Our Story Your Story - Waikato Business News 25 Years

1995 - 2020 • PUBLISHED BY DP MEDIA LTD

2 | OUR STORY YOUR STORY 

Time to 

Celebrate 

Kia ora 

We reckon 25 is a good number of years to be 

in business, particularly when your business is 

publishing and you’ve ridden out the upheaval 

of the internet - not to mention the disruption 

of Covid-19. 

So we’re celebrating. In this special issue, you 

can read about our journey as a staunchly 

independent publisher, from the startup days 

through till today with a well entrenched 

position in the Waikato business community. 

And it’s our business community that is vital 

to our success. We wouldn’t be here without 

the support of our valued advertisers, many of 

whom have joined us in this special issue. 

They wouldn’t have stuck with us if they didn’t 

know we are widely read, and that puts us on 

our mettle. 

I am frequently told by readers that they value 

our positivity. It’s not hard to feel positive 

- I am forever interviewing people doing 

fascinating things in creative ways. It’s the 

great pleasure of the role. 

I am also often told readers want to know 

what others in the business community are up 

to. They enjoy recognising people they know, 

and my hope is they are also picking up tips 

for their own venture. 

Waikato is in a sweet spot. Small enough 

for those in the business community to be 

well connected and supportive; big enough 

to sustain a full range of businesses and the 

professionals to service them. Close enough 

to Auckland to benefit from its economic 

clout; far enough away to make the living 

easier. 

For me, just over two years in the editor’s job, 

it’s that supportiveness that has been most 

compelling. People I talk to are genuinely 

interested in what others are up to, and for the 

most part happy to share their own stories. 

We’re stoked to have been telling your 

stories for 25 years. In this issue, our editors 

reflect on their time in the seat; Sandra Peek 

remembers a time when bromides were cut up 

with a scalpel and glued on to paper layouts, 

while for Mike Blake, the photography was 

an important part of reflecting the business 

community back to itself. 

Speaking for myself, the most memorable 

story is always the most recent, but one 

highlight was stretching myself to tell the 

story of a major piece of regional planning, 

Hei Awarua, the Hamilton-Auckland corridor. 

To my surprise, given its slightly abstract 

nature, that has proved to be the most popular 

story on our website. 

But mostly, the job is about having a yarn 

with a business owner. On that front, among 

many, many other interviews I really enjoyed 

spending an hour or so with a couple of young 

cousins talking about their fishing show, 

Fishing and Adventure, a crazy 10 year journey 

of having a go and learning fast. They made for 

a memorable cover, which we’re reproducing 

in this publication. 

Connectedness is our great Waikato strength, 

and we at Waikato Business News will 

continue to play our part. 

Our success has been built by amazing people; 

the editors get their say in these pages, but 

equally important have been the sales people, 

production and office staff over the years. It’s 

a team effort and everyone plays their part. 

Ngā mihi nui 

Richard Walker 

Editor

Waikato Business News 25 Years | 3 

Contents 

4 Then and now 

Two covers 25 years apart 

5 Hamilton City Council 

14 Foster Construction 

Fosters builds great communities 

18 Sandra Peek 

Champion of Waikato Business 

20 Mike Blake 

Fourteen years in the hot seat 

22 Our story, your story 

25 years of stories and 

highlights in Waikato 

24 Te Waka 

Building for future 

25 Hamilton Central Business Association 

Boosting the city centre 

26 Stark Property 

Community and relationships 

at Stark Property’s core 

28 PAUA Architects 

Placemaking for people 

32 WEL Networks 

Powering the region for 100 years 

34 Chedworth Properties Ltd 

Hamilton born and bred 

36 Waipā District Council 

A district on the move 

42 Ebbett Group 

Defined by growth, innovation 

and progress 

44 Gallagher Group 

Most memorable moments 

since 1995 

45 Fast facts 

Value of paper and print 

46 KingSt Advertising 

We still need the creative juice 

48 Out and about 

50 Lodge Real Estate 

Lodge leader looks at an 

everchanging real estate world 

52 Stiles and Hooker 

Architects and engineers 

56 Our neighbours 

In the heart of the city 

58 Bartercard 

Proving its worth in the Waikato 

60 Deidre Morris 

Our future together 

Publisher 

Deidre Morris 

027 228 8442 

deidre@dpmedia.co.nz 

Editor 

Richard Walker 

027 814 2914 

richard@dpmedia.co.nz 

Special thanks to 

Mike and Eileen Blake 

Production Manager 

Kelly Gillespie 

Design 

Olivia McGovern 

Printed by 

Ovato 

DP Media Limited 

Level 1, 25 Ward Street, 

hamilton, New Zealand 

Phone: 07 838 1333 

info@dpmedia.co.nz 

www.dpmedia.co.nz 

www.wbn.co.nz


Then and now 

From the Harley riding exec to two cousins gone fishing 

Two covers 25 years apart 

1995 

2020 

JULY/AUGUST VOLUME 28: ISSUE 7 2020 WWW.WBN.CO.NZ FACEBOOK.COM/WAIKATOBUSINESSNEWS 

Reeling in 

the viewers 

Ten years after two young cousins with a good 

idea and no TV experience started knocking on 

doors, they have a top-rating fishing show and 

are looking to the future. Page 4 

it central 

Waikato tech firms scoop 

major awards Pages 6, 8 

to the rescue 

Hamilton teen with a lifeline 

for YouTubers Page 10 

Mig Rumney, left, and Scott Parry celebrate another catch. 

See the full timeline 

starting on page 22

1 

Our vision 

for Hamilton 

Kirikiriroa 

Ka hua. Ka puaawai. Ka ora. 

‘Dreams are realised when people take ownership 

for creating, fostering and giving life to the vision.’

Shaping 

our city, 

together 

Hamilton Kirikiriroa is a fantastic city, with the potential 

to be one of the very best places in the world to live in 

and to thrive in. 

We’re already New Zealand’s fourth largest city with 170,000 people 

calling Hamilton home. In the space of just three generations, our 

population has grown more than eight times over. 

And we’re also incredibly diverse. The people of Hamilton represent 

more than 160 ethnic groups, making us rich in wonderful cultural 

opportunities. 

Importantly, we’re young. In Hamilton, our median age is just 32, 

making us the ‘youngest’ of all New Zealand cities. 

Already, Hamilton has everything it needs to be one of the best places 

in New Zealand and the world to live, work and raise families. In our 

city, we now have a much stronger focus on environmental issues, intergenerational 

equity and housing affordability – things we know are 

important to people who live here. 

And while your Council is very focused on looking after the city assets 

we already have, we want to prepare and plan well for those things 

which will further improve the wellbeing of Hamiltonians. 

Over the last year, Council has been working alongside our community 

to understand what people in our city want the future of Hamilton 

Kirikiriroa to look like. We have, through a range of ways, gathered 

feedback on what people believe we should focus on to ensure 

Hamilton becomes one of the very best places in the world to live. 

Every day Council makes decisions that impact the future of our city 

and the wellbeing of Hamiltonians. Our decisions always take social, 

cultural, economic and environmental wellbeing of people into account. 

There’s a lot of things we have to do to keep the city running the way 

it should. We must provide and maintain water services, we must 

adequately plan for our growing city, we must maintain roads, we must 

make sure waste can be disposed of safely... and that’s just the start of 

it. These things are non-negotiable, especially for a city like Hamilton 

which more and more people are choosing to call home. That important 

work on essential services and infrastructure won’t stop. But, we do 

more than that. 

With people at the heart of everything we do, we also make choices 

about how to make our great river city an even better place to be. 

Hamiltonians have told us the kind of city they want, and where they 

want Hamilton to be in the future. 

Paula Southgate 

Mayor of Hamilton 

We’ve used your feedback to help create five priorities for Hamilton 

Kirikiriroa. There’s lots of things we have to do, but alongside these 

there’s lots of opportunities. 

We’re looking forward to shaping our city, together.

PRIORITY ONE 

Shaping 

a city 

that’s easy 

to live in 

Ahuahungia teetehi 

taaone e tau ai te 

noho ki roto 

What we want 

Hamilton is small enough to enjoy a strong 

sense of community but big enough to be 

vibrant and interesting. 

As we continue to evolve into a metropolitan 

centre, we have the game-changing opportunity 

to become a 20-minute city. A 20-minute city 

is about creating liveable neighbourhoods 

with local access to amenity that is important 

to residents. It’s also about linking existing 

destinations, facilities, places of work and 

education with safe walking, cycling and public 

transport connections so our residents can safely 

access most of the things they need within 20 

minutes. 

We want our children to be able to cycle safely 

to school and for people of all ages and abilities 

to easily access different neighbourhoods, from 

one side of the Waikato River to the other – by 

whatever transport option we choose. 

People in our city want to live in lively, safe 

communities with shared identities and public 

facilities such as libraries, playgrounds and 

community hubs accessible to everyone. It 

should be easy for us all to look after our mental 

and physical health by enjoying our city’s green 

and open spaces, including the Waikato River 

paths and stunning places like the Hamilton 

Gardens. 

By investing in cyclepaths and accessways, 

and utilising our beautiful gully network, we 

will be able to create a city that our people can 

easily enjoy and explore. But we’ll also need 

improvements in public transport – so we’ll work 

with partners like Waikato Regional Council to 

get better bus services. 

And we’ll need to focus on delivering 

the amenities and services that build 

strong communities, both in our existing 

neighbourhoods and for our new ones, as well 

as supporting a mix of housing types, including 

affordable housing. 

It’s about finding the right balance between 

revitalising our established neighbourhoods 

with investing in new liveable suburbs required 

for the number of new people choosing to call 

Hamilton home. 

We want a city that’s easy to live in, explore, 

and connect. 

What we’ll focus on 

1. We’ll prioritise building connected and safe 

walkways and cycleways that allow us to move 

around our city quickly and easily and bring 

neighbourhoods together. 

2. We’ll revitalise our existing neighbourhoods 

and invest in the creation of our new 

neighbourhoods to make sure we have a 

liveable, sustainable city. 

3. We’ll encourage new developments in 

Hamilton to include a mix of housing, including 

affordable housing options. 

4. We’ll enable and support strong public 

transport connections which help Hamiltonians 

get easy access to essential services such as 

education, health centres and supermarkets. 

5. We’ll put more focus on our neighbourhoods 

having a community identity and supporting 

community spaces across our city.

PRIORITY TWO 

Shaping 

a city where 

our people 

thrive 


taaone e puaawai ai ngaa 

taangata katoa 

What we want 

Our city is welcoming and offers jobs and 

opportunities for everyone. 

Hamilton already has many advantages and an 

economy that looks better placed than most 

to withstand some of the challenges facing 

other parts of New Zealand. We are located in 

the middle of the country’s ‘Golden Triangle’ 

between Auckland and Tauranga and we have 

plans well in place to become New Zealand’s 

most important logistics hub. 

We are already working closely with central 

government, iwi and our neighbouring councils 

like Tauranga, Auckland, Waikato and Waipaa 

to make sure our region continues to flourish. 

When Hamilton thrives, our wider region thrives. 

So we’ll continue to advocate for Hamilton – and 

Hamiltonians – every chance we get. 

We are already home to world-class 

businesses across a range of sectors, bringing 

opportunities, jobs and investment, including for 

our young people. We are a tech-savvy city, with 

the digital know-how to deliver research and 

development on the world stage. 

Increasingly, our city is a place where people 

and businesses want to come, stay and grow. 

Our attractive lifestyle, based upon a vibrant 

city that’s easy to live in, means more and more 

people want to be here. 

Young people are now coming to our city (and 

in some cases, returning home) to find good 

jobs, buy homes, raise families and become 

part of our community. This, along with more 

than 160 ethnic groups making up our city, adds 

a valuable diversity to Hamilton which brings 

opportunities and benefits for all Hamiltonians. 

We want Hamilton to continue to build on its 

growing reputation as a centre of excellence 

within innovation, training, smart and techsector 

industries. We need the infrastructure 

and support services in place to nurture and 

promote sustainable businesses that add value 

to our city. 

We want to actively create opportunities for 

our people to thrive in their jobs, careers, 

and lives so they can leverage the wonderful 

lifestyle and opportunities our city has to 

offer. 


1. We’ll work with partners like central 

government and other councils to specifically 

deliver fast and efficient transport connections 

to connect Hamilton quickly to places like 

Auckland and Tauranga. 

2. We’ll look beyond our borders and work 

with our regional partners to maximise the 

opportunities from Hamilton being the hub of 

the Waikato region. 

3. We’ll make sure our economic strength is 

further leveraged and that Hamilton is known as 

a great place to work and do business. 

4. We’ll empower and enable our diverse 

communities to share their voice and shape 

their city. 

5. We’ll invest in the right infrastructure to 

make sure Hamilton is an attractive place for 

businesses to succeed.

PRIORITY THREE 

Shaping 

a central 

city where 

people 

love to be 

Ahuahungia te pokapuu 

o teetehi taaone e 

arohaina ai e te taangata 

What we want 

We want our central city to be the vibrant heart 

of our cosmopolitan and diverse city. A city 

centre that is thoughtfully designed around 

people, culture and the natural environment. We 

want our city to be alive with hustle and bustle, 

with people happily living and playing in the 

central city. 

Our central city should be accessible via 

different transport modes and enjoy easy access 

to the nearby Waikato River which is celebrated 

and treasured for the city taonga (treasure) it is. 

Our restaurants and bars will offer Hamiltonians 

choice and entertainment and draw people from 

outside of Hamilton who know that a visit to 

central Hamilton is a trip well worth making. 

Our central city should support a thriving visual 

arts and performance scene through our iconic 

local theatres and bring the area around our 

Waikato Regional Theatre alive, further linking 

our city to the stunning Waikato River. 

Inner-city dwellers will enjoy a range of 

apartment options, close to where they work or 

close to strong transport links that get them to 

where they need to be. But they will always be 

close to green open spaces, along the river and 

with parks like Victoria on the River nearby. 

Local, national and international businesses 

will choose to base themselves in our central 

city which remains affordable and accessible, 

serviced by everything needed to live a full 

Hamilton life. 

We want our central city to be the 

beating heart of Hamilton which always 

has something going on for our diverse 

communities to come together and enjoy. 


1. We’ll strengthen the connection and access 

between the city centre and the Waikato River. 

2. We’ll promote daytime and evening activity. 

3. We’ll create performance spaces such as 

the new regional theatre and leverage existing 

central city spaces to support arts and culture 

initiatives which offer something unique to our 

city. 

4. We’ll support mixed inner-city living options 

which encourage people to live in Hamilton’s 

central city alongside vibrant retail, hospitality 

and entertainment sectors. 

5. We’ll make it easy to get into and around 

the city through a range of alternative travel 

options.

PRIORITY FOUR 

Shaping 

a fun 

city with 

lots to do 


taaone ngahau e tini 

ai ngaa kaupapa 

papai hei whai 

What we want 

We want to make sure our city provides 

opportunities for all our people to play and 

have fun - whether it be through organised 

sport, local playgrounds, events, or our visitor 

destinations. 

A fun city should have something for everyone 

whether you want to join a local choir or the 

local quiz team — we want all of us to have 

something to do and be part of. 

We want to build on our growing reputation for 

hosting outstanding events; events that bring 

economic benefit, that Hamiltonians love, and 

that bring people from all over New Zealand to 

our city. 

But small events also have a role in the life of 

our city. We’re keen to support more arts and 

cultural events and make sure we have the right 

indoor and outdoor facilities in place to support 

local community sports events that people of all 

ages can get involved in. All of these things add 

to the sense of community we all value about 

Hamilton. 

We have already invested in world-class 

stadium and event facilities like Seddon Park, 

Claudelands Event Centre and FMG Stadium 

Waikato and are home to key visitor destinations 

such as Hamilton Zoo, Hamilton Gardens, and 

Waikato Museum. 

And we’ll continue to embrace the outdoors, 

not just the Waikato River but places like 

Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park, our 

destination playgrounds and Lake Rotoroa 

(Hamilton Lake). These facilities provide locals 

and visitors with memories and experiences that 

keep people entertained and wanting more. 

They drive interest and appreciation in our city. 

They make living here fun. 

There’s lots to do in Hamilton, but there’s also 

quiet spaces for our community. Whether it’s 

lying under a tree in a local park, taking in the 

views of the Waikato River or discovering our 

past at Waikato Museum, we invest in spaces 

where our people can relax, rest and reflect. 

We want Hamilton to be an even better place 

for everyone to play, with things to do or see 

around every corner. 


1. We’ll develop open community spaces like 

Korikori Park in Rototuna and Minogue Park in 

Forest Lake that are accessible to everyone to 

enjoy and be part of. 

2. We’ll invest in and enhance Waikato 

Museum, Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton Zoo and 

Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park to create 

new and unique experiences for our people and 

visitors. 

3. We’ll host and celebrate city events like the 

Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival and Balloons 

over Waikato. 

4. We’ll actively celebrate and promote a city 

where residents have the opportunity to have 

fun with their friends and family. 

5. We’ll support local sports events by investing in 

play spaces and we’ll work hard to attract national 

and international sports events to our city.

PRIORITY FIVE 

Shaping 

a green 

city 


taaone tiaki taiao 

What we want 

We’ll promote becoming a sustainable city 

by challenging the way we grow our city 

and how we live within our city. We love our 

environment and we’re all committed to 

protecting it for future generations. 

We embrace our individual and collective 

roles as kaitiaki (caretakers) of our land, 

water and air. Together, we honour, enhance 

and protect taonga (treasures) like the 

Waikato River, and our city’s extensive and 

unique gully system. 

We are proud of our green, clean city and 

we’re taking a thoughtful and city-wide 

partnership approach between businesses, 

organisations and community groups to 

tackle how our city responds to climate 

change. 

We need to look after what we already have 

by embracing the sustainable use of natural 

resources such as our water. We want to 

enhance our beautiful open green spaces 

like Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park, 

the West Town Belt and Taitua Arboretum 

which are valued so highly by Hamiltonians. 

And it’s important we continue to minimise 

our impact on the land by leading the 

country in waste minimisation practices. 

We want to continue to plan well for the 

future so we can strongly focus on designing 

new neighbourhoods like Peacocke in a way 

where our natural environment can exist in 

harmony with new homes and services. That 

means we’ll need a stronger, safer network 

of alternative transport which offers people 

real choice and also offers ways to reduce 

our carbon footprint. 

We want to do it right together, so our city 

will get better by the day and we can leave a 

legacy we can all be proud of. 


1. We’ll protect and restore our natural 

gully network and the biodiversity of 

the city to increase how green our city is 

making it healthier and stronger. 

2. We’ll reduce the carbon footprint of the 

city and build a city that is resilient to the 

effects of climate change. 

3. We’ll mitigate the impact of the city on 

the health and wellbeing of the Waikato 

River and Lake Rotoroa (Hamilton Lake). 

4. We’ll encourage and enable alternative 

ways to move safely and quickly around 

our city. 

5. We’ll plan our future as a sustainable 

city - balancing the natural and built 

environments so they can live in harmony.

When we work in collaboration with our community, stakeholders, 

and partners, we get much better outcomes for Hamilton. 

Shaping a city and doing it well can only be done together with people 

who live here and by working with groups that have a stake in our success. 

So we have purposefully put people at the heart of our thinking and at 

the heart of the priorities we have outlined here. In fact, it’s the people of 

Hamilton who so far have shaped these priorities for us. 

We also acknowledge that we have a specific obligation to achieve the 

economic, environmental, cultural and social aspirations of taangata 

whenua (indigenous people of the land) of our city. 

We acknowledge the special place of Maaori in Hamilton’s history and 

the important role Maaori will play in building our city’s future. Maaori are 

taangata whenua with kaitiakitanga (guardianship) status. This is important 

for our city and by keeping open minds, and open hearts, these manaenhancing 

relationships with Maaori offer all of us opportunities. 

We have 

a vision 

for our city 

but we can’t 

do it alone 

Young people also have a huge role to play. We’re a young city, full of the 

promise arising from talented and well-educated young people who have 

a huge amount to offer. We need to support them so, in turn, they can 

contribute in a meaningful way to our future. 

Finally, as we move ahead, we should respect and honour all our partners 

in central government, local government, the wider community, the 

philanthropic sector and others who have already contributed so much 

and will continue to shape Hamilton for years to come. 

We look forward to working with you, to shape the future of our city, 

together. 

futurehamilton.co.nz 

Contact us 

Hamilton City Council 

260 Anglesea St 

Hamilton 

Email: info@hcc.govt.nz 

Phone: +64 7 838 6699 

/hamiltoncitycouncil 

@hamiltoncitycouncil 

/company/hamilton-city-council

We want to make sure 

our people are at the 

heart of what we do, 

which is why we are proud 

to be working with you, for you. 

BACK ROW L-R: 

Cr Rob Pascoe, Cr Sarah Thomson, Cr Mark Bunting, Cr Martin Gallagher, Cr Kesh Naidoo-Rauf, Cr Dave Macpherson, Cr Ryan Hamilton 

FRONT ROW L-R: 

Cr Margaret Forsyth, Cr Maxine van Oosten, Chief Executive Richard Briggs, Mayor Paula Southgate, Deputy Mayor Geoff Taylor, Cr Angela O’Leary, Cr Ewan Wilson

FOSTERS BUILDS 

great communities

Leading Waikato firm 

Fosters is delighted to 

support and partner with 

the Waikato Business News, 

and join in celebrating its 

25 years. 

“For us, Waikato Business News is a really 

important part of our community for its story 

telling of business in a positive way,” says Foster 

Group CEO, Leonard Gardner. Community 

is important for Fosters, which has a proud 

heritage stretching back almost 75 years after 

LG Foster Ltd was formed in 1946 before 

becoming Foster Construction Ltd in 1973. 

“Our purpose is great communities through 

strong foundations, and we have a really 

rich heritage of delivering projects that have 

transformed the way that community works,” 

Leonard says. 

In his 18 years with the company, Fosters has 

completed many significant projects for the city 

and region. 

That includes the Claudelands arena and 

conference centre build. “The community 

impact, amenity and pride of place created 

there is something I’m really proud of.” 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16


“ 

Our purpose is 

great communities 

through strong 

foundations 

FROM PAGE 15 

Other notable projects during his time 

include The Verandah at Lake Rotoroa 

(Hamilton Lake), and a significant build and 

refurbishment of Centreplace, completed 

under time pressure to get it finished for the 

Rugby World Cup. 

Fosters is also responsible for both the 

Torpedo7 and Visy builds in the airport 

precinct, the latter bringing a major 

manufacturer based in Auckland down to the 

Waikato. 

The high-profile build for APL at Hautapu 

has extra resonance because of the two 

companies’ long-term relationship. 

“One of the pleasures of the job has been 

able to work with businesses that have grown 

alongside Fosters - and APL is an amazing 

business that we’re very privileged to have here 

in the Waikato,” Leonard says. 

“The privilege of our role is that we can 

help support their growth with property 

solutions and delivering magnificent pieces of 

infrastructure for them.” 

In recent times there have been community 

placemaking projects like Lakewood in 

Cambridge, Tamahere Village, and the master 

planned Union Square multi-building office 

development in central Hamilton, where 

earthworks are underway. 

“Union Square is all about creating a highly 

experiential workplace where the people and 

business can flourish,” Leonard says. 

For Fosters, there has to be a sense of 

purpose to what they do.


“So we ask ourselves the question with 

our projects: how is this contributing to 

community? And we want to make sure we do 

things well.” 

Fosters has always reinvested back into the 

industry through training and apprenticeships, 

and supported the community with great 

buildings. 

That sense of purpose and commitment has 

evolved into the establishment of the Foster 

Group Trust, which comes from a conscious 

decision to use their growth to invest back into 

the community. 

“I sort of see it as almost a cycle,” Leonard 

says. “As we invest, the community supports 

us so that we can continue to invest into the 

community.” 

One good example is that every employee gets 

$500 each year to support something within 

their immediate community. 

“I guess it’s one of those things that gives a 

little bit of purpose to the day job.” 

The Trust fund also supports Smart Waikato, 

the Boon Street Art Festival, the Community 

Enterprise Leadership Programme and 

Hamilton Gardens, among many others. 

“Fosters strives to be a responsible corporate 

citizen within the Waikato community,” 

Leonard says. “And over 25 years, part of the 

joy of business is seeing other businesses 

grow as well as our own team grow and 

flourish in our capabilities to support and grow 

community.” •


Champion 

of Waikato business 

... By Sandra Peek ... 

Someone recently introduced 

me as having “been an editor” 

and I was slightly taken aback. 

Technically she was correct but I 

doubt that anyone who has been 

in that role ever fully recovers – 

once an editor, always an editor. 

In October 1993 I was one of three experienced 

journalists – with Grant Hubbard and Philippa 

Stevenson – who formed Byword Publishing. 

The Business Development Board, chaired 

by David Braithwaite, wanted to outsource its 

business newsletter and we were a suitably 

enterprising trio. 

David soon convinced the board we should be 

given the masthead. It was a far-sighted move. 

The Business Development Board is long gone 

but Waikato Business News continues to be 

the media’s strongest champion of Waikato 

business. A good publication can act as the 

glue in its community, building awareness 

and knowledge, sparking connections, 

presenting opportunities. Celebrating, 

discussing, disagreeing, recording the life of 

the community, its pages open to everyone. 

Waikato Business News is that gem. 

I was nominated editor by Grant and Philippa 

in a totally democratic process. They both had 

busy freelance and PR businesses and I had just 

recently left the Waikato Times. I had the most 

time available so I was it! Philippa dropped out 

after a few months to focus on her freelancing 

then, about a year after startup, Grant also 

came to the reluctant conclusion that feeding 

his family was incompatible with endless hours 

of unprofitable slavery managing a fledgling 

business newspaper. I gulped, but by then I 

was hooked. 

A monthly newspaper sounds like such a 

leisurely enterprise. Sell some ads, write a few 

stories, regularly catch up with interesting 

people for coffee, drag money out of the rare 

rogue who tries advertising in a last-ditch 

effort to save his failing business. 

How hard can it be? Actually, it can be a weeny 

bit challenging at times. I was not only editor, 

but owner, production manager and often 

business manager, backup ad designer, backup 

sales rep, and whatever else. I’m sure current 

owner Deidre Morris wears a similar number 

of hats. 

But it was incredibly stimulating too. 

It’s a huge privilege having access to the best 

and most interesting business minds, both 

locally and on a wider scale. Once trust is 

established those relationships can produce 

treasure troves of business intelligence. 

My interest was always in knowing and 

understanding business, so Waikato Business 

News became a newspaper that hunted for 

insights, case studies and practical knowledge 

that would interest and help businesses. I was 

delighted when I was told by one business 

owner that every month he applied something 

he’d learned from that month’s issue. 

My ideal reader! 

There were some people who were always 

fantastic to interview, such as John Fletcher, 

then HR director of NZ Dairy Group. Nothing 

was off the table but our deal was that he 

could read the copy before it went to print. 

It was a rare concession on my part and highly


trusting on his, but it worked beautifully. 

He was completely forthcoming and insightful. 

Only once did he ask me to delete some copy 

to save him from being fired! 

With others, the interview was an opportunity 

to sit back and think about things that never 

ordinarily get aired: the toll their business 

took on other parts of their life, the challenges 

too sensitive to be allowed into any story, 

paths not taken. 

Like all free newspapers, we survived or 

thrived on our ability to attract advertising. 

We were incredibly lucky with some key 

people in the sales manager role. Kim Hill, 

who had previously started and grown her 

own business, then later Deidre Morris. 

They were particularly skilled at helping 

clients understand the purpose and value 

of our policy of not allowing editorial and 

advertising to be linked. Clients often pushed 

hard at that door, some because they simply 

loved negotiating (I’m looking at you, Owen 

Embling!), others because they’d been misled 

by marketers or PR practitioners. To those 

business people my response was always the 

same: “We would love you to advertise but 

we won’t accept your ad if it’s conditional on 

editorial space. But, regardless of whether you 

advertise, if your business has a good story 

to tell we will run it.” And yes, we did lose 

advertising because of that policy. 

There were many others in our team who 

made great contributions – journalists, 

columnists, designers, sales reps, 

photographers, admin and managers. And a 

handful of people in the business community 

who always had our back. The late Jim Grace, 

a man of integrity and law, seemed to have 

an uncanny sense of when a phone call to 

comment encouragingly on the latest issue 

would be most welcome. 

The mechanics of producing a newspaper has 

evolved hugely since the early 90s. 

Then, it was much more time consuming and 

manual. Stories, photos and advert content 

was handed on a disk to an imaging service 

and hours later it came back as bromides that 

then needed to be cut up with a scalpel and 

glued on to the paper layouts. By the time the 

completed newspaper was ready to be driven 

to the printer the floor was a sea of discarded 

offcuts, many of them with glue attached! It 

was a glorious leap forward for mankind when 

computer technology made that process 

redundant. 

But after eight years of never allowing myself 

a proper break I was ready to pass on the 

torch. It has been so good for our business 

community that Deidre Morris was the person 

who took on the challenge. It takes guts, 

humour, creativity and endless hard work 

to reach the 25 year milestone. Well done 

everyone who has helped it get there. • 

“ 

It’s a huge 

privilege 

having 

access to 

the best 

and most 

interesting 

business 

minds.


Fourteen years in the 

hot seat 

... By Mike Blake ... 

It began in 2002 when at a family 

gathering Deidre mentioned 

she was looking for an editor 

for the newly acquired Waikato 

Business News. 

My wife Eileen and I were quite comfortable 

playing our roles in a corporate environment 

in Auckland, but a move back to the great city 

of Hamilton offered an even more comfortable 

lifestyle…we thought. 

the sound teaching of editor John Barrett, 

news editor Ken Coates, chief reporter Claude 

Coombes and others. 

But this latest move to Hamilton was not 

a done deal, really, until we saw what we 

were getting ourselves into with Waikato 

Business News. 

On an early visit a copy of the paper was 

reverently laid in front of me. It was a 16-page 

tabloid newspaper with the potential to grow. 

And as I had made several moves away and 

back to Hamilton I felt I knew the town and 

many of the key people making it buzz. 

Eileen and I said yes and sealed the deal. 

the other with early set ups…the hopes 

and aspirations of young people willing to 

get out and give it a go. 

Meanwhile I went out, camera in hand, to 

record as many business functions as possible 

and include attendees’ faces in the paper. 

The tactic worked as people were pleased to 

see themselves in WBN and others, in turn, 

wanted theirs to be there next time. This meant 

they needed to attend some of the functions. 

This also meant attendances went up and host 

businesses got a better bang for their buck. 

And people would seek out the paper which led 

to ever-increasing circulation numbers. 

So, a deal was agreed, hands were shaken, and 

after our resignations were accepted by the 

Auckland team, our Ponsonby home was put 

up for rent and we moved to the town where it 

all began (for me anyway). 

I had joined the Waikato Times as a cadet 

reporter in 1965 and a career emerged from 

A couple of my first moves were to visit the 

Waikato Chamber of Commerce and chat to 

CEO David Robinson, then on to the Business 

Development Centre and CEO Sandra Perry. 

Both these organisations were geared to 

direct me to business happenings throughout 

the city. One with established businesses, 

Advertisers received positive feedback and 

everyone felt they were on a win…win...win. 

Quite quickly, Deidre could see the benefit 

of giving the paper a better look and began 

printing on gloss paper. Another bonus 

for advertisers and much better photo 

reproduction.

SH1 to Auckland 

N 

The Boulevard 

Te Rapa Road 

Te Kowhai Road 

Business News 

I 

April/may 2013 Volume 21: issue 4 www.wbn.co.nz 

$20m expansion 

keeps Sealed Air 

ahead of market 

Reading market 

needs nationally 

and around the 

globe sets the 

team at Sealed 

Air, Te Rapa 

ahead of the field. 

By Mike Blake 

n an exciting expansion 

move, costing in 

excess of $20 million 

and involving planning and 

designing a new plant as 

well as upgrading existing 

buildings, the company has 

responded to the needs of 

its customers in the growing 

global dairying market. 

Sector manager-ANZ 

dairy John Dawson said: 

“We saw the need for customer 

security/retention and 

realised that investment in 

new technology would allow 

Sealed Air to support clients’ 

growth, many of whom are 

involved with dairy in the 

local and more particularly 

the international marketplace. 

“And being in a very competitive 

global market, this 

investment gives us an edge,” 

he said. 

“While our research 

and development team and 

designers on site are thinking 

globally and locally, a focus 

has been on how to play to 

New Zealand’s strengths in 

the international dairy space.” 

“With this investment we 

have advanced our ability to 

ON OFFICIAL opening day, visitors walk down the driveway in front of the new Sealed Air 

multiwa l paper sack production facility at Te Rapa with renowned plastics man Bi l Foreman 

centre front. – photo courtesy Rhys Palmer 

Sourcing food and 

beverage for your business 

is easy with Gilmours. 

Great Range ✓ 

Great Prices ✓ 

Great Service ✓ 

Earn Fly Buys Points 

tailor-make solutions for that 

market.” 

“And our solutions fit 

well,” said John. 

“Our expansion project 

is one of the largest capital 

investments undertaken globally 

by Sealed Air for 2013. 

“New equipment brought in 

from Germany enables us to 

produce 25kg multi-wall bags 

for packaging export milk 

powder far more accurately 

and efficiently than we currently 

do. 

“These are high performance 

bags made to the 

strictest hygiene demands of 

our dairy export sector,” said 

John. “We make and deliver 

and the client fills and 

exports.” 

There is enough demand 

for the 25kg bags in the New 

Zealand market alone to keep 

the new production line rolling 

24/7, according to John. 

The project began back 

in 2011 under the expert 

supervision of manufacturing 

director, Hamilton-Rotorua, 

John Hall. 

INSIDE 

Torpedo 7 has 

Raynes Precinct 

on the move at 

Titanium Park 

“Planning began in earnest 

and in 2011 with conceptual 

designs drawn up and 

requests for proposals advertised 

for the manufacture of 

the facility. 

“By the end of 2011 contracts 

were in place and 

groundwork had begun,” he 

said. “Building progressed 

through 2012 and was completed 

in November, about six 

months ahead of projections.” 

“And it needed to be, 

considering the volumes 

Continued on page 5 

(centre pages) 

Frustrated TGH 

boss says: 

“Consider the 

big picture” 

By Mike Blake 

If you’re a business owner, club o represent an association you could 

HAMILTON become a Gilmours member, it’s FREE! 

GILMOURS HAMILTON 

Ph 07 849 4945 • 13 Simsey Place 

Monday: 8am-8pm 

Tuesday to Friday: 8am-6pm 

Saturday: 8am-4pm 

The group expanded, firstly adding two 

scientific magazines, NZ Bioscience magazine 

and NZ Laboratory News. Then New Zealand 

Grey Power came to us with a proposition 

to write, produce and print their national 

magazine. 

Having the title of ‘Group Editor’ bestowed 

upon me meant these were all my ‘babies’. 

Earlier I had been elected to the board of the 

Waikato Chamber of Commerce. This was 

a good move and under the leadership of 

Dr Steven Saunders (Dr SAS) along with the 

expertise of several board members elected 

from professional organisations within the city, 

the Chamber progressed. After a few years 

Steven retired and it became my turn at the 

helm. Thank goodness for a strong team on the 

board and in the office. When I stood down, 

some six to eight years later the board very 

kindly honoured me with life membership. 

R 

ecent claims that there 

has not been enough 

consultation on Tainui 

Group Holdings’ proposed 

development at Ruakura 

seem to have lost sight of 

the bigger picture and TGH 

CEO Mike Pohio is encouraging 

people to take a step 

back and consider the project 

in its entirety. 

More than half of a l freight 

in New Zealand is today transported 

between Hamilton, 

Tauranga and Auckland. 

“Current volumes will 

double over the next 20 years 

and the real issue is understanding 

that there are significant 

value-add opportunities 

for Waikato in what is 

being carried in trucks and 

on trains,” said Mike. “There 

is also the issue about how 

we most efficiently deal with 

what is coming at us.” 

Ruakura has direct access 

to the existing East Coast main 

trunk railway which connects 

Waikato and Bay of Plenty to 

We lington and Auckland. 

Simsey 

TGH CEO Mike Pohio 

The Waikato Expressway 

wi l run alongside it which wi l 

give a direct motorway link 

into Auckland. 

“That means Ruakura wi l 

take a lot of that freight off 

local roads,” said Mike. 

“Value-add benefits from 

the proposed Ruakura development 

wi l be shared by many 

people and organisations in 

Waikato,” he said. “This project 

has strong elements of 

national benefit and it is certainly 

hugely important regiona 

ly.” 

In total, the development is 

estimated to a tract more than 

$3 bi lion of direct investment, 


Church Road 

“ 

I felt I knew 

the town and 

many of the key 

people making 

it buzz. 

Eileen and I are ‘semi-retired’ now and live in 

a great spot at the rapidly forming Tamahere 

Country Club. •


1995 

GORDON CHESTERMAN 

“ We profile the 

marketing maestro 

who rides a Harley 

Davidson “ 

The Waikato- 

Tainui Raupatu 

Claims Settlement 

Act is passed by 

Parliament. 

1997 

DIGGING IN 

OUR STORY, 

YOUR STORY 

Brothers build marketresponsive 

drainage 

business 

25 years of business, sporting and 

cultural highlights in Waikato


1999 

Hobbiton set 

is built near 

Matamata for 

filming of Lord 

Of The Rings 

trilogy (guided 

tours start on 

2002). 

2000 

Single sculler 

Rob Waddell wins 

Olympic gold in 

Sydney. 

2001 

ROBOTICS FUTURE 

2001 

Fonterra is established 

in October 2001 following 

the merger of the 

country’s two largest 

dairy co-operatives, 

Waikato-based New 

Zealand Dairy Group and 

Kiwi Cooperative Dairies, 

with the New Zealand 

Dairy Board. 

Gallagher Academy of 

Performing Arts opens at 

University of Waikato. 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 

Collaboration boosts 

sector’s potential 

1999 

ALAN GRANT 

Pam Corbett talks to the man 

driving the growth of Lollipop’s 

Playlands in New Zealand and 

Australia 

2002 

Publishers change at 

Waikato Business News 

Waikato Business Publications 

purchases the publishing assets 

and rights from Sandra Peek’s 

Byword Publishing Ltd 

Waikato Stadium opens 

with a Super 12 rugby match 

between the Chiefs and the 

Crusaders.

Te Waka 

builds for future 

Hamish Bell 

Waikato is coming of age, with Te Waka wellpoised 

to aid the region’s future development. 

The potential is huge, with industries across 

the region that are of national size and scale, 

says the regional development agency’s chair, 

Hamish Bell. 

He points to established industries like 

agriculture and horticulture, construction, 

health and education as major contributors. 

He also notes that specialised manufacturing, 

manufacturing and food technology, IT 

and the rapidly growing distribution and 

logistics industry are all industries to watch 

as companies look to the Waikato as a key 

geographic hub. 

Hamish says in recent years there has been an 

increasing awareness of the region’s economic 

scale, and of its livability and attractiveness. 

That is seeing professionals and business 

owners flocking to the Waikato – attracted by 

strong business growth and the highly desirable 

lifestyle the region offers. 

Te Waka is playing a vital role and creating 

impact by building relationships with iwi, local 

and central government and business. 

“We believe that economic development is a 

foundation for broader wellbeing,” Hamish says. 

“Our role as an economic development agency 

should be as an enabler and connector. To say, 

how can we enhance economic development, 

and use that as a basis to provide further 

leverage to build the Waikato, to create 

employment and wellbeing.” 

Challenges come from the region’s diversity, 

including its geographic spread and large 

number of stakeholders – though he notes that 

a growing level of collaboration can make a real 

difference, citing the recent win for the region 

in attracting the national head office for the 

New Zealand Institute of Skills & Technology, a 

collaborative effort with iwi and Hamilton City. 

“We're here to lift economic performance 

across the region, support and enable business 

and industry growth, and attract business and 

investment,” Hamish says. 

He cites the Ruakura inland port development 

as an example of the role Te Waka can play. 

The port will be a major employer and save 

distribution costs in the North Island, but will 

also enable the attraction of further industry 

providing further jobs. “It is a very significant 

project that has major ramifications. We put 

time and attention into that, it has a very big 

dollar return.” 

Te Waka recently brought together the 

chief executives of key freight and logistics 

companies together with key freight owners 

in a forum to discuss the economic benefits 

of Ruakura as a logistics and supply chain 

proposition. They looked at how Te Waka could 

work in partnership with industry to accelerate 

the port development’s impact on the region’s 

economy. 

Despite a range of successes, Hamish says Te 

Waka, formed two years ago, is the newest 

economic development agency in the country 

and has been on a learning cycle. 

To meet its goals, it has launched a revised 

strategy, with a tighter focus on creating 

impacts that drive wellbeing outcomes in the 

next two to five years, and provide a platform 

for the future. 

“We're laying a foundation now to have a 

much stronger partnership with iwi, with 

government agencies and with business and 

local government. 

“It's fantastic the region has finally got together 

behind one economic development agency. 

“The biggest opportunity for us is, if we work 

together off the base we have created, we have 

more inherent natural talent in so many ways 

than any other region. So it's time for that to 

happen. 

“Te Waka is not meant to be the icing on 

the cake. We are a platform - the board that 

the cake can sit on, that helps bring people 

together and to enhance and champion the 

best of what's already there.” •

Boosting 

the city centre 

LEFT 

A bustling Victoria on the River has helped connect the city to the Waikato River. 

ABOVE 

The CBD Awards have become an annual fixture. 

Hamilton Central Business Association 

has played a vital role in a sustained 

burst of central Hamilton activity since 

the association’s inception in 2008. 

HCBA represents the businesses based in 

the central city, to be their voice on issues of 

strategic importance to the CBD, to promote 

the businesses and their offerings to the public 

and to contribute to and collaborate on projects 

that support the city centre business economy. 

It is uniquely positioned as an organisation that 

can work with the local business community, 

the Hamilton City Council and other key 

players and investors in the city to ensure 

the CBD is a desirable commercial business 

hub, shopping, dining and entertainment 

destination. HCBA does this by building strong, 

effective relationships to support, advocate and 

promote the central city on behalf of the 1,200 

business and property owners that make up the 

membership. 

HCBA has plenty to point to as it promotes 

the city centre as a bustling, active, innovative, 

vibrant place that offers exceptional businesses 

and experiences. 

The CBD has gone on a journey of rebuild and 

development, from businesses to buildings, 

from residential to commercial, and there is no 

sign of that slowing down. 

Among a slew of current projects, office block 

Tristram Precinct is due for completion in early 

2021, and earthworks are underway for Union 

Square, with its first tenants to be AA Insurance 

and Rabobank. Also in the immediate pipeline is 

a build for ACC, along with the much anticipated 

start to work on the Waikato Regional Theatre. 

Apartment living has also been boosted with 

new builds including the mixed-use Parkhaven 

and London Central. Meanwhile, retail has seen 

the opening of Riverbank Lane, as well as the 

redevelopment of Centre Place and an increase 

in boutique style independent retailers. Wide 

ranging hospitality offerings contribute to 

the vibrant landscape of the central city with 

eateries Gothenburg, Banh Mi Caphe, Mr Pickles 

and Palate all boasting views of the Waikato 

River. 

Two parks have been developed on Victoria 

Street. HCBA was on the Embassy Park 

Working Group and Riff Raff Trust during a 

redevelopment of the park in a collaboration of 

community, business and local government. 

Following that was the development of Victoria 

on the River, which has created a further 

valuable link to the river. 

HCBA General Manager Vanessa Williams and 

BELOW 

The Chinese Lantern Festival adds life and colour to the city centre. 

her team have shown off the central city with 

their annual awards held on consecutive years 

in high-profile venues Riverbank Lane, Hamilton 

Hotel and the former IRD building, capped off 

in 2020 with a transparent marquee on the 

riverside. 

They also provide an annual activation 

programme which sees more than 100 events 

held in the four main public spaces in the CBD: 

Garden Place, Victoria on the River, Embassy 

Park and Civic Square. 

HCBA is a non-political organisation driven by a 

voluntary executive committee contributing to 

the revitalisation, support and promotion of the 

Hamilton CBD. • 

www.hamiltoncentral.co.nz

Community and 

relationships at Stark 

Property’s core 

In 2010, while in the process of looking for a suitable central city office space for 

his father’s company, Matt Stark and wife Jaimee realised the lack of commercial 

leasing opportunities in the city with the option of full office design and fit out. 

There was a need for well-designed workspaces throughout the CBD. 

The first space they worked on took the form 

of an events space with meeting rooms and a 

full cafe, located on the top floor of a fivestorey 

office building overlooking Garden Place 

in central Hamilton. 

In 2012, the first commercial property was 

purchased in central Hamilton marking 

the beginning of Stark Property and the 

development of multiple buildings and unique 

spaces. Over the years, Stark Property has 

developed a passion for revitalising the 

Hamilton CBD with a vision of utilising the 

city’s most beautiful natural asset - the river - 

for all Hamiltonians to enjoy. 

Projects include award-winning South Bloc; the 

Knox Street property underwent a full internal 

and external refurbishment in 2016. The 

redevelopment was completed while working 

above a fully operating private hospital. The 

completed project has received multiple 

architecture and design awards. 

Since then, Stark Property has taken on 

numerous notable projects including Tristram 

Precinct at 20,000sqm, with multiple 

substantial tenants bringing more than 

750 workers into the Hamilton CBD. The 

Riverbanks development comprising boutique 

retail and hospitality through a laneway 

connects the public to the Victoria on the River 

civic development and provides sought-after 

premium office space with some of the best 

views in the city, overlooking the Waikato 

River. 

Stark Property’s Panama brand offers 

exceptional co-working with thoughtfully 

designed work spaces and flexible contracts, 

catering to businesses across a range of 

industries and providing professional, 

innovative and functional spaces. The Panama 

team looks after day-to-day operations so 

businesses can focus on what they do best. 

Panama has grown substantially, with more 

than 40 businesses represented and working 

from beautiful locations throughout the CBD. 

Hills Village is Stark Property’s first residential 

development. Nestled on the brink of the 

Waikato River with direct access to the city 

centre, the collection of high-end apartments 

is the first of it’s kind in Hamilton. The 

pocket-neighbourhood is a master-planned 

community of residential living, work-live 

apartments and commercial offices. The 

project continues to contribute to the 

transformation of Hamilton East, providing 

another great connection to the river and 

again adding to the revitalisation of the 

Hamilton city centre.

Panama Square 

Tristram Precinct 

Revitalisation of the Hamilton CBD remains at the core of Stark Property. 

Fostering a sense of community, working closely with others and building 

meaningful relationships is at the heart of everything we do. • 

www.starkproperty.co.nz 

Hills Apartments

Pencarrow House -Tamahere, Waikato 

PLACEMAKING for people 

People and community are 

at the heart of Hamiltonbased 

PAUA Architects and 

their designwork. 

NZ Clean Energy Centre - Taupo 

These have also been driving values for 

principal architect Antanas Procuta since 

his return to the Waikato 25 years ago and 

these values have seen the practice being 

commissioned a range of standout projects. 

The ‘people and community’ approach saw 

PAUA Architects focus on creating a sense 

of neighbourhood when masterplanning the 

Jack’s Landing development near Rotoroa 

(Hamilton Lake), and PAUA is taking the same 

attitude to a village development with the Brian 

Perry Charitable Trust using modular homes. 

A similar project awarded through a design 

competition is a sustainable mixed-use 

neighbourhood in Taupō. With about 60 

households and a commercial centre with half 

a dozen shops, and apartments above, it was 

to be an exemplar development for the council 

using a concept of neighbourhood enclaves, 

as well as environmental strategies throughout 

the design. 

“This idea of community is very important,” 

Antanas says. “It's really about creating 

identity and enhancing a sense of ‘home’. 

Too often what happens with housing 

developments is there's no sense of character 

or neighbourliness. 

“Architecture is ultimately about people and the 

way we live - it's really important to remember 

that it's not foremost about buildings.” 

Taupō is also the site for the NZ Clean 

Energy Centre, which reflects PAUA’s strong 

environmental interest - “a common thread 

through all our work”. 

A building to both showcase clean energy 

- such as bio-fuels - and to provide a base 

for clean energy research organisations, 

the Clean Energy Centre was built using 

recycled concrete and primarily heavy timber 

construction rather than steel. 

Heat is drawn via a ground-source heat-pump 

from below the building, and the facility uses 

solar and wind power. 

The Clean Energy Centre is another example of 

a project PAUA Architects has won through a 

design competition, and Antanas is proud that 

the practice does well against much larger firms 

in such competitions.


Similar ideas to the Taupō build were used 

when PAUA supported Hukanui Primary School 

in developing its ecoclassroom, ”The Living 

Room”, built with untreated macrocarpa rather 

than treated pine, and incorporating an earth 

brick wall. PAUA is also supporting the Fairfield 

Project, a proposed environmental education 

centre providing educational opportunities for 

surrounding schools, tertiary institutions and 

the broader community. 

The sustainability thread runs through PAUA 

Architects’ extensive residential portfolio, 

including a Cambridge house that gained 

the country’s first HomeFit PLUS rating, and 

a 6-HomeStar-rated Pencarrow home, both 

ratings from the NZ Green Building Council. 

Aotea Bach - Aotea Harbour, Waikato 

Linked to its environmental commitment is an 

interest in heritage work, including a number 

of historic houses around the Waikato and the 

recent award-winning renovation of St Mary’s 

Convent Chapel in Hamilton. 

Meanwhile, a long-standing relationship with 

Waikato iwi and hapū includes marae and 

whare design work by senior architect Richard 

Mauriohooho, and now sees PAUA designing 

the new Cambridge police base, a partnership 

between New Zealand Police and Waikato- 

Tainui, with Tainui Group Holdings as landlord. 

PAUA Architects appointed a business 

development manager this year, among other 

recruitments that will see it increase in size to 

around 10 practitioners. The practice is busy 

post-lockdown with a range of projects, and 

Covid-19 has motivated PAUA Architects to 

reflect and focus on the future. 

Newly appointed business development 

manager Phil Mackay says: “I think the Covidchanged 

world probably brought more focus to 

the practice in terms of how we best respond 

to client and community requirements, 

what our strengths are as a practice, and the 

direction of work that is important for the 

future, which is ultimately about sustainability 

and new ideas for living and building.” 

At the core of any PAUA project is the same 

concern. 

“It's about placemaking; getting to the essence 

of what underlies a client's brief, the essential 

characteristics of the site and its context,” 

Antanas says. 

“Whatever our clients are involved in, it's 

actually working really closely with a client to 

understand what's really important for them, 

and untangling the knots of their requirements 

to create order and connnections and beauty 

all at the same time.” • 

pauaarchitects.co.nz 

3 Anzac Parade, Hamilton 

office@PAUAarchitects.co.nz 

T 07 839 6521


2003 

2008 

SLUDGE TO 

SAND 

City firm 

revolutionises 

waste treatment 

2008 

Waikato-based 

Caroline and 

Georgina 

Evers-Swindell 

win double 

sculls Olympic 

gold in Beijing 

- backing up 

their first gold 

in 2004. 

2004 

NICOLA PERE 

Hamilton mum 

goes global with 

baby bibs business 

2009 

PETER MOLAN 

Manuka honey’s 

medical marvels 

measured in gold 

2004 

Sarah Ulmer is the first 

New Zealander to win 

an Olympic cycling 

gold medal, in the 3km 

individual pursuit in 

Athens. 

Titanium Park industrial 

precinct is established 

at Hamilton airport. 

First building opens at 

Waikato Innovation Park. 

4 The WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October 15 – November 15, 2009 

A BEAUTIFUL LIFE 

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decor or professional suites. A 

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exclusive to Home Design 

Queenwood Village, Hamilton. 

Phone (07) 855 5247 

www.homedesign.net.nz 

2 

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mobile 021 633 404, email sales@firstaidart.com 

www.firstaidart.com 

4 

Spread over three levels, this residence occupies a 

spectacular site on the banks of the Waikato River and 

over fantastic views of the river and the iconic Fairfield 

bridge. The lavish interior with award winning kitchen 

and up to the minute chattels complete with lift will 

definitely win your heart over. Tenders close 4.00pm, 5th 

November 2009 contact Tony Kerapa, Harcourts Real 

Estate to view 021 284 8633, 07 843 3099. 

GET YOUR TOP OFF! 

One of the best looking hard top convertibles on 

the road is the New Peugeot 308 CC. World class 

safety features, impeccable drive and excellent fuel 

economy. The New 308 CC is going to be the big 

head turner this Spring/Summer. To book a test 

drive contact Waikato Motor Group, 07 849 7733, 

e-mail matt@wmg.co.nz, www.wmg.co.nz. 

Waikato 


The 

October 15 – November 15, 2009 Volume 17: issue 10 

Kudos Awards 

special 

Pages,16 and 17 

Employment 

Law 

with 

Anne 

Aitken 

Page 10 

Investment 

with 

Stuart 

Anderson 

Page 14 

Export Feature 

www.wbn.co.nz 

the standard is set 

Manuka honey is one of the world’s great 

Pages 20 – 22 

Tax Law 

With 

PwC 

health honeys and has become a well known 

food icon of New Zealand. Now the scientist 

who discovered the original manuka activity 

has put his name to a Gold Standard that 

defines the unique bioactivities identified in his 

research and will give customers confidence in 

the honey product they are purchasing. 

Read ‘Manuka honey’s medical and health 

Page 12 

marvels’ on Page 5.


N 



Employment 

Law 

with Anne 

Aitken 

Page 6 



The 

JAnuary 15, 2010 – February 15, 2010 Volume 18: issue 1 

www.wbn.co.nz 

But Putaruru Blue Spring is world class 

Emissions 

Trading 

The cost of 

progress 

Page 8 

By MIKE BLAKE 

A desire to ‘make something good for people’ saw property man Ian Riley 

dip his toe into the water...literally. 

Jus three years ago he invested in a Putaruru company, New Zealand Quality 

Waters Ltd, that was bottling natural spring water to world class standards. 

Ian also reckons that 20 years in project management with major oil companies, 

developing major petroleum industry infrastructure throughout Australasia and 

South East Asia has given him an excellent grounding for this type of business. 

Importan to the company’s success is the source of water...the famous Blue 

Spring from which water of the utmost purity has flowed for thousands of years. 

How chopsticks 

and forks can 

work together 

Page 7 

Photograph by Edward Aish (Pro-Vision) 

Investment 

Getting an 

edge on the 

market 

Page 9 

Continued on Page 5 

UK business 

migrants 

Show interest 

in Hamilton 

Page 16 

2013 

DAIRY DRIVER 

New plant, 

upgrade, aimed 

at global market 


I 

April/may 2013 Volume 21: issue 4 www.wbn.co.nz 

$20m expansion 

keeps Sealed Air 

ahead of market 

Reading market 

needs nationally 

and around the 

globe sets the 

team at Sealed 

Air, Te Rapa 

ahead of the field. 

By Mike Blake 

n an exciting expansion 

move, costing in 

excess of $20 million 

and involving planning and 

designing a new plant as 

well as upgrading existing 

buildings, the company has 

responded to the needs of 

its customers in the growing 

global dairying market. 

Sector manager-ANZ 

dairy John Dawson said: 

“We saw the need for customer 

security/retention and 

realised that investment in 

new technology would allow 

Sealed Air to support clients’ 

growth, many of whom are 

involved with dairy in the 

local and more particularly 

the international marketplace. 

“And being in a very competitive 

global market, this 

investment gives us an edge,” 

he said. 

“While our research 

and development team and 

designers on site are thinking 

globally and locally, a focus 

has been on how to play to 

New Zealand’s strengths in 

the international dairy space.” 

“With this investment we 

have advanced our ability to 

ON OFFICIAL opening day, visitors walk down the driveway in front of the new Sealed Air 

multiwall paper sack production facility at Te Rapa with renowned plastics man Bill Foreman 

centre front. – photo courtesy Rhys Palmer 

tailor-make solutions for that 

market.” 

“And our solutions fit 

well,” said John. 

“Our expansion project 

is one of the largest capital 

investments undertaken globally 

by Sealed Air for 2013. 

“New equipment brought in 

from Germany enables us to 

produce 25kg multi-wall bags 

for packaging export milk 

powder far more accurately 

and efficiently than we currently 

do. 

“These are high performance 

bags made to the 

strictest hygiene demands of 

our dairy export sector,” said 

John. “We make and deliver 

and the client fills and 

exports.” 

There is enough demand 

for the 25kg bags in the New 

Zealand market alone to keep 

the new production line rolling 

24/7, according to John. 

The project began back 

in 2011 under the expert 

supervision of manufacturing 

director, Hamilton-Rotorua, 

John Hall. 

INSIDE 

Torpedo 7 has 

Raynes Precinct 

on the move at 

Titanium Park 

R 

“Planning began in earnest 

and in 2011 with conceptual 

designs drawn up and 

requests for proposals advertised 

for the manufacture of 

the facility. 

“By the end of 2011 contracts 

were in place and 

groundwork had begun,” he 

said. “Building progressed 

through 2012 and was completed 

in November, about six 

months ahead of projections.” 

“And it needed to be, 

considering the volumes 


(centre pages) 

Frustrated TGH 

boss says: 

“Consider the 

big picture” 

By Mike Blake 

ecent claims that there 

has not been enough 

consultation on Tainui 

Group Holdings’ proposed 

development at Ruakura 

seem to have lost sight of 

the bigger picture and TGH 

CEO Mike Pohio is encouraging 

people to take a step 

back and consider the project 

in its entirety. 

More than half of all freight 

in New Zealand is today transported 

between Hamilton, 

Tauranga and Auckland. 

“Current volumes will 

double over the next 20 years 

and the real issue is understanding 

that there are significant 

value-add opportunities 

for Waikato in what is 

being carried in trucks and 

on trains,” said Mike. “There 

is also the issue about how 

we most efficiently deal with 

what is coming at us.” 

Ruakura has direct access 

to the existing East Coast main 

trunk railway which connects 

Waikato and Bay of Plenty to 

Wellington and Auckland. 

TGH CEO Mike Pohio 

The Waikato Expressway 

will run alongside it which will 

give a direct motorway link 

into Auckland. 

“That means Ruakura will 

take a lot of that freight off 

local roads,” said Mike. 

“Value-add benefits from 

the proposed Ruakura development 

will be shared by many 

people and organisations in 

Waikato,” he said. “This project 

has strong elements of 

national benefit and it is certainly 

hugely important regionally.” 

In total, the development is 

estimated to attract more than 

$3 billion of direct investment, 


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2009 

Council and 

iwi planning 

initiative 

Future Proof 

is launched. 

2010 

BLUE SPRING 

Property man 

invests in water 

2013 

Hamilton born and raised 

Kimbra wins Grammys for 

Record of the Year and Best 

Pop Duo/Group Performance 

with Australian musician 

Gotye. 

Community foundation 

Momentum Waikato is 

established 

OUR STORY, 

YOUR STORY 

Hamilton 

& Waikato 

Tourism is 

established. 


cultural highlights in Waikato


Powering 

100 

the 

years 

region for 

WEL Networks is marking a proud 100 year 

history of bringing electricity to the Waikato in 

2020, a history that sees it poised to continue 

to deliver to the region as a 100 percent 

community owned company. 

Once a traditional lines company, it is 

moving with the times to become an energy 

services business, all while giving back to the 

community and playing a key role in the region’s 

economic and social development. 

The story of the introduction of electricity 

supply to the Waikato began in 1912 when the 

Borough of Frankton started constructing lines 

and a generating plant with the first residential 

property receiving electricity supply in 1913. In 

February 1920 a meeting was held to consider a 

proposal to constitute an Electric Power District 

for portions of the Waikato and Waipa Counties. 

This meeting 100 years ago resulted in the 

formation of the Waikato Electric Power Board, 

which later became the Central Waikato Electric 

Power Board (CWEPB). 

A CWEPB employee 

working on an air break 

switch in the 1970s. 

• In 1931 the power board sold 10 million units 

of electricity – by 1961 this had grown to 145 

million. 

• In 1967 the power board installed its first 

computer system. 

• In April 1974, a 33 kilovolt supply was 

switched on to supplement the 11 kilovolt 

system that had operated since the 1920s. 

• In 1989, an amalgamation with the Hamilton 

City Council Electricity Department saw 

the formation of Waikato Electricity Limited 

(WEL). 

• In 1998 the Electricity Industry Reform Act 

required WEL to sell off its retail business 

and thus lose direct contact with its 

customers. 

Today WEL’s electricity network spans the 

region from Maramarua in the north to just 

south of Hamilton city, from Raglan in the 

west to Tauhei in the east. It connects more 

than 93,000 residential properties and small 

businesses, plus more than 800 commercial 

and industrial sites, delivering more than 1,200 

Gigawatt hours of electricity annually. 

WEL Networks continues to identify and invest 

in new technologies to serve the future needs 

of its communities and customer expectations. 

An example is the Te Uku wind park near 

Raglan. The 28-turbine park was built in 

partnership with Meridian. WEL owns and 

manages the electrical lines and substation 

within the wind park and the high voltage line 

connecting to the national grid. 

Climate goals, coupled with the acceleration 

of electrification, solar, batteries and EVs, are 

changing the energy landscape. 

Energy hardship is a significant issue in the 

region, which is why WEL Networks continues 

to upscale its low-cost electricity retailer, 

OurPower, following a successful trial period. 

So far more than 2000 OurPower customers, 

many of whom face energy hardship, have 

saved over $1.1 million, and WEL Networks is 

embarking on further customer growth. This 

includes a solar farm plan - partnering with 

community-minded Waikato land owners to 

produce electricity through solar generation 

that will help provide cheaper power to 

OurPower customers.

LEFT 

Then and now: Fixing powerlines in the past and today. 

BELOW 

A 1924 work vehicle and WEL’s new 100% electric truck. 

... 

Benefit goes back 

to community 

The company’s micro-grid project is another 

example of adapting to a changing environment 

by integrating new solar and battery energy 

storage system technology into the traditional 

network to harness renewable power. 

To support EV growth, the company has 

invested in the growth of an electric vehicle 

charger network with 25 chargers located 

across the Waikato, and, in partnership with 

Counties Power, has an EV charging app - 

OpenLoop. 

“We’re proud of our contribution to the Waikato 

region over the last century and for our track 

record of innovation and achievement,” says 

WEL Networks chief executive, Garth Dibley. 

“Our communities remain at the heart of our 

business decisions, ensuring they continue to 

benefit and thrive from our ongoing success.” 

www.wel.co.nz 

The Waikato community gets the benefit 

of WEL Networks running as a successful 

energy services business. 

WEL Energy Trust has for 20 years been 

giving back via grants, investments and 

discounts as sole shareholder of the 

company. 

The nature of the return to the community 

has changed over time, but the key is that 

trustees own the company on behalf of the 

community, says WEL Energy Trust chief 

executive Raewyn Jones. 

She points to substantial investments 

over the past 20 years, including Waikato 

Innovation Park and Momentum Waikato, 

both of which WEL Energy Trust was 

instrumental in setting up. 

Expanding into the delivery of ultrafast 

fibre was another significant development, 

Raewyn says. “The network was built ahead 

of time and budget. During Covid, it proved 

its worth - we've had world class fibre.” 

WEL Energy Trust became the sole 

shareholder of WEL Networks in 2000 

although community ownership was not 

a certainty after regulatory changes in the 

early 1990s. 

WEL’s predecessor companies were 

essentially community owned, but with the 

reforms of the 1990s there was a move away 

from community ownership, with the WEL 

Energy Trust owning a third of the company, 

a US energy company owning a third and 

the remaining third owned by customers. 

Through a process of complex and often 

acrimonious ownership battles through the 

1990s, ownership finally reverted to the 

community at the turn of this century. 

“From the company perspective, WEL 

Networks runs as a successful business but 

it's 100 percent the community that gets 

the benefit of that,” Raewyn says. “That’s 

something people should be proud of.” • 

www.welenergytrust.co.nz 

This year WEL Networks sold its UltraFast 

Fibre share so it can further unlock its energy 

potential, deliver to the changing needs of 

customers and a changing landscape, and 

continue its journey towards a sustainable 

and innovative energy future. 

Raewyn Jones also points to the Trust’s 

significant contribution to the establishment 

of the Waikato Wellbeing Project, which is 

focused on helping the region work towards 

the UN’s sustainable development goals, 

as a highlight of recent years. “That's the 

Trust taking a leadership role within the 

community and bringing people together.” 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the launch of 

the Waikato Wellbeing Project in February 2020.


Hamilton 

BORN AND BRED 

Chedworth Properties has been dedicated to 

the growth of Hamilton city since the 1960s. 

First at the helm were Hector Webb and 

Duncan Murray, both seriously influential in the 

development of the city, with developments 

under the Chedworth Properties umbrella over 

the years having included the Hillcrest Basin, 

Chedworth, Pukete, Fairview Downs, Sherwood, 

Coleraine, St James, and Horsham Estate. 

Today, director Jon Webb and development 

manager Tony McLauchlan are steering the 

company using the same family philosophy 

which focuses on delivering sections for those 

in the mid-market. 

Chedworth Properties’ latest development is 

Greenhill Park which offers 2000 sites over 136 

hectares in north east Hamilton. 

This is the city’s first medium density suburb 

and already 500 sections have been 

developed and sold. 

A proud point of interest is that Chedworth 

Properties has sold more than 6000 sections 

in its various development projects within 

Hamilton City’s boundary since the company 

began business in the 1960s. According 

to Jon Webb the company has had many 

opportunities over the years to take their 

expertise elsewhere. 

“But we have stuck loyally to Hamilton, the 

place we can honestly call home,” he said. 

“It has been satisfying to grow with the city 

and see so many people take advantage of our 

developments.” 

Chedworth Properties itself has grown with 

the City. In its early years it would build 

around 20 sections per year, however as the 

City has grown so has Chedworth Properties’ 

operations to keep up with demand, now 

building around 100 sections per year. 

Chedworth Properties’ long history in land 

development in Hamilton has also seen it 

at the forefront of many of the changes. 

It has been satisfying 

to grow with the city


Certainly the rules and regulations governing 

land development have changed dramatically 

between the 1960s and today and Chedworth 

Properties has had to adapt to these changes. 

Gone are the days of a simple subdivision 

application being quickly prepared and 

processed by Council, with Chedworth 

Properties now engaging a raft of Urban 

Design, Planning, Engineering, Geotech, 

Landscape, Ecology, Survey, Transport and 

Legal experts to prepare applications and assist 

in the delivery of its subdivisions. 

Jon strongly believes that the Chedworth’s 

team of consultants and contractors is one 

of the key reasons why Chedworth has been 

successful. As he says, “they all take immense 

pride in their work and are passionate about 

delivering communities which people will 

enjoy living in”. 

Jon also sees Waikato Business News as 

part of this team, having had a long standing 

relationship with them and he is therefore not 

at all surprised that they are celebrating more 

than 25 years of success in Waikato alongside 

the likes of Chedworth Properties. 

Certainly during Chedworth’s time in business 

in Hamilton it has seen a significant change 

as New Zealanders have come to grips with 

living on smaller sites and affordable housing 

has become more of an issue. While smaller 

sections are part of the solution to affordable 

housing, the design of roads and storm 

water infrastructure, in particular, also play 

an important role. The design of subdivisions 

therefore now requires a lot more attention to 

detail and co-ordination of infrastructure which 

Chedworth Properties achieves through the 

use of design guidelines and a design review 

committee. 

Jon says that Chedworth Properties is providing 

people with a superior level of amenity, setting 

new standards for subdivision in Hamilton. 

The completed houses give an excellent 

indication of the effort that has gone into 

landscaping and design. 

“There is a stunning variety of house designs, 

floor plans and materials on display,” said 

Jon. “A great deal of care has been taken with 

landscaping and fencing.” 

Rather than just rely on covenants to ensure 

quality design, Chedworth Properties utilises 

a design review committee which requires 

builders to have their designs accepted at three 

stages: concept, detail and final. 

“We’re not trying to create palaces, but we are 

trying to ensure that the houses facilitate a 

better community and interact better with each 

other and their environment,” says Tony. 

“In managing business this way we are going to 

ensure that Greenhill Park is done well and is an 

exceptional place to live. 

“We want people who live at Greenhill Park to 

be proud of their homes,” he said. 

This latest Chedworth Properties undertaking 

comes after a long line of successes across 

Hamilton and with many more sections still to 

build at Greenhill Park, Chedworth Properties 

will continue to play an important role in 

Hamilton’s future. •


Waipā 

A DISTRICT ON THE MOVE 

Waipā has gone from strength to strength in the past 

25 years, with a list of achievements that includes the 

opening of the Avantidrome outside Cambridge and the Sir 

Don Rowlands Centre at Karapiro, along with high-profile 

industrial builds for Visy and APL. 

Lake Rotopiko

The Avantidrome 

Waipā economic development manager Steve Tritt at Lakewood 

The equine industry is 

important to the district 

It has been growing strongly as New 

Zealanders have recognised its appeal as a 

place to live, and growth in tourism has added 

to a solid agricultural base. 

Residential cells continue to be opened up, 

while industrial development is roaring ahead 

at the airport precinct and Hautapu, and 

mixed-use style apartment living received a 

boost from the Lakewood development close 

to central Cambridge. 

“The district has a strong agricultural sector 

and is an attractive place to live,” Mayor Jim 

Mylchreest says. 

“We are building a reputation for being the 

home of champions and also as a sport-related 

visitor industry, with major sporting events 

coming to Waipā, and Cambridge in particular.” 

Waipā regularly hosts elite sporting events, 

including international track cycling at the 

Avantidrome and the World Rowing Champs at 

Lake Karapiro in 2010. 

The district boasts rowing, canoeing and 

cycling high-performance centres, and its 

sporting facilities includes the ASB Stadium 

Te Awamutu Events Centre, seating up to 800 

spectators. 


Te Awamutu library

FROM PAGE 37 

Cycling has enjoyed a boom thanks partly to 

the Avantidrome and the building of Te Awa 

cycleway, the Hamilton section of which is 

under construction. Cycleways are also being 

built and upgraded to Lake Ngaroto and 

Pirongia. 

Meanwhile, the district’s picturesqueness has 

seen Cambridge pick up Most Beautiful Large 

Town and Best Street in consecutive years in 

the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards. 

Mylchreest says the district’s attractiveness 

as a place to live has been boosted in recent 

years by the building of amenities including a 

new library and swimming pools. 

The new pool, nearing completion in 

Cambridge, is an indoor facility including 

a 25 metre pool, and learners and toddlers 

pools, which will add to the existing 50 metre 

outdoor pool. 

In neighbouring Te Awamutu, a $4.4 million 

rebuild in 2016 transformed the town’s 

library, while its museum showcases the 

rich social history of Waipā, including an 

exploration of the New Zealand Land Wars. 

Industrial activity is set to remain an 

important part of the district’s future, 

including development around the 

airport and at Hautapu. Mylchreest says 

the developments are providing an 

impetus for jobs in the district, while the 

expressway is an important transport 

linkage enabling ready access to Auckland 

and Tauranga. 

While the land’s productivity means 

much of it is farmed, the district has 

also supported environmental projects 

including the iconic Sanctuary Mountain 

Maungatautari, which plays an important 

New Zealand conservation role thanks 

to its pest-proof fence. “The other area 

that we've worked hard on over the last 

25 years is protecting the peat lakes that 

are left in the district.” That includes 

Lake Rotopiko, near Ohaupo, where the 

National Wetland Trust have eradicated 

pests to form a wetland garden which is 

now a safe haven for native wildlife. 

“ 

The district 

has a strong 

agricultural 

sector and is 

an attractive 

place to live 

But it is the primary sector that remains the 

district’s foundation, Jim says. Dairying is a 

cornerstone, with the equine thoroughbred 

industry also important, and horticulture, 

including blueberry and kiwifruit growing, 

gaining in significance. 

“Producing top quality food for the world is 

the strength long term for Waipā.” • 

Stories of the Land Wars are also among 169 

unique stories shared in Te Ara Wai Journeys, 

a free self-guided tour of Waipā sites. 

“Being able to tell those stories to the 

community has been really important,” Jim 

Mylchreest says. 

Since it was launched in December 2019, 

thousands of people have taken the journey 

via the website. 

Cambridge’s award-winning main street

94% 

OF PRINT READERS 

TALK ABOUT 

WHAT THEY READ 

IN MAGAZINES OR 

NEWSPAPERS 

SOURCE : TWOSIDES UK


N 

The Boulevard 

Te Rapa Road 


N 

busine s 

The Boulevard 

Te Rapa Road 




OUR STORY, 

YOUR STORY 


cultural highlights in Waikato 

2016 

BUILDING COMMUNITY 

Leadership focus of 

university-business 

partnership 

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 VOLUME 24: ISSUE 8 WWW.WBN.CO.NZ FACEBOOK.COM/WAIKATOBUSINESSNEWS 

2014 

IT’S A SITTER 

Babysitting service 

wins at Young 

Enterprise trade fair 


J 

August/September 2014 Volume 22: issue 8 www.wbn.co.nz 

Kidding about 

creates unique 

‘best business’ 

JUST KIDDING Babysitting girls from Waikato Diosecan School for Girls 

BaBysitting is Big Business 

ust ask the Waikato hard on their marketing and 

winners of the Lion have created an attractive and 

Foundation Young unique business. Providing a 

Enterprise Scheme Trade smart solution for busy families 

Fair. 

has been at the heart of their 

Just Kidding Babysitting, of winning entry,” Mary said. 

Waikato Diocesan School for Chop Top, of Putaruru 

Girls, was voted top business College, was named runner 

at the fair, held at the Hamilton up at the fair, with their stall 

Night Markets for the first time selling recycled native timber 

in August. 

chopping boards proving popular. 

The trade fair gave almost 

25 teams of budding entrepreneurs 

from Waikato secondary native timber from an old home 

“They have used recycled 

schools a chance to tout their to create some beautiful product,” 

Mary said. 

wares before thousands of market 

goers. 

Students operated market 

YES regional co-ordinator stalls alongside regular night 

Mary Jensen, of Smart Waikato market stallholders, selling a 

Trust, was impressed by the range of products and services, 

effort of all teams but a judging from chocolate and perfume to 

panel of business leaders unanimously 

decided Just Kidding About 250 years 12 and 

a light up chilly bin. 

Babysitting was the best. 13 students from throughout 

“Competition was tough the region are involved in the 

but this team has worked extra 

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INSIDE 

Page 4 

New man 

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Mediaworks 

Page 5 

Check your 

coffee 

calendar 

Page 7 

HCBA 

Awards 

Pages 14 -15 

Waipa 

Business 

Awards 

Page 19 

Mayor speaks 

on Central City 

transformation 

Page 30 

Christmas 

events and 

venues 

A FIT AND HEALTHY team celebrate the birth of Fitness Journal… the latest addition to 

Waikato Business Publications’ stable (from left) sales director, Deidre Morris; editor, Lisa 

Potter; managing director, Alan Neben and graphic designer, Tania Hogg. 

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Long established Waikato 

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launched the first edition 

of new monthly title Fitness 

Journal, aimed at promoting 

a healthier community. 

“This is something completely 

new which could have 

a real and positive impact on 

the health of Waikato people,” 

says Fitness Journal editor Lisa 

Potter. 

“We’re able to buy glossy 

international magazines about 

marathon running, DVDs 

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2014 

Associate professor Dr Peter Sun at 

Waikato University’s Management School. 

THE REGION’S BUSINESS VOICE 

CREATING 

GREAT 

LEADERS 

A unique partnership between business 

and the University of Waikato is creating 

leaders across both business and 

community organisations. 

T 

By GEOFF TAYLOR 

he Community 

and Enterprise and 

Leadership Foundation 

(CELF) programme at Waikato 

University’s Management 

School is a co laboration 

between the university and 

Community and Enterprise 

Leadership Foundation - a 

Waikato-based trust - which 

has the aim of producing great 

and connected leaders for 

the region. 

The nine month course, 

convened by associate professor 

- management communication, 

Dr Peter Sun has turned 

out its first 21 graduates and a 

second cohort began the second 

course last month. 

A fundamental point of difference 

with the programme is 

that it combines an equal number 

of representatives from 

both business and not for profit 


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average house price. 

The 110 house development, 

achieved under the now 

defunct special housing area 

Homes and Holah Homes. 

They are the joint shareholders 

of Quentin Residential, 

is set to help achieve the city 

council’s goal of denser living 

in the city. 

Blake Richardson, of 

Golden Homes, says they want 

the development to contribute 

to the council’s aspiration 

“I think it offers something 

that you don’t see really anywhere 

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is a mixed community close 

Golden Homes co-owner 

Craig Smith says communities 

need variety. “So one of 

2018 


Te Waka 

launched 


Te Waka 

launched 

at ‘powerful’ summit 

at ‘powerful’ summit 

T 

“We’ve had the hui, now let’s have the do-ey.” 

By RICHARD WALKER 

T 

hat’s the call from 

Dallas Fisher after a 

high-powered summit 

that brought together 250 

Waikato business leaders and 

politicians to help shape the 

future economic development 

of the region. 

Te Waka, the new name for 

Waikato’s regional economic 

development agency, was 

launched at the event, held on 

the banks of Lake Karapiro at 

the Sir Don Rowlands Centre 

recently. 

Dallas Fisher, chair of Te 

Waka’s establishment board, 

said after the summit that it had 

been a “powerful” two days, 

aimed at helping the well-being 

of Waikato communities. 

“There was real horsepower 

in this room. It's been phenomenal. 

The two-day commitment 

from all the people is 

significant and they stuck at 

it. They were excited about it, 

committed to it.” 

The conference opening 

address was by Regional Economic 

Development Minister 

Shane Jones, and attendees 

included representatives from 

all five iwi the region touches, 

hat’s the ca l from 

Da las Fisher after a 

high-powered summit 

that brought together 250 

Waikato business leaders and 

politicians to help shape the 

future economic development 

of the region. 

Te Waka, the new name for 

Waikato’s regional economic 

development agency, was 

launched at the event, held on 

the banks of Lake Karapiro at 

the Sir Don Rowlands Centre 

recently. 

Da las Fisher, chair of Te 

Waka’s establishment board, 

said after the summi that it had 

been a “powerful” two days, 

aimed at helping the we l-being 

of Waikato communities. 

“There was real horsepower 

in this room. It's been phenomenal. 

The two-day commitment 

from a l the people is 

significant and they stuck at 

it. They were excited about it, 

commi ted to it.” 

The conference opening 

address was by Regional Economic 

Development Minister 

Shane Jones, and a tendees 

included representatives from 

a l five iwi the region touches, 

as we l as major Waikato businesses 

and industries. 

It was a first for Waikato, 

which is one of the last regions 

in New Zealand to establish a 

regional economic development 

agency. 

“This has never happened 

before. This is original territory 

bringing everyone from 

the region together across a l 

these industry groups, central 

government, local government. 

It’s never happened in 

the area of economic development,” 

said Da las. 

We're late to the 

game and we've got 

to catch up, but I 

look at us like being 

Melbourne Cup, 

Kiwi coming down 

the outside. That's 


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“We've ca led for unity, the 

focus of that ca l is kotahitanga. 

We've ca led for a collective 

approach. No one group 

can do this by themselves.” 

The two days saw the 

development of some overarching 

themes, including tourism, 

Waikato as a food bowl 

and utilising the Waikato River 

sustainably. It also established 

a set of priorities while ge ting 

down to what Da las ca led the 

“ni ty gri ty”. 

“We've got the prioritised 

list and we've come up with 20 

major ideas for projects.” 

The next step is to cluster 

those ideas under the themes 

and present the long-term 

strategy to central government 

in October. 

Da las said one of the jobs 

of Te Waka is to help join the 

dots between national and 

regional strategies and look 

at how to accelerate business 

development. 

He gave the example of 

rail. “There's a national strategy 

around rail, which absolutely 

connects to the food processing 

strategy, the tourism 

strategy - so it's [about] our 

regional strategies connecting 

to the national strategies.” 

In the meantime, Te Waka is 

also doing its bit to help with 

applications for the Provincial 

“We’ve had the hui, now let’s have the do-ey.” 


DALLAS FISHER 

Summit launches 

region’s first economic 

development agency 

as well as major Waikato businesses 

and industries. 

It was a first for Waikato, 

which is one of the last regions 

in New Zealand to establish a 

regional economic development 

agency. 

“This has never happened 

before. This is original territory 

bringing everyone from 

the region together across all 

these industry groups, central 

government, local government. 

It’s never happened in 

the area of economic development,” 

said Dallas. 

We're late to the 

game and we've got 

to catch up, but I 

look at us like being 

Melbourne Cup, 

Kiwi coming down 

the outside. That's 


Da las Fisher on the banks of Lake 

Karapiro. Sustainable use of the 

Waikato River was prominent in theme 

discussions a the two-day summit. 

“We've called for unity, the 

focus of that call is kotahitanga. 

We've called for a collective 

approach. No one group 

can do this by themselves.” 

The two days saw the 

development of some overarching 

themes, including tourism, 

Waikato as a food bowl 

and utilising the Waikato River 

sustainably. It also established 

a set of priorities while getting 

down to what Dallas called the 

“nitty gritty”. 

“We've got the prioritised 

list and we've come up with 20 

major ideas for projects.” 

The next step is to cluster 

those ideas under the themes 

and present the long-term 

strategy to central government 

in October. 

Dallas said one of the jobs 

of Te Waka is to help join the 

dots between national and 

regional strategies and look 

at how to accelerate business 

development. 

He gave the example of 

rail. “There's a national strategy 

around rail, which absolutely 

connects to the food processing 

strategy, the tourism 

strategy - so it's [about] our 

regional strategies connecting 

to the national strategies.” 

In the meantime, Te Waka is 

also doing its bit to help with 

applications for the Provincial 

Growth Fund, with several in 

the pipeline. 

“Minister Jones ca led 

himself a retail politician at 

the event,” said Fisher. “We l, 

we're a buyer of the Provincial 

Growth Fund.” 

Also on the immediate 

agenda is the appointment of 

a chief executive. The agency, 

based at Innovation Park, currently 

has six sta f. There wi l 

be further recruitment, while 

a new board to replace the 

establishment board should be 

formed within six months. 

Da la said there have been 

some predecessor organisations, 

and part of the impetus 

for the agency came from 

Waikato Means Business, an 

organisation which he chairs. 

“It needed to evolve and 

connect with the business 

world much more strongly, and 

in se ting up Te Waka that's 

what we've done. a true partnership. 

I think this is vita ly 

important. We are behind 

because we haven't worked 

together enough as a region,” 

he said. 

“We're late to the game and 

we've go to catch up, but I look 

at us like being Melbourne 

Cup, Kiwi coming down the 

outside. That's Waikato. 

“The process has delivered 

quality outcomes but now, let's 

make some things happen.” 

See further story on page 4 

Dallas Fisher on the banks of Lake 

Karapiro. Sustainable use of the 

Waikato River was prominent in theme 

discussions at the two-day summit. 

Duncan & Ebbett 

07 838 1211 

Growth Fund, with several in 

the pipeline. 

“Minister Jones called 

himself a retail politician at 

the event,” said Fisher. “Well, 

we're a buyer of the Provincial 

Growth Fund.” 

Also on the immediate 

agenda is the appointment of 

a chief executive. The agency, 

based at Innovation Park, currently 

has six staff. There will 

be further recruitment, while 

a new board to replace the 

establishment board should be 

formed within six months. 

Dallas said there have been 

some predecessor organisations, 

and part of the impetus 

for the agency came from 

Waikato Means Business, an 

organisation which he chairs. 

“It needed to evolve and 

connect with the business 

world much more strongly, and 

in setting up Te Waka that's 

what we've done. a true partnership. 

I think this is vitally 

important. We are behind 

because we haven't worked 

together enough as a region,” 

he said. 

“We're late to the game and 

we've got to catch up, but I look 

at us like being Melbourne 

Cup, Kiwi coming down the 

outside. That's Waikato. 

“The process has delivered 

quality outcomes but now, let's 

make some things happen.” 

See further story on page 4 

2020 

JACK’S LANDING 

Hamilton builders 

in ambitious 

development 


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COLLARING THE MARKET 

Agritech startup moves fast and 

thinks big. Page 13 

‘much needed housing’ 

BUSINESS AWARDS 

THE ART OF PERFORMANCE 

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Price shown is Maximum Retail Price (MRP). 

2019 

THE COOL FACTOR 

Town rides a 

wave of growth 

Duncan & Ebbett 

07 838 1211 

for city centre’s 

doorstep 


With residential land at a premium in central 

Hamilton, a rare development will see more 

than 100 homes built on a site close to the 

city centre. 

T 

Fifteen finalists chosen for Westpac 

Waikato Business Awards Page 22 

hree well known Hamilton 

builders are combining 

forces to create a 

mixed community beside Innes 

Common and just 2.5km from 

the centre of the city. 

two, three and four bedroom 

homes, with a set proportion 

selling below Hamilton’s 

for Hamilton to be a compact, 

livable city. 

legislation, brings together 

Anthem Homes, Golden 

to town with lots of amenities 

close by,” he says. 

Cambridge 

APRIL/MAY VOLUME 27: ISSUE 4 2019 WWW.WBN.CO.NZ FACEBOOK.COM/WAIKATOBUSINESSNEWS 

on a roll 

Artist’s impression of Jack’s Landing street view 

the things we’ve tried to do is 

make the houses with a range 

that could fit all sorts of age 

groups.” 

He says the group also 

wanted to give back, via 

the affordable homes in the 

development. 

The former special housing 

area (SHA) legislation provided 

a mechanism by which 

the land could be rezoned from 

industrial to residential. That 

came with the condition at 

least 10 percent of the homes 

2019 

which is buying the Quentin 

Drive site off Jack House 

Transit. 

Dubbed Jack’s Landing in 

honour of the long-established 

house moving business, earthworks 

will begin in November, 

with building to start in April 

and stage one completed by the 

start of 2022. 

Jack’s Landing is unusual 

in central Hamilton as a large 

tract of land zoned residential. 

Featuring cycle and pedestrian 

access to Rotoroa (Hamilton 

Lake), the development 


Cambridge’s clock tower stands out against a 

backdrop of hi ls: Pukekura and, in the distance, 

Maungatautari. Photo: Antanas Procuta 

Also inside 

this issue 

EXCITING and SCARY 

Challenging world full 

of opportunities 

P3 

“It's got that village feel, it's got a lot of 

energy, there's a real cool factor sneaking 

in.” That’s what Cambridge Chamber of 

Commerce chief executive Kelly Bouzaid 

says about the town, and plenty of others 

agree. We take the pulse and look at the 

opportunities and challenges posed by 

future growth in the Town of Trees. 

See story, page 16. 

LEADING THE WAY 

Community commitment 

“part of DNA” 

P8 

Formation 

of H2A, the 

Hamilton- 

Auckland 

Corridor. 

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Ebbett Group 

defined by growth, innovation, 

and progress 

There are always 

challenges in business – 

it’s how you respond that 

determines success. 

The Ebbett Group, with the surety of its deep 

roots and loyal customer base dating back to 

1928, has faced down the challenges of 2020 

and focused on investment to position itself 

strongly for the future. 

Not only have the Ebbett Group taken the 

opportunity to undergo a complete update of 

their own brand, they have taken on a range 

of new car brands, brought a new dealership 

on board and accelerated the building of new 

premises, including doubling the size of their 

VW dealership at the new site in Te Rapa. 

And, if that wasn’t enough, the Group have 

plans in place to continue the pace of growth 

and development through 2021. Those plans 

include a large scale head-office dealership 

development next to Volkswagen in Te Rapa, 

due to open in March, which will feature an 

on-site paint and panel facility and a tyre shop. 

This expansion will be followed by a brand 

new multi-franchise development in Pukekohe 

as well. 

Even General Motors stopping the sale of new 

Holden vehicles in New Zealand in 2020 was 

a challenge they met head-on by advocating 

strongly for Holden owners and taking on the 

role of HSV national parts distributor. With 

these moves, Holden fans and customers 

can rest easy knowing the Ebbett Group 

is committed to supporting their Holden 

ownership experience long into the future. 

In June, Karamu Holden in the Hawke’s Bay was 

brought into the Ebbett Group and rebranded 

as Ebbett Hawkes Bay. New brands were 

also introduced throughout the North Island, 

with Kia and MG in Pukekohe; Hyundai and 

Isuzu in Tauranga; Isuzu, Seat, Cupra, and GM 

Special Vehicles in Hamilton; Kia and Nissan in 

Wellington; and Renault in Hawke’s Bay. 

In addition, upon Ebbett Skoda moving to their

Ebbett Hamilton’s new Te Rapa dealership, opening March 2021 

“ 

I couldn’t be 

prouder of every 

person in this 

business 

new premises in Hamilton East they became 

the largest Skoda dealership in New Zealand! 

service remains at the heart of their business, 

with the Group believing that is best delivered 

through sustained progress. 

Managing Director Ben van den Engel said 2020 

was a year no-one in the group predicted. 

“But the choices were simple – cut back or 

push on and, whilst we were careful to take 

appropriate action through the most uncertain 

times, we strongly felt that our people, our 

customers and our business would be best 

served by continuing to work hard moving 

forward. 

some sales records in the last few months – 

I couldn’t be prouder of every person in this 

business for the effort they have put in this year 

under such challenging circumstances.” 

The Ebbett Group’s stability and strong values 

have proven invaluable in helping it prosper 

through a difficult year. While quick to admit 

the business benefits hugely from its past, 

the company has not been slow in using 

those deep roots as a springboard for a very 

bright future. • 

Through all these developments, a strong 

adherence to values of Respect, Integrity, 

Care and Excellence ensure personal customer 

“We have taken on new brands, opened new 

dealerships, continued to deliver the highest 

levels of customer service and even broken

Congratulations to Waikato Business News on 25 years! 

Having been in business for over 80 years, we 

know what it takes to stand the test of time. 

All the best to the team for the next 25 years 

ahead. Here are some of our most memorable 

moments since 1995. 

TODAY 

The company distributes 

to 160 markets around the 

world and employs over 1000 

people globally. 

1999 

Gallagher enters 

Fuel Systems business 

1995 

2000 

Gallagher Command 

Centre launches. 

Gallagher (formally 

known as Cardax) 

Security Prox Readers 

hit the market . 

2006 

New perimeter 

technology developed 

– the release of 

the high speed 

configuration range. 

2012 

Gallagher donates much 

needed infrastructure to 

improve 1500 families’ 

lives in two communities in 

South Luangwa, Zambia. 

2013 

Gallagher opens a new 

state-of-the-art facility in 

Kansas City, United States, 

which highlights the 

company’s commitment to 

customers in North America. 

2015 

2015 

Gallagher Security 

becomes mobile. 

Gallagher launches the 

world’s most powerful 

energizer – the M10,000i 

Electric Fence Energizer. 

2016 

A new facility called the 

Gallagher Customer Service 

Centre, which opened in 

Melbourne, Australia, doubled 

Gallagher’s capacity and 

improves logistical capabilities 

as well as customer & 

technical support. 

2016 

A giant Chiefs jersey adorns 

the Gallagher building to 

celebrate the start of the 

Gallagher Chiefs partnership. 

2019 

Gallagher ranked number 

one privately owned tech 

company in New Zealand 

in the TIN Report. 

2018 

World’s first fully 

integrated solar 

energizers – the S200 

and S400 – are launched. 

2020 

Gallagher develops Contract 

Tracing functionality to support 

the world’s COVID-19 efforts. 

2020 

Six awards won in 

the first six months 

of the year. 

2020 

Gallagher strengthens 

commitment to responsible 

business practices with new 

Risk & Responsibility team.

Fast facts 

VALUE OF PAPER AND PRINT 

GLOBAL STUDY: 

MOST PEOPLE HIGHLY 

VALUE PAPER AND PRINT! 

Recently commissioned by Two 

Sides, this consumer survery reports 

global attitudes toward paper and 

print, as well as toward corporative 

environmental claims. 

“Newspaper 

ads are viewed 

2.5 times longer 

than the average 

digital ad” 

Magazines deliver 

outstanding 

performance. 

With a return of 

130%, magazine 

advertisements 

produce the highest 

ROI of all media 

channels 

- GFK Australia 2015 

81% OF PEOPLE 

have bought an item or 

visited a place after reading 

about it in a magazine. 

56% 

OF PEOPLE 

REGARD PRINT 

MARKETING 

AS THE MOST 

TRUSTWORTHY 

OF MEDIA 

CHANNELS 

For the paper and print industries 

global markets and consumer 

preferences remain widely diverse 

and difficult to predict - yet there 

is at least one major source of 

agreement: Around the world, 

people like and want print on paper! 

9 IN 10 

WORKPLACE DECISION MAKERS 

READ PRINT MEDIA 

CHOOSING THE PAPER OPTION: 

In terms of reading preference and 

tactile experience, people prefer 

print on paper compared to reading 

from a screen or electronic devices. 

SOURCE : TWOSIDES UK


WE STILL NEED THE 

creative juice 

In 1849, French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote 

that the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

Two centuries on and faced with the impacts 

of both the digital revolution and Covid-19 

on the advertising world, King St CEO Chris 

Williams agrees. 

Despite the exponential growth in advertising 

platforms available to King St over the last 20 

years, and an economy turned inside out by 

this year’s pandemic, Chris notes one thing 

remains true. 

“Despite all the change, we still need strong 

ideas, and clever execution of those ideas. 

We still need to get people’s attention, 

achieve the cut-through in the mass of 

messages. In the end we still need the 

creative juice.” 

Chris, who bought Hamilton’s only full-service 

advertising company back in 1999, says the 

internet and digital revolution have been 

“amazing drivers” in his industry. 

“The digital space is creating unbelievable 

change across everything. Media consultancy 

has changed beyond belief with players such 

as Netflix, Neon, YouTube, Spotify. We have 

had to change our mindset completely. Social 

media is an additional layer and very complex 

to deal with. 

“In the past you just had a choice of a couple 

of radio stations, local TV, the papers, and 

maybe outdoor. Now there are so many 

platforms and so many ways of helping a 

business reach their customers.” 

During the last 21 years Chris has grown 

King St from four employees to a 

specialised team of 23, with offices in 

Hamilton and Tauranga. 

And the complexity of the options available 

to the agency to get their clients in front of 

clients means Chris has to admit he no longer 

fully understands how some staff go about 

doing their jobs. 

“While other agencies have specialised, say in 

digital, King St have very proudly remained a 

full- service agency. That means I don’t claim 

to know exactly how some of the complex 

technology is operated – there are many

“ 

Despite all the 

change, we still need 

strong ideas, and 

clever execution of 

those ideas. 

CHRIS WILLIAMS 

specialisations now. I do know just enough to 

be dangerous really! 

“Google and Facebook for example are really 

complex platforms. Sometimes we have 

to create work that is really specific to the 

platform, say with YouTube, where you have to 

make six-second clips – to do that effectively 

you really have to think how to break through 

on that specific platform, rather than adapt the 

material from a longer form – it certainly keeps 

us busy with our thinking caps on. 

“The challenge is how to give the best advice 

on how clients should spend their hard-earned 

cash, how to most effectively get them in 

front of their customers and prospects. Then, 

of course, we match this with smart strategy 

and clever creative that we execute to the 

highest quality possible across all platforms. 

And our work is very trackable now – we can 

very quickly work out what is successful and 

make changes if we need to.” 

Chris says 2021 is sure to challenge his King 

St team. 

“The lockdown rebound is slowing, a lot of 

the discretionary spend is going to go. It will 

be a major challenge for the economy and 

the agency. 

“Research shows in adverse conditions people 

go with brands and companies they trust. 

Companies are going to have to appeal to 

both the head and the heart. Digital platforms 

can struggle to make that emotional 

connection with the audience. We are going to 

have to work that out. Companies will have to 

ask themselves what makes their customers 

tick and how best to tackle that connection. 

“I think we’ll see a return to basics – remember 

what got you here, look after that, treasure 

every new lead. 

“Looking ahead I’m excited by the challenges, 

it’s time for the old dogs to step up. While we 

haven’t been through a pandemic, I had my 

first job during the ’87 stock market crash – 

we’ve sailed some stormy seas before.” •


Chantal Baxter, Natasha Harvey and Glenn Forster 

Melissa Clothier, Malcolm and Julie MacDonald 

David O’Neill 

Out and about 

Some of the many people who have made an 

appearance in Waikato Business News over the years. 

Paula Sutton and Chris Simpson 

Sir William Gallagher, David Barnett, Jack Ninnes and Steve Hayidakis 

Toby Morris and Te Radar 

Andrew Wood and Senga Allen 

Biren Patel and Tesh Randall 

Karen Thomson and Maureen Tims 

Harshmmen Kaur and Nick Dromgool 

Kingsley Field, Gaye Barton, Mike Blake and Roger Laybourn 

Vanessa Williams and John Lawrenson


Michael Bassett-Foss 

Lou Cables, Ross Townshend and Bronwyn Main 

Ashleigh Turner, Lee Ann Muntz, Vaughan Payne 

Jon Tanner and Andrew Flexman 

Michelle Bailey 

Sandy Guscott and Katrina Van de Ven 

Mark Morgan and Dion Merson 

Geoff Taylor and Martin Gallagher 

Sarah Wollerton, Ella Warren and Alice Norton 

Carey West and Jeremy Hughes 

Kirstie Dawson-Smith, Paula Sutton and Terry Wilson 

Sandra Hutton and Donna Cunniffe 

Peter Nation, Ron Fleming, Richard Walker, Beth Jobin 

Mike Neale, Nicole Hartopeanu and Sarah King 

Terry and Roy Braggins and 

Bruce and Pamela Nixon 

Rob Pascoe, Dick Breukink and Paula Southgate 

Adrian Paterson, Trish Tate and David Bennett 

Sarah Rundstrom, Brian Squair and Vicky Williamson

Lodge 

ever-changing 

leader looks at an 

real estate world 

It’s an ever-changing world for those engaged 

in today’s real estate industry. 

electronic world this is an essential element in 

successful real estate selling,” said Jeremy. 

This sector has seen many highs and lows 

during the past 25 years with mortgage interest 

rates being the ruler in most cases. 

In Hamilton a very positive Lodge Real Estate 

managing director, Jeremy O’Rourke, has seen 

many of them from the time he began his 

career as a keen young sales representative to 

today where he sits in the seat of power. 

Lodge is Hamilton’s largest real estate 

company. 

The sales teams use a multitude of 

communications platforms to ensure vendors 

and buyers are knowledgeable in all aspects of 

their property sales and purchases. 

“Go back a few years (at least 25) and you 

would see salespeople using radio telephones 

to keep in touch with the office,” said Jeremy. 

“Now with mobile phones the gaps have closed 

and they are in close contact with vendors, 

potential buyers, their teams and the office.” 

The exponential growth in the use of 

electronic platforms seen in the use of texting, 

Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat and email has 

opened many doors through which vendors 

and buyers can step. 

“At the same time sales teams are growing with 

customer needs.” 

Jeremy says that since the Covid-19 lockdown 

the strong introduction of Facebook, Google 

and Trade Me have been used to target people 

in the market as well as those who are planning 

to come on board as either sellers or buyers. 

“All the methods of communication we have 

included are consumer-centric and speed up 

reactions by our sales teams towards vendors 

and buyers,” said Jeremy. 

“We have never before seen this rate of change 

in the sector…it’s like a freight train screaming 

up the main trunk line…it’s enormous and is 

improving our service delivery. 

Jeremy O’Rourke 

and, in turn, taking better care of customers 

overall. 

According to Jeremy more young people are 

taking up real estate sales as a career. 

“When I told my parents I wanted to become a 

real estate salesperson, they didn’t believe it. 

It was not seen as a career – certainly not one 

they thought I should take. But I have proved 

them wrong and have made a success of my 

chosen profession. 

“In that time newspaper advertising was very 

strong with a majority of households receiving 

a copy of the ‘daily rag’, he said. “Now with 

population growth and sadly circulation 

decline, this form of communication has taken 

on a scattergun style and is used mostly in 

niche market publications aimed directly at a 

target audience. 

“Face-to-face communication is most 

important, as it has been from the beginning 

of property sales. And in what is a developing 

“It allows our people to spend more time in 

front of clients who can then appreciate the 

amount of background work that has been 

done. 

“There has been a general increase in 

consumer protection. Unlike the old days of 

‘Let the Buyer Beware’ our job today is to ‘Make 

the Buyer Aware’. 

“This has led to salespeople increasing their 

levels of due diligence when listing properties 

“It is exciting to see the number of younger 

people stepping up to the plate to join our 

ranks,” Jeremy said. 

“They are inquisitive and ask questions as 

well as listening to the needs of vendors and 

buyers. 

“This helps them stand firmly by the real estate 

edict of today… 

“Make the Buyer Aware” •


If it’s a rush job, 

don’t say no... say 

NOW! 

To work in the advertising business is to 

work in the land of perpetual deadlines, 

imposed and (I must confess) self-imposed. 

All my life I’ve always said “Now” instead of 

“No.” Most creative industries have grueling 

work schedules and deadlines. 

No matter what kind of work you’re in, 

do it fast, on-time, and do it perfectly. 

SOURCE : DAMN GOOD ADVICE - GEORGE LOIS

The Stiles and Hooker team 

Stiles and Hooker 

Architects and Engineers 

This is a team at the top of its game, producing 

quality projects with passion. 

From its home in the mighty Waikato, the team 

of 30 at Stiles and Hooker have been delivering 

locally, nationally and internationally for many 

valued clients for nearly on 40 years, with a big 

celebration planned for next year. 

Stiles and Hooker has a strong focus on the 

industrial / food processing sector. 

Dairy process plants, meat processing plants, 

beverages & wineries, honey and their 

associated energy, water and water treatment 

services are Stiles and Hooker’s niche. 

Stiles and Hooker Ltd has close associations 

with all the food industry process specialists in 

New Zealand, adding value to project success 

due to their vast experience, understanding 

of the requirements of the plant, the space 

and hygiene requirements that need to be 

incorporated in the various factories. 

Almost all dairy process sites in New Zealand 

include buildings and structures designed by 

Stiles and Hooker. 

Director and general manager Glenn McHardie 

said: “We enjoy delivering quality projects, 

“working together and coming up with clever 

solutions excites the whole team.” 

Glenn says: “The ‘together’ includes our design 

professionals, the building contractor and 

the process engineer, delivering outstanding 

results for the clients. 

“We enjoy the challenge which means 

working on extremely fast track projects 

where once the project is approved it is ‘all go’. 

The contractor is often on site preparing the

ground immediately, the foundations are in for 

consent, and we are working on the detailed 

design of the upper structure.” 

Beyond putting an effective structure and skin 

over process equipment, what makes Stiles 

and Hooker shine in its niche market - New 

Zealand’s leading industrial/food process 

facility design team - comes down to three 

main elements. 

Our depth of knowledge, shared over many 

years with our clients’ businesses including 

critical focus on effective flow and masterplanning 

on specific sites. 

The ability to orchestrate the parts involved to 

give advice that is practical and only involves a 

few of the experienced Stiles and Hooker team 

as opposed to having a multitude of specialists 

not owning the whole process. 

The company has consciously decided to 

remain medium in size, for efficiency and 

to provide clients with direct access to the 

directors, ensuring the philosophy of the 

business is never diluted. 

Working with excellent clients around the 

country and producing ‘the goods’ on each 

project has earned 85 percent in repeat 

business. 

We go strong for our clients and while, as a 

professional business, we depend on them, 

they accept our strengths and come to rely 

on us. 

“We accept and relish the design challenge, 

and take immense satisfaction in the part 

we’ve played in the shared success of the of 

the overall project,” says Roger Baker, director, 

engineer 

Our approach 

We listen 

Our team focuses on effective listening, 

enabling us to determine a client’s requirements 

and desires from project inception to its 

full realisation. We are a personable group 

of professionals to whom you can chat in 

confidence. We invite you to enjoy the process 

with us. 

We collaborate 

We pride ourselves on getting projects off 

to a decisive start by collaborating with key 

players early during the design process. Added 

to that we have taken the proven benefits of 

collaboration a step further, gathering the best 

and most dynamic architectural and engineering 

minds under one roof. This team effort will 

deliver optimal results for your project. 

We Innovate 

For our talented team, using innovation to come 

up with smart solutions that help our clients 

do better, is part of everyday life. We look for 

ongoing improvement so the solutions we offer 

are both creative and effective for our clients’ 

projects. 

We deliver 

We have a proven track record, with industry 

respect for the thorough level of documentation 

we provide and our sound management of 

projects. We are motivated to deliver projects for 

our clients that strike the right balance between 

quality, cost-effectiveness and timely delivery. 

The practice is a member of ACE, the 

Association of Consulting and Engineering. 

Three directors are members of Engineering 

New Zealand. One director is an associate of 

the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA). 

FROM TOP 

Directors Iain Brown, Roger Baker, Glenn McHardie, Tony Wade and 

associate director Scott Lawrence 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 54

The company in brief 

FROM PAGE 53 

Looking back to the beginning… 

Design essence 

We believe that a building should reflect the 

unique characteristics of its location, function 

and the identity of the client for whom it is being 

built. 

This helps us to ensure we create an 

environment that best suits our clients needs 

and expectations. 

Roger Stiles and Roydon Hooker founded the 

engineering and architectural practice of Stiles 

& Hooker Limited in 1981. 

Nearly 40 years later the business continues 

to run strong under the watch of current 

directors: Iain Brown, Roger Baker, Glenn 

McHardie and Tony Wade. 

Stiles and Hooker has a strong future with 

ongoing succession planning, which includes 

welcoming Scott Lawrence this year as 

associate director, with a plan to become a 

director in 2021 

The Stiles and Hooker team gains great 

satisfaction from creating buildings of enduring 

quality that add immense value to the lives of 

the people who interact with them. 

Quality assurance 

We use the latest and greatest technical tools. 

Our in-house technologies are continually 

being audited to ensure they are up-to-date. 

This means we consistently utilise the latest 

technical tools, enhancing our company’s 

capacity to deliver exceptional projects. 

A company with heart 

Our purpose: To deliver quality projects with passion 

Our focus: We are New Zealand’s leading industrial/food process facility design team. We do 

the best by the project by being approachable, experienced and connected. 

Our culture: 

1. Integrity… We do right by the project – we do right by the team 

2. Customer focus… We make them part of our team so we truly understand them and 

deliver on promises 

3. Team… We collaborate to succeed together 

4. Quality… We use our skills and knowledge to provide quality we are proud of 

5. Passion… We celebrate our vision becoming reality… enjoying the journey 

6. Balance… We are balanced in all we do: Family, health, work and play 

Our professionals and technicians keep abreast 

of new developments in design trends, building 

processes, materials and technologies to 

ensure they are equipped to provide clients with 

the most sound advice and ultimately great 

buildings. 

All clients may be assured of quality and peace 

of mind when Stiles and Hooker works with 

them. 

We provide the quality assurance you deserve 

being registered with TELARC New Zealand (ISO 

9001) 2015. •


19 Black 

3/19 Worley Place, Hamilton 

Phone: 027 694 8870 

19black.co.nz 

3 Wise Men 

25 Ward Street, Hamilton 

Phone: 07 838 0696 

3wisemen.co.nz 

Centre Place Shopping 

501 Victoria Street, Hamilton 

Phone: 07 839 8563 

kiwiproperty.com/centre-place 

Victoria Street 

Our neighbours 

Ward Street (Centre Place) 

Crate Clothing 

12 Ward Street, Hamilton 

Phone: 07 835 2591 

crateclothing.co.nz 

In the heart 

of the city 

DP Media Ltd 


Phone: 07 838 1333 

www.dpmedia.co.nz 

www.wbn.co.nz 

dynamo6 

Level 1, 3 Ward Street, Hamilton 

Phone: 0800 396 2666 

dynamo6.com 

Worley Place (Garden Place, Hamilton City Council)

Fill a Bowl 


Phone: 021 360 906 

fillabowl.co.nz 

Gates Optometrist 


Phone: 07 839 6996 

gatesoptometrists.co.nz 

Gails Floral Studio 

7 Worley Place, Hamilton 

Phone: 07 839 0988 

gails.co.nz 

Harper Inc 


Phone: 07 834 0017 

harperinc.co.nz 

Hart Jewellers 


Phone: 07 839 5666 

High Above 


Phone: 021 199 7355 

highabove.co.nz 

Kebab Salateen 


Phone: 07 839 3375 

Magazine 

Designer Clothing 

19 Worley Place, Hamilton 

Phone: 07 834 3106 

magazineclothing.co.nz 

Margaret Wallace 

Clothing Alterations 


Phone: 07 839 5834 

OFF & ON 


Phone: 07 949 9836 

offandon.co.nz 

OOBE 


Phone: 07 850 5231 

oobe.co.nz 

RUBY 


Phone: 07 834 0210 

shop.rubynz.com 

Sol Studio 


Phone: 07 834 1012 


Starbucks 

Corner Ward Street & Worley Place 

Phone: 07 839 7302 

starbucks.co.nz 

Star of India 

4/39 Ward Street, Hamilton 

Phone: 07 949 8342 

starofindiahamilton.com 

Sunshine Health 


Phone: 021 0239 6096 

Trade Aid 


Phone: 07 838 1410 

tradeaid.org.nz 

Texas Radio 

43 Ward Place, Hamilton 

Phone: 07 839 5615 

texas-radio.co.nz 

Ward Street Barber 


Phone: 07 838 2620

He bought the Bartercard Waikato franchise 

(as it was then structured) in 1999. Paul 

then spent the next three years in the 

mighty Waikato, along with his business 

partner, driving the Bartercard franchise from 

strength to strength. 

Bartercard 

proves its worth 

in the Waikato 

The Bartercard principles of assisting small 

business owners to gain new customers and 

conserve cash through its digital currency 

of trade dollars was a key to the franchise 

proving its worth in Waikato, a region well 

known for its large number of small business 

enterprises (SMEs), and it’s still as important 

today. The branch is thriving and is helping 

thousands of card holders benefit from the 

cashless currency. 

After 28 years in New Zealand, Bartercard 

has 10,000 cardholders turning over eight to 

10 million trade dollars a month. There are 

now 13 regional offices and the membership 

base continues to expand through its referral 

programme, bRewards. 

Bartercard has helped assist many 

businesses to grow and realise their potential 

by putting their spare capacity to use. 

An opportunity knocked, 

and the now Bartercard NZ COO, 

Paul Hebbink snapped it up. 

In the real estate sector trade dollars are used 

to invest in properties. It allows for spare 

capital to be invested into bricks and mortar. 

For accommodation providers, restaurants, 

bars and cafes, Bartercard is a great 

opportunity to fill empty seats and idle 

capacity. 

The Bartercard presence in Waikato is 

also visible through its strategic alliances 

and support of sports teams and events 

as Paul believes in investing back into the 

community which supports the Bartercard 

brand. 

In rugby the Chiefs have had the advantage 

of Bartercard support for the past few 

seasons, as has Magic Netball and going back 

a year or two the V8s.

Sponsorship Manager for the Waikato 

Chiefs, Kate Shirtcliff has commented 

“Bartercard has a long-standing 

relationship with the Waikato Chiefs 

through our sponsorship scheme. 

Bartercard has allowed our organisation 

to approve capital expenditure projects 

based on a portion of that expense being 

purchased on trade. We primarily use 

our trade dollars for accommodation 

when the team is touring, team manager 

expenses, functions and events, 

sponsorship events, operating 

expenses, and some capital expenditure. 

Bartercard has really helped us to 

preserve cash where we've needed to, and it's 

a great support network for other charities and 

organisations looking for sponsorship.” 

Today, Paul holds the position of Chief Operating Officer for Bartercard 

NZ and is based out of Auckland. As he would say, his blood runs 

green and he is proud of what the business has achieved over the 

years. The business is recovering well post-Covid and the flexibility of 

the alternative digital currency is allowing its members to continue 

trading through these uncertain times, and conserve that allimportant 

cash. 

“ Bartercard has really 

helped us to preserve 

cash where we've 

needed to 

It has been an exciting journey for Bartercard since its inception in 

New Zealand in 1992, and the journey continues with the next phase 

of its growth strategy aligning itself to the crypto world, Qoin, which 

launched New Zealand wide in October 2020. • 

Bartercard.co.nz 

Qoin.world 

Paul Hebbink 

Bartercard NZ COO 

ATTRACT 

NEW CUSTOMERS 

Increase your customer base and 

geographic reach through Bartercard’s 

referral network (and that’s on top of 

your cash paying customers!) 

“We have seen a steady increase in 

customer traffic with very little effort on 

our behalf – we put this down to being a 

Bartercard member and being exposed 

to a network we wouldn’t have had if we 

were just in a cash business.” 

— Linda, local cafe owner 

Find out how your business can benefit. 

Contact Bartercard today on 

07 834 3443 

bartercard.co.nz


Our future 

together 

... By Deidre Morris, 

Waikato Business News director 

Coronavirus has sent ripples 

into our lives that have 

affected us in so many ways. 

This year, as Waikato Business 

News celebrates 25 years, it’s 

meant the traditional pause 

to take stock of past and 

future is especially compelling 

and confusing. 

When I look back on the extraordinary 

experience of working with the Waikato 

business community so deeply for so long, 

I am both grateful and proud of what we’ve 

achieved as a community. It’s an amazing 

foundation that this community has built with 

hard work, innovation, and incredible integrity. 

And I like to think Waikato Business News has 

played a strong role in some of those gains. 

But, as I’ve been thinking about what the 

next 25 years – or 50 years – will look like, I 

feel I need to draw a line under the past and 

recognise that the future will probably look 

different. Being flexible has always been 

important in business, and now more than ever 

the Waikato business community’s leadership 

is needed to help our region and country adapt 

and find the new opportunities that will help us 

thrive. 

My first realisation of how special the Waikato 

business community is happened before 

I arrived. I tried to start a rival business 

newspaper from Auckland and got sent 

packing; businesses here valued Waikato 

Business News and they weren’t about to 

encourage an Auckland upstart! So I changed 

tack and bought Waikato Business News, and I 

haven’t looked back! 

It’s not until you live in this region that you 

really see its magic. I am still blown away by 

what this community achieves on the global 

stage by great Waikato companies and downto-earth 

people. I’ve seen more business 

achievements come from this region than I 

ever did in Auckland. 

The clients I’ve established a particular rapport 

with have all been straight shooters. I love 

working with the kind of people you can have 

a great debate with and then go and have a 

beer together. Some are important to me for 

a mix of reasons: it’s been wonderful watching 

Ebbett’s grow, for example. They live their 

values and I’ve learned so much from Ben and 

Walter. 

I’m very proud that Waikato Business News 

has earned the respect of business people 

who also work with integrity. That translates 

into operational decisions, such as maintaining 

an ad/editorial ratio that is respectful to the 

audience. As a team we have core values 

that we try to stick to. It evolves every day 

but the key is to be flexible and keep lines of 

communication open.


Our children have grown up learning the 

realities – sometimes harsh but sometimes 

very beneficial – of parents who run a timeconsuming 

business. We lived with highly 

organised routines at home but they also had 

a mum who was great at fundraising for their 

overseas school trips and who was able to 

show up to school sports events. Everything 

was about preparation. 

One of my major motivations for owning 

a business was to put myself in a situation 

where I was solely responsible for the results, 

both of the business and myself. 

There was the freedom to choose every day 

what was most important, and to set my own 

limits on the income I could achieve. But I also 

wanted to understand myself: what skills do I 

really have, and what is the right thing to do in 

any given situation? Those are things I would 

not have been able to explore if I’d stayed 

working for someone else. 

Now I have gathered 25 years of priceless 

memories of people and achievements, for 

me, Waikato Business News, and the Waikato 

• business community. 

When I think about the many good people 

who’ve sweated blood alongside me in 

Waikato Business News, there are a handful of 

women who have changed my life and who I’m 

in awe of. Sally Birch: writer, seller, genuinely 

interested in people and it showed, a 

gorgeous warm, gentle person. Bev McIntosh: 

she’d had a tough life but she was always 

beautifully presented and professional, always 

with a smile on her face. Tania Hogg, a lovely, 

gentle person. So many of our good people 

headed off on their own adventures then came 

back. They were family. 

I like to believe Waikato Business News 

is trusted and has earned its place in the 

community. 

That became clear when my partner and 

I ended our relationship and we split the 

business. It was tough but I have been 

amazed and humbled by the support I’ve been 

given. In this business community, if you’ve 

done business with integrity, the support is 

phenomenal. It’s given me back my sense of 

pride in myself. Thank you everyone for your 

kindness. 

Being included in the Mystery Creek 50 year 

celebrations was a thrill and another indication 

of how Waikato Business News is perceived. 

My inclusion in the time capsule was the 

first issue of Waikato Business News that I 

did flying solo after the business split. It felt 

momentous. 

I am still ambitious for Waikato Business News 

and the Waikato region. As well as growing 

the publication, I hope we can develop closer 

relationships with the region’s organisations 

that are also ambitious. I want us to be the 

link and a force for helping the Waikato move 

forward. 

Media has changed so much over the past 25 

years but newspaper has been making a quiet 

comeback. There is so much available online 

but print is still trusted. We will continue to 

ask the same questions we always have: how 

can we make it work best for you? I want 

your business to be thriving in 100 years, so 

how can we work together to achieve that? 

Waikato Business News has a solid past and 

we’re looking forward to an incredible future. 

The way we Waikato businesses achieve our 

goals might need to change in this weird new 

world, but Waikato business is smart and 

flexible. We can do it together! 

I have been blessed over the decades with 

the people I have worked with and for, and I 

have felt the responsibility, accountability and 

pressure of building and maintaining the WBN 

brand. 

For this publication in particular, on top of 

my role as managing director, I found myself 

back where I began - beating the pavement 

as a sales rep. With so many businesses 

and individuals suffering from the effects of 

“ 


Business 

News has a 

solid past and 

we’re looking 

forward to 

an incredible 

future. 

nationwide lockdowns and a rapidly changing 

environment, I really had no idea how this 

might pan out but it felt good to be out again 

spending time with our clients and doing 

what I love. The support and respect I felt 

with every call was a very humbling, positive 

and proud experience. 

The team here got me through some tough 

times, and helped to reshape the business; 

they are dedicated, loyal, hardworking and 

very passionate also about what they do. 

I am blessed and feel truly grateful to be 

surrounded by such good people - so a 

massive thank you to them. 

To our advertisers - thank you for investing 

and trusting. I would also like to take this 

opportunity to thank our very loyal readers, 

clients, partners and associates. •

would like to congratulate 

on their 25th year in business. 

We are proud to support and continue 

to be your print partner of choice. 

To celebrate we are offering your readers this fantastic deal 

Your 

Flyer 

10,000 

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another area where we lead the industry in innovative print solutions. 

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