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COMDUC strengthens specialist NZ services ‟From day one we decided to invest heavily in our people” - Andy Stonelake.
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s well as buying a puppy to help them get through New Zealand’s first Covid-19 lockdown, Michaela Ardern and Andy Stonelake were also in final negotiations to buy a business – COMDUC, the leading service provider for specialist extraction cleaning that has branches right round the country. “We were all set to take over on March 31, five days after lockdown began! We couldn’t even sign documents so we delayed the takeover and finalised the agreement at the beginning of May,” Michaela says. It’s a gutsy thing to do, purchase a business as a pandemic sweeps the world but this couple hasn’t looked back. “There’s been absolutely no time,” Andy says. “Business has been really good. We literally hit the ground running.” Priority for the new owners since May has been establishing consistency in all services that COMDUC provides, from kitchen extraction system cleans right through to floor, wall and surface cleans and sanitisation. Their customers cover various industries from hospitality, supermarkets, rest homes and prisons, through to service stations and even the Beehive. Michaela first joined COMDUC as General Manager last June after eight years as sales and marketing manager for Casio business systems. A few months after working alongside the owner who’d established the business 30 years ago, she mentioned to him that if he was interested in selling, they were interested in talking. “And as it turned out, he was,” she says. Andy and Michaela anticipated a few down months initially but thankfully due to the nature of their new business, that never occurred. “Cleaning and testing air conditioning systems and mechanical ventilation is a legal requirement to achieve annual Building Warrants of Fitness, so that gave us confidence. If it had been another type of business we might have run for the hills,” says Michaela. “With 96 direct employees, COMDUC is a lot bigger than most
people think. We have the capacity to deal with large companies like Countdown and BP and we’re one of the few firms that can carry out our services without relying on contractors.” “Strengthening the business for our clients is really important to us,” says Andy, who oversees Operations. “Solid business foundations were established by the original owners three decades ago and it’s been exciting, to refresh and expand on these structures and procedures so they can now support new work practices.” “From day one we made the decision to invest heavily in our people and that naturally benefits our customers. We’re also streamlining and standardising systems and procedures so that our Christchurch clients receive exactly the same quality of work as our clients in Auckland. “We’re also putting National Training Systems in place to achieve standardisation, which is really important to give our larger clients with multiple sites especially, the confidence they need.” A team of twelve administration staff work alongside Michaela and Andy from the firm’s head office in Snells Beach, with multiple branch and area managers and five Account Managers based around the country. This enthusiastic team has brought a new sense of professionalism to COMDUC and for the first time, the firm is exhibiting at this month’s Facilities Integrate trade event at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane from November 25 – 26. COMDUC’s website is currently being revamped too, so watch this space.
8 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 - HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
“We’ve achieved and learnt so much in six months and we’re incredibly proud of our team’s commitment to provide the best possible service to our clients wherever you are around the country. Call us today and organise your free quote. We’d love to hear from you.” n Contact: 0800 266 382 www.comduc.co.nz
“Business has been really good. We literally hit the ground running.” - Andy Stonelake
Michaela Ardern and Andy Stonelake were in final negotiations to buy specialist cleaning business – COMDUC – during New Zealand’s first COVID-19 lockdown.
