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Stu McIvor believes a successful business should have a family feel to it— and his company looks set to stay true to that tradition well into the future.

Stu McIvor, owner of McIvor Plumbers and Gasfitters Wanaka, followed in the footsteps of his father Jim and brother Dave by entering the plumbing trade.

The three of them worked together at McIvor Plumbers in Dunedin for a number of years before Stu started his own firm in Wanaka 21 years ago. His wife, Jane, has been a key figure at both companies and their two daughters, Nichola and Ashley, have also stepped into administrative roles.

“Jane was a big part of the business, especially in Dunedin,” explains Stu. “It’s been very much a family affair all the way. The team we have, we try to treat them all like family. I think that’s important to running any kind of business.”

“The team we have, we try to treat them all like family. I think that’s important to running any kind of business.”

Industry recognition

Stu won the Graeme Victor Smith Contribution to the Industry Award at the NZ Plumbing Conference in Blenheim in March. He has been involved in the plumbing industry for more than 40 years and is described as a long-serving advocate of Master Plumbers and the Masterlink mentored apprenticeship scheme.

Stu says he feels humbled to have received the accolade and believes it is important to help develop the next generation of plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers. “I have always loved plumbing and someone took AUTHOR: MATTHEW LOWE

Stu McIvor with his daughters Nichola Hyndman, left, and Ashley Carter, who share the office manager role at this family-oriented business. Stu says he feels humbled to have been selected as the winner of the 2021 Graeme Victor Smith Contribution the Industry Award.

The team at McIvor Plumbers and Gasfitters Wanaka, and Rockgas Wanaka.

the time to train me so I think it’s important to give something back,” he notes.

“I started in 1971 and did my apprenticeship with A&T Burt [in Dunedin] before stepping into the family business. I believe in training and I like Masterlink because there’s a mentor there for the apprentices, so they get what they need and I get what I need as well.”

McIvor Plumbers and Gasfitters Wanaka employs 10 to 12 plumbers and Stu says he aims to have three apprentices working there at any one time. He got to see one of his apprentices, Brent Ewing, belatedly collect the 2020 James Douglas Medallion for an outstanding newly qualified apprentice at the recent conference after it was unable to be presented last year because of Covid-19 restrictions.

“Seeing the aspirations our apprentices start with and where they finish up is the exciting bit of what we do,” says Stu. “Always looking to do something and asking questions is paramount to being a good apprentice. If they do go out on their own then I’m always keen to let them have a crack at that because it’s what they’re working for and it’s the lifeblood of our industry.”

Community involvement

Stu’s company is heavily involved in the local community and supports a range of causes, including sports clubs and providing a free yearly service on community barbecues at Wanaka Mitre 10. “It’s good to support these people and we try to sponsor as much stuff as we can. If it’s about the community, we’re normally happy to back it.”

He also owns the Rockgas Wanaka franchise, which he and Jane established in 2003, is a member of the LPG Association, the Otago Employers’ Association, and the

Otago Master Plumbers Association—where he was president from 1989 to 1991. Other roles include being a director at NZPM.

Brendan Parker, lower South Island regional manager for Masterlink, nominated Stu for the contribution to industry award. “He has always seen it as a duty to give back to the industry and leave a legacy of work

“Always looking to do something and asking questions is paramount to being a good apprentice. If they do go out on their own then I’m always keen to let them have a crack at that because it’s what they’re working for and it’s the lifeblood of our industry.”

that speaks for itself,” says Brendan. “Stu’s skillset reflects that of one who is consistently wanting to learn more, teach and impart knowledge to grow the industry for the better.”

Future generations

Ashley Carter, Stu’s youngest daughter, has been office manager at the Wanaka business for 11 years—a role she shares with her sister—and she also attended the Blenheim conference. It was her first visit to the annual event and she says the presentations were incredible and the networking opportunities valuable.

“We’re all one big family in the plumbing industry, so it’s good to share all that wealth of knowledge,” she adds. “At the conference you can talk to people who have different challenges and it’s interesting to learn how they get around those.”

Her husband, Chris Carter, is a plumber at the company and she hopes to eventually move into a management-style role. “I want to see the business succeed into the future. It’s a family business that has been around for generations and we like the idea of keeping it in the family,” says Ashley.

Her ambitions will be good news for Stu, who at the age of 66 says he is now taking the time to build an exit strategy. He hopes it means he can spend more time with his three grandchildren and indulging in his hobbies of building muscle cars and duck shooting.