Master Plumbers
ASSOCIATION PROFILE
Some new faces on the Nelson Master Plumbers executive committee include President Ben Allen. NZ Plumber talked to Ben about the Nelson job market and what the Association is planning in the months to come.
T
he phone is still running hot with work for Ben Allen at Fusion Plumbing & Solar. Ben, who took over the reins from Andy Bennett in June as President of the Nelson Master Plumbers Association, says there’s plenty of positive activity in the region, despite COVID-19 disruptions. “Most plumbing businesses here are flat out and understaffed, though there’s uncertainty at the back of our minds about what will happen over the next 12 months,” he says. “I think the key is to diversify and not put all your eggs in one basket. At Fusion, we do a mix of domestic and commercial new build, renovation and maintenance work in plumbing, gas, solar and heating.” The region’s plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers have been particularly swamped with renovation work since the March lockdown, when homeowners had a chance to take stock of their properties and draw up to-do lists. “A lot of people have decided to spend money set aside for holidays, now postponed, on things like bathroom renovations or putting solar on the roof,” says Ben. New builds are also underway as delayed titles come through, and he says the current 5% deposit on a brand-new home, compared with 10% on an older property, is a real drawcard for first-time buyers. Ben is excited about his new role as President and says there are a lot of new plumbing business start-ups in the region that could really benefit from membership. “I’ve been a Master Plumber since starting Fusion Plumbing six years ago and I’ve always seen it as a good thing to be part of. “If you’re fresh to the game, it’s a good way of catching up with other plumbers to get their take on the industry. You never stop learning new business ideas.”
He is thankful to have his wife Tamara running the HR side of the business and now also helping out with organising activities on the Nelson Association calendar. A quiz night at the Speight’s Ale House just before lockdown proved to be a sell-out success and will be followed by a ten-pin bowling night while in Alert Level 1. Ben wants to see more of these social events in future, along with more guest speakers at general meetings. “We had a representative from the Tasman District Council in August talking about new laws around water tanks, which got some good discussion, and we’d like to see more members turning up to these.” Meetings are held every second Wednesday of the month—usually at the Eddyline brewery in Richmond, and sometimes further afield at the Moutere Inn to ensure all members can come. An overnighter to Takaka is also being
Ben and Tamara Allen run Fusion Plumbing and Solar in Nelson.
considered to keep members in the loop over the hill in Golden Bay. Ben, who’s 44, says it’s great to have fellow members of a similar age on the executive committee, with Kerry Hay of Hays Plumbing in Motueka as Vice President and Merv Ward of Tim Miller Plumbing as Junior Vice. The combination of managing a heavy workload and organising Association activities will be a challenge, he admits— but one he’s looking forward to in a region he loves. As Ben says, “Nelson is a good place to be.”
New Nelson Master Plumbers President Ben Allen (centre) with, from left, Merv Ward (Junior Vice), Kerry Hay (Vice President) and Roger Taylor (Secretary).
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