Waikato Business News January/February 2022

JANUARY/FEBRUARY VOLUME 30: ISSUE 1 2022 WWW.WBN.CO.NZ FACEBOOK.COM/WAIKATOBUSINESSNEWS
Business partners Rahina Shah and Willie Waters
are passionate about spreading the EGO electric
motorcycle love across the country and beyond.
Hamilton
start-up EGO
New Zealand is
leading the way
in state-of-the-art
electric mopeds
and motorcycles.
Local entrepreneurs Willie
Waters, Rahina Shah
and Auckland-based
designer Corrado Ramada
spent many years developing
the bikes before launching them
on the market.
Like many great business
ideas, EGO New Zealand began
with a passion, in this case Willies
love for motorcycles, and a
conversation between friends.
Connections were made,
plans were set in motion and
EGO (short for Electric Go)
opened the first EGO showroom
in Hamilton in September
2019.
Think futuristic when you
embark on the EGO journey;
the bikes are sleek yet robust
and the showroom is ultramodern
and stylish.
Designed in New Zealand
and built in China, there are
currently five different moped
models, all for urban use with
maximum speeds of 50km/h;
and they only require between
four and six hours of charging
- on an ordinary household
Continued on page 3

2 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
Bayleys newest Facilities Manager
takes the Waikato under his wing
Committed to providing exceptional long
term strategic facilities management,
Bayleys’ newest team member, Senior
Facilities Manager Gert Maritz, is taking the
Waikato region under his wing.
Kicking off the new year
with a new job, Gert
will provide a comprehensive
service to ensure peace
of mind for commercial property
owners.
“With Bayleys taking care
of facilities management, our
clients are provided with a
wide range of practical services
that cover all aspects of
asset management and building
compliance. We want to
take away the daily stresses
of managing the building and
at the same time ensuring the
tenants and the property are
properly looked after,” he says.
Building strong relationships
and clear communication
is the key to facilities management,
and there are a lot of
balls to juggle.
From coordinating and
assessing Health and Safety
audits to compiling and submitting
Building Warrant of
Fitness documentation, Gert
can tailor Bayleys’ services to
meet the needs of any property
owner.
“Our goal is to optimise the
overall facilities performance
to ensure the longevity of their
valuable assets. A well-maintained
building will retain its
value in the long term,” he says.
Gert’s approach is to be proactive
and provide quality solutions
to any problems that may
arise.
“We can provide 24/7 access
to the right people at the right
time to deal with any property
issues. This means our property
owners and their tenants will be
It makes sense to have people on the ground
because the business is expanding, and we
needed to have the experience of someone
like Gert, who is dedicated to the Waikato.
Bayleys’ newest team
member, Senior Facilities
Manager Gert Maritz.
able to focus on their core business.”
Every property has its own
special requirements and Gert
works with clients to design a
maintenance plan that is customised
to the building.
By establishing budgets and
reports for maintenance and
renewal work, he is able to take
the surprises out of building
maintenance and repairs.
“Our reports keep our clients
well informed and gives them
the ability to manage their cash
flows and ensure their buildings
are well maintained. Plus, Bayleys
have a number of preferred
suppliers who offer our clients
preferential rates and service,”
he says.
In the past Bayleys has covered
the 30 commercial properties
on its Waikato books from
head office in Tauranga. But
Bayleys Senior Commercial
Property Manager Jan Cooney
says the appetite for large-scale
developments in the Waikato
is growing all the time and the
time was right to have a dedicated
facilities manager in the
region.
“It makes sense to have people
on the ground because the
business is expanding, and we
needed to have the experience
of someone like Gert, who is
dedicated to the Waikato,” she
says.
Gert might be new to Bayleys
but he comes with 13
years’ property management
experience under his belt.
Originally from South
Africa, he settled in Hamilton
with his family three years
ago, having been headhunted
to manage a global account
for another Hamilton-based
company.
“It’s an absolutely amazing
place. It’s such a big change
coming from Johannesburg
surrounded by big skyscrapers
and all of a sudden, you’re in
Waikato dairy farm country
– it’s a really good change of
scene. I grew up on a dairy
farm so I’m quite familiar with
the industry,” he says.
To find out about Bayleys
Facilities Management for
your property contact Senior
Facilities Manager Gert
Maritz at gert.maritz@bayleyswaikato.co.nz,
027 230 2514
or 07 834 3231
At Bayleys, we believe relationships are
what businesses are built on and how they
succeed. We understand that to maximise
the return on your property you need:
Professional property management
A business partner that understands
your views and goals
Contact the Bayleys Waikato Commercial
Property Management team today.
Jan Cooney
Head Commercial Property Management -
Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki
027 408 9339
jan.cooney@bayleys.co.nz
David Cashmore
Bayleys Commercial Manager - Waikato
021 943 305
david.cashmore@bayleys.co.nz
Gert Maritz
Senior Facilities Manager - Waikato
027 230 2514
gert.maritz@bayleys.co.nz
Darren Rule
Senior Facilities Manager - Bay of Plenty & Taranaki
027 214 1631
darren.rule@bayleys.co.nz
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WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
3
Riding into the future with EGO
From page 1
power socket.
Having always designed
for other companies, EGO provided
Corrado with the opportunity
to be the master of his
own design destiny, Willie says.
“Corrado is an incredibly
talented designer, he has
designed products from aircraft
landing gear to the highest quality
audio products, and everything
in between,” Willie says.
He designed his first electric
moped several years before
EGO started, and licensed and
sold the design to an overseas
company who manufactured
and sold them extensively
through Asia.
The business partners have
thought of everything when it
comes to EGO, even the furniture
and the reception desk are
custom designed by Corrado to
capture the essence of the EGO
brand.
And there’s stylish features
being added to the EGO brand
all the time; including their
own EGO branded audio range
designed for use on bikes.
They are already in the process
of adding portable audio
products that sits over the
shoulders rather than for use
directly in the ear as an added
safety feature for riding.
“You can listen to your
music while you’re riding but
still be able to hear the noises
around you,” Willie says.
Business is booming again
after a quiet start to 2021 due to
Covid. By the end of the year,
they had sold out of all their
stock.
The EGO marketing team
led by shareholder Kara-lee
Tangiau created massive interest
through EGO’s social media
platforms with a first birthday
bike give-away promotion.
Two weeks after the October
1st birthday draw, all bikes in
stock were sold out.
Like most businesses relying
on products from overseas,
EGO has had its fair share
of shipping delays and hiked
freight costs.
“It’s like modern day piracy
on the high seas and doubling
of importation costs is sadly not
uncommon,” Willie laughs.
Originally from Ngāruawāhia,
Willie (Tainui/Ngāti
Wairere) was formerly an engineer
before working in motor
vehicle sales at Royale Cars in
Hamilton for 17 years.
Fijian-born Rahina comes
from a business and finance
background, and worked for
First Credit Union.
The pair had known each
other for 15 years but met
again when they both worked
in a motor vehicle dealership
together.
They have been business
partners since 2017, owning
SES Cars & Finance and NZ
commodity distributor company
NZ Global Distribution.
When Willie was four years
old his father built his first
motorbike and he has owned
many bikes over the years.
His current big bike is a Harley-Davidson
Heritage Softail
Springer; but his passion for
Harley Davidsons doesn’t dim
his enthusiasm for electric
and he’s looking forward to
EGO releasing three open road
motorcycles in 2022/23
The new bikes will easily
reach 100km/h plus and customers
are already keen to get a
taste of the larger models.
EGO is also developing a
self-charging option; bikes that
could be ridden from the top of
the North Island to the bottom
of the South without charging
or a drop of petrol.
With the growing demand
for alternative, cost-effective
and more environmentally
friendly transport, EGO bikes
are a great way to enter into the
electric motorcycle space.
EGO mopeds can be ridden
on any car licence, the bikes are
proving popular with people
wanting to feel the wind in their
hair and not have to go to the
trouble of getting a motorcycle
licence.
“Around 90 percent of our
customers only have their car
licence and incredibly 50 percent
are females,” Rahina says.
Not a fan of motorcycles
initially, Rahina and her two
children love riding their EGO
bikes.
“They are silent and they
look amazing.”
While many of their customers
are using their bikes for
fun, many are seeing the cost
benefits to using an electric
bike.
“One of our customers is a
Westpac finance manager in
Auckland central and he uses
his bike to commute. He said he
saves $200 a week - $140 in car
parking fees and $60 in petrol.
And he can skip the motorway
queues which also saves him
the traffic headache."
Solely based in Hamilton,
most of EGO’s customer base
is from Auckland with many of
the Auckland clients purchasing
sight unseen.
“Often the first time they
have seen their brand new EGO
is when we deliver it to them,”
Rahina says.
Expansion is on the horizon,
with Auckland being the first
port of call; and not because of
any problems they’ve had with
online sales, they say it just
makes sense to have their next
showroom in New Zealand’s
largest city.
Alongside this, they have
plans to shift manufacturing
from China to New Zealand
in the very near future with the
Auckland base destined to be
the manufacturing plant, design
studio and showroom all in one.
“We plan to have 95 percent
of our frames manufacturing
here in New Zealand with componentry
coming from China
and Japan,” Willie says.
Riding on the strong New
Zealand image, EGO already
has interest from many overseas
markets, with the US alone
ordering 10,000 bikes provided
they are New Zealand made.
“There’s a lot of trust from
overseas that comes with a
New Zealand brand. We may
not have the cheapest electric
products on the market but we
can deliver on reliability and
quality, customer service, atten-
tion to detail, trusted servicing
and maintenance, and a bike
that is tested to New Zealand
conditions,” Willie says.
EGO have a six male, six
female team of experienced
motorcycle riders that provide
testing feedback to the EGO
team.
“They can’t wait to get their
hands on EGO’s new range of
open road motorcycles, with
the EGO Racer, EGO Highway
II and EGO Ghost, coming
soon,” Willie enthuses.
“From our testing we want
to know the good, the bad and
the ugly so we can constantly
improve and deliver quality
EGO products to the market,”
Willie says.
As well as test riders, EGO
also has brand ambassadors
they call ‘The Street Team’.
“They are amazing individuals
spread throughout the
country, who have embraced
from the very beginning the
EGO philosophy of creating
EGO fans out of customers
through excellence in all we
do,” Willie says.
Enthusiastic about the EGO
brand, ‘The Street Team’ are
chosen for their willingness to
share EGO social media posts
and create their own.
“We have always felt that
growing a fan base of loyal
customers was the goal. People
fall in love with their EGOs
after one ride and our ambassadors
become almost fanatical in
their EGO fever.”
Open Wednesday – to Friday,
10am to 6pm and Saturday
10am to 5pm, EGO New
Zealand showroom is at 254b
Kahikatea Drive, Frankton.
When it’s time to buy or sell a business, talk to the team who
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4 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
Hamilton fashion designer not ready
to hang up Fashion Week collection
Hamilton-based entrepreneur and designer
Ana Wilkinson-Gee hasn’t let the vagaries
of a global pandemic stifle her enthusiasm
for producing ethical fashion.
She opened first actual
Holi Boli shop at 462
Ulster Street after being
forced to leave behind the ethical
women’s clothing manufacturer
and fashion label she
and husband Daniel operated
in rural India. during the
first wave of the pandemic in
2020.
Now the cancellation of
New Zealand Fashion Week
(NZFW), scheduled for early
February, has dealt another
blow to Ana’s dream of
using fashion as a vehicle to
empowerment and dignity for
women working in the fashion
industry in developing
It is empowering
for women to see
someone like us
on the runway.
We (women) have
been oppressed by
unrealistic ideals of
what beauty is
PUBLISHER
Deidre Morris
Ph: (07) 838 1333
Mob: 027 228 8442
Email: deidre@dpmedia.co.nz
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Kelly Gillespie
Ph: (07) 838 1333
Email: kelly@dpmedia.co.nz
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES
Please contact:
ADVERTISING ACCOUNT
MANAGERS
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Mob: (021) 090 52601
Email: penny@dpmedia.co.nz
countries.
It also meant double the
workload for the Ana and the
four other designers who were
originally booked to kick off
NZFW in the Sustainability
Show in August last year.
“As small producers we
rely on shows to lift our
profiles so we can share our
brand with a wider audience,
grow and get our clothes in
stores,” she says.
“The impact of the postponement
of NZFW last
August and rescheduling to
Feb 22, meant the designers
were sent back to the drawing
boards (literally) with the
change of season imminent,
to design and make all new
tall-sized samples for the winter
collection suitable for the
summer February showing.”
Rather than hanging up
their collections, the collective
of ethical social enterprises
from the Sustainable
Show are now planning to put
on their own fashion show.
Working alongside Ana
are Jodie Woods, Tonic&-
Cloth in Palmerston North,
Sonia Therese, Sonia Therese
Designs in Christchurch,
Emily Long, Duffle&Co in
Mt Maunganui and Erica
Gadsby, Recreate Clothing in
the Waikato.
“We are pooling resources,
strength and audacity to
showcase the collections we
have all put so much work
into - that in turn puts food on
the table for our staff and their
families.”
Ana says just like the
designers’ ethos of slow, ethical
fashion, the show will
be a carefully curated, limited
numbers event with live
streaming available to capture
a wider audience.
“Our small social enterprise
businesses are driven by
a common purpose - to bring
positive change and empowerment
to women through
ethical fashion.
“With our own ethical production
houses in places like
India and Cambodia, we are
used to navigating difficult
circumstances in order to keep
our seamstresses empowered
with fair wages and dignified
employment.
“One advantage of being a
small business is that we are
nimble and we can pivot,” she
says
Ana is also using the show
as an opportunity to showcase
an inclusive and healthy fashion
industry, “where beauty is
spirit, not size”.
“We’re excited to bring
joy when it is much needed,
while modelling collaboration
instead of competition.
“The amazing Silverfox
Management model agency is
teaming up with us and walking
the talk on age positivity.
“We want to see a relatable
and diverse cast of models of
different shapes, ages and ethnicity.
“It is empowering for
women to see someone like us
on the runway. We (women)
have been oppressed by unrealistic
ideals of what beauty
is,” she says
Anyone who is keen to
participate and offer their
resources can contact Ana at
ana@holiboli.com or Jodie at
jodie@tonicandcloth
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WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
5
Road Efficiency Group and Company-X
in running for two innovation awards
Kiwi ingenuity sets world-leading data
quality project up for innovation awards.
Ground-breaking technology
from the Road
Efficiency Group
(REG) and Hamilton software
specialist Company-X was a
finalist in the Excellence in
Govtech category of the IT
Professionals New Zealand
Awards in July.
Now the REG and Company-X
team is a double finalist
in the Reseller News Innovation
Awards.
REG Insights, the world’s
first national roading performance
reporting and data
quality assurance tool, is
a finalist in the New Zealand-wide
Innovation and
Digital Transformation categories
of the Reseller News
awards.
REG, a collaboration
between Local Government
New Zealand (LGNZ), Waka
Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
and 68 road controlling
authorities including Waka
Kotahi, the Department of
Conservation and city and
district councils, commissioned
a data quality benchmarking
project designed to
lead to evidence-led decision
making in the transport sector.
Since its launch in 2019,
every road controlling
We are honoured to
showcase such a
grand display of Kiwi
ingenuity in what
has been yet another
challenging year of
uncertainty in New
Zealand.
authority has used the tool
every year to view the quality
of data they are responsible
for, assisted with or
been involved in. Having the
information available and
understandable has changed
the culture and the attitude
towards data quality in the
sector. An improvement can
be seen in data quality metrics
over five years.
The finalists were published
in a Reseller News
post.
“We are honoured to showcase
such a grand display of
Kiwi ingenuity in what has
been yet another challenging
year of uncertainty in New
INNOVATION AWARDS FINALIST: Company-X senior developer Darren Harrison, left, and co-founder
Jeremy Hughes, discuss the Road Efficiency Group project with the REG Insights team.
Zealand,” said Cherry Yumul,
vice president of Strategic
Partnerships and Innovation
at Reseller News publisher
IDG.
“Enormous credit to the
market-leading partners continuing
to press ahead in
helping customers innovate
at pace -- despite the notable
difficulties — which once
again demonstrates the depth
of transformation taking
place across the country.”
The winners were due to
be announced at a gala dinner
in February which has been
postponed due to New Zealand’s
move to COVID-19
Alert Level Red.
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digital landscape
with us

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6 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
Employers concerned about Covid infection
risks, sick leave and business continuity
As people return to work after the summer
holidays, concerns are surfacing from
employers about how to minimise Covid
infection risk, manage sick leave and
ensure business continuity in the event of a
local outbreak.
A
month on from the
introduction of the
Government’s Covid-
19 Protection Framework,
Tompkins Wake senior associate
Karina McLuskie says
employers’ focus is shifting
from vaccination conversations
to working through a myriad of
‘what ifs’ as employers prepare
for the impact Covid-19 in the
community could have on the
workplace.
“We’re helping employers
navigate their way through
the complexity of this new
employment law. It’s uncharted
territory, yet employers can’t
afford to get it wrong. Employers
have largely worked their
way through the development
of vaccination policies, which
was a huge piece of work for
many.
“Now they’re shifting focus
to grappling with issues like
Covid-19 sick leave policies,
changing office configurations
to minimise infection risks,
implementing innovative shift
patterns and introducing random
rapid antigen testing.
“Employers are facing
the reality that Covid-19 will
become more commonplace
in the community and that will
flow on into the workforce.
When they open their minds
to that reality, there are a lot of
‘what ifs’ that must be planned
for and risks mitigated,”
McLuskie says.
McLuskie and her colleague,
associate Fiona
Dalziel, are part of a Tompkins
Wake specialist employment
team who have advised close
to 50 employers – both large
and small – over the past few
months to help them operate
within the law while navigating
these new employment issues.
Dalziel says planning for
employee leave is a critical
area where employers are seeking
guidance.
“Employers are asking
questions around leave, such
as: What if an employee has
extended leave due to Covid-
19? How do we handle leave
if an employee is required to
isolate? Is the employer obligated
to keep paying them
even if they are perfectly well,
but in a job where they can’t
work from home? How do we
continue operating if we have a
THIS TAXI IS A
TOTAL
MOBILITY
PROVIDER
case at work and other staff are
contacts?
“It’s important for employers
to work through the answers
to these questions, so they have
certainty for themselves in
order to plan resourcing and
budgets in light of increased
risks.
“Understanding the law
with respect to leave issues
also allows employers to give
staff certainty before situations
arise. We saw a number
of employers doing this work
pre-Christmas, before Covid-
19 becomes more commonplace
in all our workforces this
year,” Dalziel says.
McLuskie says some
employers’ leave questions are
easier to answer than others.
“If an employee is sick
with Covid-19, you treat it
as you would any other sick
leave. Employers just need to
keep in mind that some people
who contract the virus may
take more than a few weeks
to recover, which creates a
secondary challenge of staff
resourcing,” she says.
As Covid-19 becomes more
widespread in the community,
Dalziel says employers are
wondering how to handle leave
when staff are deemed a close
contact and mandated to isolate.
“If an employee who is
deemed a close contact of a
Covid-19 case and directed
by the Ministry of Health to
self-isolate, is ready and willing
but unable to work at home,
the employer is obligated to
continue paying the employee.
“While there are government
subsidies employers can
access in this case, there may
still be a financial impact for
employers as they top up the
subsidy. Plus, they’ll have the
added cost of disruption when
people are suddenly taken out
of the workforce.
“Working through these
sorts of leave issues is going to
be tough for some employers,
especially small to medium
enterprises, but unfortunately
it’s likely to be the new reality
for many in 2022,” says
Dalziel.
Government guidance has
recently changed for people
deemed close contacts and
waiting for Covid-19 test
results, and could change
again as the situation develops.
This can make it difficult
for employers to keep up, the
pair say.
“We are continuously
checking for changes in the
government guidance to ensure
that our advice remains current,”
Dalziel says.
Dalziel says she’s worked
with employers who are being
creative to minimise potential
Covid-19 impacts on their team
and the business.
“Some employers are
implementing ‘bubble shifts’,
which is a great way to reduce
risk in the workplace if you
are a manufacturing site, for
instance. If one bubble is
impacted, there are others unaffected,
and work can continue.
Another simple idea is encouraging
teams to have meetings
outside, when possible, where
ventilation is much better.
We’ve also helped companies
implement temperature-check
policies for employees and visitors,”
Dalziel says.
Some employers are also
gearing up to implement randomised
rapid antigen testing
in their workforces this year.
McLuskie says this solution is
likely to be popular amongst
businesses that do not have a
blanket vaccination mandate
for staff.
“Our team is advising clients
around what can and can’t
be done to bring in randomised
rapid antigen testing as this
tool becomes more widely
available. The process around
this is similar to introducing
drug testing to the workplace,”
McLuskie says.
McLuskie and Dalziel agree
that employers should “expect
to consult every time.
“As a collective, New Zealand
employers are embarking
on a new journey,” says
McLuskie. “They need to tread
carefully and ensure employee
consultation and good communication
is built into every
step.”
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and back again!
078 477 477 0800 477 477
IN BRIEF
Summer travel heats up for Waikato hotspots
Hamilton has been a hotspot for holiday goers as thousands of Kiwis flock
to Waikato for their summer holidays. Air New Zealand recorded more than
37,000 passengers visiting the region over the summer holiday period on
around 900 flights.
BA4: Momentum Waikato
Join the first BA4 for the year hosted by Momentum Waikato. Working
to provide resources that will make a lasting difference in our local
communities, Momentum Waikato’s aim is for every New Zealander to be
able to affect lasting change wherever their home or heart may be.
Thursday 17 February, 4- 6pm at Iguana, 203 Victoria Street, Hamilton
Central, drinks and nibbles will be supplied. Free of charge for Waikato
Chamber of Commerce members, non-members $15+gst Registrations are
required under the Traffic Light Framework. If this is your first BA4 event,
please email info@waikatochamber.co.nz to organise free admission.
Maungatautari wellbeing programmes
Is employee wellbeing important to your organisation? Inspire and refresh
your team with this unique one-to-two-day retreat. Nature of Work provides
a renewed perspective through the lens of nature in the amazing setting of
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari. www.sanctuarymountain.co.nz/natureof-work
Virtual Seminar: Understanding international tax implications
Learn about international tax implications to mitigate credit risk in your
business - Thursday, 24 February from 10.30am -12pm. With experts
BDO tax associate Bronwen Chong, Gallagher chief financial officer Simon
Graafhuis and BNZ international trade finance and cashflow solutions
specialist David Kirk. Register at www.exportnz.org.nz/training-and-events/
auckland/virtual-seminar-transfer-pricing-and-credit-risk-with-bdo-and-bnz2

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8 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
Business Awards
give chance
to celebrate
As we all return from our welldeserved
holidays your Chamber
is gearing up to deliver one of the
highlights of the Waikato business
calendar. The Gala Dinner for the
long anticipated 2021 Waikato
Business Awards supported by Foster
Construction Group is finally almost
here and we are looking forward to
celebrating our finalists.
The Gala event was pushed back from
it’s traditional November date as a
result of Covid, and despite the current
Omicron outbreak requiring a sudden
change of format we are committed to announcing
the winners of each category on
the night.
This year we will be inducting two extraordinary
business leaders into the Hall of
Fame, Sir Robert Mahuta and Sir Dryden
Spring. Both of whom have overcome adversity
and whose transformative leadership
has impacted our country substantially.
The Waikato is blessed with quietly spectacular
leaders whose vision, influence, and
achievements should not be forgotten.
The finalists have been announced and
they will find out on the night how they
fared. Win, lose or draw, the Awards process
gives entrants the opportunity to be
confidentially reviewed by a group of our
Waikato business leaders. We appreciate the
time and energy that our judges put into the
Awards process with the aim to improve the
level of entrepreneurship across the Waikato.
We also want to thank Foster Construction
Group for becoming the primary sponsor
for the Awards. We had a record number
of entries this year which is a testament to
the thriving business community we have
here in the Waikato.
This year’s finalists include Balloons
over Waikato, Beca, Body Fit Training
Hamilton CBD, Clean Boss, Creative
Waikato, DEC Pharmaceutical Ltd, Designwell,
Discover Waitomo, Fish City Hamilton,
Hamilton Airport, Jet Park Hotel
Hamilton Airport, Mighty Local, Momentum
Waikato, Noke Limited, Old MacDonald’s
Rural Education and Care Centre,
RoomMate Cabins, Sanctuary Mountain
Maungatautari, Shift72 Limited, Spring
Sheep Milk Co., SWIFT, The Instillery,
By Don Good, CEO of Waikato
Chamber of Commerce.
Waikato Hauraki Coromandel Rural Support
Trust.
The Awards cover the following
categories.
Micro Business, sponsored by Sleepyhead.
Not for Profit, sponsored by Trust Waikato.
Innovation, sponsored by Company-X.
Marketing & Social Media, sponsored by
ChowHill Architects.
Business Growth & Strategy, sponsored by
Deloitte.
Service Excellence, sponsored by Tompkins
Wake.
Community Contribution sponsored by
Montana Food & Events.
International Trade, sponsored by Fairview
Ford.
Social & Environmental Sustainability,
sponsored by Wintec.
People’s Choice, sponsored by Air New
Zealand.
The Supreme Award, sponsored by Foster
Construction Group.
To celebrate individual leadership success
stories in our community we have two
individual awards, the Emerging Leader of
the Year sponsored by Mitre10 MEGA and
highly prestigious CEO of the Year award
sponsored by the University of Waikato
We can’t wait to celebrate with our finalists
and their supporters on the 9th of February
and want to thank all of our finalists,
nominees, sponsors and supporters for their
patience as we have pivoted and adjusted
to the pressures of Covid to deliver you the
world-class event you deserve.
206594AA
Singh and
Associates take out
MYOB award
Hamilton accountancy firm Singh &
Associates Ltd were announced by MYOB
as the Accounting Practice of the Year NZ
at the end of last year.
The judges acknowledged
the exceptional service
the practice has provided
its clients as they supported
them through yet another difficult
and unpredictable year.
Implementing a fresh marketing
strategy, supporting
their community through local
sponsorships, and actively
offering advice to businesses
in need, has all contributed to
exceptional business growth
over the past 12 months.
“This is the first time we
have entered the MYOB Partner
Awards and to win NZ
Accounting Practice of the
Year has been the best news
after such a tough year. The
team has worked exceptionally
hard, supporting our clients
and a wave of other small
Proposed Waikato District
Plan decision released
After an eight-year process,
independent
commissioners have
recently released their decision
on the Proposed Waikato District
Plan.
As part of the review process,
council received over
1000 submissions from residents,
community groups,
hapū and iwi, commercial
businesses and stakeholders.
Following a robust 120
days of hearings with the community
and stakeholders, the
Proposed District Plan decision
has been developed with
a focus on communities having
opportunities to thrive and be
connected, whilst meeting the
growth needs that the district
continues to have.
Some of the significant
decisions include:
Extra land being zoned
for urban growth in Tūākau,
Pōkeno, Te Kauwhata, Huntly,
Ngāruawāhia and Raglan, and
a future urban zone to indicate
businesses who needed support
with COVID-19 subsidy
payments, and offering advice
on managing their business
accounts during these unpredictable
times.
“In the last month alone,
our team of five has moved
into a newly built premises and
picked up 26 new clients - all
through word-of-mouth. This
rapid business growth is testament
to our team’s ability to
always be proactive, responsive
and supportive. We are
delighted to have our efforts
recognised with this award and
we’re looking forward to seeing
what we can achieve for
our clients in the year to come,”
Ravi says.
The award comes on the
back of Singh & Associates
suitable areas for predicted
growth.
A decision on commercial
activities which will focus on
three different business zones
designed to be more responsive
to the needs of the communities
they serve.
Industrial zones will be better
protected for industrial-focused
activities.
Farming operations will
receive more support, through
protection from reverse sensitivity
and the facilitation of
seasonal workers' accommodation.
High-quality soils will be
better protected for food production
by stringent subdivision
rules and the restricting of
urban sprawl.
Following an earlier release
of the commissioners’ decision
on the proposed Ohinewai
Sleepyhead development, the
council has reached agreement
with appellants and is awaiting
Environment Court approval.
celebrating close to 10 years in
business and the completion of
a new office building.
Built by Waikato Construction
Management Limited
(WCML), the commercial
building on 145 Ossie James
Drive near Hamilton Airport
was a fitting birthday present
for the accountancy firm.
Singh began working in
his Uncle Jagdishwar Singh
business and later acquired the
practice in 2012.
Starting self-employment as
a one-man band with his wife
Arti working in the practice
part time, Ravi has taken the
business from 250 clients to
1200 clients from all over the
country.
His staff has grown to five,
including Arti who now works
full time, and client managers
Anjana Prasad, Evans Chileshe
and Mengdi Niu.
Ravi’s says he’s now working
with the children and
grandchildren of some of his
original clients in all manner
of businesses; from small scale
cleaning franchises, bakeries
and restaurants to dairy farmers,
kiwifruit growers and multiple
petrol stations franchisees.
The Sleepyhead development
is expected to create 2600 new
jobs and 1100 new and affordable
homes.
Waikato District Council
Mayor Allan Sanson is grateful
to the community for their
involvement in the development
of the Proposed District
Plan and is excited for the
many benefits the plan will
bring.
“Not only will the rezoning
support the growth we are
currently facing, but the future
urban zone also provides reassurance
for those looking to
make the move to the Waikato
District in the coming years.”
“The decisions now give us
the framework needed to begin
acting on the commitments
we have made to the district.
Council looks forward to continuing
to work alongside the
community to continue supporting
a more liveable, thriving
and connected district,”
Sanson says.

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
9
Dr Hare Puke Scholarship
recipients to further leadership skills
Wintec’s prestigious Dr Hare Puke Māori
Leadership Scholarship was awarded to
two deserving recipients late last year.
Dion Ormsby (left) and Karen Bishop-Puhi
(right) will use the Dr Hare Puke Scholarship
award to fund further study to enhance their
leadership and management skills.
Karen Bishop-Puhi
(Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto,
Hauraki, Ngāti
Hikairo, Ngāti Whakaue, Te
Rarawa, Ngāti Pūkenga) and
Dion Ormsby (Tainui, Ngāti
Maniapoto, Ngāti Hikairo)
were jointly awarded the scholarship,
with strong applications
that highlighted their contributions
to their communities
and their desires to continue
to grow as leaders in their
whānau, hapū and iwi spaces.
The scholarship was established
in 2008 as a way for
Māori staff to continue the legacy
of Wintec’s late kaumātua
Dr Hare Puke. With a combined
value of $15,000, the
award enables staff to focus on
furthering their leadership and
management skills.
Wiremu Puke, Dr Hare
Puke’s son, announced the
scholarship winners at Wintec’s
annual Ngā Tohu Whakaihuwaka/Wintec
Staff Awards
in December last year.
Bishop-Puhi, an early childhood
education teacher from
Kāwhia now working at the
Wintec Centre for Education
and Foundation Pathways will
use the scholarship to complete
a Master of Māori and Indigenous
Leadership delivered by
the University of Canterbury in
Rotorua.
Her programme of study
will focus on the ongoing
development of Te Paetahi
Akoranga Bachelor of Teaching
(ECE) at Wintec. Bishop-Puhi
teaches on the newly
accredited degree and it was
written in consultation with
Waikato-Tainui to better serve
mana whenua and their goals
and aspirations.
“Māori lecturers in this field
are difficult to find,” she says.
“One of the main aims
of the degree is to provide
increased understanding of Te
Tiriti o Waitangi and the bicultural
and bilingual whakapapa
of Te Whāriki, the national
ECE curriculum.
“I would like to undertake a
research project that will support
and journey alongside our
first intake of tauira (students),
right through to the point of
achieving their teacher registration
and on to being mentor
teachers themselves.”.
Dion Ormsby, Kaitūruki,
Regional Delivery – Mana
Whenua, at Wintec will use
the scholarship to enhance his
knowledge of indigenous strategic
planning, business and
leadership through study.
“I became a father at a
young age and since then have
been working to ensure my
daughter has a good start in
life,” he says.
“Now she is older, I feel I
can take some time for myself,
and I see this scholarship as an
opportunity to develop myself
both at a personal and professional
level.
“Education is critical to personal
and professional development.
It is an opportunity to
learn alternative approaches,
test your own theories, and
expand knowledge on matters
concerning indigeneity, strategy
and business.”
Ormsby, like Bishop-Puhi,
Green light on brand
new library for Rototuna
Hamilton City Council
has awarded local construction
company Livingstone
Building a $9.5 million
construction contract to
build a brand new, multi-purpose
library in Rototuna.
The new library has a dual
name – Rototuna Library and
Te Kete Aronui. Te Kete Aronui
was one of the three baskets
of knowledge collected
by Taane in the Maaori legend.
The name was put forward
by Mana Whenua representatives
Te Haa o te Whenua o
Kirikiriroa and reflects the role
of the library as a community
space for learning and knowledge.
The Chow:Hill designed
space will be built on North
City Road next to the new village
square and Korikori Park.
Once complete the 1600m2
building will provide small
meeting rooms for group work
and larger meeting rooms
which can be booked for community
events.
It will also provide access
to a range of council services
including rates payments and
dog registrations. This is a
first for Hamilton libraries
and is part of a move to make
some council services easier to
access.
Hamilton Mayor Paula
Southgate said the new library
would be a fabulous and
important community facility.
She was thrilled local residents
had significant input into its
design and what it would offer.
The facility would include car
and bike parking and outdoor
areas and would have a real
“village vibe” she said.
“This will be so much more
than a library. It will be a real
community hub where people
can meet and the fact that a
range of council services can
be accessed easily is a big plus.
“People have busy lives.
We need to take our services
to where people are and not
always expect them to come to
us. That’s really important. So,
while this is a wonderful new
library, it’s much more than
that.”
Project manager Natasha
Ryan said overseeing such a
large-scale project in a pandemic
is challenging to say the
least.
“We’ve had to really carefully
look at the construction
market and supply chain and
tried to minimise the risks in
a unique and rapidly changing
environment.
“We know the construction
industry has been under the
pump over the last year, so we
are particularly delighted to
find a local company to deliver
this fantastic facility for the
community.”
Physical works will begin
in February 2022 with doors
expected to open for the public
in 2023.
was raised on his marae,
Rākaunui in Kāwhia moana.
As a child, he observed the
practice of tikanga and kawa
on the marae, and was taught
te reo and the art of whaikōrero
displayed by his elders —
something he continues to this
day.
The commitment to his people
has led him over the years
to being heavily involved in
hapū, iwi and marae life, delivering
wānanga in and around
Kāwhia, Waikato and Maniapoto,
including delivering te
reo literacy and numeracy programmes
at Waikeria prison.
“The qualities and attributes
of a leader are shown through
one’s ability to act with humility.
The ability to listen actively
without judgement,” he says.
TeUrikore Biddle, Pouārahi
Māori - Executive Director
Experience care as it
should be, experience
the Braemar way.
Braemar Hospital is one of the largest
private surgical hospitals in New Zealand,
and it’s here in Hamilton.
With more than 100 world class specialists,
10 state-of-the-art operating rooms, 84 beds
including 32 private rooms, at Braemar
you’ll receive the highest level of care.
Choose the very best.
Choose Braemar.
Māori, Wintec, was impressed
with the high calibre of applications
and is looking forward
to seeing Bishop-Puhi
and Ormsby grow within their
fields.
“I am happy to see two of
our staff awarded the scholarship,
the panel were pleased
with the quality of the applications
and acknowledged that
both candidates are seen faces
within their community and
committed to sharing in the
reward of their learning with
those communities,” she says.
braemarhospital.co.nz

Para Kore Marae
Waikato represents
in the New Zealander
of the Year awards
In another year of uncertainty and lockdowns, from thousands
of nominations 70 inspiring semi-finalists across seven award
categories were selected and the Waikato is home to four of
the semi-finalists in the categories of Young New Zealander
of the Year, New Zealand Innovator of the Year New Zealand
Environmental Hero of the Year and New Zealand Community
of the Year.
Hamiltonian Ezra
Hirawani started his
own power company
to provide electricity to the
many New Zealanders living
in energy hardship.
A semi-finalist for Young
Ezra Hirawani
New Zealander of the Year,
Hirawani set up his own
power company, Nau Mai Rā -
purpose-built, kaupapa Māori
energy retailer.
Nau Mai Rā’s model,
which asks customers to
pay their bills weekly and
cultivates mana-enhancing
relationships, has resulted
in steady payments and one
of the industry's lowest debt
rates.
The company does not
undertake credit checks or
have a disconnection policy.
As an added incentive, a portion
of each power bill goes to
the customer’s local marae or
a nominated community initiative.
Based in Pōkeno, former
policeman Inu Akerei Maresala-Thomson
is the founder
of MYRIVR, a social good,
community app that connects
users with health and social
services around the country.
The MyRivr app connects
people to 8,000 community
services and 30,000 professionals
nationwide.
Semi-finalist for New Zealand
Innovator of the Year,
Maresala-Thomson’s goal is
for MYRIVR to become the
largest enabler of community
services globally.
The app is also available
via self-help kiosks in community
libraries.
Semi-finalist for New Zealand
Environmental Hero of
the Year, community waste
expert Jacqui Forbes is passionate
about zero waste.
Inu Akerei Maresala-Thomson
From Raglan, Forbes is
the kaihautu matua (general
manager) for Para Kore Marae
Incorporated, which educates
and advocates from a Māori
worldview for a world without
waste.
Established in 2008,
Forbes has led Para Kore since
its first days, bringing together
a team of educators who have
delivered workshops and
connected with more than
400,000 people throughout
the country; topics such as
composting, food sovereignty,
circular systems, DIY environmentally
friendly products,
Ikura (waste-free periods),
gardening and micro-greens
are all taught.
Para Kore is also a semi-finalist
for the New Zealand
Community of the Year.
The Māori, not-for-profit
organisation’s mission is to
educate and advocate from te
ao Māori (a Māori worldview)
to strengthen connection to
Ranginui and Papatūānuku.
Kaiārahi work regionally
delivering the innovative
Para Kore education programme
to marae, whānau,
Jacqui Forbes
hapū, iwi, kura, kōhanga reo,
puna reo, kindergarten, community
organisations, events,
churches, tertiary institutions,
companies, community gardens,
and kaumātua rōpū.
Their work contributes to
moving up the waste hierarchy,
building a circular economy,
increasing biodiversity,
supporting climate justice and
action, and regenerating ecosystems.
Each category will have
one award winner selected
from three finalists.
The regional and national
judging panel includes representatives
comprising of the
awards patron, presenters,
sponsors, community leaders
and independent experts.
An official awards gala
presentation dinner is scheduled
for 31 March in Auckland
where nominees, semi-finalists
and finalists will be
formally recognised.

As remote work becomes more commonplace across many
industries, co-working spaces are becoming increasingly
popular. Co-working provides the benefits of an office
space while retaining the flexibility and freedom of
remote working. Many people find working from home is
initially great, but soon miss the social aspects of an office
environment. Others simply want to spend a couple of days
out of the house each week.
Vine Co-working is the newest co-working space in Hamilton.
In five months Vine has nurtured a thriving community of
freelancers and small business owners who love to collaborate
and share ideas and resources. Founded by three women who
co-work themselves, Vine is a great example of a locally owned
Hamilton business that celebrates diversity. Directors Megan
Harper, Deborah Kay & Angela Smith are dedicated to creating
a space where workers can focus on producing their best work.
What is so great about co-working spaces you might wonder?
Vine Co-working has five significant member benefits.
NETWORKING
Many businesses depend on networking to meet new clients
and expand their market. A co-working environment allows you
to meet different people across a range of industries, and these
can easily develop into important business connections. Vine
offers a relaxed atmosphere where you can choose to socialise
as much as you want. Vine hosts monthly social events
allowing you to meet your fellow co-working members in a
casual environment. Unlike more formal networking events this
removes the pressure to make an immediate good impression.
creativity and eliminate the uniform
nature of traditional offices. You will be
surrounded by like-minded people working on their projects.
This energy can be uplifting and inspiring, boosting your overall
creativity, and helping you think outside the box.
REDUCED COSTS
One of the biggest benefits of co-working is the cost
efficiencies compared to leasing a traditional office space.
There’s no need to lock your business into high monthly rental
prices; you can pay a much smaller price with significantly less
responsibility. Reduced overheads allow you to invest your
business capital into areas that provide a high ROI.
The positive benefits gained by joining a co-working space
are multiplied at Vine. Simplicity is key in their range of
membership options that offer ultimate flexibility compared to
other Waikato providers. Whether you need a private office for
you and your team, a dedicated desk in the communal space,
or simply a hot desk for the day, Vine has a membership plan
to suit your needs. Vine also offers meeting rooms for hire,
intimate settings for your next client meeting or a professional
boardroom for full team meetings or seminars.
The co-working industry is booming and is forecast to grow
exponentially in the next five years. Vine’s first office has almost
reached capacity so the Directors are opening a second location
in Hamilton’s CBD and a third in Morrinsville. If you would like
to register interest or secure your spot for these offices please
contact Vine today at hello@vinecoworking.co.nz
OFFICE PERKS
Vine offers many office perks such as unlimited tea & coffee,
wi-fi, printing, meeting rooms and a private lounge to relax
in during your lunch break. Members have 24/7 access to the
office and secure storage facilities on-site. The Vine Directors
supply all the amenities and resources needed allowing
members to focus on their work and productivity.
IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY
Many people working from home during the pandemic
reported feeling unmotivated and unproductive. Not surprising
when you’re combining the place where you unwind at the end
of the day with the place where you need to be switched on
and get work done. Combined with the many distractions of
home, the result can be reduced productivity levels. If you’re
running a small business, or a freelancer, this can’t be the case.
That’s why a change of environment can be so beneficial.
Founded by
Co-Workers for Co-Workers
A community of freelancers,
entrepreneurs and remote workers
united by a shared passion for
excellence and innovation.
Two new locations in Hamilton CBD
& Morrinsville opening soon!
CREATIVITY INFLUX
Co-working is a great way to help get your creative juices
flowing. Vine’s office space is carefully designed to encourage
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST
OR SECURE YOUR
MEMBERSHIP NOW.
www.vinecoworking.co.nz | hello@vinecoworking.co.nz | 022 042 9116

12 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
We are starving ourselves
of talent – it’s
time to open
the borders!
Businesses in many sectors are screaming
out for skills, and have been for
many months. A very tight labour market
continues to be hampered by the restricted
border and the ready availability of much
needed resources. In many cases companies
have resorted to poaching their talent locally
offering huge salary increases, meaning those
with the deepest pockets have prevailed to
the detriment of the smaller businesses at
the heart of the New Zealand economy. This
clearly isn’t sustainable and is extremely prejudicial
to the overall economy and the country’s
future.
Some sectors have been fortunate enough
to be granted quotas to bring limited numbers
of workers in from overseas through the
Critical Purpose border exception process but
they have all been hamstrung by the debacle
that is MIQ. The supposed lifeline to bring
in the skills the country requires to keep the
fires burning and drive the wheels of industry
is great in theory, but when those people
can’t get an MIQ allocation and are not able
to travel that lifeline is cut off and achieves
nothing. The farming sector for example has
quotas for several hundred dairy farm workers
and agricultural machinery operators, and yet
no more than a handful have made it through
the system to land in New Zealand and actually
take up their employment. Similar quotas
are in place for teachers, and in December
the Government announced new quotas for
skilled IT workers and auditors but have not
as yet advised on the criteria to apply. As it
stands these are all “clayton’s” exceptions
which have resulted in unfulfilled expectations
and little or no workers.
The previously touted move to self-isolation
for fully vaccinated passengers upon
Level 2
586 Victoria Street
Hamilton 3204
Level 3
50 Manners Street
Wellington 6011
07 834 9222
enquiries@pathwaysnz.com
pathwaysnz.com
Richard Howard
arrival in New Zealand will remove the MIQ
issue. The scheme was meant to be introduced
in January, but this was postponed due to the
threat of the Omicron variant. Now that Omicron
is in the community there is an argument
that the threat at the border is minimal and
moving to self-isolation, and testing now will
free up capacity within MIQ and allow larger
numbers of returning New Zealanders and
skilled workers to arrive. Not forgetting than
many of these returning New Zealanders are
highly skilled with overseas experience and
ready to fill some of the skills shortage gaps.
This is a strategy supported by the DHB’s.
The swift decisive action taken way back
in March 2020 was revered around the world
and put New Zealand firmly on the map.
However, this world leading response has
since descended into procrastination and lack
of progress. The rest of the world has opened
and the lure of higher salaries, combined
with less barriers to entry, is now making it
very hard for New Zealand to compete in
the global war on talent. Swift and decisive
action again needs to be taken now, or we will
be left behind and it could take many years to
rebuild and recover.
Setting your 2022
business resolution
Businesses are now
expected to provide
greater visibility of a
broad range of non-financial
metrics that drive better social
and environmental outcomes.
There is an expectation
that wherever your business
is operating, your literal and
metaphorical footprint should
have a positive — or at the
very least, neutral — impact
on the wider community you
operate in.
According to PwC's Trust
in US Business survey, the
foundations of trust are built
on data protection and cybersecurity,
treating employees
well, ethical business practices
and admitting to mistakes.
The research shows 49% of
consumers have started or
increased their purchases from
a company because they trust
it and 44% stopped buying
from a company due to a lack
of trust. Employee trust is also
paramount, with 22% saying
they left a company because of
trust issues and 19% choosing
to work at one because they
trusted it highly.
This reflects the significant
shift in societal expectations of
businesses and organisations,
TAXATION AND THE LAW
> BY ANNABELL CHARTRES
Annabell Chartres is Partner, Sustainability & Climate
Change Leader, PwC New Zealand.
Building trust and being transparent is
increasingly fundamental to success in our
changing world.
Industry collaboration
will benefit all
participants in such
a rapidly-changing
environment.
who now need to implement
environmental, social and governance
(ESG) strategies to
build trust with a wider group
of stakeholders including customers,
employees, investors,
shareholders and, increasingly,
media and communities.
Today's business leaders
are judged on their authenticity
in bringing this to life and
their ability to consider the
broader societal and environmental
implications of how
they operate and generate revenue.
Where is New Zealand on
this journey?
While sustainability and climate
change are increasing
areas of focus for New Zealand
businesses, it's still an evolving
landscape with differing
levels of maturity. We know
the intention is there; PwC's
2020 CEO Survey, showed
that 70% planned to increase
long-term investment in sustainability
and ESG initiatives
over the following three years
and 67% had factored in climate
change and environmental
damage into their strategic
risk management activities.
However, without standard
reporting frameworks and
clearly defined targets, many
organisations are left wondering
where to start.
The Climate-related Disclosures
(CRD) legislation is
the first of its kind for New
Zealand and has the potential
to make a significant contribution
to New Zealand's
2050 carbon neutral goal. The
External Reporting Board is
in the process of developing
the reporting standards to
support this legislation which
will require entities to disclose
according to the standard for
accounting periods that start
on or after 1 January 2023.
This legislation impacts
New Zealand's largest listed
companies and financial institutions,
representing around
90% of our financial services
sector. It's worth noting that
the reporting scope covers
the entire value chain, not just
what goes on inside the business.
To understand the maturity
of disclosures, PwC New
Zealand analysed the current
climate-related disclosures
provided by the NZX 100
listed entities in their annual
sustainability reports against
the Task Force on Climate-related
Financial Disclosures
(TCFD) framework. Our analysis
showed while some companies
are making good progress,
for most there is a large
amount of work to be done
to bring the TCFD disclosure
framework into mainstream
reporting.
If we take this as a reflection
of the wider ESG space,
the single most important
thing companies can do is prepare
and front foot it.
There are a number of steps
businesses can take to prepare,
beginning with a formal gap
analysis as a starting point to
develop and implement a plan
of action that's both tactical
and strategic, which can then
be embedded into the company
culture and decision-making.
This is also an opportunity for
industry to come together and
share their insights to learn
and better understand what is
expected.
Industry collaboration
will benefit all participants
in such a rapidly-changing
environment.

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
13
Tech Talk: Product owners vital for
software development partnership
TECH TALK
> BY MICHAEL HAMID
Michael Hamid is the Professional Services Manager at Company-X.
People often see software development
as a dark art. There is a view that software
is developed by smart, anti-social nerds
sitting in a darkened room. In reality,
software development requires a lot of
discussion and collaboration between
everyone involved in creating the software,
including the client.
While the development
team spend a lot of
time understanding
and establishing the best way
to develop a piece of software,
the role of the client is vital to
the success of a development
project.
Company-X uses an agile
development process because it
is a very effective and efficient
way to develop software. The
agile process aims to develop
working software as soon as
possible. One of the primary
reasons for this is that once
people see the software working,
they are much better able
to determine how well it meets
their needs. This is a very efficient
way to create a software
product because changes can
be incorporated into the software
relatively quickly.
Involving the client with a
clear view of the strategy and
aims of their business gives
the development team a much
richer picture to draw on for
developing a software product.
One of the critical roles in
an agile development process
is that of the product owner.
The product owner represents
their organisation to the development
team. Because the
product owner is actively
involved with the development
team, they can also advocate
for the development team to
those in their organisation.
The product owner needs to
know both what their organisation
requires from the software
and why it has that need.
Through those discussions,
a software solution is much
more likely to both meet the
needs of the client and delight
the end-user.
The appointment of a product
owner from the client’s
own team ensures that the client
is in the driving seat of the
software development project.
product owners manage the
list of features necessary for a
working software product.
Agile development usually
happens in blocks of two
weeks, known as sprints, and
product owners determine
what features are developed
during each sprint.
This is a ‘tried and true’
aspect of the agile software
development methodology.
If product owners are not
at the software development
team’s daily meetings, they
are in constant communication
with the development team and
attend meetings at least once or
twice a week. This helps keep
the team on track while giving
product owners, and thus
clients, a good understanding
of what problems the team is
solving. This working model
help to develop trust between
everyone involved in the work.
Story mapping is another
part of the agile software
development methodology.
It breaks the problem that the
software is being built to solve
down into small parts for the
aforementioned sprints.
The two-week sprint is
then locked in and the work
is done. At the end of that two
weeks, the team looks at what
they did, what went well, what
didn't go well, what could be
done better next time, and then
feeds that back into the next
iteration.
The thing that I like about
the agile methodology is that
it's such a natural way of
working.
LIC appoints
new chief executive
The Board of Livestock
Improvement Corporation
has appointed
David Chin as the farmer-owned
co-operative’s new
chief executive officer.
David is currently LIC’s
general manager operations
and service, on the co-operative’s
Senior Leadership team,
and is responsible for its laboratories,
farms and the field
teams that deliver services
on-farm including artificial
breeding, herd testing and
FarmWise consultancy.
He has held various other
leadership roles at LIC since
starting in 2006, including
chief transformation officer,
key account manager and marketing
manager.
LIC board chair Murray
King says the board is pleased
to appoint David, - a highly
regarded leader at LIC who
has extensive experience in
the business.
“It really is great news for
the co-op that we have the
depth of talent to appoint from
within LIC to provide continuity
for the wider team and our
farmers.
“David has a natural empathy
for people, knows our
farmers well and knows the
business having led several
key strategic initiatives including
overseeing the recent
transformation programme.
Importantly, David was heavily
involved in the refinement
of LIC’s strategy earlier this
year.
“The implementation of
this strategy will continue to
be a key focus for the co-op
under David’s leadership, as
well as the continued strength
of LIC’s financial performance.
“We are confident David’s
leadership, combined with his
deep operational knowledge
and passion for delivering
value to our farmers will serve
the co-op very - well,” King
says.
David Chin says it is a tremendous
privilege to head a
great company with a critical
role in New Zealand’s dairy
industry, backed by a great
team of dedicated people.
“I’ve been fortunate to get
to know many of these people
as well as many of our farmers
over the last 15 years and it is
truly an honour to be given this
opportunity to lead the co-op.
“At the forefront of this will
be the ongoing implementation
of LIC’s refined strategy,
which is strongly supported by
farmers because it puts them
at the heart of everything we
do. Under that strategy we
have made clear commitments
to our farmers in key areas to
deliver value to them on-farm
and a key focus for me as CEO
will be making sure we are
meeting those commitments
“I’d like to thank Wayne
for all his hard work - he
leaves LIC in a strong position
and I look forward to building
on this with the Board, the LIC
team and our farmers.”
The appointment follows
the departure of Wayne
McNee in November after
eight years in the role. David
started in the chief executive
role in January, at which time
interim chief executive David
Hazlehurst will return to the
role of chief financial officer.
Life at Red
David Chin

14 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
New Tokoroa dairy plant on track
as ofi confirms lead contractor
Tokoroa is a step closer to becoming home
to a new state-of-the-art dairy processing
plant with the lead contractor being
appointed to construct the facility.
ofi has appointed GEA
New Zealand Ltd (GEA),
with First Principles Contractors
as a building partner,
to construct its dairy plant in
South Waikato.
The new plant will include
innovative technology
designed to reduce pollution,
minimise water and energy
use and ensure waste is handled
in the most sustainable
way possible.
Paul Rennie, operations
director for ofi in New Zealand,
said the company is
delighted to work with a partner
of GEA’s calibre.
“GEA has a proven track
record of developing sustainable
solutions for sophisticated
production processes,
which aligns directly with
our goal of building a plant
that operates as sustainably as
possible,” Rennie said.
“The new facility will
place Tokoroa at the forefront
of advanced dairy product
processing and technologies,
open up new options for
farmers in South Waikato and
create career opportunities for
local people.
“The project is also
expected to involve up to 300
We are looking forward to bringing our
experience in working with ofi to construct
similar worldclass facilities in locations all
over the world
construction workers during
peak phases of the build,
which we hope will be a boost
for the local economy and a
catalyst for wider investment
in the community.”
ofi, a global leader in natural
and sustainable food
ingredients and solutions,
announced its plan to develop
a new dairy processing facility
in South Waikato in September.
The new plant, expected
to be commissioned in Q3 of
2023, will be developed in
stages, starting with a spray
dryer with a capacity of one
million litres of milk per day,
capable of producing more
than 45,000 tonnes of milk
powder annually.
A second phase of construction
will see more facilities
added to extend the range
of high value dairy ingredients
that can be manufactured at
the site.
Rennie said ofi greatly
appreciated the support of
local stakeholders, including
Powerco, which has been
assessing power options to
support the infrastructure
of the plant, and the South
Waikato District Council.
GEA liquid & powder division
senior director Greg Martin
said the company is excited
to partner with ofi in New Zealand,
extending its long-standing
relationship with the wider
business working on similar
projects overseas.
“We are looking forward
to bringing our experience in
working with ofi to construct
similar worldclass facilities in
locations all over the world,”
Martin said.
“The plant has been
designed to optimise productivity,
flexibility, and sustainability
and will support local
manufacturing to progress
towards a more smart, sustainable
and resilient future.”
ofi is currently taking
expressions of interest from
farmer suppliers, including
those looking for winter milk
supply options, as well as local
employees, contractors and
trade suppliers.
Hamilton welcomes Watercare decision
Hamilton has welcomed
a decision which will
see Auckland reducing
its reliance on the Waikato
River as a water source.
On Friday a board of
inquiry released its decision
into an application from
Watercare to take a further 150
million litres of water per day
from the river. It cleared the
way for Watercare to double
its take to 300 million litres
of water per day, providing
breathing room after the city
faced acute water shortages
last year.
However the board rejected
Watercare’s request for a
35-year resource consent and
instead provided just a 20-year
consent. In that time, Watercare
will be required to make
tangible progress towards finding
a new water supply, other
than the Waikato River. Consent
conditions also strengthen
the ability for tangata whenua
to be directly involved in decision
making about the awa.
Hamilton Mayor Paula
Southgate said she was pleased
Auckland now has greater certainty
over a key economic
and life-giving resource. She
noted the additional water
take granted to Watercare will
have no impact on Hamilton
City which has a consent to
take water from the river until
2044.
But she welcomed the
direction for Auckland to
think about future sustainable
sources of water. Water
supplies from the river “were
not endless” and the Waikato
River was already under pressure
she says.
“Auckland needed more
certainty. This decision provides
that and we certainly
support that because Auckland’s
economy and our
economy are closely linked.
No-one wants to see Auckland
struggling for water,” she says.
“Hamilton’s concern,
and that of other submitters,
was always the prospect of a
35-year consent. That would
have seen plenty of water for
Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate.
Auckland but could have limited
our own access to water
despite the Waikato River
flowing right through our city.
That would have been disastrous
for Hamilton and for the
wider Waikato economy.”
“In our evidence to the
board we asked the consent be
reduced to 20 years and that
it be conditional on Auckland
making measurable progress
towards finding a new water
source. It seems the board has
accepted our evidence and has
come to a pragmatic decision
which puts the health of the
river, and the economic security
of two fast growing cities,
front and centre.”

PropertY &
development
A WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS SUPPLEMENT / WBN.CO.NZ
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
EMPOWERING OWNERSHIP – Providing clarity and
confidence with expert advice, project management
and delivery. Continued investment in innovation
and technology enables seamless delivery of best-fit
outcomes and cost efficiency.
WaikatoBusinessNews_FrontPage_Feb22_options.indd 2
Making it happen
07 595 0020 / www.btw.nz
SURVEYING | ENGINEERING | PLANNING | ENVIRONMENT
19/01/22 2:54 PM

16 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT
CONVERSATIONS WITH MIKE NEALE
OF NAI HARCOURTS HAMILTON
The CBD – It’s been a long
wait for owner-occupiers
I
have been a vocal advocate for a number
of years now, around the lack of
quality purchase opportunities in the
CBD for commercial office occupiers.
Hamilton has been very fortunate in
recent years with the quality of the commercial
developers in the CBD, their
primary interest around extensive refurbishment
and new developments for tenants.
Predominantly this looks to continue
through the likes of Stark Property, Fosters
and Tainui Group Holdings – and increasingly
on multi-level apartment living, such
as Parkhaven on Tristram Street by Black
& Orange, with little attention given to the
desires of smaller commercial businesses
seeking ownership opportunities.
So while there has been an abundance
of industrial units for owner occupiers, this
has not been the case for office occupiers in
our central city.
Many would argue that the
“ Hamilton CBD has been
crying out for quality owner
occupier opportunities for
commercial space”,
ever since such occupiers dispersed to
the suburbs in the early 2000’s where ownership
opportunities existed through the
conversion of residential houses. The current
Hamilton City Council District Plan
now restricts commercial uses in residential
areas, thus creating a growing demand
from occupiers for options in the CBD –
and with changing work practises and the
multitude of facilities that is now on offer,
there is a clear move towards being back in
the central city.
Take note, a new high end mixed use
six-story development located at 1010 Victoria
Street called “Northern Green” will
consist of two levels of commercial space
and four levels of apartments, providing a
limited offering for those seeking such an
opportunity.
“ A maximum of only 6
commercial tenancies will
be available, with sizes
starting at 73sqm and
culminating in an entire
floor of 923sqm.”
The ground floor will be occupied by
real estate company Lugtons, accounting
for 80% of the ground floor, with the
balance to be occupied by a café. The
Lugtons entrance will be towards the
northern end of the building, while a separate
entrance lobby with staircase and lift
accessing the commercial floor will be
Mike Neale - Managing Director,
NAI Harcourts Hamilton.
situated towards the southern end of the
building, adjacent to the café.
These commercial units will appeal to
a variety of professional occupiers, including
commercial offices, consultancy or
medical suites, professional services and
larger occupiers. Those with a desire to
live within a stylish and enduring building
and additionally own their own commercial
unit within the same complex while maintaining
practical separation, truly to have a
rare opportunity to consider.
The 4 upper levels will contain 27 apartments,
nine of which are New York-styled
loft apartments. Designed by award winning
Edwards White Architects, a standout
architectural feature of the development will
be two ‘light wells’ that penetrate the centre
of the building, descending four floors.
The light wells serve to flood the building’s
interior with natural light and create a central
atrium.
Additionally, there are up to 16 on-site
car parks for the available commercial floor,
being a combination of secure basement and
open parks, accessed via Hardley Street.
Construction will start early in 2022,
with completion currently projected for the
last quarter in 2023. It will be on a first in
first served basis – so there is likely to be
disappointment from those who do not act
early.
Check it out now -
naiharcourts.co.nz/#HCM27525
2022 appears to have started the way
2021 ended, with some uncertainty but an
encouraging level of activity across the
commercial and industrial markets. This
has been from new tenants and those looking
to expand, along with a wide array of
purchaser interest that includes investors,
owner occupiers and developers. Many
have already considered their options over
the break and now loo to follow the Nike
slogan “JUST DO IT”
Leading the way
with a smart,
multidisciplinary
approach
BTW is an established, kiwi owned
and operated company, with over 80
personnel, providing professional solutions
that empower and enable property owners
and communities.
BTW is approaching a
50-year milestone, and
this month their Hamilton
office celebrates 5 years
as a local supplier of surveying,
engineering/geotechnical,
environment and planning
work. BTW’s investment in
technology and cross-over
between multidisciplinary
professionals is a key component
in the service and deliverables
to clients – ultimately
delivering efficiencies and
smart solutions. As shown
in the front page image, as
BTW’s Environmental team
complete a real-time assessment
of soil contamination
on-site.
“Regardless of the nature
or scale of a project, experi-
ence tells us that the right outcome
starts with engaging the
right people at the right time.
Being an integrated, multidisciplinary
consultancy means
cross discipline collaboration
and support from end to end”
– says Grant Aitken, Managing
Director.
BTW helps land owners
create subdivisions with site
survey data, geotech investigations
and environmental
analysis backed by a planning
consent team, 3D laser scanning
and UAV application,
support for school extension
projects with architects, and
identifying faults in council
infrastructure with the use of
technology. BTW consult with
local iwi, hapū and whānau
and work closely with landowners,
developers, councils
and the wider community to
ensure future-focused, smart
solutions are achieved.
As a company, they are
passionate about the places
they support, the people they
work with and the communities
that benefit from the services
they provide.
On top of this, the company
regularly gives back to the
rohe (region). Just this Christmas
they showed support for
Waikato Women’s Refuge Te
Whakaruruhau, with ten food
parcels for those in need. Jason
Cargo, Regional Manager
(Waikato) says, “We all have
a role to play in the protection
and growth of economic,
social and cultural identity
systems that support us. BTW
know that with meaningful
connection and engagement,
great things can happen”.
BTW are passionate about
finding solutions to today’s
challenges, and making a difference
for their clients and
communities. You can find
out more about BTW’s values,
projects, current vacancies and
opportunities at www.btw.nz
Everest
PROPERTY
Hamilton Central, Level 1/1010 Victoria Street - #HCM27525
NAI Harcourts Hamilton
Monarch Commercial Ltd MREINZ Licensed
Agent REAA 2008
Cnr Victoria & London Streets, HAMILTON
07 850 5252 | hamilton@naiharcourts.co.nz
www.naiharcourts.co.nz
• Commercial Property Investment & Finance
• Business Investment & Finance
• Residential Property Investment & Finance
25 Ward Street, Hamilton everestproperty@xtra.co.nz 0274 742 326

PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
17
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18 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT
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PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
19
Landmarks
Antanas Procuta - I’ve just come through
a short Christmas break - at a time when
the beach beckons - refreshed instead
by a summer binge on Prime’s ‘Designing
Dreams’ TV series as a covid-avoiding
staycation diversion.Designing Dreams
is an exploration in which league and
union player, Matthew Ridge, takes us
on an architectural tour with architects,
looking into their built work, but also at the
buildings of others that they figure lie large
in the New Zealand landscape.
Ridge uses his pragmatic
layperson’s experience
and eye to elicit stories
and opinions from six of New
Zealand’s top architects; from
the relatively youthful Nicholas
Dalton of Toa Architects,
via mid-career practitioners
Anna-Marie Chin (Arrowtown)
and Michael O’Sullivan
(Bull O’Sullivan), to the
seasoned and highly-regarded
Julie Stout (Mitchell Stout
Architects), Pip Cheshire, and
Hamilton-raised Roger Walker.
Each tell of their personal
viewpoints and journeys
in architecture. Dalton
is interviewed in Rotorua’s
lake-front St Faith’s Anglican
Church - intricately-decorated
with whakairo, tukutuku, and
stained glass. Dalton then takes
us on a tour of John Scott’s
Ngāmatea Station house, and
to projects by Rewi Thompson
and Rau Hoskin; each building
strongly rooted in the mana of
the land and the people.
Anna-Marie Chin and
Michael O’Sullivan - in their
respective projects - demonstrate
an exquisite craft of
design and constructional
understanding, in the sculptural
form and texture of their
buildings, and in providing
spatial experience in the context
of the landscape. Chin’s
tour of Athfield’s ‘Punatapu’
homestead is absolutely magical,
with its forested mountain
setting, but also in the fairytale
arrangement of moodfilled
buildings around a sheltered
courtyard.
While both Julie Stout and
Pip Cheshire make their mark
with intelligent residential and
commercial architecture, it is
at the city scale they are significant;
particularly in Auckland.
Stout is an urban-warrior and
heritage advocate; protesting
the demolition of His Majesty’s
Theatre, the past-proposed
demolition of the St James
Theatre, and the proposed
expansion of Auckland’s port
wharves further into the harbour.
Cheshire successfully
navigated a long-term vision
and implementation for the
transformation of Britomart;
one of the greatest urban spaces
created in New Zealand. Both
look to enhance and enrich the
experience we have in the city.
While the series ends with
Matthew Ridge and architect
Michael O’Sullivan taking an
almost perilous journey to a
simple shepherd’s hut (somehow
named ‘Glory Cottage’)
in the harsh wind-swept, seaswept,
Pitt Island desolation, it
is this story that best describes
the importance and meaning of
‘shelter’ and perhaps ‘architecture’,
in creating a haven and
place that gives physical protection
and comfort, but also
houses the dreams and spirit of
people.
The common themes that
can be drawn with these architects
is the appreciation they
have of the character and context
of an area, and the underlying
stories that are part of its
history, an appreciation of how
people live and experience a
place, and an imperative in
understanding the legacy of the
mark they make, the buildings
they create, and the towns they
shape. I recommend ‘Designing
Dreams’ for the personal
stories told, and for the creative
efforts realised.
+++++++
+++++++
+++++++
+++++++
+++++++
Get in touch today, to find out more about
BUILDING SUSTAINABLY
WITH PAUA.
Procuta Associates
Urban + Architecture
Contact us 07 839 6521
www.pauaarchitects.co.nz

20 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT
The Smart Home Revolution
The start of the computer revolution was back in the 1950’s where
big and bulky mainframe computers took up a whole room and
had to be programmed with a punch card. They were used to
automate Accounts and Payrolls.
Then by the 1980’s to
2000 the second revolution
started when we
began to have desktop computers
in the office, and then came
the home PC.
The third revolution was
the mobile one which reduced
them in size to be able to fit in
our pockets, so we could take
them anywhere and use them
on the go.
Now the next shift has
started and in our homes, smart
assistants like Google Home
or Amazon Echo are steadily
colonising our personal spaces,
along with home automation
for smart lighting and security
systems. There were over 640
million of these units sold last
year and the market will be
doing twice that by 2023.
By that time we can expect
something like a 50% growth
in sales of wearable devices
like smart clothing and fitness
trackers- a huge market that
Apple is looking to – where it
will be approaching 300 million
units a year.
As for the workplace AI is
starting to take hold where it
is transforming factories and
production lines. Sometimes
referred to as the fourth revolution
or industry 4, this sector is
forecast to double to over 150
billion by 2023 and over a trillion
dollars by the early 2030’s.
Tech companies will increasingly
seek to improve our lives
with this explosion of smart
devices that will be crunching
the sensor data from all this hardware,
as well as all the activities
that we do on our smart phones.
There are also plenty of startups
staking out their territory
in this new frontier.
When it comes to your home
it is important to know what
you want and when you “don’t
know what you don’t know”
the best thing is to talk to a
company that is experienced
in security systems before you
build and not settle for a one
size fits all approach that some
builders and electricians install
as a part of a package.
Your Security System is a
personal thing and needs to be
researched correctly to make
sure you know what you want
and how you are going to use
it - because it’s no good having
one installed if it’s too hard to
use, that would just be a waste
of money. Smartway Security
and Technology have been
installing CCTV for over 19
years and Monitored Security
Alarms for longer than that.
Why don’t you give them a
call and let them help you to
understand how you can protect
what is important to you.
Remember “Experience the
Difference because the Difference
is Experience.
Call and speak to the
team at Smartway today on
0800 93 63 63
- Supplied copy
Smart Homes are here!
How connected are you? No matter what you think you want to automate now,
there is always more that you will find you want to add on later,
so at least plan now with the ability to add more when it becomes available
Smartway Security & Technologies are
able to help you design and install your
security and surveillance requirements in
to your home or office.
Operate it on your smart devices from
anywhere in the world.
Check your cameras from Cambodia
Arm your Alarm from Armenia or
Monitor your Alarm from Mongolia!
Smartway can help you stay connected.
We are your one stop Shop for all
your Technology and Security Requirements:
• Security Alarms
• 24/7 Monitoring
• Access Control
• Gate Alerts
• CCTV Surveillance Systems
• Data & Fibre Networks
• Local & Long Range Wi-Fi
& Wireless Data Networks
Plus many other types of Electronic Surveillance
products!
Experience the Difference - because the Difference is Experience
Call the Team at Smartway today
and see how we can help YOU?
Hop into our Demo Truck and see the cameras in action
0800 93 6363
Sales@smartway.co.nz

Rodney Stirling
PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
21
From the Ground Up:
PROPERTY &
DEVELOPMENT
Rodney Stirling
Stirling
Rodney
EXPERT CONCRETE GRINDING, POLISHING & SEALANTS / COATINGS FOR FLOORS & WALLS
EXPERT CONCRETE GRINDING, POLISHING & SEALANTS / COATINGS FOR FLOORS & WALLS
2 ARE ALREADY UNDER CONTRACT
www.12killarney.nz
Frankton 12 Killarney Road
3
1
2
BOOK YOUR SPOT IN
Considerate
Professional &
OUR APRIL ISSUE
For more information contact the team today
at info@wbn.co.nz or 07 838 1333
Considerate
is Consistent, Reliable,
&
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The location demands a quality development, and these brand-new townhouses rise to
the occasion. One has views to the lake and are footsteps from the lake circuit. Their cool
contemporary construction calls on a palette of low maintenance materials, giving owners
more time to relax and enjoy the fabulous setting. While floor areas vary, style is consistent
throughout the four dwellings. Each has a double internal garage, a master bedroom with an
ensuite and walk-in robe, another two double bedrooms, and a light-filled open-plan living
environment opening to an elevated deck built for the outlook. Fixtures and fittings are
high-end, and bathrooms and kitchen serve up extra helpings of chic style. Crafted by Turton
Vision Built, with interiors by Turton Oliver, the units blend functionality with a refined
aesthetic. Due for completion mid 2022, they come with their own title and no body corp.
Hugely appealing in terms of design, quality of finish and coveted location close to Waikato
Hospital and the CBD, these townhouses will be quick to go.
Kerry Hopper | 021 984 173
kerry.hopper@lugtons.co.nz
Certified Contractor
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200433AA 200433AA

22 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT

MORTGAGE FUND
INVEST IN A FUND
MANAGED BY
DU VAL CAPITAL
PARNTERS
10
P.
%
A *
FIXED
RETURNS
ONLY OPEN TO WHOLESALE INVESTORS +
$250,000
DISTRIBUTIONS PAID QUARTERLY
MINIMUM INVESTMENT + WWW.DUVALPARTNERS.CO.NZ
SPEAK WITH OUR RURAL BASED
INVESTOR RELATIONS TEAM OR
TXT INVEST TO 875
EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS THE FUND HAS LENT TO
MARK ROBINSON
Director of Du Val Capital Partners
(Bachelor of Agricultural Science)
(07 808 6170)
PAUL MANION
Investor Relations Associate
(Bachelor of Commerce and Agriculture).
(07 808 6930)
*For further information about the fixed return and the risks, please go to www.duvalpartners.co.nz to request a copy of the Information Memorandum.
+Investment in the Du Val Mortgage Fund Limited Partnership is only available to wholesale investors as defined in the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013.

24 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
Are your staff communication
channels ready for 2022?
For many in the corporate
sector, improved
staff communications
and relationships was one of
the upsides of the pandemic.
For many, staying connected
during remote working and
building regular wellbeing
check-ins into the work-week
has reaped benefits in terms
of staff loyalty and enhanced
team dynamics.
If we take our signal from
overseas, however, we know
that 2022 is likely to be one of
the most disruptive years for
office life. If the “big sick”
takes over New Zealand, as
it has elsewhere in the world,
we are all going to need some
robust internal communications
systems and channels
PR AND COMMUNICATIONS
> BY HEATHER CLAYCOMB
Heather Claycomb is director of HMC, a Hamilton-based,
award-winning public relations agency.
Two years ago, at the start of the Covid-19
pandemic, organisations were forced
by necessity to smarten up their internal
communications.
that help minimise chaos and
maximise productivity.
Be proactive and protect
your business. Take the
opportunity now to ensure
your internal communications
channels are ready for whatever
2022 might hold.
Listen first
Before you go changing anything,
ask your staff what they
think. Do a staff survey. It
does not have to be formal,
costly or complicated – have
a discussion at your next team
meeting or for larger companies,
use some of the simple
online survey tools available
like Survey Monkey. Ask what
communications channels and
activities are working and
which are not. Get a handle
on how well staff feel the company
keeps them informed,
find out what they would like
to see improved, ask which
channels staff feel will work in
more disruptive situations and
which ones might fall over.
And remember, always go
into a staff survey with the
commitment that you will listen
and make changes based
on feedback. Staff trust will
be eroded quickly if you do
not make some meaningful
changes based on the survey
results.
Prioritise team talks
Regular team meetings are
probably the best channel for
staff communication. But I
know from experience that as
things get busy, it is tempting
to cancel or postpone. That’s a
big mistake as even one missed
meeting during stressful times
can lead to workstreams
unravelling quickly. Ensure
your team leaders schedule
a weekly or fortnightly team
meeting and stick to it.
And remember - it is not
enough just to “check in”
during your staff meetings.
Give your team leaders some
help in developing an agenda
that goes beyond corporate
chit-chat. You’ll frustrate your
high achievers, especially, if
meetings aren’t purposeful
and impacting team efficiency.
One regular mass channel
It is important as an organisation
that you have at least one
staff communication channel
that reaches all team members
as “one source of truth.” For
small businesses, this may be
your weekly team meeting.
For larger companies, this
might be your online staff portal
or newsletter.
Whatever works for you,
commit to it and ensure you
develop engaging content to
encourage absorption of the
most important messages.
Plus, always build a feedback
mechanism into the channel
to foster two-way communication.
Avoid email overload
A mistake many organisations
make is using endless emails
for every staff message. The
danger in doing so is that
staff will start to tune out if
they receive too many. That
is when your really important
corporate messages can be
ignored.
We have so many immediate,
digital channels available
to us. While there’s
email, you can also use text
messages, WhatsApp groups,
Microsoft Teams, Zoom, staff
Facebook pages and more.
Rather than using email for
everything, I would recommend
doing a stocktake of all
the digital channels you are
using or could start using, then
put some rules around which
channels you use, for what
purpose and when.
Once you have established
the channel rules, teach and
encourage your staff to use
each channel efficiently.
Have some fun
And finally, remember to have
some fun! It does not matter
if you’re a senior manager or
a graduate recruit, we are all
human and we want to have
fun with the people we spend
8+ hours with each day –
especially during challenging
times when a little levity goes
a long way. Of course, there
is a time to be serious and
communicate with a corporate
voice, but there are also times
to relax, celebrate and share
more lighthearted team news.
Purposely including some
‘playful’ (but tasteful) content
into your staff communication
will go a long way towards
building job satisfaction and
cohesion among your team.
Waikato based Isuzu dealer invests $34M
in new Auckland and Whangārei facilities
CAL Isuzu, New Zealand’s
largest independent
Isuzu dealership,
announced today it will build
a new $22M dealership and
workshop in East Tamaki and
a new $12M dealership and
workshop in Whangārei.
Tenders for construction
open soon with construction
set to begin in mid-2022 with
hopes both new facilities will be
fully operational in early 2023.
The Whangārei operation will
also grow its team numbers
from three to around 12 once
the facility is completed.
Headquartered in the
Waikato, CAL Isuzu was
founded in Hamilton in 1987
by brothers Ashok and the late
Raman Parbhu.
While many companies
tightened the spending faucet
during the pandemic, Ashok
Parbhu is upbeat and positive.
Within minutes of meeting
him, several phrases pop up.
“Customer service.” “Serving
customers better” and “improving
the customer experience”.
While these phrases are cliché
for many, Ashok means
every word.
He believes in serving
his customers so deeply, he’s
investing in these two new stateof-the-art
facilities that will lift
CAL Isuzu’s already-excellent
service to new levels. It’s
the definition of putting your
money where your mouth is,
Ashok explains.
“From the time my late
brother Raman started this
trucking business in 1987, we
worked to a single idea: Customers
for life. We didn’t just
want to sell someone a truck; we
wanted our company and theirs
to be partners for the long haul.
Which begged the question:
What inspires someone to keep
giving you their business for 20
years or more? The answer is
brilliant, brilliant service.”
The highest level of service
comes from Ashok’s 187-strong
staff. Together, they service
55 per cent of the Isuzu truck
Ashok Parbhu
Managing
Director CAL
Isuzu.
market as the only independent
dealership with a large-scale
engineering business. That’s
their independent point of difference:
they can build and
modify trucks.
For Ashok, this is a service
necessity.
“Everyone who owns a truck
is in business to make money.
The truck is their number one
asset. The better the truck, the
better their business runs. That’s
why we work hard upfront to
understand exactly how a person
needs their truck to function.
If we can discern that, we
can nail the specs. We’ll sometimes
even suggest features a
client hadn’t considered. Some
of the best feedback we ever get
is, ‘I wasn’t sure I needed that
feature, but it turns out I really
do!’ That response is gold at
CAL Isuzu.”
Building and modifying the
perfect truck requires state-ofthe-art
technology. Hence the
new facilities. These multi-million-dollar
upgrades will give
CAL Isuzu the ability to customise
trucks down to the finest
detail. Or, if a customer gets
the specs wrong, it will give
Ashok’s team the option of taking
the truck back to quickly
rebuild it.
Of all the times to expand,
the shifting pandemic world
seems the least advantageous.
Many in the industry are taking
a cautious approach, putting
business plans on hold. Ashok
says this is the right time to do
the opposite.
“When the first lockdown
occurred, people were spooked
and cancelled their orders with
us. Materials were also in short
supply due. But rather than
shrink our operations, I thought
CAL Isuzu should work smarter
and take advantage of the new
landscape.”
Before the Covid outbreak,
Ashok had been working with
a developer to lease new hi-tech
facilities in Auckland. As the
pandemic pressure mounted,
the developer pulled out, which
presented Ashok with an opportunity.
“With the developer gone,
my leadership team had a
rethink. We felt the need to
secure our future from the vagaries
of the property market, so
we asked ourselves, what if we
owned the land in both Auckland
and Whangārei, and building
instead of leasing them?
After weighing up the pros and
cons, we decided to look for
land.”
With land secured for both
facilities, both projects will
soon be out for tender and
ground will be broken midway
through 2022. For CAL Isuzu,
these are exciting times, but for
Ashok, they are the latest steps
in a 34-year journey.
“There’s a saying. ‘Rome
wasn't built in a day, but they
were laying bricks every hour.’
That’s how I feel about our new
trucking facilities. What we’re
doing now is the continuation
of what my late brother Raman
started in our parent’s backyard
in 1987. Way back then,
our motto was, Better Service.
Through nearly 35 years, we’ve
never lost sight of that.”
Ashok is quick to acknowledge
his staff as keys to CAL
Isuzu’s success – 187 people
who live out the family motto
every day.
“The kudos belongs to our
people. It’s because of them
that the business has had such
success and is gearing up for
even greater things. I want
them to know that. Our new
buildings will be a testament to
their work. They are also their
reward. I want them to enjoy
working in a place that allows
them to do their best work.”

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
25
YOUR AUTOMOTIVE BASE
ISUZU D-MAX
STOCK AVAILABLE NOW
47-51 Te Kowhai East Road, Burbush, Hamilton | ebbetthamilton.co.nz | 07 838 0949

26 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
CHILD FOCUS
COVID-19
immunisation rolling
out for tamariki
At Kip McGrath, our focus is to help your
child reach their full potential
We make learning relevant and engaging which boosts
self-confidence and success in class. Students can be taught in centre
or online face to face at home. Give your child a boost today.
CENTRE • PHONE NUMBER
Hamilton East - 29 Address Hukanui Road, Fairfield,
Hamilton kipmcgrath.co.nz/centre
3214 | 07 853 5013
Hamilton West - 89 Rimu Street, Whitiora,
Hamilton 3200 | 07 848 2262
204407AB
More than 120,000 doses of the child
(paediatric) Pfizer vaccine have been
delivered to over 500 vaccination sites
around New Zealand as health providers
started immunising 5 to 11-year-olds.
The COVID-19 vaccine
used for tamariki has a
lower dose and smaller
volume than the adult vaccine
and is administered using a
smaller needle. To be fully
immunised against COVID-
19 a child needs to get two
doses of the vaccine, usually
given at least eight weeks
apart.
The best thing a
parent can do to
prepare their children
to be immunised is
to talk to them about
what is going to
happen.
The child Pfizer vaccine is
available at 500 sites throughout
New Zealand, including
walk-ins, drive-throughs,
hauora providers, community
pharmacies, and general practices.
The number of centres
will increase over the coming
weeks. You can find out which
clinics offer the child Pfizer
vaccine at bookmyvaccine.nz.
A programme of Māori-designed
initiatives will ensure
all whānau can access vaccination
and celebrate tamariki
with special events and activities
in their neighbourhoods.
Pacific-led initiatives will
support improving vaccination
rates for 5 to 11-year-olds
in Pacific communities.
Starship Paediatric Consultant
Dr Jin Russell has
been involved in providing
independent expert advice
on protecting children from
Covid-19 to the Ministry.
“We now have real-world
safety data from over eight
million doses of the Pfizer
vaccine administered to children
aged 5–11 years in the
United States. I have confidence
the Pfizer vaccine is
very safe for children.”
Dr Russell has advice for
parents and caregivers on preparing
their child for vaccination.
“The best thing a parent
can do to prepare their children
to be immunised is to
talk to them about what is
going to happen.
“Tell them there will be
a small needle and that they
will feel a sharp scratch or
sting briefly but then it will
be over. They may have a
sore arm, fever, headache or
feel tired afterwards,” says
Dr Russell.
“A key thing is to tell them
why they are going to be vaccinated.
I say to my boys, you
are going to be vaccinated
to protect yourself against
COVID-19, and to protect our
family, your grandparents, our
community, and other kids at
school who may be more at
risk from COVID-19 if they
catch it.
“It is also important that
as a parent you stay calm and
reassuring as children take
their emotional cues from
parents and caregivers. If you
can, make a plan to do something
fun afterwards so they
have something to look forward
to,” Dr Russell advises.
To find out which centres
are offering the child Pfizer
vaccine visit the Unite Against
COVID-19 website. Parents
and caregivers can book
online at BookMyVaccine.nz
or make a whānau booking
by calling the Covid Vaccination
Healthline on 0800 28
29 26. Many general practices
are also offering child vaccinations
for their enrolled
patients – contact your local
doctor to find out more.

CHILD FOCUS
WALK IN,
DANCE OUT !
Valerie Lissette School of Dance has a reputation for
excellence in dance training and theatrical performances.
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
Looking for the
best studio for your
dance classes?
27
All classes are taught by
professional, highly
qualified teachers in
a friendly and encouraging
atmosphere.
Dance plays a valuable role
in the education of children,
preparing them with life skills
that will give confidence, creativity
and joy.
• Royal Academy of Dance
is a safe and correct BAL-
LET training,
• American JAZZ provides
an exciting challenge.
• Theatrical Dance TAP promotes
style and confidence.
Boys and girls from three
years to adult will gain poise,
flexibility, the appreciation of
music and respect !
Term 1 commences on
Monday 7 February and we
extend a warm welcome to
new pupils. Enrol Now !
lissettevalerie@gmail.com
or (07) 8551 524
- Copy supplied
• CONTEMPORARY
classes involve versatility
and improvisation with a
strong focus on floor-work
and use of gravity.
• STORYBOOK BALLET is
a unique experience where
preschool children learn
to dance in ‘storybook
themed’ classes.
BALLET - JAZZ - TAP
MUSICAL THEATRE - CONTEMPORARY
• SILVER SWANS is dance
class for Seniors with elegant
exercise to beautiful
music, developing good
posture, self-esteem and
the chance to make new
friends.
206607AA
07 855 1524 - lissettevalerie@gmail.com
www.valerielissettedance.co.nz
Ballet
Specialist Dental
Care for Children
Katie is the only Specialist
Paediatric Dentist
providing care privately
in the Waikato, or indeed the
Midland Region. Having practised
as a paediatric dentist for
over 20 years, Katie has never
known the demand for private
dental care for children to be
greater. Many parents (and
sometimes grandparents) now
choose to take their children to
a paediatric dentist for a range
of services from check-ups and
preventive care right through
to complex dental treatment
under general anaesthetic.
Katie offers a range of services
at her clinic located in the
Anglesea Complex.
Services include:
• Check-ups and preventive
dental care
• Management of tooth
decay (cavities) and dental
abscesses (infection)
• Management of dental
anomalies such as enamel
hypoplasia (chalky teeth)
• Management of dental
trauma
• Removal of teeth for orthodontic
purposes
• Dental care for children
who are anxious or new to
dental care
• Dental care for children
with medical problems, disabilities
or developmental
issues
• Provision of dental
treatment under sedation
(happy gas)
In coordination with Braemar
Hospital, Katie is also
able to offer dental treatment
for children under general
anaesthetic. This allows young
or anxious children, or those
requiring extensive or complex
treatment to have everything
taken care of at a single
visit without the need for the
child to cooperate in the dental
surgery. This is particularly
useful for children needing to
travel from out-of-town for
specialist dental care. This
service has been provided by
Katie at Braemar Hospital for
18 years, where the quality of
care from arrival to discharge
is second to none. Katie also
serves as a Director on the
Braemar Hospital Board and as
a Trustee of the Braemar Hospital
Charitable Trust.
Katie has recently completed
an 8-year term on the
Board of the New Zealand
Dental Association, and was
President for the final 2 years.
She remains the Association’s
spokesperson on Access to
Dental Care. Katie is also the
Oral Health Advisor to the
Planning and Funding Departments
of the 5 Midland District
Health Boards, and has
recently been appointed to the
Oral Health Clinical Group
responsible for planning which
dental services will available
nationally under New Zealand’s
new health system.
- Copy supplied
Creating happy, healthy smiles
in a magical environment
Caring for babies, preschoolers, children and youth with
an emphasis on preventive care and tooth preservation.
07 957 4934 | www.katieayers.co.nz

28 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
CHILD FOCUS
’S LONG-AWAITED CODING
SCHOOL HAS OPENED IN NEW ZEALAND
Founded in Europe in 2014, Logiscool has become a
significant and rapidly growing worldwide educational
franchise network in just seven years. The world’s
leading fun-based coding school (franchise) network
for students and teens, Logiscool is now in 21
countries with 130+ schools all over the globe. With
New Zealand now added to its success story, we
are excited to announce New Zealand’s flagship
Logiscool has now opened at Five Cross Roads, in
Hamilton.
It’s Code O’clock
At Logiscool, students learn to code by building
computer games they love. This experiential
education gives them skills they can’t get in regular
schools. They do not even realise while they are
learning the main principles of coding, they are also
learning the most important skills of the future:
logical, algorithmic thinking, problem-solving,
creativity, tolerance of failures, understanding
complex math concepts, and more.
With its own uniquely developed education platform
and scalable curriculum, Logiscool can adapt
teaching to the age, knowledge level and learning
speed of the children, and therefore maximise the
level of satisfaction both for the children and parents.
Offering classroom-based courses, holiday camps
and workshops across many topics relating to coding,
robotics, and digital literacy for children aged 6
through to 18, Logiscool has the most varied service
portfolio in the coding education sector for children.
Our methods guarantee quick results and success:
within the first hour children can create their
first computer game with the supervision of our
experienced trainers.
Students need a fun and meaningful purpose to take
part in any activity, and education is no exception to
this. We all want jobs that make us want to jump out
of bed in the morning, and students want to feel the
same about their learning. Logiscool does just that
- igniting the passion, curiosity, and creativity your
students had for learning when they were toddlers.
Within a few years programming knowledge will
become as important, as speaking English.
Inspiring, Supportive Environment
At Logiscool, we believe that the direct teacher
student relationship, the community experience and
the many practice-oriented tasks all contribute to
the rapid development of our students. Our schools
are set up in a modern, inspiring office environment
where parents are always welcome to be part of
the success of their children. Beyond the physical
environment, we also help our students to express
their creativity in the digital world too. With access
to a vibrant international community at MyLogiscool,
students can entertain themselves with fun quizzes
and share their coolest projects with the like-minded
friends from around the world. Programming
transforms passive computer users into active
digital creators. With over 800 hours of creative,
professionally well-thought-out curriculum that is
continuously evolving based on constant feedback,
we transform the curiosity naturally found in children
into a useful and effective learning process.
There’s More Beyond Coding
We believe that the key to success in the digital
world (and beyond) is continuous development and
openness to innovation. Logiscool students can not
only learn to program but also try out many other
areas (robotics, multimedia courses, business skills,
game design, etc.). The various courses and camps
can be completed sequentially or in a way that is
tailored to the children’s current interest. We also keep
an eye on what’s new in the tech world, and we’re
making more and more exciting new courses and
camps available every year. With the diversity of our
offerings, we ensure everyone can find a program to
their liking at Logiscool.
Logiscool as a Franchise
Logiscool offers a great franchise business with real
social impact. Logiscool has managed to keep its role
as a global leader in the face of the pandemic.
Its franchise system is proving to be recession-proof.
Best investment for parents and franchise partners.
The parents and partners agree: We change lives!
Logiscool’s first flagship school in Hamilton is open!
Let them experience first-hand the fun and laughter
that happens at Logiscool. Head to our website and
explore the wide range of open days and courses on
www.logiscool.com and get your child onboard today.
Open days are free, but we do need your registration
to come and experience Logiscool’s enjoyable and
effective teaching methodology. Or jump right in and
apply to the limited number of courses ready now at
www.logiscool.com!

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
29
Roadmap launched to grow
NZ’s robotics industry
With robotics and automation set to
replace 46 percent of day jobs by 2040, a
new national strategy has been launched
to grow the New Zealand sector that
currently employs around 3200 people and
generates $1 billion in annual revenue.
The New Zealand Robotics,
Automation and
Sensing (NZRAS) network
has released a roadmap
for the industry, funded by
Kiwinet, NZRAS researchers
and Callaghan Innovation,
that says a common vision
for the sector is vital for New
Zealand to prosper.
There is a lot of
work happening in
the sector in New
Zealand but currently
it is quite scattered
and not very well
connected.
NZRAS Chair, and University
of Waikato researcher,
Dr Shen Hin Lim, says the
roadmap is the first time
New Zealand has had a full
overview of the RAS sector,
including all public and private
businesses and institutions
involved, and the specialty
areas they are working
in.
The roadmap identified
more than 84 developers, 43
integrators, and 870 researchers,
with over 350 estimated
end users. It shows New
Zealand currently employs
3200 people in the sector that
generates $1 billion in annual
revenue.
Dr Lim says the roadmap
is a launchpad for better collaboration
across the sector.
“There is a lot of work
happening in the sector in
New Zealand but currently
it is quite scattered and not
very well connected. We want
to improve that to ensure we
make the most out of both
research and development and
investment.”
He says the roadmap shows
New Zealand is forging a reputation
in robotics and automation
for horticulture, forestry,
agriculture, aquaculture,
and healthcare, each sector
WAi Uni robotocs NZRAS Chair, Dr Shen Hin Lim
(centre) with Josh Barnett (left) and Matthew
Peebles (right) and the autonomous asparagus
picker developed at the University.
having more than 10 actively
growing companies.
He also says a good example
of collaborative projects
between industry, user and
academic institutions is an
asparagus harvester that has
seen successful prototype
field trials and is currently in
commercialisation phase by
Robotics Plus, New Zealand
Asparagus Council (NZAC)
and the university.
The roadmap says because
of automation, the number of
all types of industrial and service
robots used is expected
to at least double by 2025,
with up to 46 percent of current
day jobs expected to be at
risk of replacement by 2040.
“The formation of a common
vision is vital for New
Zealand to prosper from these
developments,” says Dr Lim.
The roadmap makes a series
of recommendations from
creating clusters for research
and development to encouraging
collaboration for better
use of research investment,
to improving guidance and
support for RAS companies,
including increasing their visibility
to help facilitate venture
capital investment.
It also recognised the
industry is desperate for more
qualified employees, many
companies having to look
overseas for staff.
“It is interesting to see
from the roadmap findings
that the number of RAS-qualified
people is outpacing other
engineering disciplines, 300
percent over the past decade
but industry demand for qualified
people is still higher than
availability,” says Dr Lim.
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New beginnings for Hamilton
& Waikato Tourism
It is with mixed emotions that I pen this
month’s column, my last as chief executive
of Hamilton & Waikato Tourism (HWT). I’m
leaving to join Air New Zealand as regional
affairs manager from mid-February and,
fortunately, I’m to still be based in the
Waikato to serve the regions.
>>>
Jason Dawson, Hamilton
& Waikato Tourism Chief
Executive.
It has been a privilege and
honour to lead and represent
the tourism and events
sector for Waikato for the
past five and a half years. I’m
hugely proud of the achievements
of the team, the organisation,
and the sector throughout
this time. I feel I’m leaving
the organisation in good heart,
with strong leadership and a
draft destination management
plan which will steer the sector
through the next 5-10 years.
We cannot underestimate
how tough and brutal the
past 24 months have been
for tourism – regionally and
nationally. However, through
times of crisis, our sector has
pulled together to support one
another as we navigate our way
through as best we can. I have
been heartened and moved
by the passion for our sector
which I know will be strong
again.
I am extremely proud
to have been at the helm of
the remarkable HWT team
which has worked tirelessly to
achieve the aspirations set in
the 2016 Tourism Opportuni-
ties Plan, including delivering
game-changers like the development
of our first regional
visitor brand The Mighty
Waikato, and the region’s firstever
Major Events Strategy.
HWT was also chosen as
lead entity for the $3.75m
Regional Events Fund for
Waikato, Rotorua, Taupo and
Ruapehu, attracted Government
support for a restart
and reset of our visitor economy
and development of our
regional ambassador programmes
to build pride of
place across Waikato.
Our partnerships have
grown and extended outside
the sector and our existing
local government partners to
include WEL Energy Trust
and Waikato Regional Council
in the establishment of our
region’s first-ever film office
called Waikato Screen.
Added to this, we are about
to embark on implementing
our new Business Events Strategy
to attract more high-value
conferences, meetings, exhibitions,
and incentives to our
region, plus leveraging the
Nicola Greenwell - HWT Interim GM.
benefits of food tourism with
the launch of our first Food
Tourism Action Plan that will
celebrate and promote our
iconic food producers, food
makers, bakers, brewers, tea
plantation and much more.
Why not celebrate that we are
the home to some of the best
dairy and berry producers in
the world?
We have also celebrated
a number of wins as a region
including the Best Regional
Domestic Tourism Performance
Award in 2018, being
named finalists in the New
Zealand Tourism Awards,
numerous best regional trade
stands and the Waikato being
named in the Top 50 Bucket
List Places in the World by
Forbes Travel magazine in
2019 – the only New Zealand
destination.
We’ve seen our net promoter
score increase significantly,
achieved fourth largest
domestic visitor expenditure
in New Zealand, having previously
been the fifth largest.
Recently we were identified
as one of two regions to
record the largest market share
increase for domestic visitors
over the past 12 months (from
10 percent to 13 percent).
For Q1 and Q2 2020-21,
we achieved the second largest
market share for business
events in New Zealand, attracting
new major events and
world sporting tournaments,
plus substantially increasing
our media profile through
broadcast, print and digital
channels.
However, it is now time to
pass on the reins to the next
leader to make their mark
and take the organisation and
region to the next stage. Our
development manager, Nicola
Greenwell, has been appointed
interim GM, with the recruitment
process getting underway
shortly.
Richard Leggat is the new
chair of Hamilton & Waikato
Tourism’s board with experienced
director Margaret Devlin
also having joined the board.
I wish to send a heartfelt
thanks to you all. Thank you
for your support, guidance,
advice, aroha and mahi during
my time with Hamilton &
Waikato Tourism. It is the people
who make this sector and
region so engaging and exciting,
and I have felt proud to
serve and represent you during
this time.
Finally, I wish to close with the
whakatauki (proverb):
Ngaro atu he tētēkura, whakaeke
mai he tētēkura.
When one chief disappears,
another is ready to appear.
Ngaa mihi nui
What behaviours are you endorsing?
Does fear grip you when
you think about have a
difficult conversation
with a particular staff member?
Do you have some staff
that you are afraid to manage
because of their attitude and
behaviours?
Managing people can seem
somewhat overwhelming at
times. It is both the most enjoyable
and most difficult part of
being a manager. And when
it gets too hard, or a dominant
personality takes over you can
sometimes feel like giving up.
As a manager, supervisor,
or team leader, having to give
feedback, criticise or discipline
a staff member's performance
is a task that many dread.
However, your failure to do so
properly will often "snowball"
and have a negative impact
on your entire team’s attitude,
morale, motivation, and
productivity. Your failure to
establish clear behaviour and
performance standards will, in
turn, affect your own personal
success as a manager.
We often talk to managers
who don’t confront the undesirable
behaviours of certain
staff members and they say
‘that is just the way Sue is’ or
‘if I confront John he will probably
file a personal grievance’
or ‘I just can’t be bothered
dealing with the aggravation’.
As managers you have an obligation
to ensure that all staff
are being treated fairly and
that means being consistent in
managing staff. Your team will
be looking for you to manage
performance and behaviour –
remember, the behaviour you
walk past is what you’re happy
to accept.
There is hope! With brave
and positive management,
you can change attitudes and
behaviours. Your failure to
speak up or discipline can
result in the appearance of
unfairness to all concerned.
Your productive staff see your
control being undermined and
feel taken advantage of while
the problem staff member continues
to take advantage of you.
So what can you do
change the unwanted
behaviours of an
individual?
• Tackle the behaviour head
on. Tell you employee
that their behaviour is
not acceptable in your
workplace. If you don’t
want a certain behaviour
in your workplace, then
you can change that.
• Communicate to the
staff member about
how you feel about their
attitude and behaviours.
Let them know that
you won’t tolerate it
any longer and that if it
persists you will have
to take further action.
Give them examples
and evidence of what
you’re seeing and what
impact it’s having on the
business.
• Reward good behaviour
and ensure that staff who
are exhibiting the types of
behaviour you want are
acknowledged for that.
• Show your productive
employees that you are
in control before the
undesired behaviour takes
root and becomes part of
your staff's culture.
• Say ‘no’. When the
staff member asks for
something that is a
discretionary reward then
say no. If they haven’t
earnt the privilege and are
coming to you knowing
you will back down then
saying ‘no’ sends the
powerful message that
you’re a strong leader.
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
> BY SENGA ALLEN
Managing Director, Everest – All about people TM
www.everestpeople.co.nz
Leading means setting
the example you want to see
in others. There's no fear in
that, is there? It's easy to talk
yourself out of doing something,
why not spend a little
extra time talking yourself
into doing something – you
might be surprised by the
results!

The “pillars” of internationalisation,
innovation
Continued on page 4
34 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
Exceptional
service is
everything
Service is at a premium these days – Have
you tried ringing anyone lately? Chances
are you’ll get a series of automated
messages that run on and on; then told
the queue is too long and you’ll need to
ring back later; and finally, you’ll need to go
online for assistance.
If you are lucky enough to
speak to someone, there
is a high chance that due
to everyone working from
home, you are not able to get
the assistance you need at that
time. This is utterly frustrating.
Time is money and businesses
need to respect the time
that belongs to customers, or
they’ll become ex-customers!
Don’t under-estimate the
power of personal connection,
relationships and how the concept
of “preferred providers”
works. It has never been easier
to create a point of difference
by having someone who
is helpful and knowledgeable
answering the phone!
Instead of funnelling dollars
into advertising, businesses
should move some of
this budget across to increasing
resources in the customer
service area – having great
people answering the phone,
meeting and greeting custom-
ers, and following up on queries
and complaints in a timely
manner.
When a business delivers
exceptional service, it
overrides other factors such
as price. People’s lives have
become very busy, and this
leads to being ‘time strapped’.
There is an opinion that people
who are time strapped are
often less focussed on cost -
instead they focus on service
and solutions.
Of course, some businesses
are right up there on the excellence
ladder and WOW what
a delight it is to do business
with them. They:
• Answer the phone and
return calls
• Look genuinely pleased to
see their customers
• Retain their staff, building
up a great knowledge base
• Promote a friendly and
can-do culture within their
team
• Provide clear timeframes
for delivery of product or
services
• Know what stock they
have and happy to source
other product on request
• Provide easy parking
instead of using the carparks
themselves!
• Ring and advise as soon
as the order is ready for
pickup
• Provide after sales service
(including replacing faulty
goods as appropriate)
If your staff are working
from home, then seriously
consider how they can remain
connected with customers.
Your interface needs to be
seamless, and customers
should be oblivious to where
your staff are working. Too
often I am hearing “sorry,
they are working from home,
and I can’t get hold of them”
as an excuse for poor service.
It is easy for businesses to fall
THE BUSINESS EDGE
> BY BRENDA WILLIAMSON
Brenda Williamson runs business advisory service
Brenda Williamson and Associates www.bwa.net.nz
into the trap of not only wasting
customers’ valuable time
but their own time by going
round and round in circles
and double handling problems.
What a great way to start
the new year by having a
renewed focus on customer
service. For those businesses
who are doing an exceptional
job, I salute you!
Waikato
AgriBusiness News
Book your
spot in
our next
issue
Fieldays
a focus for
international
trade
Delegations from nearly 20 countries are
coming to June’s National Agricultural
Fieldays as the Southern Hemisphere’s
largest agricultural event underlines its
reputation as an essential tool in the
country’s trade relationships.
T
By GEOFF TAYLOR
he 49th Fieldays at
Mystery Creek is gearing
up to be another
massive event following on
from last year when despite
very tough economic conditions
for dairying, Fieldays
attracted its second highest
attendance ever.
Many of the 1100 exhibitors
have begun the often significant
job of erecting sites and
New Zealand National Fieldays
Society chief executive Peter
Nation says staff have inducted
more than 7000 tradespeople
to work on the 114 hectare
property. Meanwhile volunteer
numbers have been expanded
this year to nearly 300 for the
June 14 event.
Fieldays’ theme this year
is “Leading Change” and one
AgriBusiness News
Waikato
JUNE 2021 WWW.WBN.CO.NZ FACEBOOK.COM/WAIKATOBUSINESSNEWS
Stage set for
M A Y 2 0 1 7 W W W . W B N . C O . N Z F A C E B O O K . C O M / W A I K AT O B U S I N E S S N E W S
bumper
Fieldays
After a year’s absence, Fieldays is roaring
back as big as ever in 2021, further
enhanced by its online offering with
Fieldays TV streaming around the world.
C
hief executive Peter
Nation, speaking four
weeks before the June
16 opening, said exhibitors are
suggesting this year could be
“a purler” as social media buzz
indicates high visitor interest.
With exhibitors continuing
to place high value on the
four-day physical event, spaces
were almost fully booked out
and Nation didn’t discount
having a record year.
Nation said the feedback
they are getting through social
media and other channels is
that it will be well attended.
“A lot of people are
really missing it and looking
forward to coming.
“A lot of our exhibitors are
saying we could be in for a
purler this year.”
All that despite not having a
full 12 months to prepare, after
having to cancel last year’s
event because of Covid and
then get back up to speed in the
aftermath.
“This just isn't an average
Fieldays, we've had challenges
coming at us all ways,”
Nation said.
Continued on page 3
vital element of that is leveraging
off Fieldays’ international
United Kingdom delegation
which has extra significance
in the post-Brexit era, while
the many other delegations
include teams from Mexican
and Vietnam.
“Meanwhile China is bringing
out two or three large trade
missions and the Koreans are
putting two entries into the
Innovation Centre.”
“Trade missions are looking
at either distribution in or distribution
out so the platform of
Fieldays enables willing buyers
and sellers to come together
and form trade relationships.
That is why we have the
International Business Centre.”
The theme “Leading
Change” relates to Fieldays’
two underling goals which are
growing agriculture through
innovation, internationalisation
and education and bringing
town and country closer
together.
representation, says Peter.
Four weeks out from the event, Fieldays chief executive
Peter Nation can look down on a site where the build is well underway.
“We have nearly 20 countries
coming to exhibit or
visit.”
and education are represented
at the event through the
He says this includes a
Call the team
on 07 838 1333 or email
info@wbn.co.nz
Peter Nation.

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2022
35
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“Flexibility, professionalism,
understanding – these are
Fosters strengths.”
Todd Charteris, Rabobank New Zealand Chief Executive, Hamilton
Fosters are proud to welcome Rabobank to
Hamilton, the banking institution (former head
office based in Wellington) being one of the
first tenants in the new Union Square precinct.
Rabobank Centre – the new head office –
occupies two floors in Ebbett House.
Rabobank New Zealand Chief Executive Todd
Charteris says Hamilton was a natural fit for
the specialist food and agribusiness bank. So,
too, was Union Square; the unique experiential
workplace being strategically designed to attract
business executives and help build Hamilton’s
CBD into a thriving business hub.
“Add to this Fosters willingness to understand
the needs of our business,” says Todd. “And it’s
easy to understand why we chose to work with
them.
“Our first requirement was having flexibility for
our staff to relocate in line with the school year.
Fosters immediately offered temporary office
space for us, and that was the icing on the cake.
“We talked through what was important for the
office design. One requirement was an internal
stairwell to link the business across two levels.
That was easily accommodated.
“We were very particular about the fit out,
wanting to create a bespoke office space
referencing our rural connections. A standout
issue, we thought, would be getting woollen
carpet rolls (3.6 metres wide) into the space.
Fosters simply left a windowpane out, craned it
in, and we achieved ‘the impossible’.
“Working with Fosters you come to appreciate
their ability to manage different stakeholders
in a calm and consultative way, no matter
the situation” continues Todd. “Flexibility,
professionalism, understanding – these are
Fosters strengths. Their commitment to building
strong networks across the business community
also stands out. We quickly came to realise that
Fosters would help us build a comprehensive
network in the Waikato.
For Todd, Union Square looks to be a fantastic
place. “We have a fabulous office in a very cool
building; it far exceeds our initial concept. Once
the precinct is finished, I believe Fosters will
achieve their vision for that thriving business
hub.”
FOSTERS.CO.NZ . 07 849 3849