Waikato Business News June/July 2021

10 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS June/July 2021
Business in
the Waikato
is strong
The recent Waikato Chamber
of Commerce quarterly
business confidence survey
has confirmed that business
is very good for the majority
of companies at the moment,
although anecdotally many
company leaders are wary
of Government reforms and
Covid-19 shocks.
The recent Wellington issue will only
reaffirm that.
Given the influence of the
farming sector on the Waikato economy,
it was great to see a booming Fieldays.
So often the barometer of agriculture
in New Zealand, it was great to see the
quality and quantity of outstanding exhibitors
and to see the public get out to
Mystery Creek in droves.
With any increase in
economic activity the
key to success is having
quality people. They are the
backbone of all successful
companies.
The quarterly business confidence
survey revealed 78 percent of our member
respondents see the next six months
will be at least the same or better than
the previous six months. A similar number
saw the opening of the bubble with
Australia and the Pacific as positive for
their businesses.
With 59 percent of respondents intending
to hire in the next three months
you would have thought this bodes well
for our economy and our companies.
However, 75 percent saw significant
skill shortages in their sectors and 81.5
By Don Good, CEO of Waikato
Chamber of Commerce.
percent were experiencing a shortage in
high-skilled workers.
But there are storm clouds on the
horizon. With any increase in economic
activity the key to success is having quality
people. They are the backbone of all
successful companies. It is concerning
when we hear of difficulties in recruiting,
as a lack of staff could stifle the boom in
demand many companies are experiencing.
Poaching staff from local competitors
is rife in some industries. It has been an
issue in the vertical and horizontal construction
industries for several years, but
it is becoming a real issue across a range
of sectors. Whilst a bubble with Australia
is generally seen as a positive, there is
a downside. With a booming Australian
economy that is generally paying higher
wages our companies are in tough competition
for good talent.
The brain drain to Australia is already
being felt and we note that even in the service
industries such as law and accounting,
Australian recruiters are already here
looking for good talent and offering excellent
remuneration.
In this environment some firms may be
just going for warm bodies not exceptional
people. Good people are hard to find
but remember to get the right people on
your bus. Some would advise you to go
without employing until you find the right
one. One who fits and lifts your team.
Easy to say and very difficult to do in this
market.
It will get harder before it gets better,
but few companies regret recruiting
quality people.
Maxine van Oosten, Barry Harris, Paula Southgate and Jason Dawson
Claudelands Arena
gains key sponsor
Claudelands Events Centre marked its 10th anniversary by
announcing a major naming rights sponsorship.
The 6000-seat
Claudelands Arena will
become Globox Arena
in September. The agreement
means local digital billboard
company Globox holds the
naming rights to Claudelands
Arena for at least five years,
with the option to extend the
arrangement for another five
years in 2026.
The well-attended occasion
also featured Hero awards
being given to long-standing
partners Montana
Food and Events Catering
and Hobbiton.
Sean Murray, Hamilton
City Council’s general manager
of venues, tourism and
major events, said Claudelands
operates as a joint commercial
Peter Stark accepts the Hero award for
Montana Food and Events Catering
and community facility in a
highly competitive world.
“This facility is one of a
kind in New Zealand. It's the
only kind of facility that has
arena, major conferencing
space, major exhibition space
and incredible grounds outside,
all in one location. And
that is really what sets us apart
from most other venues.”
Mayor Paula Southgate
alluded to past criticism about
the cost to council of running
Claudelands:
“To make positive change,
organisations like ours must
be bold and willing to make
long term and sometimes controversial
decisions. That's
our job. And thank goodness
10 years ago, the city did just
that. So I honor those people
who had the courage to
put a line in the sand about
Claudelands’ investment; it
may not have been easy, but
we now know that it was the
right thing to do.”
She also spoke about the
role Claudelands had during
Covid-19 lockdown. “During
those tumultuous weeks,
Hamilton City Council and
Montana Foods and Events
prepared thousands of food
parcels of frozen meals for
people who needed them
most. The commercial kitchens
which of course are top
notch, pumped out hundreds
of meals every day, with food
provided at cost by Montana,
for which we're very grateful.”
Geoff Taylor and Pippa Mahood
Standing room only
Sean Murray
Globox’s Sally Nicholson and Allan Nicholson
Hobbiton’s Shayne Forrest and Russell
Alexander accept their Hero award
Amy van Garderen, Andy
Boulton and Sue Esselbrugge