Waikato Business News April/May 2019

Relocating companies find
solution to woes of old
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS April/May 2019
51
When faced with the clearance
of floors of furniture prior
to a relocation, one of New
Zealand’s oldest institutions
had to make some hard decisions.
Knowing it was worth little
on the second-hand market, the
questions were then, was it a
cost-effective option to employ
an already busy staff member
to clear it?
How many charities and
schools would it take to deplete
the pile? And would the
stake-holders’ conscience sit
well should anything be sent to
landfill?
Avelle Interiors was an
existing supplier of new furniture
to the organisation and had
a new service, Re:Direct.
And it’s that service that
removed an enormous problem
for the client and turned it into
opportunities for a multitude of
others.
With Re:Direct, the furniture,
fittings and equipment are
checked fully in terms of condition
and quantities, and then
in conjunction with the client’s
own relocation time-line, the
items are removed from site
and delivered to locally based
charities, and approved organisations,
schools and clubs.
Working with a registered
New Zealand charity, Re:Direct
ensures the bare minimum
of goods get to land-fill.
“There’s a readily growing
list of groups that we know are
waiting for the obvious desks
and chairs, but also things like
screens, tops and lockers are
needed” says Re:Direct project
manager Wendy Martin.
“We’ve re-purposed what
may seem the oddest of items
and we’ve seen individuals
given employment opportunities
they wouldn’t have necessarily
had otherwise,” she
says.
A new project has Re:Direct
clearing 63 containers for a client,
each of 20 cubic metres.
As each container is
checked by Re:Direct staff, it’s
then cleared and distributed.
“To date this project has
seen over 24 tonnes of items
removed with absolutely nothing
going to landfill and as well
as all the good this client has
done, they have the added benefit
of reducing storage costs,”
Wendy explains
At the completion of a Re:-
Direct project a full outline of
what’s been taken and where is
given to the client.
“Love What You Do is a
report of the people and groups
that have been on the receiving
end of what had begun as a
logistical nightmare.
“The client then gets to
share that information with
staff and stakeholders and
when everyone can see the
good that’s resulted it’s an
enormous boost to all of
them.”
While companies contact
Re:Direct for help, Wendy
Martin believes the best point
to begin is with the project
architects and designers to
ensure the most efficient workflow
and least interruption to a
client’s productivity.
“If we can be involved in
the planning stages, it’s the
ideal point to identify any furniture
relocation problems and
our solutions.
“And if we’re able to let
charities and groups know
what’s potentially available,
then it helps them in forward
planning.
“Re:Direct is such a simple,
transparent way to help
a huge number of people,
and help companies and institutions
reach sustainability
goals.”
Contact: Wendy 021777438