North Canterbury News: September 17, 2020
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BUILDING &RENOVATING<br />
The <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>September</strong> <strong>17</strong>, <strong>2020</strong><br />
23<br />
Co-op aboon for small<br />
building companies<br />
Refurbishment ... The Rangiora servicecentreisundergoingafacelift.<br />
PHOTO:WAIMAKARIRIDISTRICT COUNCIL<br />
Building upgrade starts<br />
By DAVID HILL<br />
The muchanticipatedRangioraservice<br />
centre refurbishment is finally under way.<br />
Work began last week on the $2.5 million<br />
upgrade of the Waimakariri DistrictCouncil’s<br />
main building in Rangiora, withseveral<br />
council staff now workingfrom temporary<br />
locations aroundthe Rangiora town centre.<br />
During repairs, the publicwill still havefull<br />
access to customer services.<br />
The scope of the project has been<br />
significantlyreduced from earlierplans,<br />
whichhad a$4.3m budget, because of Covid<br />
19, with only the necessary repairs and<br />
upgrades now being completed.<br />
Earlier thisyear,the council received<br />
information which suggested parts of the<br />
upperfloor was susceptible to quake damage<br />
because of the typeofflooring used during the<br />
1990sbuilding extension.<br />
The project will be completed in fourstages.<br />
Contractors started by making aminor repair<br />
to strengthenthe council chamberssostaff<br />
can use it as temporary office space.<br />
This work wasidentifiedatthe beginning of<br />
July during apreconstruction engineering<br />
inspection and involvesinstallingabeam to<br />
supportthe roof along the western wall.<br />
The meshused in themezzanine floor was<br />
not up to standard and the repair will involve<br />
having the concrete floor strengthened, with<br />
the application of acarbon fibre reinforced<br />
polymeracross the whole surface.<br />
This will performthe same functionasthe<br />
mesh and help the floor maintain integrity<br />
duringanearthquake. It willbring seismic<br />
performance up to at least 67 percent of the<br />
New BuildingStandard.<br />
Other work includes an upgrade to the<br />
heating and ventilation system,necessary<br />
repairs, and new paint and carpet.<br />
Several staffare being housed in leased<br />
spaces. Two properties have been leased for<br />
up to 12 monthsand one more permanently to<br />
allow for planned growth.<br />
By ROBYN BRISTOW<br />
Abid to level the playing fieldfor<br />
smallbuilding firms and give them<br />
the power to get better deals on<br />
building materials for theirclients<br />
is coming to fruition.<br />
The Combined Building<br />
Suppliers (CBS) cooperative, born<br />
out of frustration from losing jobsto<br />
bigger players, has agrowing<br />
membership of 350 firms and has<br />
gone nationwide.<br />
It was launched in <strong>Canterbury</strong> in<br />
2018.One of the masterminds<br />
behind the concept, CarlTaylor, a<br />
locally basedowner of CarlTaylor<br />
Homes, said the concept grewout<br />
of constantlylosingprojects to the<br />
‘‘bigger guys with betterbuying<br />
power’’.<br />
The small guy’sonly option was<br />
labour costs, and when that<br />
happened, there werenowinners,<br />
Carl says.<br />
It took several years of<br />
negotiating red tape to become a<br />
cooperative, but Carl, who is<br />
chairman of CBS, is happy with the<br />
benefitsfor its shareholders.<br />
Supply partners can offer<br />
members pricesthat, in many<br />
cases, were previously available<br />
only to the biggestplayers.<br />
‘‘From generalmerchant<br />
supplies, through to directdealson<br />
plumbing,plasterboard, right<br />
through to kitchen and other<br />
appliances and fuel, we haveyour<br />
residentialbuild covered.<br />
‘‘We alsohave discounts available<br />
on services —from equipment<br />
hire to surveying, quantity<br />
surveying, accounting and legal.’’<br />
Each coop member is required<br />
to buy 1000 shares for $1000.<br />
It’sacost members should get<br />
backquickly, he says.<br />
‘‘This is aoneoff cost. CBS Coop<br />
is selffundingthroughsupplier<br />
rebates. Thismeans that you will<br />
not have to pay ongoing annualfees<br />
to get thebenefitofmembers.’’<br />
Shareholders also receive a<br />
profit distribution based on the<br />
value of the business they do with<br />
CBS suppliers.<br />
‘‘Itisnot mandatory for coop<br />
members to be exclusive to our<br />
suppliersinordering materials,<br />
but,inessence, the moreyou<br />
support the suppliers, the greater<br />
the benefits you willreceive.”<br />
The savingsand rebate available<br />
fromthe twoyearold cooperative<br />
are as simple as they sound.<br />
To remain amember, shareholders<br />
musttransact at leastonce<br />
withacoop suppliereach year.<br />
CBS member transactionsrose<br />
by morethan 200 percent in the<br />
pastfinancial year.<br />
Carlsays the coop is making<br />
solid progress and is intent on<br />
growing membership and<br />
improving communicationwith<br />
suppliers, while selectively adding<br />
new nationwide suppliers in<br />
categories such as waste disposal.<br />
‘‘Wewill onlyput in place<br />
agreementswith new suppliers<br />
where we are confident much<br />
better pricing will be achieved.The<br />
faster we grow, the more likely<br />
suppliers will be prepared to agree<br />
to betterterms.’’<br />
BURKE’S<br />
Get ready to paint<br />
Waterblaster, moss and mould<br />
killer<br />
Ladders<br />
Brushes, buckets, rollers and trays<br />
Sandpaper, sanding discs<br />
and power tools<br />
Masking tape, sealant and more<br />
accent 8L for the price of 4L -$90.00 *while stocks last<br />
Come in and see Lindsay, Ann and Julie today or phone 03 314 0130<br />
Markham Street, Amberley |www.arthurburke.co.nz<br />
ARTHURBURKELTD<br />
Established 1935<br />
2310601
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