The Best Move We Ever Made

Jason McKenzie (right): building an asset with real value for the future

Small builders say joining Trident Homes was their foundation for growth

Jason McKenzie has been a builder for 33 years, but it wasn’t until he joined Trident Homes in 2013 that his Canterbury business really took off. ‘Having been in the building business for so long, I could see the value of being part of a bigger group where you had buying power and secure material supply. If you have a nationwide brand behind you, you can build a stable business you can rely on – an asset with real value for the future.’

Jason admits that when a mate first mentioned the idea of franchising, he thought it wasn’t for him. ‘Then I researched Trident and met David Pickles, who founded the franchise with Neil Hawker, and my view changed. In some building companies, the franchises are often owned by accountants and business people who perhaps don’t have as much heart and soul in the trade, but Trident franchisees are all closely associated with building. Once I’d investigated the franchise and understood how it worked, I was impressed. Eight years on, I guess I was right,’ he laughs.

Systems that work

Trident Homes is a New Zealand-owned company with a relentless commitment to excellence. ‘We pride ourselves on building innovative modern homes with customers’ needs front of mind,’ says franchisor Neil Hawker. ‘There is so much to consider when building a new house, so Trident Homes makes the process easy.

‘Our affordable designs and custom-made house plans can be tailored to suit any family’s requirements and budget without sacrificing quality. They are all flexible, so if the client wants to bring in an architect, or do a design-and-build, or change a particular section – we can do it.

‘With many years of building experience behind us, we are now recruiting more franchisees to cover the country. For small builders such as Jason used to be, life can be very hard: you have to organise marketing, quoting jobs, design plans, contracts and admin, chase unpaid invoices – all while managing contractors and suppliers and the actual building.

‘Trident Homes has tried and tested systems for managing all these aspects, with exclusive software and specialised training for recruiting staff and bringing them up to speed. And as our growing army of franchisees will testify – our systems work.’

Genuinely good guys

For new franchisee, Kurt Barnes everything has happened at once. ‘We bought our franchise in January 2021, we bought our own house at around the same time, we have a 15 month old daughter, and last week we had a son!’

Kelly and Kurt Barnes with their team: ‘Trident stood out from the pack because of the support it offered’

Kurt and his wife Kelly, plus Kurt’s brother Tim, had a local building firm which handled ‘plenty of new homes and renovation work – we were quite successful and got lots of compliments for our workmanship. But we were just getting by and, the deeper we got into the business, the more we realised what a franchise could provide in terms of branding, marketing and, in particular, buying power. By joining forces with the right brand, we could strengthen our business, continue building locally and provide even better value to our customers.

‘Trident stood out from the pack because of the support it offered,’ continues Kurt. ‘David and Neil are genuinely good guys, and we’ve spent a lot of time with them in setting up our business. The training is on-going but made simple and manageable by being broken into small chunks – maybe an hour or so each week – and we have the opportunity to pick some highly-experienced brains at any point.

‘Having been part of a few early franchises in the construction industry, I really think Trident Homes is so much more advanced than anything I’ve seen before,’ Kurt concludes. ‘Now we can see a real future by building an asset with an excellent franchise. We’re even thinking of acquiring another area once things have settled down a bit.’

Robust supply chains

Neil Hawker says that Kurt and Jason are typical of the sort of people that Trident Homes are seeking as franchisees – skilled, experienced craftsmen with a good reputation locally, and looking for the ability to grow.

‘For small sole traders, material supply and pricing is a major issue,’ he says. ‘We have the backing of some of the major suppliers to the building industry along with access to their robust supply chains. Combine that with a brand that attracts new clients, and systems and support that will help you manage your growth, and it’s a winning combination.’

Neil is keen to hear from anyone with the skills and determination to succeed within an established and recognised national brand. ‘We are expanding nationally through supporting our franchisees every inch of the way,’ he says, ‘and the franchise fee of $50,000 +gst gives you access to unique designs, training and systems that make you both efficient and profitable.’

‘If other tradies want my advice,’ says Jason McKenzie, ‘I’d say don’t be scared of buying a Trident Homes franchise. They want you to succeed, and have everything in place for you to do just that. It was the best move I ever made.’’

Advertiser Info

Trident Homes

Neil Hawker

P 0275 321 191

nhawker@tridenthomes.nz

www.tridenthomes.nz