Central Today Magazine 73 by Academy Group

Issue 73 | October/November 2013

Paws for thought Online entrepreneur Shane Bradley launches his latest venture, Pet.co.nz and advises how to avoid barking up the wrong business tree

The 12 signature moves of any good leader How to lead like you mean it

The comeback kid Nick Smith emerges from the political wilderness with his sights set firmly on the future

Power moves Prepaid electricity store Powershop CEO Ari Sargent talks about shaking up an industry

Do you have a strategy or just a goal? Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big difference and you need to know what it is

Thousands of dollars worth of Reader Rewards in this issue!

Issue 73 | October/November 2013

In this issue... Paws for thought Online entrepreneur Shane Bradley launches his latest venture, Pet.co.nz and advises how to avoid barking up the wrong business tree

The 12 signature moves of any good leader How to lead like you mean it

The comeback kid

Viewpoints

Features

In business

6 Management

12 Need inner confidence?

24 Property and Construction

Business consultant Kevin Vincent says discipline determines success

Then get outward bound

How diversity has delivered 85 years of success for B Bullock, Waikato Milking Systems’ new Northgate Business Park HQ, Inside one of the most challenging jobs in Eastbridge’s 50 year history and Stewart Browne Electrical looks to a prosperous future

6 Strategies

Nick Smith emerges from the political wilderness with his sights set firmly on the future

Power moves Prepaid electricity store Powershop CEO Ari Sargent talks about shaking up an industry

Do you have a strategy or just a goal? There’s a big difference and you need to know what it is

Thousands of dollars worth of Reader Rewards in this issue!

Issue 73 October/November 2013

14 Setting better goals How to get your goal setting session right

Accountable Business Progress boss Colin Clapp list the four things that will make your business meaningful

15 The 12 signature moves of any good leader

7 Tactics

How to lead like you mean it

34 NZIA Awards

Martz Group boss Martz Witty says if it’s not broken don’t fix it... right? Wrong!

16 Cover story

A look at how the award winning Whakatane Library and Exhibition Centre has been a huge success for Irving Smith Jack Architects

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OPERATIONS MANAGER

7 Cashflow myOffice director Steve Lowery gives six tips to effectively manage your cashflow

8 HR Essential HR director Mike Johnson dishes out some good advice about how to keep your staff motivated

ADMINISTRATION

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Grant Williams SALES EXECUTIVES Rob Cochrane Anthony Patrickson Seth Riley Kayte John Jane Watson Warren Wilks Evelyn Gray Sarah Bately Marion Kaglund Steve Dando

Martin Wouters from ManageACC questions if people are paying more than need be when it comes to levies

10 Online Website specialist Suzanne Carter on getting more business via your website

10 Events Diary This is where you find out what’s on near you

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Online entrepreneur Shane Bradley launches his latest venture, Pet.co.nz and advises how to avoid barking up the wrong business tree

Celebrating genius at New Plymouth’s Len Lyre Centre and the electrical distribution centre driving a $20 million drilling rig from a 40 foot cargo container built by Taranaki Industrial Electrical Services

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50 Oil and Gas

The definitive run down of the best business apps

The purchase of Independent Technology Limited by an Australian engineering company reflects the Taranaki business’ rapid growth and success in recent years

20 Power moves Powershop CEO Ari Sargent talks about shaking up an industry

21 The comeback kid Nick Smith emerges from the political wilderness with sights set firmly on the future

22 Lifestyles Everything from gadgets and gizmos to hat stands and baubles

53 Export Mount Pack and Cool is a private, small to medium business enterprise dealing in all matters of kiwifruit

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Viewpoints | Management/Strategies

Our discipline determines our success

Four things that will make your business meaningful

Kevin Vincent is a director of business improvement consultants Vincent and Nugent Limited. Visit www.vincentnugent.co.nz

Management of any business requires discipline. This is not to be confused with the terminology of management discipline as a management practice, but the actual personal disciplines of selfcontrol, correctness, values, ethics, courage, character and purpose.

with our clients on a regular basis, continuous reviews of each training workshop and consultancy project, washing my car and cleaning my shoes weekly and keeping abreast of the news and local events.

Personal discipline is the path to improving our own performance. Self discipline develops self control and character, resulting in an orderly and efficient work and home life. It is discipline, not just desire, which determines success.

Steps to developing discipline in your work life

For goal setting I use the SMART process ensuring each goal set is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely. Setting and implementing goals is the key to a disciplined and structured work life.

• Determine and prioritise your work goals. Know what you want to achieve. Write it down. Be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely.

In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, • List your reasons for the goal. What and Steven Covey states “if you are an effective why am I doing this? What will I possibly manager of yourself, your discipline comes gain from achieving this goal? Why is from within”. it important? Why is self discipline necessary? • Identify any issues or obstacles. Anticipate Discipline is necessary to set and achieve road blocks that might work against you goals. If we have the discipline to do, to • Develop new behaviours. Put in place new act, to listen and to constantly seek ways to behaviours such as using your Outlook as a improve, we will achieve far greater success contact planner. Drink plenty of water every in our lives. day. Practise reflection Focused goal setting on results you really • Have courage. Courage to commit to the want to achieve is the key. Achieving your goals and their achievement clarified and specific goals through being disciplined will give you a more orderly, • Be ethical. Treat others as you want to confident and stress free work life. As a be treated. Use strength based language. bonus, productivity will improve and you will Praise publicly and criticise privately also demonstrate a positive impact on others. • Stay focused. Read and review your goals Attitudes are caught not taught! daily. Don’t be despondent if you miss one On that really cold morning when it’s raining or two. Just reset them and refocus. Don’t and blowing a gale, do you want to just stay give up! Be persistent and diligent. in bed, pull the covers up and have no desire Disciplined activity will give you a greater to go to work? Yes we have all been there. degree of freedom and greater rewards! Self-discipline requires strong commitment. Steven Covey once said “the undisciplined Personally, I haven’t always been disciplined are slaves to moods, appetites and passions”. in my behaviours. Just ask my brothers and Don’t be a slave to your moods, appetites sisters. This is clearly evident in my inability and passions. to keep going to the gym or to play the guitar Get active, set goals and achieve greater effectively, but I have found that by getting really focused on my discipline I can improve. results. Zig Ziglar in his book You can reach the top said “the profile of a wealthy person My personal disciplines include (but are not is this; hard work, perseverance and most of limited to), getting to work each day on time, all self-discipline”. weekly goal setting, doing what I say I will do, call planning, encouraging and motivating The price of discipline is always less than the others, time management, keeping in contact pain of regret.

Colin Clapp is the Chief Thinking Officer at Christchurch based Accountable Business Progress. Visit www.accountable.co.nz

It is a well known fact that a successful business is one that strives for good results. However, in pursuit of increased customer satisfaction and higher profits, many business owners forgo their big vision to achieve a short term goal. Consequently, the business remains stagnant, with little or no indication of growth. The term ‘vision’ has become one of the most overused and least understood words in business language. The idea of vision conjures up diverse connotations of motivating forces, values, direction, and goals. But what do these all really mean? And do they define a business vision? A vision allows you to take control of your business and accept responsibility for the decisions you make. A business vision is a proactive approach towards business; strengthening your determination to not allow outside factors to hamper your success. By formulating a vision for a successful business and revealing it to your employees and the public, you give your customers and yourself the conviction and ability to act on your beliefs.

describe it in detail is the first step towards building a business that has more meaning. There are a number of key components that make up a meaningful and valuable business vision; Conviction: A strong and empowering vision is something that holds true no matter how much your business restructures, diversifies and adapts. Identify the values that represent the core of your business and who you are as a person - the two should correlate. You must be able to stand up and state these values with conviction no matter what situation your business is in. Purpose: A vision backed by a meaningful business purpose drives your direction. Ask yourself, why does my business exist? What is the deeper reason behind why you go to work each day? A purpose based on financial gain is a shallow one; one that will not keep you going when the going gets tough! Understand what greater good you want to achieve through your business. Envisioned future: Envisioning where you want to be, in the next five to 30 years, is a vital element of your vision. Being able to give a vivid description of where you see your business; what it will be doing, where it will be, who will work there, what affect it will have on people, all helps create a clearer path. An envisioned future does not have to be set in stone and can be revisited multiple times – but having it in place provides focus and something to strive for outside of the daily business tasks. If you can see it, you can achieve it.

There are some great examples of vision in business which have helped entrepreneurs and businessmen reach goals many have deemed impossible. Walt Disney was a man Big hairy audacious goal: A BHAG goes of vision. He saw it all, he saw what Disney hand in hand with your envisioned future World could turn into and he told stories and and is another powerful tool to help made people come with him. strengthen your vision. A BHAG is bigger and bolder than a regular goal. It is a goal One day, not long after Walt’s death, his you create that is almost (but not quite) colleagues were showing people around impossible to achieve, but encourages you the new Epcot Center. One of the reporters turned around and said what a shame Walt to consistently work outside of your comfort zone, build confidence and commitment. didn’t see this, what a shame Walt couldn’t be here to witness the great unveiling. At which point, one of his spokesmen turned around and said Walt saw this first. A business that has no vision is a business that operates with no backbone. Having a vision so clear in your mind you can

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Viewpoints | Tactics/Cashflow

If it's not broken don't fix it... Six tips to effectively manage right? Wrong! your cashflow Steve Lowery is the director of myOffice – specialists in construction sector business support, focussing on accounts and business systems. Visit www.myoffice.co.nz

Martz Witty heads the Martz Group, aligning chartered accountancy with the creativity of business development. Visit www.martz.co.nz

In business today only three things are certain: Death, tax and change. All too often we resist change, but with just a mild tweak of your mindset change can be just what you need to do even better in business. There is an old adage that doubles as a fundamental truth. “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” Nothing is surer. Even when things are going swimmingly it pays to keep a watchful eye for how to do things even better. Now let me get one thing perfectly clear. I am not for a moment suggesting change just for the sake of change. What I am saying is that change in the pursuit of excellence and betterment is a good thing. It’s also hugely rewarding – not only in terms of money. After all money is only one currency that can be measured. Stay focused on the other currencies like fun, enjoyment, time. Time is a huge currency to be measured. Making money is (relatively) easy, you can’t make more time. Back to that tweak in mindset mentioned earlier. When something happens that you’re not expecting, do you see it as a stumbling block, a barrier – or as a stepping stone to better and greater things? Sure you might have to alter course, stop and gather momentum, seek alternatives or glean some professional or outside help – but how do you see the imposition? Start to see them all as stepping stones and your business is set to absolutely fly. Statistics run rife over how to conduct business, but it is regularly reported that you need to do things on average 20 percent better or more efficiently to stay (or become) top of your game. Just doing the same ‘ol same ‘ol is most likely not going to get you there. Honing this newfound vision inside of your own business is no mean feat. It’s not a natural thing for most so you need to really

learn the new skill. If you have staff then make it clear you are looking for efficiencies and improvements. Bring the team into your confidence and listen to them; really listen. Through what might, on the face of it, appear a crazy idea might come that nugget of pure gold. The people on the tools, at the coal face often have a very different (and very real and accurate) perspective on how business could be done better. Another option for gleaning these ideas on how to achieve 20 percent more efficiency and effectiveness is get some outside help. Track down a business coach, developer or mentor and let them go for it. New eyes bring new vision and perspective. Now I must touch on the flip side of the pursuit of increased efficiency and effectiveness. There are times where the market will dictate enough is enough, so always keep a watchful eye (and ear) out for that one. Take for example the improved mouse trap – the market didn’t want it. Let’s hone in for just a moment on the difference between efficiency and effectiveness – so many business owners get it wrong. Efficiency is doing things right. So that includes speed, cost effectiveness, timeliness and the like. Effectiveness is doing the right things. So that’s about getting all your ducks in a row in respect of the five ‘R’s – the five rights. When you have the right person doing the right job at the right time for the right price with the right tools - then you have perfected business. Even when you have the five rights sorted there are usually sub-efficiencies to be achieved. This is like putting the business on steroids. All too often people fall into the trap of doing one thing loads better. This is okay if that one thing needs desperate attention, better instead to focus on a number of things and do them a little better, constantly and consistently. The benefits compound; doing 100 things one percent better will reap greater rewards than doing one thing 100 percent better.

Successful growth of your business depends on a few different factors. High up that list is having a steady stream of cash - without this, everything else becomes difficult. Whether you’re in construction, or a trade related company, waiting around for the rebuild and slow payments for work you have done can create a cashflow nightmare. Alarmingly, we are hearing of an increasing number of companies that have folded, simply not having been able to ride out the wait as everyone sits on a knife edge waiting for the rebuild to kick into top gear. Having a cashflow management system takes away some of the stress and helps to ensure outlays of cash are delayed as long as possible, while money owed to you is paid as quickly as possible. Here are six ways to better manage your cash flow: • Prepare cashflow projections: Preparing projections is one of the most important things business owners can do, as it puts a level of control and prediction in their hands. Measure your cashflow and make projections for the next quarter – this can alert you to any potential financial difficulties before they strike. Firstly, add cash on hand at the beginning of the period with other cash to be received from various sources. Next, ensure you have detailed knowledge of amounts and dates of upcoming cash expenses, and what they are going to be spent on. • Improve receivables: You can improve the speed with which you turn the money owed to you into cash by encouraging customers to pay faster through offering discounts to those who pay quickly, requesting deposits, issuing invoices promptly and keeping track of slow-paying customers.

of future contracts, but it’s still important to keep track of expenses and ensure they are not growing faster than your sales. Manage your payables by taking advantage of creditor payment terms and paying on the last day due, keeping open communication with suppliers to retain trust, and considering the benefits of flexible payment terms vs. low pricing. • Survive shortages: When you’re short on cash, there are a number of ways you can go about getting back on top. Consider arranging a line of credit at your bank prior to getting in this scenario – assume you might fall short one day. This ensures you can borrow money up to a preset limit when you need it. Ask for extended terms from suppliers, or encourage the acceleration of payments – offering discounts if necessary. • Plan for significant expenses: Plan in an advance for major expenses that are inevitable; whether it’s a company-wide system upgrade, or seasonal fluctuations. This allows you to prepare for any possible shortage in cash and avoid missing any opportunities. • Set aside tax money: Despite the dullness of taxes, the penalties and interest for not filing tax returns can add up to a hefty amount. Set aside money throughout the year, keep note of deadlines on your calendar and pay taxes on time to avoid any pitfalls. The sooner your accounts are in check, the sooner you relax, comfortable that your business is set up to ride out any uncertainty. Managing your cashflow can be as simple as using a sub-contracted bookkeeper – saving you money and time, so you can concentrate on growing your business. Using easy to understand, online systems, a sub-contracted bookkeeper can manage all aspects of your accounts. From anywhere, at anytime, on nearly any device, you can look at the data and get a real-time, up to the minute snapshot of where your cash flow is at.

• Manage payables: It’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security when you are making lots of sales and signing lots

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Viewpoints | HR

Ben’s on Facebook while at Keeping your work. What can i do? staff motivated Angela Atkins is GM of Elephant Training and HR, president of the HRINZ Auckland and a bestselling author. Visit eww.elephanthr.co.nz

Remember before we used the internet at work? It was only as recent as the early 90s and back then employees used to gossip and waste time by chatting at the photocopier or making coffee. Today, the younger generation (or the young at heart) do it by being on Facebook. What can you do about it?

continues to spend work time on this, you might take disciplinary action.

One of the biggest generation clashes at work seems to be social media. In several of our training workshops we talk about the difference in generations. Employees in their 20s and early 30s have always been contactable day and night and they keep up to date on what’s happening online, rather than face to face. This is very different from those of us who are older.

Ben has advised you that he was sick with a stomach bug on Monday, but later that week one of your team tells you that Ben posted pictures of himself skiing on Monday. What options can you take?

So we’re going to look at two cases studies. We advise on these issues all the time, so with our fake employee, Ben, we’ll look at what happens if someone is spending lots of time on Facebook and it’s affecting their work? And what happens if they lie about being sick or disparage your company. What can you do about it? Let’s look at using Facebook too much first. Case Study 1: Facebook fever Ben’s role involves him working at his computer most of the time. As his manager you’ve noticed he’s often on Facebook and when you run a report you find he’s spending one to two hours a day with Facebook open. Which of these options can you legally take? A: Put a block on Facebook so none of your employees can access it on work computers. B: Give him a warning that he is spending too much time on Facebook and set out what the appropriate amount of time is.

And the answer is… you could do A, but Ben can just access Facebook on his smart phone, so this might not achieve much. B would only be appropriate if you have a social media policy that sets the level otherwise you’d need to do D first. As for C – he’d probably be onto you pretty quickly and it’s not really acting in good faith and probably breaks Facebook’s own rules! Case Study 2: Facebook fibs

A: Dismiss him for misusing his sick leave (after working through the correct process). B: Ask him for a medical certificate for Monday. C: Ask Ben for his Facebook password so you can log in and see his photos. D: Have a formal meeting with him for misusing his sick leave (which could result in a warning or final warning). In this case going skiing is clearly not appropriate if he really had a stomach bug, so A might be appropriate or, if you wanted to be more lenient, D. Last year Bruce Taiapa posted pictures of himself at a waka ama competition after calling in sick and the ERA said his dismissal was fair and reasonable. However, perhaps if Ben had posted a picture of himself sitting outside under a tree – he could still have been trying to get better, so hadn’t lied. If you’re unsure do talk to your HR consultant or lawyer. Next time we look at what happens if Ben says he’s too stressed to work and what you can do about that.

C: Make an alias, befriend him and tell him you’re worried he’ll lose his job if he keeps being on Facebook while at work. D: Set sound ground rules for what is appropriate usage and advise him that if he

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Mike Johnson is the director of Essential HR with 16 years international experience and 11 years as a senior HR manager in New Zealand. Visit www.essentialhr.co.nz

Imagine a small company with one significant remote branch – large enough to be managed, but too small to warrant an assistant manager. The manager of this branch was considered competent and with great potential, but he got bored and left to seek something more rewarding. The business owner was left with a big hole to fill and for a while had to put in significant extra hours.

Give them purpose

I conduct numerous recruitment and exit interviews, so hear many stories about why staff leave jobs. One of the more common reasons is that they are no longer learning or being challenged or, in other words, they are not motivated by their job.

Give (good) feedback: If an individual knows how well (or otherwise) they are performing, they are often encouraged to continue or improve.

It should go without saying that employee motivation is essential for good business outcomes. It increases work satisfaction and decreases absenteeism and turnover, so it’s key when wanting to keep top staff in play in your business. Below are some practical suggestions for increasing your employees’ motivation, keeping them happy in their work and thus promoting employee retention. Make it interesting Variety: Make use of an employee’s range of skills and talents. The saying “variety is the spice of life” applies both in and out of work, as it assuages boredom and contributes to the overall meaning the individual gets from their work. Recognise the range of knowledge, abilities and interests of your employees and think – in what other ways could these be utilised by the employee at work? Even in a monotonous production line, you can vary tasks by rotating people through different stations. More commonly, you can generate interest by providing some unusual projects or involvement in a work group or committee.

Seeing the bigger picture: Keep your employees focused on why they are working and how their job fits in the bigger picture. Do they know how they contribute to the overall purpose and company goals? An employee who can’t relate their efforts to the bigger picture can be extremely discouraged and reduces effort and productivity. Consider a carpenter; if he sees his job as solely to hammer nails, the job gets dull. But if he thinks he is building a house, suddenly the tasks are more fulfilling. Give them value

Without regular, detailed feedback, this is impossible. Feedback should be given not only on their standard of work, but also on the importance of their role in the company (both now and in the future) and their potential for growth. This sort of feedback builds their feeling of your commitment to them, their development and their growth. I am amazed how often I talk to people who say they never knew how much they were appreciated until they left - and then it’s too late. Give them control Autonomy: Where possible, let go of a rein and let your employees get on with their work. Leaving your employees to work on their own creates a sense of responsibility and trust. Even more, give them authority, including financial – give them a budget to be accountable for. More than anything, this would have made the difference in my opening story. The more you incorporate these factors into your business, the more you are likely to see an increase in your employees’ motivation and performance, thus increasing your retention of key staff. Next issue I will focus on building commitment by treating them as individuals.

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Viewpoints | Operations/Legal

Looking at your ACC levies

How trusts support and protect your business Catherine Muir is a partner at Malley & Co Lawyers, specialising in trusts, commercial, property and relationship property law. Visit www.malley.co.nz.

Martin Wouters’ company ManageACC helps businesses navigate ACC. Visit www.manageacc.info

Historically accountants have been the ACC gatekeepers for employers however, given we have now dealt with more than 250 accounting firms in New Zealand, it’s fair to say their knowledge of ACC is very limited. In their defence, this is hardly surprising given that ACC is a specialist area in its own right and actually has little to do with accounting. As an ex-accountant, I have to ask “would you go to your accountant for HR, case management, health and safety or insurance advice?” Yet your ACC levy is impacted by all these - either through leading to a discount as in the health and safety space, or increasing your ACC risk profile (and thereby your cost) through employing high risk staff or having inadequate employment contracts. The ACC brokering service, which is unique in New Zealand, has been around for more than two years. The brokering system uses the same information ACC uses to set your levies and the majority of the time (some 75 percent) will come up with a lower total value. The reason for this is in how your levies are calculated, as ACC only looks at the core information and not what can be done. I am often asked if there is an ideal client or whether a particular industry is better suited for getting the saving. In effect the average saving is 23 percent, across all industries and includes self employed, as well as companies employing hundreds of staff. By default blue collar tends to have higher ACC bills so their dollar savings tend to be higher as a result.

shareholders have to be on the same levy code as the business. This is incorrect as shareholders can be on levy codes that best suit what they do in the business. There are exceptions of course. For example, if you are a husband and wife team or have multiple shareholders, there is a very high chance one or more can be on a different levy code – a much lower code like administration or management. It is important that you understand the ACC discount schemes such as the Workplace Safety Management Practises (WSMP) or Workplace Safety Discounts (WSD). These can save a company or self employed person a lot of money. On April 1, 2013 ACC opened up the WSD to all industries, rather than the seven high risk ones they had prior to April 1. What this means is that all self employed and employers who have 10 fulltime staff or less, or payroll of under $537,000, are now eligible for a 10 percent saving on their ACC levies. The saving is for a three year period if they have a basic level of health and safety in place. The company I work for has created the only online WSD specific module available in the country that you work through at your own pace. The module meets the ACC criteria as well as OSH, so you will not only have completed what ACC needs you to complete, you will also have a working health and safety system. It takes between one to four hours to complete depending on your knowledge. For most businesses and self employed, the first year’s saving will be greater than the cost of the online module. Employer ACC invoices will be delivered from August to October, so this is a great time for you to get your ACC levies reviewed.

The business environment in New Zealand has become progressively tougher. Changes in legislation governing health and safety in workplaces mean more onerous duties and obligations are placed on directors of companies. Add in cash flow risk, increased IRD activity in the area of tax compliance and an increase in claims for defective workmanship in the building industry and this covers just some of the factors increasing the risk faced by business owners today. How a trust can help Many business owners are turning to trusts as a way of protecting their personal and business assets from business risk. If business and personal assets are in a trust, it is less likely they can be accessed by a claimant. The level of protection gained will depend on how well the ownership of the assets have been structured, how well the trust deed has been drafted and how well the trust is administered. The importance of the trust deed and trust administration Not all trust deeds are created equal. The drafting of a trust deed is not a “fill in the gaps” exercise. Every trust deed should be specifically drafted to provide for:

There are many misconceptions about ACC levies and one we often see is that

Good trust administration is equally important. There should be an independent trustee and that trustee should play an active part in decision making. Trustee decisions should be recorded in written resolutions. Meetings should occur regularly to consider the assets in the trust, how the income and capital of the trust should be applied and the circumstances of the beneficiaries. Poorly drafted trust deeds and poorly administered trusts are giving rise to successful claims against trusts and trustees by relationship property and other claimants. What to look for in your trust deed • The trust should have at least one independent trustee • The power to appoint and remove trustees should be held by someone independent of the trust • The class of beneficiaries of the trust should generally be narrow, but the trustees should be able to add more beneficiaries later if required • The trust deed should have two classes of beneficiaries, discretionary beneficiaries and final beneficiaries

• The objectives of the person establishing the trust • An appropriate class of people intended to benefit from the trust assets • The risks that the person establishing the trust is seeking to protect against • The type of assets that will be in the trust. Many trust deeds leave too much control with the person who established the trust. This makes the trust more vulnerable to third party claims. Care needs to be taken to avoid this. The class of beneficiaries of the trust (the people who can benefit from the trust capital and income) should not be too broad. This reduces the risk of trust claims by beneficiaries and claims by former spouses of family members if the marriage of a family member ends.

It would seem people do not know what they are actually paying for, so by taking the time to review, two things are achieved. Firstly it clarifies the cover you have (or do not have as the case may be). Secondly it makes sure you are paying bottom dollar for your cover.

The trust deed should give the trustees power to retain assets transferred to the trust that are not authorised trustee investments and release the trustees from their obligation to diversify investments.

• The beneficiaries should be able to benefit from trust assets in a number of different ways so that income or capital can be applied in a way that is best for that person • The trustees should have power to hold assets that fall outside trustee investment duties under the Trustee Act • The trustees should have power to vary the provisions of the trust deed. Importance of specialist advice Trust law is a complex and rapidly changing area of law. If you are considering establishing a trust, seek advice from a specialist trust lawyer to ensure your asset structuring and any trust you set up gives you the best possible protection.

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Based on current statistics, around 75 percent of all businesses and self employed people are overpaying their ACC levies. The reason for this is that most folk just do not know how ACC works and what is available to them.

www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 9

Viewpoints | Online

News | Events Diary

How to get more business from your website Suzanne Carter is the business development manager for website design and development company Limelight Online Ltd. Visit www.limelightonline.co.nz

I wonder how many businesses have websites that they are really pleased with but actually don’t bring in any business? One of the most common mistakes businesses make when designing their new website is to not take into consideration the experience of the user to their site. It is not about being appealing to the business owner, but appealing to your potential customer. I am betting that, from time to time, we all have frustrating experiences trying to find our way around a website, or to get something to work on a website the way we expect it to work. More often than not we, as the user, have probably given up trying to get to grips with the site and found another site that serves our needs much better.

Search engines such as Google love sites that provide a great first impression and user experience. Yes, they can tell you know! All in all, it really is a win-win situation for you as the business owner, the user (your potential customer) and the search engines if your website is the best in class. How do you achieve this? Well here are a few ideas…. Understanding your customer. How can you provide the best possible experience for the user if you don’t actually know much about them in the first place? If you have an existing website, the Google Analytics (a great free marketing tool that you must have) data will provide you with all the information that you need about your website traffic and what users are doing or not doing on your website. How long they are spending on each page, which part of your online shopping process they are giving up at, whether they are clicking on your ‘contact us’ button. The amount of information provided is endless so use this data to its full potential when analysing your user behaviour as this will help you improve your website. Don’t get all fancy schmancy. Your website is not about your designer showcasing their creative talent. The best websites are those that are clean and uncluttered with engaging images and content and strong calls-to-action (e.g. contact, book, subscribe, download). Of course, your website must positively showcase your brand online and must be attractive – who wants to spend time on an ugly looking site? If you know your demographic well you can design just for them.

Your website is not about your designer showcasing their creative talent. The best websites are those that are clean and uncluttered with engaging images and content. - SUZANNE CARTER

”

Content. I have said it before and I will keep on reiterating that content really is the way forward. Your online content must be well written, relevant to your business and industry, be engaging, nicely spaced out with headers, sub-headers and bullet points, and have no spelling or grammar mistakes. Also, make sure that there is no duplicate content on your website between pages, or even between your website and another. Google really doesn’t like to see that and can penalise your website. You should also think about how you can add new content to your website as new content is very important; as it helps influence search engine positions. A good way to add fresh content is by way of a blog that forms part of your website. I do recommend investing in the services of a copywriter as most of us are not born wordsmiths! Navigation. Make it easy for users to find their way around your website. Menus should be easy to find on your website and each page clearly labelled so users can see at a glance where to go for the information they need. Not everyone enters your website via the Home page, so the menu should be clearly visible on every single page. Don’t forget to have a home button on your menu – I see a lot of sites without one. A successful website these days is all about getting the basics right. A simple, attractive design with well written, relevant and nicely laid out content and easy to find menus will go a long way towards satisfying your user and hopefully your potential customer.

10 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

What’s happening on the business and entertainment front

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 - 3 Rotorua Home and Garden Show 2013 – Rotorua There’s something for everyone at this show. Get hot tips to enhance the look of your home and save with masses of show only specials. Enjoy a preview of upcoming trends, innovative products, expert advice and free daily seminars.

“

So you must bear in mind with your own website that the better the experience the user has, the more likely they are to do business with you.

EVENTS DIARY

For more information, go to: www.eventfinder.co.nz

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Pimms Picnic on the Parade – Napier The Pimms Picnic on the Parade is part of FAWC – the Food and Wine Classic. FAWC is a series of out of the box food and wine experiences set in stunning locations throughout the Hawke’s Bay. More than 50 events will be held during 10 days to give you a chance to get up close and personal with chefs, food producers, wine makers and all the other clever people that make up the New Zealand food and wine scene. For more information, go to: www.fawc.co.nz

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6

ideal for sole traders, partnerships and other small businesses. For more information, go to: www.ird.govt.nz

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20 – DECEMBER 10 Management and Leadership Workshop – Palmerston North A team without strong leadership rarely functions well. Amazingly however, very few people receive any management or leadership training before they are put in charge. These management programs are designed to help a wide range of people from those in senior leadership to firsttime supervisors. For more information, visit: www.biztrainers.co.nz

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25 – 28 Rotorua Road Safety Youth Expo - Rotorua This is designed to educate youth on the consequences of poor decision making in relation to driving, peer pressure, drugs and alcohol. It teaches the ‘ripple effect’, highlighting the impact and consequence of one poor decision on many other people - not just the young driver.

Business Expenses Seminar – Rotorua

For information, go to: www.eventfinder.co.nz

Finding the cost of doing business a bit taxing? Then this two hour, hands-on session is for you, covering common business-related expenses and gives practical case studies to learn from.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5

For more information and to register, go to: www.ird.govt.nz

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 Confident Communication – Napier Communicating confidently optimises the potential for building positive workplace relationships. How? By increasing awareness of our own behaviour and the responses we get, we can modify our behaviour to suit more situations and improve the outcomes. To register, go to: www.businesscentral.org.nz

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 – 28 Innovate U – Palmerston North Innovate U is a four week workshop dedicated to teaching lean methodologies. For more information, go to: www.eventfinder.co.nz

Introduction to People Management – Palmerston North This seminar provides some first principles of managing staff and will help people taking on these challenges for the first time, or be an ideal refresher for existing staff. To register, go to: www.businesscentral.org.nz

FRIDAY, JANUARY 24 - 26 Classics of the Sy – Tauranga The Cassics of the Sky airshow is a biennial aviation event now in its 10th year. The fastest aircraft currently flying in New Zealand, the Hawker Hunter, will appear, as will Spitfires, Kittyhawks, Mustangs and a selection of single and dual seater jets and other stars from previous years. To buy tickets, go to: www.tcas.co.nz

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25 - 26 Rotorua A&P lifestyle Expo - Rotorua

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13 Employers’ Workshop – Hamilton This workshop is a an interactive session where you will learn how to complete a mock monthly wage summary for two employees, calculate PAYE and other deductions and file your employer monthly returns online. It is

After 105 years the Rotorua A&P Show is having a face lift, with a new site layout, themed areas, a bar and entertainment stage. Goodie bags will be given away to the first 100 paying adults through the ticket booth daily. For more information, go to: www.ras.org.nz

News | Ideas

Need inner confidence? Then get outward bound By Davina Richards

How often do you fake it? You know - when you walk into work to face a group of superiors and a mountain of challenges and have to dig deep inside your soul to find the confidence to hold your shoulders back and your head high, when everything about you is screaming ‘run and hide’?

Wouldn’t it be nice to have the self confidence which is real and natural? There’s no better time to improve on personal development than the present.

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Challenges are part of our every day living; they exist both inside and outside of working life. So how good are we at rising to the challenge which can present itself at any given moment? And if we’re good at something, isn’t there always room to do it better? Employees should have a need to learn and to expand on all levels of development. Learning to conquer your fears and apprehensions will help you improve your physical and mental health, advance in your career and gain new experiences. It can also help to enhance others around you. Improving your confidence, determination and engagement starts with self awareness. To push forward with a sense of purpose, we need to learn from our own strengths, weaknesses and everything in between. And there’s nothing more rewarding than unlocking your full potential by going through experiences which tests you physically, mentally and emotionally. It’s these experiences which help to improve overall development through review and reflection of oneself. Doing so ultimately makes you feel empowered and effective in both work and relationships.

Auckland City Hotel – 157 Hobson St, Auckland www.achhobson.co.nz To enjoy this offer, please contact us at +64 9 925 0777 or email to res@achhobson.co.nz and quote “BUSINESS TODAY” Terms & Conditions *Stay 2 consecutive nights to receive 1 night free voucher. Room are subject to availability. Free stay voucher is valid for 1 year from date of purchase. Some blackout dates apply. Sales valid until end of October 2013.

DISCOVER GREAT VALUE AND COMFORT AT AUCKLAND CITY HOTEL – HOBSON ST.

12 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

The connection between yourself and others is the second most important factor to enhance your performance. Group performance and communication is vital in all aspects: you rely on the people you work with for guidance, support and to help you to be the best that you can be. All types of business require workers to work well as both an individual as part of a team. There’s one leading organisation in New Zealand which has been helping people to

reach their full potential through challenge and adventure since 1962. Operating in the Marlborough Sounds, Outward Bound is designed to inspire and encourage personal and social development through a choice of courses which enable individuals to take part in group activities, including sailing, kayaking, high ropes, rock climbing and other physical training. The courses have been specifically designed to test participants physically, mentally and emotionally. Expect to be in challenging situations with real consequences to keep you on your toes. Complete any of the eight day or 21 day courses and expect to see positive results in your self awareness, confidence, motivation, social awareness and communication skills. At Outward Bound everyone has a place. Your personal challenge awaits you and it’s bound to have a positive effect. Simpson Grierson human resources director, Jo Copeland, says “We’ve been sending our emerging leaders on the Navigator course since 2008. It’s a special part of our leadership development programme. “Our people come back invigorated and motivated to lead. The difference in their confidence levels is profound and it is moving to see such rapid change. The look on someone’s face when we tell them they’ve been selected says it all.” Busing Russell and Co accountant Shae Rasmussen, says “The Outward Bound Navigator course was an exhilarating experience. It taught me to push myself, challenge the norm, and take a different approach to social and leadership situations. I would thoroughly recommend the course to anyone looking to improve their leadership skills and gain a new perspective.”

News | Business Tips

Beware of goal setting blunders By Stephen Lynch

When setting business goals, whether they’re numerical targets, or the achievement of key milestones in the execution of your chosen strategic projects, it is important to guard against the following common pitfalls. Beware of “group think” People in the same team (sometimes even in an entire industry) can tend to all think alike. This is a trap to beware of when setting strategy and forecasting goals. Groups can tend to be over-confident, to take on greater risks and make ill-advised decisions vs. on individual thinking alone. To counter this tendency, solicit a diverse range of opinions (even contrary opinions to your own) to help you think through the consequences of each option before making a decision. Be willing to change your mind

when new information comes to light that suggests a different course of action.

cherry pick the data that confirms your own point of view.

Past performance does not equal future performance

Build time for learning into new activities

Just because something happened in the past, does not mean that it will continue to be so in the future. In a rapidly changing environment, mindless financial goal setting done on an annual basis, based on past trends, quickly becomes divorced from reality.

If you are asking your people to undertake something completely new, remember to factor in sufficient time to acquire the knowledge they will need to be able to successfully execute the project.

To counter this, leaders must follow a disciplined strategic planning and execution framework, and review their strategy every quarter to ensure their KPI and strategic projects remain relevant in the changing competitive environment. Thus, goals and projects are continually set (and reset) within the context of the current strategic reality and your team can more readily buy into them. Guard against “confirmation bias” We tend to look for and place more weight on information and data that confirms our personal point of view and discount information that doesn’t. To counter this tendency, make the effort to obtain information from a broad range of sources – and make a decision based on a meta-analysis of all the data. Don’t just

Building successful budgets By Richard Gee

Eliminate fear Team members should know that hitting their KPI targets and executing their strategic projects by the due dates will form part of their performance appraisal. However, you must guard against creating a climate where people fear that they will be punished if they come up short. If they feel this way, they tend to become ultraconservative and set deliberately low goals, or allow far more time than they need to complete their projects. Neither should leaders bully their people into accepting overly aggressive goals - or due dates that are unrealistic, by making them feel inadequate if they don’t accept the challenge. Thus, it is a delicate balancing act. You want your people to perform to their full potential and you want them to remain fully engaged and motivated.

Bank the learnings Effective companies follow a cadence of business execution, where they stop and evaluate their progress every 90 days. They ask everyone questions like; did we achieve our KPI goals this quarter? Did we execute our strategic projects effectively and achieve the milestones we set by the due date? What did we learn this quarter? What will we start doing? What will we stop doing? What will we do better next quarter? By following a disciplined debriefing process, you ‘bank the learnings’ and make your strategic planning and business execution more effective next quarter, and each and every quarter that you repeat this disciplined process.

Stephen Lynch is the chief operating officer of Global Operations at RESULTS. com. Information kindly provided by RESULTS.com: www.results.com

The process of building a successful, realistic budget with your sales team can be very positive if you handle the process to get buy in. Budgets that are imposed by the accountant or manager taking last year's results and adding seven percent do not get buy in and are often ignored or disrespected by sales staff.

about the client. The salesperson will quickly show their intimate knowledge of the customer to you and should make sound estimates of budget spend for the next year.

Budgets that sales staff participate to set get ownership and become customer result driven and show you, as manager, the extent of the knowledge your sales team has of your top 80 percent + customers.

Ownership is immediate and this budget will be obtained. Once the review is complete a pattern per territory will show through - then ask your reps where will they get the revenue being dropped by declining customers from.

To set a participative budget call a meeting of your team and show them last year’s results per customer in each territory. Outline any major new product releases for the year and maybe any changes that could impact on sales. Then design a form with four columns headed: Customer now / Exceeds last year/ Stays same / Declines. Then get your sales team to input each customer from their base in the ‘now’ folder with their revenue from last year. Then get them to look at each customer and decide, based on their knowledge, what the revenue will be for that customer in the coming year. They either grow and the rep explains why, stay the same (and explain why), or decline and again explain why. This then builds a customer based budget picture up, and sometimes the other reps present can help out if they have knowledge

14 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

To counter these pitfalls, take time to discuss each goal or project with the person accountable and negotiate a mutual agreement. It is important to balance optimism with realism.

They then make a list of new prospects to fill a gap and get a sensible budget. To this budget you can add the impact of new products, services or territory changes to get a sales figure. Make sure you get your sales team to sign the bottom of the budget planner sheet, then you have total proof of their commitment to chasing for sales. Then every month or every three months you ask them to review progress against budget per customer and praise, warn or challenge the results you see. For a copy of a budget planner sheet visit www.geewiz.co.nz free downloads. Enjoy your budget planning and get the buy in from participation. For further information email richard@geewiz.co.nz

News | Ideas

The 12 signature moves of any good leader By Davina Richards

Being a successful boss doesn’t just mean being able to quadruple your profit within six months, or establish several chain businesses across the country; a common thread in the definition of success covers a range of skills many successful leaders share. Some people are born to lead - they are natural and impulsive, which is why they can be so good at what they do. But for some, it isn’t without practice and perseverance that they perfect their abilities. Attracting customers, driving sales, organising and planning are only a small part of running

a successful business. Being able to nurture employees, seek advice and create a company culture which is inspiring and positive, separates good leaders from great leaders. Here are 12 qualities a leader should have to ensure success on the inside of their business, as well as the outside.

4. Encourage others

Inspire

Make decisions

Don’t be afraid to ask

It’s important to encourage others to voice their opinions and ideas in a comfortable environment. Being in a superior role means those around you can feel somewhat intimidated, but by allowing your employees to speak freely will help lighten the atmosphere, show you are open to new ideas and perspectives and help employees feel confident.

No one enjoys being in an environment which is negative, uninspiring or intimidating. A leader who can light up a room when they walk through the door speaks volumes. An environment where employees feel stimulated means they will work productively to achieve the goals expected of them.

This is a big part of leadership and a good leader rarely procrastinates. GrabOne founder Shane Bradley follows the philosophy of making things happen and seeing things through. Entrepreneurs and leaders are quick thinkers and instinctively act on ideas with an understanding of their outcome.

A successful leader wouldn’t have got where they are if it wasn’t for the help of others. Leaders are constantly eager to learn and are curious by nature. Take no shame in asking others in the know for advice wherever you can to better yourself and your business.

5. 2. A ‘pat on the back’ shows employees that you care about their progress, are interested in how well they are doing and can pinpoint areas for improvement. Receiving positive responses will encourage staff to work productively to develop their skills.

Create challenge A job which requires little thinking doesn’t encourage a worker to reach their full potential. Challenge your employees as often as you can to ensure they do not feel as though they are working like a robot, and it shows that you trust and believe in them to be able to complete the task at hand. This will also promote higher level thinking in the workplace.

Nip it in the bud Acknowledge and reward

Give feedback

10.

The ideas behind any successful business are never thought of by a single individual. Never take your staff for granted; remember the ones who work every day to help you move the business forward smoothly. Acknowledge the hard workers and reward them. Acknowledgement by a leader makes workers feel valued, respected and encourages them to continue the hard work.

6. Be a role model A leader understands how their role plays an important part to those around them. Employees look up to leaders, so consider the way you talk, your attitude, behaviour and mannerisms can make an impression.

11.

Many people are shy or afraid to get into any kind of tricky situations, but leaders love being in the centre of it and enjoy problem solving. They like to do things most other people would rather avoid like the plague. Fixing solutions quickly means leaders will learn from the experience and avoid it in the future.

Reiterate expectations Remind staff of their goals to ensure everyone is working towards the same target – this will help you determine which employees aren’t meeting expectations. Employees should be kept well informed and understand what is expected of them.

9. Share the knowledge One characteristic of a leader is having a thirst for knowledge. Knowledge is infinite and invaluable if you want to feel confident about moving up on the career ladder. Pass down the knowledge to those who have proved themselves as a valuable asset to the team. Entrepreneurs not only love to be surrounded by successful people, but they also love to see other people around them succeed too, which is why they take the time and make the effort to make a positive impact on an individual by teaching, nurturing and watching them grow.

12. Enjoy what you do Many people don’t enjoy the job they are in and it would be surprising to find an entrepreneur who doesn’t love what they do. Financial freedom is one thing, but being your own boss, creating something out of nothing, making an impact and even an experience of failure, is what drives every entrepreneur. Don’t take things too seriously and enjoy the ride.

www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 15

News | Cover Story

Paws for Thought By Davina Richards

There’s one man from Rotorua who doesn’t need to fake or force his motivation when it comes to business. This entrepreneur is compelled to chase ideas like a cat chases its own tail and, more importantly, intends to see it through.

16 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

News | Cover Story

His first company went into liquidation when he was just 23, but he says failure is what drives him. Fast forward 12 years and today he’s a force to be reckoned with.

Pet.co.nz will provide that one stop shop for every Kiwi pet owner by eliminating any of the hassles that can come with pet ownership,” he says.

With a myriad of successful businesses already in his resume, the mastermind behind Finda. co.nz, Sella.co.nz and GrabOne has launched his latest venture, Pet.co.nz, New Zealand’s newest online pet store.

Pet.co.nz has been built to work seamlessly across smartphone, tablet and desktop computers to ensure customers get the same user experience across all devices.

Davina Richards speaks to Shane Bradley, the online entrepreneur who comes to work and tries his hardest every day because “I give a shit that the business will be better at the end of the day than it was at the start”.

Think less, do more Part of the excitement of being an entrepreneur is not knowing if you’ll succeed. Freedom, change, accomplishment, control, opportunity, impact and legacy are all factors in the field of success. But unless this field is sown with a good idea and harvested via hard work, any new business could potentially flop and you may find yourself disappearing over the hill with your tail between your legs.

Business basics The best piece of advice Shane received was from his parents. “Business is quite simple, you just have to sell something for more than it costs you to make. Sounds very basic, but in essence that’s what business is,” Shane says. “My parents ignited my passion for business from an early age. They supported my decision to leave school in 6th form even though I was reasonably studious. Best decision I have ever made. I was always helping them with cashflows, business letters - I was really the only one in the house who could use a computer. From a young age they gave me an ‘on the job’ education which will be something I do with my kids.”

This ‘on the job’ education allowed Shane to enter into his first taste of business when A common thread in business start ups is that he set up an aluminium window business in many people have the big idea, but struggle 1997. Maybe it was his inexperience and lack to turn it into a tangible business. Many of knowledge for a then 23 year old, or just business owners, or aspiring business owners, pure bad luck that his first business went into mull over ideas too much and for too long, but liquidation. Either way, failure was not the businesses do not materialise unless you grab end, merely the first step on his path the reins and go for it and this is where the to success. entrepreneur’s crop turns into cash. “I had 45 staff but got hit by a number of When I pose the question to Shane Bradley companies which went broke and in turn about what the process is between having owed me a lot of money. This taught me my a business idea and making it a reality, he biggest lesson, that profit isn’t profit until the simply replies, “Actually just doing it – I cash is in the bank. Likewise, you will see that speak with too many people who have great most of my businesses since then revolve ideas, but lack the follow through. Sounds around the fact that people have to pay me simple but ‘do shit and shit will happen’ is a before we send them the products,” he says. philosophy I follow”. Shane masterminded the online business When Shane recruited a new member to his directory Finda.co.nz, founded in a spare family, a golden retriever named Cooper, in bedroom in 2004 and later sold to Yellow 2011, he noticed a gap in the online market Pages Group in 2009. Sella.co.nz was founded for pet goods and thus Pet.co.nz in 2008 and sold to APN News and Media was born. in 2012 and GrabOne.co.nz, built in just four “New Zealand’s internet pet care sales are weeks in 2010, also sold to APN News and currently only around one percent so there Media in 2012. is huge room for growth. Pet.co.nz offers the “With anything I get into I always aim to broadest range of products available in New make it as big as possible and bigger than the Zealand, an advanced level of personalisation last thing.” on the site and superior customer service – it’s going to be a game changer for the way Kiwis The face behind the game shop and care for their pets,” he says. New Zealand’s largest online pet site launched While being a successful businessman, the entrepreneur, originally from Rotorua, lives in March and is launching across the pond with his wife and two children in Auckland. in Australia mid-September. It doesn’t sell fluffy animals, but it does sell food, treats and toys sourced from 280 local and international brands. It also offers free freight on purchases above $39, overnight delivery and a 7am – 7pm customer service desk. “The biggest difference with Pet.co.nz is the physical product side of the business. We have over 6,000 product lines in stock and this will only grow. “I didn’t like spending hours stuck in traffic, driving to a store to buy the products my pet needed – I wanted them delivered, ideally for free. Kiwis are more likely to be nipping out for pet food than we are a bottle of milk.

It is evident Shane treasures his family; he puts them first above all else, they are never an after thought and most definitely never a compromise. So when he’s not running a business, you’ll find him where his presence matters the most, at home with his family.

“

is here to stay; it’s just another form of advertising for businesses. Will it take over the world? No, but it won’t die away as some people predict.”

I come to work and try hard every day because I give a shit that the business will be better at the end of the day than it was at the start. - SHANE BRADLEY

Running a business, whether it is large or small, can take its toll on someone in charge. Having started out in a small business himself, Shane is well attuned to how a business can easily be affected and says that in small business you have nowhere to hide. “If you are in a 5,000 person business, you can have the odd day off and still get dragged along. In a four person business that you lead, if you have an off day, it can throw the whole week or month out the door.

”

my decisions a lot in the last couple of years,” he says. “I’m lucky that work for me is my hobby. So if I am not working, which I don’t class as work, I just hang with my girls. Ultimately I try not to go out too much, or travel too often. A lot of people said ‘why don’t you try and do an international business?’ But for me, I decided early on that I wouldn’t do that as it would mean too many trips away from home, which I honestly don’t think is worth it.” He makes balancing work and family life seem easy, but to be fair, a little down time is probably overdue having worked 70 hour weeks for 16 years. But all the hard work has paid off and rightly so.

“Having been in small businesses a lot of my life, I think that business owners are the heroes of the New Zealand economy.”

Smelling of roses Going into business can conjure up a cold sweat you’d expect to find if you’re standing before a panel of judges on Dragons’ Den, but if it ticks all the boxes and it works out, you’ll sit comfortably in the field of success, rubbing shoulders with other creative thinkers and doers. Every entrepreneur has a story to tell and if there’s one thing we can take away from Shane Bradley’s entrepreneurial vision is that to go above and beyond in business is priceless. “Not many people get up and really give a shit about what they are going to do today. I get up, do some exercise because I give a shit about wanting to be healthy. I come to work and try hard every day because I give a shit that the business will be better at the end of the day than it was at the start. Giving a shit means caring about what you are doing – caring and trying your best.”

We move away from the topic of family and gravitate towards the subject of one of his greatest successes, GrabOne. We all love a “It’s been my wife who I talk to the most bargain, so it’s no surprise the daily deal about business. Just her listening to me has operator which celebrated its third birthday in Looking back on his years in business, he been a great help. And now it is totally the July, has sold more than eight million GrabOne concludes our interview with a reflection on kids, they drive every decision I do, in other coupons and sees one Kiwi buying a GrabOne lessons learned. “The three biggest lessons I words, what’s best for the girls in 10 years voucher in New Zealand every seven seconds. have learned in life is; 1) profit isn’t profit until time. I just want to be a good dad, be around them as much as possible. I see the kids every “It was a big part of my life for two and a half it's in your bank; 2) cash is king and; 3) take care of your customers, then the rest morning and I’m there every night to tuck years and now I am into my next adventure will happen.” them in and have dinner; so that has driven with Pet.co.nz. I think the daily deal business

www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 17

News | Strategies

Do you have a strategy or just a goal? Too many New Zealand businesses are holding themselves back from sustainable growth by failing to develop an effective business strategy. And many of them don’t even realise it. That’s the conclusion business coach Leigh Paulden has reached after 11 years helping companies overcome growth chokepoints. Many businesses grow simply by doing what they do well, without planning strategically for where they want to be, he says. And if they grow too fast without having a clear direction, it’s highly likely they will come off the rails under the pressure. Even businesses that think they have a strategy often don’t, as they have confused goals or tactics with strategy, he says. “Quite often, people think what they need to do tactically is a strategy, whereas tactics should be a result of having a clear strategy. “They think ‘we need to do this or we need to do that’ – but why are you doing this? How is it going to help you get to the point of where you want to be? “Businesses often can’t tell me where they want to be without focusing on turnover or profit or sales. But they’re focusing on a number rather than a place.” An effective strategy starts by centering on what Leigh, who is New Zealand’s only Gazelles International accredited business coach, calls a core ideology. “What are the driving passion and core values of the business? Why do you do what you do? “Strategy is having the answers to the questions around the why, the where and the what. Until you know the why, the where and the what, you can’t determine the how.” Strategy put together correctly and executed well should give you a competitive advantage. The “why” is about the passion driving the business and its future destination;

the “where” is about where it will be geographically in the market and with which products or services; and the “what” is shorter term priorities for the company. “Once you’ve determined that, then you look at how you’re going to achieve it,” Leigh says. “Setting out to achieve a certain level of turnover or profit is not a strategy – but meeting your financial goals is a result of being clear about your strategy and your tactics, and getting the right things right.” Another common stumbling block for companies is that its leaders may be thinking strategically, but they’re all following a different strategy. He gives the example of one professional services company that was doing OK, but not spectacularly. “Their profit was nowhere near where it should be.” The main reason was the four directors all had different strategies and were pulling in opposing directions. Leigh helped them to decide on a clear, mutually agreed strategy so they could all work effectively together. “They’ve now got direction, and they’re executing it. As a result, their profit has increased by 450 percent in the past 24 months.” It’s vital for businesses to be clear about their strategy so they know where to focus their efforts, and know what not to waste their time on. “In one company I was working with, it became very clear that two things the company was putting a lot of time, energy and money into were actually going to take it in the wrong direction.” Once the strategy was clearly identified, the company could confidently shift its resources to areas that would bring sustainable growth. And having a clear strategy also helps businesses ensure they’re not blindsided by events or situations they didn’t see coming. “Having a clear strategy will also drive what you are watching and what leading indicators you are taking notice of, so you will see what’s coming.” The good news is that once they have identified a clear strategy and a plan for implementing it, they do get that time back – and the sustainable, profitable growth they were looking for.

What’s at your core? It is extremely important for an organisation to be clear on its core ideology, because until you understand it you can’t work out your strategy. To understand your core ideology, you need to know what your core values and your core purposes are. These are two of the fundamentals of strategy and a check when making strategic decisions. Most companies have not stopped to clearly define their core values, which is one thing that holds them back. Core values are simply a handful of rules that your company has in place and lives by regularly. They are not what you aspire to be as an organisation, they are what your company lives by now. They are not something to aim at – they are something you live by every day.

Whatever they are, your company has to define them – they must come from how you actually operate, not from outside. Share and repeat them often and live by them yourself.

What are your core values? The other part of core ideology is core purpose: why is the organisation is doing what it is doing? Do not confuse the company’s products, services or income streams with core purpose. Core purpose reflects people’s idealistic motivations for doing the company’s work. You can find out more at www.advancing-businesses.co.nz

They are essential to your organisation’s identity, and might be something like: • Creativity and innovation • Customer focus • Family first.

YOUR ADVERT HERE If you’re interested in advertising in one of our regional business magazines please contact the Advertising Manager, Di Barclay on Ph: (03) 961 5087 | di@academy.net.nz | www.magazinestoday.co.nz

18 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

News | Tools

Apply yourself By Melinda Collins

With power, popularity and prevalence, apps have taken the business world by storm. So here are some of our favourite business apps - the only thing they have in common are the ability to enhance your business and its success. Android SignEasy - You know the moment you realise you have to print off that 20 page document, just to sign page 20? Well, that is no more with SignEasy. Import documents from the web, email, Dropbox, Box or Google Drive, sign and fill out documents, with your finger.

Evernote - Ever wondered why your best ideas come when you have no note pad? Well keep wondering because I can’t explain that phenomenon, but at least with Evernote losing those ideas will never be a problem again. Store, organise and share text, photos and voice notes, so you can keep track of all your brilliant ideas.

Asana - The alternative to complicated work management software, Asana is a shared task list for your team. Free for teams of up to 15 members with unlimited projects and tasks, Asana allows users to manage not only work projects, but personal projects and events in one easy to navigate interface.

Google Drive - It’s been around for a while now, but it’s hard to top the functionality of Google’s incarnation of inter-device file sharing. Seamlessly port and edit files from PC to tablet to smartphone. Not only is it a fullyfeatured office suite, but the software also acts as a full cloud drive, letting you store any file type via a virtual drive app or a web interface.

Bump - A revolutionary networking app that allows entrepreneurs to ditch traditional business cards in favour of virtual ones; trade contact information, photos, and files by simply ‘bumping’ two smartphones together. It’s practically prehistoric but since its inception in 2008 the app has garnered more than eight million monthly users and 27 million downloads, with its popularity yet to wane.

Apple Expensify - Let’s face it, few people start a business because they’re good with numbers. Enter Expensify, an app that keeps track of business expenses and mileage, while letting users scan and upload receipts. You can even file receipts by trip and submit expense reports to employers with the click of a button.

PrinterShare Mobile Print - Is app short for happy? Because with the PrinterShare Mobile Print app, many business owners will feel that way, allowing you to easily print office documents, PDF files, bills, invoices, word documents, Excel and text files directly from your Android device.

QuickBooks Online - QuickBooks Online must have been named with its ease of use in mind because, with this nifty little app, business owners can manage customers, sales receipts, payments, estimates and email invoices.

Business Calendar - Gone are the naughty calendars on the toilet door with Business Calendar. A calendar replacement application that synchronises with your Google calendars, Business Calendar includes standard views (agenda, month, day and event view) and features and allows you to easily customise calendars so your day is more organised.

Remember The Milk - I’m pretty confident our readers have much more important tasks to remember than just picking up the milk, but whatever you have to do, this great little app will give you a hand. Spot tasks situated close by, include and finish tasks on the move, sort out future tasks and sync it all flawlessly with Remember The Milk (RTM) app.

Prizmo - Prizmo turns your iPhone, iPad, iPod, iPad Touch or Mac into a portable scanner at the tap of a button. Not only will it digitise the information but it’ll make the text editable and searchable with very good accuracy. Prizmo can detect words in more than 40 languages and supports multipage documents, cropping, iCloud storage and the option to export the text as a PDF.

GoodReader - PDFs are practically the knowledge currency of our digital work lives. So to get the most out of your PDFs there is no better PDF reader on the iPhone than GoodReader. Even allows users to create sticky notes, highlight and mark up text.

Keynote - No longer will you need to lug around your clunky prehistoric laptop. With Keynote you can run any presentation directly from your iPad.

OmniFocus - GTD apps… sounds fancy, right? It really just stands for Get Things Done, but shhhhh, you sound so much more important. Widely considered to be one of the best task management apps for iOS, OmniFocus is great to use as a simple to-do list or as a powerful GTD app. Designed to quickly capture your thoughts and allow you to store, manage and process them into actionable to-do items.

TripIt - Get quick access to your travel itinerary on the iPad, when and where it’s needed. Plus, you can check out the seating on your flights to try to better your assignment if you want and track any travel points programmes you have.

Drafts - A more recent addition to the iPad after being available solely on the iPhone, Drafts is a great app to capture things quickly – tweets, notes, tasks and many more. Then when you’re ready, you can move them to the appropriate app for further use.

Penultimate - It’s the natural feeling of pen and paper… without the pen and paper. Essentially a handwriting app for the iPad, Penultimate features both Dropbox and Evernote integration and a range of other sharing options.

Quickoffice Pro HD - Carry everything bar the kitchen sink in your purse? Now you can have a literal office stored in there. Quickoffice Pro HD lets you create and edit Microsoft Office documents, spreadsheets and presentation formats right on the iPad.

Siri Virtual: Personal Assistant - Sometimes you just want a PA without the whiney falsetto and false nails to remind you to call your mum, book a taxi or see what’s on at the movies. Siri Assistant is a virtual PA and she isn’t cheap, she’s free.

Dropbox - Dropbox turns your little phone into a big external drive. Keep any and all important items in your Dropbox folder for easy access on the go and with everything stored in the cloud your iPad just got that much more useful.

www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 19

News | Q&A

Power moves

Ari Sargent

By Melinda Collins

The classic paradigm for a profitable business is to make money off others, but for Powershop, saving money for others is what’s paying off. The online energy retailer took out the top spot in the 2011 Deloitte Fast 50 with a massive 5,280 percent growth, the highest ever growth rate in the competition’s 11-year history.

regular specials and discounted power for buying it in advance. How easy is it to use? We’ve spent a massive amount of time making the design of Powershop very intuitive. It’s crucial that the user experience is simple and fun because encouraging people to change the familiar way of buying power – where you don’t think about it until that dreaded bill comes each month – is surprisingly not a simple task. All you need is a computer, mobile phone or tablet and the internet. We email customers each week to update them on how much power they’re using and how it compares to the previous week. We let people know of specials via email, Facebook and Twitter.

Still supplying power to more than 49,000 households and businesses nationwide, Powershop continued its ranking reign in 2012 For people who don’t want to actively with 529.39 percent growth, putting it in shop for power then Powershop buys it on 7th position. their behalf at the cheapest rate possible. Thankfully our customers agree that it’s easy A prepaid electricity pricing option, Powershop saves Kiwis money by allowing - Powershop has topped Consumer’s Customer them to pay for what they need rather than Satisfaction Poll of power companies for three the same rate for the whole year. The pricing years running. anomaly was discovered when they started doing bill estimates for companies interested in getting a better deal. How did the company start? Based on more than 300 nationwide The original idea came out of a brainstorming businesses Powershop prepared estimates session on the future of selling electricity at for, they calculated Auckland businesses could Meridian, Powershop’s parent company. The save an average of eight percent, Wellington one thing that stood out about electricity businesses nine percent, Christchurch retailing was that in the eyes of many Kiwis businesses 17 percent and Dunedin businesses buying electricity was a boring and necessary an average of 24 percent off their current evil. It was hardly surprising that most people annual power bill. were disinterested in how much power they Powershop CEO Ari Sargent talks to Melinda Collins about shaking up an industry.

used and therefore were regularly shocked at the cost of their monthly bill.

Can you give us a rundown of how Powershop works?

We thought how cool would it be if people could buy power like they bought groceries in a supermarket. We explored a few different ways to make it happen before realising that the power of the internet had never been harnessed by the power industry.

Powershop is an online power company where people can shop for electricity, get regular deals and monitor their power use. We started Powershop to shake up the electricity industry and give people back control by taking away nasty bill surprises and allowing people to buy power on their own terms.

Using the internet to help people engage with their power consumption made perfect sense. I left Meridian to get the idea rolling with the help of a very small and very dedicated team. Four years later we have over 50,000 customers and 80 staff.

How does it save people money? It makes people aware exactly how much power their household or business is using over a day, week, month or year, which means they can better control how much power they use. We also offer our customers

What advice would you give to others who have a great startup idea? Believe in the power of crazy ideas and that there is always a better way. Be prepared to fail, but when you do, fail fast and move on.

20 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

What do you put Powershop’s astounding success down to? That we genuinely care about our customers and appreciate our success is only down to one factor – that people like being a Powershop customer. Every discussion we have and decision we make as a business starts and ends with our customers. We have three simple rules for staff in Powershop: 1. Give a shit – care about customers and everything you do. 2. Much more betterer – make everything a customer sees better than they’ve seen before. 3. Keep being weird – be who you are and have the respect to allow others to be who they are. This speaks to the diversity of the team within Powershop and also within our customer base. We don’t treat customers as homogenous, we treat them as real people.

How many people in New Zealand are paying more for their power than they need to? I’d say most Kiwis are paying more than they need to. There is a big difference in most areas between the most expensive retailer and the cheapest so switching to a cheaper power company is the first thing better need to consider. Monitoring your power use is also likely to bring costs down. We know that the majority (over 90 percent) of our customers save money in the first year they sign up to Powershop.

Where is Powershop in terms of international expansion plans? We are launching into Victoria, Australia very soon. We’re very excited about showing Aussies there is a better way to buy power.

What are some of the key challenges you have had to face through the development of the company? The biggest has been getting people more interested in their power use. When we first started in 2009, we were so convinced of how much better Powershop was compared with the dinosaurs of the industry, we thought people would sign up in droves. It was more like a slow trickle to begin with. What we didn’t count on was how unengaged people were with their electricity company

and their power use. We had to really concentrate on showing people the benefits of having more control.

The power industry must be highly competitive, how do you stay ahead of the game? We have a very smart bunch of people who work for Powershop. Luckily we’re all pretty restless and constantly looking ahead and thinking about how we can make the Powershop experience better. Despite our growth, we’ve kept Powershop a noncorporate environment where process doesn’t stand in the way of progress.

Are there any key challenges facing the power industry now and in the future? How can these be addressed? There are always plenty of challenges facing our industry. The biggest in the last year was balancing rising power costs due to a major upgrade of the national grid, with still giving customers a good deal. We have addressed this by taking a long term approach and rather than looking at making a decent short term profit, we’re focused on keeping customers happy and knowing that if they’re satisfied they’ll stick around, which will benefit us in the long term. For Powershop, our biggest challenge is our size. We’re small so don’t have the big budgets of the five major retailers and can’t spray people with lots of advertising to make ourselves heard. We need to be smarter, more strategic and move faster.

What about plans for the future for Powershop? To continue to push ourselves and show more people there’s a better way to buy power. And continue to make Powershop more valuable and even simpler than it is now

News | Interview

The comeback kid At an age in time when most are contemplating their release from the confining shackles of home and school life, Nick Smith was considering a life which could be restricted by a chain heavier than that imposed by any teacher or parent. By Melinda Collins

Nick Smith

in Delaware where the current Vice President of the United States, Jo Biden was from and knew some of his family and friends there who were very political. I got the political bug from the US, then returned to New Zealand and, in the equivalent of the last year of school, Year 13, stood for local body council. I subsequently began my local government career then moved on to central government.

signed out over 5,000 letters and politicians are humans, sometimes we get it wrong. I was unlucky there was a privacy leak of thousands of files involving the same person. ACC was also embroiled with a number of unrelated controversies at the same time; sometimes you really can be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I am very philosophical about it.

But his parliamentary pilgrimage hasn’t been without its controversies.

What is the most fulfilling aspect of the position?

You’ve spent the last year on the backbenches, how was that?

The National MP began his 2011 term on a high note which included developing a major local government reform package. Just months later the hard work all came crashing down when he was dragged into the Bronwyn Pullar ACC controversy.

From my first days in politics I have had a caravan at the colourful Nelson market. I have a tarot card reader and sales of all forms of art, books and food, alongside my own stand at the market. But for nearly 25 years through that market I have met with individuals and learnt about their own dramas in life. It is very satisfying in that it allows me to be so connected with the real dimension of politics and understand how it impacts people's daily lives.

The first thing is when you’re a minster, you almost underestimate the pace and pressure involved in the position. So I was sort of frustrated and annoyed for a month, then I began to smell the roses so to speak, spend more time with my children, read books which I hadn’t previously had time to read. It became a period of real refreshment.

Young, bright and ambitious, Nick served as a councillor for the Rangiora District Council at just 18, while still attending secondary school He has since held more than 10 Ministerial portfolios in the Bolger, Shipley and Key Cabinets, covering conservation, education, immigration, corrections, social welfare, treaty negotiations, environment, climate change, ACC and local government.

In March last year, Dr Smith resigned from Cabinet after he was found to have written a letter on ministerial letterhead supporting Pullar, his former friend, without disclosing the conflict of interest. But far from languishing on the backbenches for the past nine months, Nick has relished the opportunity to get back to basics from a grassroots level and has bounded back into the parliamentary playground with gusto. He tells Melinda Collins about poor choices, reconnecting and the real cost of politics.

You earned your first class honours degree in engineering, followed by a PHD in landslides, where did you see your career heading? At the time I was highly ambitious and interested in politics, but it seemed like a high risk career option. I loved engineering, but it was always my day job; a plan B. I was incredibly lucky to be able to stand for Parliament and pursue my first love.

What then drove you to enter the political arena? I am from big family of eight children. Everyone in the family wanted to be an engineer. My father wasn’t an engineer, but he was a bridge builder and so that field was seen as the closest job to God. As a 15 year old that was my ambition, to be an engineer. I went for a student exchange programme to the United States and was taken aback by how many young people were involved in the political process there. I went to a school

The most satisfying aspect is to have been in the position to be able to help people. I have not been able to help all; there are some I have failed, but the most satisfying aspect is to be able to do my best to make a positive difference in someone’s life.

The level of media attention that led to your resignation last year means public figures face ever increasing scrutiny, to the point where you could say they face trial by media and a verdict rendered via public opinion. How do you think this is impacting public figures’ ability to be effective in their roles - both negatively and positively? Politics is a brutal business; that is a consequence of the privilege of being involved in decision making at the highest levels. Yes sometimes it is extraordinarily tough, but the balance of that is being part of really big decisions that matter. That’s the trade-off you make. I read the newspaper and often I get credit for things I had little to do with, other times I get little recognition for things which I have had heaps of influence over – that’s the nature of politics.

How difficult was it to resign considering the hard work you had put into the position? It was a brutalising decision; that letter was a poor choice. I think as the Minister of ACC I

The other real challenge for a minister is trying to remain connected to the community. So I really enjoyed my nine months in purgatory, as I like to call it, getting to spend more time with constituents, getting better connected with schools, hospitals and local issues that are important. With four children it was also great to be able to do some family things that you don’t necessarily get the opportunity to as a minister.

What are your proudest parliamentary moments? I’m incredibly proud in the 1990s the role I had in the Kahurangi National Park, individual projects in Nelson include the newly integrated Garin College, big roading projects like the Stoke Bypass, the major redevelopment of Nelson Hospital. At a national level, I am proud of the Environment Protection Authority which has been doing really well, in terms of programmes then things like the Fresh Start for Fresh Water Clean-up programme and ironically I am very proud of my involvement in pulling ACC out of financial difficulty. In my first year we had a deficit of around $4.5 billion then three years in we were in the black by $2 billion. While there will always be controversy surrounding my time there, I am proud of my time with ACC. No politician is completely responsible for any positive or negative outcomes; in each of those projects I just made a contribution; the very nature of politics is that it is a joint business and others make significant contributions to those projects as well.

What do you see as being the greatest challenges facing New Zealand at the moment? The one I’m really focused on and one which has been my passion for over 20 years is how does a country marry sound conservation policies with economic prosperity? We live in an economy that’s based on agriculture and forestry, fishing and tourism, all of which rely on careful management of our natural resources. And on the other side, a core part of being a Kiwi is being able to go to the beach, being able to catch a fish, being able to experience the beauty of our mountainous scenery. For New Zealand, more than any other country, how we stitch together the management of those natural resources with our economy is just as important and will define our future so much as a country. I’ve been working hard around trying to shift some of those debates from ‘either ors’ to ‘ands’ – that is, how do you get the environmental community to understand you need successful businesses to provide good jobs and incomes while at the same time as trying to get the business community to better understand their environment responsibilities. I think we are making progress, I think we are getting out of that highly polarised protest way of dealing with those issues and trying to get a more balanced, sensible more pragmatic way of doing that stuff.

What are your plans for the future? I’m approaching that dreadful age of 50. This is my 8th term as an MP. I remain committed to my Nelson community; it’s a little paradise in the country which I feel strongly about. I’m back in the Ministerial saddle, buried in work and enjoying it. I just have huge confidence in the Prime Minister and of all the Prime Ministers I have worked under, I just love his relentless positivity and I want to continue to serve in his Government for as long as I am useful. I’m also a realist, and that is that in politics sometimes the shit hits the fan, and it might not be your fault, but you’re dead. It’s a high risk profession; every day and the events that occurred last year are a reminder of that. So I’m pretty philosophical about the fact that while it’s a privileged position to be in, it can finish tomorrow. My intention is to keep contributing while I am making a positive difference.

www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 21

News | Lifestyles

Lifestyles

By Davina Richards

Survival of the fittest

Bear Grylls survival kit If you find yourself a bit of a Bear Grylls kinda guy, this survival kit has everything you need from waterproof matches to emergency cord. You’ll be a man on a mission with a fail-proof system in place. Make Bear Grylls proud! RRP: $59 Available from: www.manbits.co.nz

Stick it

World map clock wall decal Unlike paint or wallpaper, wall decals will transform your home without the mess of getting yourself covered in paint or cocooned in wet wallpaper. You’ll find a new edge to wall art with the evermore popular wall decals which is at the forefront of home design. This black and stylish world map clock is so striking that guests will be rubber-necking!

RRP: $550 Available from: www.yourdecalshop.co.nz

Harden up

Hardshell backpack So, you’ve got the tablet, the Samsung Galaxy 4… but what you haven’t got is the Solid Gray hardshell backpack to keep all your beloved technology safe and secure. The backpack, made in the Netherlands, is made from polypropene block copolymer, which the website states ‘even after being bent millions of times it will not break or tear.’ It includes smart locks, multi-clip, and durable EPDM foam, to protect your laptop or tablet. This could be a product of the future. Sleek, smart and tough. Come on! If you think you’re hard enough!?

RRP: $255 Available from: www.solid-gray.com

Stand up

Pli coat stand It may have a preying mantas quality and stick insect appearance with its long and defined oak body, but it’s a contemporary take of a coat stand. So, now we’re coming into winter, don’t let your pet sleep on the pile of coats left on the floor in the hallway - make a home for those coats. RRP: $375 Available from: www.backhousenz.com

22 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

News | Lifestyles

Lifestyles 5.

Technology crush

LG Smart TV Technology – you just gotta have it, so feast your square eyes on another revolutionised entertainment technology device – the LG Smart TV. You can control TV channels, inputs and volume by the wave of a hand, search by pressing the voice button and for little hands which like to point, draw, speak and scroll, the child-friendly remote means there’s fun for mini-mes too. Compatible with smart phones, PCs and tablets. RRP: $4,899.95 [55”], $6,199.95 [60”], LG Ultra HD $24,999 Available from: www.lg.com

Very strapping

Foto strap

The creative types behind camerstyle.com love, funnily enough, cameras… and style. So much so that they’ve put together a whole collection of stunning camera straps and bags designed for SLRs and DSLRs. The Fotostrap range is vintage inspired and made from leather. You can even get the leather straps engraved because the business owners are pretty nice like that. For professionals or aspiring photographers, strap on and get snapping. RRP: $100 Available from: www.camerastyle.co.nz

Baseless beauty

Liquor glasses Art for your table is exactly what you’ll get from Scandinavian homeware brand Normann Copenhagen, and potentially a hangover in a glass. A clever little design which stands on an angle and aims to emphasise aromas, as you sip on your favourite tipple. It’s perfect for a little splash of cognac and is also available in a larger version, but beware, hangover part two may just be around the corner. RRP: $140 Available from: www.mildredandco.com

Mind games

Invisible bookend Paul Cocksedge has brought us something which is an indisputable design of genius and boggles the mind of an average earth walker. When friends ask how it works you can simply say that you’re using pure Jedi force to hold it up. Find one at Paul’s online shop for less than $80. RRP: $79.65 Available from: www.paulcocksedgeshop.com

www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 23

Property & Construction | B Bullock 2009 Ltd The company, celebrating 85 years in business, is still owned by the Bullock family, who has grown the Bullocks Group into a large and diverse group of companies.

How diversity delivered 85 years of sucess

A history of success B Bullock is undoubtedly one of Wanganui’s most long standing and well known contracting companies. It was originally established as B Bullock and Co Ltd in 1928 by the late Ben Bullock, who purchased the assets of Gordon Park Quarries Ltd. He was soon joined by two brothers, the late Charles and the late Jack Bullock, who became shareholders. Ben’s sister, the late Ellen Lockett, worked in the office during the company’s formative years and also invested in the fledging business. While wood and coal sales were a major part of the business in the early days, today’s Bullocks is highly diversified and has interests in road construction (ISO 9001 certified), drainage, property development, timber processing, aggregate production, transport, ready mix concrete, fencing supplies and retailing.

Any company pushing towards a century in business must be doing more than just the odd thing right and such is the case for B Bullock (2009) Ltd.

Major projects help growth As you’d expect, B Bullock has been involved in countless construction projects during the past 85 years. Some of its larger contracts have included the metalling of the Rata Flats, a Ballast crushing contract for NZ Railways at Taumarunui, major drainage works at Ohakea, plus many local roading contracts including the challenging Bruce Road upgrade on Mt Ruapehu, and more recently, the Putiki roundabout upgrade. Staff numbers reached a peak of 120 during the early 1970s, when Bullocks was involved in the construction of Waipipi Ironsands near Waverley.

We provide High Quality Effective Legal Advice to enable you to create and maintain Long Term Sustainable Businesses and are proud to have done so for the Bullock Families over three generations 14 Victoria Avenue, Wanganui P: 06 349 0090 F: 06 345 2405 E: horsleychristie@xtra.co.nz www.horsleychristie.co.nz

READY MIX CONCRETE CEMENT PRODUCTS AGGREGATE RIVER ROCKS & GARDEN STONES SHELLROCK, SAND CUSTOM MACHINING OF TIMBER WEATHER BOARDS, ARCHITRAVES & ALL DRESSED TIMBER. BANDSAWING

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We are the sealing industry leaders, with over 66 years experience working for NZ Transport Agency, Local Authorities and private clientele.

25 King Street, Marton, Manawatu John Walters 027 226 1656 Andrew Walters 027 289 2120 24 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

We congratulate B Bullocks on the great milestone they have achieved, and appreciate all the opportunity’s and close working relationship we have had and will continue into the future.

Property & Construction | B Bullock 2009 Ltd Today the company employs about 35 staff and is still owned and operated by the Bullock family. The company employs several working shareholders and boasts a loyal core of experienced and skilled contracting staff. Bullocks has the ability to turn its hand to just about anything and is the first choice of many customers in the region wanting quality materials and contracting services. Extremely proud of its contribution to the development of Wanganui, Bullocks is looking forward to another 85 years of progress. “The company is still family owned and diversity has been the key to its success,” contracts manager Glen Bullock says. “Over the years we’ve done all sorts of things and we keep looking at all sorts of diversifications to make it work.”

Contracting drainage and earthworks

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Road construction

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Aggregate products

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Ready mix concrete

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Processed timber products

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Fencing products.

One of the most significant projects in recent years is the $1.8 million high profile upgrade of the Putiki roundabout, helping to creating a vibrant gateway into Wanganui. Contracts manager Glen Bullock says Bullocks did the gardens, kerb and channel work, footpaths and the foundations for sculptures for NZTA and the Wanganui District Council. “Another big recent job we’ve done is a three metre wide path that runs for 1,100 metres along the Whanganui River, spanning from the Dublin Street Bridge to the Town Bridge,” he says.

The Bullocks Group B Bullock (2009) Ltd has grown into a diverse supplier of a wide range of contracting and civil services, meeting the needs of a broad customer base. Contracts manager Glen Bullock says there are three companies within the Bullocks Group, which were separated in 2009.

B Bullock (2009) Ltd and its subsidiaries offer a range of high quality services to the Wanganui community, including: •

Upgrading Wanganui

B Bullock (2009) Ltd The main parent company in the group is B Bullock (2009) Ltd, which was formerly B Bullock and Co Limited. B Bullock (2009) Ltd is a large contracting operation that does roading, drainage, contracting, ducting for services, retaining walls, subdivisions and anything to do with site clearance. It also operates a timber mill. The core products of the mill include weather boards, tongue and groove flooring, decking and timber tank components. The mill can machine just about anything and has recently been supplying custom machined timber for several retaining wall contracts for the contracting arm of the company. Bullock’s

experienced roading crews have carried out numerous roading contracts in the WanganuiManawatu region during the past decades. Glen Bullock says the company operates a large fleet of vehicles and machinery, from two-tonne diggers to 20-tonne diggers, as well as trucks and graders. Using an approach combining practicality and attention to detail, B Bullock (2009) prides itself on its ability to make long lasting and cost effective roads, from farm tracks to state highways. Eighty five years of operation have also seen Bullocks tackle almost every type of civil construction project there is. The company

is highly experienced, with most types of civil construction and earthworks, including roading and pavement construction, rural and urban subdivisions, trenching and drainage, site earthworks, and water reticulation systems repair and installation. Its friendly staff will happily provide an obligation-free quote to carry out jobs ranging from the construction of a vehicle crossing to the installation of a major urban storm water system. B Bullock operates several subsidiary companies offering a wide range of services.

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The company is highly experienced, with most types of civil construction and earthworks.

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Over the years we’ve done all sorts of things and we keep looking at all sorts of diversifications to make it work.

Structural, Certified Welders, Profile Cutting, Full Machining, Fabrication, Site Works and Steel Stockists. For all enquires contact Colin, Trent or Jamie 363 Heads Road, Wanganui [p] 06 344 5056 [f] 06 344 5007 [ah]: 027 448 3800 [e] office@garmac.co.nz

www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 25

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Property & Construction | B Bullock 2009 Ltd Bullocks Ready Mix Bullocks Ready Mix operates a fully certified Ready Mix plant at its Taupo Quay branch in Wanganui, operating to NZS 3104 special grade. It provides concrete in a range of quantities, from small bags of cement that customers mix themselves up to large truck loads. The company operates three ready mix concrete trucks, which can cart five cubic metres each. Its friendly and experienced staff can meet the needs of everyone, from the home handyman to the construction professional. It recently supplied more than 1,200 cubic metres of concrete to a large project in Wanganui.

Wood Enterprises Bullocks’ timber treatment and roundwood operation is known as Wood Enterprises, specialising in rural fencing. The company’s post yard is located across the bridge from Bullocks’ main site in the Taupo Quay Extension. Glen Bullock says Wood Enterprises supplies a wide range of treated timber fencing products. The company specialises in roundwood products, fence posts, battens, house piles and poles, and also stocks general fencing supplies such as wire products and gates.

The company’s timber processing plant also specialises in machining timber products to customers’ specifications.

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A North Island based Harvesting & Marketing Service Provider, servicing Primarily the Central & Southern North Island, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay and Gisorne Regions.

What we offer •

A free, no obligation assessment of your trees, with personal service and advice.

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A NZ owned and operated company

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Highly experienced staff to manage the Harvesting & Marketing of your trees.

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Experienced, quality contractors to harvest and transport your trees

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A range of hauler & ground based contractor harvesting options available

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Access to all domestic sawmills in the region

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Export Sales through NZ’s largest log export company

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Options of, managed or graded sales, and/or lump sum purchase, where appropriate, to provide a solution that suits each individual forest owner.

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Foreign exchange options for export grades

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Followup re-establishment and Forest Management Services

26 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Forest Owner Marketing Services Ltd (FOMS) is an independent Harvesting & Marketing Services provider and major player in harvesting & marketing of privately owned forests in the Southern North Island, Taranaki and Hawkes Bay regions & with a new representative in the Central North Island covering the CNI & Gisborne regions. FOMS was formed almost 9 years ago from scratch and has grown today to be arguably the largest independent harvesting & Marketing service provider in the North Island, if not New Zealand, projected to harvest and market well in excess of 550,000 tonnes over the next 12 months. All of this volume has come from forests owned by private investors, from Woodlots planted on privately owned farms ranging from 500 tonnes to 50,000 tonnes, to syndicated forests of several hundred thousand tonnes planted around 30 years ago when forestry was seen as the “growth” industry in NZ. At that time SMP’s had been discontinued, Farmers were

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From untreated timber to H6 marine grade products, Wood Enterprises’ can supply custom treat wood to any specification. Certified by the NZ Timber Preservation Council Inc, Wood Enterprises can deliver highquality products at highly competitive prices. The company’s timber processing plant also specialises in machining timber products to customers’ specifications.

struggling and many thousands of hectares of marginal farms (at least they were marginal in that particular economic climate) were planted in Radiata pine by private individuals & syndicates looking to cash in on the expected wood shortages of the future. Many farmers saw forestry as good utilisation of an unproductive part of their farm and that this “nest egg” would provide cash in the future as part of their self-funded superannuation. Many of these woodlots and syndicated forest, planted by individual farmers or groups of investors are now maturing, and what better time to be entering the market and harvesting these trees planted with great expectations all those years ago, with the sleeping giants, China and India, awakening and on the cusp of massive demand. FOMS is seeing many of these forests reaching maturity in the current market, and can

offer excellent options for the harvesting & marketing of these trees. From the strong base we have built, FOMS provide an absolute guarantee of payment to forest owners for whom we harvest. The experience of the FOMS team is second to none, and FOMS exports through the TPT Group, the largest log exporter in New Zealand. If you have some trees that might be ready or near ready to harvest, and you are looking for options and/or advice, contact FOMS representatives: Marcus 0274 921 081 E: marcus.musson@foms.co.nz Chris 0274 921 072 E: chris.maher@foms.co.nz Dan 0275 859 339, Central North Island & Gisborne E: dan.gaddum@foms.co.nz Or ring 06 323 5621 or Fax: 06 323 5372

Property & Construction | B Bullock 2009 Ltd

In Brief | Walk away

Don't be afraid to walk away

Bullocks Concrete and Gravel

Diversification is the key

Bullocks runs a quarry in Bridge Street, Bulls, under the banner of Bullocks Concrete and Gravel.

Bullocks is looking at new areas of operation as it works to grow out of the recession.

This crushing and screening operation was established in 1975 and produces a wide range of aggregates including sand, concrete aggregates, sub-base and base course materials, as well as all grades of roading chip. Bullocks Concrete and Gravel has a quota to remove metal from the Rangitikei River, where there is an abundant source of alluvial gravel. Glen Bullock says it is screened and separated into a range of products, from silt right through to large rocks. All products are used for making concrete or are sold for gardens and roading materials. The business sells high quality aggregate products at competitive prices, which can be bought directly from its Bulls office or from the Taupo Quay office in Wanganui.

Glen Bullock says the Wanganui region has experienced tight times in recent years, with contracting opportunities few and far between. Bullocks has relied on the loyalty of its staff and customers and the Bullock family’s ability to turn its hand to just about anything. It is now looking for new opportunities. “NZTA isn’t spending any money on roads in the region for the next three or four years and the Wanganui District Council has finished its storm water separation work around town,” he says. “Recently we have added dairy effluent pond construction to our range of rural services, in response to the compliance needs of the dairy industry. Our staff have attended the Opus run Farm Dairy Effluent Pond Design & Construction course to be up to date with current best practice” B Bullock (2009) Ltd PO Box 531 Wanganui T (06) 345 8569 www.bbullocks.com — Advertising Feature

Norris Ward McKinnon partner, Geoff McDonald addressed more than 50 current and aspiring not for profit directors at a Waikato Institute of Directors seminar in Hamilton recently.

His number one piece of advice was: don’t be afraid to walk away. “When you join a not for profit board, no amount of research can prepare you for what you may be walking into. “I would recommend you need to be ready to be heartless about walking away if the organisation and the board experience does not meet your expectations. That is hard to do, especially when other board members are counting on your input,” he explained. He also advised wannabe not for profit directors to watch out for organisations where all the key decisions are made by management either before or after the board meeting. “If you find you are simply getting an update on management activity and decisions, but not adding any value or providing input into decision making, you need to delve deeper. This can be a warning sign that organisational control is out of balance.” Other advice from McDonald included: ensure the chair is passionate about the organisation; check there are skilled people, including an accountant, on the board; make sure the senior management team is skilled and trustworthy; and confirm there is a solid vision and strategy driving any major organisational change.

Five things to consider before you join a not-for-profit board: •

Why was the organisation established and what’s its charitable purpose?

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What type of entity is it?

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What are the organisation’s available resources?

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What is the expertise of fellow directors and key staff?

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What is expected of you and what does the future hold for the organisation?

“I’ve seen people join not for profit boards for one reason only - because they love the organisation. While you need to have a passion for the cause, it is more important to perform due diligence and understand the challenges and opportunities you will be up against. “At the end of the day, you’re responsible for the strategic direction of the organisation and for ensuring it remains solvent. Being a director is a major responsibility and can be particularly challenging on a not for profit board.”

Presenting alongside McDonald was Norris Ward McKinnon associate, Shelley Slade-Gully, who said there are five things a person should consider before joining a not for profit board.

Cars, Trucks, Machinery & Heavy Equipment Transporting

Ph (06) 345 7561(24hrs) or 027 443 5449

33-35 Wilson Street, Wanganui autowreckers@xtra.co.nz

We are proud to support B.Bullock (2009) Limited and future business success.

The Waikato branch of the Institute of Directors is one of the most active in the country with over 400 members. One of the Institute’s roles is encouraging aspiring directors as they embark on their governance “First, you need to understand why the careers. The Waikato Institute of Directors organisation was established and the provides access to resources for Directors who charitable purposes you’ll be helping advance. are both members and non-members. You also need to know what type of entity www.iod.org.nz it is a trust, society or company. Next, get a grasp on the organisation’s available resources. You’ll also want to look into the Media Contacts: expertise of fellow directors and key staff. Margaret Devlin “And finally, you need to understand what’s Waikato Institute of Directors Chair expected of you and what the future holds – 021 328 200 get some information about the organisation’s Margaret.devlin@xtra.co.nz long-term strategy and business plan,” she explained. Geoff McDonald Partner Waikato Institute of Directors chair, Margaret Devlin said often people use their heart more Norris Ward McKinnon than their brain when making the decision to 07 834 6000 Geoff.mcdonald@nwm.co.nz join a not for profit board.

162 Wicksteed Street - PO Box 765 - Whanganui - www.careyca.co.nz P: 06 345 8129 F: 06 345 7048 E: admin@careyca.co.nz

www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 27

Property & Construction | Waikato Milking Systems

The company has 30 authorised dealers throughout New Zealand, which gives customers the quality assurance of New Zealand-made products. Waikato Milking Systems is involved in more than 20 markets around the world, including the United States, Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and parts of Europe. It is enjoying growth in developing markets including China and South America.

Quality products to help farmers Waikato Milking Systems is a leading innovator in dairy technology for farmers throughout New Zealand and around the world. The company is the only 100 percent New Zealand owned designer, manufacturer and exporter of milking systems and related technology.

Innovative company builds new complex In a sign of continuing growth and optimism, dairy technology company Waikato Milking Systems is building a new headquarters and manufacturing facility in Northgate Business Park, north of Hamilton. The 100 percent New Zealand owned and operated company will be the anchor tenant at the new Northgate Business Park, 8km north of Hamilton, with a prime site fronting State Highway 1. Waikato Milking Systems’ headquarters is currently on Maui St in Pukete Industrial Park. The company’s new $12 million complex will

bring all its operating units together onto one site for the first time. “We will get more efficiency in design, development, engineering and manufacturing by bringing our collective pool of skills together. We will be able to get products to the market even quicker, and having everything on one site will improve logistics for our international and domestic projects,” managing director John Anderson says. “The new complex at Northgate signals Waikato Milking Systems’ ongoing commitment to expanding our contribution to the dairy sector.” Stage 1 of the new complex is underway now and is scheduled for completion in November. It will house the company’s three large-scale manufacturing divisions, which include: Rotary Platforms - which designs and builds rotary milking platforms Centrus - which uses modern high-tech composite materials to produce world leading high-strength and lightweight rotary platform designs

Proud to be associated with the Downey Group & Waikato Milking Systems

Stainless Innovations - which custom makes stainless steel fabrications for the company’s various milking system designs. Stage 2 of the building project, which is scheduled for completion in November 2014, will include the new headquarters and facilities to assist in developing new markets and further expanding the company. Waikato Milking Systems has a dealer network nationwide and employs more than 100 people in the Waikato. Hamilton based Noel Jessop Architecture, whose Waikato work includes vehicle dealers Winger and Ebbett Prestige (Audi and VW), has designed the new complex. Waikato firm Downey Construction is doing the site and building work.

An international business Waikato Milking Systems’ new high-tech facility will reflect the company’s position as an international supplier of dairy technology.

Examples of its innovation include its modern Smart range of products, using automation in the dairy to save farmers time, money and manpower. Another example is the company’s worldfirst use of the extra-strong and lightweight material Kevlar in its Centrus rotary platforms. These platforms are ideal for sites with complex geo-technical issues and for earthquake prone areas, giving farmers more flexibility and choice. Waikato Milking Systems’ products are renowned for delivering results to farmers, while being exceptionally easy to use. Problems like mastitis outbreaks, cow misbehaviour and animal flow have a huge influence on the success of all dairy operations. Because Waikato Milking Systems work so closely with New Zealand farmers, it is able to develop technology that really gets the results.

Independently locally owned, proud to be building the Waikato

0800 4 WRATHALL 9 7 2 8 4 2 5 5

PO Box 13 035, Hamilton, 3251 Phone: 07 848 2477 Fax: 07 848 2467 Email: info@feisstelectrical.co.nz

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The building partner for Waikato Milking Systems 28 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

It develops new high-tech products for dairy farmers that deliver advanced results but are simple to use, saving farmers time and money in the dairy. It was formed more than 30 years ago with the purpose of designing new technology for dairy farmers.

Property & Construction | Waikato Milking Systems

The company manufactures four models of rotary platforms, which provide great efficiencies when milking large scale herds. A rotary system creates a steady flow of cow traffic to cups on. Typically a rotary platform by Waikato Milking Systems will provide a 25 percent reduction in milking time, and reduce the need for trained staff. All four models have been precision engineered and are built to the highest standards, making Waikato Milking Systems the industry’s leading rotary platform manufacturer. Its range includes three cow platforms and a goat and sheep model.

In-line systems Waikato Milking Systems’ in-line systems are an efficient, economical solution for milking commercial herds. Typically an in-line system requires a smaller building footprint than a rotary platform, which may be important when choosing a site the dairy facility. Waikato Milking Systems

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offers two in-line system options; Loopline and Supa4. An in-line stall set-up is an efficient and economical solution for milking commercial herds. Cows stand on an elevated linear platform in an angled or herringbone fashion facing away from the operator area. This exposes the udder of the cow to allow access to milk her from the side and room for a cup remover and associated equipment.

Huge range of components Waikato Milking Systems offers farmers a large variety of components, including its Smart Products range of innovations. Smart Products are the latest range in high performance milking technologies. Each is the best in its class and together form an integrated system designed to deliver more control, performance and longevity. The modular Smart range has been designed as an integrated system, with modules able to be added to upgrade your milking system as you require. Together, they provide seamless performance to your milking operations.

Waikato Milking Systems’ in-line systems are an efficient, economical solution for milking commercial herds.

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Platforms to suit all requirements

Components available from Waikato Milking Systems include: •

Smart roducts

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Swing arms

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Pulsation technology

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Electronic cup removers

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Cluster sets

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Cluster washing technology

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Milk pump systems

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Vacuum pump systems

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Milk metering

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Herd management technology

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Stainless steel components

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Vortex flow sensors.

Waikato Milking Systems NZ Limited PO Box 20325 Hamilton 3241 T (07) 849 8755 E info@waikatomilking.co.nz www.waikatomilking.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Schick is proud to support Waikato Milking Systems

• New Houses • Commercial • Heating

• Repair Work • Free Quotes • Drain Jetting

• Septic Tanks • Solar Water Heating • Backflow-testing, Surveying

Congratulations to Downey Construction and the team at Waikato Milking Systems on their new building

Ph 07 855 1391 | Fax 07 855 1399 | www.upl.net.nz 10 Lake Road, Frankton, Hamilton 3204

0800 4 SCHICK

www.schick.co.nz

Noel Jessop is a Hamilton based architectural designer widely recognised in the national architectural scene. His understanding of creative design and ability to conceptualise an idea makes Noel one of the best in the business for home and building architecture. Noel Jessop is proud to support and have designed Northgate Business Park by Waikato Milking Systems.

www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 29

Property & Construction | Eastbridge Eastbridge recently completed the Kaituna Bridge in the Bay of Plenty, which involved 1100 tonnes of steel

The bridge builders

Ngaruawahia Bridge •

The new Ngaruawahia Bridge across the Waikato River was a large and challenging project for Eastbridge Limited, and involved:

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800 tonnes of structural steel

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56 tonne girders, believed to be the largest ever made in New Zealand

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Use of an American Sky Horse crane for the heavy lifts

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A challenging 56.5 tonne lift at an impressive 45m radius

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A 61 tonne lift at 27m radius.

The huge girders are the largest the Napier based company has ever built and posed significant challenges for the engineering team. However, considering Eastbridge specialises in the supply of steel bridges and has built many of New Zealand’s largest bridges, it was the perfect company for the job.

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Considering Eastbridge specialises in the supply of steel bridges and has built many of New Zealand’s largest bridges, it was the perfect company for the job.

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Eastbridge has recently completed one of the most challenging jobs in its 50 year history: the construction and installation of 56 tonne girders across the Waikato River.

Ngaruawahia bridge project General manager Andre van Heerden says Eastbridge recently completed its structural steel work on the 140m highway bridge across the Waikato River south of Ngaruawahia - part of the $150 million Ngaruawahia section of the Waikato Expressway. The bridge crosses the river about 400m upstream of the existing Horotiu Bridge. The new bridge includes 800 tonnes of structural steel and has four distinctive V piers with beams built in three stages to span the river. Concrete pre-cast panels were then fitted across these and the final concrete deck and barriers added. Under leadership from main contractor Fletcher Construction, Eastbridge supplied all the structural steel for the project. Fletcher Construction was appointed by the

New Zealand Transport Authority for the Ngaruawahia section of the Waikato expressway. Van Heerden says the 56 tonne steel girders involved in the project are believed to be the largest girders ever built in New Zealand. “It’s quite a significant project and it was pretty challenging because of those girders,” he says. “It was an average job for us in terms of tonnage, but the physical properties of the bridge and the size of the girders is unique and large.” The successful job was the result of a lot of teamwork and planning between the project team.

Eastbridge used Fletcher Construction American Skyhorse crane to install the girders and gained a new understanding of complex lifts during the project. The company exceeded the recommended checks and procedures implemented by the American Crane and Hoist Co to ensure safety. The Skyhorse crane has been owned by Fletcher Construction for 40 years, but had not been used for some time and proved its usefulness on the ultra-heavy Ngaruawahia lift. The most challenging lift on the project was a 56.5 tonne girder with a 45m radius, while the heaviest lift was 61 tonnes at 27m radius. Van Heerden says despite its challenges, the bridge project was completed on time.

‘Going the extra mile to have your goods delivered on time and undamaged’

We know the standards demanded by our industry, how to work to, deliver to and test to these standards. 06 835 4201 | craig@nsb.net.nz | www.nsb.net.nz 30 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

ly o supp Proud t dge’s Eastbri tive Protec gs Coatin

Specialising in transporting heavy containers and food related products all around NZ, with a large fleet of modern trucks and a wide range of capability. • Tomoana has a division that specialises in over-dimension transport • We can carry over length, over height and high mass loads • We have our own certified pilots

Elwood Rd, Hastings Ph: 06 873 5350 Fax: 06 878 2227

Property & Construction | Eastbridge

Construction of the 140m highway bridge across the Waikato River south of Ngaruawahia

Eastbridge is now installing its steel bridges in an effort to provide a comprehensive service to clients. The obvious example being the recently installed girders it built for the Ngaruawahia Bridge project with Fletcher Construction. “The installation worked very well and it fitted perfectly,” van Heerden says. “Traditionally we would not have installed our bridges, but over the past four years we’ve started doing installation as well. We provide the expertise and the actual installation.” The installation was also a success for Fletchers. “It’s very difficult to get something delivered and then the supplier is not there to support when the installation goes on,” van Heerden says. “We supply and face up for the installation, so if there’s any issues we’re there to deal with it and the main contractor is not left isolated. If you buy from us in New Zealand we’ll be there to put it up.” To have a supplier with these skills and expertise makes the whole management so much easier for the main contractor.

The steel bridge specialists Eastbridge now leads the bridge construction industry in New Zealand, with more than 50 years’ experience to offer clients. The Napier company specialises in steel bridges, but also builds towers, poles and heavy steel fabrication.

“

Some heavy steel companies focus more on buildings or large boiler work, but we do bridges.”

Our focus on steel bridges is what makes us unique and different from other companies. Some heavy steel companies focus more on buildings or large boiler work, but we do bridges.

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Bridge installation

The huge girders are installed by Eastbridge over the Waikato River south of Ngaruawahia

Andre van Heerden says Eastbridge has been focused on bridges since its formation in the 1960s. “We do general heavy steel fabrication, but our focus is still on bridges. We also do a lot of bridging supply into the Pacific,” he says. “Our focus on steel bridges is what makes us unique and different from other companies.

Eastbridge supplies steel bridging and bridging systems, under the Eastbridge name, as well as doing custom bridge fabrication on a project basis. These Eastbridge systems encompass a wide range of truss, rapid deployment and plate girder bridging. The use of standard components that maintain flexibility of design enables tailor made solutions in any location. Eastbridge bridging solutions are accompanied with engineering expertise available to assist the client with installation methodologies tailored to the parameters of each particular site, while site supervision is available for assembly or launching if required. The versatility of Eastbridge systems provides clients with a choice of various bridge structures, for their span, site specific parameters and loading requirements.

Eastbridge builds a range of bridges and bridging systems, including: •

Bridging systems

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Thru-truss bridges

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Deck-truss bridges

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Rapid deployment bridge

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Plate girder bridges

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Supertruss systems

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Custom bridging

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Rail bridges.

Works of significance Eastbridge is currently working on a range of bridge projects, including bridges at Kurrow in the Waikati district of the South Island. “We’re replacing two old timber bridges with bridges made out of weathering steel, which don’t require painting,” van Heerden says. Eastbridge recently completed the Kaituna Bridge in the Bay of Plenty, which involved 1100 tonnes of steel and 2500 cubic metres of poured concrete.

Eastbridge Limited PO Box 577 Napier 4140 T (06) 835 7527 E info@eastbridge.co.nz www.eastbridge.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Proud to support Eastbridge

www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 31

The hu over th

Property & Construction | Stewart Browne Electrical

A total electrical service Forty years in business has seen Stewart Browne Electrical Limited grow into a trusted and valued company in the Bay of Plenty, a status that continues under its new ownership.

New owner same great service Stewart Browne Electrical Limited was formed as a family business by Stewart Browne in 1972. It has since evolved into a large company employing about 40 staff, while still maintaining those core family values. The company was purchased by Horizon Energy Distribution Limited last December. Horizon, based in Whakatane, is the network asset owner which distributes electricity to more than 24,600 residential and business customers in the eastern Bay of Plenty. General manager contracting, Karla Meharry says it’s business as usual at Stewart Browne Electrical, “although we have been aligning the businesses with a number of the Horizon policies and procedures, including health and safety management, financial reporting and inventory management. “Stewart Browne is still very involved and still has a lot of input into the business. He was successful for over 40 years and it is key to us that this continues and we remain consistent.”

Electrical Engineers, Manufacturers and Merchants We are proud to be associated with Stewart Browne Electrical and be a supplier to many of their large projects in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. 38 Northway Street, Te Rapa, Hamilton Phone. 07-850 9977 Fax. 07-850 9941 Email. gael@wave.co.nz

32 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Stewart Browne Electrical has the skills and capabilities to meet all electrical needs, including domestic, commercial, industrial, security and sound, underground installations, heating solutions and manufacturing. The company prides itself on offering turnkey electrical solutions. In addition to its core residential, commercial and industrial wiring work, Stewart Browne Electrical has diversified over the years and in 2000 Stewart Browne Security Systems was formed. The business offers security systems, CCTV, access controls, audio visual solutions, home theatre, gate automation, intercom, phone distribution, data and fibre networking and fire and security.

Stewart Browne Electrical offers a 24/7 callout service, which includes: • Service and repairs to a wide range of commercial equipment • Domestic repairs to power supplies • Appliance repairs and testing • Preventative maintenance and service agreements • Test and certification of equipment for commercial and industrial sites • Electrical inspections • Retailer metering • Electric blanket testing

It comprises a unique team of specialists who provide cost-effective engineered solutions, ongoing product support and maintenance programmes.

• Commercial crane servicing

Through its heating division, Stewart Browne Electrical can supply and install a range of heating options, including heat pumps, undertile heating, positive air pressure systems and panel heaters.

• Surge protection

• Emergency light certifications • Deep well pumps • Work carried out by a Site Safe member • Data and security service.

Property & Construction | Stewart Browne Electrical

“

The success of Stewart Browne Electrical Limited during 40 years can be attributed to its commitment to quality and customer service.

“

The customer is paramount

Stewart Browne is still very involved and still has a lot of input into the business. He was successful for over 40 years and it is key to us that this continues and we remain consistent.

“I think there’s been a huge drive by Stewart Browne to look after and value customers,” Karla says. “It’s about customer relationships and ensuring that we meet and exceed our customers’ expectations. That’s one of the stand-out features of the company, as well as its range of diverse services.”

Stewart Browne Electrical Limited 69 St John Street Tauranga T (07) 578 0457 www.stewartbrowne.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Underground services

A history of success

Karla says a major focus for Stewart Browne Electrical during the coming months is its underground services work, which was established in 1988. It involves the installation of power, water and telephone services for industrial, commercial, domestic, builders’ temporary power supply, subdivisions and street lighting.

Stewart Browne Electrical is also heavily involved in the installation of fibre into schools.

“We’re looking at our service side, which is our underground work connecting people’s houses to the power network, as well as our data and security network,” she says. “We’re going to look at where we can align and create more collaboration between Horizon and Stewart Browne in the Bay of Plenty.”

Its portfolio of successfully completed projects includes The Hub in Cameron Road, Tauranga, the Sovereign Pier housing development on the waterways at Whitianga, the Papamoa Library and the exclusive Eleven apartment building in Mt Maunganui. Also worthy of note is its work on units in the Ryman Health Village, the ANZ Building on the corner of Cameron Road and Elizabeth Street, Ballance Storage Complex and more than 6000 homes and 25 multi-unit apartment blocks in the Bay of Plenty.

www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 33

NZIA Award 2013 | Irving Smith Jack Architects

Creating a vibrant community space

The Whakatane Library and Exhibition Centre

The award winning Whakatane Library and Exhibition Centre has been a huge success for Irving Smith Jack Architects Limited.

Partner Andrew Irving says he’s thrilled with the response the project has received and the positive impact it’s had on Whakatane. The project involved converting an old building, formerly used by Briscoes, into a modern and functional community facility to house the Whakatane Library and Exhibition Centre. Following recent development of new commercial outlets away from Whakatane’s town centre, the goal of the project was to relocate public facilities back into the town centre to revitalise the area. The library, museum and gallery facilities are located within an abandoned large scale retail space, reinvented to provide meaningful and effective public architecture for the people of Whakatane. Irving Smith Jack Architects won a design competition for this civic reinvention, through its researched consideration of how an existing ‘big box' can be reconnected back to public use, and to encourage greater library participation within a provincial community. “We were trying to make the best library and museum that we could with the money and the building we had,” Irving says. “We made some good design decisions.

Gartshore Group take this opportunity to congratulate the Whakatane District Council and Whakatane ratepayers on the completion of their Library and Exhibition Centre. Congratulations must also go to Irving Smith Jack Architects on the completion of yet another prestigious project.

“The thing we like best about the design is that we focused our efforts on a few things that we tried to do really well. These include the idea of making the library transparent so you can see in. We tried to make an active urban edge with the canopy outside and use timber to create warmth inside.” Irving says the project, which was a collaboration between himself and partner Jeremy Smith, has exceeded everything they had hoped for.

The Whakatane Library and Exhibition Centre has claimed a host of awards and is widely recognised for its design and construction, including: •

Finalist in the NZIA New Zealand Architecture Medal 2013

•

NZIA New Zealand Architecture Award 2013 (public architecture)

•

Shortlisted in World Architecture Festival, Singapore, October 2013

•

Finalist AJ Retrofit Awards, Cultural category, London 2013

•

Property Council NZ Supreme Award finalist 2013

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Property Council NZ Award of Excellence, Best in Category (heritage and adaptive reuses) 2013

•

Property Council NZ Award of Merit (education and arts) 2013

•

NZIA Bay of Plenty Architecture Award 2013 (sustainable architecture)

•

NZIA Bay of Plenty Architecture Award 2013 (public architecture).

“We’re delighted and surprised at the amount of attention it keeps receiving. The most successful thing for us is the community engagement and the way it has been really accepted up there; it’s exceeded our expectation. “It would be great to have a building like that in your home town and it’s nice to have a positive impact on provincial New Zealand.”

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The Whakatane Library and Exhibition Centre project was also a big success for construction company Gartshore Construction. Graeme Biggs, who was the Gartshore Construction project manager for the library and exhibition centre project, says the $2.5 million fitout was larger than most of Gartshore’s typical retail fit-out projects.

“

The project went well and the clients were very happy.

“

Successful construction

Construction began in July 2011 and was completed the following January. “It was an old building that the council had bought, which was previously a Briscoes building,” Biggs says. “The original building was built on reclaimed land. It was light construction and was not in a great state of repair.” The Gartshore team removed some of the building’s precast panels to create openings for windows. Some of the roof was altered to create an atrium in the middle. Internally, the building was fitted out for the library and exhibition centre. “The project went well and the clients were very happy,” Biggs says. “The challenges were holding the structure together when removing the precast panels and replacing the windows and putting in structural steel. The rest was bread and butter stuff.” Irving Smith Jack Architects Ltd is widely recognised as a leading New Zealand architectural practice with a strong focus on environmental design. Its three partners, Ian Jack, Jeremy Smith and Andrew Irving, lead an experienced team of architectural assistants offering skills and support. Its work centres on Marlborough, the Marlborough Sounds, Nelson, Tasman and Golden Bay, with unique projects undertaken throughout New Zealand and the world. Each project is individually managed by a partner. High standards of drawing and documentation ensure competitive pricing and problem-free construction. With about 1600 commissions to date, Irving Smith Jack Architects’ commitment to design excellence has resulted in many design awards and widespread publication of its work.

Irving Smith Jack Architects’ services are tailored to client requirements and the nature of each commission and include: •

Property assessments and feasibility studies

•

Project briefs and programmes

•

Initial concepts for evaluation with clients

•

Cost assessments as the design progresses

•

Detailed working drawings and specifications

•

Interior design and landscaping concepts

•

Co-ordinating design and building consultants and valuers

•

Planning and building consent applications

•

Advising on reputable contractors and arranging building tenders

•

Monitoring construction to maintain quality control

•

Checking and authorising payments to building contractors

•

Status reports for absentee and overseas clients.

Irving Smith Jack Architects Limited PO Box 222 Nelson T (03) 548 1372 www.isjarchitects.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Steel-frp Grate Company LTD Unit 1, 11 Glenlyon Ave Greerton, Tauranga 3112 Email: enquiries@thegratecompany.co.nz Mob. 027 278 3010 Fax: 07 579 6231

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www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 35

Sustainability | Complete Engineering & Hydraulics

Complete engineering solutions It’s been said that in business strength lies in numbers – your staff and clients. But of course it’s not just about quantity, it has to be about quality too. That’s imperative. Following its strategic amalgamation with Hydratech Engineering Ltd, Complete Engineering and Hydraulics ticks both those boxes. This commercial partnership means double the manpower and double the productivity. At the helm of the servicing and manufacturing industry for hydraulics, Complete Engineering offers a solution to virtually any engineering problem. At the core of the operation is an unwavering commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency.

Diverse capabilities Owner and operator Craig Garmonsway had a strong background in the industry prior to establishing Complete Engineering in 1999. “I worked for a business that was doing similar things, so I was able to bring my skill and knowledge from that experience into my own business,” he says.

“

with a top quality product that has set a benchmark in aquatic cylinders.

It is all about looking after the planet at the end of the day – it is going to be around a lot longer than we are, and we need to look after the future generations,”

Since inception, the business has gone from strength to strength. Today it is all about promoting sustainability and energy efficiency within the industry. It offers a hydraulic ram design service ranging from component specification to complete hydraulic system design, fabrication, installation and commissioning. CNC machining capabilities, as well as precision machining and fabrication expertise are also on offer. The business’ workshop is fully equipped for its experienced and capable staff to complete most work in-house, which improves productivity levels and turnaround times.

As technology has evolved, Complete Engineering has stayed on the forefront of super yacht hydraulics developing specialised aluminum cylinders manufactured from raw materials with and without cylinder telemetry feedback.

size ram, from a tiny boat ram, to a 12 inch rubbish compactor ram. It can manufacture production runs of any size and any quantity.

‘We do pretty much everything and anything with a hydraulic ram’ and ‘size is not an issue for us,’ are slogans the company stands by. Complete Engineering makes and repairs any

When Complete Engineering was called upon to manufacture and deliver a stainless steel hydraulic ram for use on a super yacht, it stepped up to the challenge and responded

“Because we take on such a varied array of work, we need strong, competent staff. We have found in the past, that a lot of engineers and machinists have been trained to do one set of things but don’t have a very broad spectrum of skills.

It manufactures and supplies both one off special and small production runs of very specialised stainless marine cylinders for both the New Zealand and international super yacht industry.

“We look for people with multi-faceted skills when we are hiring. It is important that we can maintain the high standard customers are accustomed to.”

The company can also help its customers create custom made rams and gives all its products and craftsmanship a twelve month guarantee.

“

“It is all about looking after the planet at the end of the day – it is going to be around a lot longer than we are, and we need to look after the future generations,” Garmonsway says of the company’s commitment to sustainability.

The most critical element of the operation is, of course, the staff. “Our team is selfmotivated, trustworthy and has excellent skills too.

The customer base is one that the company is proud of and exists thanks to a lot of repeat business. “Ultimately, people trust what we do,” Garmonsway says of the loyalty that underpins his professional relationships.

Complete Engineering’s capabilities have also increased exponentially following the amalgamation – a decision that was made carefully and considerately. “Now we are in an For the future, the business has its eye on further growth. “We ultimately want to even better position to serve our customers,” continue to grow,” Garmonsway confirms. Garmonsway says.

“When you stop growing, you’re at the risk of becoming stagnant and complacent and then, before you know it, you are going backwards. The plan now is to carry on doing what we have been doing, but even better.

“We have always striven to offer the best service possible and short lead times where possible. There is the potential for us now to increase our productivity even more and take on more work.”

Design & Service

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Cylinder Honing

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Manufacture one off specialist rams or large quantity production runs (Exotic materials – no problem)

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Over 30 Years Experience

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Repair of all Hydraulic Rams large or small

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In-house Steel stocks and local Seal supplier (Seal Imports Ltd) for quick turn around

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Agricultural Power Steering Repairs

•

Problem Solving Specialists

www.completehydraulics.co.nz PO Box 5686, HAMILTON 3242

•

116 Ellis Street, Frankton, Hamilton 3204

36 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

•

P: 07 847 1514

•

F: 07 847 1521

•

E: Craig@completehydraulics.co.nz

Sustainability | Complete Engineering & Hydraulics Testimonials “TRT’s decision, over 7 years ago, to work with Complete Engineering and Hydraulics was based on Craig’s extensive cylinder experience. CEH backs up its product if there are any issues, and delivery is timely, which is of importance to us so we can meet our customer expectations and overseas shipping schedules. It is because of these reasons we would recommend CEH to others.” - Bruce Carden, manufacturing director, Tidd Ross Todd Ltd “Quality of workmanship, knowledge, location, timeliness and friendly staff at all levels are the reasons we deal with Complete Engineering and Hydraulics. One specific benefit of working with CEH is the

WHAT’S ON OFFER Agricultural rams Complete Engineering offers a total solution in the repair and manufacturing of agricultural cylinders, be it a front-end loader lift ram or a trailer hoist, digger ram or steering ram. If it has a ram on it, the company can fix it. It supports all types of contractors from cropping and forestry to earthmoving etc. Marine cylinders The business designs and manufactures hydraulic cylinders from conventional and exotic materials, right through to the testing, repair and maintenance of hydraulic cylinders and equipment and one off prototyping and development of the final product.    These cylinders have been produced for use in applications such as on-board cranes/gantries, and fully hydraulic and remote controlled passerelle (boarding platforms).    Manufactured to withstand the corrosive and the hydraulic unfriendly environment of the ocean, these products must work flawlessly in extreme conditions and are a testament to the exceptional design and expertise Complete Engineering brings to the table during every job. The company manufactures and supplies both one off special and small production runs of very specialised stainless marine cylinders for both the New Zealand and international super yacht industry.

excellent response times for emergencies/ breakdowns, Craig and his team are always available. It is for all the above reasons we recommend Complete Engineering and Hydraulics.” - Mark Fletcher, operations supervisor commercial, Transpacific Waste Management “Complete Engineering and Hydraulics Ltd came recommended to us by another local hydraulic services company. We have benefitted from CEH being able to manufacture components “in house” by the people we can speak directly with. We would recommend Complete Engineering and Hydraulics because of this, along with their good quality workmanship.” - Colin Anderson, Farmers Air

Industrial cylinders Complete Engineering prides itself on its ability to recreate and fix numerous machine and equipment types in the industry. It can copy an existing part for clients, or redesign one for better use. The company’s technical expertise and use of advanced technologies puts it in front of the competition.

Complete Engineering and Hydraulics wishes to thank: Seal Imports Complete Engineering and Hydraulics PO Box 5686 Frankton Hamilton 3242 T (07) 847 1514 E info@completehydraulics.co.nz www.completehydraulics.co.nz

It supports drilling and roading contractors, equipment hire companies; anyone with a hydraulic ram on their machinery.

— Advertising Feature

The team at Complete Engineering has completed more than ten thousand individual projects in their many years of operation. This level of experience means that a customer request will proceed smoothly and efficiently. Waste industry Technical ability and expertise has allowed Complete Engineering to grow into a well-established and respected company within the industry. It can design and repair effective equipment essential for waste management companies. The aim is to keep increasing efficiency and diversity and to move forward with new technologies, to make sure customers always get the best of the best service. Welding services The business supplies a range of welding services to cater for any job big or small. It encourages and promotes positive outcomes and job satisfaction right from when the call is received to job completion.

Seal Imports buys direct from the Worlds leading seal suppliers and manufacturers, giving their customers competitive prices with full technical support. Overnight delivery anywhere in New Zealand

Seal Imports Limited are proud to be associated with Complete Engineering & Hydraulics

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E. hamilton@sealimports.co.nz www.sealimports.co.nz www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 37

Focus | Steelfort Engineering

Making the cut In 1946, a year after World War II ended, a man named Mr Frank McOviney who had emigrated from Yugoslavia (Croatia) started Steelfort Engineering in Palmerston North, New Zealand. In 2013, this company continues to command local and international respect and attention for its diverse products and services. More than 67 years on from its inception, McOviney’s legacy still holds true – inspiring its staff who work to uphold the values he instilled in the business more than six decades ago.

History McOviney had a modest start in life, but was destined to lead one of New Zealand’s most well respected businesses. He was a pioneer in his field – identifying opportunities and recognising gaps in the market that needed to be filled.

Today McOviney’s son, John is at the helm of the business and tells his father’s story with clarity and conviction.

North. He recognised this as being a good distribution area for the time and the area was growing in those early days.

stainless steel bowls worked for Steelfort Engineering all their working lives, never leaving the job until they retired.

“He came out to New Zealand in the twenties and couldn’t speak any English. In his formative years he worked on the railway. These days he would probably be considered a stonemason, although he had no formal qualifications.”

“It was following the big Napier earthquake in 1931 that he formed a business called Terrazzo (NZ) Ltd. After the war there were homes being built for the returning soldiers and many houses had Terrazzo sink benches.

“At one point, dad actually built flats out the back of our house and we had staff living there who had also emigrated from Europe too and were working for us.”

Despite this fact, McOviney persevered because he had something much more important than any qualification. He had drive. “After years of work in the Hastings and Napier area during the early thirties and midforties, my father came down to Palmerston

38 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

“In these benches were baked enamel bowls – stainless steel was the new product of that era. He started to use stainless steel bowls in the Terrazzo benches instead of the enamel and that’s how the stainless steel division of Steelfort started out.” One of the most moving parts of this story is that the men hired to manufacture the

When McOviney formally established Steelfort Engineering in 1946, he also acquired the reel mower manufacturing business of Fuller Engineering. This acquisition enabled a solidification of the existing manufacturing base and would become the forerunner of the “LawnMaster” brand that today receives global recognition in the outdoor power equipment industry.

And he’s right - the Steelfort Engineering growth was significant too. In 1968 it became necessary to relocate to a new 40,000 square foot manufacturing facility on the outskirts of Palmerston North. The 1970s saw major growth in New Zealand and throughout the next 10 years Steelfort Engineering expanded its activities to employ more than 65 staff. The company also positioned itself as major supplier to the stainless steel and outdoor power equipment sectors. When New Zealand was propelled onto the world stage in the 1980s following a change of government, the business had to reevaluate its strategic direction. With John now leading the business, he looked to diversify Steelfort Engineering’s interests. This diversification saw growth within the manufacturing base of the operation, as

well as the identification of internationally recognised products that would combine well with its manufacturing activities. With the acquisition of Protech Engineering in 1986, Steelfort not only added an additional 45 people to its staff, but it also obtained several notable world brands, expanded its manufacturing base to include commercial finned tube heat exchangers and acquired substantial expertise in support of the dairy industry. Today Steelfort Engineering is based on its site in Palmerston North. This site encompasses a manufacturing facility of 11,000 square metres and a distribution centre covering 7000 square metres.

A family culture Refreshingly, Steelfort Engineering is based on a flat management structure. Sure, there’s a management team, but there’s a distinct family culture to the business – and one that doesn’t come down to just genetics. Everyone is valued equally.

“

John also has his daughter working by his side – something he is understandably proud of. “She is involved in a merchandising capacity and loves it. With three kids she needs a bit of time out occasionally,” he chuckles.

I am proud to have some fantastic people working here and they bleed for the business. I know, at the end of the day, that because of these

“In our management team we have about seven people – two of these people have been with us for 30 years, and one for 25 years. We also have a couple of new guys one of them replaced a guy that was here for 25 years. “I am proud to have some fantastic people working here and they bleed for the business. I know, at the end of the day, that because of these people, this business would still be able to run without me because they are so passionate about what they do.”

people, this business would still be able to run without me because they are so passionate about what they do.

“

“The growth in New Zealand in those formative years after the war was pretty significant and Steelfort formed part of this growth,” John says.

Focus | Steelfort Engineering

John says it is the long term commitment the staff has made to the business, which is profoundly inspiring. “We had our 60th celebration five or six years ago and we had a formal dinner to mark the occasion. Some of my comments during the speech I made touched on the loyalty of our staff. At that time, something like 60 percent of our staff had been there for more than 20 years.” This number is staggering in the context of the modern working world, but it’s not hard to see why the staff love and value what they do. “At our quarterly meetings, I go down and talk to the staff and at our last meeting I gave out three service awards - two for 20 years and one for 30 years service."

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At Steelfort Engineering, the relationships are predicated on trust and autonomy. “I don’t micromanage – I believe you have to find square pegs for square holes and round pegs for round holes and then when you have done that – let them do what they need to do. “About 50 percent of my job is finding the right people. Once I have, I let them go and do what they need to do.” It was about 12 years ago when he was integrally involved with every single aspect of the company that John knew he needed to step back a bit. “I was involved in absolutely everything and someone was always walking through my door. I knew things had to change because when you manage a business a big part of that is about empowering others and giving them the responsibility they want themselves. “People want to be able to make their own decisions and I want people here to be selfstarting and that’s really what we have done.”

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www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 39

Focus | Steelfort Engineering Products and service Steelfort’s products and services are incredibly diverse although they are all interrelated and underpinned by the same guarantees of excellent workmanship and quality. Iconic brands are sold by the business including LawnMaster, MTD, Cub Cadet and Rover. “We’re always looking to increase what we do in terms of product lines,” John says of the range. “We tend to look at the industry segments we are in and for the future we will continue to monitor emerging products within those industry segments.”

Home made Steelfort Engineering is proud of its New Zealand lineage, although competition across its key markets is tough for the business and John makes no bones about that fact. “One of the things we try to promote is that we are still manufacturing in New Zealand

– we are the only business of our kind still manufacturing in New Zealand. All the other rotary type mowers you see on the market generally come from China. “In the stainless steel industry, competition is not so steep, but when you are talking about manufactured products, the whole world is trying to compete with Asia. It’s a well-proven

fact that every other country that has a strong manufacturing base has Government support whereas in New Zealand there is very little.” Against this intense market backdrop, Steelfort Engineering continues to push its New Zealand made brand and produce quality products that are innovative and different. The strong reputation it has earned for itself has also opened up exporting opportunities to Australia and some European countries. The ongoing growth within the business is something John says his father probably never planned for or anticipated. “I think his era didn’t think that far ahead - they didn’t need to. From 1945 to the mid-seventies New Zealand was in a real growth phase.

Products include (to name but a few): • Mowers – ride on, radio controlled slope mowers, rotary and reel

“Unemployment and redundancies probably weren’t even in the dictionary then,” he quips.

• Power garden tools – shredders, vacuums, splitters and chippers

“My father never really thought about succession – I didn’t think he worried about it. I have been brought up with the business all my life and spent time working in the factory so I was always ready for it.

• Handheld tools –trimmers, leaf blowers and leaf blower vacuums • Power tools – sanders, saws, drills and drivers, and woodwork.

“These days I am very passionate about quality and producing a product we are proud of. We give warranties up to two, three and four years on products here. For example, if someone had a problem with one of our products and it failed for some reason – even if it was 10 years old – we would look at replacing it.”

Steelfort’s services include: Stainless steel fabrication – the development, design and manufacture of high quality specialised products for a wide range of unique requirements Heat exchangers – specialising in the design and manufacture of castle finned tube heat exchangers using unique computer software developed in collaboration with Massey University’s School of Engineering and Advanced Technology

John is constantly looking out for customer feedback because he strongly believes in doing things properly the first time. “If something does come up online, or someone comes in with concerns, I will say to our service or sales manager, ‘give him a new catcher or a new wheel or something like that’.

CNC services – precise and 100 percent repeatable sheetmetal CNC cutting, punching and folding

“I believe once you have your customer base, you look after them and you maintain that support.”

Design and engineering - modification of an existing design or a whole new concept. Steelfort Engineering’s designers can provide solution for a number of engineering challenges.

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40 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

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Focus | Steelfort Engineering Some of the world class LawnMaster New Zealand-made mowers on offer through Steelfort Engineering 1. METRO

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The perfect lawn mower for the smaller suburban sized lawn where a superior finish is required

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4. LawnMaster 660

Designed for the mowing of fine sport turf, this lawn mower boasts a shaver blade for the finest in precision cutting

A lawn mower that’s perfect for those larger lawns on lifestyle blocks or larger urban sections

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4 Steelfort Engineering Ltd 500 Rangitikei Street Palmerston North 4442 T (06) 350 1350 E reception@steelfort.co.nz www.steelfort.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

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PROUDLY SUPPORTING STEELFORT ENGINEERING LIMITED FOR OVER 25 YEARS! Enquiries: 0800 833 767 (Press 2 for Sales) Email: centraltoday@roadstar.co.nz www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 41

Focus | Seearco Distributors

Grinding out a niche Seearco Distributors Limited supplies a wide range of quality coated and bonded abrasive products to the woodworking, metalwork, engineering, automotive, marine and DIY industries throughout New Zealand.

The company backs up its products with a high level of technical expertise and a nationwide dealer network.

The coated and bonded abrasives specialists Seearco Distributors was formed 25 years ago by Dennis Seear and today employs a team of qualified and experienced staff led by director Pat Ward. The company specialises in all forms of coated and bonded abrasives, including wood and

metal finishing products. With its head office in Christchurch, the New Zealand-owned and operated company services customers throughout the country through its extensive dealer network. Seearco Distributors is the New Zealand master agent for high-quality European brands such as Klingspor and Suhner. Klingspor has been manufacturing abrasive technologies since 1893 and manufactures the highest quality industrial sanding and grinding products.

“

BARRETT

to grow and improve our service to our business partners.”

Huge technical knowledge

Other major brands supplied by Seearco Seearco Distributors works hard to keep Distributors include Mirka, SIT (Societa’ Italiana ahead of its competitors in supplying Technospazzole), Kinik and Cumi. the woodworking and engineering trades industries. Seearco Distributors national sales and marketing manager Nathan Barrett says the company offers a local conversion service for custom made narrow belts, discs and bobbin sleeves.

Growing in the North Island

We’ve flown underneath the radar for the past few years, but are now looking to grow our North Island presence further

42 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Suhner was formed in Switzerland nearly 100 years ago and manufactures a range of products including polishing tools and machines.

Seearco Distributors has grown considerably since it was formed 25 years ago with just two staff. While the early years were spent growing its South Island business, Seearco moved into the North Island about eight years ago and has gone from strength to strength ever since. “We’ve flown underneath the radar for the past few years, but are now looking to grow our North Island presence further,” Barrett says. “Our focus is to build that market. We’ve been a leading supplier of abrasives in the South Island for many years and it’s a natural progression for us.” Seearco Distributors is also focused on growing its product base and is continually looking for new and innovative product. The company is currently developing its website to enable customers to purchase their abrasive products online. “Our emphasis has always been on service, and this is just another way we can continue

General manager Jason McDowall, who has been with the business for more than 20 years, says the company’s huge technical knowledge is one way it stays ahead of the market. Seearco Distributors is highly focused on keeping its staff up to date with new technologies. Staff undertake regular training at the company’s Christchurch training and testing facility, as well as in Germany, Australia and Switzerland. Staff offer a huge amount of product knowledge and specialist advice to customers, with a range of written technical assistance also available. The Christchurch facility allows the company to offer a complete product training service to customers. Seearco Distributors began in 1989 and today has representation and dealers throughout the country. The business is the New Zealand master agent for quality brands like Klingspor of Germany and Suhner from Switzerland. The company’s staff has in excess of 100 hundred combined years of expertise and experience in abrasives. Having staff with extensive years in the industry, along with continual training both here and Germany, Australia and Switzerland, make Seearco national leaders in the field.

Focus | Seerco Distributors

Everything from one source

•

Cutting and grinding discs

Seearco has coated abrasives in various qualities and designs, including belts, sheets and rolls, as well as cutting off wheels and grinding discs, abrasive mops, abrasive mop discs, small finishing mops and flexible abrasives.

•

Grinding wheels/points/grit

•

TCT burrs

•

Wire, wheels and brushes

•

Nylon and non-woven

•

Diamond products

Whichever material you want to work on, Seearco will provide you with the right abrasive:

•

Wood-finishing products

•

Air and power tools

•

Polishing compound and mops

•

Sheets and rolls

•

Accessories and miscellaneous items

•

Discs (coated)

•

Fillers and adhesives

•

Belts, bands and sleeves

•

Safety products

•

Flap wheels

•

Self adhesive tapes.

Seearco Distributors Limited PO Box 7019 Christchurch T (03) 381 0077 E sales@seearco.co.nz www.seearco.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Focus | Business Tip

The importance of stopping to reflect

If you are anything like me, life seems to be getting busier and busier, and the rate of change means you feel like you are running faster and faster just to keep up. The ability to drive business execution at a rapid pace is a vital ingredient on the path to success, but if you are not careful, you can become so stuck in “busy mode”, that you spend all of your time “doing” and not enough time thinking, reflecting and learning. So here are some tips to help you to create more reflective time:

Speak slowly, and pause often When speaking with your team, be comfortable with silences and take the time to collect your thoughts in between sentences. Frequently, the most interesting part of your speech will come after the pause. Watch great orators and notice how slowly they speak and how they take the time to pause.

Don’t get bogged down in the details Strategic thinking means getting clear on what needs to be done. Encourage your people to figure out the how. Surround yourself with great people who can be relied upon to do what they say they will do and are willing to be held accountable for results. Give them the tools and training they need to do their job, give them clear goals and standards, and get out of their way. If you insist on getting involved in every detail you will not have time to step back, reflect, and think strategically.

Go to conferences Go to the lectures. Learn from the thought leaders. Mingle with other people from your industry after hours and learn from them too. Take an extra day to drive the long road home so that you have time to ponder what you have learned.

One minute of silence To be honest, I have not tried this yet – but it sounds like a great tip that I want to try: Begin all meetings with one minute of silence so all participants can gather their thoughts, put away their devices and be fully present in the room before you start.

Take proper vacations

Build in quiet time Filling up your calendar with back to back appointments, with barely enough time to squeeze in a quick phone call or email in between each meeting is not conducive to quality thinking. Force yourself to build in a few minutes every hour to get away from people and away from your communication devices to go somewhere quiet and ponder these five questions: • What went well in my last appointment?

It can take one full week of being fully unplugged (no email / no phone calls) to even begin to feel like your batteries are being recharged. Business leaders need time out. No one can keep their pedal to the metal forever; eventually your mental and physical health starts to break down. So book some meaningful time out. Slow down. Relax. How will you make more time for reflection in your life?

• What did I learn? • What could I have done better? • How is my emotional state right now? • What emotional state do I need to bring into my next meeting?

Stephen Lynch is the chief operating officer of Global Operations at RESULTS.com. Information kindly provided by RESULTS.com: www.results.com

www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 43

Focus | Business Tip

Focus | UMF Honey Association

Protecting our

Management traps to avoid

golden harvest

By Stephen Lynch

The health promoting and healing effects of Manuka honey are well documented. The result of the research is a large scale export business from New Zealand and spiked interest in the socalled liquid gold - but what does the UMF® Association stand for?

How does Manuka honey differ from any other honey? In simple terms, the Manuka bush is pollinated by bees while collecting nectar, the resulting impact on the honey produced by the bees has been found to be a highly antibacterial, health enhancing product.

Well, the abbreviation means Unique Manuka Factor, but the association actually regulates the industry’s right to label produce as UMF® Manuka Honey.

Sweet science As an industry worth more than $100 million per year, the UMF® Association exists to protect the research behind the UMF accreditation recognised in more than 46 key trading countries.

UMF Honey Association’s goal “To develop and maintain for members the UMF® brand as representing products for superior anti-bacterial applications.”

Laboratory certified

UMF® 10+ Manuka Honey

In scientific terms, the level of non-peroxide activity is scientifically analysed to detect the correlation to the phenol standard; meaning UMF® 5 Manuka Honey has the same anti-bacterial activity as five percent phenol solution, and UMF® 10 Manuka Honey has the anti-bacterial activity as 10 percent phenol solution and so on. This unique antibacterial activity is over and above the usual active properties of honey, and sets Manuka Honey apart as one of nature’s true wonder foods.

The association was founded to categorise the non-peroxide activity present in Manuka honey. Before the UMF® Association was formed, the term ‘active’ could be applied to any activity levels occurring within any honey. The reputation of Manuka Honey on a global scale had to protected, as did the consumer, so in 1998 Dr Peter Molan (MBE) announced at a beekeepers’ field-day in Paengaroa, the name UMF® had been registered and it stood for Unique Manuka Factor. According to Horticulture Monitoring New Zealand produced more than 16,000 tonnes of honey in 2012/13 and Manuka Honey represented 80 to 90 percent of that figure. The global demand has soared in recent years and the UMF® Association is facing evergrowing challenges to keep the integrity of its trademark from the being replicated on imposter products.

NOW AVAILABLE IN SUPERMARKETS NATIONWIDE

Consumers with an interest in the benefits of choosing a UMF certified brand should visit the association website, www.umf.org.nz to learn more about the unique antibacterial properties of our country’s sweetest export. UMF Honey Association E enquiry@umf.org.nz www.umf.org.nz

Cambridge Bee Products Ltd. 63 Benn Rd, RD3, Cambridge 3495

[p] 07 827 3286 www.haddrells.co.nz

44 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Leaders have two main jobs – direction and delegation. You don’t `do the work´ anymore because it’s your job to `get things done through others.´ You make the transition from using your functional skills to supporting other people to use theirs. Your job now is to prioritise the right key performance indicators and projects and then get them done through your people. You start by setting clear goals and providing clear directions about what good performance looks like. Then put the right systems and performance measures in place and hold people accountable to achieve those standards. Now, step back and let your team figure out how to do it.

Unfortunately when it comes to staff, it is an all too common trap for managers to spend most of their time trying to `fix´ poor performers, and as a result they can end up neglecting their A players. Assuming you are providing the appropriate training, coaching and support - if a sub-par employee can’t be brought up to speed within a mutually agreed time frame (I suggest three months), then you must accept that you have made a hiring error and cut them loose.

Stay in touch with the customer Make sure you truly know what is going on at the front lines of your business. Get out there and see for yourself. Speak to customers. Spend time listening to customer service calls to hear what upset customers really think about your products and services. Make it safe for your people to tell you the raw unvarnished truth. Don’t argue with them or shut them down. You may not always like what you hear, but at least now you have the opportunity to put it right. Get the raw data you need to make good decisions.

They’ll develop faster and you’ll get more done. Yes, you are accountable for the results of your team’s work and you need to provide training, mentoring and support - but don’t try Make a decision to control everything that happens. You may think your way is the right way - but it’s not The military teaches their officers that any the only right way. decision is better than no decision. If you happen to make a wrong decision, admit you were wrong, and make a better one – but You still have to hold people accountable don’t just stand there being indecisive! Ideally, every role should have one objective measure of performance, a `score´ which is used to measure that person’s performance Keep the home fires burning on a weekly and/or monthly basis. Everyone Just as we need to keep the romance alive in must know at the end of every month our personal relationships and not take our whether they are doing a good job or not. loved ones for granted, we need to apply the If someone is not achieving the target level same thinking with our people. Praise and of performance, it is important that you deal recognise people who achieve their target with it promptly at the end of each month. level of performance every month and who Rarely does a performance issue fix itself. Ask simultaneously model your core values. questions to understand what is really going Engage your people with your heartfelt on, and agree the specific actions both parties passion. If you are not truly passionate about will take to address the performance issue in the journey you are on, then you should not the coming month. be leading these people. Don’t spend too much time trying to fix problem performers

Stop being the hero

The 80/20 principle shows us time and time again that we must focus our time and resources on the employees, products, services, and customers which are the highest performers, and on those with the highest future potential.

If you have to keep parachuting in to save the day, you get to feel like a hero, but it is a symptom that you have not yet learned how to be an effective leader and a clear sign that you need to go back and address one or more of the above steps.

Focus | Vision Manawatu

A vision for Manawatu

The economic, social, cultural and professional potential of Manawatu region knows no bounds. Its offering is prosaic by nature – if you are there you will be seen, you will be heard and you will be supported. The support comes in the form of Vision Manawatu – an organisation whose strength and success is derived from its shared determination to build partnerships between the region’s stakeholders and other key business organisations that share compatible ambitions.

Strategic vision Vision Manawatu recently signed a five year relational contract with Palmerston North City Council, Manawatu District Council and Destination Manawatu. This contract signifies a cooperative approach between the organisations. The cohesive vision to show the nation, and the world, that Manawatu has made a commitment to an enhanced collaborative approach, direction and traction for a 10 year strategy.

The 10 year strategy encompasses goals and outcomes that are ultimately challenging, but are related to the strengths, ambitions and global opportunities pertinent to Manawatu.

educational institutions like the International Pacific College, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and of course, Massey, the opportunity lies with exporting of education.

Acting chief executive Rodney Wong says “Vision Manawatu has a role as an initiator to get more businesses and more jobs. What we have done is look at regional economic development and at the strengths we have in this region.”

“These are the key drivers for the economy in this region. Our role at Vision Manawatu is to highlight that and also look at what enablers we can put in place to assist those productive sectors to grow.”

While there are 16 economic sectors in total within the Manawatu, it is not logistically or economically possible to concentrate on all of them. “Similarly, these are not necessarily productive sectors although they are large,” Wong concedes.

Vision Manawatu is also in a position where it can pursue progress that is outside the jurisdiction of the local councils. “We are looking at significant economic change by what we do in these sectors. Vision Manawatu should lead the economic roading network plan that’s looking at where and what the priorities are for roading in the wider region.

“We have identified the strengths as being centred around three different productive sectors. We know that these regionally “This is outside of the boundaries of significant productive sectors are the key parts each individual council, whereas we of the economy that grow and add value are in a position where we can make to it.” recommendations to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) based on economic The first sector is based on geography – the benefit for the region.” fact that Manawatu is a logistics hub and has access to a five-link rail system, which in turn In short, the mandate of Vision Manawatu is grants access to different ports. simple. “We do five things for business; we attract, recruit, retain, grow and contribute,” The second thriving sector in Manawatu is Wong says. agri-business and food. “What we are doing at Massey University is critical to this,” “We do this by running mentoring schemes, Wong says. hosting awards, and we are also New Zealand Agriculture is the most significant part of agri- Trade and Enterprise’s (NZTE) registered provider network agency.” business in the region, and forestry sectors also play fundamental roles within Vision Manawatu has been offering a Smart the economy. Business Acceleration Programme for more than a decade. The intensive 12 week course “The third sector is education – education is designed for small to medium businesses is very strong in the Manawatu region with

Fast Manawatu facts •

Manawatu’s regional economy is built on strong foundations and a strong history of stable growth

•

The region is in a strong position to take advantage of international opportunities while continuing to maximise its local advantages

•

The regional economy is resilient and has traditionally afforded the business landscape protection from economic hardship

•

A strong public sector presence such as defence and education helps to provide strong economic foundations

•

While impacted from time to time by global markets, the rural sector builds on these foundations and has strong growth potential, particularly around food innovation

•

Manawatu’s growing reputation as a logistics hub keeps it connected to the rest of New Zealand and the world.

that are looking to grow their operations. It offers concentrated learning opportunities for business owners and key staff, in addition to 10 hours of one on one business coaching by a personal mentor. A recent review of the programme was conducted by reviewing all participant companies from the 2011 and 2012 programmes. The review found that past participants had greater confidence levels in managing their business since completing the programme and that business owners had stronger staff engagement, communication and increased overall performance in their business. “Our overarching driver is that we get more businesses and more jobs. The key to success is a high level of in-depth engagement with local businesses.” For more information about the services and support available through Vision Manawatu go to: www.visionmanawatu.org.nz Vision Manawatu Level 3, 26 Broadway Avenue PO Box 12025 Palmerston North 4441 T (06) 350 1830 www.visionmanawatu.org.nz — Advertising Feature

Achieve the best bottom line THE MANAWATU REGION HAS A STRONG COMMERCIAL STORY TO TELL- ABOUT AMBITION, GROWTH AND SUCCESS. With our great central location - efficient distribution hub - outstanding infrastructure - reliable and regular air, rail and road transport And our growing pool of talented people, Manawatu adds up to a great place to do business P. 06 350 1830 | E. info@visionmanawatu.org.nz | www.visionmanawatu.org.nz www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 45

Initiatives | Len Lye Centre

Many famous artists win public affection when they depart this world. Other artists bask in the glow of critical praise during their lifetime, but their popularity may be fleeting or fad-like.

Celebrating genius Quotes by Len Lye “Great architecture goes fifty-fifty with great art.”

Not Len Lye. He doesn’t fit into either of these categories - because his work is as loved and respected now as it was when he was alive.

“(I’m) interested in the business of energy and getting a feeling of zizz.”

His lifetime commitment to experimental art is being immortalised in a public art centre development that is set to take New Plymouth’s already strong cultural and contemporary identity to the next level.

“My work I think is going to be pretty good for the 21st century.”

The vision The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery / Len Lye Centre will be a combined art museum facility designed to deliver a unique programme offering experiences associated with both contemporary art, and the art and ideas of Len Lye. Its existence is founded in the vision of two individuals: Monica Brewster who established the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and its collection through a gift and subsequent bequest; and Len Lye who bequeathed his collection and archive to be housed at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery. Both these generous gifts were specifically intended for the public benefit of the people of New Zealand. The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, established in 1970, is Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading

contemporary art museum and is setting the precedent for the new centre. The award winning gallery is recognised nationally and internationally for its courageous dedication to the art of today, with a special commitment to art from the Pacific including New Zealand and its innovative programming.

as one that might be expected in one of New Zealand’s larger cities - “The GovettBrewster Art Gallery has set a benchmark for commitment to the ‘new’”. The Govett-Brewster presented Len Lye’s first major exhibition in 1977 with several of his works developed by keen local engineers. Towards the end of his life, Lye established the Len Lye Foundation with the intention of realising his grandest sculptural visions posthumously.

Held in high regard by both art circles and everyday visitors, the Govett-Brewster offers a stimulating hub for an open exchange of ideas The artist knew his plans would resonate with and dialogue. the eyes and minds of the 21st century. In In receiving The Arts Foundation of New 1980 he bequeathed his entire collection of Zealand Governors’ Award, the judges about 18,000 items to the Len Lye Foundation, to be housed at the Govett-Brewster Art acknowledged the gallery’s programme

Gallery, which the artist called, “the swingiest art gallery in the antipodes”. Len Lye and New Plymouth already have a close relationship - appearing together in major guidebooks such as Let’s Go, Lonely Planet and Rough Guides. Since its installation on New Plymouth’s Coastal Walkway in 2000, Len Lye’s Wind Wand has become a point of reference for locals and visitors to the region. The Rough Guide to New Zealand features a text box with a short bio of Len Lye in the New Plymouth section. The association has built up an expectation for national and international visitors to see Lye’s work.

Benefits to the region The Govett-Brewster / Len Lye Centre will: •

Create a point of difference for New Plymouth and Taranaki as a nationally and internationally compelling destination to visit, live and work – helping the region’s employers attract skilled workers

•

Provide future growth and prosperity for our city and region

•

Be a magnetic visitor attraction that will be a catalyst for social, education and business interaction and spend in the region

•

Provide education programmes that will encourage debate and understanding about contemporary

www.pattersons.com

ideas within the cultural landscape of today and tomorrow •

Offer lifelong learning for all ages, especially our tangata whenua, and youth, through public programmes

•

Contribute to an enlivened urban arts and culture precinct, adding to the considerable ‘pull’ of the Coastal Walkway, Wind Wand, Pukekura Park and Puke Ariki

•

Support the Council’s strategic intent of offering ‘an attractive living environment that compares favorably nationally and internationally’

•

Offer a focal point for creative and engineering excellence that will bolster the regional economy.

460 Devon Street, New Plymouth [ p ] 06 769 6408 [ e ] office@rivet.net.nz [ w ] www.rivet.net.nz

Sheetmetal, Manufacturing, and Engineering Solutions 46 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Initiatives | Len Lye Centre

Getting to know Len Lye Len Lye is one of New Zealand’s most influential modern artists. A pioneer experimental filmmaker, sculptor, painter and writer, Len Lye was an innovative New Zealander and is one of the most important artists to emerge from this country. His work has broad appeal – art, engineering, ingenuity.

A work of art The Len Lye Centre will be a mix of multimedia to indulge the senses and engage the mind, and is set to provide permanent access to the art and ideas of Len Lye. It will house, care for and display the Len Lye Collection and Archive: a large and diverse body of work including films, kinetic sculptures, paintings, photographs, batiks, artist books and works on paper, as well as Lye’s studio materials, unpublished manuscripts and memorabilia. As part of its strategy called ‘New Plymouth as the Centre for Len Lye’, the New Plymouth District Council will work with the Len Lye Foundation as it delivers a programme of restoration of works, and the development of works according to the artist’s wishes. Governance for the establishment of the Len Lye Centre is through the Len Lye Committee (established 2004), comprised of New Plymouth District councillors and Len Lye Foundation trustees. The New Plymouth District Council will own and operate the combined facility. It will be an arts destination, a creative cultural hub, as well as a quality environment

for attracting business through events and hospitality, with exhibitions and collections at its heart. The centre is also set to enrich its location, with the New Plymouth business community presented with a unique opportunity to capitalise on the attention it is set to attract. Recent urban redevelopment and investment within the surrounding area is estimated at $40 million. Len Lye Committee chairman, Lance GirlingButcher says the district has transformed itself in the last 10 to 15 years and has a national reputation as a vibrant place. “The Len Lye Centre will add to that reputation and I think over time people will come to be very proud of it. There will be nothing like it in New Zealand in terms of the architecture, the art and the education. The education and public programmes will be quite dynamic. “Increased visitor numbers to the area will be great for business and the local community will really benefit from new access to key spaces for events and an area that can be hired out.”

A trusted partner to architects, designers, distributors, fabricators and builders throughout NZ, DORMA has built its reputation on engineering its products to a standard – not to a price – to ensure rock-solid reliability. We're proud to stand 100 per cent behind what we sell.

Pleased to be associated with the Len Lye Centre

“

In the United Kingdom and Europe, Len Lye is known more for his films than his kinetic sculptures. Early in his career he was commissioned by the General Post Office to create ads for cinema and these later lead to making war propaganda films. The Len Lye exhibition at ACMI (Australian Centre for Moving Image) in Melbourne 2009 attracted more than 35,000 visitors.

The Len Lye

The Len Lye Body Electric exhibition at Ikon Gallery, Birmingham UK in 2011 had an audience of more than 12,000.

Centre will add to that reputation

The Len Lye Kaleidoscope exhibition at City Gallery, Wellington this year attracted more than 41,000 visitors.

and I think over

The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts in the US will feature Len Lye’s Wind Wands (1961, 2013 reconstruction) in the Things of Their Own Making exhibition, 13 February to 23 August 2014.

time people will come to be very proud of it.

”

The Drawing Centre in New York will feature Len Lye’s drawings, photograms, paintings, sculptures and film in the exhibition Motion Sketch from 16 April to 15 June 2014.

PROUD LOCAL TARANAKI CONTRACTORS UNDERTAKING THE DEMOLITION AND SITE WORKS FOR THE LEN LYE CENTRE

www.dorma.co.nz | 0800 4 36762 Door Control / Architectural Hardware • Operable Walls / Room Dividing Systems • Automatic Sliding, Revolving and Swing Door Operators • Glass Fittings & Systems

www.tccl.co.nz

www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 47

Initiatives | Len Lye Centre The Len Lye Centre will offer: • Quality venue hire spaces for events and hospitality • Large works gallery - main works gallery • A 61 seat cinema with a daily film programme

Initiatives | Taranaki Industrial Electrical Services

“

We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our investors.

• Dedicated facility for national and international research • Two large education spaces • Access to the Govett-Brewster and Len Lye’s Collection and Archive

”

• Extended range of public engagement programmes. The addition of the Len Lye Centre builds on and enhances the Govett-Brewster’s existing award-winning exhibition spaces, reception, Art and Design Shop and Café Govett-Brewster.

Widespread support The support for the Len Lye Centre development has been significant. The TSB Community Trust committed $1 million in 2009, and $4 million was invested by the Ministry for Arts Culture and Heritage Regional Museum Policy Fund in 2011.

“We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our investors, although we are yet to complete our fundraising objectives. Total funds raised to date are $8,792,520 leaving just over $2.7 million to raise,” GirlingButcher says. “There is a range of levels to financially support the facility. The Len Lye Centre Trust is currently focusing on naming rights and the $10,000 Lasting Legacy panels, with investor names to be acknowledged by etching them into the stainless steel panels that form the exterior of the building.”

In the same year, $500,000 was donated by Lotteries’ Environment and Heritage Fund and Donations can be made at www.len-lye.com $3 million was invested by Todd Energy – the largest commitment from the private sector to Len Lye Centre Trust arts in New Zealand’s history. Between 2012 Private Bag 2025 and 2013, $290,000 was privately donated to New Plymouth 4310 the project. T (06) 759 6134 E lenlyecentretrust@len-lye.com www.len-lye.com

— Advertising Feature

Delivering innovation There aren’t many firsts these days. To design something that is completely unique with technology giants occupying every inch of the market and throwing their innovative weight around, takes commercial originality that is quite extraordinary. Lucky for New Zealand, Taranaki Industrial Electrical Services, or TIES for short, is quite extraordinary. A company based in Hawera that punches well above its weight, TIES has developed a power source that drives a $20 million drilling rig – the first of its kind New Zealand.

The giant transformer TIES is a small, privately owned company offering a range of competitive services from small site maintenance work, through to large industrial projects. Established in 2010 by owner and operator John Linn, who had 25 years of experience under his business belt, the company specialises in electrical installation, repairs and servicing in hazardous areas, as well as machine safeguarding, design and build and the maintenance of industrial plants.

PROUDLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LEN LYE CENTRE

AIR CONDITIONING | REFRIGERATION | BUILDING SERVICES

Phone 0800 392 351

Email b.conley@excel.co.nz

48 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

We work closely with our customers to design and develop energy efficient, cost effective and sustainable installations and maintenance regimes.

Webster Drilling Nova 1 Electrical System The nuts and bolts: • The electrical system for the rig is powered from three model P1250 generator sets • Each generator set runs at 400VAC @50Hz, and is rated at 1250kva • The three generator sets are linked electronically for synchronising and load sharing functions. This gives a combined total available at 3750kva • The generator connects to the main electrical control room via “PowerSafe” electrically interlocked plug panels then through individual circuit breakers (Schneider Masterpact NW25 H1) to the main switchboard buss • Power is then distributed through circuit breakers from the main switchboard to the larger rig equipment and other supply panels that supply the smaller rig equipment.

Initiatives | Taranaki Industrial Electrical Services

It prides itself on delivering excellent customer service and quality workmanship at cost effective prices. This commitment has earned the company the privilege of a strong customer base which in turn benefits from TIES’ industrial expertise.

TIES’ values Technology: Using and keeping customers up to date on the latest proven equipment to enhance their production and safety. Offering cost saving benefits on energy and maintenance

In recognition of its experience and capability, the company was contracted to design and build an electrical distribution centre (EDC) for an Auger VR500 land drilling rig - the Webster Drilling Nova 1 Electrical System.

Integrity: Building strong relationships and trust by being always open and honest with customers, staff and suppliers

The power source - the first of its kind in New Zealand - was built into a 40 foot cargo container and has a staggering nine tonnes of electrical control equipment inside.

Educate: Committed to providing high level training to staff to develop their knowledge, skills and abilities that can then be passed on to customers

The VR5000 was imported from the United States and belongs to Wellington’s Webster Drilling and Exploration. It was taken to Ngaere’s Cheal Site for commissioning on 10 May 2012 and has been drilling for tag oil for 24 hours a day, seven days a week ever since.

Safety: Being a leading organisation in the industry with regard to health and safety performance. Developing the latest innovation and technologies to eliminate risk to employees, customers, contractors and the wider community.

Like a giant transformer, the EDC can be quickly connected or disconnected to incoming power supplies and field equipment. There is 3.75 megawatts of power running through three generators attached to the EDC and it can supply power to two 630 kilowatt motors, with provision for a third, and many other smaller motors at the same time.

TIES Team ECANZ Award 2013

The high degree of complexity, synchronisation, automation, health and safety challenges and expertise involved with this project commanded significant attention. TIES was the overall winner for the 2013 ECANZ Excellence Award for exemplifying excellence in the New Zealand Electrical Industry.

Taranaki Industrial Electrical Services PO Box 408 Hawera 4640 T (06) 278 6571 E john.linn@ties.org.nz www.ties.org.nz — Advertising Feature

d t L r o l y a T s i Harr ts Positive Resul

n Positive Actio

AC CHARTERED

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[p] 06 278 8854 | www.ideal.co.nz www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 49

Oil & Gas | ITL

Multi-million dollar acquisition to pay divends for locals The purchase of Independent Technology Limited (ITL) by a large Australian engineering company reflects the Taranaki business’ rapid growth and success in recent years. ITL, which is a leading oil and gas engineering company in New Plymouth, was bought by Brisbane based LogiCamms earlier this year for more than $16 million. The purchase is made up of $11.25 million in cash and $5 million in LogiCamms shares, with additional performance payments of up to $5 million over two years. The sale is a big result for ITL’s six shareholders, Andrew Smith, Graham and Kim Gilkison, Ryan McDonald, Alan Hooker and Colin Fromont.

Formed in 1988 by three employees of the former Natural Gas Corporation, ITL is a specialist in design and build engineering for industrial process plants, particularly in the oil and gas sector. ITL has enjoyed large growth and today boasts a workforce of more than 145. It is expected to achieve revenues of $28.2 million and a net profit of $4.5 million this financial year.

LogiCamms overview LogiCamms is a leading provider of engineering consulting, project delivery, and asset performance services in Australia and New Zealand. The company works with owners and operators of minerals and metals, hydrocarbons and infrastructure assets, providing high quality solutions that reduce costs, increase efficiencies and enhance the value of customers’ operations. LogiCamms' engineering capabilities include:

The company will remain based in New Plymouth and now looks set to achieve even more business growth.

• Process engineering

Complementary companies

• Electrical engineering and instrumentation

Under the new arrangement, Colin Fromont, who was previously ITL’s general manager, has become LogiCamms’ New Zealand operations director.

• Automation and control systems

Alan Hooker and Andrew Smith will also remain in New Plymouth, while Graham Gilkison and Ryan McDonald will be based in Brisbane. Kim Gilkison will split her business time between New Zealand and Australia. ITL’s headquarters in the former New Plymouth RSA building on Devon St East is now the LogiCamms New Zealand base, but it will continue to operate under the ITL brand and support its existing client base, while continuing to build its presence in New Zealand.

• Mechanical and piping engineering • Civil and structural engineering

• Hazardous area services. LogiCamms’ asset performance professionals provide a range of solutions, including: • Operational readiness • Asset integrity • Operational excellence • Competency training and assurance.

Prior to the acquisition, the two companies had an existing strategic partnership, having successfully worked together for gas industry customers in Australia. LogiCamms managing director Steve Banning says this working relationship shows that both companies have complementary capabilities. Precision Engineering Specialists In: CNC Machining, CNC Milling, Turning, Milling, Grinding

PROUD TO SUPPORT ITL CALL US NOW!

6 Cygnet Drive, Bell Block, New Plymouth

Kim Gilkison says she and her fellow shareholders are excited to be joining LogiCamms. The company’s existing customer relationships, geographic footprint and complementary culture would provide expanded and diverse career opportunities for ITL staff. “LogiCamms will expose us to a much wider range of opportunities to offer our specialist capabilities to customers in international markets.”

06 769 5328 www.denniskinglaw.com

We are proud to have been involved with ITL’s merger with LogiCamms and wish them well for their exciting future. 50 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Oil & Gas | ITL

ITL is strengthening its services to New Zealand customers, including:

New services on offer The purchase of ITL by LogiCamms in Australia is good news for customers of the New Plymouth company. ITL operations director Colin Fromont says the acquisition by LogiCamms will result in some changes for ITL customers, but they’re all positive. “The main thing for our customers in New Zealand is that LogiCamms do a lot of the same work as we do with engineering, but they do additional work as well. We’re already delivering additional services on top of our traditional suite of engineering.” These new services include asset management and competency training. “At the moment we’re using LogiCamms’ people to recruit some local resources and build on those resources so we can deliver them locally,” Fromont says. “Another area we’re looking at is competency training and they do a lot of training in

Australia with their operators. Primarily that is in hazardous areas and high voltage, as well as training around asset management. They are areas we’re exploring that we’re talking to customers about.”

“Those concerns have now gone away because we’re still delivering the same services. They were also concerned about rates possibly going up to Australian rates, but that hasn’t happened either,” he says.

Fromont says LogiCamms has particular strengths in instrumentation and controls.

“We’re continuing to grow and we now have the freedom to do that. It’s been three months since the acquisition. The Australians may have bought us but we’re still the same old ITL.”

“We have that capability already but their's is broader. Now we can access that expertise fairly easily as it’s all on the east coast of Australia.” ITL can also utilise LogiCamms’ systems and processes. “They’re a bigger company than we are. We’re growing and we need to beef up some of our own processes. LogiCamms was our size six years ago and have already been where we are, so they can help us.”

Customers reassured Fromont says some ITL customers were initially concerned about how the acquisition would affect the services they received.

Sharing resources and staff Some staff are transferring between ITL and LogiCamms, as both companies benefit from ITL’s new ownership. Fromont says several ITL staff have moved to Australia to work permanently, while several Australian LogiCamms staff have also moved to New Zealand, with more expected to come in the future. This transference of skills and expertise between the two companies will benefit New

•

Design services

•

Design engineering

•

Packaged equipment

•

Feasibility studies

•

Engineering procurement and construction management

•

Marine

•

Design expertise.

Zealand customers through the increased resources and skills now available in Taranaki. “We’re very staff focused. The growth of the business provides opportunities for our staff and the acquisition takes it one step further,” he says. “LogiCamms is also very people focused and they’re very interested in developing our people, as well as theirs. We’re only halfway through the acquisition process but there’s quite a lot of expectation of being able to pick up staff to help us make our jobs better. The staff development is really positive.” One of the keys to ITL’s success is the quality of the staff it employs, he says. “There’s a real desire within the company to maintain the style of service that we provide. There’s a definite ITL way of doing things and we have maintained that.”

Specialists at negotiating business sales, mergers and acquisitions

Proudly assisting ITL to obtain a fantastic outcome with LogiCamms Phone Peter Ertel at our New Plymouth office 06 758 5273 w w w. b u s i n g r u s s e l l . c o . n z - NDT - Heat Treatment - Inspection & Certification of:

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PH 753 6169 107-109 De Havilland Drive, New Plymouth

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Importers and Stockists of Steel Pipe and Fittings. Contact us for great service and access to a wide range of steel pipe and fittings.

Ph: (06) 755 9155 E: sales@pipesnzltd.co.nz www.pipesnz.co.nz

We congr atu ITL on late their recent merge r LogiC with amms

www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 51

Oil & Gas | ITL Company overview Independent Technology Limited will continue to provide a vast range of specialist engineering solutions to New Zealand’s oil and gas industry. ITL was formed 25 years ago and has grown under the leadership of directors Andrew Smith, Graham Gilkison, Alan Hooker, Colin Fromont, Kim Gilkison and Ryan McDonald. ITL provides engineering services to local and international industry. Its focus is mainly oil and gas, although the company does have clients in a range of industries from dairy through to technical design of superyacht components.

ITL’s skill and technical excellence puts it at the forefront of industrial process plant construction. Staff will take a project from a feasibility study, design, procurement, project management through to construction and commissioning service. The flat structure of the business gives its engineers exposure to a wide variety of work. Cross discipline interaction creates a flow of information and a good company-wide understanding of projects. The team at ITL likes to excel and aims to provide a high level of effective solutions for every task.

Specialist design services ITL works primarily in the production cycle of the oil and gas industry, offering solutions to its clients. The company provides a full range of feasibility studies and design services, including 2D and 3D modelling, enabling detailed viewing of processes and plants as they come to life. Clients work directly with the design and engineering teams and can make customised changes throughout the design and build process. ITL’s process design engineers provide design for offshore and onshore facilities, hydrocarbon and gas compression facilities. Facilities are designed for crude oil separation and handling, condensate stabilisation, gas dehydration, NGL recovery and LPG fractionisation. ITL’s civil and structural design includes pipe supports and racks, equipment support structures and skids, conveyor and material handling systems and lifting equipment. The company designs and builds packaged equipment and process units using robust designs and innovative engineering.

LogiCamms managing director Steve Banning, left, with ITL directors Kim Gilkison Andrew Smith and general manager Colin Fromont

www.jle.co.nz

ITL also undertakes mechanical and piping design, instrument, electrical and control design and facility control systems, as well as protective systems, fire and gas systems, field instrumentation and electrical systems.

High and Low Voltage electrical Installation and Maintenance, Automation and Control, Instrumentation, Pneumatics, HVAC

To contact JLE free call 0800 ASK JLE (0800 275 553), or Email. askjle@jle.co.nz

SUPPORTING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

One of the facilities it supports is the Vector Kapuni gas treatment plant. This engineering support service is provided for both Kapuni and Vector Transmission.

Marine design The ITL Marine Division creates precisionengineered modules for the most luxurious ocean-going craft through to the harshest operational environments for the maritime military. ITL’s unparalleled design expertise extends to designing for international super yachts. Engineers and designers with considerable innovative experience in this industry are proud of their ability to design and manufacture custom mechanisms of any complexity to design brief specifications for anything that moves and can be powered.

Engineering support ITL’s general engineering design work includes chemical processing systems, industrial heating and cooling systems, boiler and burner systems, pipeline instrumentation and preparation of design specifications and work packs.

ITL PO Box 7170 New Plymouth T (06) 758 1223 E general@itlengineering.com www.itnz.co.nz

1. Project management: regular reporting and control of cost, schedule, risk and quality across all projects.

JLE operates to provide our customers with electrical, instrumentation and mechanical services.

A niche area of business for ITL is in vibration and pulsation studies, while a large part of its workload involves providing engineering support to the projects it has completed.

These designs include toy doors, swimming pools, helicopter decks, defence stations and gangways.

ITL’s design expertise

Proudly associated with ITL

The company provides purpose-built gas processing equipment, working closely with fabricators. ITL has specialist knowledge of compression work and has designed compression units for both onshore and offshore applications. Sizing and design are extremely important, not only for optimisation of production, but also safety.

2. Process design: using the latest technology to optimise energy efficiency and resource use. 3. Design draughting - the use of CAD software optimises designs for ease of transport, operation and maintenance. 4. Mechanical design - all ITL pressure vessels, tanks, stations, rotating machinery and pipeline systems.

0800 240 380

Specialists in commercial and light industrial electrical installations.

— Advertising Feature

undergo full modelling analysis as part of design, commissioning and operation. 5. Instrumentation and electrical design - this includes all areas of electrical design, from basic UPS, battery and lighting systems to high-voltage power generation and low voltage motor control systems. 6. Civil and structural design - ITL’s capabilities include skids, pipe supports, gantry systems, buildings and lifting equipment, with all processes supported by rigorously tested and optimised structures.

Leading subsurface utility locating company in NZ The latest Concrete Imaging Radar equipment available to look for reinforcing steel in concrete buildings and floor slabs.

Proud to be ITL’s preferred electrical contractor Process Safety Consultants

CONGRATULATIONS ITL ON THE SUCCESS OF YOUR ORGANISATION AND THANK YOU

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52 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Ground Penetrating Radar Surveys.

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Export | Mount Pack and Cool Ltd

Kiwifruit industry hangs tough Kiwifruit is not only a daily staple in most of our lives, it is a major export for our country and has played an integral role in helping New Zealand diversify its food production economy. The market is incredibly vulnerable however, sensitive to Mother Nature, global market conditions and other environmental challenges, including bacterial kiwifruit vine disease, Pseudomonas Syringae Actinidia (PSA).

Their business is our business without being intrusive,” Gardiner says.

Underpinning this competition is an extremely volatile environment.

“There are instances where the bigger companies are consolidating, but often the bigger the supply groups, the greater the challenge. They are exposed to a wider range of climatic and geographic growing conditions, which can impact on productivity and therefore their economic performance does tend to change.

“The uncertainty that PSA has created has had a several fold effect,” Gardiner confirms. “Firstly, we don’t have an absolute antidote. Some varieties of fruit are more prone to infection than others – particularly the gold categories.

“We have a family orientated atmosphere the bigger companies don’t necessarily afford their clients. We like to work with them as much as suits them to ensure we can do the best possible job.” The result of this symbiotic relationship with its clients is that Mount Pack and Cool has earned itself a valuable portfolio of clients.

It has been a challenging time for growers and service providers in the kiwifruit industry these past several years, but the businesses that make up this landscape are not backing down. They are pushing harder than ever to recover losses and make the kiwifruit industry more resilient than ever before.

“Close working relationships means the knowledge of optimal harvest maturity, cool storage options and shipping schedules. We are able to get their fruit to market at a time when the fruit is at its best. This in turn helps their orchard gate return, which is a primary indicator of success or failure.”

Integrally involved with this effort is Mount Pack and Cool – a private, small to medium business enterprise dealing in all matters of kiwifruit

Overcoming challenges Is the kiwifruit industry competitive? Gardiner says there is no question about it.

“There is also uncertainty in terms of orchard values, and growers have potentially and realistically lost equity in their properties relative to where they were at the peak of the market and pre-PSA.” Equally, the post harvest sector has had to adjust its service charges to meet market competition. The conviction among industry members however, is that the challenges are manageable. “Much of the Hort.16A category was removed because of its inability to cope with PSA and have been replaced with new grafting of another variety called G3, or Sungold,” Gardiner explains. “There are of course challenges that arise associated with varietal integrity, market acceptance and grower returns, but hopefully the new brand will continue to grow in popularity. There will be approximately 3,000 hectares of it grafted by spring 2014.

Although there is no way to fully eradicate PSA as yet, the industry is working hard to find solutions. “Pseudomonas is very common bacteria, but the syringae strain has come out of virtually nowhere and been pretty disruptive. “Ultimately you can kill the bacteria with a whole range of products, but to continually revisit spraying is unsustainable and not conducive to good fruit or plant health.” Mount Pack and Cool is continuing to push on despite the challenges. “We pack 3.5 million trays of the Haywood variety (green) for class one export and provide about 350,000 trays of class two green fruit. Until the onset of PSA we had a volume of about 400,000 of other varieties, which were predominantly gold. Today that number is about 200,000, so we were not hugely exposed. “If you take into account the new brand and the future success of this, it is likely there will be another upsurge in the need for our services.” Mount Pack and Cool Ltd PO Box 10318 Bayfair Mount Maunganui T (07) 547 4400 E hugh@mountpac.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Services Mount Pack and Cool’s client services manager, Hugh Gardiner knows the industry like the back of his hand. “We prepare kiwifruit for export and marketing by Zespri International of all class one kiwifruit, by variety, throughout the world.” In turn, Mount Pack and Cool has its own subsidiary, Global Fresh Ltd, which exports non-class one fruit into Australia and our local market. The size of Mount Pack and Cool is living proof of the old adage that big is not necessarily better and the company prides itself on getting close to its clients. “In the first instance, we have a relatively small, but very loyal client base.

Providing Software Solutions for MPAC since 2009 Radfords are software design and development specialists with a particular focus on inventory management, logistics, supply chain and grower payment systems. Our solutions are used throughout the post-harvest horticultural industry, both throughout New Zealand and internationally.

www.radfords.co.nz

E. info@radfords.co.nz

T. +64 7 579 1106

12 Bethlehem Road, Tauranga www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 53

Transport & Motoring | Bell Block Service Centre

Merger looks to align capabilities and benefit customers Bell Block Service Centre in New Plymouth is under new ownership, with big plans in place to develop and grow the business alongside its sister company, Key Machinery Centre. New owners for machinery centre The renowned service centre in Connett Road, Bell Block, has been purchased by John and Jackie Sewell, who also own the Key Machinery Centre (KMC) in Paraite Road, Bell Block. Bell Block Service Centre was previously owned by WR Phillips Limited and specialises in truck and trailer repairs, while KMC specialises in servicing heavy machinery such as bulldozers and diggers. The Sewells bought the service centre three months ago and have big plans for the business. “At the moment we’re going through a restructuring phase,” John Sewell says. “Eventually KMC and Bell Block Service Centre will merge. They will still be separate companies but they now come under the umbrella of J and J Sewell Holdings Limited. Underneath that we will have the heavy machinery division, which is KMC, and the truck and trailer division, which is Bell Block. “We’re setting it up as a corporate entity and at the end of it we’ll have a business that caters for everything that the heavy

machinery and transport industry demands. We’ll be a one-stop shop for the whole package, from light engineering through to the heavy machinery, warrants of fitness, certificates of fitness, auto electrical work and air conditioning.”

All services available on one large site

and provide the best service and parts repair shop in the industry. It’s been a steep learning curve but it’s been very rewarding.”

The Bell Block Service Centre is located on an 8,000 sqm site in Connett Road that houses a state of the art facility featuring nine vehicle bays, six of which are drive through bays.

Huge industry experience

“Bell Block has WOF facilities, COF facilities and auto electricians on site,” Sewell says. “It’s a purpose built truck repair shop in its own right. We have a parts department on site with a lot of franchises on site as well.”

Merge is good news for customers

John Sewell has been in the automotive industry for almost 40 years and has a wealth of experience to offer his customers and staff. “I started off as a mechanic and served my time in Taihape in a Ford garage. “I started my apprentice at 17 and worked in various places in New Plymouth before starting at KMC. I worked there for about 12 years before the opportunity came up to buy the business two years ago.”

KMC has experienced an annual growth of 50 60 percent for the past two years. “We plan to run the Bell Block Service Centre the way we’ve run KMC. It’s got to be hands on; people “We’re trying to provide to the public a prefer to work for the man in charge. I’ve complete transport and parts service,” Sewell been in the industry for almost 40 years and I says. “We aim to become the best that we can have a lot of experience.” Taranaki customers will benefit from the streamlined services and larger buying power of the Bell Block Service Centre and KMC.

Bell Block Service Centre has been purchased by J and J Sewell Holdings Limited, which also owns Key Machinery Centre (KMC). Bell Block Service Centre offers a comprehensive range of truck and trailer parts and servicing. KMC is focused on supplying parts and service to the heavy machinery industry. Customers will benefit from the increased efficiencies, buying power and increased knowledge base of both companies.

Heavy and Light Commercial, Parts and Service Centre • 24 Hour Callout • Auto Electricians • COF and WOF Inspections

• 6 Drive-through Service Bays • Air Conditioning Service • Franchise Trained Technicians

134 Connet Road East, Bell Block A/H Callout: 027 449 3339 Phone: 06 755 2069

54 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Transport & Motoring | Bell Block Service Centre A complete truck and trailer service The Bell Block Service Centre offers a turnkey automotive service to the heavy transport industry. John Sewell says the New Plymouth business is a parts and service agent for Mitsubishi Fuso trucks, Detroit Diesel, Mercedes Benz Freightliner and Stirling, and UD Nissan. “We’re the agents for those vehicles and we have all the diagnostic equipment. We do all the warranty work in the area for those trucks under those brands,” Sewell says. The Bell Block Service Centre workshop features an in-floor roller brake tester, heavy vehicle suspension “play detector”, moveable vehicle column lifts and a 22m full service lube pit. “We have a huge parts department and supply genuine parts for the newer trucks, depending on what make and model they are. We also have the ability, through the Bell Block Service Centre and Key Machinery Centre, to supply after-market parts to older vehicles.” KMC and Bell Block Service Centre combined have a total of about 25 staff. “We can cater for absolutely everything the industry needs.”

Key Machinery Centre - the heavy machinery specialists Key Machinery Centre has a long history within the Taranaki community of servicing the heavy machinery industry. The company was formed in 1986 and has been owned by John and Jackie Sewell for two years. The Bell Block business supplies parts and service for the heavy machinery industry, including bulldozers, loaders, cranes, excavators, industrial engines and forklifts. “We do a lot of marine work at the Port of Taranaki working on boats and log loaders and grapple excavators,” Sewell says. “Over the past couple of years we’ve picked up a lot of truck and trailer work, which has brought about the reason why we’ve invested in buying WR Phillips’ truck division, the Bell Block Service Centre.”

A family affair John and Jackie Sewell are working hard to cement a future for their two children, who are both working at the Bell Block Service Centre. Their son Zachary has already started a mechanical apprenticeship at the centre, while their 17 year old daughter Stephanie works part-time in the office two days a week. “We’re very family orientated,” Sewell says. “Now it’s about getting the business up and running to the best of our ability and looking to the future. We’re hoping that eventually we’ll be able to hand it over to them.”

KMC works for a number of Taranaki oil companies doing generator and plant service Bell Block Service Centre on their oil rig sites. Larger engine rebuilds are 134 Connett Road done at KMC’s workshop. Bell Block New Plymouth KMC is the service and parts agent for T (06) 755 2069 Iveco trucks, Centra Forklifts and Lees Group generators. E director@bbsc.co.nz — Advertising Feature

If it’s broken, we can fix it 24/7! • Diggers • Loaders • Bulldozers • Forklifts • Trucks • Trailers We service ALL brands of heavy machinery, Stockists of: • Iveco Trucks • Mitsubishi Forklifts • Lees Generator Sets • PTO Generator Units

UNITED TRUCK PARTS LTD Suppliers of New Japanese Truck Parts Suppliers of New, Genuine and Aftermarket Parts to suit all Japanese Trucks: • Hino • Isuzu • Nissan • Ford • Mazda • Mitsubishi • Toyota • Daihatsu Proud to be associated with Bell Block Service Centre United Truck Parts Ltd 4 Marphona Crescent, Takanini, Auckland Phone (09) 268 6115 or (0800) 268 611

Paraite Road Bell Block Phone: 06 755 0033 A/H: 027 692 2239

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Mercedes-Benz are proud to support Bell Block Service Centre www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 55

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Transport & Motoring | Bell Block Service Centre

The boat trailer specialists DMW Trailers Limited in Hamilton can design and build a trailer for any type of transportable boat; large, small, old or new.

end, which has been one of our strengths. People who want to buy quality boats want to buy quality trailers as well.”

The company is celebrating its 40th year in business, which it says is a significant milestone. The company is believed to be the only New Zealand trailer manufacturer specialising exclusively in boat trailers. DMW Trailers is naturally very proud of this achievement and that of continuing to be a family owned business.

Whenever you call DMW Trailers for parts, accessories or servicing, just quote your serial number and they will be able to tell you exactly what trailer you have and what is required.

Owner Greg Dutton has been in the marine industry his whole life; he’s been either selling boats or building boat trailers since he started working in 1976. This extensive history and experience means DMW Trailers has a wealth of knowledge to help create the ultimate trailer for every boat. “The added advantage for us is that I know boats; I know all the products, even the old boats,” he says.

Building quality trailers DMW Trailers builds trailers for jet skis and small dinghies through to trailers up to about 8.6m long.

DMW Trailers uses quality Trojan trailer components, while all parts and accessories used meet the high standard required. The company offers a five year structural warranty on the chassis and a one year warranty on all components.

Growth and success DMW Trailers services customers throughout the North Island, but also sends trailers to the South Island and offshore. While the financial downturn in 2008 saw tough times for the company, Dutton says business has begun to thrive again now. “I have a great team at DMW Trailers and they have worked really hard and it has paid off; business at the moment is great.”

New Stabicraft contract DMW Trailers has recently secured a contract as the preferred trailer supplier for Stabicraft Boats in the North Island.

Greg Dutton says the contract is a huge coup for his company, as Stabicraft is the largest “The criteria for the larger trailer is the onmanufacturer of aluminium boats in the road weight, which is up to 3.5 tonne,” Dutton country. “We’ve just got that contract and says. “Last year we made a boat trailer for a it’s quite significant for us and is at the top 9.2m boat, which was made out of composite end of quality boats in the marketplace materials. It was light weight for its size, so it for aluminium. met the 3.5 tonne limit.” “Stabicraft now sits alongside the already Quality is a big focus for DMW Trailers, which strong associations with Haines Hunter, targets those at this end of the market. Buccaneer, Senator, Smuggler, Profile and Nautiques, and various other boat builders “In the marketplace there are cheap import trailers but we are very much at the quality who we deal with exclusively.”

DMW Trailers DMW Trailers is celebrating 40 years of building high quality boat trailers The company builds trailers for a huge range of boats, old and new, ranging from jet skis up to 3.5 tonne capacity. DMW Trailers is the preferred trailer supplier for Stabicraft Boats in the North Island. It manufactures for re-sale through boat manufacturers and dealers throughout New Zealand, as well as for the export market.

DMW Trailers Limited PO Box 20116 Te Rapa Hamilton T (07) 849 4721 E greg@dmwtrailers.co.nz www.dmwtrailers.co.nz

DMW Trailers specialises in general trailer repairs, refurbishing, regalvanising and WOF work.

— Advertising Feature

As used by New Zealand’s leading manufacturers. Trusted, reliable quality that stands the test of time. Designed tough and backed 100%

Call 0800 653 246

Trojan is proud to have had a long association with all of its customers and we are pleased to congratulate DMW Trailers on their 25 years of outstanding contribution to the industry. Happy to be associated with DMW Trailers. Strengthening Trailers through Hot Dip Galvanizing since the early 1970s.

As a specialist manufacturer of light trailer components including suspensions, braking systems, couplings, springs and accessories we strive to support an industry that is synonymous with New Zealand culture.

14 Manchester Place, Hamilton P 0800 650 724 or 07 8500 120, F 07 8500 129 www.perry.co.nz

0800 TROJAN (876 526)

www.trojan.co.nz www.dmwtrailers.co.nz

Specialist manufacturers of: Quality Boat Trailers, Parts & Accessories WOF & Braking Systems, Repairs & Re-galvanising Extras available on request

12 Karewa Place PO Box 20116, Te Rapa, Hamilton Ph 07 849 4721 Fax 07 849 9104 E greg@dmwtrailers.co.nz www.centraltoday.co.nz October/November 2013 | 57

Transport & Motoring | Hamilton Automotive Repairs

Transport & Motoring | Wheels

Hamilton's Your own auto experts super car... for a day anyway It’s said that just because you have enough money to buy a Ferrari, doesn’t mean you can afford to own one.

With almost one car for every man, woman and child in our little corner of the South Pacific, we certainly love our four wheeled means of transportation. But fact is, we need to keep up with our motoring maintenance so our vehicles keep getting us from A to B quickly and efficiently. Hamilton Automotive is the local mechanic you can trust for your car servicing and repairs. You can be confident when you bring your vehicle in to see the Hamilton

Automotive team of expert mechanics and automotive repairers, your car is in highly skilled hands. The company’s aim is to provide you with a fast, efficient and cost-effective service, every time. With your total satisfaction Hamilton Automotive’s number one priority, everything the company does is with your best interests in mind.

This pretty much says it all about supercar affordability, meaning the majority of us venture through life without ever knowing what supercar wheel time is like. Until now! FreemanX Supercars has launched luxury self-drive scenic tours, offering people the chance to get behind the wheel of some wicked wheels.

in the world to take a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche or Lotus for a spin. There’s a choice of four supercars; a Lamborghini Murciélago, Ferrari F430 Spyder, Porsche 911 Turbo, or Lotus Sports Racer and you get to choose which two cars you want to drive on each trip. A chaperone accompanies drivers in a separate vehicle, making scheduled stops along the way to change cars. There are three options. Two hour tours cost $199 per person driving the Porsche and Lotus, and $299 for the Lamborghini and Ferrari. Half day tours start from $799 and full day tours from $1,399.

You’ll have to venture down to Queenstown to do it, but that’s hardly the worst place

For more information visit www.freemanXsupercars.co.nz

Hot hatch heaven

You can opt for a little luxury by choosing the leather upholstery option, which brings the total on-road recommended retail price to $27,500. At a Spartan 1,045 kg, the three door is slightly lighter than its big brother, marginally more economical and produces lower emissions.

A proud representative of the premium Auto Super Shoppe National brand, Hamilton Automotive is an expert when it comes to engine management, diagnostics, car repairs, car servicing, exhausts and mufflers, WOF testing, brakes, suspension, clutches, cambelts, air conditioning, fuel economy and more. Whether you are choosing from something from the pre priced ‘Menu Board’ options or you would like a quote on a specific job or problem, the friendly workshop managers are ready and waiting to look after you. “It’s our privilege to offer the best service to meet your individual needs,” co-owner Mike Cox explains, “even if your situation is something a little ‘outside the box’.”

Proud supporters of Hamilton Automotive Repairs Providing tools to help with your success, since 1946

So put the team’s knowledge and expertise to the test, give them a call for an obligation free quote or take your vehicle in for a quick once over. After all, prevention is the best cure. Hamilton Automotive Repairs 82 Killarney Road Frankton T (07) 847 1865 www.hamiltonautomotive.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

Total Electrical support We are proud to be associated with Hamilton Automotive Repairs. Ph: 07 847 7274 www.clarksons.co.nz

58 | October/November 2013 www.centraltoday.co.nz

Finally Suzuki has given its top selling Swift the facelift it’s needed for so long and created a sporty three door version. So if you’re in the market for a practical, cheap and zippy hot hatch, then the 1.6 litre Swift Sport is a bit of no-brainer. It’s got a five star Euro NCAP safety rating and at $25,990, is $1,510 less than the five door version. The fact the three door model is only available with a six speed manual gearbox, a rarity in today’s motoring world, reveals its sporting stripes.

Described by independent reviewers as “hot hatch perfection,” the Swift Sport has been the recipient of several awards in Europe and New Zealand, and judged the best hot hatchback for 2013 by carbuyers.co.uk/Auto Express magazine in Britain.