Waikato Business News November/December 2022

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
VOLUME 30
ISSUE 11
READ ONLINE AT
http://www.wbn.co.nz
/WaikatoBusinessNews
The Waikato region’s voice of local business
POU MARK WELLNESS CENTRE
Pou carved by five tohunga whakairo will mark Te Kōhao
Health’s soon-to-be-built $15M wellness and diagnostic centre
in Enderley.
CELF CELEBRATES LEADERSHIP
Transformational programme Community and Enterprise
Leadership Foundation adds another 18 graduates to the
growing CELF Alumni.
YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS’ SUCCESS
Waikato secondary school students took home top honours
at the Waikato-King Country Lion Foundation Young Enterprise
Scheme Awards.
Business Awards
live again,
at last
Celebrating
great success,
resilience and
positivity
A veritable who’s who of Waikato
celebrated the winners of the annual
Waikato Chamber of Commerce
Business Awards, supported by Foster
Construction Group, at a glittering sellout
gala dinner at Claudelands Arena.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

2
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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
SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008
ALTOGETHER BETTER
Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services

Profile Group was the
crowned the overall
champion, taking
out the Foster Construction
Group 2022 Supreme Award,
along with the Business
Growth and Service Excellence
awards.
Chamber chief executive
Don Good said Profile Group
represents a family of powerhouse
businesses that form
New Zealand’s only integrated
supply chain for aluminium
window and door
solutions.
“Profile Group is on a
journey to redesign how
they do business, how they
manufacture even more efficiently,
how they reimagine
and repurpose waste streams,
regenerate the natural world
around us and enable their
people to realise their full
potential across all facets of
the businesses.
“Their success is driven by
an excellence of service ethos.
Their structures, processes,
and more importantly – people
– set the standard for service
excellence both nationally
and internationally.”
Judges said, “Profile
Group are world class role
models around future vision,
long-term strategy, innovation
and product design,
operational execution, ongoing
commitment and an ethos
of genuine care for the people,
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 3
Business Awards live again, at last
Celebrating great success, resilience
and positivity
Back Cover (Side A)
community, Aotearoa and the
environment.”
MilktechNZ’s Gustavo
Garza was named CEO of the
Year. MilktechNZ is a leader
in designing electronic milking
cup removers with futureproof
technology and accessories
for herringbone and
rotary cow sheds.
MilktechNZ also took out
Vertex Engineers Ltd
+64 7 849 1638 | info@vertex.co.nz | vertex.co.nz
2 Barnett Place, Te Rapa Park, Hamilton
the Innovation Award.
Judges said about Gustavo,
“His entrepreneurial
spirit, energy and passion for
the business he has created,
and the way he spoke of the
team who have joined him on
his journey, was inspiring.
“Gustavo sets aspirational
goals for his business
as well as high standards
for himself and his team,
including around values and
behaviours.
“He shows a warmth and
care toward his team that is
genuine, and a satisfaction in
progressing and enabling others
that is humbling.”
Aware Group’s Jo Mickleson
was named Emerging
Leader of the Year. Aware
Group is a globally recognised
leader in emerging technologies.
It provides a range of
innovative solutions and services
that focus on artificial
intelligence, big data and
Internet of Things.
Judges said about Jo, “Her
focus on keeping people at
the core of all decisions and
actions is one of the primary
leadership traits her team
greatly respect. “Jo has gone
above and beyond in building
the capabilities of the senior
leadership team with steady
improvements being implemented
that have developed
empathy, business acumen
and broader leadership skillset
in the team.”
Don Good said the quality
of the four Emerging Leader
finalists was exceptionally
high with Jo Mickelson competing
against managing
director / founder of (AGP)
Architectural Glass Products
David Bunting, Young New
Zealander of the Year and
Nau Mai Rā founder Ezra
Hirawani, and Chiefs Rugby
general manager commercial
Kate Rawnsley.
Good said it was great to be
back to the full complement
of 600 people at Claudelands.
“The calibre of entries this
year shows the resilience and
positivity of Waikato businesses
as they emerge from
the impacts of Covid.
“It was wonderful to have
finalists and winners from
all over Waikato. And while
international headwinds
remain strong, Waikato is
in a good place with strong
foundations.
“The region is booming.
You can see wherever you
go that Waikato is establishing
itself as New Zealand’s
economic powerhouse behind
Auckland.
“Benefiting from its
proximity to Auckland, its
strong farming foundation,
its booming tech industry,
strong construction sector,
superb educational entities,
its highly efficient and
well-located logistics industry
and the major work being
undertaken in sustainability
are making the region a stunning
and positive place to
live, work and play.”
Wishing you a safe and happy
holiday season
Our offices will be closed from 23 December 2022,
reopening on 9 January 2023.
+64 7 849 1638
info@vertex.co.nz
vertex.co.nz

4 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
EarthDiverse enriching
lives through learning
A relative newcomer on the block,
EarthDiverse came up trumps at the
2022 Hamilton CBD business awards in
the Public Good category.
An adult and community
education provider
and not-for-profit
social enterprise, EarthDiverse
offer a wide range of diversity
education courses in both the
social and natural sciences.
The brainchild of long time
educators Todd Nachowitz
and Nona Morris, their overarching
goal is to provide programmes
designed to broaden
worldviews, which in turn
will mitigate racism, discrimination
and environmental
degradation, and very importantly,
to promote the joys of
following an interest, learning
new things, sharing ideas,
and engaging in meaningful
discussions.
“The idea behind EarthDiverse
is to provide community-based
diversity education
in both the cultural diversity
space and in environmental
diversity. We look at it in terms
of a two-way street so we can
do community education for
the community, but we also
encourage education by the
community,” Nona says.
Now based in Anglesea
Street, like many not-for-profits
EarthDiverse started life
at the couple’s home, moving
around various temporary
locations before settling in the
CBD.
“It was our growth that precipitated
the move. In the last
place we only had two classrooms
and we've grown so
much in the last year that we've
now got six different classrooms
and we have a number
of teachers that are zooming
from their own spaces as well,”
Todd says.
They currently offer over
150 different courses in the
broad categories of language,
culture and nature on a rotating
basis, with new courses
introduced each term.
Courses are open, affordable
and accessible to anyone,
anywhere and they welcome
learners and qualified instructors
from around the globe.
“One of the silver linings
that has come out of the pandemic
is that people are much
more familiar now with using
modern technologies than they
were three years ago. We were
already providing access for
Zoom audiences before Covid
hit, so we were well poised to
continue our courses without
interruption during the lockdowns.
After the lockdowns,
we picked up on that wave of
people saying, ‘you know - it's
a cold, wet, rainy winter night.
I don't feel like going out. I’ll
just log in from the comfort of
my home with a cup of tea and
listen to a great lecture,’” Todd
says.
With learning for the joy
of learning at the forefront of
how the courses are designed,
there are no assignments or
assessments, just a 1.5 hour
class each week that can be
attended in person (depending
on the tutor), online at the time
of the class, or via a recording
of the class if they are unable to
attend at the scheduled course
time.
There are no criteria for
enrolment, so regardless of
prior learning, age or any other
barrier to a pathway to learning,
an EarthDiverse course is
open to all.
“What's unique about what
we're offering is accessibility,
affordability, and learning
without the pressures of
a formal school system. Yes,
you can go to a university and
enrol in papers that discuss
diversity and yes, there are
some great programmes in
the social sciences and in the
languages, but, to access these
courses, you have to apply to
get accepted, pay the university
fees, do the hard work
- assignments, exams, tutorials
- in order to walk out with
the knowledge. What we are
saying is this content should
be accessible to anybody that
wants it. Both of us felt, from
our teaching years, it shouldn’t
be so stressful to learn about
something that interests you.
You should be able to say, ‘I
want to learn this language,’
and, for a low cost and no
assessment pressures, be able
to access the knowledge you
want in a stress-free environment,”
Nona says.
Developing new courses
means two things: listening
to what tutors have to offer in
the subjects that they are passionate
about, and listening to
what the community wants and
finding someone passionate to
teach those particular topics.
While many of the lecturers
are seasoned teachers, Nona
guides and mentors some of
the very knowledgeable individuals
leading the non-language
courses, who perhaps
are less experienced in teaching,
to develop courses that are
Renee delivers 20 years
with Aramex
For more than two
decades, Renee Bennett
has played an integral
part in delivering for Aramex
customers.
First joining the business
when it was still Fastway Couriers
in 1999, Renee found a
passion for the courier industry
and the logistics of moving
freight.
Promoted several times for
an outstanding work ethic and
can-do attitude, Renee made
an essential contribution to the
Aramex Covid response efforts.
Now as head of operations
for Aramex Waikato, Renee is
a highly valued member of the
team, recognised for more than
20 years of dedicated service.
“I have loved every step of
my journey at Aramex,” Renee
says. “While there were times
that were challenging, especially
through the Covid-19
pandemic, I really enjoy my
job and my team plays a huge
part in that.”
Fastway Couriers, one of
New Zealand's oldest courier
businesses, adopted the brand
name of its international parent
company Aramex in 2019.
Established in Hawke's Bay
in 1983 by Bill McGowan, Fastway
Couriers New Zealand has
18 regional franchisees with
more than 250 courier franchisees
from the Far North
District to Bluff in the South
Island.
Aramex, a Dubai-based
logistics group, which has
a presence in 72 countries,
transporting nearly 70 million
parcels globally each year,
bought Fastway Couriers New
Renee Bennett
Pepa Torre, Todd Nachowitz, Nona Morris and Eva Bernabe-Bernardo
sometimes quirky but always
interesting. This includes all of
the junior lecturers who are in
their teens and early 20s,
Courses are
open, affordable
and accessible to
anyone
“We have a 20 year old
junior lecturer, Michael Burton
Smith, who loves history
and birds equally. Together,
we created a course called ‘The
Social History of Birds’, looking
at how humans and birds
have interacted over time, in a
number of different contexts.
Then he came up with the
idea for another course called
‘The Birds of World War I’ in
which he veered away from
what happened to the humans
in wartime, and instead asked
what happened to the birds
on the Western Front? It was
a absolutely fascinating exploration
of the impacts of war on
nature,” Nona says.
The same process of
instructor mentoring happens
with the language courses.
Language director Cristina
Schumacher individually
works with the newest language
instructors to use a distinctive
intuitive grammar curriculum
that she has developed, which
emphasises understanding the
patterns in the language rather
than on rote learning.
In the corporate space,
EarthDiverse offers tailor-made
professional development
in cultural diversity for
business.
“Next month we have a
professional development programme
that caters to businesses
called ‘Doing Business
in China’. And as we move into
next year, we'll be doing a variety
of other ‘doing business’
workshops. But we also cater to
and have done quite a number
of professional development
seminars for individual organisations,
groups, businesses,
associations, who want multicultural
training in any of a
wide variety of subjects,” Todd
says.
With many businesses
staffed by people from different
ethnicities these days,
EarthDiverse can also design
programmes to help breach the
Our team
DESIGNER
Warren Gilbertson
studio@dpmedia.co.nz
DESIGNER
Ellie Neben
ellie@dpmedia.co.nz
EDITORIAL
Janine Jackson
editor@dpmedia.co.nz
ADVERTISING
MANAGER
Joanne Poole
Ph: (07) 838 1333
Mob: (021) 507 991
joanne@dpmedia.co.nz
gaps in understanding.
“We have the academic
resources and the access to
such an incredible range of
teachers. We can design anything
from language workshops
to cultural, historical
and religious diversity courses
to ecology seminars,” Nona
says.
While EarthDiverse sits in
a unique educational space,
Nona says, they are not replicating
what is already on offer
in New Zealand.
“We're not going to compete
for other people's students.
Our goal is to fill the needs that
exist. For example, we partner
with the Talents of the Pacific
Academy (TOPA) . They teach
multiple Pacific language and
cultural classes across Polynesia,
Melanesia and Micronesia,
with an emphasis on gafa
(whakapapa), song, dance and
history. We promote them,
because people need to have
access to their knowledge
and skills. We want to build
this kind of collaborative way
of thinking about education
because ultimately, it benefits
all of our futures.”
To find out more
about EarthDiverse visit
earthdiverse.org.nz.
PUBLISHER
Deidre Morris
Ph: (07) 838 1333
Mob: 027 228 8442
deidre@dpmedia.co.nz
STUDIO
Copy/Proofs:
studio@dpmedia.co.nz
SUBSCRIPTIONS
accounts@dpmedia.co.nz
2/1 Riro Street, Hamilton
Ph: (07) 838 1333
www.wbn.co.nz
-
www.dpmedia.co.nz

MilkTechNZ wins Company-X Innovation Award
The Waikato’s technology sector is in growth mode and
emerging agri-tech MilkTechNZ just proved it.
INNOVATIVE: MilkTechNZ chief executive Gustavo Garza, left, receives the Company-X
Innovation Award from Company-X co-founder and director Jeremy Hughes. Photo: Barker Photography
MilkTechNZ in Te Rapa,
Hamilton, invented
wireless milking shed
cup removers in the last year,
earning it a double whammy
at the Waikato Chamber of
Commerce Business Awards on
Virtual reality health and safety training
experience wows roadshow
WorkSafe impresses health and safety
professionals with Company-X VR training aid.
Health and safety
professionals attending
a WorkSafe roadshow
had a virtual reality welding fume
risk management experience
courtesy of Company-X.
“It’s really good,” said PPL
Plastic Solutions Health, Safety,
Environment and Quality
Coordinator Jackie Uy.
Uy donned a Meta Quest 2
Headset to try out the interactive
VR risk identificiation
experience at the Worksafe
Carcinogens and Airborne
Risks roadshow in Hamilton in
September.
“It’s very simple and
effective,” she said. “It is a really
good training aid. It is absolutely
November 4.
MilkTechNZ chief executive
Gustavo Garza was presented
with the Chief Executive of the
Year Award after receiving the
Company-X Innovation Award
from Company-X co-founder
going to be a good training tool.”
Uy’s only previous VR
experience was driving a virtual
forklift truck.
Company-X senior
consultant Lance Bauerfeind
said the tool was a unique
creation.
“We really did not know what
we wanted at the start. We knew
we wanted a VR experience, but
we had not come across one, so
we had nothing really to do it
on.”
As the discussions
progressed the requirements
became clear and developer
Sebastian Dusterwald was
involved.
Company-X built the VR
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 5
and director Jeremy Hughes.
“It is great to see MilkTechNZ
win the Company-X Innovation
Award with a digital technology
innovation,” Hughes said.
MilkTechNZ’s CR-1 Electronic
Milking Cup Removers
welding experience for a Meta
Quest 2 headset using the Unity
game engine.
“We wanted to include
learnings on risk identification
and understanding that every
situation has multiple highand
low-level controls. So, we
are hoping to use it for internal
training and engagement for
our new inspectors who may
not have much experience with
welding fumes.”
“The biggest challenge was
getting the interactions right,”
Dusterwald said. “Making them
feel intuitive to users with no
prior VR experience. Little
things, like turning buttons into
objects in the VR world that
the user could press with their
hands, just like they would in the
real world made a big impact.”
There was also some
can be fully customised and
programmed from any Wi-Fi
enabled device and include a
built-in diagnostic system that
alerts dairy farmers to any issues
that arise during the milking
cycle.
"Digital technology innovation
is the area that Company-X
works in and MilkTechNZ’s
innovation and export success is
another strong affirmation that
New Zealand has the capacity
to produce world leading digital
technology,” Hughes said.
“It’s great to see more innovation
companies basing themselves
here in the Mighty
Waikato,” said Company-X
co-founder and director David
Hallett.
"The Waikato technology
sector's contribution to gross
domestic product (GDP) is
around $1.1 billion and climbing.
New, innovative, companies like
MilkTechNZ show this will continue
to grow as they bring new
innovations to market."
Cultivate Trust chair Erin
Wansbrough said it was great
to see an emerging Hamilton
agri-tech company take out
such a prestigious award for an
challenge in getting this complex
environment working within
the limits of the Meta Quest2
headset. Careful consideration
went into the environment
design, and what graphical
features to use to maintain a
smooth experience for users.
A few ideas were dropped to
keep on time and within budget
but the end solution provided
WorkSafe with a brief yet
comprehensive demonstration
tool with which to engage with
health and safety people across
the country.
Unity allowed Dusterwald
to get early prototype builds out
very quickly to iterate on. This is
a key requirement working with
bleeding edge virtual reality
technology when the best way to
do things is often undefined.
innovative product sold here and
overseas.
“The fact that MilkTechNZ
was able to conceive and deliver
an award-winning product
during such a disruptive time
shows how resilient the tech sector
is, particularly here in the
Waikato,” Wansbrough said.
“The future is bright.”
The trust recently launched
the Tech in the Tron initiative
to attract 500 skilled workers
and their families to the Waikato
from within New Zealand and
overseas to grow the region's
technology sector.
Waikato Chamber of Commerce
Business Awards Chief
Executive of the Year judges were
inspired by Garza's entrepreneurial
spirit, energy, and passion
for his business.
“Gustavo sets aspirational
goals and high standards. He
shows a warmth and care toward
his team that is genuine, and a
satisfaction in progressing and
enabling others that is humbling,"
the judges said.
“That was insane, it was not
expected,” Garza said of the Chief
Executive of the Year Award.
Although he had his heart
set on his company, founded in
2018, winning the Company-X
Innovation Award.
“Innovation is the DNA of the
company,” he said. “The reason
we have been so successful is that
we are doing something completely
different.”
The Company-X Innovation
Award judges said Garza and
the MilkTechNZ team had taken
deep industry knowledge and
built a business that provided
innovative solutions to meet the
market.
“These solutions were delivered
with rapid succession over
the past 12 months through a
challenging economic backdrop,”
the judges said. “Despite
this MilkTechNZ managed to
drive exceptional growth rates,
their process of developing products
that are scalable, while also
continuing to grow is to be recognized
and commended.”
The judges said they looked
forward to watching MilkTechNZ
continue to evolve and grow.
Previous winners of the
Company-X Innovation Award
include Yardmaster Effluent
Pumps, Montana Group, and the
Spring Sheep Milk Co.
IMPRESSIVE: Jackie Uy tries the WorkSafe VR welding
experience at the WorkSafe roadshow in Hamilton
Navigate the
digital landscape
with us

6 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
Purchasing a Business:
Due Diligence Considerations
New Zealand is a country that has embraced the
entrepreneurial spirit, and this is evident in the numerous
successful Kiwi businesses operating on the world stage.
Jack Sullivan, Senior Solicitor at DTI Lawyers
Embarking in business is
exciting, but the process
of getting there can be
stressful and potentially risky
if you are not well-informed
and do not understand what is
required.
There are many important
matters to consider if you
are thinking of purchasing a
business. Your lawyer should
play a large part in the process,
advising you throughout. Their
knowledge and experience in
this area is abundant, and they
know how to foresee and deal
with problems, assist with due
diligence, and help coordinate
any finance required.
Regardless of the type of
business you are looking to
buy, your lawyer’s job is to
protect you against risk, and to
assist you in making informed
decisions while minimising
stress. Your lawyer needs to be
one of the first professionals
you contact to provide initial
guidance on the process.
This article summarises
some important considerations
that may be relevant to the
business you are looking
at purchasing. Please note
that this article does not
provide an exhaustive list of
considerations, and it is also
important to consult with a
number of other professionals
to provide guidance throughout
the purchase process.
Some important due
diligence considerations when
purchasing a business include:
• Assessing business records,
accounts receivable and
payable etc., to determine
what income the business
has generated in the past.
• Determining the ownership
structure of the business
(for example, will you
own the business as a
limited liability company,
trading trust, sole trader,
partnership).
• Assessing the age,
condition, and functionality
of the plant, equipment,
and stock included in the
purchase.
• Assessing any commercial
risks to the business,
including competitors,
suppliers and customer
contracts and relationships,
products, services, and
markets.
• Determining whether any
rezoning or redevelopment
is planned in the area where
the business is located.
• Assessing litigation and
insurance risks, and any
risks to the reputation and
goodwill of the business.
• Assessing the legal
framework of the business,
including regulatory
approvals and licences (for
example, many businesses
require certain licences or
approvals and can only be
operated by people with
certain qualifications).
• Determining the ability of
the vendor to comply with
pre-settlement and postsettlement
obligations.
• Assessing staff
relationships, staff
performance, compliance
by staff and the vendor
with respect to legal and
contractual obligations.
It is very important to
complete thorough due
diligence and consult with
your professional advisors
prior to entering into an
unconditional agreement to
purchase a business. DTI can
provide advice on the proposed
ownership structure for the
business and recommend other
professionals with appropriate
expertise to provide you with
advice on matters such as
tax and finance (for example,
accountants, finance brokers,
insurance brokers, banks).
As lawyers, we can review
or prepare the documentation
required including the
agreement for sale and
purchase of business, lease
documents, employment
agreements, franchise
agreements (if relevant), and
terms of trade.
At DTI, we have a team of
specialist lawyers commercial
and employment lawyers
available to assist you with your
business purchase. Contact us
at reception@dtilawyers.co.nz.
LEVEL 1, 131 VICTORIA STREET
120 SQM PRIME COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITY
IN THE HEART OF HAMILTON’S HOSPITALITY
For Lease
Directly opposite the new Waikato Regional Theatre
development, this newly renovated, character filled
commercial property is surrounded by award winning
hospitality with spectacular views over the south end of
Victoria Street. Close to excellent parking options and the
Waikato Museum – Te Whare Taonga O Waikato.
This impressive vacancy is a blank canvas for a new tenant
wanting to locate amongst the action of Hamilton’s nightlife
and zoned for City Centre under the Hamilton City Council
Operative Plan. 120 sqm of office space with a small
kitchenette area located at the rear of the building. This
property is available now.
MIKE NEALE
027 451 5133
mike.neale@naiharcourts.co.nz
RA PIRIPI
021 838 887
ra.piripi@naiharcourts.co.nz
MONARCH COMMERCIAL LTD MREINZ
LICENSED REAL ESTATE AGENT (REAA 2008)
Cnr Victoria & London Streets, Hamilton 07 850 5252
Further Information Available - Enquire now

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 7
ICONS
NEVER REST
THE ALL-NEW, ALL-HYBRID RX RANGE. ARRIVING
The 2023 RX continues to raise the bar with an all-hybrid range.
The RX 500h F SPORT Performance combines a new advanced 2.4-litre
turbocharged hybrid powertrain, six-speed automatic transmission and DIRECT4 allwheel
drive system with a driver-focused Tazuna interior.
While the RX 350h brings unparalleled efficiency, refined comfort, and nimble
handling for an amazing experience.
Register your interest today.
07 9741778 | lexusofhamilton.co.nz | 5 Kahu Crescent, Te Rapa Park, Hamilton

8 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
Eye-catching ‘Pā’ Perimeter of Pou
Marks Start of $15M Build
No ordinary fence will wrap around a soonto-be-built
$15M wellness and diagnostic
centre in Enderley (Papanui Hamilton).
A
team of five industrious
carvers from
Te Kōhao Health have
custom made 28 pou to stand
tall marking out the Tennyson
Road construction site ahead
of bulk earthworks officially
starting.
Kaumatua and board
member, Koroneihana Cooper
with Archbishop Emeritus,
Tā David Moxon blessed and
named the Pou in accordance
with tikanga.
“In March we had the turning
of the sod with Minister
Mahuta and the Mayor – now
our Pou will stand all along
the perimeter of the security
fence,” Lady Tureiti Moxon,
Te Kōhao Health managing
director says.
The kaupapa of having the
pou is so everyone visiting
knows that this is a community
project.
“It’s not Te Kōhao Health’s
project, it’s the Enderley community’s
project,” Moxon
says. “This is about living our
tino rangatiratanga through
strong, healthy, vibrant and
prosperous whānau.”
Head carver Rei Mihaere,
Pene Campbell, Steve Rankin,
Wiremu Tonga, Ammon
Tarawhiti and Hakopa Parker
started carving back in September
at Te Whare Maui in
their dedicated carving studio.
Mihaere says the idea for
Artist Impression
the quantum of pou that range
in size from 2.4metres and
3metres at ground level came
from the intention to bring the
site back to a te ao Māori view.
“We thought we’d take a
different approach from a typical
construction fence. When
you get here and see all the
This is about
living our tino
rangatiratanga
through strong,
healthy, vibrant
and prosperous
whānau
says.
The wellness and diagnostic
centre aims to reduce
inequality, offer Whānau Ora,
mental health and addictions
support to health services.
Key partners in the build
include: Kirikiriroa Marae,
Pacific Radiology, Chibnall
Buckell Team Architects, ECS
Group surveyors, Condair
Air Conditioning and Fiesst
Electrical.
“No government funding
has been received to date
however we would like that.
We have been very blessed
to have the wonderful support
of philanthropic trusts
including The Bryant Trust
that very generously granted
of $1M, Trust Waikato that
granted $2M and the Lottery
Significant Fund that granted
$5,651,821.00,” Lady Tureiti
says.
The development secured
building and resource management
consent and will be
completed by Christmas 2023.
pou lined up, it reminds you of
a pā site,” he says.
“The majority of the neighbourhood
here are whānau
Māori, so we hope that they
feel included. Many have
been asking questions about
what’s happening and saying
‘awesome’.”
Moxon shares the same
view about the project belonging
to community.
“Everything here will be
for our community and we’re
working with Kāinga Ora,
the community centre and
whānau that live here,” she
Fastlane Fitness heart of the city gym
Don’t look further than Fastlane Fitness
to take care of all your health and fitness
needs. A big gym with a big heart,
Fastlane Fitness is an award-winning
facility located in Hamilton central.
The family owned and
run facility houses
some of New Zealand’s
leading brands in fitness equipment
including a crossfit rig, a
30-metre lunge track, a separate
strength area, air-conditioning,
a pool and a café and
some great motivating trainers,
all designed to ensure a safe
and welcoming environment.
For group fitness fans there
are three separate studios
for boxing, stretch, HIIT and
crank, Yoga, Pilates, Barre and
cycling classes.
Fastlane Fitness is the
only gym in Hamilton with a
purpose-built 25m pool with 10
lanes of crystal clear water for
training, swimming lessons and
rehabilitation.
The pool is designed to eliminate
surge and waves that slow
swimmers down, with air cushioning
systems that soften the
impact when diving into the
pool and provide a clearer line
of sight.
Fastlane also run a swim
school for school aged children
and adults. They are passionate
about every aspect of swimming
and safe activity in water. The
team provide a fun and enjoyable
learning environment for
swimmers to build their confidence
and develop lifelong
water skills.
Lessons run Monday
through to Saturday offering
both group and private lessons.
Owner Susie Vincent says
they wanted to create a facility
that was so much more than
just a gym.
“We know that people looking
for a gym have a variety of
wellbeing and health needs and
goals. We believe that there is
something for everyone at Fastlane
no matter what their level
of fitness is.”
Catering to all budgets, Fastlane
have a variety of membership
options; from separate
gym and swim plans to combo
gym and swim and concession
entry for a variety of classes.
They can also tailor corporate
packages for businesses
wanting to offer membership to
their staff.
“We enjoy working alongside
local businesses to support
their employees’ positive health
and wellbeing experiences, we
can tailor packages to suit different
needs. This has been
proven to increase productivity,
and staff retention amongst
many other benefits," Susie
says.
Fastlane’s very own café
Feedzone has a variety of balanced
dining options including
salads, wraps, slices and gourmet
sandwiches. They also provide
healthy lunches to several
local schools.
Kickstart your day with a
freshly brewed Mojo coffee or
try out some of the best protein
shakes and smoothies in town.
“Feedzone also caters for
corporate events providing
healthy and delicious options
for business meetings, staff celebrations,
client catch-ups and
everything in-between,” she
says.
Led by Kelly in the gym, Stevie
in the pool, Alex taking care
of customer service needs, and
Leonard and catering team in
the kitchen, the Fastlane team
are passionate about wellbeing.
“We’ve got a great team of
wellbeing educators who can
tailor the ideal programme
to suit the needs of anybody
– from absolute beginners
to gym-goers with a bit more
experience.”
Gym bunnies back in the
early 2000s might remember
the first incantation of Fastlane
when it was in an old building
on the same site and was called
Club Cardio.
Susie’s uncle, a consummate
salesman, had been inspired
to get into the gym business
after seeing a gym in action in
Auckland.
Several years later he convinced
Susie’s parent to become
shareholders.
“Neither my uncle or my
parents had been in a gym
before they bought Club Cardio,”
she laughs.
Around 2007 Susie and former
husband Shane took over
the business running it for several
years before earthquake
strengthening requirements
saw the demise of the original
building.
It was a blessing in disguise,
and plans went ahead for a purpose-built
facility on the same
site.
Built in stages, the gym was
completed in 2014 and the
pool opened the following year
on the same spot as the old
building.
There are plans to build
another Fastlane in Rototuna
with Hamilton City Council
backing in the near future.
To find out more visit www.
fastlane.kiwi.

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 9
Get connected to Electric
Vehicles – the smart way.
News
If you’re out and about on any
New Zealand road these days, and
you’ll likely see Electric Vehicles
(EVs). They’re becoming quite
commonplace on our roads,
and there’s a good chance that
we may have helped a few of
those get up and running!
That’s because as the world shifts to using
more sustainable energy sources, we’re
using our energy experience and practical
insights to help businesses make the move
to EVs – for good. Using our experience
and smart infrastructure ideas, we help put
businesses on the road to sustainability
faster, smarter and at just the right price.
Because of this We.EV has seized the
opportunity to lead the way in supporting
businesses to transition their fleets to EVs
by investigating, designing, installing and
provide an end-to-end solution to meet the
customers’ needs to minimise costs now
and into the future. Community owned,
our vision is simple; to help businesses
shape a better, more renewable future
We guide and support businesses who
want to make the shift to EVs with specific
plans and infrastructure that’s flexible, costeffective,
and can expand as your EV fleet
does. From accurate advice to on-the-ground
planning, every customer we work with has
unique needs and goals. So whether your
fleet of EVs is large or small, or you’re even
just at the early stages of thinking about
it – it pays to talk to the local experts first.
How to get started on
your EV transformation
So, you can make the change once, and
do it properly, there are a number of things
you’ll need to look at, says Craig Marshall,
Head of We.EV. He explains it should start
with good advice before you start laying
cables. “There are a lot of people out there
who are keen to help with suggestions
and hardware. But it all starts with solid
advice that simply comes from handson
experience. We’ve been working with
energy for decades. And we’ve seen cases
where clients were told to invest hundreds
of thousands of dollars, when in fact they
needed nothing of the sort for their usage.”
So, if you’re ready to make the smarter
EV infrastructure choice and you’re ready
to take your sustainability goals up a
gear – get in touch with the EV experts.
0800 800 935 | we-ev.co.nz
Driving
brighter
business
futures.
From advice and planning
to design and build, We.EV
helps businesses become
future-ready with their
Electric Vehicle charging
infrastructure. So whether
your fleet of EVs is large or
small, or you’re even just
thinking about it – it pays to
talk to the local experts first.
we-ev.co.nz

10 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
CONVERSATIONS WITH MIKE NEALE
OF NAI HARCOURTS HAMILTON
Just Received A Notice?
Earthquake-Prone Buildings
Hamilton City Council have just
issued notices to owners of buildings
deemed to be earthquake
prone (EPB Methodology), as is required by
government legislation under section 133AL
of the Building Act 2004. These notices are
required to be displayed in a prominent position
on the building.
Hamilton is currently classified as a
Medium Risk area and buildings below 34%
NBS (New Building Standard) are deemed
to be earthquake-prone. Under the Building
Act 2004 legislation, Councils around
New Zealand are required to identify earthquake-prone
buildings that fall within the
following criteria
A) Unreinforced Masonry Buildings
B) Pre-1976 buildings that are either
three or more storeys or 12 metres or greater
in height above the lowest ground level
(other than unreinforced masonry buildings
in Category A)
C) Pre-1935 buildings that are one or two
storeys (other than unreinforced masonry
buildings in Category A)
HOWEVER, if an owner has previously
provided a seismic or engineering report to
Hamilton City Council that confirms a building
is earthquake prone (below 34% NBS),
even if it does not fall within the above criteria,
then Hamilton City Council also has an
obligation to issue a notice relating it being
an Earthquake-Prone Building.
Timeframe to Remedy or Demolish
Buildings that that been identified by the
relevant authorities as Earthquake-Prone,
generally have 25 years from the date of the
notice or remedy to demolish.
HOWEVER, should it be deemed a Priority
Building, then an owner would only
have 12.5 years to remedy or demolish. A Priority
Building is defined under 133AE of the
Building Act 2004 and are buildings situated
on a Priority Route, such as those having the
potential to impede a transport route of strategic
importance (in terms of an emergency
response) if the building were to collapse
in an earthquake. This will apply to unreinforced
masonry buildings on main thoroughfares
and high pedestrian routes, along with
hospitals, emergency response services and
education facilities occupied by at least 20
people.
The onus of proof appears to lie with the
owner, as there will be buildings at 34% NBS
or marginally higher, where the relevant
local authority may seek a peer review of
the seismic report that they have been supplied
with, due to the figure potentially being
within a margin of error.
MBIE (Ministry of Building, Innovation
and Employment) now holds a register,
supplied by the local authority, of all of
Hamilton’s buildings deemed to be earthquake-prone:
epbr.building.govt.nz
There is also a very useful satellite map
which enables you to zoom in, which specifically
identifies buildings from a birds eye
view, including the address.
If one searches, it currently shows for
Hamilton (although this may increase if
more buildings are identified) the number of
such buildings within an area:
Claudelands 3
Frankton 58
Hamilton Central 51
Hamilton East 21
Hamilton Lake 9
Hillcrest 13
Te Rapa 4
We have also seen some Waikato towns
identify theirs:
Cambridge 42
Te Awamutu 20
Note: a number of other towns have not
as yet uploaded their register of earthquake-prone
buildings.
The fact that a building is deemed earthquake
prone, having a defined timeframe
to remedy or demolish, does not mean that
it must be immediately vacated and remain
so until this work is completed. There is
no legal requirement to close a building
because of a low NBS rating.
No need to vacate earthquake-prone
buildings, MBIE says
Stuff: Justin Wong, Jul 04 2022
MBIE published new seismic risk guidance
for buildings on Monday, saying earthquake-prone
structures don’t need to be
vacated. Instead, their owners should mitigate
earthquakes risks through emergency
planning and training.
MBIE’s Building Performance and Engineering
Manager Dr Dave Gittings said there
was a need to provide guidance on how to
interpret seismic assessments, and earthquakes
are low probability compared to
other risks.
He also said the NBS was not a predictor
of building failure in an earthquake, and
buildings with low NBS scores were not in
imminent danger.
Old becomes new
During the last two years members
of our practice have been fortunate
enough to make trips to Christchurch
and Dunedin, the kaupapa on each
occasion being to tour the architecture
of the city. One of the highlights for
me of both excursions was the clever
adaption and reuse of previously
neglected buildings.
In Christchurch, the
rebuild of the city has
seen the creation of
some award-winning new
architecture, but I was most
taken by the businesses that
had sprung up and created
compelling spaces in often
unassuming or simply
functional buildings. The
Welder, previously a group of
industrial warehouses used
by a welder, blacksmith and
engineer, is now an urban
oasis, home to professional
offices, boutique eateries and
food producers, a plant shop,
event space and yoga and
wellness studio, all focused
around a shared indoor
garden space. Architecture
practice Fabric has fitted out
their own former warehouse
with a surprising mix of old
oil drums, plants, a shipping
container, and the installation
of several glasshouses,
to create a space far more
inviting and cohesive than it
might sound.
More recently I read of
the example of Marian College,
which, having searched
nearly a decade for a new
home after the Christchurch
earthquakes, has found an
innovative solution by building
a new school in a former
Foodstuffs distribution
centre building. Two-storey
classroom blocks, as well as
gym and other facilities, will
be built within the existing
structure, while some parts
will be opened up to bring
in the outdoors and provide
natural light.
In Dunedin, heritage
architect Mark Mawdsley
gave a tour of the warehouse
precinct, where Dunedin
City Council, together with
enthusiastic building owners,
is working to revitalise
buildings that date to the
gold rush era when the city
was the largest and richest in
New Zealand. Concentrated
in one area, the buildings,
with a little TLC, have character
and personality that
spills over into the eateries,
bars, shops and offices that
now inhabit them, in a way
that new buildings seldom
do.
While locally we have
developers like Stark Property
providing excellent
examples of this kind of rejuvenation,
I remain hopeful
that more and more property
owners will take note of the
value to be created by investing
in existing buildings. As
well as the attractive character
of adaptive reuse and
cost-saving potential of using
an existing structure, there’s
good evidence that upgrading
environmental and
energy performance leads to
improved occupancy rates.
The initial carbon
LANDMARKS
BY PHIL MACKAY
Phil Mackay is Business
Devolpment Manger at
Hamilton-based PAUA,
Procuta Associates Urban +
Architecture
footprint is also significantly
reduced compared to a new
build. At a recent conference
architect Fiona Short of
Warren and Mahoney shared
an example of a project in
which the decision to retain
an existing concrete structure
had saved 1400 tonnes
of CO2 emissions per square
metre. In a carbon constrained
world that should
already be a consideration for
every building owner, though
it’s likely only a few years
until such carbon emissions
will carry a more tangible
cost imposed by government
or international obligations.
At a time when good staff
are more precious than ever
and encouraging teams back
to the office, at least for a
few days a week, is challenging,
creating interesting,
engaging and healthy spaces
to work seems like a sound
investment. Repurposing
an existing building offers
a cost- and carbon-effective
way to achieve this and an
opportunity to contribute
to the re-invigoration of our
city.
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

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 11
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
Tailored innovative approach
to build business leaders
Yashili paves the way for new industry leaders to learn management skills
Leadership capability is
quite often learnt on
the job. However, many
businesses are now reaping
the benefits of investing time
and resources into their people
of all levels, with the help of
Wintec, a business division of
Te Pūkenga.
Today’s
business
environment requires
resilience, adaptability and
practical skill sets around
business topics such as
communication, dealing
with change and conflict,
and strategies for developing
teams.
For four years, Wintec has
offered tailored professional
development programmes for
businesses.
Some of the epic
testimonials coming from
this space were featured in a
previous edition of Waikato
Business News. This last
article, features Yashili NZ
Dairy Co Ltd, the business
that catapulted Wintec’s
Professional Programmes’
popularity.
Tina Yakas, General
Manager People and Capability
at Yashili NZ Dairy Co Ltd,
approached Michelle Pearse,
one of Wintec’s Training
Consultants, four years ago
to see if Wintec might be able
to help create a programme
to help shape Yashili’s future
leaders.
Yakas shared that “We were
targeting an audience that
we really wanted to develop
into emerging leaders. In a
manufacturing plant you can
have a lot of senior operators
with super technical skills as
well as a great work ethic and
we wanted to get them ready
to go into a role where they
have direct reports. It’s a big
change going from working
beside someone as a co-worker
to becoming their supervisor.”
Fast forward to now and the
programme is in full swing. Not
only has Yashili made it part of
its yearly operations, but it’s
also being used by the likes of
Foster Group Waikato, Vestas
New Zealand Wind Technology
and Kalós Windows & Doors.
Yakas said the course
had been adapted along the
way, but the reason for it had
remained the same.
“Throughout my career I’ve
seen many people with great
technical skills promoted to
a supervisory or managers
role without having developed
any people management
or managerial skills. That’s
where this course comes
in. It really develops those
people management skills.
The learnings are practical
and easily applied to day-today
work, thanks to the course
we’ve created with Wintec.
“I wanted our staff to be
confident in managing change,
coaching and developing
their people, and be sure of
themselves in situations of
conflict.”
She said the whole
programme was designed
around giving people the
confidence to be able to manage
others, and still be work
friends with them. It was about
giving them the tools to be able
to gain respect and to be able to
have any conversations, tough
and easy alike, that they need
to as a manager of people who
used to be their co-workers.
Yashili call it the Emerging
Leadership Programme.
“A big part of the value in
this programme is that they get
taken away from the business
and actually get to work on
themselves.”
Yakas said the course has
helped staff learn to manage
up as well as down, which
is important for middle
management roles. She said
their course has a presentation
element where, at the end
of the programme, each
member of the cohort must
do a presentation to Yashili’s
senior management. This is a
game changer for the cohort’s
confidence.
Yashili nominate people to
go through these courses.
“The senior management
team have a talent review
meeting twice every year
where we discuss all staff
and identify performance as
well as potential. Those that
are in the top bracket for
high potential are selected to
attend the Emerging Leaders
Programme for their individual
development.
“Those who have completed
our first cohorts (way back
when we first started this) have
gone through to lead and then
to manager positions.”
She said another benefit
which they didn’t see coming
from this course was the
network they created.
“When you have six to eight
people in a cohort you are
creating your own network of
people. They will often reach
out to their colleagues and
work on issues together, which
is really amazing,” Yakas said.
Peter Huntley the senior
Professional Programmes
Facilitator who led the team
who worked with Yashili
initially on these emerging
leaders’ programmes shared
his vast experience as one
of only a few generalist HR
practitioners in the country,
and he’s kept his finger on the
pulse since.
Peter believes these Wintec
Professional Programmes
courses are just what the
industry needs and loves that
they are being facilitated by
people who have years of
experience.
“I enjoy training people,
seeing the lights go on,
and seeing them grasp the
principles and process of what
we’re talking about while in the
workshops. If people are doing
something because they’re
passionate about it, then they’ll
do it when it needs to be done,
they won’t do it just 9-5.”
Wintec in-house current
Supporting
leaders to
transition
upward, is
key to future
growth and
development.
facilitator, Delia Beuker, has
an extensive background
in people development and
communications, having
worked with a large range
of industries – from small
business to corporate
environments for over 25
years.
Delia said the Leadership
Programmes have helped so
many people to uncover their
personal strengths through
self-awareness.
“We have seen vast
improvements in confidence
and motivation from
participants. They have
demonstrated a deeper
understanding of what is
required to lead themselves
and others to higher levels of
performance. This includes
having the ability to think
on their feet and adapt to
changing situations. It has
helped people to build stronger
relationships and to become
more effective in decisionmaking,
resulting in increased
productivity within their roles.
“Supporting leaders
to transition upward, is
key to future growth and
development. We are seeing
increased capabilities
from participants, and an
improved customer-focused
collaboration with other areas
of the business too.”
Leadership training options
now available for smaller
businesses
Marty Lowry, Wintec
Training Consultant, said
companies had seen great
results when it came to
developing their people,
with a number of single day
courses and follow up courses
scheduled over a number of
months to embed the learning
in the workplace.
“Professional Programmes
is now extending this
opportunity for smaller
businesses to enrol managers,
and potential managers, into
learning options that best suits
the needs of each business.”
My Pathway to Leadership
is an open programme which
offers four different learning
suites, all of which focus
on business strategies as
well as personal growth and
development skills.
· Accelerate – the foundation
learning suite
· Elevate – the Intermediate
learning suite
· Master – the advanced
learning suite
· Recall – post programme
coaching/mentoring
“Participants will join other
like-minded organisations
to collaborate ideas and gain
valuable skills, tools, and
strategies to gain greater
learning outcomes during
these face-to-face, interactive
workshops,” Lowry said.
Right now is the perfect time
to take your business forward
into the future. To talk to our
Professional Programmes
team about your business goals
and how a tailored Leadership
Programme can work for you,
contact: Michelle Pearse:
michelle.pearse@wintec.ac.nz
or Marty Lowry: marty.lowry@
wintec.ac.nz.

12 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
Success for Young Entrepreneurs
Waikato secondary school students took
home top honours at the Waikato-King
Country Lion Foundation Young Enterprise
Scheme (YES) Awards.
Bliss Enterprises,
founded by Waikato
Diocesan School
for Girls’ students Emma
Bartram, Beth Steele and
Tessa Smyth was named the
Wintec Te Pūkenga Company
of the Year at the awards,
managed in the region by
Smart Waikato Trust.
Bliss Enterprises look to
give customers a moment of
‘bliss’ and help them to create
a more balanced lifestyle
with their healthy bliss ball
mixes. Their popular product
line nearly completely sold
out, with their last two units
donated to their local food
bank, and leftover ingredients
made into baked goods gifted
to their community. Bliss
Enterprises attended the YES
National
Finals in Wellington. Other
winners on the night were:
Foster Construction’s
Runner Up – Wheelie Tyred,
Hauraki Plains College
Waikato Chamber of
Commerce’s Excellence in
Financial Management Award
– Floti, St Peter’s Cambridge
EMA’s Excellence in Production
Award – Wheelie
Tyred, Hauraki Plains College
Waikato Pacific Business
Network’s Pasifika Enterprise
Award – Case C, Sacred Heart
Girls’ College Hamilton
Smart Waikato’s Best
Trade Fair Presence – Baking
Memories, Fraser High
School
Waikato Business News’
Excellence in Sales and Marketing
Award – Bliss Enterprises,
Waikato Diocesan
School for Girls’
Smart Waikato’s Excellence
in Sustainability Award
– Love Eco, Hauraki Plains
College
CAL Isuzu’s Excellence in
Innovation Award - Fly Away,
Sacred Heart Girls’ College
Hamilton
The University of Waikato’s
Excellence in Leadership
Award – Tina Hille-Taylor,
Fraser High School
Smart Waikato’s Sole
Wintec Te Pūkenga’s Company of the Year and
Waikato Business News’ Excellence in Sales and
Marketing – Bliss Enterprises (Waikato Diocesan
School for Girls’) presented by Martin Brock
Trader of the Year – Astro-
Soup, Paeroa College
Smart Waikato’s Commitment
to Business Award –
Reclaimed, Rototuna Senior
High School
More than 300 Year 12
and 13 students participated
in YES in 2022, setting up
and operating their own
businesses, creating, promoting
and selling a product
or service, conducting market
research, planning, budgeting,
managing risk and
turning problems into opportunities.
YES helps students
develop knowledge in operating
a small business, team
building, relationship management,
meeting procedures,
record keeping, the legal
requirements for running a
business and the process of
reporting company performance.
Its value is far-reaching,
providing students with
skills to equip them for life
after school. The YES experience
also adds depth to a
Foster Construction’s Runner Up and EMA’s Excellence
in Production recipient – Wheelie Tyred (Hauraki Plains
College) presented by Sharon Robertson
curriculum vitae when seeking
employment.
All teams at the regional
awards were standout performers
in the YES competition
throughout the year and
pitched to a panel of judges.
YES Waikato co-ordinator
Maddie Walker, of Smart
Waikato Trust, was impressed
with the creativity and resilience
of this year’s teams.
“It’s been a challenging few
years for all business in New
Zealand, and our young people
have really stepped up and
embraced these challenges.
These awards are a reflection
of the very talented young
entrepreneurs we have here
in Waikato,” Maddie says.
YES is sponsored in
the Waikato by Wintec Te
Pūkenga, Waikato Pacific
Business Network, the University
of Waikato, EMA,
Waikato Chamber of Commerce,
CAL Isuzu, Foster
Construction, and Waikato
Business News.
Battle it out for Movember
Raising money for
charity can take a more
creative approach,
Aware has designed the first
iteration of its ‘Battle Mo’
units that use AI to scan your
“Moustache”, compare it to
the style and give it a rating.
“By encouraging people to
donate and receive something
in return, we aim to encourage
a greater social participation
in the Movember Challenge,”
Aware Group CEO
Brandon Hutcheson says.
The first unit was
deployed outside renowned
Mr Pickles in Hamilton’s CBD
on the Waikato River and is
being used to scan the final
Moustaches after the close
of Movember, likely through
to Xmas.
The goal is to use this
technology to draw attention
and raise funds for Movember
by each ‘Battle Mo’
card printed with ‘Moustache’
information and competing
values. It will contribute
$5 directly to the Movember
charity to raise funding
and awareness of mental
health, suicide prevention,
prostate cancer, and testicular
cancer. These issues are
critical to men globally, but
especially in New Zealand
where we suffer from one
of the highest youth suicide
rates in the OECD.
Local sponsors in Aware
Group, ASB Bank Hamilton,
Tompkins Wake and Stark
Property have facilitated
this becoming a possibility
through their donations.
The interactive booth
uses computer vision to measure
the attributes of users’
moustaches and generates a
unique photobooth print out
styled like popular trading
cards.
The stats, names and
descriptions of the cards are
all unique and allow visitors
of the booth to compare
their Battle Mo’s in a friendly
competition.
The next goal is for
2023 to have around 50-60
of these Battle Mo units
deployed around New Zealand
encouraging a giant ‘Mo’
battle-off, allowing Movember
participants from around
the country to compete.
Procuta Associates
Urban + Architecture
Contact us 07 839 6521
www.pauaarchitects.co.nz
“
HOME.
Architecture takes you to a place you are
unlikely to arrive at on your own. It is the
ultimate opportunity to make your home or
work environment personal and purposeful.

Let’s get digital
Most businesses understand the importance of fostering
great relationships and protecting their reputation. This
is an important strategy that helps any organisation
achieve its business goals.
Good public relations
(PR) builds, maintains
and protects
your brand image through
putting your business in
front of your audience at the
right place, at the right time,
and with the right messaging.
The PR industry is undergoing
some huge changes.
The digital space is pushing
professionals into a new
space, forcing practitioners
Retrain to retain:
the importance of professional
development for staff retention
In an ever-tightening labour market, professional
development has never been more important for staff
retention. Judy Davison, Asset Recruitment’s Permanent
and Executive Recruitment Specialist, explains why now’s
the time to retrain to retain.
From professional
certifications to
management and
leadership training, upskilling
of technical skills to
teamwork and interpersonal
communication tools,
professional development
opportunities come in an array
of forms.
In recent decades, the
training and upskilling of staff
has become recognised as an
integral part of a company’s
culture, recruitment policy,
and retention strategy…
and then COVID-19 hit. As
businesses and organisations
were faced with a myriad
of challenges operating in a
pandemic-inflicted world,
investment in professional
development started to wane.
Then, came the tightening of
the labour market.
“Employers simply
cannot afford to lose staff
and are therefore needing to
to think outside the traditional
understanding of strategic
communications. The
channels we use are increasingly
becoming digitised –
resulting in the emergence of
‘digital PR’ a few short years
ago.
In many ways, however,
digital PR is simply an extension
of traditional PR. The
concept of ‘digital PR’ may
have you scratching your
look at what they can offer
employees to keep them
interested, stimulated, and
financially secure. Professional
development is an integral
part of,” explains Judy
Davison, Asset Recruitment’s
Permanent and Executive
Recruitment Specialist.
Retraining existing staff
through a variety of courses,
either online or face-to-face,
establishing an in-house
mentorship programme, and
fostering the interests of staff
wishing to extend their skillset
will be advantageous for
businesses in the long run.
But with the current
growth many businesses
are experiencing, retraining
existing staff members won’t
necessarily alleviate the
labour requirements of an
organisation.
“We support our clients in
scoping their roles and look
at how we can provide those
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 13
head, but in reality it is no
longer a distinct discipline.
It has merged with traditional
communications practices
such as media relations
and stakeholder engagement.
It allows businesses
the opportunity to connect
with its audiences in the
broadest sense, which will
improve an organisation’s
visibility and reputation.
Every organisation
should have a communications
strategy sitting alongside
its business plan, and
to ensure you will achieve
maximum impact, be sure
to include both online and
offline tactics.
Here are some good reasons
why your organisation
needs a thoughtful and strategic
digital presence:
People are searching –
be found
Building a thoughtful Google. Are you selling or
Utilising digital channels digital PR strategy that is working with business professionals
gives your business a modern true to your brand allows
over 40? Then,
platform. You can position you to connect with a specific
Google and Facebook are
yourself as a thought leader
niche of people – your likely the most important
in your field through sharing customers, your community, channels where you need to
your valuable expertise in a industry peers and even your be found.
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
Employers simply
cannot afford to
lose staff.
extra added incentives to
attract excellent candidates,”
explains Judy. “Opportunity
for and investment in ongoing
training and both personal
and professional development
is highly sought after by job
seekers. They want to feel
valued within an organisation
and seek a position where they
can grow in their role as much
as they can contribute to the
growth of their organisation.
Professional development
encourages that.”
Looking to improve your
staff retention? Speak to the
Asset Recruitment team today.
They’ve been positioning
excellence in Waikato for more
than 30 years.
range of digital ways.
And it all starts with the
question, “What is your
audience searching for?” Do
some research to find the
answer. Then, create web
stories, blogs, videos, a podcast
and other types of content
that gives your audience
what it is looking for and
leads people straight to you.
Online - accessible and
trustworthy
Being online on multiple
channels, saying the same
consistent messaging, allows
the people searching for you
to find you with ease. And
most importantly, when you
are consistent and providing
lots of useful, timely information
they want, then they
will trust you above your
competition.
Showing up online in a
consistent way allows your
business to more intimately
connect with your audience,
encouraging trust, likeability
and recommendations.
Community and
connection
staff.
We are increasingly ‘digital
creatures’ and we are getting
to know people and companies
in a virtual way. If
you haven’t thought through
how you can create multiple
touchpoints for your audiences
to get to know you,
you are missing out on an
important component of how
you build brand loyalty and
trust in our modern world.
Channels are as
important as your words
Not only is what you say
important, but the way you
package your messages and
where you put them has a
huge impact on your digital
image. This is because consumers
are searching and
researching online in a fast
manner and attention spans
are short. Again, you want
to meet them where they are
and stop them in their tracks.
And what channels you
use go back to how your target
audiences search. Are
you selling to 20-somethings?
Then, they are probably
searching questions
on Tik Tok or YouTube, not
For more than 30 years, we’ve been aligning
great For more candidates than 30 with years, great we’ve opportunities, been aligningand
‘positioning great candidates excellence’ with great throughout opportunities, Waikato. and
‘positioning excellence’ throughout Waikato.
We strive for excellence and quality in all we do. As part of
our We commitment strive for excellence to excellence, and quality we’re in focussed all we do. on As part finding of
the
our
right
commitment
fit for both
to
job-seeker
excellence,
and
we’re
employer.
focussed on finding
the right fit for both job-seeker and employer.
So, if you’re currently looking to hire or would like to
So, if you’re currently looking to hire or would like to
discuss your career opportunities, get in touch with our
discuss your career opportunities, get in touch with our
team. team.
Temporary| Permanent|Executive|Industrial
07 07 839 839 3685 | | www.assetrec.co.nz
PR AND
COMMUNICATIONS
BY HEATHER CLAYCOMB
Heather Claycomb is director
of HMC, a Hamilton-based,
award-winning public
relations agency.
So, how can you shape
up your digital PR skills to
strengthen your reputation
and relationships in 2023?
Ask yourself these critical
questions and then formulate
a plan: What do you
want to be known for? What
is your audience searching
for online? Does what
you look like on your digital
channels match what you
look like in-person?
And finally, the best thing
about growing your relationships
and reputation online,
is that you can track and
measure every action you
take to see if it’s creating
impact. Don’t forget to set
some SMART objectives and
measure, measure, measure
along the way.
Supporters Supporters of of the the Waikato Breast Cancer Research Trust Trust

14 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
Business analysis
is like photography
Tiaki – mighty local
business events sector
doing the mahi
Three greedy little pigs are amongst the helpers
assisting to make the business events sector in
the Waikato region more sustainable. True story.
Being a senior business
analyst is like
being an accomplished
photographer. You
get to see the big picture
and focus in on what really
matters.
I started working as a
business analyst in 2001,
documenting business
processes and software
through analysis of data.
I have 32 years of photography
experience and
elevated my photography
skillset to a professional
level 12 years ago.
Capturing the relevant
requirements for a software
development project
is like pointing the camera
to focus on the action of a
bird of prey approaching
its target. You treat your
interactions with wildlife
with healthy respect to get
the best results. I embrace
that same principle with my
clients.
Mother Nature gives
us two eyes, two ears, and
one mouth. To maximise
our life’s experience and to
interact well with others, we
should observe and listen
twice as much as we speak.
My observations of wildlife
confirm this. Animals only
make noise when it is necessary.
Hours of observation
of birds of prey flight
taught me to watch the
bird’s pectoral muscles and
not merely track the bird’s
TECH TALK
BY DAVE KOOKER
A business analyst at Waikato
software specialist Company-X
motion. Understanding the
bird’s pectoral muscle angle
tells me the bird’s intended
flight pattern, giving me
precious microseconds to
react and better track the
bird and, ultimately, taking
a better photograph.
The same behaviour is
applied to my clients and
how, as a business analyst,
I can ensure I understand
what they are really asking
for. Was the statement
they just made a basis for
their problem, a statement
of frustration about their
problem, a nice to have,
or something else? Understanding
the demeanour
of how the message is conveyed
to me gives a good
indication of what the client
is expecting. Business
requirements are drafted
at a level the client understands
then at a level the
developer understands.
The two versions convey
the same message.
A good wildlife photographer
projects trust. The
wild animal senses you
mean no harm and comes
closer. The same reassurance
is conveyed to the
client who feels assured
that the job that I perform
for them will be done with
due diligence and to their
satisfaction.
To maximise
our life’s
experience and
to interact well
with others, we
should observe
and listen twice
as much as we
speak
In photography I enjoy
framing the image and guiding
the viewer to see exactly
what I am trying to convey.
Several people could stand
at a waterfall and describe
it differently. When I point
my camera at the waterfall
and frame the picture
others see the same as me.
That is the power of photography.
Using that same
visual principle, I show my
clients what I have captured
from the documented
business requirements,
including illustrations. The
visual presentation provides
an excellent starting
point for the client. A visual
confirmation avoids customer
differences during
the lifecycle of the project.
It is a win-win for both the
customer and Company-X.
The pigs are part of the
sustainability programme
at the Accor Novotel and
Ibis Tainui hotels in Hamilton.
Owned by the hotels, they live
happily on a farm outside the
city and eagerly help out by
devouring food scraps.
I share this delightful story
with you for two reasons.
Firstly, it is a great practical
sustainability step by these
hotels, both major entities in the
Waikato business events sector,
to reduce food waste – and
it’s a way of keeping food out
of the landfill (food in landfills
generates greenhouse gases as it
decays).
Also, this seemingly minor
initiative truly represents what
many of us here in the Waikato
believe regenerative tourism is all
about, and that rather than having
a one-size-fits-all approach,
it’s the culmination of a number
of various sustainability initiatives,
however large or small, that
is having a positive impact on our
sector’s carbon footprint.
Businesses and individuals
across the tourism and business
events sectors are enthusiastically
embracing the Tiaki Promise,
a set of guiding principles for
the care and protection of people
and place.
They are putting their commitment
into action with initiatives
like installing solar panels
to generate electricity, eliminating
single-use plastic, recycling,
moving towards electric vehicles,
using environmentally friendly
products, including for cleaning
and garden maintenance, and
getting involved in community
projects to plant trees, trap predators
and weed-bust pest plants.
As we look back on a year that
has delivered us a mixed bag of
challenges and successes – and
look forward to a promising new
year – it’s important we celebrate
the Tiaki Promise being made by
some of the major players in our
business events sector, a sector
that continues to drive enormous
benefits for our region, both economically
and socially.
Of course, there are way too
many great initiatives to include
in this column, but the following
are some of the efforts that
have piqued our organisation’s
interest.
Along with the three little
pigs, the Novotel and Ibis Tainui
hotels are fierce about removing
as much plastic as possible.
In guest rooms the customary
small plastic bottles of toiletries
have been replaced with
larger refillable options. Single-use
plastic-encased amenities
(dental kit etc) are also now
plastic-free with eco-friendly
welcome gifts including shower
bombs and local chocolates.
Like many accommodation
providers, the hotels invite guests
to re-use their towels and linen,
rather than having them changed
daily, using the savings made to
help fund tree planting.
It’s about being plastic-free
in the restaurants too with the
little plastic containers of spreads
like butter, jams and peanut butter
replaced with jars for guests
to help themselves.
Menus hero local food products
and seasonal produce while
in the kitchens there are milk
kegs, saving the recycling of
about 90 plastic bottles a week.
The hotels also provide free
charging stations for electric
vehicles (EVs), donate products
they no longer use (towels,
sheets, etc) to charities and use
energy efficient lightbulbs.
Being sustainable is important
across Hamilton’s premier
event venues – Claudelands Conference
and Exhibition Centre
where there are honey-producing
beehives on the roof, at FMG
Stadium Waikato and Seddon
Park. All are managed by Hamilton
City Council’s H3 group.
Environmentally friendly
features were incorporated into
the design and construction of
the world-class Claudelands,
including recycling of rainwater
for toilet flushing, energy-efficient
building management
systems and the creation of an
onsite wetland for stormwater
management.
Recycling is a crucial part
of H3’s ongoing sustainability
commitment including recycling
plastic pallet wrap, as well
as e-waste (phones, computers,
and other office equipment) and
batteries.
EV charging stations are
being installed at Claudelands
while the venue’s catering partner,
Montana Food & Events,
also embraces sustainability
choosing compostable packaging
for food items and reducing food
waste.
Tiaki-minded event planners
and organisers are impressed
when they learn Montana’s
attention to reducing food waste
where leftover food that is consumable
goes to Kaivolution, the
Waikato food rescue charity supporting
needy families.
At HobbitonTM Movie Set
the commitment to sustainability
includes the continuing
restoration and protection of
this special environment that
attracts over half a million visitors
annually.
Maintaining diversity is a key
focus at this attraction which is
just as popular with business visitors
as it is with the leisure market.
Hobbiton’s gardeners have
planted some 3,000 native seedlings
around the movie set and
on surrounding farmland. The
gardens flourish with plants that
TELLING
WAIKATO’S STORY
BY NICOLA GREENWELL
General Manager, Hamilton
& Waikato Tourism
attract birdlife, bees, and butterflies
– all playing essential roles
in supporting the ecosystem.
Waste reduction is another
focus. An on-site waste facility
turns food and green waste in to
compost to be used on the gardens
along with the compostable
drink and food containers and
packaging Hobbiton has used
for a number of years – this eco
packaging has a carbon footprint
of up to 75 percent less than traditional
packaging.
Water management is a top
sustainability priority at the
internationally acclaimed Hamilton
Gardens, an attraction that
pleases both business and leisure
visitors with its stunning gardens
and event facilities.
The individual gardens are
watered early in the morning to
ensure watering efficiency while
extensive mulching minimises
evaporation, the high-quality
mulch being made on-site from
garden waste.
A new water management
system being developed includes
a retention pond, a wetland and
filter planting,
Owned and managed by
Hamilton City Council, Hamilton
Gardens recycles glass, plastic,
aluminium cans, paper/cardboard
and even the metal blades
from the lawn mowers, working
closely with the organisers of
events staged in the gardens to
ensure they are sustainable too.
Good progress is being made
to achieve the aim of being carbon
neutral by 2030, including
replacing petrol fuelled handheld
equipment with electric
devices and moving to EVs.
An important natural feature
of Hamilton Gardens, the Eco
Bank Bush, is one of the most
significant seed sources in the
Waikato. It is carefully maintained
with exotic plants eradicated
and fresh plantings of
local species grown in the on-site
nursery.
Being a significant part of
the Waikato River wildlife corridor
through the city, Hamilton
Gardens’ planting programmes
are also geared to provide food
sources for native species including
birds and the long-tailed bats
inhabiting trees in the gardens.
Our mighty Waikato business
events sector is willingly
and wonderfully doing the Tiaki
mahi.
Ka ora te whenua, ka ora te
tangata – when the land is well,
the people are well.

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 15
Better together
coworking provides the opportunity to share costs, intellectual smarts and collaboration
OFFICE / DESK / MEETING / EVENT SPACE
The Crate flexible office space becomes your
place when you join The Crate. Feed on the
vibe of collective productivity, form valuable
connections and work your way in our
premium coworking space.
Ditch traditional fixed term leases and create
your own ideal coworking space. Choose from
dedicated or hybrid desks, private suites,
or rent by desk offers, and also gain access
to our events spaces, meeting rooms, and
onsite barista!
See video tour
07 444 4800 | www.thecrate.co.nz | 526 Victoria Street, Hamilton Central 3204
TheCrate Hamilton Full page ad.indd 1
1/12/22 3:31 PM

16 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
We need to get our
immigration act
together!
When most overseas workers think about coming to work
in New Zealand one of the key factors they consider is
their ability to obtain residence and to be able to live
here permanently.
This is understandable given that New
Zealand is probably the furthest
country from their home, and the cost
of relocation will be higher than with other
countries who are also competing for their
skills. It therefore flows that New Zealand’s
residence policy settings play a critical role
in the attraction of many migrant workers.
A resident visa is also required to be able to
buy a house here.
With the re-opening of the Skilled
Migrant Category (SMC) in November,
after a hiatus of 20 months due to Covid,
there are now two residence categories that
migrant workers can rely on to apply for residence.
The other category is for roles on Tier
1 of the Green List. These roles comprise
mainly construction management, engineering,
health and IT roles and applicants
must have the specific credentials such as
particular qualifications, professional registration
or a minimum salary level. While
there are many health professional roles
listed there are a significant number of
in-demand roles which are not (eg; Dentist,
Physiotherapist, Pharmacist etc). It has
been reported that a list of 30 additional
health roles has been promoted for immediate
inclusion on the Tier 1 list. While this
list is not due for review until May 2023 it
is very much hoped that the reality of New
Zealand’s current health crises will prevail,
and these roles are urgently added.
Registered Nurse is also on the Green
List but falls within Tier 2, which does not
enable a straight-to-residence application
to be made, but rather for a residence application
to be made after working as a nurse
for 2 years in New Zealand. The Government
has dug a hole for itself in continuing
to insist that it wants nurses to work
for these 2 years before they can apply for
residence. What the Government is failing
to comprehend is that these much-needed
nurses are in high demand all over the
world and, with New Zealand pay and conditions
below what is offered elsewhere, we
only have the “residence card” to play – and,
currently, we are just not playing this game!
The SMC is a points-based residence category
with points awarded for age, qualifications,
NZ employment, work experience
etc. Applicants initially submit an Expression
of Interest (EOI) and in the recent
selection draw some 6,500 EOIs (representing
14,700 people) achieved the required
160 points, and may now be invited to apply
for residence. One third of these applicants
are currently offshore. This high level
of selections reflects the demand that has
accrued while the SMC has been suspended.
The selection mark will be increased to 180
points in the next draw scheduled for 18
January and this will remain in place until
the SMC is fully reviewed mid-2024.
While Green List residence applications
are prioritised (with some approvals within
just a few days) there is no visibility on processing
times for the new SMC applications.
With 40,000 applications under the (now
closed) 2021 Resident Visa category still to
be processed, and now another 6,500 potential
applications under the SMC, applicants
can expect a long wait for their application
to be decided…
If New Zealand is serious about attracting
the skills we need, then we better get our
act together – sooner rather than later!
Is your marketing
brave or safe?
Taking risks with your marketing
messaging is a no-go zone for many
because the potential impact on our
businesses is scary. But should we be
pushing our comfort zones more?
We’ve become quite
cautious souls
these days. And
there are clearly reasons
outside the control of
marketing departments for
that shift.
I hate the over-prevalence
of derogatory use of
the word ‘woke’. But the risk
of creating the perception of
a political or social position
has made advertisers play
safe, to avoid possible misinterpretation
and criticism.
We have become increasingly
wary about upsetting
anyone, as, fair enough, we
should be. Instead, we find
ourselves taking the riskfree
middle ground to avoid
the danger at the edges,
where we might be misunderstood,
wrongly labelled,
and ‘cancelled’.
Businesses can often
worry so much about being
judged for not being smart
enough, funny enough, current
enough or creative
enough in their marketing
that they attempt to be none
of those things at all.
We often used to think
about possible negative
press coverage and ask ourselves
‘what will the headline
be?’ before sticking our
heads above the marketing
parapets with anything that
might be a little bit different.
Today we’d be thinking
about the Facebook comment
or tweet that might
derail our campaigns and
undermine our brands.
So, my observation on
the marketing world at the
moment is that we’re taking
the easy path. Advertising
campaigns and general
marketing messages all over
are tending to focus on telling
us the facts rather than
challenging our reactions.
Don’t get me wrong,
there’s still plenty of creativity
happening – marketing
departments haven’t totally
given up the ghost. But if
you’re one of those members
of the target audience
that likes to expect the unexpected,
you could find yourself
waiting for a less restrictive
environment.
Combine an uncertain
economy with a crippling
fear of getting it wrong, you
may end up making yourself
hamstrung and irrelevant.
Whatever the current
mindset of the people you’re
aiming your marketing messages
towards, it’s more
important than ever to try
and understand what they
will react best to. Build up
a picture of what they care
about.
Taking a
different
approach might
simply be in the
tone of voice you
employ in your
marketing
Yes, that calls for some
sweeping generalisations
but analysis of previous
behaviours, particularly
online, can give you useful
insights. If you want to try
something new, even common-sense
assumptions
informed by your previous
experience are better than
TELLING YOUR
STORY
BY VICKI JONES
Vicki Jones is director of
Dugmore Jones, Hamilton-based
brand management consultancy.
vicki@dugmorejones.co.nz
no consideration at all, and
will steer you away from the
real danger zones with some
level of reassurance.
Think about the scale of
the impact if you choose to
do something that might
be a little away from the
norm. If I mention the Toyota
ad with the dog that
ends up face down in the
mud, you’ll remember it for
the expletive, I’m sure. Yes,
that ad got 120 complaints
for the ‘bad’ language, but
it undoubtedly stuck in the
minds of countless others
because of it.
I’m not saying that
swearing your way through
life will help your marketing
get traction, of course! Nor
am I suggesting that being
cheeky or disrespectful is
going to be a great idea for
every brand.
Taking a different
approach might simply be in
the tone of voice you employ
in your marketing, or the
creative style. Wasn’t it
Henry Ford that said, “if you
always do what you always
did, you'll always get what
you always got”?
Trying something new
and being just that little
bit braver may be the only
way that you can stand out
amongst the clutter.
Level 2
586 Victoria Street
Hamilton 3204
Level 3
50 Manners Street
Wellington 6011
07 834 9222
enquiries@pathwaysnz.com
Level 2
586 Victoria Street
pathwaysnz.com
Level 3
50 Manners Street

Supreme Award Winner -
Profile Group
If you’ve driven along the Waikato
Expressway heading south, you’ll no
doubt have noticed a sprawling building
on the left-hand side at Hautapu,
on the outskirts of Cambridge.
That is the manufacturing
facility and
headquarters of Profile
Group – a family of powerhouse
businesses that form
New Zealand’s only integrated
supply chain for aluminium
windows and doors. It is the
first stage of their new campus
that will consolidate multiple
Hamilton sites to one fully
self-serviced location. But you
wouldn’t know that the simple,
yet striking building was home
to Profile Group because its
name is not emblazoned on the
building.
Profile Group’s HQ is a
physical manifestation of the
way they do business: quietly,
just getting on with it without
making a fuss. And yet, like
their building, Profile Group is
an award winner.
While the building won two
Excellence and Best in Category
Awards at this year’s Property
Council Industry Awards,
Profile Group has taken out
three awards at the Waikato
Chamber of Commerce Business
Awards – Service Excellence,
Business Growth, and,
fittingly, the Foster Construction
Group Supreme Award.
CEO Craig Vincent says it’s
been a journey of more than
three decades to grow the business
from the 12 staff who were
there when he began working
alongside, managing director
and his good friend, Mitch
Plaw.
Looking back at those early
days, Craig says it was a simple
philosophy that has driven the
Group’s success.
“Our philosophy has always
been that if we could be the
easiest supplier our customers
deal with, we will all naturally
grow together.”
And it was that philosophy
that saw Craig spend a great
deal of time assisting their customers’
businesses back then,
to ensure they understood
their customers’ obstacles and
challenges.
“That meant we really
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 WAIKATO BUSINESS AWARDS 17
developed and nurtured the
relationships too. We basically
went and lived in their
businesses. By going out and
learning we worked out how to
take the obstacles away, supply
great quality product and end
up with a great result.”
It was those early learnings
that not only set up the lifelong
relationships with their
customers – “a large portion
of them are personal friends
today. – but set in motion the
vertical integration of the business
over the next 30 years.
“The pivotal move for us
was taking away all the obstacles
in terms of supply, manufacturing
and delivery. By
taking our reliance away
from external suppliers… it
now means we control our
own with extrusions, powder
coating, anodising, glass and
transport.”
And it’s not just the relationships
with their customers
that Profile Group places great
importance on. “Our staff are
key to our success. Because,
while Profile Group’s growth
has been enormous, at the
end of the day it is still family
owned and operated and those
family values are an incredibly
strong part of the culture.”
There are many, many people
who come to work every day
who feel they are part of a big
family and we like to believe
they are treated that way. For
example, we’ve just opened a
wellness centre where a nurse
provides care. We’ve got more
to achieve but it’s about being
able to provide a great environment,
being able to take care of
our people.”
That extends to staff
members’ families too. They
recently held a Christmas function
for 600 people – that’s
staff and partners – and there
will be another Christmas
party for the kids to attend.
Profile Group does a lot
in the wider community too.
Mitch and Kate (Plaw) are
extremely generous individuals.
“The philosophy
for us is about how we build
better communities. We’ve
been thinking this way for a
long time, but I think it’s even
more so now since Mikayla
[Mitch and Kate’s daughter]
has come on board. She has
brought a different vision into
the business that we’ve built
on – sustainability, wellbeing,
and the circular economy, for
example.”
The business awards judges
said Profile Group’s success
was driven by an excellence of
service ethos.
“Their structures, processes,
and more importantly
– people – set the standard for
service excellence both nationally
and internationally. The
customer and their care is the
centre of their world.”
And they recognised that
Profile Group is on a journey
to redesign how they do
business, how they manufacture
even more efficiently, how
they reimagine and repurpose
waste streams, regenerate
the natural world and enable
their people to realise their full
potential across all facets of the
businesses.
“Profile Group are world
class roles models around
future vision, long-term strategy,
innovation and product
design, operational execution,
ongoing commitment and an
ethos of genuine care for the
people, community, Aotearoa
and the environment.” Craig
said the Supreme Award was
“for the staff”.z
“It’s not for us [the executive
team]. These awards
are recognition of the effort
of everyone who is here
daily, their commitment and
dedication.”
WAIKATO CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
BUSINESS
AWARDS
Connect - Grow - Inspire - Represent
PROUDLY
SUPPORTED BY
Connect - Grow - Inspire - Represent

18 WAIKATO BUSINESS AWARDS
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
Emerging leader Jo Mickleson’s
focus is people
You sometimes wonder
about the accuracy of
a person’s LinkedIn
profile. Jo Mickleson’s description
beneath her name captures
who she is perfectly. She calls
herself a business enabler, leadership
coach, process designer,
lifelong learner, and human
being fanatic. It is that last term
that is perhaps most fitting and
is abundantly evident when you
talk to her.
Named Emerging Leader of
the Year at the Waikato Chamber
of Commerce Business
Awards, Jo lights up when she
talks about her role, her team at
Aware Group, and her plans for
the future.
Jo started off as an HR
advisor and sales coordinator
at Aware Group – a globally
recognised leader in emerging
technologies. It provides a range
of innovative solutions and services
that focus on artificial
intelligence, big data and Internet
of Things.
With plans to travel around
Europe riding a motorcycle
alongside her partner, Jo initially
took on a short, fixedterm
contract as an HR advisor
and sales coordinator.
She impressed Aware Group
throughout this time and they
asked her to stay on.
“Being a relatively new company
then, I helped get systems
in place. And with my background
in HR I brought that to
the table, helping strengthen
processes, put strategy in place
around people and culture.”
Jo stuck around for a bit longer
before heading to Europe
where she continued to work
remotely. When she got back,
she moved into a full-time role
implementing what she’d put in
place while she was overseas.
Now director of strategy and
growth, Jo’s laser focused on
Aware Group’s people.
“Your people are your biggest
assets and given Aware Group
is relatively young and small,
developing a strong layer of
leaders coming up from within
is really important. I love that
we’ve put a structure in place
to build both soft and technical
skills in our existing leaders who
can then welcome the next generation
of people to the business
and build them up.”
Jo’s philosophy – and one
shared by others at Aware Group
– is that the role of a leader isn’t
necessarily that of someone in a
senior leadership team. Rather,
anyone can be a leader.
“I’ve always said leadership
isn’t a role, it’s a behaviour.”
Jo has helped foster a
healthy culture at Aware Group
where people are enabled to try
new things, push boundaries,
and shine.
“We’re very much about
stepping back and letting people
do what they’re good at. I’ve had
the opportunity to try a bunch
of things from a leadership and
culture perspective. There have
been lessons along the way, and
those have brought a lot to the
business.”
And being given the space
to try new things means people
learn new skills.
“I think of a skill set as a
quiver of arrows. Some we might
add are blunt, some might be
super sharp, but it’s about adding
arrows to that quiver that we
can draw on and sharpen later
as we practice them. That’s the
kind of vision that I share with
our team when we’re working to
upskill them.”
And it was the wider Aware
Group team who contributed to
Jo’s nomination for the Emerging
Leader of the Year award.
“My colleague Jeffrey Brown
wrote the nomination and when
he got to the last question,
which was ‘what would people
say about Jo’s leadership?’ he
decided to let others speak for
themselves. So he went out and
got quotes from about 12 staff
about the impact I’ve had and
how they see me as a leader.”
Jo was ecstatic to win the
award but says reading what her
colleagues said about her was
the icing on the cake.
“They talked about me being
inspiring, building trust in our
team, motivating, being honest,
being candid and challenging
people… that I congratulate
them on their success but that I
also challenge them to continue
as well.”
And Jo takes her own advice
on the latter. Not one to sit on
her laurels, she has her sights
set on what future success looks
like.
“Ultimately my key goal is
having an impact on people.
Let’s not dance around the bush
– we all go to work to get paid.
But by creating a stable, successful
business you provide job
security for people which flows
on to their family, their community,
and the economy.”
Looking back at Jo’s LinkedIn
description as a lifelong
learner, and that’s evident when
she talks about the lessons she
took from the judging process
and the support network she has
in place.
“The interview with the
judges was great and it was great
to meet and learn from people
who brought a different perspective.
They challenged me
to be more direct and also to try
asking well-placed questions.
Those can be more impactful
than sharing your opinion. That
goes against my being as I’m an
extrovert and can talk all day but
I’m trying to catch myself on that
and asking questions instead of
proffering my opinion.”
And it’s enjoying different
perspectives that sees Jo
working with friend and mentor
Steve McNae, as well as a
psychologist, both of whom Jo
credits with helping her grow as
a leader.
No doubt Jo will continue to
flourish in parallel with Aware
Group. With teams in Hamilton,
Wellington, Singapore and Seattle,
the company specialises in
leveraging emerging technology
to solve problems and unlock
valuable data in an ethical and
sustainable way.
“Emerging technology is
such a vague thing, but ultimately
we help people harness
data to get good outcomes and
insights.”
Indeed, Jo Mickleson’s
LinkedIn profile offers great
insight into who she as a person
– and as a leader.
Old school butchery
techniques gets a win
Award-winning business
The Chopping
Block has developed
a sausage that could claim to
be a world first. Who would
think of grabbing a tasty pork
sausage and adding seaweed?
Well, according to business
owner Matt Colvin, it’s a winner
on a grand scale.
The win
confirms that
the hard work
we do is
paying off
“A local bloke who farms
the seaweed and sends it all
over the world, came in one
day and suggested we put some
in a run of pork sausages,” said
Matt. “We’re always up for a
challenge so we added the seaweed
and the sausages are now
our best seller.
“We all know a good sausage
sells, but this one is a
star.”
The Chopping Block, a
family-run business based in
Coromandel, put its name in
the hat for the recent Waikato
Chamber of Commerce Business
Awards.
They were entered in the
Micro Business category sponsored
by Sleepyhead.
“The whole team is thankful
we put our name forward
as we are always striving to
offer the best products for the
community.
“The win confirms that the
hard work we do is paying off,”
said Matt.
“It has put a spring in our
step.” The butchery itself was
built in the late 1930s as a
butcher shop. So it has been
running as a butchery since
then.
“I bought it two years ago,
employed my brother Stephen,
and we haven’t looked back,”
said Matt. “We turned the
whole place up-side down and
got straight to business.
“Ours is a small family-run
butchery with a goal
of providing our community
with a wide variety of the finest
quality gluten free meat
in an affordable and innovative
way, using old school
butchery techniques.”
The Chopping Block also
offers homekill and wild game
processing. With a paddockto-plate
approach and a sharp
eye for quality, Matt and his
team pride themselves on
putting 110 percent into the
business.
Contact the winning
butchery at: thechoppingblockltd@gmail.com
Phone: 07 866 8838

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 19
Proud Sponsors
Happy Off-Season
From Hamilton’s # 1 Real Estate Team
LODGE.CO.NZ

Nationally Awarded, Individually Focused
At Urban Homes, taking ownership is key. Building quality homes with integrity is what we do.
Building meaningful relationships and world-class experiences that our clients remember
for generations, is who we are.
This year, it was a privilege to receive the Registered Master Builders Platinum Award for consistently achieving
outstanding excellence across five or more National Category Titles and, we are proud to be the first home builder
in the Waikato to achieve this.
“The Registered Master Builders House of the Year competition has played a big part in our commitment to
excellence and continual improvement over the years,” says Founder and Managing Director, Daniel Klinkenberg.
“Joining the elite group of Platinum Award winners, I feel that Urban Homes has forged its place at the forefront
of the New Zealand housing and residential building market.”
To find out more about us and our award-winning homes, visit urban.co.nz/awards

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 HOTY AWARDS 21
Waikato-based home builder Urban Homes
takes home prestigious National Platinum
Registered Master Builders Award
Waikato-based home builder, Urban Homes, was
awarded the prestigious National Platinum Award at
the 2022 Registered Master Builders National House of
the Year Awards, held in Auckland in November.
The Platinum Award
is given to a New
Zealand builder who
has achieved outstanding
building excellence across
five or more National Category
titles. Urban Homes
is the first Waikato-based
builder to receive this prestigious
award, and the mostawarded
builder in the region.
Urban Homes Managing
Director, Daniel Klinkenberg,
has no doubt that
receiving this award is an
honour, and comes down to
the hard work of the Urban
team on a day-to-day basis.
“At Urban Homes, we
treat every home we build
as our own. The Registered
Master Builders House of the
Year competition has played
a big part in our commitment
to excellence and continual
improvement over the years.
“Each year the competition
gets tougher. Winning
regional categories against
our industry peers is not
easy, so I’m proud that we
have achieved steady success
over the years at a national
level,” says Klinkenberg.
Klinkenberg founded
Urban Homes in Hamilton
in 2004 with his wife Bronwyn,
and utilising his background
as a trade-qualified
builder and high quality
standards the business has
grown to now build over 150
new homes each year across
the Waikato, South Auckland
and Coromandel. While
much has changed over the
last 18 years, their goal of
building with integrity has
never wavered.
“I believe we occupy our
own niche, taking the qualities
of an independent building
company but combining
them with the robust systems
and processes of a volume-based
builder,” says
Klinkenberg.
“With the option to build
from our current house plans
or go bespoke, we never build
the same house twice for our
clients. It’s a partnership,
and our aim is that clients
enjoy the home-building process.
Our team is clear that
without our clients, we do
not exist.”
It’s no secret that the past
couple of years have been
challenging for those in the
construction industry, facing
material shortages and rising
costs due to dramatic market
shifts. Klinkenberg notes
that like any other builder,
Urban Homes has adapted to
these market forces.
“I have experienced all the
highs and lows of running a
construction business, and a
smart company knows how to
react to each end of the spectrum.
For us, it’s about maintaining
our core values and
providing the best service to
our clients. There’s nothing
better than attending a client
handover and seeing the end
product ready to be enjoyed
for years to come.”
It would be hard to argue
against Urban Homes’ consistency,
achieving Gold awards
every year since 2010, and
collecting multiple supreme,
category and lifestyle awards
over the past decade.
“Joining the elite group
of Platinum Award winners,
I feel that Urban Homes has
forged its place at the forefront
of the New Zealand volume
housing and residential
building market.”
This win is certainly not an
end point for Urban Homes,
with Klinkenberg’s current
work focused on developing
the company’s franchise
system, with opportunities
going out to market soon
across South Auckland, Bay
of Plenty and Coromandel.
“We’re looking to speak
with like-minded, driven
business people ready to
share and expand our blueprint
outside of our Waikato
Bronwyn and Daniel Klinkenberg, Chris Foy, Andrew South, Brad Conning.
base, with franchisees given
all the tools to succeed
including access to all software
and systems with extensive
head office support.
“I have no doubt the
future looks exciting, and
while we have solid foundations
and supports, we’re
always ready to take a leap
of faith to move the business
forward.”
Registered Master Builders 2022
apprentice of the year announced
Chris Foy, 21, from the Waikato took
out third place at this year’s Registered
Master Builders CARTERS 2022 behind
Apprentice of the Year Dane Schnell,
23, from Auckland and runner-up Paulo
Oliveira, 29, from the Northern Region.
The top eight apprentices
from around Aotearoa
came together in Auckland
to compete in the final
stages of the competition. Across
a two-day event, the apprentices
undertook a 45-minute
interview with the national
judging panel and a six-hour
practical skills test. This year’s
practical component challenged
the apprentices to each create
a rocket ship to donate to early
learning centres through Evolve
Education Group.
Before qualifying for the
national competition, each of
the top eight apprentices competed
against other apprentices
in their region. This involved
a written project submission,
a two-hour regional practical
challenge, and an interview and
site visit.
It is promising
to see a steady
increase in
diversity in the
Apprentice of the
Year competition
Registered Master Builders
chief executive David Kelly
was impressed with the group’s
talent and their commitment
to being the best in their field,
especially during our current
environment.
“Learning new skills and
applying oneself is challenging
at the best of times but doing so
under the conditions of the past
two years is a testament to their
dedication and commitment.
“Leadership in our industry
matters. We look at our
up-and-coming apprentices and
asses their aspirations to see
how we can provide fulfilling
career pathways, within the sector,”
Kelly says.
Every year the high level of
talent in the competition grows,
and at the same time diversity in
the sector continues to improve.
The Master Builders State of
the Sector survey reported that
nearly 60 percent of builders
found that diversity in their businesses
improved during the last
year. This was supported by a
recent MBIE report that showed
increased diversity is being
driven at the apprenticeship
level, with the Government’s
Apprenticeship Boost Scheme
reporting that 19 percent of the
over 50,000 apprentices in the
scheme identifying as Māori and
eight percent identify as Pacifica.
“It is promising to see a
steady increase in diversity in
the Apprentice of the Year competition.
Year-on-year the competition
has seen an increase in
diverse entrants. This year, we
saw 20 percent of regional finalist
from non-European backgrounds,
as well as a quarter
of our finalists. While we have
more to do, it is encouraging to
see good progress being made,”
Kelly says.
The sector has also seen
an increase in females, with
the recent MBIE report stating
that the number of female
workers employed in the sector
has nearly doubled in the last
decade.
“Although there is still work
to do in this area, the number
of females increasing across the
sector are very promising to see.
It was also fantastic to see more
females enter the competition
this year and even place in the
regional competition,” he says.
The national competition
was celebrated with the finalists
Chris Foy, Apprentice. Urban Homes
and their employers, family, and
friends at a gala awards dinner
in Auckland.
Committed to standing
behind all apprentices as they
start their careers, CARTERS
chief executive, Mike Guy is
impressed with the talent the
competition brings together
year-on-year.
“We have been sponsoring
the Apprentice of the Year
competition for 19 years now,
and that’s something we are
incredibly proud of. It’s great to
be able to watch these talented
apprentices giving their all in the
competition and then going on
to have successful careers.
“CARTERS remains committed
to supporting apprentices
from across the country as they
build their future in the construction
industry. Partnering
with the competition is a great
way to celebrate emerging talent
and our future industry leaders,”
Guy says.

22 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
HOTY AWARDS
NATIONAL
CATEGORY
WINNER
Karl Kampenhout Builders Ltd is a
proven team of craftsmen, providing
very high quality workmanship with a
strong focus on attention to detail and
exceptional customer service.
KARL KAMPENHOUT BUILDERS
P: 0800 875 555 | info@karlkampenhout.co.nz
www.karlkampenhout.co.nz

Raglan Food Co doubles
community fund to $10,000
After getting their start
on Facebook on the
Raglan Community
Noticeboard in December 2014,
Raglan Food Co credit much
of their success to the enthusiastic
support and backing from
locals. That’s why it seemed only
natural to give back by launching
their RFC Community Fund last
year.
“We wanted to make it easy
for local groups who align with
our social and environmental
values to ask for support,”
co-founder Tesh Randall says.
“Last year we gave out
$5,000 in grants to organisations
doing all kinds of wonderful
things in our community –
protecting endangered Oi birds,
planting trees, rescuing fruit,
teaching tamariki about gardening,
and raising mental health
awareness.”
This year, with over $5,000
paid out already, they’ve
announced plans to double the
fund to $10,000.
“We’re seeing some great
project applications come
through and want to continue
backing more initiatives in our
local community,” she says.
Feedback from the organisations
who have already received
funding has been positive.
“Funding from Raglan Food
Co has allowed us to build a
‘Community Foodbowl’ at Waitetuna
School,” principal Amanda
Nasilasila says. “The children
have been loving planting seedlings
in the greenhouse and garden
beds, and eating vegetables
they’ve grown themselves! So far
we’ve harvested kumara, spinach,
tomatoes, have set up potatoes
and will be planting other
summer vegetables in term 4.
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 23
It’s great to see them so engaged
in learning about gardening.”
“We were able to pay for the
print costs of our Mental Health
Toolbox with Raglan Food Co’s
funding,” Ruby Gibbs says. “It’s
been made freely available to the
whole community as a resource
to prompt conversations about
mental wellbeing – since we put
it together as volunteers, this
financial support was hugely
appreciated.”
“Seeing perfectly good fruit
go to waste seemed like such
a tragedy,” says Jono Hutson
from Community Fruit Harvest.
“With the fuel vouchers from
Raglan Food Co, our volunteers
have been able to arrange collecting
and donating it to the
Feed the Kids program at the
Raglan Area School – providing
students with nutritious kai.”
Visit raglanfoodco.com/
doing-good/
rfc-community-fund for
more
information.
We love to
warm up winter
Grassroots support for
our community is
part of the everyday
at Ebbett Volkswagen. On
a cold crisp winter’s day in
July, the WE LOVE VW team
supplied the mighty Amarok
BBQ for the Cambridge
Primary School’s winter
sports day lunch. There were
multiple primary schools
all competing at the event,
held at Tom Voyle Park in
Cambridge. Cambridge High
School senior PE students
helped run this successful
day. Cambridge East School
organised a hot lunch for the
dedicated young athletes.
Hundreds of hot sausages
were cooked on the BBQ
for the kids, teachers and
supporting parents.
If your school or workplace
would like to use our
Amarok BBQ for FREE at an
event, get in contact with the
WE LOVE VW team.
Catering for all occasions
Weddings, wedding platters,
birthdays, corporates plus many more.
We bring the restaurant to you!
Professional buffet catering
for 60-5000 guests.
www.southernspitroast.co.nz
E: graham@ssbbq.co.nz | 0800 2 SPITROAST

24 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
Celebrating
Leadership in the
Waikato
The Community and Enterprise Leadership Foundation (CELF)
celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2022 at the Gallagher
Academy of Performing Arts, University of Waikato in November.
Another 18 graduates
joined the growing
CELF Alumni.
In its seventh year and with
132 CELF Alumni active in the
Waikato Community we are
seeing increased impact of the
ripple effect these leaders and
their leadership are having on
their organisations and their
communities.
This programme (like the
foundation itself) is guided
by the conviction that socially
responsible leadership will
always have a positive impact
on the community around
them.
CELF Graduates 2022: Back - Brett Fleming, John Adams, Kent Holdsworth, Dr Jeremy Mayall, Matt
Nugent, Megan West and Anton Waller, Desarae Frisk, Gerald van der Broek. Front- Shannon Clarke,
Riikka Anderson and David Wiles (WEL) Vani Mills (NZ Diversity Counselling), Rachel Rabarts (BNZ),
Kathy Harward (CCS Disability), Anna Ellis (Prolife Foods). Not Pictured: Marty Emmett (YWAM Ships
Aotearoa) & Fraser Bell (Foster Construction)
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, XXX/XXX 2022 1
Kent Holdsworth (Te
Whatu Ora Waikato) and
Rachel Rabarts (BNZ), Class
of 2022 graduates, expressed
their thanks on behalf of their
cohort, for the opportunity to
participate in such a life changing
and transformational leadership
programme.
CELF Alumni Leader of
the Year 2022
Kylie Leonard was chosen
as the CELF Alumni
Leader of the Year
2022. Kylie was sponsored onto
the CELF Elevate Leadership
Programme by Tompkins Wake,
as NZ Dairy Woman Network
Community Leader of the
Year in 2018. Since graduating
from The Elevate Leadership
Programme in 2019, Kylie has
been on a leadership trajectory.
Kylie is a dedicated mum,
wife, and community leader.
She is an experienced director,
rural professional, a farmer,
governance specialist leader
and mentor. A member and
chair of multiple boards in the
CELF recognises founder
Dr Peter Sun
As part of the evening’s
events, Dr Peter Sun
was recognised by
the Community and Enterprise
Leadership Foundation’s
Board and wider
CELF Alumni for his significant
contribution to the
formation of CELF alongside
co-founders Bernie
Crosby (Prolife Foods) and
David Irving (Icehouse). As
CELF’s founding programme
director, he has shaped
community, providing guidance
and leadership., Kylie was
a finalist in this year’s Women
on Boards, retained her seat as
the programme, content
and format that constantly
evolves to meet the changing
needs of leadership and the
environment.
Accepting the acknowledgment
Peter says, “As I
reflect on the times past
and present, and reflect
on what lies ahead, I’m
more than convinced of
the impact that CELF has
and the impact on the
community.”
Taupo district a counsellor and
just announced a recipient of a
Nuffield Scholarship.
” if I want to see change it is
up to me to be part of making
that change happen,” Kylie says
David Irving (Co-Founder CELF) and
Dr Peter Sun (Co-Founder CELF/
Founding Programme Director)
Confidence in continued growth
Frank Risk Management’s decision to raise its footprint
and profile reflects the firm’s confidence in the Waikato
business sector. It’s a big jump for the firm founded in 2008
by CEO Andrew Newman and Director Rene Swindley in a
residential Cambridge garage.
Frank Risk Management
now employs 32 staff
across four offices;
Hamilton, Matamata,
Auckland, and Wellington,
and was the first broker
in NZ to offer the fully
disclosed, transparent fee
business model. The growth
in staff necessitated the
need for larger premises;
however, co-founder Rene
Swindley strongly believed
that Frank needed something
unique and a space that
staff and clients enjoyed
using. “In these times, you
want to support flexibility,
but if everyone wants to
be in the office, you get
the collaboration upside
while still giving everyone a
choice”.
Regardless of the
immediate economic
outlook, the management
team at Frank feel confident
that the firm will continue to
see solid growth. They think
the Waikato, underpinned by
its diverse economic base, is
the best place to be located.
Frank Group’s General
Manager, Emma Haugh,
says, “Standing still wasn’t
an option. Frank is filling a
place in the risk management
market, and approaches
are not only coming from
within the Waikato but also
nationally”.
An upside of having the
additional space is that Frank
can support clients who
need space for meetings or
a boardroom. This was very
much in mind when planning
the re-development, and
it’s working well. Haugh
says, “It’s great that we see
clients, not just when they
want to talk about insurance
or risk management”. It’s
also a good space for clients
to meet with providers that
support Frank’s proposition.
Frank worked closely with
Fosters Construction and
Edwards White Architects
throughout the development
of 630 Victoria Street. The
Frank team are pleased to
have the project behind
them, and Haugh says, “we’ll
never look back, the move
has been a giant leap forward
and Fosters & Edwards
White were brilliant to work
with. We couldn’t be happier
with the result”.
630 Victoria Street, Hamilton 3204
07 903 5000 | info@frankrisk.co.nz | ww.frankrisk.co.nz

Set a 2023 resolution
to get data security
and privacy right
Cybersecurity, data security and privacy are all intertwined. As businesses
move towards digital business models, exponentially more data is
generated and shared, both within the business and with partners and
customers through interconnected systems/technology. This digital
information has become the lifeblood of this interconnected business
ecosystem and is increasingly valuable to businesses - and to threat actors
(cyber criminals, competitors, foreign states).
PwC’s 2023 Global Digital
Trust Insights survey
highlights that two-thirds
of organisations consider cyberattacks
their most significant
threat in the coming year. Cybercriminals
are increasingly using
off-the-shelf tools to perpetrate
and orchestrate a variety of
attacks. And yet, many of the
breaches we’re seeing are still
preventable with sound cyber
practices and strong controls.
A business’s key stakeholders
- customers, employees,
business partners - are increasingly
equating any security
breach to a breach of trust.
Governments and regulators
are becoming increasingly
concerned about the theft
of personal information from
organisations. Looking overseas,
the Australian government
has introduced a bill that would
increase the maximum penalty
for serious or repeated privacy
breaches to AUD$50 million
or 30% of turnover for all businesses
that operate in Australia,
including foreign companies.
These penalties have
increased substantially from
the initial proposal of AUD$10
million or 10% of turnover. This
is due to several recent major
breaches of customer data in
Australia including names, dates
of birth, email addresses, drivers
license numbers, passport numbers
and medical claims data for
millions of people.
Australian Attorney General
Mark Dreyfus said that “We
need better laws to regulate how
companies manage the huge
amount of data they collect,
and bigger penalties to incentivise
better behaviour.” This is
essential “to ensure Australia’s
privacy framework is able to
respond to new challenges in the
digital era.”
In the UK, the construction
group Interserve has recently
been fined £4.4m after a cyber
attack that enabled hackers to
steal the personal and financial
information of up to 113,000
employees.
Current NZ privacy legislation
only came into force in
December 2020 and introduced
mandatory disclosure for serious
data breaches. However, it
has a maximum penalty of only
$10,000. Given where international
legislation is heading, this
level of penalty is significantly
lighter than other jurisdictions
and will likely come under
pressure if further serious data
breaches occur in New Zealand.
The recently released Draft
National Security Long-term
Insights Briefing (DNSLIB)
shows that New Zealanders feel
particularly at risk of a cyber-attack,
with 81% of respondents
to the National Security Public
Survey saying that there is a real
threat of hacking into information
systems happening in the
next 12 months (compared to
a global average of 75%). The
Computer Emergency Response
Team (CERT NZ) reports that in
2021, incidents rose by 13% for
individuals and businesses, with
an estimated direct cost of $16.8
million.
Looking ahead the DNSLIB
expects to see:
● A growth in more
complex and frequent
cyber crime challenging
our collective ability to
respond
● More cyber attacks
targeting technology
critical for businesses,
including supply chains.
Waikato organisations are
not immune with the 2021 DHB
cyber attack and, more recently,
the Pinnacle Health cyber attack
in September 2022.
In a world that is increasingly
technology focussed and complex,
how do you improve your
cyber security and data trust?
Technology, in itself is not the
answer to simplified security.
Security needs to be a concern
for the entire business. Ask
yourself these four questions:
1. How involved/
engaged is your CEO in cyber?
2. How complex are
your organisations’ operations?
3. How do you know if
you’re securing your organisation
against the most important
risks to your business?
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 25
BUSINESS IN
THE WAIKATO
BY AARON STEEL
Director, Risk Assurance, PwC
4. How well do you
know your third-party and supply
chain risks?
Results of our Digital Trust
Insights survey show that those
organisations that had the best
cybersecurity outcomes are:
● 14x more likely to
have CEOs that provide significant
and broad support to
cybersecurity.
● 5x more likely to
have streamlined operations
enterprise-wide.
● 18x more likely to
say data and threat intelligence
are integral to their operating
model, especially in relation
to cybersecurity and data
governance.
● 11x more likely to
understand their third-party
cyber and privacy risks. (At
best only 40% of respondents
say they thoroughly understand
these risks).
Sound cyber practices
and strong controls
For all organisations, there
are some key foundational
cybersecurity practices that
provide a solid baseline. These
are the essential eight recommended
by the Australian
Government Cyber Security
Centre (https://www.cyber.
gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/
essential-eight):
1. Application control
2. Patching applications
3. Microsoft Office macro
settings
4. User application hardening
5. Restricting administrative
privileges
6. Patching operating systems
7. Multi-factor authentication
8. Regular backups.
About
PwC’s community of solvers
works with businesses to understand
digital risk within their
business context, providing
insightful advice and innovative
solutions,to build confidence
and trust in their technology,
data and security.
Whatever Happened to
the CBD?
Guest article by Brian Squair
of Chamber member
Chow:Hill Architects.
The Central Business District, as we have
known it, is quite probably a thing of
the past. The Covid-19 pandemic has
merely accelerated the changing character
of downtowns amidst poorly rented lowergrade
commercial buildings, infrastructure
under-investment, cheaper land elsewhere
and remote working practices. Prior to the
pandemic we were seeing an increase in work
mobility, (planned) residential sprawl to the
fringe (requiring services and amenities), but
we also experienced the redevelopment of
some key buildings in the Central City by a few
well-funded developers.
I recall the 1980s when we would all “go
to town” on a Friday night or Saturday morning
and it was an excursion with mum or dad
and latterly a hang-out with school mates.
Mid-week the CBD was primarily for business,
banking, post office and occasional scoping-out
for a new piece of furniture that would
be purchased on the Saturday morning.
Over the last 20 years or so, and through
a couple of recessions, we have witnessed the
increasing number of poor quality or poorly
maintained commercial buildings, the decentralisation
of large retail outlets, the rise of
online purchasing and the move to remote
working. These changes have placed great
pressure on sustainable city centres.
If we haven’t yet, we need to reconsider
the way the Central City works in the light of
change.
Rather than predict CBD doom, there is, I
believe, an incredible opportunity for a reset
of the Central City and its relationship to the
city at large. It is time to imagine a new model
for growth, one that is more inclusive, resilient,
sustainable and healthy. The foundations
of this reset include the issues of affordability,
talent, workplace, public realm, built environment
and the economics of real estate.
Affordability
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic we had
witnessed a number of businesses choosing
WHAT’S
ON
AT THE CHAMBER
to relocate out of the Central City to fringe
and outer suburbs primarily for cost saving
reasons. There is certainly cheaper land elsewhere.
Anecdotally, the chickens are coming
home to roost in that many decentralised businesses
are finding a loss in accessibility and
network effects. They no longer experience
the efficiencies and productivity gains of the
agglomeration resulting from the density and
proximity that Central City locations provide.
Cheaper rent may, in fact, be a false economy.
The answer to the affordability crisis is
found in sweating the assets through mixed
use developments and repurposing of lower
grade buildings. For example, I predict more
flexibility – multi-use spaces that are part
office, part education, part retail for example –
we will see more city-centre residential and on
the back of that, an uplift in retail and services
to accommodate the needs of city residents.
Workplace
It would appear that many post-pandemic
workers are returning to the office for the sake
of in-person connectivity and collaboration
with colleagues. At the same time, the benefits
of working remotely are clung to, including
the flexible elements, the transport saving,
the ease of performing concentration activities.
The workplace in the city centre needs to
embrace a hybrid work model.
At Chow:Hill, our research indicates that
30% of our work could comfortably be done
remotely. Acknowledging that Chow:Hill staff
are engaged in collaborative creative work,
then one can assume that staff in a more process-type
business could easily perform their
roles remotely to a greater proportion.
The potential for a distributed workforce
to weaken social capital is real, so it is important
to leverage the power of good workplace
design and amenity to strengthen internal culture.
Businesses will need to be intentional
about this if they want an environment that
attracts staff to the ‘mothership’.
Read the full article here:
www.waikatochamber.
co.nz/opinion-pieces.
Written by
Brian Squair,
Senior Principal,
Chow:Hill Architects.
EMERGE: With Thomas Nabbs
from The Waterboy Monday
December 5, 5:00 – 6:30PM at
McCaw Lewis Lawyers, Victoria St,
Hamilton.
BA4: With Torpedo7 Te Rapa Wednesday December 7,
4:00 – 6:00PM. If you are a non member and would like to attend,
please email jenny.macgregor@waikatochamber.co.nz.
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CHAMBER MEMBER?
Find out more about the benets of a Chamber membership, in addition
to the 60+ events we hold each year, at www.waikatochamber.co.nz.
TO REGISTER: www.waikatochamber.co.nz/events
FOR MORE INFORMATION: info@waikatochamber.co.nz, 07 839 5895
Connect - Grow - Inspire - Represent

26 MOTORING
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
e-Power tech a viable alternative to hybrids
ELECTRIC MOTOR CHARGED BY PETROL-FUELLED ENGINE
Dean Taylor
In 2016, Nissan launched
anew type of engine that
blends hybrid and electric
capabilities. Last year it
was announced it was coming
to Australia, and this month
Nissan said the new X-Trail
and Qashqai for New Zealand
in 2023 with have e-Power.
But e-Power is already
available here—electric car
specialists Hamilton EV
imports the Nissan e-Note and
Nissan Kicks.
e-Power is an electric
motor charged by a 1.2-litre,
three cylinder petrol-fuelled
engine, effectively a generator
merging the driving experience
of an electric car with a petrol
machine’s ease of ownership.
Nissan claims “e-Power is a
true EV solution”.
At its core is the same
100 per cent electric motordriven
technology used in the
Nissan Leaf to deliver instant
torque, power, efficiency and
excitement.
In high-power-demand
situations, such as strong
acceleration, the petrol engine
and generator are used to keep
the battery pack charged and
can directly power the electric
motor.
The new option is popular
in Japan, where it is commonly
found in small cars such as the
Nissan Note.
It was a low-mileage 2021
Nissan e-Note I drove—a
completely capable hatch, with
amazing power, smoothness
and quietness, without the
worry of “going flat”.
Unlike a conventional
hybrid, there is no mechanical
link between the petrol engine
and the wheels.
Owners refuel the car at
conventional petrol service
stations as opposed to electric
car charging points.
I joked I was driving a
Datsun 1200—the car that
served my wife and me well
when we were first married.
But this new “Datsun
1200” was no comparison
to a standard ICE vehicle,
especially an old-school one.
For a start, even though
modern ICE cars are pretty
fuel efficient, it is pretty hard
to beat 20-30km/litre of fuel
in a vehicle with so much get
up and go. To be fair, if you
use that get up and go too
much, the fuel goes as well. But
drive properly and economy is
fantastic.
I averaged about 26km/
litre over three days—that’s
3.8l/100km in today’s fuel
efficiency language. My best
was a trip at 3l/100km.
And that was with climate
control and sounds operating—
nothing special to save fuel.
Hamilton EV describes the
technology as Series Electric
and agree it is a way to get
into EV driving, without range
anxiety.
For some,who might live
remotely, travel long distances
or not want to be held up
at charging stations, it is a
completely viable alternative
to hybrid—and possibly a
better drive.
There is no plug-in option,
but I guess that adds weight
and cost.
The e-Note itself is a handysized
vehicle and good looking.
It probably wouldn’t serve
as a people mover, but for
two people, a small amount
of luggage, shopping trips
or the around-town car it is
completely perfect.
My one also had a sports
package—mostly about the
looks I’m guessing, so it did
look cool in some eyes, but
wasn’t completely practical as
the front spoiler was ground
hugging.
But Hamilton EV has a
good range of the e-Note and
Kicks in store—there’s one that
would suit.
As part of the deal, Hamilton
EV has comprehensive car
manuals translated into
English, and also update
software in the vehicles for
Kiwi conditions.
0800 31 32 33
www.hamiltonev.co.nz

LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED FOR OVER 30 YEARS
Call us first for
• Emergency services
• Heavy equipment specialists
Kennards
• Insurance claims
• Windscreens
• Mobile service
• Stone chip repairs
07 849 2818
All major credit cards accepted
WE WISH ALL OUR CLIENTS A HAPPY
CHRISTMAS AND SAFE TRAVELS
712 Te Rapa Road, Hamilton | www.hamiltonwindscreen.co.nz | info@hamiltonwindscreen.co.nz

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 29
MOTORING
X-TRAIL ST-L FROM
$39,990 +ORC*
THE
BIG
1
%
APR FIXED
ZERO DEPOSIT
36 MONTH TERM*
NAVARA SL-450 FROM
$49,990 +ORC*
*Finance offer available on new Nissan Navara and SUVs registered between 01/10/2021 and 31/01/2022. Approved applicants of Nissan Financial Services New Zealand Pty Ltd (Nissan) only. Fixed Interest Rate 1% available on loans with a 36 month
term. No deposit required. Terms and conditions apply. This offer includes an establishment fee of $375, PPSR fee of $8.05 and$10 per month account keeping fee. All lease and some fleet purchasers excluded. X-TRAIL ORC of $990 includes initial
12 month registration & WOF, fuel and vehicle delivery. Navara ORC of $1,240 includes initial 12 month registration & WOF, fuel and vehicle delivery. This finance offer does not extend to Nissan Leaf, GTR & Patrol. Nissan reserves the right to vary,
extend or withdraw this offer. Not available in conjunction with any other offer. Additional terms and conditions apply and can be viewed at www.nissan.co.nz
1050 Te Rapa Road, Hamilton - 07 839 0777 - 0800 647 726 - sales@jwn.co.nz
16 Huiputea Drive, Otorohanga. 07 873 8066 - merv@jwn.co.nz

30 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
EVOLVE YOUR LEADERSHIP
A unique 8-week experience, over 8-months
with established leaders from across
multiple organisations
Class of 2023 Intake Now Open
Enquire now
https://www.celf.org.nz/what-we-do/
Everyone’s investment
story is different,
we can help you with yours.
Speak with the Hamilton Branch today.
E: hamilton@craigsip.com | P: 07 838 1818
craigsip.com
Turn to page 31 to read about our exciting new space
Craigs Investment Partners Limited is a NZX Participant firm. The Craigs Investment Partners Limited Financial Advice Provider Disclosure Statement can be viewed
at craigsip.com/tcs. Please visit craigsip.com.

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
Craigs commits to
Union Square
Fosters latest development project in central Hamilton,
Union Square is changing the face of Hamilton’s CBD and
will be a notable business hub for the Waikato region.
Craigs Investment Partners
(Craigs) will join
other blue-chip organisations
such as Rabobank
and AA Insurance Service
Centre, BBO and Baker Tilly
Staples Rodway, by moving
its operation to the last of the
office spaces currently available
in the recently completed
Building F.
As one of New Zealand’s
leading investment advisory
firms, Craigs has 19 offices
across New Zealand and has
been based in Hamilton for
over 26 years. Craigs Investment
Adviser Stuart Anderson
and Area Manager Hayley
Nelson note that they began
searching for a new premises
in the CBD back in 2018.
“Our current premises have
served us well but with a team
of over 35 advisers and assistants
we need more space to
accommodate further growth”
explains Stuart.
“Our team is passionate
We want to do
more communityfocused
activity,
so having extra
space will enable
us to step up
our involvement
with charitable
organisations in a
variety of ways.
about supporting the local
communities in which we live
and operate. We are actively
involved with a range of community
organisation and charities
and provide regular educational
seminars from our
offices – our aim being to
develop a ‘centre of excellence’
for investing.”
Level 2 of Building F, on the
corner of Anglesea and Hood
Streets, provides the perfect
location and a good amount of
space.
“Union Square already has
great community profile” Stuart
continues. “Being here will
help us raise the flag for Craigs
and show the Waikato the
strength of our brand and our
long-term commitment to the
Hamilton CBD.”
Hayley adds that whilst
the Hamilton team have well
established relationships in
Hamilton and Cambridge, the
team works right across the
region, from Pukekohe in the
north, Raglan to the west, Coromandel
to the east and Taumarunui
to the south. With
that, their community involvement
– supporting education,
welfare, health, sport, and the
arts – is extensive.
Craigs have fully embraced
Fosters’ vision of creating a
business hub that will encour-
Members of the Craigs team (L to R) Don Jones, Kay Green, Hayley Nelson and Stuart
Anderson stand in the empty floor of Union Square Building F, soon to be Craigs Hamilton
office. With consent in place, Project Manager Don says the new office will be “modern, bright,
flexible and worth boasting about – a truly exciting space for our staff and clients alike.”
age business back to Hamilton’s
CBD.
“We can clearly see the
future of this precinct,” says
Stuart, “and the future development
of the south end of
town as the new Waikato
Regional Theatre takes shape.
Combined with the unique
people-focused experience that
Fosters are creating, it makes
for an attractive proposition
for our business, our staff, and
our clients.
“We look forward to
entrenching ourselves within
the growing community at
Union Square and look forward
to welcoming clients and
guests to our new premises
very soon.”
With the fitout consent
now in place and the works
sched-uled to commence in
the com-ing days, the
company is antic-ipating
moving in early March 2023.
Take control of your future.
Buy your own business.
0800 225 999
LINKBUSINESS.CO.NZ
Portable Cabins/Homes Rentals
$EOI
Waikato Surrounds
· Excellent tangible assets ($6.3m)
· Profits/earnings on par with commercial
property yields
· Great growth opportunities ahead
· Central Waikato location
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00257
Rick Johnson 021 911 485
rick.johnson@linkbusiness.co.nz
Import/Wholesale/Distribution
$EOI
Waikato
· Designed, imports & distributes B2B
· Exceptional systems, well est CRM & customer
relationships
· Impressive sales & profits, minimal
normilisations
· Secure lease in place until 2028
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00274
Therese Bailey 021 707 641
therese.bailey@linkbusiness.co.nz
Waikato Electrical Business $1,550,000
SOLD
Waikato
· Operating 25+ years, wide range of clients
· Experienced, qualified staff & apprentices
· Cash surplus to working owner over $600k p.a.
average over last 3 yrs
· Fantastic reputation, many years of high
profitability
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00239
Successful Engineering
$EOI
Waikato
· Established Waikato brand for 60+ years
· Management Team in place
· Impressive profitability to working owner
· Good forward workload
· “Blue chip” customers
· Purpose-built offices and workshop
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00256
Rick Johnson 021 911 485
rick.johnson@linkbusiness.co.nz
Floating Restaurant $950,000
Rotorua
· Asset value over $1M
· 30+ years of history
· $500k surplus pre-covid
· Reinstate or reinvent the business
· Unique opportunity to relaunch this iconic
floating restaurant!
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00288
Theresa Eagle 021 289 0949
theresa.eagle@linkbusiness.co.nz
Liquor Store, CBD Location $1,470,000
SOLD
Hamilton
· Spacious store 500m2
· Plenty of storage and large chiller space
· Great location close by the FMG stadium
· Excellent fit-out
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00243
Civil Engineering Practise $595,000
Waikato
· Great reputation and brand, established clients
· Knowledgable & experienced staff
· $250k ave earnings to 1 working owner
· Opportunities for further growth
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00292
Rick Johnson 021 911 485
rick.johnson@linkbusiness.co.nz
Busy Café on Highway $275,000
Hauraki
· Café with accommodation onsite
· 7 days a week, sales averaging $18-19k
· Secure lease & rental agreement
· Loyal Client base, prime location
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00309
Therese Bailey 021 707 641
therese.bailey@linkbusiness.co.nz
Funeral Home $350,000
Waikato Surrounds
· Current FDANZ Member
· Large premises with Chapel & Mortuary
· 3 Hearses, vehicle storage & workshop area
· Earned $190k+ to 2 working owners in FY22
· Located in Mid-North Island
· Services a wide geographical area
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00301
Reuben Silby 021 133 0624
reuben.silby@linkbusiness.co.nz
A Little Bit Different $190,000
Otorohanga
· Beautiful boutique clothing business
· Well established, on-point branding
· Good online & in-store sales split
· SDE $94k, Sales Revenue $517k
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00308
Therese Bailey 021 707 641
therese.bailey@linkbusiness.co.nz
Fun Family Business $949,000
SOLD
Electrical Contractor $695,000
SOLD
Waikato
· Multiple income streams
· Reliable team of over 10
· Great systems in place
· Strong cash flow & good profit
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00265
Waikato
· Established 20+ years, impressive sales &
profits
· Strong processes & systems already in place
· Solid financial performance, $312k profit
· Future growth plans already in motion
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00208
All LINK NZ offices are licensed REAA 2008

“We had a vision for what the new
office would look like; what we
have is even better.”
Jaden Hatwell, Frank Risk Management Director
Jaden Hatwell
630 Victoria Street, once built for Newton King
stock and station agents, has been repurposed and
retrofitted for Frank Risk Management. Director
Jaden Hatwell says they chose Fosters for the job
based on their reputation in the region firstly, but also
because Fosters promised delivery on a very tight
timeline.
The project ran from November 2021 through to June
2022.
“Our main objective was to create an awesome
space for Frank Risk Management to call home, a
space where our team would really enjoy coming to
work” says Jaden.
“At a time when materials were hard to get and
working to a set deadline for the business to move in,
we also needed to work with a good team to make it
happen.
“Fosters made it happen. They got involved in the
design process with Edwards White, securing
materials straight away. The process was smooth
and easy; we were in constant communication with
the site managers and any changes we made were
easily accommodated.”
Initially divided into three tenancies, the area is
now one big open and modern space. A third of the
original wooden floor was repurposed into a kitchen
island unit, bookshelves, door handles and other
fittings. “Recycling the wood was not only a nice
touch, but it also feels good to know we have been
able to reuse the native timber” notes Jaden.
And would Jaden use Fosters again? “Absolutely” is
his response. “Timeliness, cost being as expected,
and great communications are all the reasons I
would use Fosters again.
“We had a vision for what the new office would look
like; what we have is even better. Coming back from
a time when a lot of people worked from home, we
have created a space that everyone appreciates and
wants to work in. The result is exactly what we were
hoping for.”
FOSTERS.CO.NZ . 07 849 3849