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eter Jackson says when he and wife Carol first opened the email about his MNZM appointment, they thought it must be spam. “It was a big surprise,” says Peter, who has worked in the plumbing industry for the past 45 years. “Many people have commented how fantastic it is that a tradesperson was on the honours list and I’m very proud of this recognition for our industry.” Announcements of this kind usually come by formal letter, but COVID-19 restrictions put a temporary halt to that. The awards ceremony has also been delayed, with Peter and his family now looking forward to a November date for their trip to Government House.
In the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours, Peter Jackson of H2O Design in Queenstown was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM). NZ Plumber caught up with Peter to ask him about his career and what drives him.
Bringing young people through Peter’s award is for services to the trades industry and business, which perfectly reflects his passion for bringing young people into the industry and seeing them become successful business owners in their own right. “If you are able to train, it’s very rewarding to see people come through,” he says. “Over the years, we’ve trained more than 80 apprentices, and many have gone on to become successful in business for themselves and to train their own staff.” One of those apprentices won the prestigious James Douglas Medallion, another collected a WorldSkills International medal, and another went on to run a large plumbing business in California. Positive encouragement is the key to successes of this kind, says Peter. “One thing I’ve always said is that it’s easy to do someone a good turn rather than a bad one.”
Importance of mentoring Peter himself was thrown in at the deep end as an apprentice, taking over the family business in Invercargill at just 22, when his father Bert died suddenly. He grew Jackson Plumbing from three to a regular team of around 10 before selling it to employee Matthew Dick, who had worked at the
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For Peter, being a member of Master Plumbers is a given. “You have to be involved if you’re a plumber. Being part of this national body makes your business and the industry better.” His father was a member and past National President, and Peter was also National President in 1991, serving on the Board for 20 years. “I’ve made lifelong friends at the annual conferences, and it’s the camaraderie that happens outside the conference room that makes these events so worthwhile,” he says. These days, it’s Peter turn to support other business owners as a volunteer Business New Zealand mentor and Skills Business Advisor. “I’ve worked with all kinds of businesses, from architects and scaffolders, to joiners, electricians and plumbers,” he says. “Their main challenge is usually how to get their name out there. “Some start-ups also don’t understand profit and loss, and the need for a monthly review with their accountant. Waiting for your accountant to tell you how much tax to pay for the last 12 months’ work isn’t enough. What you need is regular insights into your progress.”
Governance role rewards Peter Jackson will receive his MNZM at Government House in November.
company for 17 years—and Peter continues to run H2O Design in Queenstown. Although ‘mentor’ was not a familiar term in the 1970s, when Peter was getting to grips with running a business, he was fortunate to have someone take him under his wing. “Owen Marshall, a Master Plumber in Invercargill, could see I needed a hand and helped me immensely,” he recalls. Peter also attributes his business success to it being a family business, with he and wife Carol enjoying the time working alongside each other.
Together with his mentoring work, Peter holds several governance roles. Many of these are connected to industry training, including Chair of the Industry Connection for Excellence (ICE) in Auckland. “This plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting training school now trains around 25 percent of apprentices in the region and is growing,” he says. “There was a real need for better PGD course delivery in New Zealand and people are happy with the outcomes. I’m very proud of General Manager Garry McKenzie and his team, who are doing a great job delivering the product.” Peter gained initial experience of governance during his time on the NZPM Board. “I was fortunate enough to be put on the audit and risk committee of the Board,
