effective IT recovery Information is king and often it is the loss of data that impacts businesses more profoundly than losing a building when it comes to a company getting back on its feet following a disaster. According to a recent survey by Acronis1, just 22 percent of Australian businesses felt that they would be able to recover quickly in the event of downtime, compared to a global average of 50 percent. And, a further concern is that a third of local businesses (36 percent) do not have a backup and disaster recovery (DR) strategy in place. Acronis general manager Karl Sice says any data loss, through natural disaster or simple human mistake, can spell failure for businesses. Here are five tips from Acronis to help businesses ensure data and systems are fully protected and can be recovered quickly in the event of a natural disaster: 1. Opt into disk imaging. Make images of computers and servers so full copies of data and applications are tucked away. Either store on different machines, in different locations or reach for a cloud solution. 2. Jump to the cloud for business continuity. Onsite backups are great for

Wynn Williams and Co has written an Earthquake Support Guide to help businesses and individuals following the earthquakes. It is available to download at www.wynnwilliams.co.nz.

day-to-day recovery, but if they are destroyed too, you need to consider an off-site data storage solution. An alternative is to contract with a cloud service provider to back up to the cloud and recover onto virtual machines. 3. Recover to dissimilar hardware. Hardware-agnostic software can recover from the backup image of the failed system onto any available hardware and replace the old machine’s hardware drivers with the new ones, a process that takes only about 15 minutes. Virtualisation users can opt to recover mission-critical machines even more quickly by recovering either a physical or virtual machine disk image to a standby virtual machine. It can then be launched immediately with a mouse click. 4. Include both your physical and virtual environments. For ease of management consider a solution that protects all the platforms you’re using. 5. Make a plan and follow it. Make sure if disaster does strike, you know how to get your data back quickly. Look for data protection and disaster recovery solutions that provide a step by step guide to recover your systems and files.

How many weeks could you continue to pay your staff with little or no income? How long could your clients last without the continued use of your services, before they look elsewhere? How much would you lose now if your business stopped operating for the next 3months? The answers to some of these questions may be rather uncomfortable but the reality is if you are not confident with any of your answers to these questions, there is a chance your business would not survive if disaster struck. It’s not all doom and gloom, with a bit of preparation your business can be set up to ensure you can answer the above questions positively, allowing your business the best chance of survival.

Contact Details: Ph (03) 339 0769 or 022 631 9029 or Web www.davesewell.co.nz

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 27

Rebuilding Canterbury | Being Prepared

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Rebuilding Canterbury | Being Prepared

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HYDROTECH DRAINAGE from Auckland did not know in September 2010 that when they were asked to send their cutting edge technology to Christchurch to assist in the earthquake recovery programme they would still be there in a substantially enlarged representation in July 2011. Having already completed an outstanding job in filming the drainage infrastructure and reporting on what was seen, and then hydroblasting and vacuuming out the

long to roll up their sleeves and start all over again. Christchurch had become their pad and territory. Driving around Christchurch in world leading technology and well presented vehicles HydroTech soon became part of the Christchurch landscape. Staff are still working long hours to speed up the asset recovery programme. Alan Hopkins a Company Director and overall Manager of the Christchurch Project states, “I am very proud of my staff, they have put in the hard yards working in trying conditions. Being away from their families for 4 months is bad enough but now being away from their families for 11 months is another. We rotate them but there is still disruption to their lives.” Alan singled out City Care for being a good partner and had offered every support to HydroTech by supplying office and vehicle parking space and being ready and able to assist in obtaining information and other resources to keep the recovery rate going at a good pace.

enormous amount of silt and other debris in the pipes, it was disappointing for all involved having to do the work again because of the February earthquake. On the 22nd February 2011, HydroTech staff were among the population that felt the 6.3 magnitude earthquake and watched as liquefaction came out of the ground. The setback including the extensive property damage was gut wrenching. Staff were about to head back to Auckland to be reunited with their families. Faced with having to stay in Christchurch longer, it did not take the HydroTech staff

“The people of Christchurch and Districts have also been brilliant, they have been patient and understand that having such large vehicles parked outside their houses making a bit of noise was all in the interests of getting the drainage infrastructure up and working. The hospitality of the Christchurch people has been excellent,” Alan said. Knowing that HydroTech could be in Christchurch for some time to come, they adopted a new employment policy of employing local people including women. Once the Christchurch group acquires the necessary skills, they will replace the Auckland Staff.

silt using the same water. This vehicle has saved Christchurch a lot of water and because of its capacity it can take on loads dispersed throughout the entire vehicle thereby saving the Christchurch roads from further damage.

The World’s largest Mobile Water Recycler in Christchurch

Alan watched staff in larger pipes and there he saw the substantial deployment of manpower and the dangers confronting staff from gases and water flow. Putting on his thinking cap and talking to his staff, HydroTech - innovators in drainage, built a pontoon type, floating camera. This is the first of its kind in New Zealand, and Christchurch is the first to benefit from this incredible NZ designed and made technology. Placed into a large underground pipe, the boat with a CCTV unit attached is sailed with the water flow taking film of what it sees and that information is relayed back to a nearby parked command vehicle via a cable. “This is innovative technology at its best,” says Alan, “this is what HydroTech is all about, a problem solver. This new invention will save the earthquake recovery management money because of the reduction in staff required and the speed in which we can do the work. We are proud of what we have come up with and it is great to have trialled it in Christchurch.”

The HydroTech team solving problems

Investigating the drainage beneath the damage on top

Stay in Christchurch HydroTech and thanks for the great work you have done and continue to do.

You can contact HydroTech on 0800 2 HYDRO (249 376) or by visiting their website, www.hydrotechdrainage.co.nz

Cutting edge technology got the attention of the NZ Army

HydroTech did not spare Christchurch any of their world-leading cutting edge technology. The RECycler being used in Christchurch is the largest of its type in the world. It can be used at one site all day vacuuming out the

HydroTech’s CCTV Trimaran in action

30 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

The innovative CCTV Trimaran - “the boat”

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure

Putting the pieces

back together E

verybody in Christchurch remembers where they were at 12:51pm on February 22. For many of us, those frightening moments are etched into our brains. The terror we felt as our beautiful city turned into rubble will never leave us.

Many public figures such as former Orion head and now new CERA CEO Roger Sutton have rightfully been hailed as heroes for their hard work in the post-quake nightmare. But there are also many hundreds of others who are equally deserving of praise.

For many Cantabrians, the weeks after the quake were just as bad as ‘that day’. The days of no water, no flushing toilets, no decent roads, no work or school and uncertain futures were exhausting. The constant aftershocks were traumatising. The worst, worst feeling was reading the paper or hearing from friends about those who had died. The sick feeling when you recognised a name. The guilty relief when you didn’t.

The contractors who have worked long shifts without holidays during the cold winter, stabilising buildings, fixing our plumbing and roads to ensure we all have the necessities of life after this disaster. Now, nearly six months on, disaster survival has turned to damage control and demolition. And with all eyes firmly fixed on the future, plans for the rebuild are well under way.

We generally know which buildings are going or have gone and a draft plan of what the city will look like is being drawn up. Teams from various public sector agencies and from private companies have been working tirelessly to restore our roads, sewers and water services — even as challenges such as the June 13 aftershocks wreck havoc with their schedules and delay their successes. This is the biggest challenge Christchurch has ever faced. Everything changed at 12:51pm on February 22. We now know we have lost our city as it once was, but the new one is beginning to take shape. Feature continues on next page >>

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 31

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure

Christchurch City Council Until September 4 last year, the Christchurch City Council worked hard to maintain the Garden City’s reputation as the best place in New Zealand to live, work and play. When the 7.1 earthquake changed our city nearly a year ago, the council began a job which was not about keeping systems such as roads and water maintained, but actively fixing them. Despite these best efforts, the February 22 earthquake took the city’s progress back several steps (and then some) into devastation. However, six months on from that, thanks to teams working through the night in many instances, we have come a long way.

Rough ride Take the roads. The CCC says after the February 22 earthquake, around half of all Christchurch’s streets and roads suffered some level of damage. More than 50,000 individual road surface defects have been recorded across the city — this covers anything from a hump in the road to more major damage. This compares with 1200 recorded road defects following the September 4, 2010, earthquake. We all remember what it was like driving on the day of and the day after the earthquakes — it felt like there was liquefaction and potholes on every street. In the months since February 22, teams from various companies have been working long hours on temporary work on our roads, to make them safe for people to drive on and ease congestion. However, these are not permanent repairs. Permanent repairs can not be carried out on city roads until underground services — sewer, water and stormwater pipes, are repaired. Some roads will have to be dugup so these works can be carried out. Around 600 individual contractors, forming 200 crews, are working on city roads right now — a far cry from the approximate 50 individual staff normally required for general maintenance prior to the earthquake. Already, the vast majority of temporary repairs required to make the roads safe have been carried out — all thanks to the long hours put in by contractors, many of whom were also suffering the effects of shock and trauma by the earthquake, but were out working regardless.

In many areas, speed restrictions were installed due to damage caused by the earthquake and to prevent further deterioration of the roads. The council, police and contractors have collectively worked together to decide on the 30kmh zones. A map on the council’s website is often updated and shows the most up-todate revised zones. The slogan “drive to the conditions and when they change reduce your speed” also applies to quake-hit Christchurch. Where 30kmh speed

32 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

restrictions are posted this is the maximum speed, meaning it may be necessary to travel at a reduced speed. Like everywhere else in the country, police are enforcing the posted speed limits. Driving in Christchurch after the earthquake has been a challenge. Public agencies such as the council and the police are reminding road users that road width is often narrower and there are multiple obstacles such as potholes and shingle. Previously, where cyclists may have been able to stay near the left side of the road,

they may now need to move into the usual traffic lane to avoid obstacles. It is important road users: ● Keep at or below the current speed limits ● Slow down when passing other road users ● Look ahead for upcoming obstacles ● Indicate intentions to others earlier. Road users are asked to be patient and car drivers are asked to please use buses or cycle to help ease congestion.

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure

Wonderful water The ability to turn on a tap is something we take for granted. We never used to think about how convenient it was to be able to brush our teeth, take a shower, flush the toilet or drink a glass of water. After the earthquakes, we got a taste of how important water is for almost every aspect of our daily lives. City Water and Waste unit manager Mark Christison says the damaged water and wastewater systems have improved drastically in the last six months, but it will be much longer until everything is running smoothly again. Here he answers questions regarding the rebuild: How badly damaged were the water and wastewater systems immediately after the February 22 quake and the June 13 quakes? “The water and waste networks suffered significant damage in the February 22 earthquake, with around 300km of sewer pipes damage (from a total of 1800km) and 124km of water pipe damage.” What did the council do in the first few weeks in terms of recovery following the February 22 quake? “The immediate response to the earthquake was the establishment of the Civil Defence Emergency Operations Centres to coordinate emergency responses to ensure the well-being of residents.” Now we can all drink our water and flush our toilets, what are the issues now that need to be fixed? “Work is ongoing to repair the damage to city infrastructure or install temporary solutions to provide wastewater services to all city homes.” What is the timeframe for complete recovery? “It will take several years to repair damaged city infrastructure.” What are the biggest obstacles? “The scale of the repair job is large. The first goal is to return essential services to all homes, followed by ongoing repairs to damaged infrastructure.” Have further aftershocks since Feb 22 provided you with even more headaches? “We are monitoring the effect of aftershocks on the system and adjusting repair programmes as necessary.” Are there any messages for the public you would like to get across in terms of conserving water? “All residents are required to continue conserving water. Everything that goes down your drain put extra pressure on the system.” To reduce water consumption: ● Do not water your garden ● Use a bucket to wash your car ● Flush the toilet sparingly ● Have quick showers, not baths ● Use the washing machine for full loads ● Don’t use your kitchen waste disposal unit. Feature continues on next page >>

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Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure

Putting it all back together The council’s capital programme general manager Kevin Locke says emergency response and infrastructure repair work has been ongoing across the city since the February 22 quake and following aftershocks. The priority has been to restore temporary services to homes and complete work to make the roads safe and repair critical parts of the underground infrastructure. “Planning and prioritisation for the rebuild of city roads, sewerage, water supply pipes and parks damaged in recent earthquakes is being carried out right now by all the agencies and contractors involved in the rebuild. A plan for the rebuild will be available in coming months,” Locke says. In May, an interim agreement to form an Alliance partnership was signed by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA), New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), Christchurch City Council, and contractors Fulton Hogan, Fletcher, McConnell Dowell, Downer and City Care. This group will be responsible for the rebuild of the city’s earthquake-damaged infrastructure. As well as many smaller repairs that have been carried out across the city, some of the major infrastructure rebuild projects being planned or are currently under way right now. ● McCormacks Bay, Mt Pleasant/Redcliffs The repair and replacement of the sewer main that carries wastewater from Sumner and Redcliffs towards the treatment plant was completed in July. A temporary solution is underway, while permanent repairs will

occur as part of the permanent repairs to the Ferrymead Bridge. The existing broken water main on Main Road in Mt Pleasant will be replaced with a new pressure water main along McCormacks Bay Road. ● Estuary Road/Union Street, South New Brighton/New Brighton A large sewer pipe under Estuary Road from number 180/181 north to Union Street (corner Mountbatten Street) is going to be replaced. Work will take approximately seven weeks to finish. ● Beachville Road, Redcliffs Sewer replacement work was completed under Redcliffs Park, however due to further aftershocks and extra ground water pumping the work at Beachville Road is ongoing. ● Flemington and Ascot Avenue, North New Brighton Work has started to replace water mains along the length of Flemington Avenue and Ascot Avenue. It is expected to be completed by August 5, 2011. ● Avondale Bridge Avondale Bridge has sustained damage from all three major earthquakes. A temporary repair to the bridge abutments will be carried out and residents will be informed prior to work starting. This repair is to fill the abutment cavities to strengthen the bridge while a more permanent solution is investigated. The bridge will be closed to all traffic while work is underway. ● Woodham Road, Wainoni Emergency sewer repairs are under way at the eastern end of Woodham Road. The sewer trunk main that collects and transports wastewater from 70 percent of the city was further damaged in the June 13 aftershocks.

34 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

● Fitzgerald Avenue, Central City Work is now under way to replace the retaining wall along the river on Fitzgerald Avenue, north of Kilmore Street. This work also involves the replacement sewer works, bridge works and road replacement. These are major works

that will progress over the coming months. Motorists should be aware there are likely to be delays while work is under way and they should keep an eye out for changes to traffic management.

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure

A concrete slab in Christchurch before and after it was relevelled by Uretek.

CERA Soon after the earthquake, it was decided that a powerful government agency was needed to make important decisions relating to the future of our shaky region.

International help to stabilise city Uretek’s advanced system of ground injection techniques, with experience in earthquake remediation work, is helping stabilise quake-damaged Christchurch. Uretek is the globally recognised specialist contractor for pavements, structural foundation lifting and ground improvement, with access to the unique technology covered by Uretek patents. The Uretek worldwide organisation has been constantly growing since its inception in Finland 26 years ago. After beginning operations in Europe, Uretek was established in America in 1988, in Australia in 1995, and in New Zealand in 2001. By the end of 2010, Uretek Worldwide was serving 78 countries. The Australian company was founded by managing director Philip Mack in 1989 and integrated into the Uretek Worldwide network. Mack has considerable experience in structural rectification, having been actively engaged in earthquake remediation in the aftermath of the earthquake in Newcastle, Australia. That experience served to diversify the company’s operations around the continuing central core of civil and structural investigation, restoration and remediation, to become an acknowledged industry leader in these areas. Uretek has been in New Zealand since 2001, with project managers and operations staff based in Auckland and Christchurch, servicing the whole country. In early 2010, South Island regional project manager Phil Johnston established the company’s

presence in Christchurch, servicing the South Island. Following the Canterbury earthquake in September, resources in Christchurch were increased to provide engineers, project managers and local government with upto-date information about Uretek’s potential for earthquake remediation. In Christchurch, the company has been actively involved in relevelling buildings and stabilising founding soils for residential buildings and commercial structures up to four storeys high.

Uretek stabilising product The benefit of the Uretek method is the clean, safe, “no fuss” way relevelling can take place. The Uretek rig is self-contained, with experienced technicians injecting the appropriate amount of resin, while monitoring the lift by laser levels. The whole process is relatively fast and clean — particularly when compared to conventional under-pinning construction methods. Another Uretek technology that is used to retro-improve foundation support is Powerpiles, a geotextile shell filled with an expanded resin that can have a compressive strength of 1000 kPa to 10,000kPa or more.

BRANZ appraisal Uretek has attained a highly regarded appraisal from New Zealand’s independent building product specialists, BRANZ. BRANZ says Uretek’s resin injection process, which lifts and relevels buildings by filling in ground voids and supporting collapsed ground, is “fit for purpose” in New Zealand. Uretek business manager marketing Colleen McMahon says although Uretek has a proven

The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, known as CERA, was formed.

record of 27 years’ successful operation worldwide, it was important for the company to get an independent assessment by this reputable building authority. Regional project manager Phil Johnston says Uretek’s structural engineered resin injection process is like keyhole surgery, the resins being pumped into the ground through tiny 6mm or 16mm diameter holes. “The expanding structural resins are injected into the ground under minimal pressure, the components reacting once they make contact under the building, floor or path and exerting as much pressure as 40 tonnes per square metre to fill cavities, compact the ground and stabilise a structure to lift walls, floors and paths. Laser control is used to accurately control the Uretek method.” The greatest advantage is that paths and gardens are not dug up, there is no excavation, no water and no mess for the homeowner. The product is also non-toxic, inert and environmentally friendly.

CERA is supporting a range of organisations in making well co-ordinated and timely decisions. It aims to help restore the social, economic, cultural and environmental well-being of greater Christchurch communities. Its role includes providing leadership and co-ordination for the ongoing recovery effort, focusing on business recovery, restoring local communities and making sure the right structures are in place for rebuilding. It will work closely with Christchurch City Council, Selwyn District Council, Waimakariri District Council, Environment Canterbury and engaging with local communities of greater Christchurch, including Ngai Tahu, the private sector and the business sector. CERA reports to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery, Gerry Brownlee, who is responsible for coordinating the planning, spending, and actual rebuilding work needed for the recovery.

CERA CEO Roger Sutton

The Christchurch City Council has had a long relationship with Uretek, engaging them directly to relevel council property as early as 2001. It welcomed the BRANZ appraisal and formally endorsed Uretek materials as meeting the Department of Building and Housing’s document Guidance on House Repairs and Reconstruction Following the Canterbury Earthquake, with respect to engineered resins.

Roger Sutton’s hand-drawn maps and direct explanations immediately after the September and February earthquakes won Cantabrian’s hearts. On the news at night, he was drawing on an enormous piece of paper and explaining in simple English how Orion planned to get the power back on to the shattered city.

Uretek New Zealand T (03) 987 3835 F (03) 987 3834 E chch@uretek.co.nz www.uretek.com.au — Advertising Feature

In May, it was announced Sutton would become the CEO of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA), to the delight of many Cantabrians.

Down to earth and simple, people started talking about the Orion CEO and his forthright communication style.

Feature continues on next page >>

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REALTIME PROCESS TRACKING INDUSTRIAL DATABASE DEVELOPMENT BUILDING MANAGEMENT SERVICES www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 35

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure

Roger Sutton did his mechanical engineering degree at the University of Canterbury, graduating in 1986. He went on to work at the New Zealand Electricity Commission before going to Orion and climbing the ladder to CEO. After showing himself to be a man of the people after the two earthquakes, he was given the important CERA job, making him one of the most powerful men in the region. The State Services Commissioner, Iain Rennie announced the appointment saying Sutton is a strong leader who has successfully led strategic and operational development projects at the Board and Chief Executive level in the energy sector. “He has the leadership, strategic, operational, relationship management, influencing and communication skills required for this position… He has a high level of credibility across the Canterbury community and has developed and maintained effective relationships with stakeholders in central and local government and with community and The new central city plan is being developed business sector leaders.” by the Christchurch City Council in conjunction Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry with its local community. More than just being Brownlee also welcomed the announcement. about the new buildings in the four avenues, it will be about the streetscape, the public “Roger has been an outstanding leader as spaces, transportation and culture, recreation Orion Networks’ chief executive, and he has and entertainment. a very keen appreciation of the extent of damage from the earthquakes and need for The hugely successful website ‘Share an Idea,’ recovery here in the city.” combined with May’s Community Expo and public workshops canvassed the ideas people Each Friday, Roger Sutton posts a weekly had about what the new CBD would be like. update on the CERA website, www.cera.org.nz All up, 90,000 ideas were contributed, some from as far away as Canada and the UK from A bright future Christchurch people living overseas who were The old saying that ‘every cloud has a silver still passionate about the city and its future. lining’ is a bit hard to take when we think The council says, so far, the key things people of the grief and devastation that arrived have been saying they want in their central with the lives we lost and a city that has city are: been devastated. However, Cantabrians are still seizing the opportunity that has been ● Putting people at the centre of the presented to us in the face of this calamity. redevelopment of the central city

The programme allows for the searching of common themes, topics and words; all the ● Providing an abundance of green space for information able to be sorted and grouped to find emerging themes, and even great one-off lots of activities ideas. ● Creating precincts which will The CCC’s Central City Plan team is now focused attract people on writing the draft plan, developing key ● Integrating transport networks with projects for the redevelopment of the central pedestrians as a priority city — in line with community feedback — and ● Having well-designed, sustainable preparing for the next phase of consultation. low-rise buildings On August 22, we will see the council’s draft ● Making the central city inclusive Central City Plan. The community will have four and accessible weeks to tell the council what they think about ● Creating a business friendly environment. the draft. Once it has been consulted, a final This wasn’t just a ‘feel-good’ exercise. The plan will be signed off by the end of the year. council is very interested in getting the It’s a terrible way to get it, but like other cities community’s feedback and every idea is which have been ruined by forces of nature being read and entered into a data analysis programme which codes each idea into one or or by war, we could soon have a vibrant and successful city centre once more. more of 130-plus topics. ● Making the central city a special place to go and enjoy a range of activities

Taunton is a Christchurch based company dealing in structural and general engineering with design, fabrication and installation capabilities. Taunton’s skilled workshop staff includes fabricators, fitters, sheet metal workers and machinists. Workshop based staff are complimented by qualified site engineers with Site Safe certificates for handling installations, repairs and maintenance to existing plant and equipment. Within days of the February earthquake Taunton was engaged to secure dangerous tilt slabs and walls, tensioning cross bracing and other emergency work including on site welding repairs to critical machinery. Taunton’s engineers have been instrumental in ensuring commercial, industrial and educational facilities in Christchurch can carry on safely. Of Taunton’s products it is the Vibratory Roller which has had the biggest part to play in remediating Christchurch’s broken and crooked streets. The demand for new units and servicing has never been greater; these machines can be seen all over town. The past few months have been a real test for everyone but with our resources we have helped out where we can and will continue to do so with the rebuilding projects ahead, call us today.

19 Taurus Place, Christchurch 8062 Email: info@tauntonengineering.co.nz Phone: 03 381 5089 Freephone: 0800 TAUNTON Fax: 03 389 7078 www.tauntonengineering.co.nz

36 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

108 Hayton Road, Christchurch P. 03 348 5017 | www.enzed.co.nz

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure

Christchurch’s challenges Immediately after the February event, the Federation’s office in Christchurch was so badly damaged its files could not be reached. However, the team immediately began rebuilding their database so they could get City Care and large contractors an up-to-date list of the resources, such as machinery, expertise and manpower, available. This ensured quality companies with the right equipment were immediately at work.

Suburban expectations In the suburbs, it is CERA and the Government that has the difficult task of deciding what land will stay residential and what land is unlikely to be built on for a long time. A map, available on the new website www.landcheck.org.nz shows areas of greater Christchurch where land is unlikely to be able to be rebuilt on for a considerable time. Advice from geotechnical engineers has seen all greater Christchurch land divided into four residential zones — red, orange, green and white. The approximate 5000 properties in the residential red zone are on land that is unlikely to be able to be rebuilt on for a considerable period of time. CERA says homeowners in this zone face lengthy disruptions that could go on for many years. For people who owned property with insurance in the residential red zones on September 4, 2010, there will be two options: ● The Crown makes an offer of purchase for the entire property at current rating value (less any built property insurance payments already made), and assumes all insurance claims other than contents; or ● The Crown makes an offer of purchase for the land only, and homeowners can continue to deal with their own insurer about their homes. Current rating valuations, which are what the council’s rates are based on, date from 2007.

Getting information Residents can now go online to find out the latest information about the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild. The Stronger Christchurch website, www.strongerchristchurch.govt.nz, contains information about specific work being carried out in neighbourhoods and streets. Updates will also be sent by email to residents who have signed-up to the Stronger Christchurch e-newsletter, which was first used following the September earthquake. Sign up at www.ccc.govt.nz/homeliving/civildefence/ chchearthquake/newsletter to receive updates.

“It took about three days to get all that together,” Malcolm Abernethy recalls.

NZ Contractors’ Federation Christchurch’s February earthquake is one of the biggest disasters and one of the biggest challenges New Zealand has ever faced. The New Zealand Contractors Federation (NZCF), the national organisation representing the civil construction and general contracting industry, is playing its part in rebuilding the city, a task which will take years. Established in 1944, the NZCF cut its teeth in the post-war building boom years. As peace reigned in the 1950s, suburbs exploded onto the country’s landscapes. So did all the infrastructure that goes with them, such as schools, homes, roads and civil infrastructure such as waste water.

The NZCF has more than 600 members and associates countrywide. The members are certainly not just the big companies — they range from multi-million dollar businesses to owner operators. These members operate in every facet of contracting including civil, road, rail, energy, ports and property. “It’s nation building,” NZCF executive officer Malcolm Abernethy explains. “You hear a lot about that phrase these days — it’s become a bit of a buzzword. But contractors really are building the nation. Be it roads, or the telecommunications broadband roll-out, or smaller projects such as office buildings, these crucial parts of infrastructure need to be quality.”

“On the weekend a few days after the 22nd, City Care also contacted us requesting water crews to reinstate water supply pipes – they already had teams of people but we were able to compliment that by providing other details of people round country who had the time and capability and resources to come down to Christchurch. “Some companies we organised work for in the first week are still in the city. I think the Federation performed well in terms of responding to request for resources, given our tricky circumstances.” On March 7 the NZCF had a meeting with City Care, ECAN and the council to talk about what work and equipment was needed in the future. NZCF gave the agencies comprehensive lists again to help them plan for the future. Feature continues on next page >>

The aim of the NZCF has stayed the same since its inception. It wants to build an environment where members can prosper and contribute to the development of the infrastructure that underpins a healthy economic and social environment. Through advocacy and lobbying of central and local government, consulting on legal and regulatory issues, industry profile-raising and providing tools and ongoing support, it aims to create a healthy industry environment. “Today the civil construction and general contracting industry plays a very important role in New Zealand’s economy,” CEO Jeremy Sole says. “We provide and maintain the infrastructure of public services — services needed by a modern developed country that must compete professionally in world markets to maintain and improve high living standards.”

BNZ Equipment Finance is proud to be supporting our existing and new clients through Rebuild Christchurch John Crawley Equipment Finance Specialist 029 6300970 John_Crawley@bnz.co.nz Kate Sutherland Equipment Finance Specialist 029 2220216 Kate_C_Sutherland@bnz.co.nz www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 37

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure

It wasn’t just public infrastructure desperately needing professional contractors’ attention after the February quakes. Many homes were left badly damaged and people needed to know which companies were available to come and fix them. “We opened our 0800 number — usually just for members — to the general public. This meant people could call us here in our office or visit our website www.earthquakefix.co.nz, to find contractors able to help with the clean up. “This was for people who needed professionals as the work would have been too tricky for the students or the farmers. Both the website and the 0800 number were very popular in helping people find services they desperately needed to make their homes safe and liveable — plumbers, electricians, people able to pull down chimneys.” In the future, the NZCF will continue to work with the public agencies on behalf of its members to ensure quality companies are always onhand to work on the important rebuild of Christchurch. Choosing the right company to repair or rebuild your home or business is crucial.

federation’s guarantee, which has three elements to it —Completion, Defects Liability, Loss of Deposit — and it requires the parties to have a written contract. This doesn’t have to be formal but it must be in writing so everyone understands what is to be done.

Both Jeremy Sole and Malcolm Abernethy stress the importance of choosing someone who is part of a professional representative body which has a strong code of ethics. NZCF members are also able to provide the

Sole emphasises the alternative to this is not good. “People could potentially be ripped off by ‘cowboy operators’ — rampant profiteering by callous individuals and companies seeking to profit from the misery of others. There’s also

Why the NZCF?

the possibility work could go to well-meaning but simply not qualified contractors.” Instead he recommends NZCF member businesses for contracting work — local companies with a history of quality workmanship.

Website

Joining the NZCF is not easy, and any unsavoury businesses are weeded out. Not only do the companies have to agree to the stringent NZCF guarantee, but they are peerreviewed before they are given entry.

It is a collaborative initiative between the Contractors’ Federation and other national membership organisations. It was launched after the September earthquake to ensure Canterbury residents could confidently search out qualified and registered tradesmen. After the February quakes, it received renewed interest from the public.

“The fact that they belong to an industry association means their peers allowed them in and know the quality of their work. So from time to time our branches will turn down someone, either because they don’t know them or because they’re not comfortable with the quality of work that they do.”

NZCF Guarantee ● Completion “The guarantee scheme the federation has developed eliminates contractors who come in and try and exploit people — residential property owners in particular, although this also happens to commercial properties and smaller repair jobs,” Sole explains. “What you could find is a cowboy operator moving in to do a job for you, then, if he finds something more lucrative, he’ll zoom off and do that. The guarantee is there to give confidence that won’t happen. Although that wouldn’t happen with Federation businesses anyway, because we’re local companies with reputations to protect and ethical charters.” ● Defects Liability Customers of an NZCF company can claim up to $100,000 if in the 12 months after a build there is a defect due to the workmanship. This is rarely if ever claimed, but gives peace of mind to clients. ● Loss of Deposit The loss of deposit clause protects property owners from the possibility of someone doing a runner with their deposit cheque and not doing the job. ● Contract Having a contract is essential, Jeremy Sole stresses, which is why it’s part of the Federation’s guarantee. “Contracts are vital for the protection and safety of the client. There needs to be a contract and not just a handshake, because verbal communication errors are so common. A contract makes sure everyone is on the same page, and it’s all in writing.” 38 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

To find out which companies and businesses to use for a quality rebuild or repair job, visit the EarthquakeFIX web portal www.earthquakefix.co.nz

Originally it was launched to ensure people were not ripped off by cowboy operators, or well-meaning companies without the skills to do a proper job. The website will continue in the future, allowing people seeking a quality contractor to use it. “Anyone using companies sourced from this website can be confident they are dealing with professional, competent and fair service providers who traditionally operate in Canterbury,” Sole says. The initiative quickly attracted widespread support, with the Insurance Council of NZ, NZTE’s Industry Capability Network, the Construction Industry Council, Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce, the Building Research Association of NZ and Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker all endorsing the move. Each of the participating organisations is a national representative body with specified entry criteria and a strong set of rules and code of ethics. “It’s important to note all the organisations have a code of ethics for members to adhere to,” Malcolm Abernethy says, “Much like the NZCF, if a contractor doesn’t operate in an ethical way he’s not going to become a member of any of these organisations. That should give anyone using a company that is a member of these organisations — be it an electrician or a builder — considerable peace of mind.”

New Zealand Contractors’ Federation P O Box 12 013 Wellington New Zealand T 0800 692 376 E accounts@nzcontractors.co.nz

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure/City Care

Realigned management team City Care’s corporate management team has recently gone through some exciting changes in order to reposition the company for future development and growth. The former general manager of the southern region, Peter Hansby, has now taken on the new role of national construction manager. His responsibilities will include the management of City Care’s role in the alliance to rebuild Christchurch and the resulting construction work. It will also include focusing on building a nationwide construction business for the company. Craig Taylor, City Care’s former parks divisional manager, will step into the role vacated by Peter Hansby. City Care also welcomes its new general manager of national business development, Chris Wrathall. He will be based at the company’s national office in Christchurch and will be working closely with the branch and regional managers to grow the business in line with the company’s strategic plan. “City Care has significant volumes of work and opportunities ahead of us,” Mulder says. “We understand the need to remain agile and flexible in order to respond to client needs and changing market conditions. This flexibility and agility has allowed City Care to seamlessly realign our management structure in order to support our strategy for growth and ensure at all times, we continue to move ahead in the right direction.”

Community support

A little care for our city Prior to the February earthquake, City Care was chosen by Christchurch City Council as one of four contractors to undertake the earthquake recovery works due to its proven track record of working on council projects, its strong understanding of the city — in particular its infrastructure, and the company’s ability to manage contract works of this size, complexity and scale. On Tuesday, May 3, City Care joined four other contractors, the New Zealand Transit Authority, Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA), to sign an Interim Alliance Agreement (IAA) for the rebuild of Christchurch. The alliance which includes City Care, in partnership with Downer EDI, Fulton Hogan, McConnell Dowell and Fletcher Building, is responsible for restoring Christchurch’s roads, sewerage system, water supply pipes and parks that were damaged in the September and February earthquakes.

The Christchurch City Council has estimated the work to include repairs or rebuilds to 300km of sewerage pipes, 150km of water pipes and 75km of stormwater pipes. Alongside this, 34km of the roading network must be completely rebuilt and 895km of the roading network requires repairs.

Five-year projection The projected rebuild spend is in the vicinity of$2 billion. While the time for it to be completed is uncertain, it is estimated it may take up to five years. “During both the September 2010 and February 2011 earthquakes, City Care proudly worked alongside Christchurch City Council and other contractors on emergency response activities,” City Care’s chief executive Onno Mulder says. “At the height of the February earthquake, approximately 1250 City Care employees and subcontractors worked tirelessly to bring essential services back.”

Immediately following both earthquakes, the main focus for City Care was on restoring water and wastewater networks, providing temporary water to badly affected areas, fencing off damaged or destroyed buildings, repairing roading networks and providing traffic management services. “The focus for City Care as part of the alliance now shifts to making permanent repairs to give normality back to the residents. “City Care looks forward to contributing to a new, stronger Christchurch for the city’s residents,” Mulder says. Over and above the alliance rebuild work, City Care will continue to provide earthquake emergency repair work, as well as its usual business — contractual services to Christchurch City Council. These services include facilities maintenance/ management, water and wastewater network maintenance, roading construction and maintenance and parks maintenance activities.

Already responsible for maintaining many recreational spaces throughout Christchurch, City Care has pledged its support to Greening the Rubble, set up to create usable spaces from some of the demolition sites following the September earthquake. “Often referred to as the gardener of the Garden City, it seemed natural for City Care to contribute to the Greening the Rubble initiative,” Mulder says. “We understand the importance of maintaining and creating environments that are as visually attractive and stimulating as they are practical, safe and environmentally friendly. “We believe the people of Christchurch as well as visitors to the City will be able to enjoy these recreational spaces, while spending some time quietly reflecting on all that has happened over the last few months.” City Care 226 Antigua Street PO Box 7669 Sydenham T (03) 941 7200 F (03) 941 7202 www.citycare.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Quality Assured to ISO 9001: 2008

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 39

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure

Taking on the toughest of tasks In the months and weeks since the February 22 earthquake, engineers and engineering have been in the public consciousness as never before. Engineers on the ground in Christchurch face a still daunting task, with building assessments,

planning and designing for strengthening and rebuilding taking up every available moment. It is not only structural engineers who have had to rise to this occasion, but also those who work in the water and waste sectors, electrical and telecommunications engineers, and our expert geotechnical engineers. Ongoing

aftershocks make the work risky and the timescales uncertain. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge that many of these individuals offered their services voluntarily in the immediate aftermath of the September and February quakes. Arranging their own transport to Christchurch, arriving with their safety gear and sleeping bags and food supplies, hundreds of engineers worked long hours in difficult conditions to ensure the people of Christchurch were safe as possible and well advised. Many of the engineers working so hard in Christchurch are facing personal loss all the while. Aftershocks, such as those of June 13, only serve to make the task harder. Decisions need to be revisited and much work will have to be repeated. These incidents serve as a timely reminder that the work being undertaken by engineers and others in the Red Zone and around Canterbury is dangerous, and extreme care must be taken at all times. While the work in Christchurch is certain to run into years, we as a profession, and as a country, are now beginning to look forward. We must assess and analyse what has happened in Christchurch.

By Dr Andrew Cleland, chief executive of The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ)

The February 22 earthquake sounded the death knell for the Carlton Hotel, one of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iconic hospitality spots. The hotel has since been demolished.

40 | August/September 2011â&#x20AC;&#x192;â&#x20AC;&#x192; www.canterburytoday.co.nz

Forensic investigations of which structural design features worked best and which were less resilient will uncover lessons for earthquake prone areas the world over.

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure

Crucially we undertake the task of explaining to a nervous public, that buildings will never be ‘earthquake proof’. Engineers can make buildings more earthquake resistant, but even then we need to agree with the public what is the largest earthquake a building should resist. The public perception in this respect may have changed and if a higher level of resistance is demanded, there will be additional costs in future building. As the professional body representing engineers in New Zealand, we had to respond to requests from members nationwide, to help explain in simple terms why some buildings responded so differently to others during the major earthquakes, how liquefaction affects buildings and what sort of regulations are stipulated in New Zealand’s building codes. We worked with the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering, The New Zealand Geotechnical Society and The Structural Engineering Society, to compile some basic fact sheets that were distributed widely. The fact sheets have been used in classrooms quoted in the media and according to our members were gratefully received by friends, family and colleagues. In terms of future work, we at IPENZ are assisting the Department of Building and Housing, who in our view are best placed to access the information necessary, to enquire into specific failures as is needed.

We have signalled to our collaborating technical societies that we will need a cooperative “whole of profession” taskforce to examine the learning for improving professional practice. We will co-operate with the Royal Commission to ensure that learning is shared and absorbed.

IPENZ 158 The Terrace Wellington 6011 T (04) 473 9444 F (04) 474 8933 E ipenz@ipenz.org.nz

— Advertising Feature

Finally, the engineering profession will translate the information gathered though observation and analysis into best practice, and help to make New Zealand a safer place.

Opus Opus is a leading international multi-disciplinary consultancy.

Consultants Limited (Opus) in April 1997.

With origins in a former New Zealand government entity (the Ministry of Works and Development, formed in 1870), Opus brings together the experience of more than a century of infrastructure development covering planning, design, project management, construction supervision, maintenance and rehabilitation.

Opus’ international experience spans a period of over 50 years and has included over 100 projects in more than 20 countries.

In its transition from the Ministry of Works and Development to a fully privately owned company, in April 1988 Opus became the Consultancy Division of the State-Owned Enterprise Works and Development Services Corporation NZ Limited. Works Consultancy Services was sold to Kinta Kellas of Malaysia in November 1996. As a result the company changed its name to Opus International

In 2002 Opus was recognised as the Trade & Enterprise New Zealand Services Exporter of the Year for its work in international markets and then again in 2006. Opus was also named Trade New Zealand’s Supreme Exporter of the Year in 2006. Today, Opus has around 2300 staff in offices and laboratories throughout Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. The company firmly believes its people and the services they provide are its greatest asset. Part of the corporate philosophy is to encourage its people to develop and reach their full potential and in so doing contribute to Opus’ success.

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 41

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure/HIANZ

Tools for all the trades The Hire Industry Association of New Zealand represents a large proportion of the nation’s hire companies, covering everything from hand tools to excavators and party equipment. The Hire Industry Association of New Zealand (HIANZ) is an incorporated society governed by a constitution that has been approved by its members. General manager Phil Tindle says the association, which was established in 1977, has 271 members. These members are predominantly hire companies situated throughout New Zealand. Suppliers equate to a third of the membership, some of which are based in Australia. The size of the members’ organisations range from singlestore operators to national, publicly owned companies with numerous branches. “We work with hire companies who supply general hire equipment such as hand tools and light machinery for the DIY and trades market, to access equipment, heavy excavation equipment, power and generation, marquee and party equipment, and the list goes on,” he says. The mission of the association is to promote and enhance the integrity and visibility of the hire industry and its members through advocacy, communication, education and political action. In order to achieve this objective the association undertakes a large number of activities that are designed to improve the commercial well being and public perception of the hire industry. HIANZ is the recognised authority and respected community and business leader on hire industry standards and related business issues. It aims to be the collective, pro-active voice of the hire industry to ensure fair legislation and regulations for the industry and consumer.

Phil Tindle

HIANZ general manager

FREEPHONE: 0508 78 78 78 www.aesblasters.co.nz Email: alan@aesblasters.co.nz AES Christchurch Agent: Industrial Maintenance Group. Ph 03-366-2920

Pleased to support Hire Industry Association Over 30 electric and petrol powered versions to choose from, or we custom build to your requirements

42 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

Level 7, 26 Hobson Street, Auckland | PO Box 3174, Auckland 1140 Telephone: (09) 377 4314 Email: insurance@icib.co.nz Fax: (09) 373 4882

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure/HIANZ

HIANZ respects the views and opinions of its membership in determining policy and direction. The association promotes and encourages communication from members to ensure continuous improvement in today’s everchanging business environment.

Like so many successful businesses, Accessman started from humble beginnings. In 1994 the construction industry was feeling pressure from the Department of Labour to ensure all work practises complied with national Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) standards, while at the same time companies needed to increase their focus on profitability.

An industry evolving Tindle says the hire industry is growing, following a slower period during the recession. “There has been a lot of consolidation in the past with bigger companies buying out small independent businesses, but that has slowed down recently,” he says. “Back in the boom it was happening quite frequently, but there’s a bit of retraction now with some of the bigger companies, and with that the re-emergence of smaller individual hire companies.” While the hire industry has remained primarily unchanged during the past 20 years, Tindle says the development of technology and equipment has presented new opportunities. “What has changed is excavators, with a lot of mini excavators on the market now. Technology has played an integral part in that, as well as access equipment like cherry pickers and scissor lifts.” Changes within the industry have resulted in the emergence of niche product hire companies, he says. “For example, a number of companies based in Christchurch specialise in access equipment only, while others will stock around 400 different product lines and cover many ranges of equipment.” Feature continues on next page >>

The entrepreneurial mind of Christchurch electrician, Ross Pickersgill, was quick to indentify a solution to both.

Accessman Accessman is New Zealand’s leading specialist hire company supplying scissor lifts, cherrypickers and knucklebooms. Accessman has branches here in the city and Sockburn and, as from August 1, will have its Burnside branch open in Wairakei Rd. With over 350 machines in the fleet, Accessman has the largest range of access equipment in the South Island.

Accessman will go to great lengths to ensure each customers has selected the best machine for their job and they will then deliver the required training to ensure that customers feel competent in all aspects of operating the equipment.

Industry experts Accessman has played an advisory role to the Hire Industry Association of NZ (HIANZ) for the purpose of developing the Codes of Practice for the operation of elevated work platforms (EWPs).

He purchased his first scissor lift with a business plan that allowed him to hire it to other contractors when he was not using it. The scissor lift made working at height safe and it increased productivity by removing the need to continually build scaffolding.

Accessman Sockburn 2 Alloy Street, Sockburn T (03) 343 7560 F (03) 343 7561 E christchurch@accessman.co.nz

Ross is now the managing director of the Accessman Group. All Accessman branches are run by local people. They know the environments and conditions in which their customers need to work so they can provide advice specific to each situation.

Accessman City 24 Fitzgerald Ave, City Centre T (03) 377 8000 F (03) 377 8001 E city@accessman.co.nz

The secret to the success of Accessman hinges on providing customers with good quality machines that are well maintained and serviced regularly, coupled with a customer-focused approach.

Accessman Burnside 517 Wairakei Road, Burnside T (03) 359 4625 F (03) 359 1857 E burnside@accessman.co.nz

Accessman Christchurch proudly supporting as the 2010/2011 Hire Company Branch of the Year

Enabling you to work safely at height is Accessman’s key objective. With years of proven experience in the industry we are a leading Specialist Access Hire Company – we understand the issues and challenges that you face and we know the best way to get the job done quickly and safely.

The secret of Accessman’s success hinges on providing good quality machines that are well maintained and serviced regularly, coupled with a customer-focused approach and competitive rates. Accessman was established in Christchurch and we are still here, helping to rebuild and take our city to new heights.

0800 2 GET HIGH (0800 243 844) www.accessman.co.nz www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 43

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure/HIANZ

Meeting industry needs The Hire Industry Association of New Zealand offers many benefits to its members, including a unified voice to deal with issues relating to the entire industry. General manager Phil Tindle says HIANZ is a strong advocate for the industry. “We’re out there to promote and enhance the integrity and visibility of the hire industry at large,” he says. “We do that through advocacy and engaging with key agencies. We don’t get heavily involved in marketing but we hope we get visibility through involvement with other agencies. We provide communication with affiliate organisations and associations through the Department of Labour and education providers.” HIANZ is focused on its members’ needs, from rental-specific insurance and training programmes to timely industry and association news. The association connects members with the resources needed to help make their businesses efficient, profitable and more successful.

This enables members to advertise and promote their products to a target market based on their specific search criteria.

Focus on industry training

A database of current hire company members is available, as well as advertising opportunity on the association website and ‘specials’ page.

“For the party event industry we do marquee “We hold training programmes each year, including our Frontliners course. Companies can installation courses, and we also offer health and safety and licensing courses.” send their staff and put them through short

or long courses on everything from customer service through to hands-on operator training,” says Tindle.

HIANZ has developed the ‘toolbox’ – a members-only directory featuring supplier product manuals, parts lists, safety information, financial benefits and information on where to buy selected products or services. Another useful resource for members is the ‘vault’, a secure online members-only area which contains news and information about the industry, survey results, profit calculators, health and safety information, safety data sheets, training courses, tips and tricks from both independent and national operators, templates of hire agreements and various operator manuals.

Locally, there are three equipment hire branches and one events hire branch serving the hire equipment needs of Cantabrians. Hirequip’s mission is to provide quality hire equipment solutions that deliver sustainable value. Its vision is to become the $150m New Zealand hire company of choice for customers and employees.

HIANZ provides a library of resources for individual companies to use. It has financial advantage programmes that involve exclusive deals with banks and insurance brokers.

HIANZ dedicates substantial resources to showcasing its supplier members’ products.

Tindle says political lobbying is an extremely important part of the association’s work. “If we’re lobbying Government on legislation, it can only be done from a central point, they won’t listen to individual companies.”

As a supplier to the hire industry, members have access to a huge range of contacts and can be connected with independent hire company owners, as well as the managers and purchasing officers of the larger national operators.

HIANZ has a skilled board of directors who share information and experience to help with any issues facing the industry. “We’re fortunate we can deal with issues fairly quickly and because of the size of the industry we’re taken seriously.”

Showcases

Industry training programmes are also an important part of HIANZ’s work.

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NO.1 SELLING MINI-DIGGERS 44 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

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Hirequip Operating from 37 branches nationwide Hirequip employs over 320 staff and has the largest inventory of general hire equipment available in New Zealand.

Moorhouse Ave 488 Moorhouse Avenue Christchurch T (03) 366 0385 F (03) 366 9740 E moorhouse@hirequip.co.nz

HQ Events Christchurch 144 Waterloo Road Hornby Christchurch T (03) 344 3990 F (03) 344 3993 E cevents@hirequip.co.nz

A Dingo is a fully integrated labour saving system that replaces costly hand labour, improves productivity, increases profitability, is safe, easy to handle and goes where other machines can’t. Dingo mini diggers were extremely useful when used to clean up liquefaction after the Canterbury Earthquakes.

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Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure/HIANZ

Demand for hire equipment The South Island’s hire industry is playing a vital role in the recovery and rebuild of Christchurch. Hire Industry Association of New Zealand general manager Phil Tindle says machinery and plant from all over the country was sent urgently to Christchurch following the city’s September and February earthquakes. Hire companies based in Christchurch have been flat out. “Christchurch has a good range of hire companies, from branches of the bigger companies right down to the independently

owned hire companies, catering for all product types from larger machinery and excavators right down to DIY products,” he says. “The access companies have been incredibly busy as well, with a lot of the high-rise buildings being the centre of attention. I think there’s been a lot of access equipment used because it can be placed in a safe area and the booms can travel a distance while keeping the operator and assessor safe.” Tindle says hire companies will have a huge role to play in the rebuild of Christchurch.

“When the rebuild does start there will be significant growth as far as business turnover goes. All the trades will start operating and people will be getting back on their feet and will start to look for equipment and what they need to tidy up their own backyard.” While most of the larger multi-branch companies already have operations in Christchurch, he believes there will be some new independent hire companies formed in Christchurch in the near future. HIANZ president Tim Mikkelsen says large companies such as Hirequip and Hirepool have provided a lot of equipment and portable toilets to Christchurch in recent months. “If the Hire Association can help rebuild people’s lives and help them get back on their feet quicker through the supply of plant, that’s got to be good,” he says. “I was in Christchurch in February. My thoughts and wishes certainly go out to the members of the association in Christchurch and their families.”

Christchurch is a “supply-and-demand” situation at the moment. “There wasn’t enough machinery in Christchurch to begin with, and portable toilets were a big part of that. They’ve come down the country in the hundreds, as well as excavators and power generators,” says Tindle. “As unfortunate as the earthquake event is for a lot of people, it does create a lot of opportunity for some industries, and hire is one of them. “While it’s a business opportunity, I like to look at the hire industry as a support mechanism for the trades. “They’re out there doing what they can but businesses can only purchase what they can afford in terms gear to do their job. “We see hire as a good option or solution for a lot of companies, rather than going out and spending capital on machinery they might only use from time to time.”

Nationwide supply to Christchurch Tindle says many out-of-town companies are already supplying hire goods to Christchurch. “They’re working remotely and some of the demolition companies will have supplier agreements for Christchurch. I think most hire companies deal with areas outside of their own operating area from time to time and that will continue to happen.”

Youngman Richardson Youngman Richardson are distributors and manufacturers of quality industrial and construction equipment. The 100 percent New Zealand owned and operated company has been serving the construction, hire and agricultural industries for over 27 years. As a leading importer and distributor of contracting, industrial and commercial equipment, with a customer base throughout New Zealand, the company has a solid reputation for quality, service and ethics. When Bob Youngman and Tim Richardson pooled their resources in 1981 to start their own business, they had a clear picture in mind of what they intended to do. From experience as employees of a Wellington-based importer and distributor of machinery, they saw a gap in the market for providing a genuine service that put the customer first. With this high level of personal service, they were committed in representing

HIANZ — Hire Industry Association of New Zealand PO Box 90744 Auckland Mail Centre T (07) 873 8957 F (07) 873 8762 www.hianz.net.nz — Advertising Feature

worldwide brand leaders so that the quality and reliability of equipment was the finest possible, and the inventory of genuine spare parts was comprehensive, allowing them to provide the best service in the business. The company’s initial agencies were Subaru/Robin (engines and pumps), Denyo (generators), Edco (concrete surfacing equipment), and general compaction equipment. The list of new agencies continues to grow, and today Youngman Richardson supply equipment that covers over 13 product categories. To provide back-up to comprehensive range of specialised contracting and industrial machines, equipment and tools Youngman Richardson carries over 15,000 genuine spare part components. Youngman Richardson South Island office 20 Nga Mahi Road Sockburn Christchurch T (03) 341 6923 F (03) 341 6955 E gregl@yrco.co.nz www.yrco.co.nz www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 45

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure/Mercer Products

Stainless steel’s timeless functionality Mercer Products Christchurch is New Zealand’s largest sink and laundry tub manufacturer. The company, with warehousing in Hamilton and Christchurch, also distributes benching laminates and solid-surface bench materials for both domestic and commercial installations nationally. The original Mercer company was formed in Christchurch in 1882 by James Mercer, who moved from Dunedin to work in a small metal-working premises in Tuam Street. Today Mercer Products is a division of Mercer Group Limited, a NZSXregistered company. Mercer Group is an international leader in the design and manufacture of innovative technology solutions and the fabrication of stainless steel products. Mercer Products’ Christchurch sink factory occupies a large site in Lunns Road, independent of the nearby Mercer Stainless Limited industrial factory. Mercer Stainless, which also operates two other industrial sites (in New Plymouth and Brisbane), manufactures large plant and machinery to service the food processing and materials handling industries.

Sink, bench supplier

yell (above), and

Ma Mercer Products neral manager David ess steel bench. Mercer Products ge inl sta cts du Pro r rce Me manufactures stainless a custom-designed steel sinks, tubs and benchtops, as well as a distributor of bench laminates variant of stainless steel allows the company and solid-surface materials, supplying highquality products to the New Zealand market. It to offer sink products for marine and laboratory environments. is the largest stainless steel sink manufacturer in the country. General manager David Mayell says Mercer

Through the capabilities of its manufacturing plant in Christchurch, Mercer Products is one of just a few suppliers of 316 marinegrade stainless steel sinks. This resistant

Products satisfies both the domestic and commercial sink and benching markets, with domestic sales accounting for 70 percent of the company’s business.

For the domestic market, Mercer manufactures a large range of contemporary sink styles in the latest kitchen designs, including single and double sink bowls, sink inserts, round bowls, benches and splash backs. “Typically, our under-mount sinks are installed into solid-surface benches and top-mount sinks for laminated benches,” he says. “There are single sinks with drainer areas and single and double bowls for the under-mount variations. They are all fully accessorised with dish racks, chopping boards, drainer trays and colanders.” Mercer Products also manufactures stainless steel vanity basins, shower trays and has recently released laundry tub and cabinet models.

Mercer Products’ commercial stainless steel product range is ideally suited to sports complexes, hospitals, restaurants, schools and any commercial premises. Commercial products include tapless washbasins, multi basins, drinking fountains, shower trays and stainless steel toilets.

Laminate and solid-surface options For the past three years Mercer Products has been distributing bench laminates and solid-surface benching materials. Mercer’s “borelli” is a solid-surface benching material known for being hard wearing, hygienic, repairable and stain-resistant. Borelli not only looks good in any kitchen, bathroom or laundry, but is also ideally suited to commercial applications.

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Proud to have been of service to Mercer Products for 14 years. 46 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

Feel free to contact us to arrange a no obligation, Free Freight Analysis. We look forward to hearing from you. Phone: 03 365 2174 Email: mike.streatfield@fastway.co.nz Email: sam.smith@fastway.co.nz

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Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure/Mercer Products

also manufacture custom-design stainless steel benches,” Mayell says. “We put our success down to our ability to supply product nationally. We can supply product throughout New Zealand on a next-day delivery basis through our freephone customer services team. “We have warehousing in Christchurch and Hamilton, which is serviced by an extensive sales team throughout New Zealand.” Mayell says quality is a critical element in all of Mercer Products’ stainless steel, laminate and solid-surface products. Left: A borelli solid-surface kitchen bench by Mercer Products Christchurch.

“The demand for stainless steel is high. A lot of people love it as their kitchen bench because it’s very hygienic, easy to clean and long lasting. It is durable and has a specific design look. We do a lot of stainless steel benches for upmarket homes.”

Above: Mercer Products is New Zealand’s leading sink and laundry tub manufacturer. Inset: Mercer Products’ Mystique sink insert.

An important factor in the success of the company is its ability to be at the forefront of international fashion trends for kitchen design. “We consider ourselves to be in the fashion industry through the design and colour of our products,” he says. “Our product is ever changing. Our sinks and laminates offer a contemporary look and that is vital in securing sales, along with functionality for trade to install. Mercers have been around since 1882 and the quality of the product is paramount in ensuring its existence over the last 129 years.”

The “bisonne” range of high-quality laminates feature a range of textiles and fashion colours direct from Europe. Bisonne’s many applications and versatility make it widely used in both domestic and commercial environments.

New homes Mercer Products is positive about the future of Christchurch and its role in the rebuilding of the city. “The rebuild of Christchurch will be good for us in the long run — they’re talking about 12,000 new homes being built,” general manager David Mayell says. “The earthquake will bring an up-side to Mercer Products in the coming years.” Mayell hopes Canterbury businesses will be the first choice for supplying goods and services for the region’s rebuild. He has been in touch with earthquake recovery minister Gerry Brownlee’s office, which in turn put him through to the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA), to discuss the use of local businesses in the rebuild.

Melbourne was a huge success with and enabled further exposure of our Mercer brand into Australia,” Mayell says. Another popular aspect of Mercer Products’ New Zealand service is its ability to custom design stainless steel Mercer Products will be able to grow its business benchtops for the commercial and domestic to cope with the additional work once the markets. “While we make the kitchen sink, we rebuild begins. The business employs 57 staff in New Zealand and Australia, including 15 at its 3000sqm Lunns Rd factory, which was built in 2002 and suffered little damage in the quakes.

Quality and success While business has been slow during the recession due to a drop off in the construction of new housing and the renovation market slowing, Mercer Products has restructured its business in order to operate more efficiently and maintain profitability. Eighteen months ago the company began exporting stainless steel sinks, laundry tubs and benchtops to Mercer Products Pty Limited in Australia, with 20 percent of its sinks now crossing the Tasman.

Mercer Products 45 Lunns Road Upper Riccarton Christchurch T 0800 2 637 237 www.mercerproducts.co.nz — Advertising Feature

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Ask us about our New Generation Ferritic Stainless Steel “CERA is doing extensive modelling ona the Mercer Products is supplier and manufacturer of Stainless Steel sinks, laminates and solid surface, it is with great pride “We have an excellent, focused sales and quantity of houses tothat bewe built and the number 404GP 445M2 - 304 & 316 Alternatives in most applications are able to supply New Zealand with high quality products. We also import material from a variety of&sources, team Australia, Mercer of builders, electricians, roofers andand other namely Holland the Reginoxdistribution family of sinks, thisinenables us toand offer a greatly extend range of options we would Products’ sinks are now appearing in very Australian subcontractors required to build the numbers otherwise be unable to supply. We take our quality of product and service seriously, and won’t accept options just (0800 255638) | 0800 FAX MICO (0800 329642) 0800 ALL METALS because they are cheap, if we believe in it,Our we recent will bring it to NewatZealand if we homes. exhibiting DesignEx in can’t make it ourselves. required in Christchurch,” Mayell says.

Mercer Products have the latest domestic & commercial benching colours in laminates, solid surface, and a wide range of finishes in stainless steel. Think Mercer to achieve your next kitchen & laundry design.........including the kitchen sink!

FREE PHONE: 0800 2 637 237 FREE FAX: 0800 4 637 237 EMAIL: sales@mercerproducts.co.nz www.mercers.co.nz

125 years+ of excellence in manufacturing stainless products. www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 47

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure/Z Energy

A little more Kiwi spirit for Christchurch We realise you have bigger things on your mind, but since April 2010, the Shell fuel business in New Zealand has been Kiwi owned. So you may have noticed that we’re rebranding our Shell service stations to Z. Z is a brand that we believe better reflects that we’re effectively owned by all New Zealanders. This means that the last two of our sites to reopen in Christchurch will be the first Z sites in the South Island. The Shirley site and Linwood both opened at the end of July. We think it’s good news amidst an awful lot of not so great news. No one has been spared the impact from the quakes. Amongst the chaos, the destruction and loss, at Z we were fortunate and deeply relieved to safely account for all of our people. Immediately our thoughts turned helping to get our Christchurch neighbours back on their feet. And as a Kiwi company in the fuel business, we felt we could make the biggest contribution to Christchurch by delivering the fuel to do what mattered most. We got vital diesel directly into heavy earth moving machinery 24 hours per day to help the rescue effort. We provided free fuel to emergency services, civil defence and the rescue and recovery effort for three weeks after the February quake. With Lyttelton Port out of action, our drivers had to truck this fuel over broken and congested roads from Z’s fuel terminal in Timaru. We gave 100,000 litres of jet fuel to Air New Zealand to enable humanitarian flights in and out of the city and we worked to bring as many of our service stations back into action as quickly as we could. We quickly guaranteed our people’s jobs and we’re committed to continue doing business in the city. Our people in Christchurch, despite their own loss, damaged homes and traumatised families, pulled out all the stops, working around the clock for weeks on end to ensure supplies of fuel to the city. At our Shell-branded stations that could keep trading, frontline staff managed panic buying at more than three times the normal level as people filled up and left town. At some sites we had queues of cars for hundreds of metres with understandably stressed drivers.

48 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

As you can imagine, we’re proud of how our people stood up to this almighty test. They, like all locals, showed the kind of spirit under pressure and compassion for others that we think is distinctly Kiwi. And our persistence is ongoing. Four months after the first February quake our two most damaged service stations in the east of the city – at Shirley and Linwood – remained closed. Until now! They’re located in neighbourhoods which felt the brunt of the February quake and which are struggling to get back on their feet. The best thing we felt we could do was to bring back the supply of fuel and convenience to these communities as quickly as possible. It’s taken a lot of time and money. We’ve invested $1 million in brand new underground fuel storage tanks at each site. We’ve rebuilt the shops from scratch and we’re bringing the exciting new Z brand, service and attitude to these neighbourhoods. It felt right to us to make the investment in returning these sites to service and to making them flagship sites in these neighbourhoods. These sites – as with our network of 220 Shell and Z sites right across the country – are partnered with the Prime Minister’s Earthquake Appeal Fund. Customers can choose to make a donation to the Earthquake Appeal with any purchase. We know in the scheme of things that reopening two badly damaged service stations in the east of Christchurch is a drop in the ocean. But bringing businesses back to these communities is a step in the right direction and a signal of our commitment to New Zealand’s second largest city. Getting these sites back up and running has given us a true firsthand understanding of the challenges of starting to rebuild a city. But, like you, we love a challenge. As a Kiwi company, our efforts will not stop with the opening of Z Shirley and Z Linwood. Expect to see more from us to support Christchurch. It’s a place a lot of us at Z call home. So when it comes to getting back on your feet, we reckon you will.

Z Energy Customer services centre: 0800 474 355 Corporate enquiries: 04 472 0080 www.z.co.nz

Rebuilding Canterbury | Stage 1: Infrastructure/Wide Span Sheds

ds are e h s n a p s e Wid form builders of cold

ide Span Sheds is a recognised supplier of engineered steel kitset buildings, specialising in the design and manufacture of industrial and commercial buildings suitable as warehouses, factories, retail outlets, offices, depots, recreational buildings and more.

and the preferred in Christchurch steel buildings areas: all surrounding ast to West North to South: E gions covered All towns and re ll One call does it a we can supply it. it, If you can dream

e Can help W ? t il u B it d n ee stables.

d kshops, barns an Garages and wor . ds d machinery she Farm, storage an rs. Arenas and cove mmercial. co d an al Industri customisable gnised supplier of eputation co re a is ds he n S a strong r Wide Spa l kit buildings, with , pre-engineered stee and delivery of garages, workshops ly pp su n, as sig ell as as w in the de s, covers and aren sheds, barns, stable cial buildings. er industrial and comm ange of standard Workshop Sheds r u can easily e & ag ar G lity ua r q Ou so yo d and customisable designs is flexible ify a building’s features. You can ad od n m ca or ou ct . Y ra uit bt o s su d, e t ad mor and windows and internal or exclude doors ns, bay sizes and sio en im d all er ov also modify its dividing walls. offer clients the Machinery Sheds d we specialise & ge ra to , S m ar Our F s; an sheds of most size lue capacity to create ith dimensions that offer better va w ds s! he er g s ng ha nin ft sig ra rc de ai in ur customers. Even and economy to o ar ns e most ge & Lifestyle Bar Our secure Stora ings. Barns are ild bu al agricultur e. commonly used as or as a covered secure workplac ge ra to ign r s es fo t d ed ien us often eir effic economy due to th n terms of design Barns offer great tion i olu l s ica m no co and are the most e and coverage. al s range make ide s Covers & Arena r dressage fo as en Our Horse Stable ar ce an r as perform horse buildings, o ts. en and ev are suitable as Commercial sheds il outlets, offices, d an ial str du r In Ou reta ries, complexes, ustrial warehouses, facto d much more. Ind an gs din uil l b na tio ea e cr n b re ve ts, n e po de ey ca customisable - th xible buildings are fully buildings offer fle ial str du . In tch ra ork. ew am fr ed er designed from sc in a pre-engine th wi rs ete am ar design p stomer with s provides the cu mind. Wide Span Shed of e ac pe d curit y an unparalleled se heds.co.nz online: w w w.s e ng ra r ou t ou Check

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Wide Span offers clients the capacity to create buildings with lengths up to and beyond 60 metres, heights over eight metres and spans up to 27 metres. Those looking for something outside these parameters will be pleased with Wide Span Sheds’ flexible design criteria. With the rebuild of Christchurch, the team at Wide Span Sheds sees a real opportunity. That’s why Frazer Harding, one of the company’s highly experienced sales managers, has relocated from the North Island to Canterbury. Frazer has extensive knowledge and experience in the commercial and residential construction industry. He prides himself on the relationships of trust, based on integrity and commitment, he builds with his clients. “I’m passionate about Wide Span Sheds’ products and services that we offer to our clients, ensuring the end result is a truly satisfied customer,” Frazer says. “Our buildings are made from 100 percent New Zealand Steel. In an earthquake steel has the

highest strength to weight ratio of any building material. Consequently, damage through ‘inertia’ will be significantly reduced since there is less weight to move during an earthquake, and less weight that must stop. The building codes used in the design of steel framed walls are based on rigorous testing procedures put into place after recent earthquakes of the last decade.” Wide Span Sheds’ buildings are also extremely cost-effective and designed from a pure commercial grade quality cold form steel product that is manufactured locally in New Zealand. Wide Span Sheds’ buildings can be purchased as a kit set, or clients can choose a full project management and installation service. “Our buildings can also be built very quickly,” Frazer says. “Construction takes a minimum of 10 weeks from signing a contract to completion.” Lightning Construction & Joinery Ltd is the agency for Wide Span Sheds in the Christchurch region. A company that specialises in residential design and build projects, as well as home maintenance, home renovations, steel sheds and commercial and residential construction. “They install products that can dramatically improve the comfort of your home or business — and save you money.” Check them out at www.lightning.co.nz

Committed to helping Christchurch rebuild stronger with steel

0800 4Wide Span (0800 494 337) www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 49

Business Development | Daiken New Zealand

Local operation, Daiken New Zealand Limited’s plant in Ashley was the first medium density fibreboard (MDF) plant in the southern hemisphere and has been supplying international markets with high-quality Customwood since 1976. Last year marked 35 years since the commissioning of the Ashley plant of Daiken NZ Ltd, home of MDF Customwood. The site became part of the Daiken group in February 2009. Previously it was owned by Carter Holt Harvey. Daiken New Zealand is a joint venture between two Japanese companies — Daiken Corporation and Itochu Corporation. Daiken has a strong focus on sustainability and is one of Japan’s leading building materials manufacturers. Through its ambitious research and development efforts, Daiken is continuously working to develop the newest materials, concepts and technologies. A general trading company, Itochu is a global enterprise with 135 overseas offices,

18 domestic offices and 651 subsidiaries and affiliates. The forest resources and product department alone has an annual turnover of US$7.5 billion. Daiken NZ’s Ashley plant, just north of Christchurch, has always had a close relationship with Japan. Since the early days of production Japan has been its biggest export market. And thanks to the Japanese insistence on consistent quality, an enduring culture of technical know-how and product excellence has been developed.

A history of innovation The establishment of the Ashley plant in 1976 put New Zealand at the forefront of industrial wood utilisation technology. Construction of the plant began in 1975, with the first MDF coming off the production line the following year. Later that year blowline blending with UF resins was pioneered at the plant and remains a worldwide standard for MDF manufacture. In 1979, the Prestigious Furniture Industries Research Association of Great Britain chose Customwood as the best international fibreboard product, raising MDF’s international profile.

Daiken New Zealand at Ashley is a joint venture between two Japanese companies. Right: MDF is made from forest “rejects” not suitable for structural building.

• -

Engineering Plus (S.I) Ltd is Canterbury owned and operated; it was set up by Ben Cummings in 2006, initially to provide plant maintenance to a higher standard than was available at the time. We have built Engineering Plus on the premise of ‘no job too big or too small’. This combined with highly trained staff, excellent service and the use of the latest technologies, ensures that we continue to maintain our reputation as a leader in our field. Although maintenance is our core business, we are also able to provide added value to our clients by supplying these in-house services. Please contact Engineering Plus today for a no obligation discussion of your engineering requirements.

Phone 03 344 2162 • Mobile 027 277 9945 • A/H 03 383 9010 E-mail ben@engineeringplus.co.nz • PO Box 16952 • Hornby • Christchurch 50 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

Plant Maintenance Planned repairs Staff cover - Annual, Sick and Bereavement leave 24 hour / 7 day breakdown service Full site maintenance service

• Full sheet metal services, including Stainless Steel & Aluminium • Full machining services • A full fabrication workshop • General engineering - Health & Safety requirements (bollards, rails, guards including installation) - Staircases, balustrades and handrails to meet the requirements of the Health & Safety in Employment Act 1992 and regulations 1995. - Pipe work - Staircases - Mild steel fabrication

Business Development | Daiken New Zealand

global connections

In the early ‘80s several new MDF plants were established in Australia and China, with Carter Holt Harvey buying the New Zealand plant in 1985. The Ashley operation is responsible for many world-first breakthroughs in MDF production. A second production line was added in 1994, focusing on the new MDF phenomenon called ‘thinboard’. In 2000 the New Zealand plant at Ashley was the first plant outside Japan to meet the new Japanese low-formaldehyde emission standards, while in 2001 it developed new ultralite panels for the USA market. Daiken Corporation and Itochu Corporation established Daiken New Zealand Limited in 2009, purchasing the Ashley plant from Carter Holt Harvey and endeavouring to raise the standard and efficiency of production at the plant.

Daiken NZ has benefitted from significant Japanese investment to create Customwood MDF. Feature continues on next page >>

NEW ZEALAND’S LEADING INDUSTRIAL SERVICES SPECIALISTS We offer numerous services to both the domestic and commercial sector including: • Industrial and Marine Surface Preparation & Coating • Water Jetting; High and Ultra High Pressure • Liquid Waste Disposal and Environmental Services • Drainage Maintenance • Vacuum Loading • Road Maintenance • Hydro Excavation • Concrete Bowl Cleaning

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www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 51

Business Development | Daiken New Zealand Customwood MDF is strong and robust and has a multitude of uses from the building industry to picture frames, toys, trophies and even shoe heels.

Delivering innovation Daiken New Zealand is continuing to lead the international MDF industry through innovation. The Daiken New Zealand MDF plant at Ashley in North Canterbury was only the 13th MDF plant in the world when built in 1976. Back then MDF was a totally new product and presented many engineering challenges. Building on decades of teamwork and capital investment, Daiken New Zealand continues to perfect the technology required to process an inherently variable natural fibre and turn it into a consistently high-quality product.

Today Customwood is a household name, setting the standard for MDF worldwide because of its consistent quality.

Improved product quality In the early days MDF was often ‘speckled’ because of small lumps of resin. To produce more uniform consistency and colour the

Ashley plant’s engineers experimented with a new blow-line resin blending technique. Despite what the critics said, this innovation proved to be hugely successful and has been adopted by MDF plants around the world. To increase the strength of Customwood without using more material and adding more weight, adequate internal bonding was required. The plant responded to the challenge by pioneering “Doc’s cycle”. This consisted of changes to the operation of the press so the density could be varied throughout its profile, enhancing the product for many uses. This allowed new panels to be created that were sufficiently strong for structural uses such as flooring. In the early 2000s there was a demand from the North American market for an MDF panel that would be suitable for use as mouldings and skirting. It needed to be extremely (“ultra”) light but still have the superb machining characteristics of Customwood. The production team responded by once again innovating the pressing cycle technique to maximise distribution of fibres into the core of the panel and provide excellent machinability.

Striving for excellence The depth of experience at Daiken’s Ashley plant is complemented by the know-how, technical strength and human resources of the Daiken Group, which continually works to move its capability to a higher level. Daiken New Zealand managing director Nobuo Kikutake says in practical terms this will facilitate a transition from a high-quality MDF to a product that will meet the highest international standards. “To ensure that we can offer customers a competitive product we will be putting increasing resources into optimising up time, yield and productivity. “We will increase our sales into what is considered the most quality conscious MDF consumption market in the world, Japan,” he says. “Everyone at Daiken NZ Ltd is focused on customer needs and to secure the highest ranking for customer satisfaction growth we are constantly looking to better our performance on quality, price and delivery.”

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Business Development | Daiken New Zealand MDF production process Customwood is made using wood fibres (mostly from radiata pine), urea formaldehyde (UF) resin and a small amount of wax. Wood is at least 80 percent, the UF resin between 10 and 20 percent and wax content is less than 1 percent. Formaldehyde is a simple chemical made of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon — it is a gas and a natural part of the world. Man-made formaldehyde is no different from naturally occurring formaldehyde. It has been commercially manufactured for more than 100 years. Formaldehyde is part of the adhesives used to manufacture MDF and particleboard. While the IARC recognises formaldehyde as carcinogenic for humans, Daiken New Zealand Limited offers one of the lowest formaldehyde-emitting MDF panels available on the market.

International MDF sales Daiken New Zealand general manager business operations Brett Douglas says more than 40 percent of the Ashley plant’s MDF product is sent to Japan, for the nonstructural building materials and furniture market, which includes flooring, benchtops and cabinetry.

Customwood MDF Daiken New Zealand prides itself on producing what it considers the best medium density fibreboard (MDF) in the world. Its predecessors pioneered the technology in the southern hemisphere, with the Ashley plant continuing to refine it today.

Every day Daiken’s Ashley plant produces more than 500 cubic metres of Customwood on its two production lines. By altering its manufacturing process, the plant can vary sheet size, thickness and density according to market demand.

A range of quality products

Daiken’s Customwood MDF is renowned for its MDF products produced by Daiken NZ includes colour, consistency and quality. These attributes thinboard, thickboard, lightpanel and ultralight. make it an excellent product for applications which require consistent performance, stability ■ Thinboard is a high-quality panel with and fine finish. Across the world Customwood excellent bonding properties. Several MDF is used in interior furniture, joinery and sheets can be laminated together to form cabinetry, doors, walls, ceilings, flooring, shaped components with exceptional staircases, shop fittings, mouldings, film sets, strength. Thinboard is typically used for ceiling fans, coffins, picture frames, toys, drawer bottoms, furniture backs, wall and trophies and even shoe heels. ceiling panelling, audio and TV cabinetry partitioning, office screens, exhibition Daiken has always had a ‘can do’ attitude. panelling, curved panels, counter and desk Flexibility is part of the company’s DNA. So surfaces and bar fronts. when you ask for a particular panel size, thickness and density, Daiken will do its best to ■ Thickboard is a general-purpose multimeet the request. application panel used in furniture, kitchen Daiken NZ is confident its Customwood meets cabinets, speaker boxes, walls and ceilings, the world’s most stringent environment flooring substrates, stairs and game pieces. standards. This means when customers buy ■ Lightpanel is a general purpose panel Customwood, they can be sure they’ve made product that weighs 20 percent less than the best choice for the environment too.

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standard panels and allows for easier handling. Its uses are similar to thickboard. ■ Ultralight is Daiken’s lightest Customwood MDF panel, engineered for applications that require good machinability and an extremely light weight. It is used in furniture, mouldings and movie sets.

The domestic New Zealand market accounts for about 15 percent of the company’s business, mainly in the joinery and cabinetry market segments. Daiken’s main domestic customers include major retailers such as Carters, Bunnings and the ITM Group. The United States accounts for about 10 percent of sales, with the remaining 30 percent being sold within Australia and South East Asia. Feature continues on next page >>

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Business Development | Daiken New Zealand Daiken NZ and its products conform to ISO 9001:2008. The company employs strict quality control standards.

Versatile product The benefits of using MDF are huge, with Daiken New Zealand working hard to grow its international sales and market shares. Daiken New Zealand general manager business operations Brett Douglas says while MDF competes with particleboard and plywood, it is superior in many ways. “MDF is probably not as robust as plywood, but it has excellent surface characteristics and is very suitable for painting or laminating,” he says. “It also has a highly dense surface and is more resistant to dents, scratches or kicks than alternatives like gib-board. It’s a very stable product because of the process we go through, which includes baking much of the natural organic movement of wood out of the product.” One of MDF’s main attributes is that it routs and machines extremely well. “That’s why furniture markers really like the product.” Daiken NZ manufactures and sells MDF according to its strict quality policy, which involves continual quality development and exceeding industry standards. Daiken NZ and its products conform to ISO 9001:2008. The company monitors, benchmarks, and strives to continuously improve its business performance, products, systems and individual performance. It is committed to keeping health and safety in the workplace the highest priority.

Market growth Douglas says the past couple of years have been tough for everyone in the industry, as a result of the global downturn. “One of the focuses of this plant is keeping out of the commodity MDF game and looking at ultra low-formaldehyde products and specialty products and applications. We’re focusing on producing innovative products for the market, instead of having to compete on volume

with very large plants internationally, which have much higher production capacity. We’re still a niche player, though combined with our partner Daiken plants in Malaysia our international profile is strong. Access to the international networks of our joint venture owners is also critical to our success.” “We’re very focused on improving our supply chain and meeting the delivery requirements of a diverse range of customers across multiple markets. Accessing shipping options to achieve our supply goals has been a challenge over the last two years.”

However, Daiken NZ has made a big move Daiken has made various investments in the forward in terms of productivity and the quality Ashley plant since it purchased the site in 2009. of its product. “In 2010 we invested at least $4 million in “Demand has picked up internationally, upgrades throughout our production and particularly in Japan, as a result of the ancillary systems,” says Douglas. earthquake there. We’re working hard to “The success of this operation is a very meet that demand and our volume of product good example of the impact of Japanese to Japan at the moment is 60 percent,” investment on a manufacturing facility that’s says Douglas. been around since 1976. That investment has “In contrast, we haven’t really seen anything reinvigorated the plant, and secured its future coming through from the Canterbury region yet as an economic contributor in the following the earthquakes here.” North Canterbury region.”

PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH DAIKEN AND WISH THEM ALL THE BEST FOR THE FUTURE.

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Business Development | Daiken New Zealand

Embracing a proven philosophy Daiken New Zealand’s Ashley MDF plant embraces the Japanese 5S methodology in order to run an efficient, productive and safe workplace. 5S is the name of a workplace organisation methodology that uses a list of five Japanese words which are seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke, which translated mean sorting, straightening, systematic cleaning, standardising and sustaining. Additionally, there are three other phases sometimes included; safety, security, and satisfaction. Daiken general manager business operations Brett Douglas says the company has added a sixth S, which stands for smile, making their system a 6S philosophy. 5S describes how to organise a work space for efficiency and effectiveness by identifying and storing the items used, maintaining the area and items, and sustaining the new order.

which can be regarded as falling within the lean portfolio — they are all based around the elimination of waste in one form or another. The aim of the 5S system is to improve productivity, quality and health and safety.

Improved work practice “I would say the direction for Daiken New Zealand is embodied in our initials, DNZ. D is for Dedication to customers; N is for No compromise on safety; and Z is for Zero defects,” Douglas says. “These are core values and underpinning everything is the philosophy of 6S.” He says Daiken’s 6S philosophy is at the heart of what is driving the company, from input of raw materials to production, logistics and customer service. The 6S philosophy can be seen throughout Daiken’s entire operation, including having a site that is cleaner and better organised.

The decision-making process usually comes from a dialogue about standardisation, which builds a clear understanding among employees of how work should be done. It also instills ownership of the process in each employee.

A clean manufacturing operation, transparent operating procedures and a focus on minimising waste in the broader sense are features of 6S. The mindset is critical to achieving Daiken’s aspirations on quality, productivity and service.

A range of benefits from improved housekeeping have been identified, all of

Douglas says the past three-to-six months have seen Daiken NZ move closer to its

aspirational targets, but it takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight. “We’ve seen improvement in key KPIs, and we’re starting to see some upshift in our production output and premium rates. We’re manufacturing more board and better board. We have two MDF plants in Malaysia, which are owned by Daiken, and we’re striving to benchmark ourselves against them,” he says.

“Ultimately it will be down to the team. We have a very experienced group of people working on site 24/7, including seconded staff from our joint venture owners. “Our ambition? To make the 35th year of operations at Ashley the best yet.” Feature continues on next page >>

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Business Development | Daiken New Zealand The establishment of the Ashley plant in 1976 put New Zealand at the forefront of industrial wood utilisation technology.

Sustainability in action Sustainability in action Daiken New Zealand is committed to sustainability both within its plant and its surrounding environment in North Canterbury. It was concerned about the destruction of the world’s indigenous forests that inspired the establishment in 1976 of the MDF plant at Ashley, which is now owned and operated by Daiken New Zealand. An outstanding visionary and kiwi entrepreneur, plant founder Owen Haylock could see the new MDF technology had the potential to turn virtually worthless ‘waste’ wood into a substitute building material. If it could be successfully produced and marketed, this would reduce pressure on the world’s remaining indigenous forests.

Daiken general manager business operations Brett Douglas says the concept was developed to find a use for the forest resource that could not be used for structural building purposes. “The plant was set up to process what was considered a reject product in the forest.” That focus on the environment has never changed. Today Daiken New Zealand is proud of the plant’s impressive environmental credentials.

Responsibly sourced wood Unlike the vast majority of the world’s MDF, Customwood is made from exotic plantationgrown radiata pine trees. These forests are mostly located a short distance from the Ashley plant.

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When the trees are milled the premium wood is sent to sawmills to be processed into lumber. The remaining wood is processed into Customwood. There is plenty of raw material available because Canterbury’s strong north-westerly winds and low rainfall mean a lot of the wood is not suitable for timber because it lacks strength. Whenever possible, Daiken New Zealand sources wood harvested from plantations that meet the Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) stringent environmental, social and economic standards. Product made from this wood carries the FSC certification label. Daiken NZ never uses wood that has been illegally harvested, wood from forest areas of high conservation value, wood from genetically (transgenic) modified trees, wood from natural forests converted to plantations or

non-forest use, or wood harvested in violation of traditional or civil rights. Seventy-five percent of the energy consumed in the manufacture of Customwood MDF is obtained by burning renewable fuels (bark, wood residues, etc). One hundred percent of wastewater is treated and then used for irrigation on farmland. Several initiatives on-site aim at the recycling of cardboard, office paper and containers.

Environment and health monitoring New Zealand has some of the most stringent environmental and labour laws in the world and Daiken NZ is constantly monitoring conditions to ensure it is managing its operations in an environmentally responsible manner. The company monitors water quality (underground and surface) to ensure its effluent treatment process and discharge methods are non-contaminated. It also monitors drinking water quality for staff.

Customwood also complies with the equally Daiken strictly monitors formaldehyde rigorous California Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions, as well as regularly measuring limits on formaldehyde emissions, representing wood dust. An external agent completes an a de facto national standard for the US. annual survey of wood dust and formaldehyde. Daiken monitors plant noise using an external By working with resin makers, Daiken NZ has surveyor every five years or every time there is developed a range of Customwood products a significant change in machinery or processes. that meet the exacting Japanese Industrial The company has one of the best health and Standards (JIS) for formaldehyde emissions. safety records in New Zealand. It undertakes The highest grade, F4 Star (also known as intensive training of staff and contractors on Super EO), has formaldehyde levels similar health and safety matters and completes an annual survey of employees’ general health. to wood.

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Business Development | Daiken New Zealand

Saltwater Creek project Daiken New Zealand’s focus on the environment has seen the North Canterbury company undertake a creek restoration project near its Ashley plant. Restoring the embankments of the Saltwater Creek as it meanders through the farm land adjacent to the factory where Customwood is produced was a long-held dream for many Daiken employees. In July 2010 a proposal was put in front of Daiken New Zealand directors and it was agreed that employees and the company will work together in a restoration plan. The plan consisted of fencing the margins of the creek and planting native bush species. Daiken received an Environment Canterbury grant towards offsetting the cost of fencing material. More than a thousand plants were purchased from local nurseries and more plants were donated by staff and local supplier New Beginnings Nursery, and were planted by Daiken staff volunteers and their families.

Canterbury and other sources regarding The farmland surrounding Daiken NZ’s planting techniques and plans, plant species industrial site at Ashley is crossed by the Saltwater Creek, a water course of regional and from the area and maintenance. traditional significance. The first task was to fence the margins of the creek and to establish a planting strip. The total length of the creek and southern Then in the spring of 2010 the company tributary within the Daiken New Zealand planted nearly 1000 plants along the southern boundary is about 2700 metres. tributary. Finally the creek was fenced on the The land is used for pasture and silage north side in autumn this year and an extra production and occasionally for grazing sheep. 1000 plants panted. The landscape is typical rural farmland with Species include carex, flax, cabbage tree, stands of poplars and willows. Most of the ribbon-wood, kowhai, coprosmas, hebes and creek’s banks are not planted at all. other natives. There is a picturesque section of the creek, totally unplanted, where it twists and turns among steep banks. This section stretches from Beatties Road downstream for about 560 metres. The area has been named “the island” as the creek and a tributary form a triangular island with Beatties Road as one of the sides.

The plan will continue along the embankments during the coming spring and will run for the next few years until the creek once again becomes a native habitat.

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Business Development | The Hairy Mussel Company

Simply superb seafood

The Hairy Mussel Company in Havelock has established itself as a leading provider of fresh seafood, specialising in mussels.

“We might pick up fish off a day boat in Kaikoura on a Monday and that goes out to our customers on our website or will be in restaurants on the Tuesday,” says Madden.

The Hairy Mussel Company packs mussels into cartons for refrigerated transport or into The Hairy Mussel Co was formed eight years ‘polybins’ for courier or bulk cartage. Freshness ago by Tim Madden and Helen Johnston, is a key attribute, with ongoing tests and who began trading on a small scale in the monitoring to ensure the mussels reach their Marlborough Sounds. destination in tip-top condition. A key aspect They soon moved to Havelock and rented a of the operation is the extensive distribution factory for five years, which involved a series network. Typically, Coromandel mussels are of four sheds. “It was pretty basic but it worked supplied throughout the North Island and really well and it got us settled in the market Marlborough Sounds mussels are supplied but we needed to grow. Along with the port throughout the South Island and to the company in Havelock, the timing was right to Wellington region. set up a new building there,” Madden says. The Hairy Mussel Co guarantees overnight The Hairy Mussel Co moved into its purposedelivery on all products and supplies four built factory just before Christmas. The days a week — Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and premises includes offices, a packhouse and a Saturday. “We can supply Marlborough Sounds retail shop, with 11 staff employed in total. mussels further into the North Island. However, additional cartage rates will apply. The same Core mussel product also applies to the Coromandel mussels The company is focused on providing fresh, supplied into the South Island.” good quality seafood products, including Close to 98,000 tonnes of greenshell mussels mussels, oysters and fish. It employs a unique are harvested in New Zealand on a yearly control process to ensure mussels arrive at basis, with the majority being exported, their final destination fresh and of exceptional earning more than $170 million a year. The quality, with minimal waste and breakages. industry is New Zealand’s single largest All mussels are graded, packed and shipped seafood exporter. from the Havelock packhouse directly to Greenshell mussels can be harvested yearcustomers. The Hairy Mussel Co doesn’t hold round. Depending on the weather and mussel any stock, ensuring mussels are always fresh. farm location, harvesters work late into the It offers the option to supply the North Island night to ensure the mussels are at peak from Coromandel, although most customers freshness when they arrive. prefer Marlborough mussels.

58 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

Business Development | The Hairy Mussel Company

Fresh oysters and fish The Hairy Mussel Co also supplies delicious fresh oysters during the oyster season. Some of the tastiest oysters are grown and harvested in the Marlborough Sounds.

standards of care. Spat or baby mussels are sourced from the beaches at Kaitaia, Golden Bay or the Marlborough Sounds.

Spat are captured on specially designed rope, and grow to an average of 40mm after three to six months. At this stage the ropes are The company currently supplies the oysters in the whole shell so they retain their juices while literally covered in baby mussels and are lifted for removal of the spat. remaining nice and plump. The season is in full swing from October through the summer months. Order on line and get them delivered direct to your door. The Hairy Mussel Company also sells delicious sea-run salmon it sources from a variety of suppliers around the South Island, depending on size and season. The salmon are farmed sustainably in the Marlborough Sounds. Harvesting is currently done on Sunday afternoon and the salmon are then processed, packaged and dispatched to your doorstep on the Monday. This ensures the fish meets The Hairy Mussel Co’s strict freshness guidelines.

Quality farming process In guaranteeing the quality of its mussel and seafood products, The Hairy Mussel Co operates a strict food safety programme. “The quality of our products is exceptional,” co-owner Tim Madden says. “We do live mussels, which take a bit of looking after. You can’t have them sitting around; you have to get them out.” The Hairy Mussel Co only receives mussels from farms operating under the highest

Specialised boats that have collected the spat will then reseed the spat into designated mussel farms. The idea is to get the optimum number of mussels onto a metre of rope, while allowing the mussel plenty of space to grow. A cotton stocking will hold the mussels in place and will give some protection to the mussel in the early phase of growth. The cotton stocking will eventually rot away.

Safety Authority. The data collected determines which farms are open or closed for harvesting. The New Zealand mussel industry is known to operate one of the strictest quality assurance programmes in the world. When the mussel farm is declared open, a harvesting boat will select a designated line and haul on board the rope that is fully laden with mussels. The mussels are removed from the rope and are then de-clumped and washed. The mussels will go through a quick initial grading and are then collected into large bags for transporting. A single harvester will typically collect between 50 and 70 tonnes of mussels each day.

Tim Madden co-owner, The Hairy Mussel Company

Food safety programme

A mussel farm can vary in size from one to 20 hectares. Each line will typically be 110 metres long and will hold an average of 50 floats. Each of those floats can support a tonne of mussels.

When the mussels arrive at the Hairy Mussel packhouse, they are immediately put into a chiller. This is a controlled process that reduces the stress on the mussel before packing.

Regular checks are made to monitor the condition of the mussels and to optimise the right time for harvesting. Mussels can take between 15 to 18 months to grow to a shell size of 90mm to 100mm.

When packing commences, the mussels are graded and checked for quality and any broken mussels are removed.

Mussels are filter feeders and will typically filter up to 360 litres of water each day. Therefore the quality of the water is very important. The single biggest factor that can affect the water quality is the land run-off as a result of rainfall. A number of rain gauges are positioned throughout the mussel farm areas which are monitored by the New Zealand Food

“We do mussels and fish extremely well.”

“We do mussels and fish extremely well,” Madden says. The Hairy Mussel Co operates under a comprehensive food safety programme administered by the NZ Food Safety Authority. Other products are only sourced from suppliers who are passionate about their own products, operate ethically and also operate a comprehensive food safety programme.

A key feature of the seafood industry is the ability for a customer to trace their mussels back to packing, harvesting, the mussel farm they were sourced from and even right back to where the baby mussels were first collected. Feature continues on next page >>

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www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 59

Business Development | The Hairy Mussel Company

“It’s about giving tourists and locals a chance to get good fresh fish.” Tim Madden co-owner, The Hairy Mussel Company

Demand for retail outlet The Hairy Mussel Company’s new retail store in Havelock is proving a big hit with both local customers and tourists alike. The retail store opened a few weeks ago, following the company’s recent move into its new purpose-built premises at 23A Inglis Street in Havelock. Owners Tim Madden and Helen Johnston identified the need for an outlet that allows local customers and visitors to the region to choose their own fresh seafood products. Mussels are an eco-friendly, sustainable seafood that are extremely easy to prepare and cook. They are nutritious, high in protein and iron and contain plenty of those good Omega 3s. Even better, they’re low in fat, low in cholesterol and more importantly, low in calories. “This is our first retail shop and all of our products are available there,” Madden says.

“We have fresh live mussels and marinated mussels in a traditional brown vinegar. There are also lots of smoked mussels, as we have our own smoker.

“You’ll also be able to get a bit of smoked mackerel and a salad —just simple, tasty food. There’s outdoor seating across the road and it’s a beautiful sunny spot with a great view.”

“We also do smoked mackerel, which is really popular. We have fresh groper, terakihi and Marlborough oysters.”

The retail shop is designed to help promote The Hairy Mussel Co’s core mussel product.

Madden says while The Hairy Mussel Co does not have a huge range of products, the company does what it does extremely well. He and Johnston plan to grow the store’s range of products over the busy summer season to include some frozen seafood.

Freshly cooked “There will be a limited amount of frozen product available. We’re also looking to employ a chef for the summer for smoking fish and making fresh fish and chips. “You’ll be able to pick your piece of fish and we’ll batter it up and cook it for you, as well as cook up some mussels,” says Madden.

“It’s about giving tourists and locals a chance to get good fresh fish. We’ve only been open a few weeks but we’re getting lots of people coming back.” While The Hairy Mussel retail store is currently open four days a week — from Tuesday to Friday between 10.30am and 3.30pm — Madden and Johnston plan to extend those hours in the summer to meet the demand. “Our range of products is growing rapidly. This time last year we were doing a few oysters and live mussels only,” Madden says. “We also do a burly, a mixture of mussels and fish minced up in a bag for fishermen.”

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Business Development | The Hairy Mussel Company Fresh mussels can be ordered on line in a range of quantities, while salmon can be ordered as whole fish, steaks or fillets. There is also a range of colourful Hairy Mussel merchandise, including t-shirts and beanies. In addition, a variety of mussel recipes are available online to download. Customers can purchase products in semiinsulated foil bags provided by Bounty Cuisine, which recognises the need for New Zealand’s premium chilled products to be packed in a premium, functional, and attractive packaging format. “The bags insulate products for three hours, so anyone who has to travel can purchase their mussels in a Bounty Cuisine bag if they wish. It’s a free extra,” Madden says. “We also now do pottles of oysters which we open ourselves with pneumatic oyster knives.”

Love of seafood The team at The Hairy Mussel Company get a huge satisfaction out of doing seafood so well. “You have to have the passion. If you have the passion for what you’re doing and you’re excited by it and want to do the best you can, that’s the key. We get comments all the time from people who aren’t used to getting totally fresh products and it’s very satisfying.” While The Hairy Mussel Co does not export products, Madden says they have the technology, food safety plan and processes in place to begin exporting if the opportunity arises. “We’re quite happy supplying the local market for now and doing that well,” he says.

www.hairymussel.co.nz The convenience of buying fresh seafood online through The Hairy Mussel Company’s website cannot be underestimated. Co-owners Tim Madden and Helen Johnston say the website is exciting, informative and easy for customers to navigate and purchase fresh seafood from. It offers easy, convenient shopping without stepping out the door. “We’re trying to promote to people that they can get online and get the things they want when they want them,” Madden says. “We offer overnight delivery anywhere in New Zealand. We do hundreds of tonnes of live mussels and we supply to Foodstuffs, Pak ‘n Save, New World, restaurants and households.”

Sales of marinated mussels are growing, with Madden expecting The Hairy Mussel Co’s marinated mussels to appear in the supermarkets within the next couple of months. It has been supplying live fresh mussels to Foodstuffs for the past seven years.

“Customers are getting good value off the website. Our products aren’t overpriced and they’re really good.”

The Hairy Mussel Company 23A Inglis Street Havelock Marlborough T (03) 574 2575 www.hairymussel.co.nz — Advertising Feature

The company is also promoting the launch of its two new sauce flavours: Thai Top is a lemon grass and dark sweet chilli sauce, while Red Dress is a sweet tomato and smoked paprika sauce. The new sauces are being sold in bottles and replace a former sauce produced by the company called Hairy Hustle. Thai Top and Red Dress will be available through New World, Pak ‘n’ Save, local fish shops and The Hairy Mussel Co’s website.

Port Marlborough warmly welcomes The Hairy Mussel Company into their new premises in Havelock We can help you with business sites or marina berth needs at Havelock. Havelock, gateway to the spectacular scenery and tranquillity of the Pelorus and Kenepuru Sounds. Phone 03 520 3399 or visit our website at www.portmarlborough.co.nz

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 61

Business Development | Christchurch Casino

“A lot of people think the entire city is shut, but that’s not true. I’d encourage people to come back in (to the casino) and have some fun here.” Richard Hingston Grand Café, Christchurch Casino

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rejuvenation to the building’s interior. Designed by Warren and Mahoney and built by Fletchers Construction, the new interior has made a “massive” difference, says kitchen manager Richard Hingston, who runs the Grand Café restaurant, which has been transformed by its redesign. “People who haven’t seen the casino in the last couple of years and come in now are always very impressed. “In this restaurant, the layout, the décor, the seating — as well as the service and the food — are all a step ahead. It’s the total package in dining. The restaurant now stands on its own

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Hingston began his role as kitchen manager about 14 months ago, a year which he describes as “very turbulent.” Despite the earthquakes, the Christchurch Casino building has held up extremely well.

Fabulous food Hingston made changes to the Grand Café’s menu when he began his new role. The menu is now a la carte. “It’s more Kiwi-orientated, using fresh and seasonal produce, locally sourced where possible. We offer the full bar menu and more traditional dishes at great value in our other bars and restaurants, so now we offer the best of both worlds.” Another change has been the kitchen, open 24 hours a day since the building was created in the 1990s, and was due for a complete revamp. Hingston says the architects and builders did a great job of using the small space well, making it easier to move around.

Business Development | Christchurch Casino

movable sliding doors. When the doors are closed, the Canterbury Lounge can seat up to 60 people and has a private bar. The room has already held many different functions, from private events to cocktail evenings and conferences. When the Canterbury Lounge is not being used as a function room, the sliding doors are pushed aside and it is simply a larger part of the restaurant.

Future goals The Christchurch Casino is committed to ‘Bringing the Buzz Back’ to the central city, Hingston says. “We are looking forward to more and more businesses resuming usual services in the city and hope to be a catalyst for this. “A lot of people think the entire city is shut, but that’s not true. I’d encourage people to come back in and have some fun here.” Christchurch Casino 30 Victoria Street PO Box 4141 Christchurch 8140 T (03) 365 9999 F (03) 365 2920 www.christchurchcasino.co.nz

The refurbished Grand Café, with its new a la carte menu, is more Kiwi-orientated.

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Warren and Mahoney has nurtured some of New Zealand’s finest architectural talent. Some of the company’s most iconic buildings include the Supreme Court, the Wellington Trust Stadium (known as the Cake Tin) and the Christchurch Town Hall. Warren and Mahoney PO Box 25-086 Christchurch 8144 New Zealand T (03) 961 5926 F (03) 961 5935 E christchurch@wam.co.nz

The Grand Café’s refurbishment was part of a rolling refurbishment of the Christchurch Casino that Warren and Mahoney had been working on during the last three years. Architects from Warren and Mahoney started at Level Four of the casino, recreating the gallery bar and slot machine areas, plus the Prive — the private slot machine area; making it into a more exclusive room. The second stage was an overhaul of the main gaming floor, with the addition of panelled mirrors, new carpet and wall finishes. “The space is more sophisticated,” Richard McGowan, architect at Warren and Mahoney says. “The new design has made the entire space much more integrated, and aligned with patrons’ expectations.”

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Initiatives | Rainbow Print Group/Print Monday

t o e g a t s s i e u j r g t o n i t o n r i der r P

Ordering business cards, corporate stationery, posters and brochures just got a lot simpler, thanks to a revolutionary new online print ordering service, Print Monday. The brainchild of established print company Rainbow, the idea for Print Monday came out of a brainstorm for ways to make the print ordering process easier for customers.

convenience of the web and they wanted to know why we couldn’t offer that easy accessibility. We thought, ‘Well why can’t we?’ So we built Print Monday and now we do. “Now our customers simply log on to www. printmonday.co.nz, select their product, upload a PDF of their artwork, select quantities and

away we go. A few days later their printing is delivered to their door. And we don’t just do basic stationery and marketing materials, we can do everything from postcards to fridge magnets,” Duncan says. “When you place your order, you get an estimated delivery time, usually between

3-10 days. Print Monday ships anywhere in New Zealand. “Greater efficiency and lower overheads means we are able to offer customers cheaper print prices and faster turnarounds. And because our business model is based on being as efficient as possible, this is never going to change.”

Print Monday manager Aleisha Duncan says “Customers were always telling us that they wished they could just jump online and order their printing. People are getting more accustomed to the immediacy and

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Initiatives | Rainbow Print Group/Print Monday

Initiatives | Les Mills @ Riccarton

Pump takes off in Riccarton Five million people in more than 80 countries around the world BODYPUMP®, pedal and stretch their way to Les Mills® programmes every week. Its products — choreographed fitness moves with accompanying music – are a global fitness phenomenon, revolutionising how we work out. But it is how the company navigated recent seismic events that really has people talking. For two years prior to February’s devastating earthquake Les Mills had been based at 203 Cashel Street, next door to the ill-fated CTV building. While the gym itself was not severely damaged, central city cordoning means it is not accessible, marketing manager Joshua Dickson says. “The building performed incredibly well and the structural engineers are very pleased with how it has withstood the effects of the earthquake. So it is just a matter of time before we reopen.”

User friendly all the way The Print Monday service is designed to make it as easy as possible for people to upload artwork, with simple templates for products. “If someone doesn’t have existing artwork, or doesn’t have the resources to convert their artwork to the correct dimensions, we have a team of in-house designers who can help out. Our next exciting goal is to have an online design service so customers can get creative, designing their own products,” says Duncan.

Rainbow’s head office is based in Christchurch and is fully operational after the earthquakes. Rainbow might be at the cutting edge of print technology, but it has never forgotten the core of its business, beautiful print. The company owners can still be found on the print shop floor making sure that the job is done right, every time. That attention to detail has now been applied to Print Monday, the business quietly revolutionising the way New Zealand businesses do their printing.

“The web-to-print market is growing dramatically in the United States and Europe and we believe Print Monday is the future for straightforward print projects. We’ve started running special Print Monday promotions online using Facebook and Twitter and these are really taking off.”

Print Monday and Rainbow 6-10 Jipcho Road Sockburn Christchurch T (03) 341 3001 Freephone 0800 33 33 56 F (03) 341 3005 Print Monday is part of the 25-year-old national E info@printmonday.co.nz www.printmonday.co.nz print network run by Rainbow, which recently acquired Chaucer Press to become one of New www.rainbowprint.co.nz — Advertising Feature Zealand’s largest private print businesses.

A C C O U N T A N T S

The Team at Miller Gale & Winter wish to congratulate Rainbow Print Limited for the launch of PRINT MONDAY We offer personal service and a range of advice to all businesses and individuals, including: • • • • •

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“A lot of our members wanted to keep active and this service has played a big part in giving them a sense of normalcy amongst the chaos, which they have appreciated.” The gym quickly secured temporary premises at 41 Riccarton Road and began the task of setting up. “We were so thankful to find premises so quickly. Our key brief for the premises was that it needed to be a single storey building but big enough to do the job. We secured a warehouse style building with a sloping roof and with a full group fitness studio, New York loft style Les Mills RPM® room and full weights and cardio room, we have been able to provide what people know Les Mills as being, but on a smaller scale.”

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But this hasn’t deterred the gym from doing what it does best. A week following the February earthquake Les Mills put together an Outreach Programme, a keep active service which was free for members and non members, enabling them to maintain their fitness in a social setting, Dickson says.

Providing expertise and solutions in: • Quake rebuilding and redevelopment • Development & Town planning • Traffic Engineering • Environmental Health & Acoustics

Les Mills @ Riccarton has all its popular programmes running, including the new 30 minute core workout CX30™. To accommodate demand, the group fitness timetable has doubled. Les Mills @ Riccarton 41 Riccarton Road Christchurch T (03) 379 1140 E Joshua.dickson@lesmills.co.nz www.lesmills.co.nz

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Initiatives | Adrenalin Forest

Traversing sky-high adventure trails Remember the amazing feeling you had as a child climbing the monkey bars in the playground? How much fun it was to get higher and higher, the view from the top, the sense of achievement when it was all over? Adrenalin Forest has been delivering thrills to people of all ages in Christchurch with its series of multi-level obstacle courses for three and a half years. Located in Spencer Park, the Adrenalin Forest concept goes back to France

where, in 1995, a retired army officer was inspired by his knowledge of army training courses. He adapted the courses into a fun and challenging experience for everyone to enjoy. The concept was immediately popular — in five years around 20 parks were created, mainly in the south-east of France around tourist centres. In the last three years that number has reached 300. Many are located in the mountains but also near the main cities of France. Now, the concept is spreading over the world with some in Canada, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, South America and Australia.

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In Christchurch, Adrenalin Forest manager Toine Houtenbos says they are extremely busy, with customers ranging from families, to corporate groups, to tourists. The adventure park works like this. When a group arrive, they are given a safety briefing and practise on a small obstacle course. Then, they tackle a range of courses at the park, with staff members on hand to encourage and guide them through.

Secure and safe After the February 22 earthquake, Adrenalin Forest was closed for three weeks while it was assessed by a structural engineer and an arborist. It passed the inspections, and has been open since March. It was reassessed following the June 13 quakes, and was again found to be completely structurally sound. Houtenbos says the challenging, physical activity is a good distraction from quake stress. “It definitely takes your mind off everything else. You have to be focused on the climb, focusing on getting through the challenge.”

Some of the obstacle courses are quite easy. Take ‘Adventure’ — its highest point is seven metres and while there are a few challenges, it is open to anyone 1.30 metres tall, which can Future growth be children around eight or nine years old. Adrenalin Forest has become so popular that is looking at expanding. As well as the Spencer ‘Thrill’ ups the ante. It goes up to 13 metres Park complex, there is one near Wellington. high, has challenges such as a zigzag rope “Our plans to develop a new park in the and a commando flying fox. ‘Adrenalin max,’ Waikato are looking very promising. We should the hardest course, is both physically and start the construction very soon.” emotionally demanding. “After a climb, most people are quite tired but euphoric,” Houtenbos says. “Because we have a range of courses, people of all ages and fitness levels will be challenged — even the fit will still work up a sweat. I’ve seen people kiss the ground after doing one of our challenging twenty metre high courses!”

Adrenalin Forest 105 Heyders Road Spencerville Christchurch T (03) 329 8717 E contact@ adrenalin-forest.co.nz www.adrenalin-forest.co.nz — Advertising Feature

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Initiatives | Le Race 2011

Newstalk ZB ChristChurCh 100.1FM Newstalk ZB is pleased to be associated with Le Race, 2011. It’s pleasing to see our major cycling events continuing to give Christchurch cyclists a bit of ‘time out’ whilst training or competing. We appreciate that many people have been affected by the series of earthquakes, and it is great to have some light relief from these. It has been an extremely busy time for Newstalk ZB in Christchurch since the first earthquake on September 4th. Heightened interest in radio coverage of the quakes has seen Newstalk ZB, the official Civil Defence broadcaster at the forefront of this coverage both locally and nationally. Mike Yardley and Susi Maclean have anchored the weekday morning show from 8:30 to Midday providing essential news and Civil Defence information to Christchurch residents. Chief Reporter Jo Scott, along with journalists Amanda South, Scarlett Cvitanovich, Lesley Murdoch, Brian Ashby and Adam Walker from the Christchurch newsroom have been to every briefing and news conference, providing extensive news coverage locally, nationally and internationally. Recently, Newstalk ZB added the 100.1 FM frequency to its already popular 1098AM frequency. The Radio Network’s Christchurch General Manager, Andrew Britt, says the additional frequency came about as a result of the Canterbury earthquakes. “The earthquakes have underlined the need to have Newstalk ZB, an official Civil Defence information outlet, available on both FM and AM,” says Mr Britt. “Immediately after the February earthquake, Newstalk ZB ran across

all our company’s frequencies, so we could get maximum information to the greatest number of people. When we returned to our traditional 1098AM position, we got a lot of calls from people asking us to remain on FM.” There has also been a reshuffle on Newstalk ZB Canterbury mornings with Mike Yardley and local broadcaster Susi Maclean now sharing the role between 8.30am and midday. Mike Yardley will work three days a week – Monday to Wednesday – to allow him to pursue his other passion of travel writing. “My first passion is radio and I love what I do on Newstalk ZB in the morning but I am pleased that The Radio Network and I have been able to work together so I can pursue my other passion of travel writing,” he said. Many Cantabrians may not be aware that Mike writes a travel column for over 15 newspapers across Australasia, and regularly travels internationally to research destinations and investigate local customs and cultures. Susi Maclean is a former ZM breakfast show host who recently returned to the airwaves to cover Mike’s travel and the extended local coverage of the February earthquake on Newstalk ZB. Susi has a strong media and communications background, and sees her Newstalk ZB role as a return to familiar territory. “There is something very special about local radio -

it’s such a powerful tool to connect people together and the past couple of months have demonstrated that more than ever. Being part of helping communities to connect in those early days after the February earthquake was quite an experience, and it really reignited my passion for broadcasting – especially at a local level.” Newstalk ZB would like to wish all competitors the best of luck for Le Race 2011!

Mike Yardley & Susi Maclean

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 67

Initiatives | Le Race 2011

Back on course Good news for cycling enthusiasts — the annual Le Race cycling event, where individuals and teams race from Christchurch to Akaroa, will be still be held this year. It usually takes place in March, but was postponed following the February 22 earthquake. Other than the devastation at the event’s starting point in Cathedral Square, the road itself was relatively undamaged from the quake. “We just didn’t have the facilities or the infrastructure to go ahead with it,” event owner Simon Hollander explains. “The police were too busy, we couldn’t get any portaloos at all, and we also thought it was too soon after the tragedy to hold the race. The people of Christchurch just had too much other stuff going on to even think of running the event.” However, he is pleased to announce that cyclists will still get their yearly fix of the breath-taking and challenging course, as the race will now go ahead on October 15.

Iconic event

“A ride that equals or surpasses anything in Europe, or France, a stunning course with mouth watering scenery and hills around every second corner… an event for riders who want to race or for anyone that wants a great challenge notched onto their CV.” — Michae l Vink (2010 Winner and Le Race record holder)

“Be warned! This is not your ordinary 100 km race. Hugely popular across all abilities, amazing views and more hills than you can shake a pump at.” — Jeremy Yates (2008 & 2009 winner)

Le Race has been going since 1999, and has become an extremely popular ride in its short history, with participants coming from not just Canterbury but from New Zealand and internationally to compete.

This year the course will be the same as every year, except it will probably not be able to start in Cathedral Square which remains in the red zone. Hollander says he’d like to start it as close as he is allowed.

Starting in Cathedral Square, it heads over the hills and to the sea, with the finishline at the charming historic French village of Akaora.

“It was so much fun to hear the cathedral bells ring and the traffic lights change to green as everyone took off. Other than that the course will still be the same, there’ll still be that euphoric moment when you come into the Akaroa domain after the hills. It’s such a great atmosphere, a local band will be playing music and the bikers will hop off and enjoy the sausage sizzle and French croissants!

“It’s one of those iconic New Zealand rides,” Hollander says. “So much so that the Kennett Brothers’ book called Classic NZ Road Rides of the 100 best recreational road rides has a great Le Race picture on the cover. “It attracts people from all around the world, of all ages. A good chunk of people have done it every year, we have a club of people who have done it five or 10 times. The ages of those taking part range from 15 to folks in their 70s. Other than Kiwis, we get Aussies flying over to it, we’ve had Germans, Americans, and lots of people from the UK compete as well.”

Racing options You can take on the whole challenge either on a road or mountain bike as an individual, or tackle the event in bite-size chunks in a two-person team or a three-person team. ● Teams of two, called ‘Relais of 2’, do one half each and change at Little River Domain. ● Teams of three, called ‘Relais of 3’ do a third each, changing over at Millers Road and then Little River. ● Ensemble 4 — Just like the New Zealand Pursuit Team, get three friends together and compete as a team with each member going the full distance. The combined individual times give the overall team time and placing. You’ll still get to compete as an individual as well — so you’ll be in two categories. Other options are: ● Clydesdale — Rider must be 100kg or more (without the bike). ● Best Dressed — If you like to stand out from the crowd, there is a prize for best costume. 68 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

Le Race — in their words

“The people of Akaroa have been great and truly supportive about us shifting the dates — they’re a lovely bunch of people.” Many riders enjoy racing to Akaroa, spending the night with family or friends in the seaside town and then taking part in the ‘brunch ride back’ Le Race runs.

Initiatives | Le Race 2011

Le Race — in their words

ace “If you want to race it, Le R can be the hardest race you’jullst ever do. But if you want to ery finish and enjoy it, the scenout.” makes for a fantastic day Different date This year the race will take place the weekend of the October 15-16. The start of summer is usually the start of the cycling season, meaning many people use the summer to train for Le Race in March. Hollander recommends anyone who doesn’t feel they will be able to complete Le Race in October to look at competing in a team of two or three. “This is one of the toughest 100k races in New Zealand and it’s not something you can go to without preparation. We’re still holding the event this year because we wanted to have something for people to look forward to and enjoy in what’s been a really tough year. We don’t think a race record will be set! “But we will run Le Race again in March 2012, so October could for some be part of the training and then people could work up to doing it by themselves in March.”

Hollander says he wants to specially thank the race’s sponsors who have supported the event in a tough economic time and were enthusiastic about postponing, rather than cancelling the 2011 event. “Taking part in Le Race is a huge accomplishment and Christchurch people look differently on anyone they know who has completed it. There’s bragging rights for anyone who gets over the finish line!”

The course The event starts at 8am in the English setting of Christchurch city and finishes in the French village of Akaroa. After leaving Colombo Street in Christchurch the course climbs high above the city passing the Sign of the Takahe, to the iconic site of the Sign of the Kiwi (322m), where the first Coffee Culture King and Queen of the Mountain stage begins. Then onto the Summit Road where the road climbs further, up to

Worsleys Road at approximately 430m and onto the Summit Road. Turn right and enjoy the magnificent views across the Canterbury Plains to the Southern Alps along the Summit Road eastwards to the sea. After more hill climbs (to approx 490m) comes the first fast downhill through Gebbies Pass before heading towards Motukarara. You’re now on the flat section of the course, so enjoy it! Turn left into Millers Road (Relais of 3 members will change over here) then onto State Highway 75, heading towards Little River and the change station in the Little River Domain. Relais of 2 and Relais of 3 members change over here. Head through Cooptown and hit the longest hill climb in the event up the Hilltop Pass (470m), which is also the second Coffee Culture King and Queen of the Mountains stage. All riders must get to the top of the Hilltop Pass by

w Zealand Cycling — Brian Fowler (Ne d Commonwealth an ian mp Oly n, Champio Race patron) Games medallist and Le

midday to remain in the event. Turn off the Akaroa Highway and back onto the Summit Road, with the sight of Akaroa in the distance providing a beacon of hope. However, there is still 40km to go with plenty of undulating terrain, including the steepest section of the course — a short sharp climb past Duvauchelle Peak (571m). After climbing to 700 metres turn right. Head down Long Bay Road, and turn sharp left into Old Coach Road before coming back onto the main Highway and into Akaroa. Tail Wind Events Ltd PO Box 36740 Merivale Christchurch 8146 T 027 CYCLING (027 292 5464) www.lerace.co.nz — Advertising Feature

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Initiatives | Classique Furniture

Gone but not forgotten The loss of a loved colleague in the February earthquake prompted the team at Classique Furniture in Sydenham to launch a campaign to raise money for his young daughter.

tables, wall units, entertainment units and occasional tables in both veneers and timber. It specialises in “hard” furniture and does not manufacture sofas or upholstered furniture. Most of the company’s product ranges are available through retailers within Christchurch and New Zealand. The company has a showroom in Newmarket, Auckland, named Designmade, which it shares with two other complementary furniture manufacturers. “We like to think we can cater to what designers need, between the three of us,” says Dreaver.

Tragic loss Foreman Stephen Cochrane was killed instantly when a concrete wall adjacent to Classique Furniture’s site in Coleridge Street collapsed on top of him as he ran out of the factory during the quake.

He eventually hopes to be able to reopen a small showroom on the Christchurch premises, which was damaged in the February earthquake.

Cochrane had worked at Classique Furniture for eight years and was a popular staff member, known for his catch phrase “you’re a star”.

New Workshed brand In addition to the contemporary Classique Furniture products, the company is in the process of launching a new brand of furniture named Workshed. Furniture sold under this label will have a rustic, edgier feel.

Production team members decided to help raise money for Cochrane’s 10-year-old daughter Kylie-Marie. They designed wooden tea-light candle holders, naming the project “1000 candles for Steve”. The tea-light candle holders were sold individually, with eight fitting together to form a star, in memory of Steve.

“It’s a bit more ‘earthy’ in its style and finish. It will just have oil finishes, rather than polyurethane, and will feature more solid timber,” says Dreaver.

✸ Top: Sets of Classique Furniture’s tea-light candles, sold to raise money for the daughter of foreman Stephen Cochrane, who was tragically killed in the February earthquake.

Classique Furniture also made a special pink and purple candle holder set for Kylie-Marie’s recent 11th birthday. A Facebook page for the project was launched, with 1000 candle holders selling out within days. Classique Furniture owner Graeme Dreaver says the project raised $5000 for KylieMarie. The Classique team are proud of their contribution to the fund and are now making a large set of red-and-black candles.

Focus on quality The time and care taken in producing the tealight candle holders is reflected in the degree of care taken by Classique Furniture on every product it manufactures. Attention to detail and superior craftsmanship are the backbone of

Specialising in exclusive furniture, custom made to your specific requirements.

✸ Left: A stylish side table manufactured by Classique Furniture. ✸ Above: Classique Furniture manufactures a wide variety of furniture for the home, specialising in high-quality hard furniture.

the company’s success, which is evident in the numerous industry awards it has received.

something high quality. We’re here to stand by our products.

Dreaver founded Classique Furniture 30 years ago. Since then the company has evolved from producing period-style furniture to exclusive contemporary pieces.

“We’re trying to focus on following the trends and coming up with some good ideas that people will like. We get a lot of inspiration from overseas, but we can also draw up anything the customer wants.”

“Most of our furniture is custom made. We work with high-end retail and we don’t do bulk production,” Dreaver says. “We do custom-made furniture for people who want

Classique Furniture manufactures a wide variety of furniture for the home, including bedroom furniture, dining and coffee

The Workshed brand was developed in response to a demand from customers for a different style of furniture. A new Workshed website is due to be launched soon, along with a revamped Classique Furniture website, which Dreaver says will give customers a better idea of what the company is about. “We aim to keep on bringing out new products in order to keep the designers interested. Workshed is a bit different to what we normally do. We’re known for modern and contemporary furniture but this new brand will give us another string to our bow.” While Classique Furniture struggled during the recent recession, the company is now experiencing strong growth and is searching for new staff to add to its team. Dreaver is grateful for the support his business has received from retailers, customers, and suppliers throughout New Zealand. Classique Furniture Limited 90 Coleridge Street Sydenham, Christchurch T (03) 372 1336 F (03) 372 1337 www.classiquefurniture.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

For a complete service of all abrasive products New Zealand Master Agent for Klingspor

Feel free to contact us to arrange a no obligation, Free Freight Analysis. We look forward to hearing from you. Phone: 03 365 2174 Email: mike.streatfield@fastway.co.nz Email: sam.smith@fastway.co.nz

Andy Birrell (AJ) SALES

Proudly supporting Classique Furniture

www.fastway.co.au

Ph (03) 372 1336 Email: design@classiquefurniture.co.nz www.classiquefurniture.co.nz 90 Coleridge Street Sydenham, Christchurch

70 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

106 Carmen Road Hornby, Christchurch

Pleased to support CLASSIQUE FURNITURE

SEEARCO DISTRUBUTORS LTD

Coated and Bonded Abrasive Specialists 32 Coleridge St, Sydenham, Christchurch Ph. 03 381 0077 Fax 03 381 0093 Email. seearco@seearco.co.nz www.seearco.co.nz

Initiatives | Kmart Palms Shuttle

Mall to mall connection Eastern Christchurch shoppers have been making the most of the free shuttle service operating daily from the closed Kmart Palms to Kmart at Westfield Riccarton. Repair work nearing completion Kmart Palms is located inside The Palms Mall in Shirley. The mall, badly damaged in the February 22 earthquake, has been closed since, with intensive repairs and rebuilding work carried out in order to reopen the mall as soon as possible. Kmart Palms manager Denis Wilson says the store is working hard to reopen as soon as possible, hopefully within a few weeks. Damage from the February quake involved both the floor and roof tiles and liquefaction throughout the store. However, Wilson says it has all been repaired better than ever. “We’re waiting to go back in so we can lay new floor tiles down and put our racking and fixtures in. Then we can go in and do the stocking of the store,” he says. Kmart Palms employs about 60 staff, who were all relocated to Kmart’s Riccarton store to cope with the increased business in Westfield Mall since the February quake. “There have been a couple leave Christchurch, but we haven’t had to lay anyone off. We’ve been carpooling to Westfield on a daily basis.”

Kmart Palms is offering a free shuttle service from its earthquake-damaged store at The Palms Mall to Kmart Westfield in Riccarton.

Free shuttle service Wilson says soon after the February quake it was identified there was a need for customers in the eastern suburbs of Christchurch to have better access to shopping, following the closure of the Palms Mall. “We looked at our options and decided to put a shuttle on between Kmart Palms and Kmart Westfield Riccarton,” he says. “It’s putting the option out there to them. We have five trips each way every day, running 9am to 5pm.”

bringing it back to the same standard or better than it was before. We can’t wait to get back in,” Wilson says. “We’d only recently done a refurbishment of the store and the layout will be much the same. We were pretty happy with the way we were going with it. But we’ll now have new checkouts, new fitting rooms and a new entertainment area. We had older tiles before but now we have a new floor right through. And it’s all newly painted.”

Wilson says all staff would like to thank their loyal customers for their support and positivity.

Kmart Palms Cnr New Brighton and Golf Links Road Shirley Christchurch 8061 T (03) 385 0970 www.kmart.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Kmart Palms is also running a weekly draw for customers using the shuttle service. Each week four $50 Kmart vouchers are given away. Wilson says the shuttle has been well utilised by customers. The 22-seater bus used for the service is from Ritchies Coachlines. “We’ve been really happy with the uplift of the service. We know a number of people aren’t necessarily shopping with us but there have been a lot of people utilising it,” he says. “It took a bit of time for the word to get out there but it’s been well utilised. There are so many people in the eastern area who can’t get out and about on their own. They’ve been very appreciative of the service.”

Improved store set to open The Kmart Palms team can’t wait to get back into their store. “It’s been fantastic to be over here in Riccarton but the Palms is their store; it’s their home. The construction guys are doing a fantastic job

Congratulations to Kmart for their continued Support to Christchurch and the Canterbury region McAlpine Hussmann is proud to service and maintain the air conditioning & ventilation systems at the Palms and Riccarton Malls and would like to take this opportunity to thank Kmart for all their efforts and support in helping get the Christchurch community back on their feet. When you want quality refrigeration, ventilation, or air conditioning that meets exceptional standards of quality and performance, call:

McAlpine Hussmann Limited Specialising in Building and Maintenance Works

Auckland Hamilton Tauranga Wellington Christchurch Dunedin

Phone 9 363 3303 www.harbusol.com

Ph 03 348 7018

“Proud to be working with Kmart New Zealand on the building and rectification works at Riccarton and Shirley Stores”

Fax 03 348 9662 email chch@mcalpine.co.nz

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 71

Initiatives | Christchurch Women’s Lifestyle Expo

A girl’s own weekend In the wake of the Christchurch earthquake events far and wide around our fair region have had to make way for Mother Nature’s wrath. But not the Christchurch Women’s Lifestyle Expo which is being held on September 17–18 at the CBS Arena. One of the only companies that is continuing to hold its annual Canterbury event after the earthquakes, expo organiser Peacock Promotions is determined to put on a great weekend for local women. Peacock Promotions’ Renee Murray says it is something for Canterbury women to look

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forward to. “We see it as a way for people to get away from what they’ve been going through and to indulge for a few hours. “Feedback we have received is that women want something to do, something to look forward to and for life to carry on as normal as possible in this situation,” she says. “Businesses are looking forward to interacting with clients, especially those businesses that have moved premises and been badly affected by the earthquakes. Plus there are many exhibitors travelling from out of town who want to show their support to Canterbury.” The expo will be packed with new features this year including the Child & Parenting Zone, a NZ Handcrafts Zone as well as old favourites like free seminars and cooking demonstrations.

Initiatives | Christchurch Women’s Lifestyle Expo

This is your opportunity to touch, smell, taste, hear and discover the latest in cosmetics, fashion, health and beauty, wine and food. There are also experts on hand to assist you with investment options, style and makeup tips, aromatherapy, nutritional advice, weight management programs, lifestyle and fitness, crafts and art and so much more. New exhibitor Sarina Dickson from Nudey!Rudey! will be part of the new Chid and Parenting Zone and thinks it’s fantastic Peacock Promotions is determined to hold the expo this year. “It is good timing as it will be one year after the first earthquake. A lot of people will be ready to go out and start doing things again that they so far haven’t. “I think the expo is a great opportunity to do some shopping without fear and I’m sure other women are feeling the same way. I know there are many women who have not been able to shop where they want over the last few months and have money to spend at an expo like this.” With about 200 sites under the one roof the variety is immense, with large national companies like Westpac exhibiting alongside women who run their businesses from home. A company relatively new to the Women’s Lifestyle Expos, but quickly becoming a regular client, is Diva Enterprises who will be travelling to the Christchurch Expo from Hamilton. Diva Enterprises distributes Divaderme Lash Extender, the secret to perfectly long, full beautiful lashes. When Deborah and Maureen set up Diva Enterprises it was an easy decision to use the Women’s Lifestyle Expos for the launch of Divaderme Lash Extender.

“When you want to target females, there is no easier way than through the Women’s Lifestyle Expo,” Deborah says. “The expo makes it easy to demonstrate the product and show visitors how they can instantly brush-on lash extensions that add hundreds of tiny natural lash fibres. Our product is for women of all ages and at the Women’s Lifestyle Expos we get to share our product with a diverse group.”

who will travel to the expo from Nelson to showcase their delicious range of healthy, preservative free drinks.

The company was born when owner Pete got the urge to brew his own lemonade. His first brews weren’t deemed successful by his family. It took a lot of time and many test runs but eventually Pete came up with something drinkable that his family approved of. Pete’s Renee Murray says with many other expos brews are now successfully marketed as some coming and going over the years, the Women’s of the best organic and natural beverages Lifestyle Expo has flourished. “There are not available. And to top it off, they contain a lot many events in the region that see around less sugar than most leading brands. 200 exhibits in one venue. One reason for the So call your girlfriends, take continued success is the way we try and keep your mother or daughter the expo fresh for visitors, so they can see new and have a great day out companies and new entertainment.” and discover some of these Visitors this year will enjoy all the various wonderful exhibitors for gourmet food and wine on offer from local and yourself. Let the expo titillate nationwide exhibitors. your senses and you will walk away feeling energised, Terrace Edge Wines is a boutique family estate revitalised and transformed, in the Waipara Valley committed to producing along with a bag full of fabulous small quantities of high quality wine and olive shopping, samples and more. oil which have received gold medals and five star reviews. They will be offering samples. New Idea Magazine will be on there with free magazines and “This year’s expo features some fantastic the chance for one expo visitor to local companies who will be showcasing their win a holiday for two to Vanuatu. products and providing great specials,” Renee says. “There are some fabulous companies For more information on the in this region many of us don’t know about Women’s Lifestyle Expo VIP because we don’t drive past that area or have database and your chance to always been meaning to visit, but we get win. See www.expos.co.nz or sidetracked with daily life. The expo allows you join the Facebook page for all to discover these companies in one fun day.” the Expo news, specials and A story of passion, perseverance, love and competitions on www.facebook. lemons is behind exhibitor Pete’s Natural, com/WomensLifestyleExpo

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Initiatives | Terra Lana

Insulation the natural way Investing in equipment and technology is paying off for Christchurch based insulation company Terra Lana. Last year’s investment into its manufacturing capacity means it can now produce two million square metres a year — that’s enough for approximately 5000 new houses per annum. And Terra Lana needs this capability to keep up with the demand for its sustainable, healthy wool insulation. “We are incredibly busy right now,” sales and marketing manager Neil Edmond says. “We had a quiet patch after the earthquake, but we’re now back into it full swing. This is mainly because we are a key provider for the EECA ‘Warm Up NZ’ project — which enables people to get up to a $1300 subsidy to top up the insulation in their house if it was built before 2000. Demand has been huge.” Terra Lana works with EECA service providers around New Zealand such as Air Con New Zealand, who send assessors to people’s homes to assess their individual requirements, give them a quote including the subsidy, then install the insulation. In addition to the EECA scheme, Terra Lana’s wool insulation is in demand because it is available to builders nationwide through PlaceMakers, ITM, Mitre10 and Bunnings. “What was once perceived as a fringe or cottage industry product is now becoming a generally accepted mainstream product. That’s due to people realising the benefit using natural and sustainable insulation.”

Why wool? Terra Lana (incorporated in 2000), is owned by Andrew Everist, who has been involved with wool products for 20 years. He also owns Mi Woollie, a Christchurch wholesaler of sheep skin footwear, rugs and bedding. As well as a factory outlet in Sockburn and retail stores in Christchurch, Nelson and Auckland, Mi Woollies supplies major souvenir and gift shops throughout New Zealand and big retailers such as Farmers, Hannahs and the Number One Shoe Warehouse.

Andrew Everist takes great pleasure in working with wool, which is why he purchased Terra Lana. He knows wool is more than just a great product for clothes — its performance properties make it an ideal way of insulating buildings. The wool used in Terra Lana’s insulation is either low grade virgin wool or waste wool from the textile and carpet industries — both completely biodegradable. And because wool is so durable, it does not need to be replaced or topped up — it will last the lifetime of a house. By contrast, the glass fibres in fibreglass can break down over time, causing the insulation to slump and lose its effectiveness. Ceiling, wall and underfloor insulation act as a natural heater and air conditioner. When the temperature drops and the amount of moisture in the air increases, the wool absorbs this, releasing heat into your home.

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On a hot day, it’s the opposite; the wool gives off moisture into the air, absorbing energy, thereby cooling your home. This reduces condensation and mould — inert mineral and synthetic fibres do not have this property. On top of all of this, Terra Lana natural wool insulation also traps substances like formaldehyde (a known carcinogen), nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide. Wool molecules bind together with these molecules in such a way that re-emission does not occur, filtering your air and making it cleaner to breathe.

Continued growth Not content with its work for the New Zealand market, Terra Lana exports to Japan and is looking at getting into other markets, to balance out the slower season in New Zealand. “While our products are used in home builds year-round, retrofits tend to be done when the

weather gets colder, meaning we are not as busy during the New Zealand summer.” Terra Lana is New Zealand’s largest provider of wool insulation. Edmond estimates it manufactures twice as much as its closest direct competitor. The team at Terra Lana have a vision of a natural, sustainable and healthy way of insulating homes. And based on the company’s recent success — despite earthquakes and a sluggish economic climate — it is obvious that more and more people are making it a reality. Terra Lana 55 Francella Street Bromley Christchurch T (03) 982 0211 F (03) 982 0212 E info@terralana.co.nz www.terralana.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Initiatives | Base 7 Flooring

Bringing floors to your door For most of New Zealand (with perhaps the exception of Christchurch), our floors are considered a stable and static medium. Flooring company Base7 is turning this perception around in a deliberate effort to make its flooring mobile. It’s a simple concept; the company’s flooring experts come to you, bringing with them a range of floor coverings to best suit your lifestyle at the best possible price. Base7 offers one of the largest ranges of floor coverings at some great prices, with a full installation package and a lifetime guarantee on workmanship for your piece of mind.

range is wide, from carpets, vinyls and tiles through to underfloor heating. Best of all, the mobile distribution network, with its strategic buying power and lower overheads, means the best deals get passed on to you, the customer. Direct supply relationships with New Zealand’s largest independent carpet manufacturers and importers means Base7 mobile showrooms can show you the best New Zealand has to offer.

The Base7 mobile system allows the experienced team to carry a huge range of floor coverings and come directly to your home With trained industry professionals and the latest product ranges, Base7 ‘hand picks’ to ensure you make the correct choices. The installation teams who work under stringent quality standards to ensure only the best finish is achieved. Base7 tile layers, carpet layers and preparation teams are all qualified industry professionals with years of knowledge and skill to give you piece of mind and uphold quality assurances. Base7 also supplies Livella underfloor heating. An intelligent method of heating, the Livella heating system will share its energy saving smarts with other appliances including lights, towel warmers, fans and demisters, allowing the gentle natural feeling of heated floors with less wall clutter and all the convenience of home automation. Rest assured your Base7 consultant is trained and experienced in offering you the right flooring option for your home and application with all of the product guarantees. With one of the largest and most diverse ranges of flooring options, Base7 has the solution for you. Base7 Flooring T 0508 FLOORS E info@base7.co.nz www.base7flooring.co.nz

The comon factor about all these flooring types is the diversity available. Base 7 Flooring can help with all choices.

CARPETS

40%OFF Our 3 most popular carpet ranges * FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST

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Container Clearance Make this new season exciting with a new tiled area - you’ll love our fantastic options to suit any home style.

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mobile showroom

— Advertising Feature

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Initiatives | Beadz Unlimited

Beads for remembrance It was iconic Christchurch at its best; the Christchurch Arts Centre which represented a historic glimpse into the past, now represents just how much of our physical history we have lost at the hands of Mother Nature. Beadz Unlimited owner Rowena Watson was one of many business owners in the Arts Centre who, after that fateful February day, had to walk away from the business she had built up over 17 years. “It was devastating to have to leave the Arts Centre, after investing many years and many dollars, having no choice but to walk away. It was a beautiful building, with a beautiful atmosphere and it was a pleasure to get to be there every day. “But having survived such a catastrophic event got me fired up and I knew I wasn’t going to be beaten.” There was a city-wide rush to find premises for displaced businesses, so the Beadz Unlimited team knew it was a case of acting quickly or they would miss out. Space was secured and the business was able to reopen just nine weeks after the February earthquake, although Watson is adamant it would never have worked out without the help of her sister Tammy Wells, close friends Janet and Theo Giesen, and wonderful Beadz manager Katherine McLeod. “They were absolutely incredible, investing significant personal time and effort into helping us secure premises.”

and group workshops and classes, birthday parties and repair and re-thread work on existing jewellery. But it’s a new range of beads that have been getting people talking. In a fitting tribute to the Christchurch earthquake, Beadz Unlimited has commemorated the event through a means the business knows well — beads. Designed by a close friend of Watson, the unique beads depict significant city buildings which were ravaged by Mother Nature, including the Christchurch Cathedral, the Christchurch Basilica and the old Boys High building. “A friend of mine started making them after the first earthquake and I fell in love with them,” Watson says. “He was using Beadz Unlimited to see if they would be successful and we started suggesting ideas.”

Exclusive offering The friendship was cemented with an Arts Centre bead, made exclusive to Beadz Unlimited. Now the business offers a unique rose window pendant and earrings, representative of the celebrated Christchurch Cathedral stained glass window which fell as a result of one of the many aftershocks. The earthquake beads and pendants are available in sterling silver, 9k gold, or a combination of both and in large hole or pendant styles.

“We wanted to do something for Canterbury; $1 from everything that sells in this range goes to the earthquake fund. We have tried really hard to be creative and create something that would be representative of everything we The Beadz Unlimited team also rallied together. have been through; a beautiful reminder of “We’re a really strong team and without them everything and everyone we have lost.” I couldn’t have done it. The entire staff at Watson fully understands the pain of losing Beadz have put so much effort into getting us someone, having lost several friends in the set up here, despite dealing with their own CTV building. But she also understands the personal losses.” importance of rallying together and rebuilding.

‘Safe’ atmosphere

“Here” is on the corner of Cranford and Innes Roads. “We wanted a single storey building that wasn’t in a mall. We wanted somewhere people could feel safe.” It has certainly been a successful strategy, with the new Beadz Unlimited location a constant hive of activity. “We have refused to give up. Looking for premises gave us something to do; it stopped us from going crazy. We’ve lost friends and we’ve lost buildings, but getting the business up and running again has given us something to focus on; it has allowed us to regain some sense of normality.” Offering a vast range of beads, Beadz Unlimited is also well known for its school

“People have needed crafts, needed something to do, something to keep them busy. Getting to make some beautiful jewellery has brought some elements of normality back to their lives. “People love making jewellery, they love having something to help make them feel normal again and we have loved being able to provide that service.” Beadz Unlimited Cnr Cranford and Innes Road Christchurch T (03) 379 5126 E info@beadzunlimited.com www.beadzunlimited.com

— Advertising Feature

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Initiatives | Beadz Unlimited

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Pride in Print Awards | 2011

Raising the bar Glossy magazine Urbis has carried off the Supreme Award at the 2011 New Zealand Pride In Print Awards, stunning judges with a complex multi-fold cover that “raised the bar in New Zealand printing”. Auckland printer Geon Auckland not only received the top prize at the prestigious May 20 award ceremony in Wellington, but also the plaudits for the ‘best-of’ category in Publications, and the best entry in the ‘sheetfedoffset print process’ category. Judging is based on the technical excellence in all facets of the production process, allowing for specialists to make a judgement based on the potential and limits of that process or processes, the materials and the equipment used.

category winners 1. Publications — Urbis magazine 2. Business Print — Festivals Collectors’ Sheet of Stamps 3. Packaging — Cadbury Milk Tray 200g box 4. Labels — Totara Sauvignon Blanc 2010

ABnote won Gold Awards in two categories in New Zealand’s prestigious “Pride in Print Awards” held in Wellington recently. State of the Art Payment Technology The first GOLD award in the “Innovation” category was received for the dual interface ME Bank Debit MasterCard® with PayPass™; a clear card design which incorporates state of the art payment technology printing and product construction MasterCard PayPass enabled cards are more convenient way to pay at contactless terminals. ME Bank has embraced this new technology for the Australasian region and has introduced this new product to actively engage and excite its customers. Experience, Communication and Collaboration “A collaborative effort between the client and ABnote teams together with the mix of mastered conventional printing process and access to the latest payment products on the market resulted in this state of the art highly versatile card” said Stephen Morgan ABnote Christchurch plant manager. About ABnote ABnote is the longest-established and most trusted supplier of secure transaction products, services and logistics in cheques, financial cards, EMV smartcards, contactless cards, driver’s licences ,loyalty and a wide range of commercial cards. Employing over 650 people in all major states in Australia and New Zealand; ABnote services over 1000 customers, including major banks, Federal and State Governments and many small and large commercial enterprises. ABnote is security accredited by Visa, MasterCard, EuroPay, Diners Club and American Express, and holds International Quality Standards Organisation ISO9001:2008 in Australia and New Zealand and ISO:14001:2004 in Australia.

Web: www.ABnote.com.au E-mail: sales@abnote.co.nz American Banknote Group Australia and New Zealand 1144 Nepean Highway Highett Victoria 3190

5. Display Print — Joint Winners: Loreal Maybelline Colossal Lashes stand and King Collection Translite 6. Promotional Print — Jennifer and Andrew’s Wedding 7. Specialty Products — The Colemans, A Countdown Story, screen printed T-shirts 8. Industry Development — Solagard low sheen semi-gloss paint pails

A repeat supreme finalist, Geon’s combination of an innovative cover design and superb quality insert were enough to tip the scales in favour of Urbis. Judge Damian Fleming says the magazine caught the attention of everyone who looked at it. “There are things about this book which are really cool. “The front cover folds out to make eight pages and the folds have to be exact to make it work. It is a pretty outrageous thing to attempt and get right. The attention to detail on the cover includes a matched image where the cover finishes just short of the fore-edge. The result is seamless. “Inside, there is a tip-in insert which has been printed to match the colour and position of the image on the page beneath. It was printed on different stock, on a different day from the magazine, yet it matches perfectly. This wasn’t some simple glossy advert, but a perforated and complete image match up. Then there was the binding which has been difficult in its own right, and that has succeeded. “This has raised the bar in magazine print standards,” he says.

process winners ■ Web printing — Valley Voice ■ Flexible packaging — Aria Farms Pam’s Vege & Chicken Stir Fry ■ Sheetfed/Offset — Urbis magazine ■ Digital — Kings Collection Translite ■ Finishing — Julia Grace CD Holder ■ Screen — The Colemans, A Countdown Story

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Elements of typography and good design must inevitably be part of this judgement, as is the effective and innovative use of materials.

Geon general manager Andrew Durrans described the moment as a “huge recognition” of the expertise of his staff. “What the judges said is the bar is getting lifted and the quality is getting better each year. I knew our guys had lifted the bar… if there was going to be a reward for effort and perseverance and continuing to put out a quality product to our clients,” he says. “It is one of a number of magazines we print on a monthly basis, with very tight timelines. It has some inserts and crossovers involved with the overlay of individual pages, so it is critical that you get the alignment right. It is a work of art from the front end pre-press.” The magazine sector is a “very competitive” one, Durrans says.

Pride in Print Awards | 2011

“Our customers are demanding more from us. Particularly on front covers they are looking for special colours and the ‘eye candy’. This is a magazine that also sells over the counter so it is very important that you get the people they are targeting. “This is the people who are looking for high-end fashion and quality – they need to see that in the product. The advertisers in that magazine are the higher-end brands. It is important that they are aligned to a high-end product.” Award-winning packaging by Amcor Cartons of Christchurch.

Courting quality The Festivals Collectors’ Sheet of Stamps, printed by Southern Colour Print of Dunedin, won the Business Print category after being entered in the security, cheques, stamps, plastic cards section. The “stunningly aesthetic” collector’s sheet of stamps, made for the Singapore market is a credit to New Zealand for the very fact it could have been printed in any country in the world – but printers here won it on the basis of quality. A cleverly designed and perfectly created chocolate box for Cadbury’s Milk Tray won the Packaging Award for Amcor Cartons of Christchurch. Packaging judge Laurie Lark said the design concept was to make sure the structural design protected the product at the same time as the graphics appealed to the buyer. “Good packaging has to be fit for purpose. It has to do the job for which it is intended. This box does just that.” A wine label featuring a waka paddle, delicately embellished with gold foiling, has won the Labels Category Award for Auckland company Panprint. A point-of-sale promoting beautiful eyelashes and a backlit display print making burgers look succulent have shared the Display Category honours. The Maybelline Colossal Lashes stand printed by APC Innovate of Manukau vied with the Kings Collection Translite Honey Mustard Tender Crisp display created by Admark Visual Imaging Ltd of Hamilton.

Wedding showcase A “faultless, beautiful” book of wedding photographs that was showcased with exquisite binding, won the Promotional Print Category for Wellington’s Momento Photobooks. Jennifer and Andrew’s Wedding Album was created by extracting the couple’s files from a website, text was imposed and the design was laid out in PhotoShop. The cover and dust jackets were printed by inkjet and laminated. The book was handbound and stitched and the dust jackets fitted using a specialised heat process. The presentation boxes were handmade. A New Zealand screen printer showed that major runs of t-shirts can be done in this country as opposed to Asia and that superb levels of quality can still be achieved.

Story-telling shirts Seabreeze Fashions NZ Ltd of Orewa won the Specialty Products Category with its shirts depicting The Colemans – A Countdown Story, supporting the television advertising campaign which was allied to NZ Master Chef. Judge Chris Knuckey commented on the large T-shirt run that “It is unusual to see screen printed T-shirt runs of more than 4000-5000 these days. It is fantastic to see a job of this quantity and quality retained in this country”. New print industry challenges may have been created by the development of a paint pail that has its label moulded into the product

Q&A

Pride In Print 2012

■ Who can enter? Entries are welcome from any person or company associated with the production or purchase of print.

■ What work is eligible? Entries must have been printed in New Zealand between December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2011 and be from any production process.

■ How can I enter? An official entry form must be fully completed for each entry submitted. An entry fee is payable per entry. For entries received after January 31 a ‘late fee’ will apply.

■ How do I present my entry? Entries should be presented in a satisfactory state for judging (i.e. clean, unmarked, undamaged and carefully selected). The company name must not appear on the entry or display board. For any mounted work, the entry must be able to be readily assessed on both sides of the job, if not, a loose sample MUST be supplied. Section B can be attached to the back of the mount. Some categories have different requirements so refer to www.prideinprintawards. co.nz for Judging Information to Assist Entrants.

■ How many entries can I submit?

There is no limit to the number of entries submitted.

■ Can I place an entry in more than one category?

Yes. One copy of each entry and a completed entry form must be submitted for each category entered. For more information on entries, categories and judging criteria, please refer to www.prideinprintawards.co.nz for Judging Information to Assist Entrants.

at the time it was produced, making it part of the plastic construction instead of being attached afterwards. Geon Auckland’s innovative 10 litre Solagard Range bucket “spun the wheels of the judges” at Pride In Print to such an extent it won the Industry Development Category. The in-mould label came about after an 18-month research and development programme, with the printer partnering with an end manufacturer to trial the print and a production mould.

Industry development Judge Scott Porter said that in-mould labelling was an increasing area of industry development. “Their efforts have produced a product that has integrity and will last a long time showing no deterioration. That represents a challenge to traditional printed labels that are applied by glue. “Now, this is a commercial product in the marketplace. The industry is showing it can develop new challenges.” In the print process categories, rural publication Valley Voice won the Web Process prize for Horton Media Ltd of Auckland, Christchurch’s Aperio Flexipac Branston Street won the Flexible Process prize with its Pam’s Vege and Chicken Stir Fry Wrapper, and a CD holder that judges thought encapsulated “very clever pre-press with beautiful printing” has taken the Finishing Process prize for Auckland’s Sentra Print.

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www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 79

Pride in Print Awards | Amcor Cartons Christchurch Amcor Carton South Island manager Nigel Harrison (right), receiving the category prize at the Pride in Print Awards 2011.

Perfectly packed Amcor Cartons Christchurch has won the Pride in Print 2011 packaging category for its Cadbury Milk Tray box — the second time the company has won the prestigious award. Cadbury is Amcor Cartons Christchurch’s largest customer, accounting for about half the packaging company’s work.

Pride in Print award Amcor Cartons Christchurch also won the Pride in Print packaging award in 2009 for Cadbury’s Old Gold box, which received the supreme award across all categories. Amcor South Island cartons manager Nigel Harrison says this year’s award means a lot to the company, which competed against a wide variety of packaging to win the award.

Epati Aiono (Wellington print supervisor) and Brian Goddard (Christchurch print supervisor) with examples of the winning packaging and medals.

80 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

“Good packaging has to be fit for purpose. It has to do the job for which it is intended. This box does just that and it is very well-produced. It was difficult to do.” It had embellishments including embossing and die cuts, and had to go through the press six times. Plus the printers had to get the Cadbury’s purple just right which is no easy task. “Excellent registration and very effective design have combined to create a superb piece of work.” The Cadbury Milk Tray 200g box was printed on a Heidelberg six-colour press. Harrison says this year’s win is a continuation of the quality work that saw Amcor win the 2009 supreme award for its Cadbury Old Gold box which, he says, was the most difficult job he’d encountered to date in his career in the print industry.

Pride in Print judging is based on the technical excellence in all facets of the production process and allows for specialists to make a judgement based on the potential and the limits of that process or processes, the materials and the equipment used. Elements of typography and good design must inevitably be part of this judgement, as will the effective and innovative use of materials.

Harrison says Amcor’s success in the Pride in Print awards is a reflection of the hard work and skills of the carton plant’s 40 staff.

Amcor’s Cadbury Milk Tray 200g box features satin and spot UV coatings, and silver foiling with embossing moulded to the contours of the chocolates. Packaging judge Laurie Lark said the design concept was to make sure the structural design protected the product at the same time as the graphics appealed to the buyer.

The company dates back to the 1860s, when Samuel Ramsden, a young stone mason from Yorkshire, arrived in Australia with his new bride and established Victoria’s first paper mill on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne. In the 1970s and 1980s the company added a range of diverse packaging interests to its traditional papermaking activities.

International packaging leader Amcor Cartons Christchurch specialises in producing printed folding cartons for New Zealand’s primary and food industries, servicing customers throughout the South Island.

Pride in Print Awards | Amcor Cartons Christchurch

The exterior view of Amcor Cartons Christchurch (left) and (below) an internal view of the manufacturing area and the new equipment window facer.

company’s commitment to improving its systems and productivity.

Today the company has several sites throughout the country. Within Christchurch there is the cartons plant in Halwyn Drive, Hornby, and the nearby corrugated packaging plant in Branston Street, with the two plants operating independently.

“We’ve put a lot of work into our systems because the growth has been in our IT and our good systems and people. We niche ourselves around the growth of our customers. With growth and export as one of the drivers for this country around primary products, we’re in a good position to grow with our customers,” Harrison says.

Amcor also runs large corrugated plants in Auckland and Hastings and a carton plant in Wellington that primarily supplies packaging to Unilever. The Auckland plant is a general packaging business that supplies cartons for fast consumable products. Harrison says the South Island Amcor business is based around the primary industry. Its largest customer is Cadbury New Zealand in Dunedin, for which it makes a variety of packaging, including boxes for Roses Chocolates, Milk Tray, Contintental and Old Gold. “The material we make the boxes from comes out of our mill in Australia. It’s recycled board. We bring that in and print it and embellish it and make the cartons up here and ship them off to the customer.” The Cadbury Roses chocolate box is the company’s main seller, with Amcor shipping a truck and trailer of cartons a day to Cadbury on a just-in-time basis.

point-of-sale end use in mind than corrugated cartons, as these are the cartons that will greet customers on the supermarket shelf. “There have been a lot of changes over the years in the quality of the materials and embellishments and their ability to service customers with all types of product needs.” Harrison is the national chairman of the Communications and Media Industry Training Organisation. He attributes some of the success of Amcor Cartons Christchurch to the

The Christchurch carton plant can produce a wide range of printed cartons, including the popular straight-line glued carton, which is suitable for both low and high-speed packing machinery. This carton can be printed with high-quality graphics, including varnish. For the mussel industry, Amcor Cartons Christchurch produces a chiller-proof carton. Other products made in Christchurch for the South Island market include carton sleeves, carry packs, envelope cartons, traybon baking cartons and potato and cherry boxes. Harrison says cartons produced at the Halwyn Drive cartons plant are designed with a more

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“We’re the only company in New Zealand that has carton manufacturing in three cities. Our biggest opposition is based in Auckland and they run large volumes. We’re a small-volume quicker time to market business and we’ve done a lot of work around the supply chain. We have a delivery rate in-full and on-time of around 99 percent.”

• Napier mayoral enterprise award

Amcor Cartons Christchurch PO Box 16253 Hornby, Christchurch 8042 T (03) 983 6800 F (03) 983 6801 www.amcor.com — Advertising Feature

• Business of Year Hawkes Bay Chamber of Commerce

Recycling commitment Amcor Cartons Christchurch is committed to using recycled product for its carton packaging, which involves a variety of high-quality products. Harrison says the company has undertaken a big push towards using recycled material as much as possible.

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www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 81

Pride in Print Awards | GEON Print & Communication Solutions

Printed perfection It’s the biggest of its kind in New Zealand, but GEON Print and Communication Solutions is going one step further, proving it is also the best of its kind in the country. New Zealand’s largest sheet fed printer, Geon scooped the top prize in this year’s Pride in Print Awards after stunning judges with a complex multi-cover that “raised the bar in New Zealand printing”. The production of the glossy Urbis magazine earned the company the Supreme Award for the best printed job of the prestigious award ceremony. A company-wide strategy to maintain excellence has ensured the Supreme Award was not the only accolade it achieved, with Geon amassing a staggering 44 awards on the night; the Supreme Award, two Category Finalists out of nine categories, one Process Winner out of six processes, 24 Gold Medals and 16 Highly Commended Awards. Judge Damian Fleming describes the Urbis cover as a striking example of a magazine cover. “This has raised the bar in magazine print standards,” he says. The level of excellence is to be expected from Geon, who won the most awards of any one company nominated across all categories with all four of the company’s New Zealand regions, Auckland, Central, Wellington and South Island, contributing to the haul.

Environmental awareness Geon’s Christchurch site specialises in labels and is an ideal location for briefing in a job or accessing the company’s full range of print and communication solutions. The branch took out a gold environment award and a gold in the labels category. It is this attention to the environment and what the company does on an ongoing sustainable basis that brings a significant amount of pride, having taken out both gold environment medals awarded in the past two years. This acknowledgement is especially rewarding after a challenging year in Christchurch, South Island general manager Guy Phillips says. “We’re incredibly proud to have won the environmental award. After the effects of the

GEON executive general manager for New Zealand, Andrew Durrans, and Parul Sheopuri, Urbis publisher, celebrate the Pride in Print supreme award.

earthquake this has been such a good morale booster for all of the GEON team who live and work in the region.

“The results were great and a very strong recognition of our commitment to quality.” It’s an apt summation; the awards are evaluated on ‘technical excellence in all facets of the production process’.

Proud to support GEON Labels

“As a leading print and communications business, we clearly have a responsibility to the industry and we see our commitment to these awards as part of that. The awards allow us to be judged against our competitors. You get recognition from the wider industry and our customers and staff get a huge buzz from the jobs that win awards. “I would like to thank our staff throughout the country for the huge part they played in GEON’s success,” adds executive general manager for New Zealand, Andrew Durans. GEON Print & Communication Solutions 6 Mary Muller Drive Heathcote Christchurch T (03) 961 2828 www.geongroup.com — Advertising Feature

82 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

Hospitality | Wine & Dine

expectations

By Bridget Gourlay

If you jumped in your time machine, fired up the flux capacitor and drove through Martinborough 30 years ago, a good chunk of it would be unrecognisable. Then, there were paddocks dotted with sheep and cows, family-run orchards and the occasional country pub. If you wanted lunch, you treated yourself to a pie and lamington at a local diner. Today it’s a menu from another world, one known as ‘wine country’. Vineyards cross the countryside now, offering boutique accommodation and five star restaurants. Seasonal workers prune vines and a wine-inspired tourism market is in full swing. Wine hasn’t just changed the landscape, it has revolutionised the rural economy and our lifestyle with it. It’s the same story in Central Otago and Marlborough as New Zealand wine has skyrocketed in popularity the past few decades. NZ Wine CEO Phil Gregan has been there for the rise and rise of the industry. Back in 1983, fresh from his university studies, Phil Gregan began working at an entry level job for the three man band then known as the NZ Wine Institute. Thirty years later, things have changed… a lot. Gregan climbed through the ranks of this company that today goes by the name of NZ Wine, becoming CEO in 1991. “Prior to going into the industry I was a poor university student who drank mainly beer!” he says. He’s now passionate about our wine and exporting it to the world. “It’s so positive to be involved with something New Zealand is world class at,” he enthuses. Wine is one of New Zealand’s greatest success stories. But until the 1970s, most Kiwis didn’t regularly drink wine. It was immigrants from France, Italy and Croatia who grew our first grapes decades ago and who started many of our big commercial vineyards, like Villa Maria and Montana. A combination of racism and the temperance movement meant some New Zealanders actively disliked wine; Prime Minister William Massey said “I have never seen the stuff, but I believe it to be one of the vilest decoctions which can possibly be imagined.” In fact, many places in the Wairarapa were dry until 1947. But when it was discovered we could make spectacular wine (one critic famously described New Zealand Savignon Blanc as like having sex for the first time), more and more wineries were established. Attitudes changed. In 2006, there were more than 22,000 hectares of vines — a 400 percent increase in two decades as sales continued to skyrocket. In 2000, exports were worth 100 million. Today it’s 1.1 billion.

Market expansion In New Zealand’s short wine exporting history, Gregan says we are doing very well in five key

markets — here in New Zealand, in the UK, the USA, Australia and Canada. “Those markets share one characteristic and that is they are all English-speaking. I think the real opportunity over the next decade and a half is to grow our wine sales into non-English speaking markets and that means parts of continental Europe and Asia. That’s not only a challenge for us but also for other new world wine countries — Australia, South Africa, Chile and Argentina.”

Getting into Asia — where other Kiwi products such as dairy are doing well — is not just a linguistic challenge, but a cultural one. These are not traditional wine drinking markets and while wine consumption right now isn’t high, it’s seriously growing — as the emerging middle class markets in India and China begin demanding international products. After all, our main English speaking markets were, like New Zealand, not wine drinking until recently. NZ Wine has held tastings and events in Asian cities to get the locals excited about the produce, but Gregan says educating the buyers for supermarkets and restaurants is key. Not only is New Zealand wine being exported with great success but it also draws people to New Zealand. Yes, ‘wine tourism’ is no longer exclusively the domain of charming towns in rural France. “Wine tourists tend to stay in New Zealand longer than others, and they spend more money, so they are seen as ideal by Tourism NZ. We were involved with the rugby ball when it was in London and the other venues it’s been in, to help promote New Zealand wine and the two things feed off each other.” Events such as the St Clair half marathon in Blenheim where participants run through the vines, or wine tasting cycling tours of Central Otago does the trick. They combine wine with outdoor activity and beautiful scenery – New Zealand’s great drawcard. “There’s a strong symbiosis between New Zealand wine and the promotion of New Zealand. People can stay in one of the regions of New Zealand, on vineyards and go to visit wineries — all those wine and tourism experiences add texture to the New Zealand story.”

Sustainability NZ Wine has set itself an ambitious target. It aims to have 20 percent of our vineyards organic by 2020. It’s only nine years away, but Gregan says it’s achievable.

Nothing in life is easy and the wine industry does have its challenges. Firstly, the overharvest of 2008/2009 put retailers in a position of power, with a lot of wine to choose from and the power to deliver great deals to consumers. This stung smaller vineyards who couldn’t afford to sell wine in bulk at such low prices to retailers.

“We’ve been involved in issues around sustainability for the best part of two decades,” “We’ve always seen the challenge post-2008 he says. Not only for moral reasons, but vintage as being in phases. One is about because it makes commercial sense too. rebalancing supply and demand and then once we’ve achieved that, then that’s a major “When people buy New Zealand wine, they’re step towards profitability for growers and not buying it because it’s cheap — because winemakers. it’s not. They are buying for a whole heap of reasons. They have expectations about quality “I think to a large extent we’ve addressed and sustainability — we need to meet or that supply demand balance. Having done exceed those expectations. Fundamentally, it’s that, we can now look to recover profitability in the market we’re in.” the industry.”

Biohazards are always the stuff of nightmares for agricultural industries, and Gregan says “there’s plenty of creepy crawlies in the outside world we worry about”. Fortunately, nothing too serious is here but the wine industry is still battling the grapevine leafroll virus 3, which has been here for a decade. Despite these challenges, New Zealand’s wine future looks bright. Gregan has been an active part of the journey over the last thirty years and he knows where he wants the industry to head. “In the long term I want our wine to be a signature for New Zealand around the world — the marker of a sophisticated nation producing high quality products that really make a statement about this country. “I want New Zealand wine to be a sign of what New Zealand stands for.”

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 83

Hospitality | Hunter’s Wines

Life in the vines When Hunter’s Wines planted its first vineyard more than 30 years ago, Marlborough’s beef and sheep farmers were struggling with drought on the stony country. Growing lucerne and barley seemed the only reasonable use of the barren plains. Few predicted the region would become the country’s largest and best known winegrowing area in little more than 20 years. But the very qualities which disparaged the region’s farming interests proved assets for winemaking; the high sunshine hours and stony fertile land soon had avant-garde winemakers producing award winning sauvignon blanc, launching Marlborough onto the world stage as a wine producing region. Located on the east coast with mountains to the west, the Marlborough region maintains a position as one of New Zealand’s sunniest and driest areas. It is these bright yet cool conditions which afford the grapes the advantage of a long, slow, flavour-intensifying ripening period.

The average daily temperature during summer is nearly 24 degrees celsius, but clear cool nights keep acid levels high in the grapes. The distinctive pungency and zesty fruit flavours of the first wines captured the imagination of the country’s winemakers and wine drinkers alike and sparked an unparalleled boom in vineyard development. Worldwide interest in Marlborough wines, particularly sauvignon blanc, has continued to fuel that regional wine boom. Abundant sunshine with cool nights and a long growing season helps to build and maintain the vibrant fruit flavours for which Marlborough is now famous. Sauvignon blanc may be the star but Marlborough has also earned an enviable reputation for a wide range of both white and red wines. But the story of Marlborough wine is not complete without the story of how Hunter’s Wines took its wines to the international stage.

Plentiful plantations In 1979 Ernie Hunter purchased his little slice of barren Marlborough land; one of the first private vineyards in the region. From its very first vintage in 1982, Hunter’s won six medals at the National Wine Show. It was a good start. His wife Jane had grown up in South Australian wine country; grapes had always been part of her life. After gaining an agricultural science degree specialising in viticulture, she was employed by Montana as national viticulturalist, in charge of all of the winery’s vineyards and arrived on the stony Marlborough soil in 1983. She met Ernie, they fell in love and in 1984, married. But just three short years later Ernie was killed in a car accident at just 37 years of age. Jane left Montana and took over the reins.

Jane and Ernie Hunter.

While she takes little time to reflect, the figures tell the story. Under her expertise the original vineyard area has increased by four times its original size and the company’s annual output has grown to about 85,000 cases of wine, nearly 80 percent of which is exported.

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Hospitality | Hunter’s Wines

Jane Hu n of the te ter and some Hunter am making ’s success Wines a big ( viticult back, from le uralist ft), Br Vicker y , winem yan va n d e aker In r u winem Westhuizen, c s aker Ga h r y Duke ief a nd g e n Peter M eral manager acdona ld.

“You don’t often think about it, to be honest,” Jane says. “There’s always so much to do going forward. It’s hard to imagine that it’s been 30 years,” she laughs. “When I first came here there were just 30 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc, now there are more than 14,000.” But our drinking habits have also changed. In Jane’s South Australian birth place, a glass of wine with a meal was commonplace. “When I came to New Zealand in the early 1980s it was a different story; wine wasn’t the number one drink, it was spirits and beer, most restaurants didn’t allow you to drink wine in them.” It was equally as scarce on the international stage. “If you went to England in the 1980s, there was no New Zealand wine; if there was, it was mixed with the Australian stuff on the bottom shelf. Today, everyone around the world enjoys New Zealand wine.”

Abundant accolades New Zealand sauvignon blanc first came to the attention of international wine drinkers when Hunter’s won the top award at the Sunday Times Wine Festival in London in 1986; an

accolade the company achieved again in 1987, 1988, 1992 and 2001. “This was the first time Marlborough wine had done well overseas, we started exporting the same year and things really began to change. “For us to still be winning international awards after all this time is great. It shows we have moved with the times and reflects our level of quality against some very stiff competition.” This quality has in no small way been aided by the quality of the people which surround Hunter’s. It is these people Jane cannot speak more highly of. Gary Duke has been Hunter’s winemaker since 1981. “Our style is really well enjoyed by our customers and a key to our success. Gary gets good recognition for his wines around the world.” Jane’s brother-in-law Peter Macdonald joined Hunter’s in 1991 and has taken over most of the export work as general manager. His sons, Jane’s nephews, James and Edward Macdonald are also involved in the business. Feature continues on next page >>

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Hospitality | Hunter’s Wines

Wine file

James has completed his wine degree at Lincoln University and adding to his winery experience both nationally and internationally. Edward is studying at Canterbury University and has plans to come back to Hunter’s to run the finances while James makes the wine.

Wine file

■ Samuel Marsden introduced grapevines to New Zealand and James Busby produced wine on his Waitangi estate

Sarah McDermid is bringing the company into the new age of social media and another young winemaker, Inus Van der Westhuizen, has come on board.

■ French settlers at Akaroa planted vineyards in the .1800s, the first in New Zealand were planted in 1819

“After 30 years in the industry we’re looking to the future. We’ve made a concerted effort to bring in a new generation,” Jane says. “We’re relatively small, producing about 85,000 cases a year, so in terms of New Zealand wine, we’re focused. We maintain a small band of loyal staff. We’ve stuck to our guns, remained a focused family winery producing quality and being able to produce it efficiently and profitably.

■ Mission Vineyards, established in 1865 in the Hawke’s Bay, is the country’s oldest vineyard ■ Since 1955 the annual consumption of wine has been increasing

“But it’s been a hard slog at times,” she laughs.

■ More vineyards were planted in the 60s and 70s, and wine boomed in the 1990s

She is making reference to the challenging nature of the wine industry. The overharvest of 2008 had significant ramifications on Hunter’s, as it did on many boutique New Zealand wine producers. “Suddenly premium quality, high return sauvignon blanc was being sold in cases as a bulk wine. We had to work hard to sustain our position in the market around the world and we had to take a cut as people tried to get new markets to sell the oversupply; that undoubtedly damaged the pricing. “It shows you can’t work in isolation; in this industry everything impinges on you.” In the early 1990s the vineyard was crippled by phylloxera and had to be replanted. “We’ve had the usual distribution streams that haven’t worked, markets that haven’t worked, big frosts wipe out entire vintages, wet seasons destroying crops; it’s a good industry, but it certainly has its ups and downs. “So long as the ups outweigh the downs, we’re all good.”

Modern miracles And good it certainly all is. Today Hunter’s is exporting to about 35 countries. “The UK and Europe have always been our best markets and these have been increasing during the last couple of years despite the recession.” Asian countries are the second biggest export market and Australia comes in third.

■ In 2000 exports totalled $100 million. Today it is approximately $1.1 billion General manager Peter Macdonald, Edward and James Macdonald, (front), Libby Macdonald and Jane Hunter.

The biggest challenge regarding exporting is the fluctuating exchange rates. Some countries have high import duties on wine, such as India which considers wine a luxury item and charges 330 percent import tax. While this currently hinders any kind of volume, Jane is looking forward to the looming free trade agreement between India and New Zealand. The industry is still moving through a period of consolidation changes due to the surplus, she says. “Grape prices dropped considerably, causing land prices and the value of businesses to drop, so we’re likely to continue to see people leaving the industry, a consolidation of brands and a general reshuffling and reorganising of the industry.

■ Four bottles of local wine are drunk for each one imported

are still changes to be made. We are a long way off from being a stable industry which will move forward and grow again.” But without a doubt, Hunter’s Wines will continue to thrive.

■ The industry aims to have 20 percent of vineyards organic by 2012 ■ Wine tourism is now an industry, with wine tourists statistically staying longer and spending more

Already looking forward to the future and putting plans in place to secure its place, including CEMARS carbon zero certification ensuring its sustainability, Hunter’s is well placed for the future.

■ Marlborough is the largest wine producing region in New Zealand, while the Hawke’s Bay is the oldest

But as Jane Hunter humbly puts it, the success of Hunter’s Wines is all down to good fruit and the ability of the wine makers to produce well balanced and intensely flavoured wines.

■ The northeastern region of Marlborough is best known for its sauvignon blanc variety

Hunter’s Wines 603 Rapaura Road “We need to move into new export markets Blenheim such as China and India as a means of growing T (03) 572 8489 the New Zealand market, and the United States E wine@hunters.co.nz has by no means been conquered. But there www.hunters.co.nz — Advertising Feature

■ New Zealand wines are predominantly screwcap wines and it was New Zealand which put screwcaps on the map as an alternative wine bottle closure.

Winte Hunterr at ’s

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Hospitality | Little India

Little India a big success story The Little India restaurant chain is a great Kiwi success story, combining home-style cooking with good prices and an inviting atmosphere. Little India restaurant was formed in Dunedin in 1991 by Sukhi and Joanna Gill, as a 40-seater restaurant which also did takeaways. It opened with Sukhi and Joanna working in the restaurant and from the very first day, Little India was so popular they had trouble keeping up with demand. This restaurant was the forerunner of the Little India chain. Over the years various concepts have been refined through experience but the basic ideals remain the same.

Above: The newly rebranded Little India restaurant at Merivale Mall. Little India offers delicious, affordable food in a relaxing atmosphere.

As the Little India fan base grew in Dunedin, Sukhi and Joanna seized the opportunities to open more restaurants. Today there are 14 Little India restaurants operating throughout New Zealand, along with one in Melbourne. Two newcomers — Timaru, which opened in July, and Invercargill, getting ready for business in late August — are further proof of the popularity of the Little India experience. Most of the restaurants operate as franchises. Christchurch has three Little India restaurants — in Merivale, Hoon Hay and the central city. However, the central city restaurant has been closed since the February earthquake.

decor of the restaurants, which are all being rebranded with a new modern logo.

The Little India menu is a complete and well-balanced menu offering the popular, rich Little India is New Zealand’s most popular and creamy butter chicken, all time favourite Indian restaurant chain and enjoys a reputation chicken tikka masala, lamb pasanda, nutty for being a friendly and exciting place to enjoy velvety kormas, sweet mango chicken, tomato traditional Indian cuisine, drinks and socialising. and yogurty rogan josh, speciality fhalfreezies, “We take special care and pride in the food we healthy green saagwalas and cocunuty malabari dishes, as well as the unique flavour offer all our diners,” Sukhi Gill says. “It’s as we would do it at home. All the recipes come from of acharis, the spicy sour dhansaks and a great selection of vegetarian dishes. my mother — it’s family food.”

Great dining experience

Little India prides itself on providing a premium unique product in an affordable price range, fast, efficient and friendly service, and a unique environment of great food, fun and a melting pot of people. It maintains a reputation for being a friendly place patronised by a wide range of people, from students in jeans and T-shirts to whitecollar professionals, who can eat, drink and enjoy the atmosphere together. The lively, upbeat and contemporary Indian atmosphere is carried right through the

Little India Christchurch Little India’s central Christchurch restaurant on the corner of New Regent and Gloucester Streets suffered significant damage in the earthquake, but its owners Jose Pallippat and Bobby Arora are committed to reopening on the same site as soon as possible. “I think the building is safe and what we need to do is create a new Little India there — it needs a total refit. We would love to reopen there because we want to bring the central city back to its former glory,” Jose says. In the week following the February quake, Little India set aside 6.3 percent of its total sales to donate to the earthquake appeal, which came to $14,500.

Despite the closure of the central city restaurant, Little India’s Merivale and Hoon Hay restaurants have been thriving. The Merivale restaurant is located in Merivale Mall, with more than 200 car parks around the restaurant, making it handy for both diners and people collecting takeaway orders. Little India does home deliveries. Its online order facility is user-friendly and offers all menu varieties, item descriptions and prices. Little India Merivale 38A Merivale Mall Christchurch T (03) 355 8330 Little India Hoon Hay Shop 4, 7 Halswell Road Christchurch T (03) 338 9030 Little India City New Regent and Gloucester Streets Christchurch T (03) 377 7997 www.littleindia.co.nz

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Hospitality | Pukeko Junction Café & Deli

All about… The Pukeko Junction Café & Deli

■ Started nearly 10 years ago ■ Current owners Guy and Celine Graham took over in 2009

■ The café has a well-deserved reputation for serving up “gourmet country food”

■ All the deli food is made in-house ■ The café is located in Leithfield, 35 minutes north of Christchurch

■ Has a team of friendly staff ■ The café is open for breakfast,

lunch and morning and afternoon tea, seven days a week, 9am-4.30pm

■ Can cater for evening functions and large groups

Country charm meets fine fare Keeping it simple, using quality produce and a reputation for consistency is what The Pukeko Junction Café & Deli is all about.

“We loved the style of food, the location, the fact it was rural and the appeal of a real ‘destination’ cafe. My husband’s parents own the Dunsandel store; he had been working there so knew all about gourmet country food.”

For nearly a decade it has been serving up mouth-watering food to locals and tourists in the charming North Canterbury town of Leithfield.

As well as The Store, Guy’s most recent work was under Rod Cross at the Corner Shop Bistro in Sumner.

Bought by Guy and Celine Graham two years ago, Celine says the couple instantly fell in love with the cafe.

Celine’s background in hospitality was gained in Central Otago managing the award winning bistro at Amisfield Winery and before that the Gibbston Valley Winery Restaurant.

Camla Farm

“The idea of having our own business in such a flourishing food and wine region as Waipara appealed, we have combined the skills and high standards from our experience in more upscale restaurants and applied that to our cafe. The Pukeko Junction was a fit with us.”

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Dunsandel, Canterbury camla@xtra.co.nz

Great coffee reputation The café has built a reputation for having great coffee. “It is just so important to us,” Celine says.

■ For lunch, there’s spinach and feta tart, lamb shank pies and classic seafood chowder.

“We use Christchurch-based Hummingbird Coffee whose dedication to producing the best coffee roasts is second to none.”

■ For morning and afternoon tea, there’s the cafe’s signature scones, chocolate brownies and rhubarb & walnut cake to name a few.

Pukeko Junction serves Camla Farms’ apple juice, cider and local Waipara wines, and is complimented by a Wine Shop and Gallery next door to the cafe run by Kevin and Jude Brookfield.

“It’s all about keeping it seasonal and using local produce where possible.

Farm pressed apple juice & cider

“A number of people will buy their dinner to take home with them as well as their lunch!”

■ For breakfast, there’s local free range eggs, dry cured bacon and pancakes.

Fabulous food

“We have an emphasis on good produce and we don’t like to interfere with the food too much. We’re not reinventing the wheel here.

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walk in, the beautifully presented deli with its overwhelming selection is the focal point.

“All the food is made in-house,” Celine says. “From the bread to the tarts, to the cakes, the salads, the sauces and chutneys. “People love our generous portions and affordable prices. The idea is, when people

While the café is not open at night, it is available for evening functions. It is no stranger to catering for large numbers. “Our covered courtyard area is perfect for large groups. We’ve had groups of 50 to 60 people catered for in the past. We have a great set menu which we can easily adapt. Our licence allows us to cater for about ten evening functions a year,” Celine says.

Hospitality | Pukeko Junction Café & Deli

iDL Refridgerated Transport Location, location, location The Pukeko Junction is on State Highway 1, opposite the turn-off to Leithfield Beach in Leithfield, a quaint country town about 35 minutes drive north of Christchurch.

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Celine says she and her husband couldn’t run the café and deli without the help of her family and the fantastic local staff.

Email: independent@clear.net.nz

“We love it because it’s so close to Christchurch, so you don’t feel too isolated. Five minutes away is Amberley with great “We feel blessed to have such a customeramenities but you always feel like you’re rural.” focused, hard working team. They’re all local people, passionate about the industry and The café itself has a great vibe and can be about North Canterbury and we are proud to enjoyed at any time of the year. In winter, say we have a very low staff turnover rate.” a woodfire keeps it warm and cozy. When the sun’s out, customers sit on the deck Future growth outside, enjoying their food and Waipara wine Not content with their success to date, in the sunshine. Guy and Celine Graham have goals for the café and deli. Celine says her customers fall into three categories — local North Canterbury residents, “Weekends are massive, as are public Christchurch day-trippers and tourists from holidays,” Celine says. “In terms of growing, further afield. “We do have a very strong local we’d like to build up our Monday to Thursday clientele. Also the Hurunui District has been trade. We will be encouraging more people to promoted by the North Canterbury food and come out here early in the week to avoid the wine trail which does a lot to bring tourists in.” weekend crowds.”

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They also plan to put more money back into the business with improvements made to the building. The Pukeko Junction Café & Deli 484 Ashworths Road SH1 North Canterbury T (03) 314 8834 www.pukekojunction.co.nz

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Hospitality | The Honeypot Café

Replacement café tribute and triumph The Honeypot Café, nestled into a charming brick building at the entrance of SOL Square, was for many of us the perfect place for good coffee or a hearty meal. Its fare was delicious, its ambience cozy yet vibrant. Owner Rob Gould says the café had a non-traditional feel to it. “We had an alternative environment. We weren’t the sort of place with white starched table cloths, it wasn’t very formal. We had local artists’ work on the walls. The music was always pretty funky and mellow. Our clientele was quite eclectic. It was everything from students to Fendalton mums and their daughters to hippies from the east part of Christchurch. It was really quite different.” Located at the entrance of SOL Square, the brick building had character and history. “On the first floor, originally it was the Plainsmen’s Club, which is where Ray Columbus first got started. It’s got a lot of history. People like the environment to work in as well as to go there as a customer. Our general manager has been with us for 11 years, another front of house person has for five years, and one of the chefs for seven.”

Great food The Honeypot built a reputation for not only its funky feel, but its delicious large meals. “It wasn’t posh food,” Gould says. “It was filling, we had substantial portions and it was all good value for money. Our gourmet open sandwiches were well known, our nachos were well known, and our hollandaise sauce was our own special recipe.” Fresh, delicious and local is the key criterion for The Honeypot in choosing its food suppliers. Firstly, there’s Peter Timbs’ Meats, a company Gould chose to work with because of its award-winning bacon. “We wanted to give our customers something better than bog-standard injected bacon. They have really good steaks as well,” he says. The Honeypot brews its own brand of topnotch coffee, through supplier Vivace Espresso.

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90 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

What a Catch and Central Wholesale Seafoods is proud to be supplying the Honeypot Cafe and wish them all the best for the future.

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“They’ve been our coffee supplier from the word go, and they’ve always been good to us, giving us training when we need it.” Its tender chicken is supplied by Farms Chickens, and local Sydenham business What a Catch is The Honeypot’s new fish supplier. Green Gold Gardens is the “extremely reliable” business which supplies the café with salads and herbs and Service Foods Ltd provides it with chilled and frozen goods. “Service Foods has been very supportive throughout all the earthquakes,” Gould says.

Seismic shifts The Boxing Day earthquake put a stop to The Honeypot’s trading, but Gould is delighted to announce the café is back up and running. He bought The Honeypot 18 months ago, after leaving a corporate job. “I’d always wanted to run a business and when Honeypot came up for sale, it had such a good reputation I had to take it on. There’s probably fewer than a handful of cafés that have been around as long as the Honeypot.” But it’s been a tough year and a half. He calls it a “baptism by fire”. The September earthquake occurred a week after he and his partner moved to the apartment above the café. The Boxing Day earthquake suspended trade, and the February earthquake left the badly damaged building behind the cordon. It has now been demolished. Six months ago, Gould lost the building which was both his home and his business, but is determined to continue. The Honeypot reopened at 458 Colombo Street in late July. Gould says the new premises are “both different and the same”. There’s still the core staff, local art and casual, alternative feel but the café is in a more modern building. As a tribute to what once surrounded them, the bar is propped up by bricks. A range of businesses have helped the muchloved Honeypot Cafe open again. Mega Advertising has redesigned the website. “They did a fantastic job, helping us get new signage with our signature bear for the front of our new premises,” Gould says.

Hospitality | The Honeypot Café

Up-and-coming Sydenham Rob Gould, owner of The Honeypot Café, has embraced the new location of 458 Colombo Street in Sydenham —so much so that he has just been elected the chairperson of the Sydenham Business Community Association. “Sydenham’s got a great opportunity to be the first cab off the rank in terms of the rebuild,” Gould says. “The CBD’s going to be messy for years before it can be regenerated, particularly as we continue to have these aftershocks.” The Sydenham Business Community Association is looking for other businesses to see the potential of the suburb and move in. “There’s a fair amount of vacant retail space. We have great plans to get some character back and regenerate. It will become more pedestrian-friendly and more pleasing to the eye. We’re just working through with council the regeneration plan. Our goal is to make Sydenham a destination place.

Hawkins Refrigeration, another local Sydenham business offered a very price competitive service, and “have done an excellent job” in getting the new place fitted out. Compliance Fine Protection has also been helping the team re-fit the new place. “They always provide really good service.” Gould says “Derek from Celabit Water has been supplying us with our water coolers from the word go and is very professional in his dealings with us”.

Feeling at home The new Sydenham café will have the same hours it had in the city, starting at 7am during the week and from 8am on the weekends. Gould has applied for a license until 3am, hoping the café will have a “bar feel” at night, with good craft beers on tap. While the café will be different, with its new location, premises and opening hours, Gould says long-time Honeypot fans will still feel right at home. “We will be looking after our old customers. We expect we’ll attract new ones, but our old customers are really important to us.” At this stage, Gould says he has no plans to return to the inner city — he will wait until that

“Suburbs need critical masses of similar businesses to survive, so people can choose what food to eat, what shops to visit. Soon there will be a number of places to eat at here, for example, Burgers and Beers is moving in.

is a viable option. But he hopes Christchurch takes the rebuild as an opportunity.

“There’s going to be a good sized entertainment venue here too. Put those together and people from all over the city will really want to come here.”

“Christchurch wasn’t very pedestrian-friendly or outdoor-eating friendly. Lichfield Street was like a wind tunnel. “We need to revise the way we look at those streets which were just there to get cars through. I’m a big fan of lightrail and park’n’ride. “I’m from Christchurch, but I’ve got a British accent from living over there for 20 years. “I wound up in Oxford, which has got a great system where people take buses to the city centre and then walk around on foot, or on a bike. They’ve got great outdoor seating areas. “I think Christchurch should adopt some of those design philosophies.” Whatever Christchurch may look like in the future, The Honeypot Café is here to stay. It will continue to offer its hearty meals, good coffee and alternative feel to its loyal customers, from its new home in Sydenham.

Hawkins

Feature continues on next page >>

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COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL 24 HOUR SERVICE Proud to be associated with Honey Pot Cafe PH 03 366 0399 134 Wordsworth St PO Box 7075, Christchurch Fax 03 366 9417 info@hawkref.co.nz www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 91

Hospitality | The Honeypot Café

Selections from the menu… Eggs Benedict

The classic of crispy bacon, poached free range eggs served on thick cut toast with our special honeypot citrus hollandaise sauce.

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Our own special bean mix recipe, served on tasty corn chips, smothered with cheese, and grilled. Topped with freshly made guacamole, tomato salsa and sour cream.

Spicy Lamb Salad

Tender spiced local lamb loin, with danish feta, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, gourmet potatoes and rocket, dressed with a toasted pistachio and manuka honey vinaigrette.

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‘Wishing the Honeypot Cafe much prosperity’ We proudly supply fresh chicken to restaurants, hotels, takeaways, lunch bars and pubs daily. For enquires and orders: 14 Hands Road, Middleton, Christchurch Email: info@farmschicken.co.nz Phone: (03) 348 0086 Mob: 021 244 2568 www.farmschickens.co.nz

“ Thirteen years and counting.... Your breakfast muffins keep me coming back for more. That, and your great service, coffee, cakes etc etc. Keep up the great work! Sincere Congratulations”

Derek McKee Director of Celabit Water P. 0800 235 224 celabit@xtra.co.nz www.celabitwater.co.nz

Hospitality | The Town House Restaurant

Coastal culture

It’s iconic West Coast at its best and should be part of any good coastal itinerary. Reminiscent of a European café, The Town House Restaurant is the ‘go to’ place whatever your dining needs, whether it be a meal anytime of the day, a coffee and croissant in the morning, an afternoon wine, or a late evening drink and dessert. It is where you will find the locals sipping espresso at the bar on a Saturday morning reading the paper while others dine in the restaurant and enjoy the a la carte menu, and it is where you will find the tourists enjoying everything the coast has to offer.

and dining among the young peppercorn, olive and lemon trees; a popular spot for cocktails on warm-weathered weekends.

the summer of 1994 where a gentleman’s agreement saw Tony Blair become leader of the British Labour Party.

hospitality industry, from front of house, the kitchen, behind the scenes in HR, marketing and accounting, she is well placed to do so.

The urban lounge is a smart intimate space broken up into a number of semi-private drinking booths, while the bar offers a well heeled wine list, great selection of boutique New Zealand beers and good variety of classic and contemporary cocktails. Worth particular mention is the Bloody Mary — the perfect accompaniment for Sunday brunch. The plan was to design a space which emphasised socialising and it has certainly been a success. “It is warm and approachable,” Lucas says. “The Town House is an intimate cosy space, perfect for relaxing drinks with friends.”

On her return to New Zealand she managed the hugely popular Globe Café on High Street under the leadership of Amanda Heasley (who manages Under the Red Verandah), and prior to moving to the West Coast she was responsible for the concept and design of Home Licensed Lounge Environment on Christchurch in Bedford Row.

Westport’s much anticipated new dining room and lounge has been labeled as both a sign of progress for the West Coast and as an asset for the town of Westport — a surprising find in this small but economically booming coastal town. “It generally exceeds expectations of visitors to town. Most people are very surprised to find a restaurant of this standard in a small rural town like Westport — It is an urban environment in a country town.”

Global cuisine

The global cuisine menu offering breakfast lunch and dinner, features classic dishes of tuna nicoise, beef wellington and crème brûlée Established in 1995 as The Bay House, the alongside contemporary dishes of duck breast restaurant relocated to Westport this year, rebranding as ‘The Town House’ while retaining with a ginger mushroom tea and lamb cutlets matched with bacon wrapped prunes filled its iconic West Coast flavour and international level dining. “I wanted to relocate to Westport with French goat cheese. where it would be more accessible to the local “Being able to experiment and enjoy cooking market,” owner Emily Lucas says. “It was just a any type of cuisine keeps our palates keen matter of finding suitable premises that ticked and those of our clientele. We are open to all the boxes.” exploring the flavours of the world and want Located towards to port end of town near the picturesque fishing wharf on the corner of Palmerston and Cobden Streets, The Town House is housed in the distinctive art deco Waterside Workers Union Hall. Designed by Lucas herself, the interior has stayed true to its art deco history, proudly featuring original wooden floors, bespoke wallpaper and wood panelled walls throughout with an art deco sunburst theme behind the bar, the freestanding fireplace and original art deco glass and rimu doors that lead to the north facing terrace at the rear of the building. The terrace seats 40 diners and on a sunny day is the best spot in town for al fresco wining

Now working alongside head chef Alex Hogg and sous chef Chris Mein, Emily and her kitchen team embrace a philosophy of no limitations. While she acts as executive chef overseeing kitchen operations and maintains position as general manager, she likes to maintain a hands-on role. With more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of the

The Town House Restaurant Cnr Cobden and Palmerston Streets Westport T (03) 789 7133 E reservations@thetownhouse.co.nz

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to avoid being pigeon holed into a particular genre or region of inspiration.” The small plate menu is not your average bar snack menu with the salt and pepper calamari, the Borek — Turkish style feta and parsley filo parcels and the rare roast beef with a soy vinegar dipping sauce and blue cheese wonton all being highlights. Formerly the owner and head chef of the Bay House restaurant, Lucas spent most of her younger years travelling, while honing her hospitality credentials. She managed Granita on Upper Street in London for a number of years — the restaurant credited for the now famous dinner during

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www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 93

Hospitality | The Restaurant @ Rossendale and The Vineyard @ Rossendale

Iconic status well deserved During the past 17 years, Rossendale has become a Canterbury icon. The business comprises of The Restaurant @ Rossendale, The Vineyard @ Rossendale, a weddings and events centre, and Rossendale Winery, as well as a beef cattle farm. The name Rossendale originates from The Forest of Rossendale in Lancashire, England. Albert James Rawstron, born on November 5, 1860 at Mill End, Newchurch, emigrated to New Zealand when he was 21 and settled in Christchurch. His youngest son George used the name Rossendale for his cattle stud when he shifted into the Lansdowne Valley in 1952. George’s youngest son, Brent, and his wife Shirley, then used this name when establishing the Rossendale winery and Restaurant in 1994. The English connection is kept alive with frequent visitors calling in from the Rossendale area in Lancashire. The Restaurant @ Rossendale occupies the old Gatekeepers Lodge to the Lansdowne Homestead. It was built in 1875 to a Benjamin Mountfort design. Between July 1993 and March 1994 the building was extensively renovated. The refurbishment has produced the comfortable surroundings you see today. The Restaurant was opened on March 25, 1994 by the (then) Mayor of Christchurch, Vicki Buck.

Restaurant The Restaurant @ Rossendale is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, and also offers wine-tastings, coffee and Devonshire teas by arrangement. The Restaurant @ Rossendale is surrounded by cottage gardens and bellbirds that live in the trees along the riverbank. Here you will find the peace and tranquillity of the countryside just 15 minutes from Christchurch. Call in and enjoy the warm and cosy hospitality. Tasty lunch dishes include the chef’s curry of the day with basmati pilaf, garlic naan and chutney, honey stung chicken salad with crispy noodles, and oxtail braised in pinot noir on roast pumpkin mash. Finish with a homemade apple pie, vanilla bean ice cream and cinnamon anglaise. Dinner includes

a 250g Ribeye Steak of Wakanui blue, on Dijon agria mash with Whitestone blue cheese and portabello mushrooms. To date, Rossendale chefs have won nine New Zealand Beef and Lamb Hallmark of Excellence Gold Plates. Another award winner is the garden, achieving four stars in the Canterbury Horticultural Society 2011 Summer Garden Competitions.

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Hospitality | The Restaurant @ Rossendale and The Vineyard @ Rossendale

green lawn that slopes gently down to Rossendale Winery’s award-winning pinot noir grapes. Northwest-facing, fully air conditioned and featuring specially designed oval tables and modern decor, manager Graham Jones says. “A lot of thought went into designing the building, which is an ideal space for a variety of events, including conferences, product launches, family celebrations and especially weddings. “The Pinot Noir room, as it is aptly named, opens to a well-established country garden which is sheltered from the easterly wind. Couples can hold their ceremony under the huge copper beech tree, which makes a lovely backdrop. There are plenty of picturesque spots for photo opportunities by the river, in the garden or amongst the vines. “We’ve got a great team here, with the experience to make everything perfect on what will be the best day of a couple’s life so far. We work with them to design a menu that suits their needs and we also make sure everything is decorated exactly how they want it for the day.” The Vineyard @ Rossendale is suitable for a minimum of 80 guests and up to 150 seated or 200 for a cocktail-style wedding. For smaller weddings, The Restaurant @ Rossendale provides a suitable alternative. Rossendale Winery produces seven varieties of wine — riesling, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, gewurztraminer, rose, pinot noir and merlot.

International Wine Show for its Cottesbrook Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Rossendale is currently offering two Cellar Door Wine Specials — any three bottles of Rossendale Wine for $36, and any three bottles of House Wine for $24. Rossendale Winery has just won a silver medal in the San Francisco

Located across the river from the restaurant in the middle of a working vineyard is The Vineyard @ Rossendale, a purpose-built wedding and events centre that opened in October last year. It overlooks a lush

Weddings and events

The Restaurant @ Rossendale & The Vineyard @ Rossendale Old Tai Tapu Road Halswell T (03) 322 7780 F (03) 322 9272 E office@rossendale.co.nz www.rossendale.co.nz — Advertising Feature

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www.hrbuilders.co.nz www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 95

e in w r) all F oi c o ot n t o i n ple se r p o a n o pe c no 11 e v ig st e (sau e fir Fr r th

the most cost effective way of finding staff We guarantee to find you the perfect candidate or your money back! Would you like to have a steady flow of interested, high calibre candidates calling / emailing you? If you would like complete control over your recruiting process and not have to pay the thousands of dollars others may charge you to find the same person, then this is the solution for you. It’s obvious that recruiting has become extremely tough over the last few years, and you have to talk to a lot more people than ever before to find the right one. So why is recruiting getting so hard? The biggest obstacle you face is marketing incest. Everyone goes to the same seminars, reads the same publications and looks in the same places for staff. Breakthroughs come from looking outside the rectangle and looking at new, proven methods of advertising for staff. Imagine how easy your life would be with great staff. Imagine if you were able to promote yourself and your company so people can actually see what it would be like to work at your place. We are the first in NZ to provide this technology. We can actually load video clips of your business showing how great it is to work there, some of the staff and all the amenities you provide. Imagine if you were actually able to view CVs, and actual work wanted ads, so you could see what job hunters want. This way you know when you employ them that you’ve got someone who wants to work in your environment. You’re not squeezing a round peg into a square hole, as many of us do, only to find they move on after a few months. Our revolutionary job site only began the end of 2006 and this is growing rapidly. We also have more than 1500 businesses registered as employers, including some of the biggest companies in NZ with more than 9000 employees, right through to some of the smallest companies with only a couple of staff. If you would like to see some of our clients please log on to our site and view. We also have over 16,000 registered jobhunters who are actively looking for new employment and many of them receive email alerts as soon as jobs are posted. But our major benefit to you is that we only charge $395+gst per year for unlimited use. I’ll repeat that because it does sound too cheap. $395 for an entire year to advertise as many jobs as you like.

“From time to time we do an evaluation of our service

Your next question is no doubt, how can we do it so cheaply? We prefer the expression “cost effective.” Because we don’t need to pay huge overheads or the over-the-top salaries. In fact there’s only a handful of full time staff, and the rest are part time. Just shows you how much the foreign owned corporations are over-charging. To give you a comparison, if you were to run five ads over a year and have a company profile next to your ad it would cost you a minimum of $3225 on one of these sites. On our site it is $595+gst. And of course if you don’t, or you’re not happy with any part of our service, we’ll refund you in full. There’s absolutely no risk! So we’ll at least make one expense low, constant and risk free. It’s been said you can be the greatest manager in the world – but that won’t do any good unless you can attract enough of the right people. www.myjobspace.co.nz may be the solution.

Gary Collins, Managing Director

“We were really surprised with how easy to use

”

Jessica Scott — Media Monitors

“After searching for a committed partner to advertise

my online jobs through I found the team at Myjobspace. co.nz to not only be super helpful, but competitive in pricing and best of all they have the best range of searchable locations, especially for a niche advertiser like me! Thanks team!”

”

Brad Stewart — Director Talent Capital

“I have been impressed with MyJobSpace’s level

• Staff including yourself (Damien) are always professional but friendly.

• The can do attitude of customer service is a pleasure to work with. • Requests are welcomed and actioned in a timely manner by staff that we have liaised with over time.

As the key contact person for our organisation I am pleased to provide the above information and please pass on to your colleagues. Noho ora mai

of committment to finding the best solution for my business. Zack has always given me friendly, helpful customer service. He has been a pleasure to work with. MyJobSpace’s committment to improving their service is impressive.

”

Glen Brooke-Anderson - perfectlifestyle.com.au

MyJobSpace is their attention to service and after sale care. The entire staff has been willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to handle every issue and make sure things are right. In some cases, they’ve done MORE than I expected.

”

Steve Skobel — Marketing Manager

“Through an interest in advertising my new home based

business and with previous business dealings in the New Zealand property market, I found the site My Job Space NZ. From my first contact with Zack Foreman and his team at My Job Space, I knew that I had made the right decision in spending my advertising dollars with them. Zack is articulate, friendly, reliable, extremely helpful and patient given that I had minimal international advertising experience at that stage. He demonstrated interest and talent when guiding me through the formulation of my advertisement and I am proud to stand by the final result. I have no hesitation in recommending Zack and his professional advertising team at myjobspace.co.nz to other business owners.

”

– Belinda Smith

ProuD to be the only KIWI oWneD & oPerateD Major job sIte!

P.s. We ProvIDe an unConDItIonal Money baCK Guarantee! P.P.s. Special offer! Mention this ad when you sign up for an advertiser account this month and receive two priority listings FREE (value $98.00). These will keep your ad at the top of the search page for seven days which will ensure your ad won’t be missed.

NZ s largest Kiwi owned job site Log on to www.myjobspace.co.nz or phone 0800 4 today (0800 486 329) LeveL 3, 818 coLombo street, christchurch, nz. 96 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

”

Paula Parkin HR Manager Te Whanau o Waipareira Trust

“One of the things that impresses me the most about

So if you’re ready to save time and money call now or log on to www.myjobspace.co.nz. In less than seven minutes you can have your first ad ready, and when/if you need to run your second ad in the future it will only take a few minutes. In fact many employers think our site is the easiest site for loading jobs.

Myjobspace was for employers and employees, the service was exceptional and it was a great way to capture our target audience”.

providers. We have been working with your company since 18/12/08 and would like to advise the following:

apply now

Property and Construction | Fisher Aluminium Canterbury

All the right answers… Fisher Aluminium Canterbury offers a wide range of quality products and can custom design and build anything its customers want. Fisher Aluminium has been producing robust joinery for the New Zealand market since the 1960s, when Lou Fisher first developed the iconic Ranchslider door. Since then, with research and innovative design developments, Fisher has established itself as a leader in providing a complete range of aluminium joinery and specific products for custom-design situations. The quality and design excellence of Fisher products has been through numerous Designmark awards. Specified by the country’s leading architects and building specifiers, Fisher can provide the right answer for any home.

■

Top: Fisher Aluminium Canterbury’s range of sliders, stackers and bifolds offer a seamless indoor-outdoor flow.

Fisher operates a nationwide network of dealers, including the Christchurch operation based at 23 Washbournes Road, Wigram Park.

Full Christchurch service Fisher Aluminium Canterbury manager Phil Latham says the company works hard to offer a good product and service. “Our staff have all been in the industry for longer than some of us want to admit to, and this combined experience allows us to tackle the more challenging jobs easily.”

High quality product range Fisher Aluminium Canterbury manufactures a wide range of products, including awning and casement windows, smooth-running sliders and stackers, foldback bifold doors, conservatories, porch screens and windbreaks, and thermal-break joinery.

For a friendly smile, quote and advice phone Fisher on 0800 FISHER and staff will do what it takes to help.

Its range includes the standard full range of window and door joinery, supply only to the trade or full installations service to replace those old draughty wooden ones.

Fisher Aluminium Canterbury 23 Washbournes Road Wigram Park Christchurch 8042 T (03) 982 5090 or 0800 FISHER F (03) 982 5091 E fisher.canterbury@paradise.net.nz www.fisherwindows.co.nz

Double glazing is a must these days. For the best results Fisher uses the thermal-break suite, which prevents the aluminium from condensating.

Smoothest of all

— Advertising Feature

As seen on TV, Fisher’s bottom roller sliders and stackers are the smoothest runners on the market. They feature no bottom dirt traps and will handle huge door panel sizes for the most uninterrupted views possible. Bifold doors are ideal for the ultimate of opening up spaces and also feature flush sills with no dirt traps. They can even fold right around the wall and latch back so they’re not in the way. For those who love the character of timber, Fisher’s Alti range features no-maintenance aluminium on the outside and the soft warm glow of timber on the inside. Alti is available in rimu, cedar, beech, yakka, oak or macrocarpa — a range of timber to match any décor.

■

Above: Fisher Aluminium Canterbury has a range of top-quality doors and windows to suit every requirement.

WESTIMBER LTD

Suppliers to Fisher Aluminium

Fisher has been building conservatories, porches and windbreaks for years, from permit through to compliance. The company can take care of the entire process, from a simple screen to a welldesigned addition to the lounge. A conservatory is a great way to add some space to your home without breaking the bank.

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 97

Property and Construction | Fitzgerald Construction

The new City Fitness centre in Quarantine Road, built by Fitzgerald Construction.

Memorable output Fitzgerald Construction has been providing Nelson with quality residential and commercial construction for the past 14 years, building some of the city’s most memorable properties. Fitzgerald Construction was formed in 1997 and today employs 16 staff from its premises in Forest Road, Stoke. The company has grown rapidly since its formation due to owner Stephen Fitzgerald’s extensive knowledge of the building industry and his commitment to quality.

The Theatre Royal in Nelson is the largest historical restoration project completed by Fitzgerald Construction to date.

Fitzgerald has a long history within the commercial building industry and those years of experience have provided him with the expertise, insight and organisation skills to succeed. “I started off in commercial construction work and have expanded over the years. I began this company by myself and grew to employing five guys in the first six months, with four of them still with me,” he says.

Residential, commercial mix These days Fitzgerald Construction undertakes a mix of high-end residential and commercial work, as well as quality refurbishments and refits. “We enjoy both the commercial and residential work, which is more in the upper market residential area,” Fitzgerald says. The company has successfully completed a broad range of projects and contracts and has a proven track record as the main contractor or building subcontractor.

to finish, including organising the design and plans with an architect through to resource consents, construction and handover.

Successful projects Fitzgerald Construction has undertaken many significant projects in recent years and is currently working on its fourth retirement home, Stillwater Gardens in Richmond. The project involves building 16 retirement houses and a small gymnasium. “We’re also just finishing an architectural home in Collingwood Street, which is an older style architectural home,” Stephen Fitzgerald says. “We’ve done the Theatre Royal in Nelson, which is a Historic Places Trust building. We rebuilt the back of the building and did new seating areas and new toilet blocks, as well as upgrading the frontage to its original exterior.” The Theatre Royal is the largest historical restoration project completed by Fitzgerald Construction to date. While it had its challenges, Stephen Fitzgerald is keen to undertake more work like this and develop the company’s historical restoration skills. Other significant projects undertaken recently include the new 3000-square-metre City Fitness building in Stoke, the new Nelson Airport terminal and the new Shone and Shirley funeral home in Tahunanui. Fitzgerald says his company only works to the highest possible standards. Fitzgerald Construction stands for quality and commitment to customer satisfaction and is proud to have its performance and reputation measured by the success of every building contract it has completed.

Fitzgerald Construction has won numerous awards in the local Master Builders’ It offers a complete design-and-build service, competition for both commercial and where staff handle the entire project from start residential projects. 98 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

Property and Construction | Fitzgerald Construction

Fitzgerald Construction built this new café at Kaiteriteri.

The awards are for projects ranging from a home renovation, the new administration block at Birchwood School, a new office block at Fulton Hogan in Nelson, a new office block for Daines and Associates in Nelson to a new café at Kaiteriteri and a new home in Ledbury Road. All projects undertaken by Fitzgerald Construction are extremely well planned, well organised and effectively managed. The company owns a wide range of plant and equipment, including scaffolding, scissor lifts, trucks, utility vehicles, trailers, paddle floats, safety fencing, compactors, jack hammers and most other construction-related plant and equipment.

“You have personal access to these skilled and experienced people, providing confidence that your project has the best and most costeffective solution available.”

Strong company leadership The high level of planning and management provided by the company is apparent at every level.

The emphasis is always on providing quality management. Fitzgerald Construction’s contract and staff management team ensures all those involved in the project know exactly what is expected of them. Setting the right expectations and measuring the right results means company staff, subcontractors and suppliers share a common expectation in maintaining the highest professional standards in their work.

Contracts that involve refurbishment often require working within existing occupied environments and illustrate Fitzgerald Construction’s ability to work Fitzgerald Construction is committed to the closely with the client and their representatives health, safety and welfare of its employees with minimal disruption during construction. and associate contractors at all times.

As part of its safety policy, the company has a site safety plan, with a safety advisor employed for undertaking audits on all Fitzgerald Construction sites.

Fitzgerald Construction Limited 19 Forest Road Stoke Nelson T (03) 547 5977 F (03) 547 5523 E stephen@fclnelson.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Expertise and experience The Fitzgerald team offers the same high standard of expertise and attention regardless of whether the project results from invitation to tender, design and build, or charge-up time and materials. Stephen Fitzgerald says his company’s management team is second to none.

P R O U D TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH

Fitzgerald Construction SPECIALISTS IN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL WOODEN JOINERY,

Its trained and qualified staff are supported by carefully selected and experienced building professionals. The company’s wider team consists of quantity surveyors, engineers, architects and trade subcontractors.

KITCHENS, DOORS, STAIRS, WINDOWS

On time, on budget The ability to coordinate and manage this diverse range of expertise from across the building industry ensures Fitzgerald Construction can manage projects to be completed on time and to budget. “Together, our team at Fitzgerald’s is able to provide you with the most comprehensive and skilled professionals available.

Phone 0800 373 362 4 Elms St, Stoke Wa k a t u I n d u s t r i a l E s t a t e

Proud to be Supporting Fitzgerald Construction Ltd 26 QUARANTINE ROAD STOKE, NELSON PHONE: 547 7990 FAX: 547 7778 MOBILE: 027 245 0452 mataij@xtra.co.nz www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 99

Property and Construction | Glenn Roberts Electrical

Charging on…

Nelson’s Trafalgar Park, where Glenn Roberts Electrical was responsible for the recent large-scale lighting upgrade. Photographs supplied by Oliver Weber Photography.

Quality lighting can make all the difference in providing a comfortable home, cheerful office or attractive retail display. Nelson based company Glenn Roberts Electrical does just that. The company is a specialist electrical supplier to the commercial and residential market, and has been a key player in the Nelson construction industry for 20 years. The company has proved time and time again that when it comes to electrical installations, quality provides long lasting value for money. Glenn and Kris Roberts started the company in 1992. Today the business employs a staff of 13, with Glenn’s son Josh Roberts and his partner Nichola at the helm. Josh and Nichola purchased the business in 2007, but Glenn still plays an active, hands-on role in the company, working alongside Josh in the project management and day- to-day operation of the business.

Josh and Nichola believe being a Nelsonbased family-owned company gives them an extra level of credibility, experience and local knowledge that often gives them the edge when tendering for high profile jobs. “Glenn’s been in this business for 20 years, we can tap into that experience and expertise, while competing very well with some much larger companies that don’t have our flexibility and local knowledge,” Josh says. Glenn Roberts Electrical is a member of the Electrical Contractors Association of New Zealand (ECANZ), and its clients have the reassurance of the Master Electricians free workmanship guarantee — essential peace of mind for anyone contemplating building or renovating today.

Recent projects If you’ve had the opportunity to see any of the recent Crusaders rugby games at Nelson’s newly upgraded Trafalgar Park, you’ll have an idea of the scale of the projects Glenn Roberts Electrical gets involved in. The lighting upgrade project required the installation of eight new

30 metre lighting towers, each with 24 2kW floodlights and the upgrade of the main power transformer to cope with the increased demand of the lights and new facilities. The job also involved the installation of a lighting control system to manage the different levels of lighting requirements requested by the Nelson City Council. “We wanted to make sure that the players didn’t miss any passes because of bad lighting!” Josh says. Glenn Roberts Electrical is also working on another high profile sporting facility — the new sports pavilion at Saxton Field, located between Nelson and Richmond. The project involves working closely alongside the construction company and architect to design, procure and install high-performing energy-efficient lighting to meet the rigorous demands of a multi-use public sport and recreation facility. Josh and the team have also successfully completed work on the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology’s new three-storey

Arts and Media building as part of a Joint Venture project. This building has attracted national attention because of its ground breaking earthquake proof sustainable construction — and the electrical requirements were again stringent and specific.

Home sweet home Alongside those large scale commercial projects, the company has a steady throughput of residential installations, repairs and maintenance. Josh says the company has developed an excellent working relationship with some of the region’s best known architects and designers. “It’s a valuable working relationship for all parties — the clients need to know they are getting a high standard of work, and the architect needs to have confidence in us to deliver on time and on budget. “Every home is different, and we can give well-founded advice at the planning stage, which saves money and time further down the track.”

Proud to be Insurance Brokers for: Glenn Roberts Electrical Nelson Ltd

20 Vanguard St, Nelson

80% of NZ Businesses are underinsured.

Ph: 03 546 7008

www.magandturbo.com Pleased to support Glenn Roberts Electrical

Are you?

Proud to be associated with Glenn Roberts Electrical

CROMBIE LOCKWOOD (NZ) LIMITED Ph: 03 543 9021 Email: nelson@crombie.co.nz www.crombielockwood.co.nz Locally focused, nationally resourced, internationally endorsed.

FOR ALL YOUR WHEEL & TYRE NEEDS 100 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

Phone 0800 - 100 - 530 www.rexel.co.nz

Property and Construction | Glenn Roberts Electrical

The Glenn Roberts Electrical team, offering experience and expertise. Josh says maintaining electrical systems can save money and inconvenience in the long term. “We can run a maintenance schedule so you don’t have to worry about unforeseen faults in your home or place of business.” A typical maintenance schedule could include monthly system checks including fire alarms, emergency lighting and automatic doors. Glenn Roberts Electrical is IQP registered and can carry out your annual IQP Inspections and issue of 12A Certificates. It can do lighting checks of your commercial buildings, offices and showrooms, and advise on how best to provide optimal lighting levels for operational productivity and health and safety.

Investing in technology It’s a fast changing world out there, and Josh says that as awareness of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency grows, so does the demand for new products and information about how to use them.

Image supplied courtesy of Caroline Crick Photography.

Company outlook Glenn Roberts Electrical’s biggest point of difference is its outstanding customer service. The company’s strong track record of satisfied clients and repeat business is testament to that. “We‘re just a phone call away, 24/7, and we’re happy to give free quotes and professional advice,” Nichola says.

of whom recently won ECANZ’s regional Wellington branch ‘Commercial Apprentice of the Year’ competition.

“Glenn and Josh have a combined industry experience of 45 years, plus we have a team of highly skilled experienced electricians, so there is plenty of knowledge to share.”

The pair came home from overseas to take over the reins of the family business and are committed to playing a supportive role in their local community. They sponsor a number of schools and groups and are involved in local business groups. “We’ve made a long term commitment to Nelson and being active in the community is important to us as a family and as a business,” Nichola says.

Nichola and Josh are also committed to helping young people to train into a demanding, satisfying and highly rewarding career. “Our goal is to always have at least one apprentice employed, who will be working towards their registration via the ETCO training requirements. At present there are two apprentices, one

Glenn Roberts Electrical (Nelson) Ltd 14c Vanguard Street Nelson 7010 T (03) 546 9930 F (03) 546 9669 E info@glennroberts.co.nz www.glennroberts.co.nz — Advertising Feature

All about… Glenn Roberts Electrical

■ Owned and operated by Josh Roberts and Nichola Strom

■ The team comprises 13 staff members, including six registered electricians

■ Free quotes, professional advice and quality service

■ ECANZ member, providing the Master Electricians guarantee

■ Site Safe certified with a comprehensive Health and Safety plan.

Specialist Electrical Inspection & Connection Services

Glenn Roberts Electrical’s industry knowledge means it can specify the most suitable range of energy efficient lighting and heating products for a particular client’s needs. Every job is different, Josh says.

• ‘One Stop’ Electrical Inspection and Connection Service to Tasman & Nelson Electricity Networks • Temporary Power Supplies • Electrical Inspections - Hazardous Areas - Marine - Safety - Insurance - Pre-Purchase • Caravan Electrical Warrants

“We quote according to the brief. Sustainability is becoming increasingly important and the range of products is mind-boggling. We keep up with the latest developments, and work with our partners in the construction industry to deliver an efficient and effective solution to the client’s requirements. There are some significant savings to be made just by specifying the right product.”

Ph 544 0072

Efficiency is part of what drives Josh and Nichola’s business, so they’ve invested in state of the art job tracking and GPS systems, which translates into savings for clients on every job.

66 Oxford Street, Richmond inspectors@vircom-ems.co.nz

14c Vanguard St, Nelson (03) 546 9930 info@glennroberts.co.nz www.glennroberts.co.nz COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL • INDUSTRIAL www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 101

Property and Construction | IMB Construction

Diversity and flexibility keys to success Diversity and flexibility are keys to success for IMB Construction in Nelson, responsible for building, renovating and maintaining a huge variety of residential and commercial properties. IMB Construction offers a wide range of building services, from small insurance jobs and home maintenance to the construction of multi-million dollar commercial, industrial and residential projects.

The recently completed new boarding facility built by IMB Construction for Nelson College for Girls.

The company, formerly known as Ian McCully Builders Ltd, was founded in 1972. While initially focused predominantly on the residential building market, the past 15 years has seen IMB increase its portfolio to include commercial, industrial, education and maintenance projects.

IMB Construction built this 8500sqm Harvey Norman complex in Nelson three years ago.

The company is today owned by directors Richard Cole and Brian Mazure. Richard has more than 30 years’ experience within the building industry and acts as project manager/ director, while Brian is a registered quantity surveyor with a broad range of experience. Located at 86 Vanguard Street, Nelson, IMB employs over 30 staff and is able to complete any sized project with ease and precision. The staff includes qualified builders, a painter and plasterers who carry out house alterations, insurance work and a steady flow of maintenance for the Tasman District Council and other organisations in the region. IMB Construction’s diverse experience within the construction industry guarantees great flexibility in its use of construction materials, from timber frames to poly-block construction.

The maintenance team provides services to a number of organisations within the Nelson region. This diversity is one of IMB’s biggest add-on assets in a highly demanding industry.

Wide portfolio range IMB Construction has completed many significant construction projects in the Nelson district in its 39 years of operation.

It recently completed a 30-plus room boarding hostel at Nelson College for Girls, as well as the new Learn-to-Swim pool at the ASB Aquatic Centre complex in Richmond for the Tasman District Council. The company then completed the next stage of the pool project — the design and build of a new fitness centre extension. IMB builds a handful of architecturally designed new residential homes each year, in addition to a couple of large renovation projects. “We specialise in architectural residential homes and have a $1 million residential home currently under construction at Ruby Bay,” Richard says.

Proud to be a supplier of building materials to IMB CONSTRUCTION

“We prefer to deal with professional architects or architectural draftsmen in our contracts. As long-term members of the Registered Master Builders Association we can offer clients comprehensive guarantees on the quality of construction and workmanship of their new homes.” IMB’s largest project in recent years was a $12 million block of 43 apartments with an underground carpark and 15 ground-floor shops.

Nelson Phone 03 547 9111

The company is in the process of completing a $600,000 oral health unit for the Marlborough District Health Board and is also building a marina facility for the Nelson City Council.

Proud to supply IMB Construction with quality aluminium joinery

Encouraging young people in the industry is vital… the demand for qualified tradesmen has contributed to the success of our apprenticeship programme… Richard Cole, director, IMB Construction

IMB has worked on projects in Golden Bay, Blenheim, Murchison, and undertook a significant amount of contract work on the new coal processing plant at Stockton Mine, as well as refurbishing the Nelson District Courthouse. Proud to supply glass to IMB Construction Ltd

Free measure, quote and consultation www.nulook.co.nz www.nulookworld.co.nz

Windows Doors Skylights Balustrading Conservatories

Fly & Security Screens Custom Designs Replacement & Insert Wardrobe Doors Commercial Buildings

To find out more call Nulook Motueka on 03 528 9016 or call in at 391 High St Motueka

102 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

Showers | Balustrades | Splashbacks | Mirrors www.tasmanglass.co.nz

0800 4 GLASS

Property and Construction | IMB Construction The company has strong health and safety policies and procedures which are audited through an independent qualified professional. IMB gained ACC accreditation for “workplace safety management practices” in 2003 and is believed to be the first building company to gain tertiary level on its first application, as well as continuing to achieve this high standard to date. “We are proud of our systems and believe we have trained our employees and provided them with the information needed to ensure goals and policies are achieved,” Richard says. IMB has always had a strong apprenticeship programme and has several apprentices employed each year. “We believe that encouraging young people in the industry is vital to its growth. The high demand for qualified tradesmen has contributed to the success of our apprenticeship programme which highlights our ongoing commitment to the industry.” The company employs a dedicated store manager, who deals with all equipment maintenance and repairs and carries out deliveries of plant and equipment to site.

Success and future While the building industry throughout New Zealand has suffered during the recent recession, Richard says IMB has maintained a relatively steady level of work.

IMB Construction recently redeveloped the Nelson District Courthouse. Glenhaven Aquaculture is a design-and-build project completed by IMB Construction for Cawthron Institute.

Top-quality procedures Quality is everything for the team at IMB Construction Limited in Nelson, which has been awarded at both local and national level by the Master Builders’ Association. IMB director Richard Cole says the company is continually striving to improve its services to customers. “Quality is the big thing. We’ve had great success with Master Builders’ Awards in both the local and national competition. We won the Supreme Award in 2000 for a residential house in the open category.” IMB Construction’s commitment to high standards in the programming and co-ordination of its construction activities is integral in ensuring the success and on-schedule competition of all contracts. The company is at the forefront of Nelson’s building industry and is committed to quality

control and assurance in both commercial and residential contracts. Quality assurance begins with a quality design and preplanning between the quantity surveyor, project manager and foreman, followed up with regular on-site management meetings involving the builders, clients and subcontractors and completed with final sign off and managed maintenance periods.

Serving Nelson Business for 30 years with our comprehensive expertise Painters & Decorators

• Interior & Exterior Painting • Residential & Commercial Work • Textured & Spray Coatings • Wall Papering • Roof Painting • Intumescent Fireproof Coatings Brown & Syme are proud to support IMB Construction Nelson

p. 03 546 5145 c. 027 231 6061 email: brown-symenelson@xtra.co.nz

All jobs are fully planned out before construction begins and regular site meetings are held and documented. Issues are recorded, with solutions proposed and outcomes noted. IMB acknowledges that building codes recognising best practice methods, manufacturers’ specifications and engineering designs are the basis to measuring quality.

Ph: 03 548 1549 info@carranmiller.co.nz

Proud to be associated with IMB Construction Ltd

Fax: 03 546 9504

38 Halifax St, Nelson PO Box 210 Nelson

The construction industry is continually evolving and IMB works hard to stay at the forefront. “We’re happy with the direction we’re moving in but it’s a really hard environment we’re working in at the moment. “We’re quite diverse — we do multi-million dollar jobs right down to jobbing work. We’re keeping in there through this tough period and hopefully times will come better again soon,” Richard says. IMB Construction Limited 86 Vanguard Street Nelson T (03) 546 8161 F (03) 546 8173 E richard@mcbuild.co.nz www.mcbuild.co.nz — Advertising Feature

For General Earthworks Specialising in: • Roading & Tracking • Driveways • Building Sites • Rock Work • Retaining Walls • Drainage • Subdivisions

Proud to supply accounting services to IMB Construction Ltd

“We were busy right through last year. It was a bit quiet at the beginning of this year although we have noticed an upswing in inquiries lately,” he says. “We are optimistic that the work will continue to flow in. We look forward to seeing both new and previous customers coming through the door and look forward to another successful year.”

Proud to be associated with

IMB Construction

P: 03 544 3199

Cell. 027 231 5441 Ph/Fax. (03) 542 4037

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 103

Property and Construction | TransPortable Cabins

Need new premises now? TransPortable Cabins are an ideal solution, providing temporary housing and commercial premises for displaced Christchurch residents and businesses. TransPortable Cabins, which are built in Auckland, are custom designed to suit any need and can be transported anywhere in New Zealand to be used as housing, offices, sleepouts, mobile kitchens, granny flats, holiday accommodation and caravan annexes. TransPortable Cabins is owned by Stuart and Debbie Cory, who started the company in 2008. A builder and engineer, Stuart began building transportable cabins in 2004 after identifying a gap in the market for affordable portable units. The cabins are built on integrated galvanised trailers. The solid frame and construction means the cabins do not bounce like a caravan. Debbie Cory says the versatility of the cabins is one of their major benefits. Cabins can be built to meet any requirements and can be joined together. For transport purposes, individual cabins are generally built to a maximum of 30 square metres, or 3.1 metres wide and 10 metres long. “It’s the flexibility of being able to get the layout that works for you and your site. They are very maneuverable and can be lifted on site by a Hiab crane or towed in by vehicle,” she says. Quality building materials are used including Coloursteel roofing, Coloursteel weatherboard look exterior cladding systems, Shadowclad, Ply and Batten and aluminium ranchsliders and joinery. These materials result in cabins that are low maintenance and built to last. The cabins are insulated with Pink Batts in the walls and ceiling, as well as polystyrene insulation under the floor. “They’re built like a house, with a timber frame and double glazing. They’re a lot warmer than a caravan and we can put a heat pump in them. We can run multiple power points for people, as well as full networks,” Cory says. “We have built beauty therapy and hair dressing studios and even a hot potato van. Our clients are not restricted to a standard

TransPortable Cabins could be the answer for many Christchurch businesses and residents. The cabins can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including temporary housing and office space.

floor plan, which allows us to think outside the square and match their specific circumstances, location and needs.”

Ideal for Christchurch market TransPortable Cabins has received a lot of inquiries from people in Christchurch who need temporary housing, offices or commercial premises. “Now that people know what’s happening with their properties they’re in a better position to know what’s ahead of them and what their needs will be,” Cory says. “They’re perfect for people in temporary situations, living in units, as well as farm workers or to have the parents join you on your property in their own space.” TransPortable Cabins can be built in as little time as a week and are shipped directly from Auckland to Lyttelton.

“They’re ideal for Christchurch and they have very good resale and hold their value. When people have no further need for them, other people will scoop them up. We’re always getting inquiries from people wanting secondhand cabins and are happy to help put sellers in touch with buyers.” TransPortable Cabins has the capacity to meet any increase in demand that results from the Christchurch earthquake. Prices are

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based on the size and individual specifications of each cabin. TransPortable Cabins 472A Redoubt Road Flatbush, Manukau Auckland 2016 T (0800) 862 224 E info@transportablecabins.co.nz www.transportablecabins.co.nz — Advertising Feature

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104 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

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Property and Construction | Breen Plumbing

‘Simply the best’ award

Breen Plumbing in Timaru is the 2011 Master Plumber of the Year. The company specialises in residential and commercial plumbing, carried out by itshighly skilled and qualified team.

Breen Plumbing in Timaru has been named the 2011 New Zealand Master Plumber of the Year — a title which reflects the company’s commitment to giving its customers the best possible service. The competition, held in February, was run by Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ. Owners Shaun and Kerri Breen were thrilled their company was named New Zealand’s Master Plumber, which they say creates a point of difference from other plumbing companies. “Hopefully it means people can rely on us more,” Shaun says. “The award was focused around customer service and that’s the reason we went into it.” Last year Breen Plumbing was named the Trainer of the Year in the competition.

High-quality service Breen Plumbing was formed in 1997 and today still operates as a family-owned business. The company has a wealth of experience in all aspects of plumbing, specialising in residential, commercial, industrial and dairy conversions. Its domestic work includes general plumbing in new homes, home alterations and maintenance, gasfitting for kitchens and heating, drainage and septic tanks, and home heating such as central heating systems, wood and pellet fires and gas fires. Breen Plumbing has a team specialising in commercial and industrial plumbing, from new construction to renovations and upgrades. It provides sophisticated and creative solutions to commercial, retail and industrial plumbing challenges in the greater South Canterbury area. This work involves offering a complete plumbing design solution for all types of applications, including stormwater drainage, foul water drainage and rainwater collection, as well as maintenance and repair, gasfitting and associated pipe work, video drain inspections, and roofing and cladding work that includes butynol and spouting fabrication. Breen is also a specialist installer of skylights. Breen Plumbing offers repairs as well as commercial plumbing preventive maintenance programmes to keep clients’ businesses functioning properly, responding quickly to any unforeseen system failures. It specialises in the installation of fibreglass pipes. The company is also a certified backflow prevention specialist. All backflow prevention devices are tested for certification every year.

Breen Plumbing supplies and installs an elite range of aerated wastewater treatment systems that offer environmentally sensitive alternatives to the septic tank. Shaun and Kerri Breen are continually striving to improve their services in order to operate the most professional plumbing and drainlaying company in South Canterbury.

including diggers, cherrypickers, tip trucks, scissor lifts, rigid drain cameras and machinery. Breen Plumbing employs skilled and motivated staff. It is committed to the ongoing training and education of staff, who include plumbers, gasfitters, drainlayers, a maintenance team and labourers.

“We’ve got a really good crew here at the moment. I think growth is just a natural thing Company growth at the moment — if we don’t grow we’ll Breen Plumbing has grown considerably since Shaun began it. Today it employs more than 30 get stagnant and go backwards. We’ve put systems in place for more growth, with a staff from a new site and workshop in Brown better office structure, and we’ve split it into Street, Timaru, which is centrally located and commercial and residential divisions, which easy for customers to visit. are run by different people. It’s working out The company has more than 4000 local well and has taken a lot of pressure off me customers, including large companies such and Kerri and has allowed us to focus more on as Fonterra, McCain Foods, Talleys, Alliance customer service.” Meats and DB Breweries. Work is carried out Breen Plumbing is focusing on branding and throughout South Canterbury, with a large has established a new website in an effort to amount done in Tekapo. The company also better promote its services to its target market. has an operation in Christchurch that was Increased radio advertising has also resulted established after the September earthquake. in a 50 percent growth in jobbing work, with “We initially went to Christchurch to do work the team at Breen continually working to move for customers in Timaru who have properties forward and advance its business. and businesses up there,” Breen says. “People have found out that we’re there and it’s grown Breen Plumbing Limited 37-39 Brown Street and grown. We have a base in Woolston and we help out other master plumbers there who Timaru T (03) 684 0177 are snowed under.” F (03) 684 0178 The company operates a fleet of modern vans www.breenplumbing.co.nz — Advertising Feature and a range of other specialist machinery,

Suppliers of tools and equipment to the concrete and masonry industry. 35 Leckie Street P.O.Box 563 Timaru 7940 Ph: 03 688 5656 Fax: 03 683 1675 Email: chris@totalsite.co.nz

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66 Racecourse Road. PO Box 2138, Washdyke, Timaru. info@canterburylongrun.co.nz

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 105

Property and Construction | Affordable Sheds

“…a system that easily converts into a habitable building, or a building suitable for both living and working…”

Passing the toughest tests Canterbury’s recent seismic events have illustrated the importance of structural integrity. Building companies with products that are strong, durable and cost effective, will undoubtedly find success in the new marketplace. It has certainly been a successful strategy for Affordable Sheds, which produces buildings that are strong in both form and function. Recent events demonstrated to the company the importance of a South Island based supplier network, according to business

development manager Kyle Atchison. “Since 2005 we have been transporting our kits from Australia. This year the decision was made to use Canterbury suppliers and manufacture everything from here.”

“It made sense logistically; manufacturing from New Zealand ensures a much faster turnaround for our loyal South Island customers and ensures we are bringing much needed work to the Canterbury region.”

The process has taken time and dedication, but Atchison maintains the decision has been well worth it. “We had to go through discussions with suppliers ensuring everything conformed to our required standards and those of the building code.

But it has only been possible through the support of loyal Canterbury suppliers.

“We also had to satisfy our IPENZ registered engineer who provides independent peer reviews and site specific design statements of every steel building we supply.

Proud to Support Affordable Sheds NZ Ltd SPECIALISTS IN DRIVEWAYS & EARTH MOVING Site works / Landscaping Posthole Boring / Trenching / Excavation Cartage / Irrigation Systems Skilled operators of Excavators,

Affordable Sheds has already developed strong commercial associations with some of the most reputable and well known names in the business: Windsor Doors provides all roller and sectional doors and shutters, Metalcraft is used for roofing and structural framing, Fortress Fasteners provides all the bolts and screws and Press Work manufactures the bracket systems.

Proud to be Associated with Affordable Sheds NZ Ltd • We help you design your product • We supply products and components to a wide range of industries • We provide excellent customer service and value

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Phone: 027 443 8542 mikegreenem@xtra.co.nz www.greenshorecontracting.co.nz 106 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

Phone: (03) 343 5151 Mobile: 027 343 5073 Fax: (03) 343 5166 Email: sue@presswork.co.nz

www.presswork.co.nz

Affordable Sheds is well represented in Canterbury with a distributor based in Temuka covering South Canterbury and Christchurch covering from Rakaia north. “Quality suppliers are part of what makes what we do so great,” Atchison adds.

Kitset options Established in 2005, Affordable Sheds specialises in the design, manufacture and supply of superior quality, value for money prefabricated steel buildings, including industrial and commercial buildings, storage sheds, farm buildings, barns, garages and sleepouts. Buildings are available as a kitset or can be installed by the Affordable Sheds team. Most of this team is made up of experienced commercial builders who can provide the full package of design and build and can handle the whole process for you from consent through to hand-over. “We can provide buildings up to a 24 metre wide clear span and further with specific design by our engineer, and to a height of seven metres,” he says. “A mix of bay spans out to six metres and clear side openings of up to nine metres lets you get that big stuff through like harvesters. “We do a full range of roller doors, roller shutters and opening windows, providing for small standard garages through to large commercial buildings.” Affordable Sheds also prides itself on providing habitable conversions. “We have a system that easily converts into a habitable building, or a building suitable for both living and working. It is a particularly economical system; when people want a habitable building, they are generally economy focused. We can save them a bit in this area and they’re happy.”

Property and Construction | Affordable Sheds

consideration their location for wind zone and snow loading. “The next step is providing the client with a quote, or having a site visit, to ensure we can answer any questions and provide all information necessary before any decisions are made.” Now there is simply no reason why anyone needs to sacrifice quality in order to save

By maintaining a key focus towards products which are well designed, durable, convenient, value for money and reliable, Affordable Sheds is able to deliver on its apt motto of ‘Quality that’s Affordable’. Because no matter which way you look at it, a bargain is a bargain and when that bargain surpasses quality expectations, it really is unbeatable. Affordable Sheds entered a market dominated by poor quality, budget ‘blow away’ sheds and proceeded to surpass the competition in terms of product standards, accessibility and price. “A lot of people think a shed is a shed,” Atchison says. “The key difference with our sheds is that we can almost always build exactly what the customer wants; we don’t have standard sizes and can mix and match spans, heights and widths. “Our distributors aim to give their clients the best bang for their hard earned bucks and all have a wealth of knowledge to assist the client to this end. We pride ourselves on using our experience in giving full and final quotes that are easy to read with no hidden extras, which all reputable shed sellers should be doing.”

Superior approach But Affordable Sheds’ ability to stand out in a crowded marketplace is about much more than a strong focus on customer service. “On the design side we use materials with superior strength; thicker hi-tensile galvanised steel aids strength, specially designed knee and apex plates create a more durable threeway connection for the portal frame. “The brackets connecting the building to the concrete slab are heavy 6-8mm thick base plates, which reinforce the entire structure, and our sheeting is high tensile .40 Coloursteel that is thicker than many others. Overall it is about smarter engineering.”

money. “We have a strong focus on quality control; all our sheds are finished to the highest possible standards. It’s a quality, durable finish; our sheds last the distance.” Affordable Sheds Christchurch and Affordable Sheds South Canterbury T 0800 344 556 E info@affordablesheds.co.nz www.affordablesheds.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

One aspect of smarter engineering is Affordable Sheds’ use of top hats for its roof purlins; by overlapping them at the shed frame by 15 percent of the bay span it spreads the roof load over the whole building. “A combination of these overlapping top hats, wrap around brackets and thicker steel give our buildings superior strength.” This is particularly useful for our colder New Zealand climate. “This strength allows for higher snow loads and wind speeds, and when we provide a quote, we can provide it exactly to meet these load requirements.”

Diverse range The Affordable Sheds’ range of buildings is also aesthetically diverse, with a full range of 40 colours available, multiple cladding options and fully flashed. The list of satisfied clientele is equally diverse, ranging from bus companies and medical centres, to cherry orchards packing sheds, to domestic garages, sleepouts and mechanic workshops.

* Residential Roofing * Residential Wall Cladding * Metal Roof Tiles * MSS Purlins

* Commercial Roofing * Commercial Wall Cladding * Rainwater Systems

We have an extensive range of Longrun Roofing Profiles, Lightweight Tiles, Rainwater Systems, Steel Purlins, and just added to our range is our new Metalcraft Metal Fencing

But no matter how diverse the Canterbury clientele, they are happy with their Affordable Sheds’ performance, especially during the recent seismic activity, with no reported damage sustained in any building, right down to the slabs. “They are well designed and well braced — we couldn’t be happier with that result.” For more information, Affordable Sheds has an 0800 number and website for online enquiries. “This allows people to get information without feeling they have to commit. We like to get our head around the purposes of the building and once we know what the client is after, we can design a building which will best meet their needs on our computer system, taking into

Postal Address: PO Box 33056 Barrington, Christchurch 8244 p. 03 349 7350 f. 03 349 7365

e. sales.christchurch@metalcraftroofing.co.nz www.metalcraftroofing.co.nz

0800 333 056 www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 107

Property and Construction | Scott Construction/Arthouse Architecture

Delivering design&build abilities

All about… Scott Construction

■ Owned by Kevin Scott and Justin Candish ■ Experienced at handling residential and commercial work

■ The competent team includes project managers, a quantity surveyor and 25 carpenters

■ Has an independent concrete placing team ■ Scott Construction is a member of the Certified and Master Builder Associations and has a number of licensed building practitioners

London has Lords. Paris has the Stade de France. In New Zealand, Wellington has the Caketin and Auckland has Eden Park. Nelson wanted something just as authentic and iconic for Saxton Field’s new cricket, athletics and football sporting hub — the Saxton Pavilion.

“So we got the whole team together and we brainstormed and came up with the idea of a long slender oval form that responded to the site. We took that broad concept and found a way of building it for the council’s budget.

The new state-of-the-art sporting centre, designed by Arthouse Architecture and built by Scott Construction, will be opening in Nelson soon. The two companies have worked together in the past to build the Saxton Oval Utility Building which was finished at the start of 2010.

Appropriate aesthetics

“We developed a steel portal system which could be repeated eighteen times inside, then the roof put on it so the builders could then build underneath without the weather being a factor,” he says. “We worked hard to ensure the aesthetics of the portal were appropriate to the scale of the building, as people interact closely with them as they pass through the building.

Arthouse Architecture’s brief was to create an iconic sporting centre on a thin piece of land for a relatively small budget.

“The curving roof was also problematic. After assessing various cladding options we settled on corrugated iron both for both budget reasons and its ability to be curved to the tight side radius.

“The day we started designing it, our server had crashed,” the company’s co-director Jorgen Andersen remembers.

“We have used a curved plywood lining system underneath that also provides bracing between the bays.

“The plywood has softened the feel of pedestrian boulevard and the interior spaces. Already, before the project has been completed, the building is looking really good and the spaces in and around are working very well.” Justin Candish, Scott Construction’s managing director agrees. “It was a challenging construction due to its shape and exposed finishes. Another challenge was the steel not arriving on time from Christchurch due to the earthquake. Instead of waiting, we moved ahead and worked on other parts until it arrived. Despite the delay, we are aiming to have it completed by the World Cup.” The Saxton Pavilion will be a high-use area, used by not only local sports teams and for national events like the Masters Games, but by international sports teams too. For example, the Italian rugby team will be training there for the Rugby World Cup and the cricket ground has been designed to international standards so it can hold international games.

Green features Other Arthouse Architecture projects include a $6 million build of a three storey medical centre. In this project, the company used its considerable skills in green building design.

■ Has won numerous awards for its builds ■ Has an array of machinery ■ The company is committed to being the

The project has been designed to offer tenants the ability to connect to a heating and cooling system where the windows are linked with the building’s temperature and mechanical ventilation and cooling system.

best construction firm in the region.

On a warm day, the windows can automatically open when the building reaches a certain temperature and then close when it gets cooler. The design incorporates use of double glazing, high levels of insulation, heat recovery for the hot water system, external sun shading devices to regulate overheating and natural ventilation where possible.

All about… Arthouse Architecture

■ The directors are Jorgen Andersen and David Wallace

■ Has a team of eight, who work creatively together

■ Has a long-standing commitment

to sustainable and energy efficient design principles, supported by ongoing project-related research

■ Works on commercial and residential projects

■ Has won numerous architecture and colour awards

■ Will work on large and small projects

and enjoys the different challenges associated with the variety of scales.

Above: An artist’s impression of a new medical centre designed by Arthouse Architecture, completed with the full range of green features. Right: The Saxton Oval Utility Building, finished at the start of 2010, was a joint project involving Arthouse Architecture and Scott Construction.

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108 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

Property and Construction | Scott Construction/Arthouse Architecture

The Saxton Pavillion, designed by Arthouse Architecture and being built by Scott Construction.

It will also be constructed and clad mostly in naturally based, long-life, low maintenance, recyclable materials. Using sustainable methods for designing structures is one of Arthouse Architecture’s points of difference. “Using green design principles saves money in the long-term and produces a more comfortable and productive working and living environment,” Andersen says. Scott Construction has also been hard at work on a number of projects in the Nelson area. Justin Candish believes they were awarded the Saxton project because of the company’s attributes, competitive pricing and the fact it has worked on a number of buildings for the council in the past. A recent one was refurbishing the customer services area for the Nelson City Council, which was completed last year. This project received a Gold Award and Local Category Winner Medal at the 2010 Registered Master Builders Commercial Project Awards.

“We’ve been going for 40 years, and have a team of 35 permanent staff — some of them are long-serving, many have been here for over 20 years. Kevin Scott, who started the business in 1970, remains very involved in the company,” he says.

Andersen from Arthouse Architecture says the rebuild of Christchurch, where he was born and bred, offers plenty of opportunity for thoughtful redesign. The practice is considering opening a satellite office in the city next year.

“We have the ability to work to tight time frames and still deliver quality.

Arthouse Architecture Ltd PO Box 1325 3 Haven Road Nelson T (03) 546 6664 E jorgen@arthousearchitecture.co.nz www.arthousearchitecture.co.nz

“We have a full-time quantity surveyor in the office, meaning we don’t outsource so we can provide budgets and estimates for our clients early on.”

The Tasman District Council offices, BNZ Nelson and Countdown Nelson fit-outs, all projects carried out by Scott Construction.

Scott Construction also has a wealth of resources, including a pre-cast concrete plant, all Scott Construction terrain telescopic crane, bucket truck, 12 tonne 11 Nayland Road digger and a multitude of smaller machinery. Stoke Both Arthouse Architecture and Scott Nelson Construction also specialise in designing and T (03) 547 9469 building high-end residential homes. F (03) 547 9543 — Advertising Feature

Future goals

Looking to the future, Candish says the Scott Construction has won a number of Master company will “continue to focus on high end commercial and architectural projects Builder Awards since it started competing for in the Nelson area, delivering on quality to them only a few years ago. Candish says the our customers, as we have been doing for company’s point of difference is the wealth of experience it can draw on. forty years.”

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VISIT TODAY 62 St Vincent Street Nelson P 03 546 9777 www.franklins.co.nz www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 109

Property and Construction | Powerserve Electrical

Lisa and Rod Cameron.

Current capabilities Electrical applications are incredibly diverse and so are the services Powerserve Electrical can offer. The company was established in 2009 by Lisa and Rod Cameron to complement the couple’s existing business, Northwest Engineering.

Since then, Powerserve has established an enviable reputation at the forefront of the industry. “The engineering and electrical services complement each other really well,” Rod says. “It’s not often you find a piece of equipment that doesn’t have an electrical component.” The relationship between Northwest Engineering and Powerserve Electrical is mirrored by the one shared between the husband and wife team. Rod brings more than 26 years of experience in the industry, 12 of those as owner and operator of the couple’s previous electrical business. Lisa compliments this with her ability to develop and implement strong business systems as a result of working in the banking industry for more than a decade. “Lisa plays the role of keeping me in line,” Rod laughs. “But in all seriousness, it would be a poignant fact to say the business would not run in any way shape or form if it was not for the capacity of Lisa to look after the stuff I find mundane — and that’s the important stuff, the paperwork and developing good systems.” Of equal importance are those at the front line of the business. Made up of experienced electricians who specialise in electrical maintenance, repairs and fit-outs. “We cover all aspects of the electrical industry,” Rod says. “We specialise in the

The company’s connection with Northwest Engineering also proves a drawcard. “The hospitality industry has a lot of fabricated work, which wears heavily based on the “During the past two years we have gone from volumes they are doing. We are able to strength to strength. We’ve attracted many of provide electrical and engineering services. our old clients back from our previous business. From the customers’ perspective, it’s easy; two Our reputation has preceded us because we birds, one stone.” have maintained the same standards and The jewel in the Powerserve Electrical crown overriding philosophy of providing quality is integrity. “We always provide the solution workmanship and service on demand.” that’s most appropriate for the client. If we can Rod and Lisa identified the hospitality industry provide a customer with a solution that can fix as an area which could be served better their problem for $50 rather than for $200, we than what was being offered at the time. will always do what is in their best interests.” “Hospitality is an area that few companies The team of registered Master Electricians understood or were prepared to operate within. There is not much in a restaurant that’s prides itself on being a team of honest, hardworking and respectful tradesmen. “We’re not essential. Generally, if something breaks not about fleecing our customers for a one down, the restaurant’s ability to operate can off job; we would rather build longstanding, become compromised. strong working relationships for the benefit of “Our ability to respond to that need quickly has both businesses. From tricky situations come put us in good stead. Fast food is just that, fast. outstanding results, and we’re happy to really We operate on the same principle and that’s get stuck in and resolve problems for you.” what we have built our reputation on.” So if you have an interesting situation and But there are more strings to the Powerserve need an ingenious result, contact Powerserve bow than hospitality work. “We don’t just look Electrical today. after fast food or hospitality; we tend to focus Powerserve Electrical on it but when we’re talking about what we 10 Langstone Lane, Papanui do, we describe ourselves as a full electrical Christchurch business. From repairing a stove, to tendering T (03) 964 5621 for full electrical fit-outs, we do it all. We’re involved in almost every facet of the electrical E admin@powerserve.co.nz www.nwe.co.nz — Advertising Feature business in some capacity.” hospitality industry, but our team and business systems are capable of fulfilling any electrical project.

Fax: 03 3645249 pherring@rexel.co.nz

Phone: 03 3791611 110 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

www.rexel.co.nz

Manufacturing | Northwest Engineering

Engineering success The pulley, lever and wheel are some of our first engineered creations and, while engineering’s applications have changed significantly, the principles which determine success in the field have not. Honest, innovative and just plain clever, Northwest Engineering ticks all the boxes. It’s the classic Kiwi company; born from one couple’s desire to up the ante. Purchased in 2007 by Lisa and Rod Cameron, Northwest Engineering represents a successful step into new territory. “We had been in the electrical business for 11 years,” Rod explains. “When we sold our electrical business in 2006 we were looking for something different. We realised the engineering and electrical fields were complementary and we set about working hard to grow and streamline Northwest Engineering to perform at a higher capability to when we took over.” Northwest Engineering is still owned by Rod and Lisa and supported by the expertise of manager Stan Stewart. With more than 25 years of experience in the sheet metal and light engineering industries, he enjoys sheet metal fabrication, developing new products, improving existing products, fault finding and problem solving. Because it is a competitive industry and these points all play a part in the company’s

success. The company competes well, Rod says, putting it down partly to the simple, yet complete satisfaction that comes from doing a job well. “We cover all facets of design and manufacturing and we can do pretty much anything,” he says. “Whether it is lathe work, welding, repairs or complete fabrications.” But one of the best parts about working with Northwest Engineering is the company’s ability to design the best product for the job. “One product does not suit all and we have the ability to tweak an original product that you want, or design and build the best product to suit from scratch. We work with our clients to ensure what we are going to create will meet the specific requirements.” One specific requirement the company noticed, was a growing demand for quality turf care equipment — especially from bowling and golf clubs. Northwest Engineering has a full range of turf care equipment to meet this demand. What makes Northwest Engineering a standout business is that they look beyond simply completing the project; they’re a team of engineers who care about their customers, the equipment they use and helping them get back on track as fast as they can.

“If we have to work on machinery outside of normal business hours, we are flexible enough to accommodate that. Likewise on the other hand if something breaks down at 6am we don’t expect the client to wait until 8am, when our team starts, before the problem is looked at. We understand that you have to do what it takes to keep things rolling smoothly.” Northwest offer a strong maintenance programme that ensures machinery stays in top shape. “Lisa and I are both actively involved in the business,” Rod explains. “We’re not passive business owners and this is reflected in the business. It gives us a keener sense of how we can modify our services to suit our customers; how we can

best meet their needs. It’s what makes what we do work.” But there’s another reason Northwest Engineering does well, it’s a good place to be. “You spend a large amount of time at work. So, for us, work has to be enjoyable. So long as the customer walks away with the job well done and a smile on their face, then we’ve succeeded.” Northwest Engineering 10 Langstone Lane Papanui Christchurch T (03) 354 5994 E admin@nwe.co.nz www.nwe.co.nz — Advertising Feature

When you have a breakdown, or your machines require maintenance, the Northwest Engineering team knows the importance of working around your schedule, not interrupting it.

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Christchurch 03 348 9810

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www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 111

Manufacturing | Crown Sheetmetal

Wine tanks and more… Crown Sheetmetal is a specialist in the design and manufacture of stainless steel process vessels for the wine, dairy and food processing industries, with production facilities in Invercargill and Blenheim servicing the entire South Island. Crown Sheetmetal was founded in Invercargill in 1974 and purchased by the NDA Group in early 2008. The Blenheim branch was formed in 1986 as Truform Stainless and was purchased by NDA three years ago, when its name was changed to Crown Sheetmetal. The company specialises in manufacturing wine holding tanks in various diameters and lengths with optional glycol cooling and insulation. Tank sizes vary from 2500 litres to 540,000 litres and are either plinth mounted or free standing. Crown Sheetmetal is the licensed manufacturer of the Ganimede static red fermentation wine tanks for New Zealand. The heart of Ganimede is a simple diaphragm that accumulates the naturally occurring CO2 from the ferment and uses it to continuously mix the marc while delicately releasing the colour, tannins and aromas. The Ganimede is simple yet versatile — the next step forward in static red fermentation technology. The Blenheim and Invercargill sites also produce a range of other products, including vessels for the dairy and biodiesel industries, and cabinets and control centres for the electrical industry. Crown Sheetmetal is an

taken on during the busy wine season from November to March.

The majority of Crown Sheetmetal’s work is for the wine industry with the company specialising in manufacturing wine holding tanks.

innovative company with skilled fabricators, welders and polishers and an in-house design and draughting capability.

Blenheim manufacturing facility Crown Sheetmetal Blenheim site manager Crichton Purdie says the two branches manufacture similar products, and work well together on larger projects.

“We do a lot of wine work; it makes up 75 percent of our business,” Purdie says. “We also undertake dairy projects such as the fabrication of farm vats, which we also back up with onsite maintenance support. “This ties in with installation and maintenance work we undertake at a number of different dairy factories. In addition, we do general sheetmetal work and light engineering, which can be anything from a kitchen benchtop through to fixing someone’s trailer.” The facility in Blenheim was expanded in early 2009 and features a high bay for manufacturing large silos. “We can build silos up to 300,000 litres inside. We can build any-sized silo outside but we’re restricted by the weather conditions and having to use cranes,” says Purdie. “We have gantry cranes inside the high bay.” Twenty five staff are employed by Crown Sheetmetal in Blenheim, with several more

The Blenheim branch has full range of sheetmetal equipment, including guillotines, press brakes, rollers, cranes and a machine shop. It undertakes jobs throughout the upper South Island but has worked in Christchurch and Hokitika. While work for Marlborough’s wine industry has remained steady through summer months in recent years, Purdie says the recession has seen work slow down over the winter.

Quality is the key to success Purdie says Crown Sheetmetal is continually striving to improve its product and service to customers. “We’re currently working on a few smarter ideas to improve the strength and the speed which our wine tanks can be built.” Crown Sheetmetal prides itself on the high quality of its wine tanks. “We like to provide customers with exactly what they need, rather than just having standard designs. We can build whatever they need and custom build their tanks,” Purdie says. “The quality of our workmanship is the big thing for us and the ability to adapt to what customers want – it’s about being able to deliver a cost-effective product that suits their requirements.”

Proud to be assocaited with crown sheetmetal

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As a key supplier to Crownsheet Metal we at Tyco Flow Control Process would like to congratulate Crown Sheetmetal on their success. Rob Bingham Email: rbingham@tycoflow.co.nz Mob 021880083 DDI: 03 9683214 44 Mandeville Street, Riccarton, Christchurch (03) 968 3210 www.tycoflowcontrol.co.nz 112 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

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Manufacturing | Crown Sheetmetal a loyal workforce and we’re looking now at manufacturing excellence. We have a third party we’re working with to roll this out and we’re coming up with a plan.”

Benefits of group ownership Both Demchy and Blenheim site manager Crichton Purdie say being part of the NDA Group offers huge benefits to Crown Sheetmetal and its customers. In addition to the two Crown sites in Blenheim and Invercargill, NDA has its own workshop in Timaru and two others in the North Island. NDA was formed in 1894 as a co-operative to supply the diverse needs of New Zealand’s rural sector. Today NDA Group is a world leader in fabricating stainless steel process vessels and heat exchangers for industry, as well as the provision of other specialist products and services to key markets around the world. The NDA Group’s high-precision manufacturing capability and commitment to global service excellence have given it a foothold in key markets throughout Australasia, Asia, and the USA, all of which now have established NDA plants undertaking projects.

Invercargill capabilities Crown Sheetmetal in Invercargill is ideally situated to supply large stainless steel tanks to the South Island’s dairy industry, while still meeting the needs of its winery customers. Being part of the large NDA Group is a major advantage for Crown Sheetmetal, due to the group’s extensive resources and additional manufacturing sites.

Work is seasonal, with most wine tanks built during the summer and dairy tanks built during winter before the dairy companies get busy at the start of August. The Invercargill site supplies tanks throughout the South Island, with most wine tanks going to Marlborough, as well as Central Otago. Demchy says while business has been pretty tight during the recession, people are now feeling more positive about the future. “I think the biggest thing in Invercargill is that it’s the growth capital for dairy. If there’s going to be any expansion with dairy it’s going to be down this way,” he says.

Crown Sheetmetal Invercargill site manager Kerry Demchy says the 45 staff employed at the Spey Street site work predominantly for the wine industry, building wine tanks up to 100,000 litres. While a high bay was also built on the Invercargill site a few years ago, the The Invercargill site is a complete one-stop branch does not build tanks as large as those manufactured in Blenheim, due to the difficulty shop, with its own drafting, mechanical and engineering staff. of transporting them.

phone: 03 311 8044 fax: 03 313 6199 web: 4dfreight.com

Founded in Invercargill in 1974, Crown Sheetmetal recently built this umbrella sculpture for the city. It also manufactures handrails and balustrades.

“We do a lot of general jobbing work as well and there are a lot of people who walk in off the street. We have an extensive jobbing shop and we can make anything,” says Demchy. “The Invercargill plant has stayed loyal to its customers. We still like to be seen as a local company and we support local functions and sponsor local events. We have

“Being part of the large NDA Group means if we’re stuck for workshop space or labour we can spread the work around the different workshops,” says Purdie. “Being part of that larger group is a real benefit. It means we can bring extra guys in or move manufacture to other sites to meet the customers’ needs.” Crown Sheetmetal Blenheim Seafair Close Cloudy Bay Business Park Blenheim 7315 T (03) 577 6310 Crown Sheetmetal Invercargill 32 Spey Street Invercargill T (03) 214 4817 www.nda.co.nz — Advertising Feature

TATA STEEL INTERNATIONAL Ph: 0800 426 787

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If It’s Metal We Make It. www.crownsheetmetal.co.nz 32 SPEY STREET, INVERCARGILL 9810 Phone 64 3 214 4817 • Fax + 3 218 3354 • Email info@crownsheetmetal.co.nz Seafair Close, Cloudy Bay Business Park, PO Box 797, BLENHEIM Phone 64 3 577 6310 • Fax +64 3 577 6300 • Email crichton@crownsheetmetal.co.nz www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 113

Goods and Services | Nationwide Horse Transport

Total equine logistics Nationwide Horse Transport has moved thousands of horses around New Zealand and prides itself on taking better care of them than anyone else. Animal safety and comfort come first at Nationwide Horse Transport, which transports horses door-to-door, from Kaitaia to Bluff. The team at Nationwide Horse Transport offers a complete animal logistics service. The company will do everything necessary to care for clients’ horses to the highest possible standard. Alan Taylor has been operating the Christchurch-based business since 1992 with the company having its head office in Christchurch, a branch at Cambridge and has recently added a purpose-built transit facility at Foxton to take care of horses crossing Cook

Animal safety and comfort are top priorities at Nationwide Horse Transport

Strait. Inter-island trips are made twice a week and occasionally more often if the need arises. The company has seven high-spec horse transporters, each of which is fitted out with an onboard camera to allow drivers to monitor the horses as they travel and react quickly if they become unsettled. All vehicles have a tracking and reporting system called Eroad, specifically designed to monitor and obtain up-to-the-minute real-time information to enable Nationwide Horse Transport to answer customer queries efficiently from any location. It also provides invaluable information for head office to tack and monitor true running costs. Taylor says each driver is employed because they love animals and know how to treat horses well. “It’s easier to make a considerate truck driver than it is to make a good horse person. Our trucks can transport between seven and 11 horses at a time and we can monitor the animals at all time,” he says.

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Exacting standards “People are very particular about how their horses should be cared for and we transport horses for elite trainers, horsemen and women,” Taylor says. Over the years Nationwide Horse Transport has moved a huge range of horses, including pets, leading race horses and even the Canterbury Crusaders’ hoofed mascots. The company also transports donkeys, alpacas, llamas, stud cows, a large turtle and a water buffalo for Orana Park. Taylor says transporting horses, along with road transport, is a science. “You have to be thinking all the time. Every vehicle that goes on the road is built to Ministry of Transport specifications.” The company’s high-tech luxury horse trucks are designed and built to perfection by Ian Capstick Motor Bodies Limited in Palmerston North.

… bulk cartage is a specialty…

Feature continues on next page >>

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 115

Goods and Services | Nationwide Horse Transport

“Our horse floats are far superior to ordinary floats or anything else that’s available in New Zealand,” Taylor says. “We aim to be as many steps possible ahead of anyone else at any one time.” And just to bring a smile to the face of other motorists, each truck has a professionally drawn cartoon on the rear.

Additional transport services In addition to Nationwide Horse Transport, Taylor also owns A & T Haulage, the bulk specialists. Both companies are divisions of Oakbury Holdings Limited. A & T Haulage specialises in and prides itself as being “The Bulk Specialists” carting anything from fertiliser, shingle and grain from ports, quarries and farms. The company can cart anywhere in the South Island and North Island bulk haulage can be easily arranged on enquiry.

Vehicles run a tracking and reporting system, designed to monitor and obtain real-time information on equine passengers…

At present A&T is heavily involved with Fulton Hogan, Ballance, Four D Freight and Ravensdown fertiliser, just to name a few. Adding a little difference to its operations is the A&T Haulage fleet of bulk transport trucks, based in Christchurch for carting throughout the South Island, each have their own comical name, such as The Boulder and Boulder Holder.

Rebuild involvement While A&T Haulage has been operating for many years, Taylor says business has been very busy in the wake of the Canterbury earthquakes. As a Christchurch owned and operated business, A&T is proud to be helping with the rebuild of Christchurch — truck load by truck load.

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Taylor says his transport operations have each built up a great reputation during the years for their high-quality services. He also thanks his loyal customers and suppliers. “I’m a quiet achiever. I really let my staff and the vehicles we operate say it for me.”

Nationwide Horse Transport 147 Ellesmere Road Prebbleton Christchurch T (03) 349 5844 027 485 8386 F (03) 349 5845 E alan@horsetransport.co.nz www.horsetransport.co.nz www.athaulage.co.nz — Advertising Feature

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116 | August/September 2011 www.canterburytoday.co.nz

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Goods and Services | Weldwell

The Weldwell Christchurch Trade Centre.

Weldwell’s industry bonds Wilf Nuttall was a man with a vision. Back in 1947, after serving in the RNZAF as a sheet metal worker and welder, he began importing welding electrodes, then a revolutionary technology which enabled low-temperature welding repairs to be undertaken for the first time in New Zealand. He knew it was a maintenance tool that would make fixing worn machines and plant simpler and easier. The new technology caught on; and that is how Weldwell New Zealand began. Twenty years later Weldwell built and opened an electrode factory in Napier. Since then, this manufacturing facility has been producing arc welding electrodes for the domestic and international market and is, today, the only factory of its type in Australasia.

People Current general manager of Weldwell New Zealand, Bernard Walsh says the company’s point of difference is stated most simply in its mantra — ‘Quality Welding Products supported by Quality Welding People’.

The Weldwell team is trusted and relied upon by the industry at large. This feeds into our primary objective, which is to be solution providers for our customers. We aim to enhance the value of our customers’ operations by providing them with solutions.”

It seems Weldwell New Zealand products are — almost literally — the glue that holds together some of New Zealand’s key infrastructure. “Weldwell New Zealand has been part of the industry landscape for 64 years,” Bernard Walsh says.

Weldwell New Zealand has a team in excess of 70 located throughout New Zealand from its national support centre in Napier, its distribution centre, manufacturing facility and network of trade centres throughout New Zealand. Supporting this team, Weldwell also has a vibrant and strong network of authorised distribution partners placed across the country.

“We value our relationships with customers and we strive to strengthen these valuable customer relationships by continuing to promote our ‘Quality Welding Products supported by Quality Welding People’.”

Weldwell New Zealand has a technical training facility attached to its electrode factory and provides full technical training to customers, distributors and team members. Training can be tailored to suit both the requirements of the individual or company and the skill level required.

Products

Weldwell’s future will continue with the innovation and diligence of its founder, Wilf Nuttall in mind. Weldwell New Zealand Christchurch Trade Centre 1/33 Nga Mahi Road Sockburn Christchurch T (03) 3793379 F (03) 3665713 E chchsales@weldwell.co.nz www.weldwell.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Weldwell New Zealand is recognised: ■ For the quality range of the arc welding electrodes manufactured at its Napier factory ■ As the primary supplier of electrodes and welding products within New Zealand ■ As the sole Australasian manufacturer of arc welding electrodes exporting to markets throughout Australia and the Pacific.

Not only is Weldwell New Zealand a manufacturer of arc welding electrodes, but also a supplier for some of the world’s leading manufacturers of welding equipment and consumables. Weldwell is the longest serving Miller distributor outside North America and has exclusive supply arrangements with sister companies such as Miller, Hobart, WIA, Bernard and Tregaskiss.

“Our sales team are trade-based,” he explains. “Our differentiator is the fact that our people have industry experience, so are extremely knowledgeable. That’s shown by our long term relationships with our customers — we’ve been Places doing business with some companies for more Weldwell’s electrodes are second to none than 50 years. and widely used across various industry sectors, such as manufacturing, forestry, “Often, our customers, when they have a geothermal, oil and gas, mining, agriculture, welding need, consider our sales professional marine and transport. to be part of their team.

www.canterburytoday.co.nz August/September 2011 | 117

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For the first time, these superb apartments are on the market. Priced from just $145,000 + GST and up to $250,000+ GST. 16 apartments have already SOLD!!! so be quick. There is a high demand to rent these apartments so you can also rent the apartment through the us when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not using it!! Studio apartments are currently rented at $350 per week and 1 bedroom apartments from $450 per week. This is a return of over 10.5% gross This is the perfect home away from home for all business people who travel often to Wellington. Why pay hotel bills while you can pay less towards a mortgage for your own well managed city pad. We can even help with the finance! The apartments range from Studios, 1 bedroom and deluxe 1 bedroom apartments. Everything you need is already in place, full kitchen and laundry inside apartments. Sky TV wiring, wireless broadband, security, freehold titles (not shares or bonds), low body corporate levies (due to the low maintenance of the building), location (lifts on Gilmer terrace to The Terrace and Lambton Quay), all chattels are less than 1 year old... The body corporate levies are from $1,300 per annum, council rates are from $550 per annum (based on a studio apartment). Parking spaces are also available for sale at only $30,000 + GST with separate unit titles!! Other carparks in the area sell for over $50,000. (Discounts would be considered for multiple apartments purchased).

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