Waikato Business News April/May 2021

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16 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS April/May 2021 Waipa manager finalist Waipā District Council finance manager Sarah Davies is a finalist in the 2021 New Zealand CFO Awards. Davies is a finalist in the Emerging Financial Manager category which recognises finance talent of professionals under the age of 40 years who have demonstrated outstanding finance leadership. The annual awards ceremony will be held in June. The Nixon Homes team outside their Hamilton showhome. Health bodies team up The Braemar Charitable Trust has entered a threeyear partnership with the Waikato Medical Research Foundation to provide funding up to the value of $30,000pa for medical research that meets the trust’s vision. The Braemar Charitable Trust Research Projects programme will fund research that will deliver solutions to local health issues. Disability organisations merge Two leading national disability organisations will merge from July 1. Hamilton-based Life Unlimited, and Access Ability, both charitable trusts with a long involvement in the health and disability sector across New Zealand, say the merger will position them as a new organisation for the future which includes upholding the rights of disabled people to take control of their own lives. Life Unlimited chief executive Megan Thomas will lead the new entity while Access Ability CE Tony Paine will be deputy CE and lead the new organisation’s business development, business services, and advocacy arms. Opening for first home buyers A cooling in the New Zealand residential property market on the back of the Government’s investortargeted tax changes has left a short-term opening for first home buyers, according to Lodge Real Estate director Jeremy O’Rourke. He says there has been a temporary investor retreat from the residential property market as investors assess what the new rules, introduced in March, mean for them. He believes they will return once they realise residential property is still a long-term good investment. Kudos nominations sought Nominations are due by July 2 for this year’s Kudos Awards, recognising scientists across the Waikato. This year sees the return of the Emerging Scientist category. Personal touch pays off for home building firm The personal touch is at the heart of Hamilton building firm Nixon Homes’ approach, with clients dealing directly with managing director Cameron Holmes throughout the process. He founded the firm two years ago with his brother Mike, and since then it has grown rapidly from building one house in its first year to 10 this year, while also taking out a prestigious silver in the Master Builders Awards. They now employ three teams of three builders, with a fourth team to be added in July, as they build homes from Te Kauwhata to Kihikihi. It’s all based on providing a complete, no-surprises service. Cameron readily admits that means Mike Holmes they take longer in the design and quotation phase than other house builders. “We take probably another four to five weeks longer, but we quote the whole job so we go into detail with every client. “For us it's that personal touch. They get to spend time with me, going around choosing the kitchen, tapware, all the things that change the price.” That attention to detail comes from 15 years’ experience. Cameron has worked on everything from residential to full commercial as both builder and site manager, after he started in the industry as a 15-year-old. Mike, meanwhile, plays his part from a distance. He is an engineer in Holland where he works as a project manager. His role in Nixon Homes is mainly around finance, social media and marketing. “Anything that can be done online, he does. And anything that has to be done here, I do. He's good with money and he loves figures and spreadsheets, so that's his sort of thing. It works well,” Cameron says. “We're trying to be smart about the business and seeing how we can run it efficiently.” They also put quality front and centre as they build their reputation. Nixon Homes covers the full range from smaller first homes to full architectural homes with a lot more detail, including one in Te Kauwhata based on their own showhome, which won silver in the 2020 Master Builders Awards. For us it's that personal touch. They get to spend time with me, going around choosing the kitchen, tapware, all the things that change the price. They have plans they sell to, but encourage clients to Cameron Holmes with clients at the Nixon Homes Whatawhata build. come up with a custom design using their Hamilton-based architectural designer, a service they offer at no charge. “We encourage design and build because we want to make them feel part of the process and have a good experience.” Similarly, they offer the complimentary services of an interior designer. She will help a client choose everything from paint colours to tiles and tapware, making sure it all blends in. “They get that more personal experience again, and that feeling of being involved with every step of the process.” The Flagstaff showhome that wowed the judges features corner-stacking sliding doors in the living area that disappear into the walls when they are opened out. That was Mike’s idea, as befits an engineer, and Cameron willingly put the time in to make them work. “People really like it; it allows a bit more indoor-outdoor flow, so that’s been one of the biggest selling points of this house,” he says. That popularity has seen them install the same system in five more homes. Immediately beyond the sliding doors, the deck has a louvred cover that can be closed and opened depending on conditions to maximise sunlight, create shade or keep the rain off. What is also noticeable throughout is the abundance of storage space in the generous four bedroom, two bathroom home. Remarkably, the house has more glazing than external wallspace, maximising light and making each room feel bigger. Cameron says Nixon Homes came about after he and Mike decided initially to build some spec houses. “We were just going to do some spec homes ourselves and then Dad sort of pushed us into it a little bit as well. We thought we would be a small company, just me and Mike, and sell some quality homes.” Cameron’s father was an early influence, teaching him to build, and the brothers would work for their father for the first week of any holidays. “We've always had to work for things. So we've always been motivated to do things, not just sit around and wait. “We took a risk starting the business, but it's paying off. We were passionate enough, it was always just a matter of time. “We're not worried about quantity, we're more worried about quality. I'd rather build less houses and just keep the quality up. Because that's the one thing that I want to make sure that Nixon Homes keeps up, is our brand and our quality.” • Nixon Homes has teamed up with Harrisons to offer a 12 kilowatt solar unit, sufficient to provide more than half the daily power a house is likely to need. Anyone who signs up to build with Nixon Homes before July 31 will go in the draw to win the unit, worth more than $10,000.
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS April/May 2021 17 We know that skills shortages remain a significant problem for businesses big and small. Business needs a breather and helping hand Even in what we hope is a post-COVID lock down world we know that businesses face ongoing challenges. And while there are a couple of ropes up the cliff to help you get back on top, we also know there is a lot coming that is not going to make that easy. Many of you reliant on trade with Australia would have been relieved to see the trans-Tasman bubble opening, not just for your staff personally and professionally but your customers. But unfortunately, this does not address the skilled migrant worker issue and we know that skills shortages remain a significant problem for businesses big and small. The Government is developing a new immigration policy, but we think the issue is wider than that. EMA chief executive Brett O’Riley As the EMA advocated before the last election, it is time for a much bigger piece of work - a population strategy. It is critical to many parts of the economy and New Zealand life. We need to decide how big we want our country to be as that is what drives infrastructure, housing, and health policy, and in turn means thinking about what skills we want in our population as these will determine our skills mix for immigrants, as well as our education system. Training, education, skills, and immigration are a critical policy mix for New Zealand as we have a rapidly ageing workforce (in the top three ageing populations in the world), which coupled with our declining birth rate which is now well below what is required to replenish our working population, the time is now. Along with the big picture issues like this, there are a huge number of other policy and legislative changes facing businesses. The minimum wage recently rose to $20 an hour, which is the third in a series of increases that have seen the minimum wage rise more than 25 per cent in the past three years. But is raising wages what drives the productivity which enables businesses to grow? • It is also only one piece of business-focused legislation or policy that is on the Government’s agenda, and that is it in a nutshell really. It is the cumulative effect of this and the other policy and legislative changes that have been signalled, including: • An additional five days’ sick leave in 2021 • The 2022 Matariki public holiday at an estimated cost of $400 million to businesses • Fair Pay Agreements that will create new minimum wage scales across several sectors by the end of 2021 • Easier access to Pay Equity negotiations – creating new minimum wage thresholds across several sectors • A new Holidays Act by 2023 • Wider obligations from Government for its contractors to pay the Living Wage. As part of the BusinessNZ Network we are talking to Government about these issues regularly, providing your feedback and helping shape their response, businesses simply needs a bit of a breather. At a practical level, we are here to support our members with expert on-tap advice, advocacy, events, business services and learning, so that together we can help your business succeed. The EMA has been here for you for 135 years, we are keen to hear from you and we are here to listen. Brett O’Riley EMA Chief Executive
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Waikato Business News April/May 2021

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