Waikato Business News | December 1, 2023

DECEMBER 2023
Our winners keep coming
It’s December – and the season to be
celebrating. This month’s Waikato
Business News is filled with stories of
people and organisations who have been
recognised for excellence.
Te Kauwhata’s Invivo Wines was named
the supreme winner of the Waikato Business
Awards on a gala night at Claudelands in
mid-November.
In this edition of the Waikato Business
News Mary Anne Gill talks to another
winner, Jenni Falconer, who was named
emerging leader of the year.
Gill was also at Hamilton’s CBD awards,
with camera, to capture some moments at
Roose Common Park.
The Kudos science awards were also held
last month and saw a supreme lifetime
achievement awarded to Steve Davis of
Livestock Improvement Corporation.
Sport climbing champion Sarah Tetzlaff,
a Waikato University student, won the
Astride the river
Waikato Regional Council Prize in Water
Science. She is combining her studies with
20 hours a week training in the hope of
qualifying for the Olympics.
Three Waikato companies picked up
awards in the Master Builders House of
the Year awards – including FV Design and
Build, who built the Supreme House of the
Year under $1 million in Raglan.
The month also saw the latest group of
students to receive a scholarship from the
David Johnston Charitable Trust, which
has now distributed almost $4 million to
assist a variety of students, most from rural
communities.
This month’s Waikato Business News
also carries stories about 13 graduates from
an apprenticeship programme run by HCL
Tech who were given jobs by the company
– and we report on another 21 leaders
who graduated from the Community and
Enterprise Leadership Foundation.
Moving Media’s drone captured this stunning shot from high of Hamilton at night – and the Royal Laboratorie Event Hire and Design’s Hampton pitched roof marque in Roose Common Park. The marque
was the venue for the Hamilton CBD awards, and Mary Anne Gill was there – see pictures, page 15.
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2 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS
DECEMBER 2023
CONTACTS
Raglan house a winner
Editor
Roy Pilott editor@goodlocal.nz
027 450 0115
News
Mary Anne Gill
021 705 213
Viv Posselt
027 233 7686
Jeremy Smith
022 317 9499
maryanne@goodlocal.nz
viv@goodlocal.nz
jeremy@goodlocal.nz
Advertising Director
Janine Davy janine@goodlocal.nz
027 287 0005
Owner
David Mackenzie
david@goodlocal.nz
Office
07 827 0005 admin@goodlocal.nz
Website
wbn.co.nz
Readers’ contributions of articles and letters are
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the discretion of editorial staff and may be edited.
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expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers.
Waikato Business News is published by Good Local
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Also publishers of
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Council procedures. A complaint must first
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correspondence with the publication.
Crazy little
things to love
A familiar
cartoon is now
appearing in
Good Local Media
publications –
and it makes its
Waikato Business
News debut in
this edition.
The Little
Things looks at
the highs and lows
of parenthood.
It’s written by
Matt Lawrey and
drawn by Peter Matt Lawrey
Lole.
Waikato Business News editor Roy Pilott
took on The Little Things when he edited the
Taranaki Daily News, and it subsequently
began an extended run in Stuff newspapers.
So he was pleased when Lawry made
contact with publisher David Mackenzie last
month.
The Little Things is the most published
New Zealand cartoon since Footrot Flats,
and has also enjoyed long runs in The Otago
Daily Times and The West Australian.
The Little Things has also been the subject
of two books released by Potton & Burton
Publishing and says Lawry, is inspired by his
own experiences of parenting.
“The original idea was to offer a laugh and
solidarity to mums and dads of little kids but
we soon discovered that our audience was
much wider than we ever expected. Not only
do parents connect with The Little Things
but grandparents and kids love it too,” he
said.
The winning Raglan house
A “true gem” nestled between to
pohutukawa on the edge of the Raglan
Harbour was a winner for FV Design and
Build at the house of the year awards.
The home won the National Supreme
House of the Year under $1 million and
the Altus Window Systems New Home
$750,000 - $1 million.
The judges were impressed by the
detailing in the home, saying it offered a
north-west facing position to soak up the
sun from all areas.
“Despite its modest floor area, the home
spans over three gently stepped levels,
creating a sense of spaciousness. The expert
SJR builders were winners of a special award for this build.
craftsmanship is evident throughout, with
concrete heated floors and plywood walls.
The attention to detail in this build is truly
remarkable.”
A home in Fendalton built by John
Creighton Builders won the National
Supreme House of the Year over $1 million
and New Home over $4 million category
and Glenbuild won the National Supreme
Renovation of the Year and Renovation
over $1.5 million category for their project
in Auckland
Hay Construction and SJR Builders from
Waikato were also award winners on the
night.
Hay Construction collected a Master Build 10 year Guarantee Multi Unit award for this construction.
Tim van de Molen
Your MP for Waikato
Backing Waikato Businesses
Tim.vandeMolenMP@parliament.govt.nz
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DECEMBER 2023
Briefs…
Dyet to leave
Waipā District Council chief
executive Garry Dyet has
announced he will finish up
at the end of June. Dyet has
been with the council since
1980 and has been chief
executive for 15. He talks to
Good Local Media about the
past, present and the future at
cambridgenews.nz
Coromandel news
Waikato Chamber of
Commerce has heralded
as “great news” the Waka
Kotahi announcement that
State Highway 25A between
Kōpū and Hikuai will reopen
to traffic in time for Christmas
- three months earlier than
anticipated.
Going annual
A retirement expo in
Cambridge which attracted
more than 100 people and
was described by organiser
Peter Matthews as “an
information-filled morning
regarding downsizing” is set
to become an annual fixture.
Tea time
Waikato company Zealong
Tea collected three awards at
the UK Tea Academy awards
(the Leafies) - including a
gold for its aromatic oolong
and a lifetime achievement
award.
No close shave
Waikato District Council
staff raised $2800 for
“Movember”, which raises
awareness about men’s health
issues.
Post issue
A High Court decision not
to grant an injunction to
prevent NZ Post terminating
the Waikato’s biggest rural
delivery contract is not likely
to be the end of the matter.
Te Awamutu couple Danny
and Ian Kennedy were told
by Justice Gault that while
factors weighed against
interim relief, their company
had an “arguable case”.
Top of the tree
New Zealand sport climbing
champion Sarah Tetzlaff
has won this year’s Waikato
Regional Council Prize in
Water Science. The prize
recognises a Waikato
University student who shows
outstanding ability in water
science papers
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 3
It’s not what you know…
By Mary Anne Gill
Emergency Consult chief executive Jenni Falconer in her Hamilton office days after winning
Waikato’s emerging leader award.
Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Everything about
Jenni Falconer’s
career has been about
maintaining and fostering
relationships.
“I always know who to
go to,” says Falconer in an
exclusive interview with
Waikato Business News five
days after she was named
Waikato Business Awards’
emerging leader of the year
and Emergency Consult, the
company she founded, took
out the Innovation award.
Since her graduation as
a nurse in 1991, Falconer
has fashioned a career built
on getting to know people
and influencing outcomes
for patients by making the
environment better for those
involved in clinical care.
She has taken Emergency
Consult from a telehealth
organisation founded a year
out from the Covid pandemic
to a company that turns over
$8-$10 million a year and
employs 90 people.
Soon there will be another
29 on the payroll and
Falconer talks of increasing
turnover to $65 million in
five years.
Surrounded by flowers in
her office on the second floor
– it used to be the car park
level of what was the former
State Theatre on the corner
of Victoria and London
streets in Hamilton – she
reflects on what doors the
awards will open for her and
the company.
The 54-year-old admits
she wants to give being a
chief executive five years – so
she has two years to go.
“I don’t want to be told
to leave. Depending on the
growth of the business,
maybe there will be a chance
to step aside and let someone
else take the reins.
“The hard thing is when
you own the business and
you are an executive in the
business, you have to wear
different hats all the time
– shareholder, director and
CEO.”
The decision making
process is dependent on
which hat she is wearing at
the time.
She and her fellow
founders, shareholders
and directors - emergency
consultants Giles Chanwai,
Martyn Harvey and Mustafa
Alshaar - worked in Waikato
Hospital’s emergency
department for several years.
Four years ago, they saw a
need for a telehealth solution
built like an emergency
department. The planning
had been done and the
launch was about to happen
when the pandemic came in
2020.
“Covid, as hard as it was,
was a blessing in disguise
because it normalised
telehealth.”
Emergency Consult had
to pivot – the company
supported the aged
residential care sector with
virtual registered nurses and
offered fast access to top
emergency doctors when
people needed urgent care.
Early last year the
company helped other DHBs
with their Covid responses by
making virtual house calls to
those isolating at home. They
became the only telehealth
provider offering a 24-hour
service on demand without
an appointment or the need
to download an app.
Falconer says she has
been seeking answers to
New Zealand’s health woes
throughout her career and
always wants to make a
difference. Nurses can
do that. “If you want a
process designed or change
management done, a nurse
can do it.”
She was born in Melbourne
to New Zealand parents and
the family moved back when
she was seven, settling in Te
Kuiti.
Falconer went to boarding
school in Taranaki at Sacred
Heart Girls’ College in New
Plymouth.
When she graduated from
Taranaki as a nurse in 1991,
there were no jobs.
Placements in Whanganui,
Taumarunui and Tokanui
gave her an understanding of
rural and community health
issues.
“They all had a glut (of
nurses) which is just criminal
now when you think there
are some people I trained
with that never worked as a
nurse because there wasn’t
a job.”
She returned to Melbourne
where she worked as
an agency nurse cutting
her teeth working in high
dependency units and aged
care.
She got married and
moved to Dunedin where
daughter Jordan was born
in 1993.
“I wasn’t a very good
stay at home mum; I really
wanted to do some shifts, so
I joined a nursing agency.”
The hospital decided
to trial a three month
programme training nurses
in the ward to go into the
emergency department when
it was busy.
Falconer did it and never
looked back. “That is where I
found my love for ED.”
In 1997 she moved north
joining Waikato Hospital
in an overflow winter ward
because there were no jobs in
the emergency department.
“Every day for three
months I knocked on the
door to ED with (charge
nurse) Julie Law and I’d say
‘hi, it’s me, any jobs?’”
Falconer’s persistence
paid off when Law took
her on. Two years later the
department recruited six
new clinical nurse managers,
including Falconer.
In 2001, now remarried,
Falconer had son Steven
and later went to Waikato
University part time to do
a post graduate diploma in
management.
“While I had credibility as a
nurse and had operationally
done significant roles, I
didn’t have the qualification
and so I really wanted
something to validate myself
not only in my own head but
to the external world.”
One of the lecturers
was associate professor
Peter Sun. Falconer had
introduced herself as “just a
nurse.”
“He said ‘wait, let’s pull this
apart. You run 240 staff, you
run a multi-million budget in
an acute service. You’re not
just a nurse’. He took it out
of the context of health and
said I was running a small
to medium size business
and making some critical
(business) decisions.”
Falconer was seconded
into service development
projects at Waikato and
Thames hospitals allowing
her to form relationships out
of ED.
In 2016, by then the ED
nurse manager, Falconer
resigned to join Counties
Manukau DHB’s Ko Awatea
Centre running conferences.
She also started a small
company called VIP Care
and picked up the New
Zealand agency for the Zoono
brand of hand and surface
sanitisers, ideally placed
she thought to capitalise on
Covid but sourcing product
became a huge headache.
Then came the Emergency
Consult opportunity. The
nurse in her drives her
thinking and given it is a
“hands on” profession, how
does she explain arguing for
telehealth?
“Hand on heart, I’m a
nurse, I’m a touchy feely
person, I want to rub your
legs if you’ve got sore legs.
You can’t do that through
telehealth but then what is
the alternative?”
Eighty percent of the
telehealth presentations “we
can see and treat.”
Emergency Consult is
about to open a nurse-led
walk in clinic in Papamoa.
Doctors would be available
by telehealth.
A solution to the country’s
mental health crisis is also
on the company’s to do list.
She wants to develop her
governance skills, take on
other board opportunities
and find the next CEO.
“I always want to know
how and why – I will always
be asking the questions,”
says Falconer.
“Everything in my career
has been about relationships,
that would be the thing I
would say today, you can’t
get anywhere unless you’ve
built those relationships.”
Procuta Associates
Urban + Architecture
Meri Kirihimete
PŌHUTUKAWA HOUSE, WAIHI BEACH
07 839 6521
www.pauaarchitects.co.nz

4 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS
DECEMBER 2023
Kiwi ads boom,
cyber fears loom
Celf celebrates
By BENJI ALLEN
New Zealand businesses are predicted
to spend $2.6 billion on digital
advertising in 2023 according
to global data analysis company Statista,
but chronic cybersecurity vulnerabilities
are creating worries for local experts who
encounter victims of scamming weekly.
The trend of Meta/Facebook users’
business profiles publishing ‘don’t
click the link, we’ve been hacked’
is becoming commonplace but
it is often just the beginning of
a long recovery process that can
cost even the most grassroots
small business time and money.
The founder of Waikatobased
digital advertising group
Unbound, Quentin Weber,
says most people aren’t doing enough
to protect themselves or their business.
“Kiwis are still using the same password
for their online accounts, this means
that if their email, Facebook or banking
information data becomes compromised,
that hacker has access to everything.
“The Waikato DHB had a severe breach
two years ago because someone clicked
something they shouldn’t have, which led to
a DHB-wide problem.”
Weber believes adding a bit of
inconvenience to accessing online services
and profiles, using two-factor authentication
(2FA) and a password manager, makes data
significantly more inconvenient for a hacker
to use.
“It might be our DIY lax attitude or that
we think New Zealand is so isolated we’re
not at risk, but these are the first and easiest
vulnerabilities to address. The hackers will
move on to easier targets, the idea is that
New Zealand becomes a hard target,” he
said.
The sophistication of data breaches is
likely to increase and Weber says when
things go pear-shaped it’s good to have the
right help. He warns businesses should use
Meta advertising services with caution.
“For the amount Meta makes
off New Zealand businesses, we
get very little support if one of
our clients has been hacked.
Unbound knows how to navigate
that ‘ecosystem’ but I can’t
imagine what it is like for a small
business [without support].”
Google, the largest digital
advertising platform, does
provide adequate reliable support which
is reflected in the continued growth of
businesses using their services, he said.
Google is expected to capture over $1.6
billion in digital advertising spending in
2023, Meta is expected to capture $110
million in social media spending.
The manager of Incident Response at
Computer Emergency Response Team NZ,
Cert NZ, Jordan Heersping, is part of the
team making cybersecurity easier to practice
for individuals and businesses.
“Based on the online incidents last year Cert
NZ has a new security awareness building
control, and it’s the most vital,” he said
Like Unbound, Cert NZ encourages 2FA and
a password manager and Heersping says
that small step can stop 60 to 90 per cent of
cyber attacks.
Benji Allen is a Wintec journalism student
Most of the class of 2023 Graduates – Standing, from left, Cam Corkill (BNZ), Steven Robertson
(Wel), Joanne Turner (Hamilton Christian Night Shelter), Tom Jackson (Prolife), Tania Pointon
(Seed), Kate Shaw (ConneXu), Denise Gemmell (Community Living), Heidi Gleeson (True
Colours), Carmen Jacobson (NZ Police), Anna King (Braemar), Mary Ngaronga (St Vincent
de Paul), Megan Austin (Golden Homes), Will Loughrin (NZ Police). Kneeling, Greg Carstens
(Hamilton City Council), Jenni Falconer (Emergency Consult), Hugo Parcell (Power Farming),
Johann Roozenburg (APL), Toby Cunliffe- Steel (Ride NZ) and Avon Polo (Surf Life Saving NZ).
The Community and Enterprise
Leadership Foundation (Celf) has
celebrated the graduation of another 21
leaders – taking the total to more than 150.
The latest cohort made up the eighth
Elevate Leadership Programme.
Graduate Will Loughrin (Waikato West
area commander for the New Zealand
Police) said the programme encouraged
self-reflection and the courage to ask
challenging questions.
“The class of 2023 and (Celf) as a
whole represent a remarkable group of
individuals poised to make a significant
impact on the future of Waikato,” he said.
Braemar Hospital’s Anna King Anna
described Celf as the “gold standard
leadership programme”.
Some learned about scientific research
and its application in leadership, while
others gained tools and knowledge
essential for their leadership journeys,”
she said.
“The ripple effect of this purpose-driven
leadership will be felt in workplaces,
boardrooms, sports fields, communities
and most importantly, in our homes, by
the next generation of leaders.”
Grayson Clements Senior Associate
Legal Executive takes the stress out
of conveyancing
ADVERTORIAL
Dealing with complex and challenging conveyancing,
transactions and structures is where Grayson Clements
Senior Associate Donna Gifford really shines.
Having worked in
the commercial
and accounting
sectors
before completing her
Legal Executive Diploma,
Donna has the skills to
unpick what Grayson
Clements’ clients really
want to achieve and then
make it happen for them.
Donna was recently
promoted to Senior
Associate at Grayson
Clements based in
Hamilton’s Innovation
Park.
The firm was
established in 2008
by directors Michael
Grayson and Andrew
Clements with the desire
to grow a firm that was
“a little bit different” in
its value-driven, clientcentric
approach. It now
employs a team of 28
across a wide range of
areas.
“A lot of clients come
to us because they don’t
have straightforward
transactions.
They have businesses
they need to manage
within transactions and
challenging financing
structures,” says Donna.
“We get a lot of
referrals because other
professionals have
looked at their case and
scratched their heads.
We have the skills to
design the solutions they
need, deliver results, and
protect what matters
most to our clients,” says
Donna.
Donna liaises with
clients, banks, mortgage
brokers, real estate
agents, insurance
companies, councils
and other law firms.
Her specialty is making
sure the right people are
doing the right jobs, at
the right time, to ensure
all transactions are
completed as smoothly
as possible and, most
importantly, on time.
She often deals with
It is challenging and
complex and it can
be stressful, but
we want to make
it as enjoyable as
possible for our
clients and take
that stress out of
the transaction for
them. We hope to
make them smile
and get a positive
outcome.
property developers
and commercial
conveyancing, but her
work also extends into
helping first home
buyers into their homes
as they navigate what
for many has become a
challenging process.
“The major trend we
are seeing is everything
has become more
involved. In the current
economic climate banks
have not been as willing
as they once were to
lend so their financing
structures can be a lot
more complex,” says
Donna.
Many first home
buyers find they need
financial help from
parents or other relatives
or are required to use
funds from elsewhere
resulting in a temporary
Donna Gifford
financing structure for
the first six to 18 months
of their loan periods,
says Donna.
She is also seeing
more complicated
building inspections and
buyers being choosier
about issues they
want remedied before
purchase as they are no
longer as hurried to get
into the market or grow
their portfolios.
“We are also finding
that people who
previously purchased
at a time in the market
where stock was turning
over quickly, have
subsequently discovered
issues like unconsented
work, or they need to
Grayson Clements – Design, Deliver, Protect
Grayson Clements was established in 2008 by lawyers Michael Grayson and
Andrew Clements, who both had a desire to grow a firm that focused on designing
solutions, delivering results and protecting people. Their work and reputation have
gained traction and their client base has grown organically to a point where they
now have a team of 26 staff across a range of practice areas.
refinance with increasing
interest rates.
We can design the
creative solutions
needed to help people in
such situations.”
Her role also takes
on an educational focus
as she walks clients
through the process and
helps them understand
why they are taking
certain actions and what
they will achieve.
Her team has many
years experience
between them and
getting clients into or
out of properties as
smoothly and stress
free as possible is what
drives her.

DECEMBER 2023
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 5
Jobs for graduates
Briefs…
Thirteen people who completed
a 12-month paid apprenticeship
programme run in the Waikato
by Tech company HCLTech have been
given jobs by the company.
The pilot programme - Rise at
HCLTech - is described as an integrated
learning and training programme that
equips secondary school graduates with
the skills and experience they need to
be job-ready.
The programme has a focus on
female, Māori and Pacific students and
is supported by the Ministry of Social
Development.
The initial group, all from Hamilton,
entered the programme as jobseekers
and many had no previous exposure to
IT, the company said.
A second pilot with secondary school
graduates will start in Hamilton next
year and cover cybersecurity, coding,
data analytics and AI.
“Rise at HCLTech provides a solution
to a real-world technology skills
shortage problem,” Michael Horton,
Country Head for Australia and New
Zealand said.
“The programme enables someone
with limited technology skills to be jobready
within a year. This is a powerful
proposition for our clients and partners
in New Zealand.”
Kristian Te Nana, Waikato Regional
Labour Market Manager for the
Ministry of Social Development said
it was great to see a company helping
local people get jobs in the Waikato
region.
NZTech chief Graeme Muller said
tech skills were becoming become
increasingly critical for the future
prosperity of the country.
HCLTech employs more than 221,000
people across 60 countries.
Abiola Onunde with Kristy McSweeney from HCLTech and trainee graduate Ike Fayomi,
right, who will work as a data analyst for the company. Abiola came see her sister Ike
graduate.
Cody’s first
Cody Hall (pictured) from
CF Reese Ltd in Hamilton,
won the top award at the
Plumbing World’s Young
Plumber of the Year
competition in Hamilton
in November. He won a
prize pool valued at more
than $80,000 – and his
employer collected prizes
worth more than $4500.
From an initial field of
350, 10 finalists competed
in Hamilton for the major
title.
Scholars named
The David Johnstone Charitable Trust, administered by
Perpetual Guardian, has been operating since 1991, the
year after the death the Waikato farmer and philanthropist
has provided another $168,000 to help students fund
the start of their tertiary education next year. Recipients
included – Cambridge High School, Ayla Montgomerie;
Fairfield College, Jorja McKinnon, Rebecca Adams; Forest
View High School, Ainsley Harrison, Caitlyn Haratsis, Kate
Taylor; Hamilton Christian School, Luke van Kampen;
Hillcrest High School, Jasmine Prenter, Charlotte Dexter;
Matamata College, Jaskeerat Singh, Keeley Thomas;
Morrinsville College, Ash-lee Barker, Bailee Steiner, Olivia
Harris; Onewhero Area School, Joe Thackham; St Paul’s
Collegiate School, Daniel Knox; Sacred Heart Girls’ College,
Hamilton, Hannah Macdonald; St Peter’s School Cambridge,
Samuel Smyth; Sacred Heart Girls’ College, Hamilton,
Rejoice Nhemachena; Te Awamutu College, Billy Barclay, Te
Kauwhata College; Mervil Francisco, Tokoroa High School,
Sariel Solomon; Waikato Diocesan School for Girls, Ava
Meehan, Sarah Teale; Waihi College, Jayda Williamson;
St John’s College Hamilton; Joel David Castillo. See photo
page 31.
Correction
Jacob Chetwin of Te Awamutu, who invented an educational
card game and picked up the Te Pūkenga Company of the
Year at the Waikato regional Young Enterprise Awards, is 17.
We had Jacob’s age wrong in the print edition of November’s
Waikato Business News.
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
Director, Bayleys Commercial - Waikato
021 943 305
david.cashmore@bayleys.co.nz
Gert Maritz
Senior Facilities Manager -
Waikato, Bay of Plenty & Taranaki
027 230 2514
gert.maritz@bayleys.co.nz
Rasa Gecaite-Vienazindis
Commercial Property Manager - Waikato
021 077 7873
rasa.gecaite@bayleys.co.nz
SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008
ALTOGETHER BETTER
Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services

6 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS
DECEMBER 2023
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DECEMBER 2023
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 7
Quick dash, back in a flash
By Mary Anne Gill
It took NZ Aero’s chief
executive Stephen
Burrows several years to
fulfil his childhood passion
of having a career in aviation.
Back in the 1980s he
would look up when planes
flew over his family’s
Paterangi home and beg
his father Colin to take him
to New Zealand Aerospace
Industries factory in Airport
Road where he worked.
The first thing he did
when he left Te Awamutu
College at the end of 1988
was to try and get a job in
aviation.
“I had a passion for
aeroplanes but there were
no jobs on offer.”
So instead, he became
an apprentice motorcycle
mechanic with Graham
Wilks at Wilksbrooke
Motors in Te Awamutu.
“I can still fix a motor
bike and I still get
chiranged (talked into)
fixing motorbikes and I
enjoy them,” Burrows tells
The News on the day his
company launches a new
aircraft which has the
potential to revolutionise
the global aviation industry.
The $5 million SuperPac
Xstol (Extremely Short
Take-Off and Landing)
aircraft – which cost more
than $10 million and took
seven years to develop -
does not require a sealed
runway and can take off in
as little as 200 metres and
landing on rugged terrains,
including hillsides.
And it’s come from
a workforce of 60 –
Stephen Burrows
expected to grow another 20
next year - largely drawn
from the Waipā district in
a factory where Burrows’
father once worked.
The irony is not lost on
Burrows – who now lives
down the road in Tamahere.
He rattles off where the
plane’s Kiwi-designed and
built ingenuity will pay
dividends.
In his office he points
to a picture on the wall of
the 750XL, the pre-runner
to the new plane, making
a difference in Papua New
Guinea bringing in supplies
to remote villages and
helping with humanitarian
aid.
NZ Aero is the country’s
only commercial aircraft
maker and they are doing
it in an area steeped in
aviation history.
Outside Burrows’ office
window is the kit set factory
the Americans assembled
and brought their planes
to for maintenance during
World War II’s Pacific
campaign. It was built in
weeks and 80 years later is
still standing and in use.
The legendary Oswald
“Ossie” James revolutionised
the agricultural industry
with his topdressing planes,
mostly FU24 Fletchers,
assembled at Rukuhia. Aero
Engine Services supplied
engine and component
facilities for James
Aviation, on NZ Aero’s
site in the 1950s. It went
on to become New Zealand
Aerospace Industries, where
Burrows’ father worked,
and then Pacific Aerospace
Corporation in 1982.
It was in 1996 at Pacific
Aerospace where Burrows
finally got a job as an aircraft
assembler and then in plane
maintenance.
Wanting to learn
more about engineering,
Burrows enrolled in a
certificate course at Waikato
University, only for it to
close after a week.
He stayed at university for
a few months, but the pull
of aviation drew him back
and he went on to become
quality assurance manager
at Pacific Aerospace.
While the company
successfully developed and
built planes – like Crescos
and the PAC 750XL – it had
its down times.
Two years ago, Covid was
cited as one of the major
reasons for the company
going into liquidation.
Burrows, then Quality
general manager, stayed on
because he was responsible
for oversight of aircraft
certificates.
“It kind of left me as the
last man standing.”
The Civil Aviation
Authority took over
managing and maintaining
the certificates for the
hundreds of planes Pacific
Aerospace had flying all
around the world. Without
the certificates, they would
have been grounded.
The SuperPac Xstol aircraft at Hamilton Airport.
Aviation attracts
entrepreneurs, adventurers,
people prepared to take risks.
And that is what new owners
and directors Donella Bond
and Neil Young were. They
purchased the assets of
the company, renamed it
NZSkydive Ltd – trading as
NZ Aero – and continued
manufacturing the 750XLs,
CT4 Airtrainers, E-350
Expeditions and Crescos.
“ That was me, I
had a passion
when I was a
young fellow,
that aviation
was going to be
my career
Their big goal was to
complete the SuperPac Xstol
and get it onto the market.
They asked Burrows to
become Engineering general
manager and then chief
executive.
“I’m passionate about
engineering, manufacturing
and aircraft, so it’s perfect
for me.
“Anything’s possible –
from motorcycle groomer
to CEO of New Zealand’s
only aircraft manufacturing
company. It seems like a
made up story, but it’s not.”
Burrows can do every job
at the company, except fly
planes.
“I’ve tried flying, I’m not
very good at it.
“But it’s important as a
CEO that you understand the
processes of how things are
made and the complexities
and the issues the staff
find when they’re trying
to assemble an aircraft or
make something.”
What does Burrows think
Ossie James would make
of the new plane with its
new propulsion system,
electronic flight deck, touch
screens, hydraulic control,
air conditioning, plush seats
and even a USB charger? It’s
nothing like the Fletchers he
and other topdressing pilots
flew.
“I think he would be
well impressed. He was
a pioneer, he developed
aircraft like we have. This
is transformative, he would
have liked that.
“You can get up to 20,000
feet in this aircraft and be
back on the ground in under
three. That for an operator
is revenue.”
Part of the new plane’s
future will lie in countries
where climate change has
resulted in larger fires across
huge tracts of land.
The SuperPac’s flexibility
means it can “land on a
dime”, pick up water quickly
(using a New Zealanddesigned
water carrier),
provide medivac services
and carry just about
anything on board.
“We want to make
products that serve a
purpose,” said Burrows.
He is also enthusiastic
about providing job
opportunities for Waikato
youngsters.
“We’re keen to stimulate
more interest, particularly
among girls. It’s an industry
which offers trades and the
whole gambit of different
skills. In order to attract
those people, you’ve got to
get them young.
“That was me, I had a
passion when I was a young
fellow, that aviation was
going to be my career.”
The interview ends and
Burrows does something he
has done thousands of times
since he was a boy. He looks
to the sky and smiles this
time at a plane he knows all
too well - the SuperPac Xstol
as it descends towards the
Hamilton Airport runway.
MEET SANTA • LATE NIGHTS
FREE PARKING • GIFT WRAPPING
Photo: Mary Anne Gill

8 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS
DECEMBER 2023
Where We Are In The
Cycle? What Does 2024
Hold In Store For Us ?
As I write this, there seems
to be agreement on policy,
so hopefully we are not
far away from a new
government being formed – at long
last. Since the election we have seen
greater optimism from the business
community and possibly light at the
end of the long tunnel we have been in
– hopefully not as someone suggested
to me last week, that light is actually a
train coming towards us.
There seems no doubt that we are
currently bouncing along the bottom
of the market. While we don’t know
how long we will be here, one thing is
for sure, those that take opportunities
presented to them now, will in the
long term look like the rock stars that
did so after the GFC – Matt Stark is one
of those.
Commercial and industrial investors
and owner occupiers only seem to
have two issues when it comes to
purchasing property at the moment -
that is access to capital and the cost of
capital.
While yields have risen significantly
since the frenzied peak of the market
in 2021/22, buyers have pulled back,
showing a reluctance to act. History
would suggest that being counter
cyclical around purchasing decisions,
remains a prudent and successful
strategy, as there is currently far
less competition when it comes to
purchasing.
When will the bell toll ?
At some stage during 2024 it seems
highly likely that the Reserve Bank
will cut the OCR or allude to an
imminent cut – at exactly that point
in time, confidence will start to return
to the market, as will an abundance
of purchasers and the competition
between them. Once the bell has
tolled, its too late if you were wanting
to purchase at the bottom of the
market - its now rising.
In this column the same time last
year, I suggested that we would expect
the OCR rises to have peaked by now
and even the possibility of impending
cuts ahead. That seems about
right? It’s hard to see any sound
reasoning behind the Reserve
Bank raising the OCR further,
as banks have already raised
their lending and deposit rates
recently, even though
they are forecasting
that the Reserve
Bank will start to
cut the OCR late (or
possibly mid) 2024.
ADVERTORIAL
Crystal Ball
What will happen to commercial
property in Hamilton and the
Waikato?
• Vacancy rates have slowly started
to increase. At this stage we are not
expecting this to be significant, but
some tenants are under pressure.
• Secondary grade assets have seen a
greater drift in their yields, but they
are also the ones that experience
the greatest uplift when we
experience a rising market.
• With commercial lending rates
generally now being around 9% and
with tough lending criteria from
banks, purchasers that can borrow
will have been well tested.
Those hoping that the historically
low yields we saw in late 2021 and
into early 2022 will return, are in my
opinion living in a utopian world – as
much I would like to see them return,
they just won’t. The OCR levels below
1% and availability of capital that we
saw, were the fundamental reason for
this.
My advice for 2024, but starting right
now:
• If you are considering purchasing,
whether you are an owner occupier
or investor, now is absolutely the
time. Take action today with a view
to the future.
• If the deal works in today’s high
interest rate environment, then it’s
only going to get better as interest
rates start to fall in due course.
• Set your list of criteria and then
get active – those that keep
changing their criteria, invariably
shift the goal posts, often ending
up doing nothing, having missed
the opportunity. Quality assets are
always quality assets in the long
term.
• Before you do anything, talk to
your financier or mortgage broker.
Cash is king again and we have seen
some recent sales that demonstrate
the value of this commodity.
• Once the bell tolls around interest
rate cuts, greater competition from
purchasers will absolutely return to
the market.
So, enjoy your break with friends
and family over Christmas and New
Years, for it’s been a long year, but
one that has gone quickly.
2024 will be the year of
opportunity. Hamilton and the
Waikato continues to come
into its own, being well
set up to weather any
storm, with a broad
and robust economy.
In the business
of conservation
Two projects making
news in the Waikato
are concentrating on
waterways.
In Waipā a project
to create an ecological
corridor between Sanctuary
Mountain Maungatautari
and Mt Pirongia has
celebrated its second
anniversary.
The Taiea te Taiao project
will link the two maunga -
40km apart - by planting
along the Mangapiko Stream
and its tributaries, on farms
and other properties.
More than 200,000 plants
have been added to the
corridor. Nine kilometres of
waterways have been fenced
and native trees planted
alongside.
“Beautifying the
Mangapiko Stream will
enhance its mana,” Poto
Davies of Ngāti Koroki
Kahukura said.
“The stream is the veins of
the land, and the whenua is
important to us all.”
Waipā district councillor
Clare St Pierre, co-chair
of the Maungatautari to
Pirongia Ecological Corridor
Incorporated Society, says
an environment is being
provided for “iconic” species
so people can see them on
their back doorstep.
The Ministry for the
Environment provides
funding through the
Freshwater Initiatives Fund
for two employees, and NZ
Landcare Trust coordinates
the project.
Further north Tāngaro
Tuia te Ora, the Endangered
Species Foundation, has
named Tawera Nikau
and Emma Giesen as new
co-chairs.
Giesen brings a wealth of
Former Sanctuary Mountain
Maungatautari chief Phil Lyons has taken
on the role of national manager for Trees for
Survival.
And at Maungatautari, Helen Somerville
is into her third month in the new role of
general manager, having succeeded Andrew
Peckham.
Trees for Survival has planted more than
two million native plants since the charitable
trust was established in 1991.
Lyons said it was wonderful to see more
people choosing to give the gift of a tree
or a charitable donation for birthdays,
anniversaries, or Christmas in lieu of a more
traditional gift.
experience in environmental
advocacy and a track record
of fostering tree planting
initiatives across Aotearoa.
Nikau, Waikato-Tainui
and a former Kiwi, is
working to wipe out koi carp
from north Waikato lakes.
The introduced pest
was initially recorded
in the Waikato in 1983 –
today tonnes of koi are
removed from the river by
bow hunters in an annual
competition.
At the start of November
the 33rd World Koi Classic
harvested 4.11 tonnes of koi
in two days.
Nikau, also chair of Te
Riu o Waikato Board, said
the fish would be processed
into petfood, fish bait and
fertiliser.
The focus of Tāngaro
Tuia te Ora is to strengthen
partnerships with Māori
organisations, communities,
and leaders who are
dedicated to biodiversity
restoration.
“We are entering a new era
of biodiversity restoration,”
general manager Natalie
Jessup says.
She also paid tribute to
outgoing chair Stu Muir
“Stu has been instrumental
in strengthening our
position as a respected
Emma Giesen
Tawera Nikau
Poto Davies
Changes at the top
A replacement barge for the Tamahere 94
barge used by the Waikato Regional Council
Construction is expected to be heading south
this time next year.
Construction of the new self-propelled
vessel, overseen by Marine Management
Ltd, started at Heron Ship Repair Limited in
Whangarei in May.
The council received $1.92 million
from Kānoa – the Regional Economic
Development and Investment Unit’s Covid
“ The stream
is the veins of
the land, and
the whenua is
important to
us all
organisation through his
leadership and emphasis
on indigenous perspectives
and Māori-led projects for
biodiversity,” she said.
Every year, Trees for Survival plants over
100,000 native plants, in collaboration with
students, landowners, schools, communities
and corporate partners.
The plants are grown and nurtured by
students.
Meanwhile, Somerville reported last
week that three of the kākāpō brought up
to Maungatautari from Fiordland had been
returned – after some of the flightless birds
managed to get out of the fenced enclosure.
The challenges were not entirely unexpected
– the department of conservation anticipated
having to jump some hurdles of its own as
it works with iwi and Sanctury Mountain to
eventually establish a breeding population.
Barge work continues
19 Response and Recovery Fund - towards
the project.
The Tamahere 94 was used by the council
for 50 years as a working platform on the
Waikato and Waipā rivers.
The new vessel will undertake work
primarily to provide for the stability and
capacity of river channels in the lower
reaches of the Waikato and Waipā rivers,
as well as being available for lease to other
parties.

DECEMBER 2023
The Company-X lifers
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 9
BUSINESS SHOWCASE
Company-X has grown
to more than 50 in the
last decade, but there’s a
small team who have been
with the Waikato software
specialist since the start.
“I
like the Company-X ethos,”
says Company-X senior
developer Rob
Scovell.
British-born Scovell
was one of the first to join
co-founders and directors
Jeremy Hughes and David
Hallett after Company-X
began trading in April 2023.
“The Company-X ethos fits very
comfortably with my personal ethos. It’s
an honourable ethos. You do what you
say you’re going to do, and you align
yourself with the customer. So, you align
what you do with what the client goals
are.”
Scovell has found himself on an array
of projects over the years, working for
clients as diverse as big tech company
Cisco in the USA, Jumpflex in Hamilton,
NZ Police in Wellington, and Yabble, in
Auckland.
Scovell was hired after meeting Hallett
at the Innes 48-hour Business Startup
competition at The Atrium in Wintec
House, Hamilton.
For the first eight years Scovell split
his time between New Zealand and the
UK, spending about three months of
every year in Britain. Scovell has divided
his time between Thailand and the UK for
the last two years.
Scovell’s most memorable moments
with Company-X include his first
visit to Jeremy Hughes in Raglan and
playing Professor X in a
promotional video.
Darren Harrison joined
Company-X as a contractor
after working with Hughes
at Ignition Software,
eventually becoming a fulltime
team member.
“Being the lead developer and
architect for the One Network Road
Classification Performance Measures
Reporting Tool for the first five or six
years was great,” Harrison said.
The tool, built for the transport sector,
became Transport Insights – the world’s
first system that provides evidencebased
insights for national transport
decisions.
Latterly Harrison has worked on
software for Fleetcoach.
Frank Mele joined Company-X in 2013
on the recommendation of another
team member who had worked with him
before.
Mele is one of a handful working from
an overseas office, so he particularly
enjoys virtual meetings where he gets to
eyeball other team members and clients.
“It is nice to talk to people,” he said.
“It is good to see people’s
faces.”
Finance manager
Antonia Withey has been
with Company-X since day
one.
“When I started with
Company-X co-founders Jeremy Hughes, left, and David Hallett.
Company-X it was just a couple of
hours a week as the company was in
its infancy,” Withey said. “It has been
great that, as the Company grew and
required more of my time, my daughter
was also growing up and I had more time
available. I enjoy and am proud to be
working as part of the Company-X team.
“There have been many things for
10 years that I have had to learn as I
go, especially with the expansion into
the USA and in dealing with foreign
currencies. There is always a deadline or
challenge along the way.
“When I think about what has made
me smile over the last 10 years it is a
flashback of many of the speeches David
or Jeremy have made at meetings or
get togethers. They have had a way of
making everyone feel part of the team,
appreciated and all of us a part of the
company’s success.”
Company-X co-founder and director
David Hallett said he and Hughes prided
themselves on building high-performing
teams.
“It’s really exciting to see that our
people want to be the best team doing
the best things,” Hallett said.
“We continue to hire people who want
to be part of that ethos. A rising tide lifts
all boats. A rising tide lifts all waka.”
Hughes said he was thrilled
Company-X still had team members, or
lifers, from its early days.
“They’ve made this company what it
is,” Hughes said. “They joined us at the
beginning, helped paddle the waka and
after 10 years we’re still having a great
time creating and delivering amazing
software innovations.
“One of the most satisfying things in
the journey of Company-X is building the
team that we’ve built, and the fact that
we have Company-X lifers tells me that
it’s been as much a satisfying journey for
them, as it has for me.”
Navigate the
digital landscape
with us

10 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS
DECEMBER 2023
End of year immigration
update for employers
Advertorial
St Peter’s school
changes backed
Employers employing migrant
workers were required to be
accredited by Immigration New
Zealand from July 2022. Once
accredited, an employer must then
obtain a Job Check approval, before
the worker can apply for an accredited
employer work visa (AEWV).
Since this new regime began, now 16
months ago, there have been 31,000
employer accreditation applications,
49,000 Job Check applications
covering 230,000 jobs, and 94,000
AEWVs have been approved. The
processing of all these applications
had been going very (too?) smoothly
until a few months ago when a
number of significant incidences of
migrant exploitation surfaced. Many
workers paid large amounts of money,
sometimes as much as $50,000, to
obtain their New Zealand job and
work visa, only to find on their arrival
in New Zealand that there was no
job, or the job was not what they had
signed up for, or that suddenly the
work had dried up.
Immigration NZ has now changed the
rules. The process of accreditation,
Job Check and AEWV was previously
able to be completed within 4-6
weeks. This process can now take
3 months or more. INZ is also now,
finally, undertaking appropriate
verification and checking of all
applications to ensure these are
credible, and supported by suitable
evidence. In other policy changes 90-
day trial periods are no longer allowed
within migrant workers employment
agreements, and AEWVs will now
(normally) be issued for a 5-year
duration. The minimum payrate for an
AEWV to be approved is $29.66 per
hour (the median payrate) but lower
rates can apply for some roles where
there is a sector agreement (eg; care
workforce, hospitality). The previous
Government has signalled that this
median pay would increase to $31.61
per hour in February next year – it
will be interesting to see if the new
National led Government ratifies this
increase or cancels/defers it due to
the cost to employers.
Much of the migrant exploitation is
understood to be associated with
third-party/labour hire employers,
and within the construction sector,
and INZ is tightening policies for
these employers to require evidence
of financial viability, and that their
workforce comprises at least 35% of
New Zealand workers.
INZ is also currently undertaking
audits of (around 16% of) accredited
employers to check they have been
compliant with their accreditation
obligations - including maintenance
of time and wage records, and
completion of settlement information
and Employment NZ modules.
Currently 1,600 employer audits have
been completed with another 1,200
underway. Some 1,500 complaints
have been made against accredited
employers, and 103 employers have
had their accreditation revoked
(many due to business liquidations),
and 23 have had their accreditation
suspended. Accredited employers
should revisit their original
accreditation application to ensure
they are aware of, and up to date with,
their obligations.
INZ is continuing to review the Green
List which lists those roles, and the
credentials required, for in-demand
roles that enable either a straight-toresidence
application or a residence
application to be made after working
in the role for 2 years. Another 17
roles will be added to the Green List
in March 2023 including Corrections
Officer, welder, fitter, metal fabricator
and panel beater, among others.
Congratulations to Hon Erica Stanford,
the new Minister of Immigration. It
is reassuring to now have a minister
who is so passionate, knowledgeable
and capable in dealing with the
immigration portfolio.
For any immigration matter please do
not hesitate to contact the friendly
Pathways team.
By Mary Anne Gill
St Peter’s Head of School Marcus Blackburn in his office.
A
restructure of its admissions,
international and marketing offices
into one directorate will help
maximise the potential of St Peter’s School,
says its Head of School Marcus Blackburn.
He made the comment in response to
rumours circulating in the community
that the school was undertaking a series of
redundancies. The News was contacted by
several sources suggesting there were as
many as 12-13 people involved.
Blackburn, who started at the school
earlier this year following the controversial
resignation of his predecessor Dale Burden
in May 2021 amid an investigation into
bullying, denied the rumours.
“It is disappointing to hear (the gossip),”
he said.
“The whole concept of getting rid of people
is regrettable.”
Restructuring was happening in three
departments – admissions, international
and marketing - which currently operate out
of two separate offices enrolling students
into the school.
One is for overseas students and the other
for day and boarding. Bringing marketing in
would clarify what St Peter’s was all about,
said Blackburn.
Staff numbers would go from 10 to seven,
with deployment elsewhere in the school
being actively pursued for “those staff who
wish to remain members of the St Peter’s
team.”
Recruitment is underway for the new
role of Admissions and Marketing head,
who will coordinate all three functions. The
merger made sense and would provide a
key operation and function for the school,
he said.
“We will expect there will be great
collaboration across that team.”
Other staff resigning across the school
and changes to the school’s sport academies
probably led to the rumours.
“I feel as a leader I’m coming in to facilitate
the things we need to do to maximise the
potential of the school.”
The school is piloting a programme next
year from years seven to 10 next year which
would bring sport into the timetable as a
double period every week, in addition to
before and after school.
Sport is currently an elective subject with
some students feeling they could not afford
to do sport so they could preserve their
academic options.
“I care about equity. I want our most
experienced expert sports staff supporting
students across the age levels and at all
Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
teams. If your sport only happens after
school, those staff members have to choose
which teams they work with.”
Blackburn, a former regional development
officer for the Welsh Rugby Union and
the Singapore national rugby sevens coach,
worked under a similar successful system
when he was at Scots College in Sydney from
2009-2015.
Performing arts is another area under
review following the resignation of the
current Director of Performing Arts. The
process around recruiting to that position
had not started yet.
“I’m really confident in their (the staff)
capacity to keep that engine going.
“I really value co-curricular activities at
school,” he said.
It was something he developed during
his time as Assistant Head (Co-curricular)
at Hereford Cathedral School in the United
Kingdom from 2015-2018.
From 2020 to 2022 in Adelaide Blackburn
was deputy headmaster and Head of Senior
School at St Peter’s College – a boys only
Anglican boarding and day school of 1500
students.
St Peter’s in Cambridge has a roll of 1200.
He, wife Tara and sons Jack, 20, and Rory,
17, moved to Cambridge earlier this year.
Tara is a primary school teacher and an
Irish dance teacher.
The first part of the year was one of getting
to know the school and the community,
speaking to people on sport sidelines, being
at events and meeting with Year 13 learning
groups to learn about their experience at St
Peter’s.
“Culture is just integral. I made that
real commitment to the community -
whakawhanaungatanga, to get to know the
people and the place and the rituals, the
tikanga.”
“Failing to do that would have been
missing a real opportunity.”
He coached the St Peter’s under 15 girls’
rugby team and supported a basketball
team.
Using his rugby sevens experience – he
wrote a book 10 years ago called Coaching
Rugby Sevens – he will take charge of the
Hautapu club sevens team.
“I’ve come in as a leader. I do believe that
schools require leaders that pay attention
to school as a workplace and not just a
place for young people to come to learn. I’m
committed to do that. I am here to balance
that support of our staff at the same time as
trying to inspire their performance,” said
Blackburn.

DECEMBER 2023
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 11
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Prices and specifications are subject to change at any time. See Toyota.co.nz for full Ts&Cs.

12 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS
DECEMBER 2023
Scientific work acknowledged
The achievements of 17 scientists and
their teams were acknowledged
at the Kudos Science Excellence
Awards at the end of November in
Hamilton.
The Emerging Scientist category,
sponsored by the Hamilton City Council,
recognised a major recent contribution
toward advancing an emerging career in
science across the greater Waikato and
Toi Moana, Bay of Plenty.
The award was won by climate
scientist Dr Luke Harrington, who was
also named a finalist in the Waikato
Regional Council Environmental award.
“The calibre of science achievement
from our young scientists is incredibly
inspiring.” Hamilton mayor Paula
Southgate said when presenting the
award.
NIWA’s Te Kūwaha o Taihoro
Nukurangi team celebrated two major
award wins including the Waikato
Regional Council Environmental Science
and University of Waikato Vision
Maatauranga awards.
The team works to help Māori
communities access the latest scientific
research and tools to manage natural
resources while respecting their unique
knowledge systems.
Cardiovascular surgeon Dr Manar
Khashram won the Te Whatu ora
- Waikato Medical Science award
in recognition of his dedication to
vascular surgery and research which is
enhancing the management of aortic
and vascular disease. Finalists in this
category included Associate Professor
Lynn Chepulis from the University of
Waikato and Dr Matthew Phillips of
Waikato Hospital.
The Science Teacher/Educator/
Communicator award was won by
horticultural science teacher Hilary
Johnson from Katikati College,
highlighting her contribution to results
that kept her students at higher than the
national average for four years.
Other significant awards included the
Agresearch Cattle Urine Sensor team as
winner of the Science and Technology
award, and The LIC Variant Discovery
team taking home the Hill Labs Primary
Industry award.
A supreme Kudos Lifetime
Achievement award was presented to
Steve Davis of LIC. His distinguished
research career has spanned 48 years
and contributed greatly to the quality
of New Zealand’s dairy herd and its
production.
Dr Davis has published over 120
scientific papers, 145 conference
proceedings, five book chapters and over
10 patents.
“It’s always awe-inspiring to see so
many potentially ground-breaking
projects underway. What I find most
impressive is the passion, blood,
sweat and tears that goes into each of
them,” Kudos Science Trust chair Chris
Williams said.
Students were also recognised for their
achievements in science. The $1000
Braemar Charitable Trust/Science
Spinners Scholarship was awarded to
Mya Komene, Aiga Tasi/Fraser High
school to support her academic pathway
in medical/health sciences.
The master of ceremonies was Forest
and Bird chief executive Nicola Toki.
“The fact that the Waikato region is
the only region to hold such significant
awards and has done so year after year
for 16 years, is a positive reflection
of the high calibre of the Waikato
Steve Davis, of LIC, was presented with a life time achievement
award by trust chair Chris Williams.
scientific community,” she
said.
“Even better, is the degree
of collaboration and courage
demonstrated by this
innovative group of scientists
to tackle some of our most
challenging issues”.
Miriama’s rose translates into books
By Mary Anne Gill
Mike Dreaver was quite
specific when four years ago
he asked Hamilton’s Amoré
Roses to create a rose for
his wife, television presenter
Miriama Kamo.
It had to be brown and
a climber, he told owner
Jan Barnett. Last month
Kamo was at the company’s
Newstead premises for the
annual open day where the
rose was launched.
Proceeds from sales of
the Miriama Kamo rose
go to the couple’s Kotahi
Rau Pukapuka Trust which
translates books written in
English to Māori.
Catholic bishop Steve
Lowe, a family friend of
Kamo’s from Christchurch,
blessed the rose and gave a
reading from St Matthew.
For Jan it was yet more
proof that she and husband
Paul made the right decision
when they pursued the
opportunity to become rose
importers.
The Barnetts were in
Osaka, Japan in 2006 – she
had written the successful
citation to the World Rose
Federation to have Hamilton
Gardens’ rose garden given
a garden of excellence award
and he was at a property
conference.
Jan has been fascinated
by roses since she was a girl
and went on to become a
national rose judge. Paul
is less knowledgeable so
when he met acclaimed
American rose breeder
Frank Bernadella at the bar
one night, he had no idea of
what a legend he was with.
Bernadella, who has since
died, was complaining that
he could not get his awardwinning
miniature roses
into New Zealand.
Paul said he would see
what he could do.
On their return, Jan and
Paul set up a business to
import and quarantine the
The Amoré ladies: Briony Nash, Janette and Melanie Barnett.
Photo: Supplied
plants. Originally it was to
be established rose growing
firms which would get the
roses to market but delays in
getting quarantine units set
up left Jan on her own.
They sold their retirement
beach home, bought several
hectares in Vaile Road,
Newstead and set about
getting the new roses into
circulation.
Seven years later there
are now some unique and
beautiful varieties of Amoré
Roses released in New
Zealand about the same
time as Europe.
Jan has breeders from
Belgium, Australia,
Germany, France,
Netherlands, Canada,
Ireland and America.
“We all think she is
awesome and will do really
well. She talks about being a
boutique business but if the
New Zealand public want to
see beautiful roses in their
garden no matter how small
the garden, then Jan could
be very busy,” said Paul, a
successful project manager
and property developer for
nearly 40 years.
Jan recently picked up
three awards for her roses –
children’s choice, hybrid tea
and most fragrant - at the
Pacific Rose Bowl Festival in
the Rogers Rose Garden at
Hamilton Gardens beating
out roses from around the
world.
Some of Jan’s roses are
perfumed, some are small
bushes but with big flowers,
some are almost thornless,
some striped, some speckled
but all are disease tolerant.
“The beauty of these roses
is that they bring colour
into the garden and can
also fit into small apartment
gardens,” said Paul.
Their daughters Briony
and Melanie are now
co-directors and help in the
business.
Miriama Kamo, who now has her own rose, at Amoré Rose’s open day.
Electric bus debuts in Taupō
Waikato’s first electric bus is doing the
rounds in Taupō.
Waikato Regional and Taupō District
councils launched the bus at an event last
week. It carries up to 56 passengers at a
time and can tilt towards the curb and
extend a ramp to provide easier access for
passengers.
The new cleaner, quieter and emission free
Taupō Connector replaces a diesel vehicle
which has been a mainstay of the Waikato
public bus system for years.
Tranzit Coachlines operates the buses. A
120kW charger at Tranzit’s Taupō depot
takes two hours to charge the battery and
uses a smart charging system that takes
advantage of off-peak power prices.
The 281kWh on-board battery powers the
engine and in-built regeneration technology
recharges it when the bus brakes, enabling
the bus to travel for about 300km on a single
charge.
Waka Kotahi says electric bus trials in
Auckland reduced operating costs by 70 to 85
per cent compared to diesel vehicles running
the same route.
The Taupō Connector travels for about
270km each weekday, making seven
return loops (six on the weekend) between
Wharewaka in the northwest of town and
Nukuhau in the south.
Mich’eal Downard, Waikato Regional
Photo: Supplied.
Councillor for Taupō-Rotorua and chair of
the Regional Transport Committee, said zeroemission
buses were critical for achieving
Waikato’s public transport objective to make
services net carbon neutral from 2025 to
2050: “EVs are a game changer for reducing
emissions across our network, so this is a big
deal and I’m very happy that it happens to be
in Taupō.”
In Cambridge at the start of 2023 medical
professional Luk Chin suggested a small
electric bus service for the community.
Waikato’s public transport network covers
approximately 730km of roads outside of
Hamilton City and daily passenger numbers
this year are up 28.4 per cent on 2022.
The network carried an average of 7948
passengers a day last year but was carrying
10,208 at the end of October 2023.
The regional council’s public transport
manager, Trudi Knight, says continual
improvements to services and options are
making a difference: “The great thing about
the increasing passenger numbers is we’ve
done it without increasing the average
number of bus trips each day. We had 760
last year and 758 this year.
“On an average day, we’re taking the
equivalent of 8876 car trips off the road.
Obviously, this is great for reducing emissions
but every EV bus we can add to our network
makes it even cleaner and more efficient.”

DECEMBER 2023
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 13
BUSINESS SHOWCASE
Local couple purchase David
Reid Homes Waikato franchise
Eagle-eyed residents of
Te Awamutu will have
spotted the change in
signage at Lunix Homes
in Mahoe Street. That’s
because they’re now
David Reid Homes
Waikato. Here’s what is
behind the move...
To sum up the new David Reid
Homes Waikato owners Tau Haimona
and Felicity Haimona-Kay in one
word, we would say “passionate”.
The husband-and-wife duo have
built a reputation of trust for
themselves under their previous
business, Lunix Homes, but knew that
under the David Reid Homes brand
they could take things to another
level.
Tau’s extensive building background,
strong work ethic and attention
to detail is matched equally by
the profi ciency with which Felicity
supports client relationships and
build planning. Their commitment to
each aspect of the build process has
earned the pair a solid reputation
of offering quality products and
workmanship which has seen
demand for their services grow.
In 2022 Tau and Felicity entered
their show home situated in Frontier
Estate, Te Awamutu, into the
Registered Master Builders House of
the Year Awards. In a testament to
their team’s hard work, the home
won a Gold and Category Award
at a regional level, and was also
named in the Top 100 nationally
alongside multiple David Reid Homes
regional teams.
“We knew David Reid
Homes had a reputation
for building high quality
architecturally designed
homes, so to be sitting
alongside them and
know that our work was
up to that standard was
awesome,” says
Felicity.
When the
opportunity
to become
a part of
David Reid
Homes
presented
itself
earlier this
year, it just
felt right. The couple felt their
values, work ethic and attention
to customer care aligned with the
David Reid Homes ethos.
Alongside the David Reid Homes
national brand, Tau and Felicity look
forward to growing the franchise
across the wider Waikato, as far
north as Te Kauwhata and as far
south as Te Kuiti.
“The construction of our new
display home in Pirongia has begun
and we are excited to present
a sophisticated entertainer’s
home, built with impeccable
craftmanship,” Tau says. “We plan
to open the home for public viewing
in mid – 2024, so keep an eye out
for updates on David Reid Homes
Facebook page.”
“If you’re planning to build your
new home or want to talk through
ideas, get in touch with our David
Reid Homes Waikato team. We
offer a wide range of house plans
to inspire your new build journey,
while also having the tools, skills
and experience to create a home
that is uniquely yours. We take
the responsibility of delivering a
premium, custom-built home for our
clients every time. We invite you to
get in touch with us and take the fi rst
step toward building the home you
and your family will love to live in.”
Visit their offi ce at
74 Mahoe Street,
Te Awamutu or contact
Tau on 027 476 2271
tau.haimona@davidreidhomes.co.nz
Felicity on 027 710 4966
felicity.hk@davidreidhomes.co.nz.
New David Reid Homes Waikato
franchisees, Tau and Felicity.
DISPLAY HOME
COMING SOON
Located at 118 Sherwin Street, Pirongia
HOUSE & LAND
PRICED AT $1,280,000
5/156 Nicholson Avenue, Te Awamutu, Waikato
4 Beds 3 Baths 3 Garage Parking 403m 2 Floor
4 Beds 2.5 Baths 2 Garage Parking 256m 2 Floor
Contact Tau on 027 476 2271 – tau.haimona@davidreidhomes.co.nz
or Felicity on 027 71049 66 – felicity.hk@davidreidhomes.co.nz
74 Mahoe Street, Te Awamutu
www.davidreidhomes.co.nz

14 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS
DECEMBER 2023
TOURISM
Visitor experiences
boost tourism
By NICOLA GREENWELL
OUR ENVIRONMENT
Ambitious plans –
good and not so
By PHIL MACKAY
It’s an exciting time to be involved in
tourism in Hamilton and Waikato. After some
challenging years, our region has bounced
back strongly and there are some amazing new
tourism and hospitality experiences emerging.
Just last month Made - a food, retail and
creative precinct providing a colourful food
and beverage and shopping experience opened
in Hamilton East. This is a fantastic addition
to our city, which is well and truly coming
in to its own as a must-visit foodie New
Zealand destination with other new eateries
establishing themselves here as well over the
last 12 months.
There’s also much to be excited about for
arts and culture lovers too, with construction
of the $80m Waikato Regional Theatre
continuing on Victoria Street.
Pleasingly, we’ve also seen new
accommodation popping up to support
the growing number of people visiting the
Waikato for leisure or business events. These
include the boutique Te Karaka Lodge in north
Waikato, and the impressive Clements Hotel
in Cambridge.
Quality properties like these provide
additional capacity throughout the region,
helping to spread the load and alleviate some
of the shortage of approximately 160 hotel
rooms and serviced apartments identified in
a hotel report published by Hamilton City
Council at the end of last year.
Many people come to the Waikato for our
open spaces and nature experiences, and
there’s been a lot going on in this area over the
past 12 months.
Hamilton’s Te Kāroro Nature Precinct
launched in April, providing a conservationthemed
visitor destination that combines
BUSINESS
Small businesses
challenged
By BRIDGET SNELLING
As many Kiwi households tighten their
purse strings to combat inflation and
the rising cost of living, it’s clear small
businesses across the Waikato have been
feeling the effects.
Xero’s latest Small Business Index has
painted a picture of how small businesses
in the region are faring, with the results
reflecting the challenging ongoing economic
climate for communities across the country.
Sales growth for small businesses in
the Waikato usually tracks closely with
the national results, however there was a
surprising contrast in September. Small
business sales growth in the Waikato fell
8.1 per cent year-on-year - which was much
softer than the national average of a 1.5 per
cent decline.
For sales growth in the September quarter,
Waikato was the second weakest region in
the country, experiencing a 2.3 per cent
drop, followed only by Taranaki (-3.9 per
cent).
Sales are inconsistent across the country,
with some regions facing more challenging
times than others.
Across Aotearoa New Zealand, it’s
clear Kiwi households are reducing their
discretionary spending, which has a flow on
effect to spending with small businesses in
their community.
Despite the weak sales, small businesses
across the Waikato remain eager to hire
talent, with the region experiencing 5.3 per
cent jobs growth in September.
These figures are impressive and
consistent across the country as small
Hamilton Zoo, Waiwhakareke Natural
Heritage Park, Hamilton Observatory and
Everyday Eatery. This new precinct adds
further to our region’s outdoor and nature
credentials.
The 13-year project to create the 65km Te
Awa River Ride finished at the end of last year,
and now provides a continuous cycleway from
Ngaruawahia to Karāpiro.
New cultural experiences have launched
including Rangiriri Pā tours and Te Puna Wai
Tours in Ngāruawāhia.
With domestic visitors spending $1,491
million in the region for the year to October,
the fourth highest in the country, and
international visitors spending $393m, the
fifth highest in the country, it’s clear to see why
there is interest in capitalising on the bright
future of tourism in the region.
And we need to keep fostering this interest
as there are gaps to fill in our regional visitor
offering such as accommodation in Hamilton’s
CBD and experiences around and on the
Waikato River. Tourism is the shop window
for economic development.
Part of our role is to seek out and encourage
new tourism related investment and support
new operators when they are entering the
sector, offering industry insights, statistics and
advice. We have been working with several
parties, large and small, keen to invest in
experiences and accommodation in various
parts of the region.
The new developments and strong interest
in our region bode well for the future, as does
our industry’s increasing focus on ensuring
the return of visitors benefits our region
environmentally, socially and culturally, as
well as financially.
businesses continue to compete with large
businesses for talent.
However, if sales continue to trend
downwards, this fast pace jobs growth could
be difficult for small businesses to maintain.
Wages for Waikato small businesses rose
3.6 per cent year on year to September,
which was broadly in line with the national
average. For the September quarter, wages
averaged 3.6 per cent growth for Waikato
small businesses, which was the third
largest rise of all regions. Wage growth still
remains below inflation and this puts small
businesses in a vulnerable position as real
wages are falling, meaning small businesses
could remain under pressure.
Waikato small businesses were paid on
average 5.9 days late in September, closely
in line with the national average of six days.
Thousands of Kiwi small businesses fold
each year. More often than not, it’s because
they’re unable to overcome cash flow issues.
The drop in small business sales
is a concerning factor that shouldn’t be
overlooked.
It is clear the road ahead remains
challenging for our small businesses as
inflation, interest rates and the cost of living
stay top of mind.
That’s why it’s crucial to keep supporting
them wherever possible and shop local when
we can.
We also encourage small businesses from
around Waikato to look into the digital
tools available, which have been carefully
designed to help cash flow and improve
productivity.
We (finally) have a new government, and
with an ambitious programme of work they
have quite a number of policies that are likely
to affect the housing market, construction
industry and the built environment.
Firstly, there are several noteworthy
policies relating to property investment.
• The reintroduction of mortgage interest
deductability.
• Landlords to be able to give 90 days notice
of eviction, without stating a cause.
• Likely reduction of the brightline test from
10 years to two years.
These each make property investment
more attractive and are likely to result in
more investors entering or staying in the
market. This in turn is likely to give more
momentum to property prices, which are
already on the way up again.
In a nutshell – good news if you own
property, great news if you’re a landlord, not
so great if you’re a first home buyer.
On the flip side, the coalition’s 100 day
plan says they will “Begin work to enable
more houses to be built, by implementing the
Going for Housing Growth policy and making
the Medium Density Residential Standards
optional for councils.” In theory this policy
could help to moderate housing prices,
though probably in the medium, rather than
short term.
One of the key components of the Going for
Housing Growth policy is “unlocking land for
housing.” Councils in major towns and cities
will be required to zone land for 30 years’
TECH TALK
How to avoid being
captured
By RICHARD RAYNER
In the modern workplace, technology has
become an indispensable tool, seamlessly
integrated into our daily routines. Like the
captivating Venus fly trap, it beckons us with
its allure, promising increased productivity,
and efficiency.
Yet, just as the unsuspecting insect falls
prey to the plant’s enticing nectar, we too risk
becoming ensnared in the digital web, our
attention consumed by the incessant demands
of technology.
This pervasive presence of technology
in our workplaces can transform us into
automatons, our eyes glued to screens, our
minds preoccupied with endless streams of
emails, notifications, and virtual meetings.
This relentless digital onslaught disrupts our
focus, diminishes our creativity, and erodes our
human connection.
Like the Venus fly trap’s digestive enzymes,
technology can gradually consume our
vitality, leaving us drained and disengaged,
or as someone more articulate once said,
‘comfortably numb.’ As organisational
leaders, we must recognise this and
proactively work to ensure our teams stay
free from its clutches.
By reclaiming control over our digital
engagement, we can emerge from the
technological mire, revitalised, and empowered.
Just as the Venus fly trap releases its prey
after digestion, we too can release ourselves
from the clutches of technology, rediscovering
our human potential and fostering a more
harmonious workplace environment.
We can do this by cultivating a culture fixated
on outcomes rather than checkboxes. Here is
how:
Focus on outcomes, not tasks
Encourage your team to view their work
worth of housing demand immediately.
Along with some new tools for infrastructure
funding, this has potential to increase the
supply, and decrease or at least control the
cost of new housing in the medium term.
Depending on your views on suburban
sprawl and the use of productive land for
housing, this may or may not be a positive
change. Probably great news if you work
in land development or civil construction
though.
Finally, the coalition parties have talked
quite a bit about improving housing
affordability by reducing red tape.
The coalition has said that they will repeal
the Natural and Built Environment Act
2023 and the Spatial Planning Act 2023,
and replace the Resource Management Act
1991 with new resource management laws
premised on the enjoyment of property rights
as a guiding principle.
In theory this could also help to reduce
costs and make housing more affordable.
I’ll reserve judgement for now, governments
have been talking about reforming the RMA
for quite some time, but the devil’s in the
detail.
Between these and other proposed policies,
the current economic environment, and
interest rates, no one can predict with any
accuracy what the impact will be on our
housing and construction markets over the
next year or two. I’m sure the Reserve Bank,
like many others, will be watching with great
interest.
through the lens of outcomes and achievements.
Rather than asking, “What are you doing this
week?” ask. “What does success look like for
you this week?” It is about moving from a taskoriented
mindset to a results-oriented one.
Share the vision - people want to be part of
a purpose that they belong to. So, ensure that
every member of your team understands the
big picture, the strategy, and the current focus
of the business. This should not be a one-off.
Get learning - provide opportunities for your
staff to upskill, especially in areas that enhance
their ability to achieve and measure outcomes.
Encourage a culture where knowledge sharing
is the norm.
Align Technology and Business KPIs -
Technology should serve the business, not
the other way around. Ensure that your Key
Performance Indicators for technology are
inextricably linked to your business KPIs.
Reward achievement, not compliance -
recognition should go beyond merely ticking
off tasks.
Be bold in your decisions -Sometimes,
progress requires tough choices. Be prepared
to ‘slaughter the sacred cow’ if necessary - be
willing to abandon practices and technologies
that no longer serve the company’s best
interests.
Trust your team - Have faith that your staff
will fulfil their responsibilities. This trust fosters
a sense of ownership and accountability.
Lead by example - embody the change you
want to see. Use technology as a tool to achieve
outcomes, not as an end in itself.
Let us not be slaves to the screen; let us be
masters of our digital domain, using technology
to propel our organisations to new heights.
Richard Rayner is an Associate of Waikato
software specialist Company-X.

DECEMBER 2023
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 15
A night on the town
Hamilton central businesses have had their challenges in recent
years so they grasped the opportunity to finally celebrate getting
through the other side when the annual Hamilton Centre CBD
awards were held recently. Senior writer Mary Anne Gill was there
to capture some of the celebrations held under a Hampton pitched
roof marquee in Roose Common Park on the banks of the Waikato
River in Grantham Street, Hamilton.
True Store’s Andrea Downey accepts the award for Customer Service, won jointly with Fiona
Platje of Precious Metals and Marcus Potroz of Texas Radio.
Gothenburg’s Andrea Mazariegos and Carl Bloxam won the Eat and Drink Bars and Restaurants category.
Cheers! Fiona Platje and Rachael Hunt from Precious Metals, Centre Place, joint winners
with True Store and Texas Radio for Customer Service.
Lab Brows & Body won the Health and Beauty section. Taking a selfie from left are Penelope Mahoney,
Monique Grant, Selina Peterson, Ella Davies and Tamzyn Fordham.
Cambridge residents Camille Guzwell, left, and Mary Anne Gill take time out to pose for this
shot.
Photo: Moving Media.
A section of the audience at the Hamilton CBD awards held under Hampton pitched roof marque in Roose Common Park.

16 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS
DECEMBER 2023
Leading plumbing company
wraps up its year of celebrations
FB Hall & Co Ltd in Hamilton
is marking its centenary
this year. It’s not just a
celebration of 100 years
of success for this leading
plumbing and drainage
company … it’s a time to
appreciate the past, enjoy
the present and embrace
the future.
FB Hall & Co’s unwavering
dedication to old fashioned
integrity and trust has earned the
company an enviable reputation
throughout the region, but it was winning
the coveted title Waikato Master Plumber
of the Year 2023 title that was the cherry
on top in the company’s centenary year.
Manager Joe Calkin was delighted.
“This is the major award for Waikato …
the timing couldn’t be better.”
Joe was already fully qualified on the
tools when he joined the company in
1996 having done his apprenticeship
and put in a few years with his family’s
business in Turangi, Calkin Plumbing. He
joined FB Hall & Co Ltd after moving to
Hamilton and became manager in 2015
when he took the role on after longtime
company stalwart Ken Douglas retired.
In 2003, when an opportunity arose to
become a shareholder, he jumped at it. “I
was at the point where a decision had to
be made – do I start my own business or
commit to this one? I made the decision
to stay and have never regretted it.”
Today, he and his team steer a staff of
47. All are keenly aware that their 100th
anniversary reflects a century during
which challenges have been turned
into opportunities and setbacks into
comebacks.
The company applies a tried and true
approach to all types of plumbing. At
any time when a client or staff call the
workshop, there can be 150 years of
experience in the office ready to bounce
ideas off and help through a sticky
situation.
Their field of work includes domestic
bathroom, kitchen and hot water
installations, domestic and commercial
maintenance, gas-fitting, drain-laying,
FB Hall & Co Ltd manager Joe Calkin holds the company’s precious founding
document in front of the firm’s photographic history board.
roof repairs, and sheet metal work, as
well as small stainless steel fabrication
together with large scale contracts. Just
a few of the more recent contracts they
have completed across some of the city’s
most significant developments include,
Tetra Pak, Innovation Park new building,
Waikeria Prison, the Union Square
development, the University’s Pa project,
and Tainui Project Hauata-ACC.
Fuelled by their predecessors’ vision
that anything is possible, they continue to
forge ahead as leaders in their field.
The company’s 100th anniversary celebrations turned its workshop space into party central for the occasion.
COMPANY HISTORY
Pictured with the company’s Model T Ford are, from left, Burt Hall (the founder’s son),
Mrs Beatrice Hall, George Hayes, Bill Cannell, Ted Coombes, foreman Jack Wainscott,
founder and manager Jack Hall, Burt Asplin in the car (the company’s first apprentice),
and George Kernow.
F.B. HALL & Co. Ltd Since 1923
The FB Hall & Co story
starts in 1923, at a time
New Zealand was growing
its economy in the wake of
World War One and new
immigrants from England,
Fredrick Benjamin ‘Fred’ Hall
and his wife Beatrice, were
settling into life in Hamilton.
Records of the foundation meeting
for the company, dated 1st
September 1923, list Fred Hall,
Jack A Wainscott and Frances L
Lound as being present and said it was
agreed that all three would draw wages
of seven pounds a week as company
directors, amounting to around NZ$14.40
in today’s terms.
Fred had gained his engineering and
plumbing skills in England, and Jack
Wainscott, who became the foreman,
was an adept sheet metal worker and
solderer, soldering cream cans for the
Matangi Dairy Factory Glaxo plant.
The trio started operating from
premises in Alexandra St, serving the
region while also providing products for
the dairy industry, notably manufacturing
large dairy cylinders.
Plumbing a century ago had its
challenges. Water pipes were run
in galvanised metal with lead basin
connectors, soil and wastes in either
lead or cast iron, drainage in glazed
earthenware with cement joints, and
excavation was done with a team of
drainlayers and labourers. Transport

DECEMBER 2023
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 17
BUSINESS SHOWCASE
SHAREHOLDERS’ COMMENTS
Shareholders at FB Hall & Co
Ltd have a much in common
- an impressive longevity of
tenure and optimism for the
future. Here is what they
have
to say …
FB Hall & Co Ltd manager Joe Calkin
is the longest-standing of the current
bunch of shareholders, taking up his place
in 2015 after the retirement of longtime
company man Ken Douglas.
Joe joined the company as a qualified
plumber in 1996. He has since had
a range of roles, including running
sites until 2007, then moving into the
foreman’s role before becoming the
company’s contracts quantity surveyor
two years later, handling all the finer
details of negotiating, pricing and
managing contacts.
Like his fellow shareholders, Joe
says FB Hall & Co is a special place to
work. Staff tend to stay for years, even
many who test the waters elsewhere
come back. He says: “That is largely
because the goals of this company are
more generational than purely financial.
The focus is as much on caretaking the
company and its staff as it is for ringing
every dollar.”
Mike Wilson began his 27 years with
the company as an apprentice. He says
the opportunities provided by FB Hall &
Co across many different aspects of the
industry meant he never wanted to leave.
He has moved through the ranks in the
ensuing years and is now the company’
contracts quantity surveyor.
“I guess you could say I’m
institutionalised,” he laughs, “but in
reality, this company has given me every
opportunity to try different business
avenues, which I have always appreciated.
It’s meant I have never had the urge to
look elsewhere.
“I enjoy managing the contract side
of things, running the teams of contract
workers and dealing with clients, some of
them I’ve known for more than 20 years.”
Bruce Wallace reckons he’s the ‘old
man’ amongst the company crew. He
joined the team 23 years ago after being
in the accounting game and says it’s the
company culture that makes FB Hall & Co
the place it is.
Now nudging retirement, he says: “It is
the sort of company that I’ve been happy
to contribute to over the years … the sort
of place where I feel I can do my bit to
help younger fellas coming through.”
Bruce tackles pricing around the
smaller jobs. When he joined the
company, gas-fitting was something he
specialised in. He’s found fulfilment in
growing that side of things and likes the
way the company has helped him to fulfil
his own career ambitions.
Jason McLaren’s tenure with FB Hall
& Co goes back to 1998. He started his
apprenticeship that year, and apart from
a brief OE, has worked for the company
ever since.
Having worked his way up, he is now
part of the team pricing and running
the bigger commercial contracts. It’s
something he finds presents the
challenges he enjoys, and working with a
great bunch of colleagues makes coming
to work a pleasure.
“There’s a really good vibe around here
and a great bunch of guys to work with.
It’s almost like an extended family here,”
he says.
Like his peers, he appreciates a
business structure that makes becoming
a shareholder a possibility. Taking up that
opportunity was a natural progression for
him once he had put time in on the tools
and was looking around for his ‘what’s next’.
Glen Mackintosh began his tenure
with FB Hall & Co in 1997, starting as an
apprentice and working through to 2004
Skin in the game … FB Hall & Co’s fine bunch of shareholders. They are, from left,
Jason McLaren, James Nixon, Glen Mackintosh, Mike Wilson, Bruce Wallace,
Matt Hart and Joe Calkin.
when he did a two-year OE, much of it
in Scotland. He came back to FB Hall &
Co for another four to five years, before
moving to another company for about 19
months.
“Then I came back, and have
stayed ever since,” he says. “The grass
isn’t always greener elsewhere, and
sometimes it takes a move away to
recognise that.”
He enjoys the ‘half-office, half-site
work’ nature of his role, taking on
compliance and gas-fitting work and
valuing the opportunities to work on
larger projects that working for a bigger
company offers.
The company’s focus on a good work/
life balance has added to that appeal,
and made his decision to become a
shareholder a very easy one.
It took a few years working abroad
for James Nixon to fully appreciate what
a great company FB Hall & Co is. He
started with them as an apprentice in
2004, then took off overseas, working in
Canada until coming home in 2013.
“Being away made me realise what a
good company this really is,” he says. “I
think it’s because all of us have been on
the tools, we’ve started at the bottom
and worked our way up. It’s not a heavily
corporate structure … here, all the owners
have done their time in the trade and that
makes a big difference.”
That element, plus a working
environment that offers the rigors of the
bigger commercial contracts he enjoys,
made James feel it was the place for him
long-term.
Matt Hart first started with FB Hall &
Co in 1997, completing his apprenticeship
and working in the company for 13 years
before testing the waters elsewhere.
However, it wasn’t long before he was
back, this time determined to stay.
Like other staffers, he has a deep
appreciation for the wide range of work
experiences FB Hall & Co has provided.
“The variety they offered was very
appealing. Because it’s a big company, we
cover a lot of bases. We do a lot across
the commercial sector … jobs you don’t
get an opportunity to do with a smaller
firm.”
Matt also likes the fact the company
structure with its revolving shareholder
opportunities means that there is a real
career pathway should incoming staffers
elect to go that way.
was by pushbike, hand cart or, if lucky, a
model-T Ford truck.
Hard times hit around 1927 as the
Great Depression of the 1930s loomed,
but FB Hall & Co survived. By 1937, it was
decided things were going well enough to
allow the company directors to take two
weeks’ holiday each year.
By 1939, at the onset of World War
Two, the company had one Ford car
(290 pounds), one Ford truck (363
pounds), and one bicycle (4 pounds,
16 shillings and 3 pence) on the books.
They moved across the road into larger
premises equipped with a showroom and
continued to enjoy a period of growth,
based largely on the increased demand
for agricultural produce needed for the
war effort.
In 1954, Jack Wainscott and Burt Hall
(Fred’s son) retired, selling their shares to
Hanwell Seymore, Eric Douglas and their
first apprentice, Burt Asplin.
Fred Hall died in July 1956. His widow
Beatrice kept the company going until
1959 when she sold her share to the
remaining directors. It was during their
era, with Eric Douglas and Hanwell
Seymore at the helm, that many of the
systems still used today to increase
productivity were introduced.
Rapid growth saw a new workshop
built in Pembroke St in 1965 (in use today
as Placemakers Clarence St timbers
store), where an old house was converted
into office space. After 30 years there,
they relocated to the present site at 50
Greenwood St.
FB Hall & Co have long specialised in
work suited to a wide range of projects,
The company’s workshop in Alexandra St, showing the early manufacturing of dairy
shed hot water cylinders.
big and small. In the 1920s its workload
included the Waikato Hospital and
Waikato University’s science blocks; in the
1960s it handled many of the buildings
making up the city skyline; in the ‘70s and
COMMERCIAL SPECIALISTS
Design build capable
Collaborative approach
Strong local relationships
DOMESTIC AND COMMERCIAL M
• Gasfitting service and install
• Programmed maintenance contracts
‘80s, it was the dairy factories of greater
Waikato.
It is that sense of adaptability and
innovation, bedded in over 100 years, that
characterises the company today.
• Roof and
• IPQ for b
F.B. HALL & Co
Since 1923
A preferred and trusted sup
Proud to be the plumber of cho
New Zealand Blood Service Ham
07 847 4780 | service@fbhall.co.nz | 50 Greenwood St, Hamilton | www.fbhall.co.nz
07 8
service@
50 Gree
www.fb

Connect - Grow - Inspire - Represent
18 FEATURE
DECEMBER 2023
2023
WAIKATO CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
BUSINESS
AWARDS
PROUDLY
SUPPORTED BY
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR AWARD WINNERS AND FINALISTS
SUPREME AWARD
SPONSORED BY: Foster Construction Group
INVIVO WINES
BUSINESS GROWTH SPONSORED BY: Deloitte
WINNER: Treadlite NZ
FINALISTS: MS Civil Construction, Pure Lighting
COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION SPONSORED BY: Montana Food & Events
WINNER: South Waikato Investment Fund Trust (SWIFT)
FINALISTS: Dive Zone Whitianga, Ninja Valley
INTERNATIONAL TRADE SPONSORED BY: Skypoint Technologies
WINNER: Invivo Wines
FINALISTS: Helix Flight Manufacturing Machines,
Manta5 Hydrofoil Bikes
INNOVATION SPONSORED BY: Company-X
WINNER: Emergency Consult
FINALISTS: Flight Structures, Helix Flight Manufacturing Machines
PEOPLE & CULTURE SPONSORED BY: Hamilton Airport
WINNER: Ninja Valley
FINALISTS: MS Civil Construction, Wyreframe
MARKETING SPONSORED BY: Chow:Hill Architects
WINNER: Pure Lighting
FINALISTS: Hamilton Airport, Treadlite NZ
MICRO BUSINESS SPONSORED BY: Sleepyhead
WINNER: Wyreframe
FINALISTS: Neuow Projects, CFO 4 U
FOR PURPOSE SPONSORED BY: Trust Waikato
WINNER: Central Kids Early Education
FINALISTS: South Waikato Investment Fund Trust (SWIFT), Hospice Waikato
SERVICE EXCELLENCE SPONSORED BY: Tompkins Wake
WINNER: My Mortgage
FINALISTS: Normans Transport, Safety Genius
SUSTAINABILITY SPONSORED BY: Wintec | Te Pūkenga
WINNER: NZ National Fieldays Society Inc
FINALIST: Dive Zone Whitianga
CEO OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY: The University of Waikato
WINNER: Lisbeth Jacobs, Gallagher Animal Management
EMERGING LEADER OF THE YEAR
SPONSORED BY: Mitre 10 Mega Hamilton
WINNER: Jenni Falconer - Emergency Consult
FINALISTS: Adam Norman - Normans Transport,
Carl Saywell - MS Civil Construction
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD SPONSORED BY: Air New Zealand
WINNER: Central Kids Early Education
Invivo wins Supreme business
award, SMEs feature strongly
Wine and spirits company
Invivo Wines has been
named the supreme winner
at this year’s Waikato
Business Awards, supported
by Foster Construction
Group.
The company was named the
supreme winner at a sold-out gala
dinner at Claudelands tonight
celebrating the strength of the
Waikato business community. It also won
the International Trade Award.
Invivo was founded by friends Tim
Lightbourne and Rob Cameron (Invivo’s
winemaker). The Invivo vision is to
produce the best of New Zealand wine and
bring this to the world in an innovative and
contemporary approach.
Since then, the company has won more
than 600 medals and trophies and has
teamed up with celebrities Graham Norton
and Sarah Jessica Parker to help market
their wines and spirits. Headquartered in
Te Kauwhata, Invivo has wine operations
in New Zealand, Australia, Italy, France,
Argentina and produces gin and vodka in
Ireland.
Judges said Invivo impressed through its
bold approach to marketing, business
development, funding, diversification
strategies and collaborations with
influencers.
“The team understands the art of standing
out in a crowded marketplace and this
has clearly led to the positive results the
company is delivering. For a winery that
started in 2008 and saw its real expansion
in 2016, delivering in excess of $20m
revenue last year and being profitable
Supreme Award Winner, Invivo Wines and Award Sponsor,
Foster Construction Group
2023 WAIKATO C
is a very commendable achievement,
especially given the 700 plus wineries with
much longer heritage in New Zealand.
“Their success can be boiled down to two
things: focusing on their customers’ needs
and innovation.”
Waikato Chamber of Commerce CEO Don
Good said it was heartening to see a raft of
SMEs in this year’s line-up of finalists and
taking out category awards.
“This year’s business awards has exceeded
our expectations,” Good said.
“The increased number of entries and
the impressive diversity of participants
demonstrates the flourishing
entrepreneurial spirit within our region. We
had 77 entries – an increase of 11 entries
from last year – and of those they were
predominantly SMEs.”
And of those 77 entries, there was
widespread regional representation with
entries from as far as Taupō, Whitianga
and Te Kauwhata. Head judge Dr Heather
Connolly of the University of Waikato’s
Management School said there were
record entries for the People & Culture and
Innovation Awards.
“Awards entries showcased the strength of
the export community in the Waikato,” Dr
Connolly said.
“The Waikato Business Awards have
once again proven their importance in
recognising and celebrating business
excellence in the region.”
Gallagher Animal Management’s Lisbeth
Jacobs won CEO of the Year while
Emergency Consult’s Jenni Falconer won
Emerging Leader of the Year. Good said it
was clear to see that the region is thriving.
“The Waikato is making a name for itself
as an economic powerhouse
in this country. We have a
strong farming foundation, a
booming tech industry, strong
construction and manufacturing
sectors, an uptick in tourism
post-Covid, and an efficient and
well-located logistics industry.
Coupled with our proximity to
Auckland opening up enhanced
opportunities for trade and
collaboration, it makes for a
region that really is a terrific
place to live, work and play.”
THE 2024 WAIKATO BUSINESS AWARD
ENTRIES OPEN IN APRIL
FIND OUT MORE AT :
waikatochamber.co.nz/business-awards
PHOTOS: Barker Photography
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DECEMBER 2023
FEATURE 19
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
BUSINESS AWARDS
CEO of the Year Lisbeth Jacobs
CEO of the Year, Lisbeth Jacobs and Award
Sponsor, Professor Neil Quigley, University of
Waikato
10 Years Judging Service Award,
Dick Breukink
When Lisbeth Jacobs
joined Gallagher in April
2021, Covid-19 made some
aspects of her role as the
Global General Manager of
Animal Management a bit
tricky.
“It wasn’t easy to see people
offshore. In New Zealand, we
were free to move around but
it was quite some time before
I managed to get a spot in MIQ which
meant I could hop on a plane and see my
teams in the US and Europe. But we were
used to using Teams, so we made do.
But nothing beats face to face.”
Today, Lisbeth is Gallagher’s Animal
Management chief executive and was
named CEO of the Year at the Waikato
Business Awards, supported by Foster
Construction, on November 17.
“For me, the team nominating me is
the greatest honour. This award is theirs
too. We make decisions together, we
build our strategy together, we debate
and challenge, and share a desire to drive
the business forward sustainably while
keeping it real.
“This award is also acknowledgement
that we’re building on the success of
those who came before me: Sir William
Gallagher, [Board chair] Steve Tucker and
[Group CEO] Kahl Betham. As Gallagher
celebrates 85 years, being entrusted with
a part of its legacy is a privilege.”
Judges said: “Lisbeth is an inspiring
and talented leader and CEO. She
demonstrated extensive knowledge
of Gallagher Animal Management and
had a clear passion for the business,
its future, and her team. People are
at the heart of Lisbeth’s approach to
leadership. She is a humble and impactful
leader who has used her experience to
build a strong team and to set a clear
vision and strategy for the business,
empowering and supporting her team to
set them up for success. The impact of
Lisbeth’s approach to her role as CEO is
demonstrated by the nomination from
her team for these awards, and from
the business results achieved since she
started in April 2021. The future of this
leading locally founded global company is
in safe hands.”
Lisbeth previously held senior
leadership roles at New Zealand-based
and international companies including
Fletcher Building, UniServices, The
Icehouse, and global company Bekaert
in Belgium and China. She is currently
an independent director of Goodnature
and BRANZ and member of the Steering
Committee of the Agritech Industry
Transformation Plan (ITP).
Lisbeth holds a PhD in Engineering
from the University of Auckland, a M.Sc.
Engineering from KULeuven (Belgium)
and completed the General Management
Programme at INSEAD (Paris).
At Gallagher, Lisbeth leads the Animal
Management business with offices in
New Zealand, Australia, USA, Canada, and
Chile, joint ventures in Europe and South
Africa, and long-standing distribution
partners in Latin America and Japan.
The essence of the business is to deliver
smarter, fit-for-purpose solutions that
make animal and land management more
sustainable, profitable, and productive.
Kahl Betham said he’s grateful that
Lisbeth is investing her time and career
with Gallagher.
“Not only has Lisbeth added an
impressive level of strategic acumen,
customer focus, and energy that is
propelling us forward faster than ever,
she’s also demonstrated that she’s an
extraordinary people-focused leader who
is committed to developing and caring for
people along the way.
“Lisbeth leads by focusing on global
mega-trends that we are best positioned
to add value to, setting clear expectations
and supporting people to get there, and
relentlessly putting our customers at the
centre of everything we do.”
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As the sole tyre recycling plant in
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to making a significant impact on
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driving towards a greener, more
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Based in Cambridge, our Head Office is
the hub of innovation and excellence in
the recycling industry. Our facilities utilise
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tyres into valuable raw materials.
Through our innovative approach, we
actively promote a full circular eco
concept, ensuring that every part of the
recycling process contributes to a cleaner
and more efficient recycling loop.
With depots in Hawkes Bay, Wellington,
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20 FEATURE
DECEMBER 2023
2023 WAIKATO CHAMBER O
Business Growth Award - Treadlite
Community Contribution Award
- South Waikato Investment Fund (SWIFT) Service Excellence Award - My Mortgage
Sustainability Award - NZ National Fieldays
Society Inc
International Trade Award - Invivo Wines
Marketing Award - Pure Lighting
Innovation Award - Emergency Consult
For Purpose and People’s Choice Award - Central Kids
Micro Business Award - Wyreframe
People & Culture Award - Ninja Valley

DECEMBER 2023
FEATURE 21
OF COMMERCE
BUSINESS AWARDS
Emerging Leader of the Year Jenni Falconer
When Jenni Falconer was
working as a nurse along the
three other co-founders of
Emergency Consult in the late
1990s, they would see around 50 patients
per day through the hospital’s emergency
department. And patients weren’t waiting
hours to be seen.
Fast forward 20 years and Jenni and
“the boys”, as she calls them, could see
something needed to change. The number
of patients presenting at ED and afterhours
clinics had exploded, wait times
were horrendous. So they came up with
a novel solution: Emergency Consult
provides 24-hour urgent care remotely. An
expert team of doctors and nurses see and
treat patients on-demand via web-based
video chat.
And now Jenni has been named Emerging
Leader of the Year at the Waikato Business
Awards, supported by Foster Construction,
for her commendable leadership and
strategic acumen as Emergency Consult’s
CEO. While Emergency Consult picked up
the Innovation Award.
“When set it up in 2019 we were working
in emergency medicine and saw all these
people turning up to ED and wondered
‘how do we take ED to the people?” Jenni
said.
“We thought we could help people who
were time poor and who could afford to
pay to see a doctor.”
Then Covid came along and nobody could
get in to see a doctor, which is when
Emergency Consult was approached by
the Waikato DHB to support people stuck
at home and needing to see a doctor.
“It quickly became evident that there
was huge demand for remote specialist
support from within the healthcare sector
itself,” Jenni said.
Today, a range of healthcare providers
leverage the on-call service. Emergency
Consult’s team of emergency medicine
specialists provide virtual support to
hospital EDs, rural clinics, nurse-led clinics,
ambulance services and pharmacies. And
a team of senior registered nurses provide
Covid care, acute care triage, and aged
care support.
Emergency Consult has grown rapidly,
from approximately eight staff initially
(including the four founders) to almost 90.
Jenni said that while “telehealth” has been
emerging internationally as a cost effective
and convenient means of delivering health
care in recent years, Emergency Consult
has taken the concept a step further by
offering 24-hour care on-demand. And
the benefits of having timely access to
emergency medicine clinicians is obvious:
hospital avoidance, healthcare savings and
better patient outcomes.
Perhaps the best example of that is
the pilot that Emergency Consult has
underway with St John in Auckland. Of the
2800 patients seen by Emergency Consult
remotely, 82 per cent managed to remain
at home rather than be transported to an
ED. Jenni was humbled to learn her team
had nominated her for Emerging Leader of
the Year.
“It was a really nice surprise to find out
they’d nominated me and then to read
what they’d written. The judging process
was a great opportunity for reflection. You
do forget how far you’ve come. Talking
with the judges about our business gave
me the chance to pause and reflect. I was
very humbled to even be a finalist, let
alone win.
“And to be a leader you need to have a
team. I’ve surrounded myself with people
who’ve helped make this journey easy in
some ways and certainly enjoyable.”
While Jenni still classifies Emergency
Consult as a start-up, they have many
opportunities for expansion and scaling
up. They’re set to open a bricks-andmortar
clinic in Papamoa soon.
“That seems contrary to telehealth, but
we’ll have a highly skilled nursing-led
team supported by the telehealth model.
So you’ll come in, been quickly seen by a
nurse who can either help or direct you
through to a virtual consult with a doctor.”
They’ve chosen Papamoa as the trial
because they know the population has
mushroomed and Tauranga Hospital’s
ED is under considerable pressure. If it’s
successful, they’ll look to roll out the same
model in other locations.
Emerging Leader of the Year, Jenni Falconer
and Award Sponsor, Mitre 10 Mega Hamilton
“We’re always looking at where the next
need is. We know that’s an acute mental
health service, paediatrics, and in palliative
care.”
The Awards judges said of Jenni: “In the
business world, transformational leaders
often emerge from unexpected paths.
Jenni’s journey from nurse to strategic
business leader is a testament to this
transformation. Jenni’s competence
led her to become a nurse manager.
However, her entrepreneurial spirit
could not be contained. Together with
her colleagues, they sought innovative
ways to improve healthcare for Kiwis.
Jenni’s vision drove her to harness online
telehealth. Today, Jenni leads a rapidly
growing enterprise. Her leadership goes
beyond profit, focusing on improving
customers’ lives and well-being. She
seamlessly transitioned her management
skills into visionary leadership,
demonstrating adaptability, innovation,
and inspiration. Jenni’s story reminds us
that determination and the right mindset
can transform a competent manager into a
strategic business leader.”

22 FEATURE
DECEMBER 2023
A Central City
Extravaganza
With fanfare and festival the CBD Awards once again
delivered a night of recognition and celebration of
Hamilton’s central city business community. The
annual awards sponsored by Spark and delivered by
the Hamilton Central Business Association (HCBA),
saw nearly 100 businesses compete in their respective
sectors across 12 categories for a podium finish.
The CBD Awards is the time for businesses to put their best
foot forward. HCBA General Manager Vanessa Williams
says “It is such a pleasure to see such a fantastic range
of businesses enter the awards. Our local businesses are
achieving a great many things from set-up to expansion
and they should be recognised for this. Shouting about
achievements is not a natural space for many people and
I admire those who take the plunge to put themselves
and their businesses out there to be judged. I think it
actually surprises a lot of entrants to realise as they are
writing their entry how much they have achieved.”
All award entries were judged twice. Entrants submitted
a written entry assessed by a panel of judges and then
depending on the type of business, they were also
judged by a mystery shopper or had a video created
to be assessed by another judging panel. Overall, the
entries were superb and feedback from judges was on
the difficulty of choosing a top three in each category.
“Spark Business, a major sponsor, has been supporting the
CBD Awards for five consecutive years. Fabian Pathirana,
Manager Spark Hub Hamilton, stated that the local business
community is of paramount importance to the city. We
are proud to put our name to support their recognition
and celebration. The CBD Awards evening is a highlight of
the social calendar for many, and, like Spark Business, the
awards epitomize connection, empowerment, and success.”
The CBD Awards was held in the Roose Common Park,
with Stu & Camille from the Breeze MCing the evenings
proceedings. With the Waikato River, Hamilton’s best natural
resource, providing the backdrop for the evening, Royal
Lab event designers created a splash of glamour with a
Hampton pitched roof marquee on the riverbank. Attendees
were welcomed into the event hearing the rich baritone
voice of professional crooner Steve Carlin with decor,
furniture and lighting adding to the elegance of the venue.
Utilising their expertise SBI Productions rose to the
challenge of providing full event production and lighting at a
site with little infrastructure and Moving Media recorded the
beauty of the evening, the attendees and the award winners,
with a range of stunning imagery captured on the night.
HCBA Chairman Dwight Egelhof summed the evening
up best saying “After the numerous challenges that
have faced local businesses over the past three years,
it is an honour and a privilege to provide an evening
that recognises, celebrates and rewards business
achievements. We know the local business community is
what makes our city unique and to have the opportunity
to share their achievements with an audience of their
peers is what makes the CBD Awards truly special.”
Vanessa Williams & Vicky Redwood (HCBA)

DECEMBER 2023
FEATURE 23
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2023 CBD AWARD WINNERS
SHOPPING
EAT & DRINK –
DAYTIME
EAT & DRINK –
BARS & RESTAURANTS
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Winner Found Store
Winner Cream Eatery
Winner Gothenburg
Winner Lab Brows + Body
Runner Up Texas Radio
Runner Up Hello Sunshine
Runner Up Last Place
Runner Up Off & On
Runner Up True Store
Highly Commended
This Little Cakery
Highly Commended
Madam Woo
Highly Commended
ProStyle
ACTIVITY
Winner The Meteor
Runner Up Confinement
Escape Rooms
Highly Commended
River Riders
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Winner Precious Metals
Winner Texas Radio
Winner True Store
ESTABLISHED
BUSINESS
Winner
Biddy Mulligans
NEW BUSINESS
Winner Wild River & Co
Runner Up Shanghai Restaurant
Highly Commended
Kapadokya Kebabs
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
NOT FOR PROFIT
PUBLIC GOOD
MARKETING & PROMOTION
Winner iCLAW
Winner Dress for Success
Winner The Cake Detective
Winner Last Place
Runner Up Soda Inc
Highly Commended
Unbound
Runner Up Trade Aid
Highly Commended
The Meteor
Runner Up The Lawrenson Group
Highly Commended
Rainbow Kids
Runner Up Confinement
Escape Rooms
Highly Commended
Gails Floral Studio
Cream Eatery
Biddy Mulligans Found Store True Store Wild River & Co
iCLAW Gothenburg The Meteor Lab Brows + Body
Last Place
Dress for Success
Precious Metals
The Cake Detective
Texas Radio
SPONSORED BY
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
lovethecentre.co.nz/awards
Photo Credit: Moving Media

20
E
24 FEATURE
DECEMBER 2023
Award winners deliver excellence to Hamilton CBD
This year’s Hamilton CBD Awards
threw up a real challenge for the
judges. The 2023 appraising
panel was faced with a plethora
of choice amid some 100 entries,
businesses that have gone
‘above and beyond’ in adapting
to our living, breathing inner
city.
Sponsored by Spark and
organised annually by the
Hamilton Central Business
Association (HCBA), the awards
were held last month at the
idyllic Roose Common Park
overlooking the Waikato River.
They started in 2010, aiming
each year to celebrate and
recognise centrally based
businesses that successfully
draw people to the CBD while
underscoring their ability to
be agile, particularly with the
challenges Covid wrought on
the business community.
It was in that post-Covid world
that the ‘Love the Centre’ brand
was launched, primarily as an
inner-city campaign intended
to breathe life back into a CBD
in recovery. The initiative
promoted public feedback and
asked people what they enjoyed
about the central city.
It is largely because of that
campaign that ‘Love the Centre’
now sits at the heart of the
annual awards, and HCBA
general manager for the past
seven years, Vanessa Williams,
is delighted with how the 2023
event turned out.
She says it’s been a real pleasure
to see so many businesses
come on board: “Our local
businesses are achieving a great
many things, from set-up to
expansion, and they should be
recognised for this. Shouting
about achievements is not a
natural space for many people
and I admire those who take the
plunge to put themselves and
their businesses out there to be
judged.”
Organisers and judges look
not only for excellence across
the various categories, but
also consider how much each
business impacts the vitality
of the CBD and therefore how
much its absence would be felt
were it not there.
A successful city centre relies
on having space that is fit
for purpose, Vanessa says,
and it should accommodate
businesses that give people
what they want in terms
of shopping, events, or the
provision of professional
services.
Award entries are judged
twice. A written entry is initially
assessed by a panel of judges
and then, depending on the
type of business, each is either
visited by a mystery shopper or
required to submit a video.
Categories are something of a
movable feast, Vanessa says,
with new ones added from
time to time to keep abreast of
changes.
“It’s great to see so many
businesses growing in
confidence enough to enter
the awards. They often say
the process itself is good for
them – it’s a time to take stock
away from the busy day-to-day
and reflect on what they’ve
achieved.”
A one-off change this year was
the use of special bricks as
trophies for the 2023 winners.
They were excavated from the
Victoria St site of Hamilton’s
world-class theatre currently
under construction, retrieved
from the grounds as teams
demolished the inner part of
the old building.
The awards evening itself is
always a blast. While Spark
sponsors the awards, the
evening sponsors - Royal Lab,
SBI Productions and Moving
Media - work seamlessly to
make it a gala occasion.
SPONSORED BY
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
lovethecentre.co.nz/awards
Our legal advice
is as solid as a
brick outhouse.
Which might explain why we won this award.
Fin
cr
st
e
cu
o
u
th
b
th
ti
th
fe
W
to
M
q
Winning a Professional Services award
isn’t an everyday occurrence for a law
firm. But then again, we’re not your
everyday lawyers.
At iCLAW, we’ve boldly challenged the status
quo and tossed aside the stuffy traditions of the
legal world. Boring legal jargon? Not here. We’re
everyday people who speak your language
and provide practical advice for your business,
personal wealth, and important life decisions.
We’re on a mission to help you succeed, whatever
that may look like for you.
So, why not give us a call or pop into our vibrant
CBD offices? Meet our friendly, approachable and
fun-loving team and discover how we’ve made
exceptional service and successful outcomes the
foundation of our professional services.
ES
SC
CR
MU
CR
TA
Level 2 / 286 Victoria Street, Hamilton iclaw.com
Everyday people, but not your everyday lawyers.

DECEMBER 2023
FEATURE 25
Celebrating those who give something back
The Lawrenson Group is no stranger
among the winners at the Hamilton
CBD Awards, but their runner-up
placing in the Public Good category
this year was a first.
They’ve won awards in the
event before, says founder John
Lawrenson, but this year’s placement
in the Public Good category is
recognition for something he has
been doing quietly for years – giving
back where he can. Each year he
links with Barnardos to provide toys
for children who don’t get much of
a Christmas, and with Paws 4 Life to
help feed unwanted animals that end
up in shelters. Anyone bringing in a
Christmas gift when dining at one of
his restaurants will find the value of
that gift matched by a donation to
their bill, and those bringing cans of
pet food into his bars can swap them
for drinks.
“We generally raise between $10,000
to $15,000 a year,” he says. “It’s
something we have done for so long
that our customers look out for it
now. I was once told … ‘if you ever
have the ability to make a difference
you have an obligation to do so’. I
think that’s important.”
The Cake Detective took out the top
slot in the Public Good category,
which is unsurprising given the
not-for profit’s aim to bring joy to
children facing serious illness or
other life challenges by gifting them
a birthday cake.
Founder Laura Casey says: “We at
The Cake Detective Charitable Trust
are elated with our win. This victory
holds profound significance for us,
especially considering it was our
inaugural entry into the awards.”
Crucial to the Cake Detective’s success
are its links with referral agencies
who identify the recipients, and its
partnership with Sweetpea Parties.
“The CBD award in the Public Good
category is not just a recognition
of our work; it’s a celebration of the
collective goodwill generated by
businesses and individuals coming
together to make a meaningful
impact.”
Highly commended in the Public
Good category was Rainbow
Kids Childcare, the organisation
responsible for creating the annual
Anzac Day display of ‘poppies’ in
Garden Place.
They launched it four years ago,
believing the significance of Anzac
Day should extend to displays
beyond those at the Cenotaph. Their
initial ‘poppies in the field’ grew and
now incorporates the education of
children on Anzac Day – starting
in the classroom and later with the
‘planting of poppies’ in Garden Place.
Lou Gibson says they are thrilled
at the overwhelmingly positive
response from the public and the
respect always shown towards the
display. “Remarkably, over the course
of four years, there has been no
damage incurred.”
There was a three-way split win in
the 2023 Customer Service category,
something organiser Vanessa
Williams says resulted from the
judges finding no single point of
difference between all three. The
title was shared between Texas Radio,
Precious Metals and True Store.
Texas Radio has entered the awards
every year since its inception
and amassed seven wins to date.
Customer service is something the
outlet prides itself on, says Marcus
Potroz. “We love helping people …
we get a genuine kick out of making
somebody smile. Winning for us
helps us gain a stronger sense of
purpose. It confirms we are on the
right path and encourages us to go
forward.”
Precious Metals & Diamonds also
knows its stuff when it comes to
good customer service. Fiona Platje
says they are no stranger to awards
and placed as runner-up in the same
category last year.
“It we were to win any award, this is
the one to win,” she says. “In our view,
it’s all about creating the right sort
of environment, the right aesthetic,
and having a great interaction with
our customers. We are there to
resolve their needs. It’s all about
relationships at the end of the day.”
True Store won the category last year
and is delighted to be up there again
this time around. Andrea Downey
says it goes hand-in-hand with the
business of selling beautiful fashion
in Hamilton and caring about their
customers.
“It’s really who we are as a team …
we are all passionate about what
we do, and we all love people. It
makes it really easy and helps build
those great relationships with our
customers.”
2023 CBD AWARD WINNER FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE
For us it was never about
trying to compete with
the big players of our
industry. Instead we wanted to
create a shining little corner
store with passion, innovation,
experience and exceptional
customer service. We wanted
our customers to remember
us, to talk about us. We wanted
them to be greeted at the door
by friendly faces and whether
they were arriving for the first
time, or we were welcoming
them back, we wanted them to
feel like they were home.
We wanted them to stay awhile,
to soak up the sounds of
Motown or feel soothed by the
quiet rhythm of the Jazz.
We wanted to be known as
that little Corner Store, a small
family business, with a lot of
soul. We wanted to go on a
journey with our customers. We
wanted to have conversations
with them and what's more, we
wanted our staff to remember
those conversations. We wanted
to source that special gift, the
edgy concert bag, the sparkling
Swarovski Tennis bracelet, or
that dazzling custom design
engagement ring (created
by our very own in house
jewellers). Our plan was simple,
we wanted to wrap small
things in little boxes, with big
experiences. We never wanted
to compete.
WE WANTED TO STAND OUT!!!
Active. Creative. Local.
Precious Metals & Diamonds. Phone 07-957 0137
Email centreplace@preciousmetals.co.nz
Centre Place Shopping Centre, 501 Victoria St, Hamilton
ESCAPE ROOMS
SCAVENGER HUNTS
CRYPTIC PUB CRAWLS
MURDER MYSTERY NIGHTS
CRYPTIC GAME NIGHTS
TAILORED PACKAGES
CONTACT US
EVENTS@CONFINEMENT.CO.NZ
07 838 0058
The Meteor Theatre
Winner of Best Activity CBD Awards 2023
Festive Family Fun at Trees at the Meteor
December 13th - 21st

26 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS
DECEMBER 2023
Waikato Master Painters
Make Waikato Master Painters’
Association your first port of call
FEATURE
Perhaps you’re
looking for a
someone who can
provide a
top-notch painting
and decorating
job for your home
or workplace …
or maybe you’re a
qualified painter
looking for the best
way to market your
skills? Either way,
your best first port
of call is the Waikato
Master Painters’
Association.
The key is in its name …
The Waikato Master
Painters’ Association is
a grouping of qualified
master painters and decorators
able to provide quality
workmanship and professional
services for whatever size job
you might need doing.
Through their affiliation
with Waikato Master Painters’,
members are able to provide
certainty that industry
standards and regulations will
always be met, which means
clients and customers across
the board can be assured of the
best possible outcome for their
particular project.
The Association prides itself
on offering everything that
makes it a highly-professional
and ethical body of workers
using cutting-edge modern
technology, but besides that, it
also offers plenty of ‘good oldfashioned
service’ – something
not always seen today.
Its members believe in
extending good old-fashioned
“That gives our
customers a
sense of
security they
might not
otherwise have”
courtesies at all points
of customer contact and
demonstrating good oldfashioned
patience when
listening to their concerns,
from the beginning of a job to
its completion. They take care
with your property, treating
it as they would their own,
leaving everything clean and
tidy once the job is done. The
only trace of their presence is
the excellent job on view to all.
With close on 40 members,
Waikato Master Painters’
Association members are wellrepresented
across the region,
from south of the Bombays
down to Taupo, and across
from Raglan to Coromandel/Te
Aroha. They tackle anything
– large or small commercial,
industrial, and residential
projects, interior or exterior,
painting and wallpapering.
On the residential side,
they’re available for those
wanting to give their home’s
interior a bit of a face-lift, or
perhaps keen on changing
up the colour of their pool or
outside area. They handle
new-builds, renovations
and everything in between,
providing whatever paint or
wallpaper treatments are
required.
Likewise, no job is too big
or small on the commercial or
industrial side. Master Painters
have loads of experience with
massive outdoor and indoor
projects, applying the highest
standards of craftsmanship
throughout.
Better still, using a Master
Painter means there is a level
of guarantee for any repairs or
remedial work that might be
necessary – which is extremely
valuable in providing customers
with peace of mind.
“That gives our customers
a sense of security they might
not otherwise have,” says one
of their number. “Our members
come with assurances in terms
of training and professionalism,
and if something goes wrong
on a job, there is some form
of redress. We will find a
resolution.”
All of which goes to suggest
there can be no better first
step in your painting job than
looking for a Waikato Master
Painters’ Association member
to do it.
Dulux Awards
Conference 2023
Resenes
Conference
2023 -
Christchurch
Resenes
Apprentice
of the Year Awards
PHOTO RIGHT: From left to
right: Trinh (Jade) Nguyen -
Queenstown – Lower South
Island Region, Sally Gaudin
- Timaru – Upper South Island
Region, Ellie Moyer - Nelson
- Lower North Island Region
& Winner of Apprentice of
the Year, Tania Loveridge -
Hamilton - Northern Region.

DECEMBER 2023
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 27
FEATURE
Waikato Master Painters
Unlocking the rewards of membership
Support and
innovation are at the
heart of membership
to an organisation
like the Waikato
Master Painters’
Association. By
joining them,
painters and
decorators can be
certain they will gain
a distinct business
advantage for years
to come.
First, they will enjoy the
credibility that being
linked to a national
brand provides. Then
there are the regular updates
around trade news, plus the
many perks and savings that
members can enjoy when it
comes to some important
elements of the job, such as
insurance, telephones, trade
discounts and the like.
Training and networking
opportunities, wider
visibility through association
advertising and sponsored
opportunities for ongoing
advancement are also a
drawcard, as is access to
annual conferences and trade
awards.
A member can put
themselves up for a range of
national awards at the annual
Master Painters’ Conference,
entering any of various
categories ranging from small
residential to large projects.
There have been several
Waikato winners in the past.
Becoming a member of
Waikato Master Painters’
Association seems to be
something of a no-brainer.
One longstanding
member says: “I have been
a member for many years. I
joined to meet like-minded
businesspeople in the painting
and decorating industry, and
joining the association at that
early stage means I have met
some great people along the
way.
“I went on courses put on
through the Master Painters.
You can join a local committee
and grow your knowledge as
you grow in yourself, and by
being active in the association,
you can keep up with new
knowledge and problem
solving on a local and national
scale.
“Being a member means
I have a strong organisation
standing behind my company
and me. It also provides
assurance for clients, letting
them know that the quality
work we produce is of
trade value and above. My
membership has brought me
great benefits over the years.”
The Waikato Master
Painters’ Association’s has ties
with the national body – the
Master Painters’ New Zealand
Association (MPNZA), which
works to advance, encourage
and recognise the highest
standards of craftsmanship
and ethical business practices
in the industry. The national
body was founded in 1913
and operates as a non-profit
organisation representing
firms and individuals working
in the painting, decorating an
sign-writing trades across
New Zealand.
Committee members
and how to join
The Waikato Master Painters’ Association has an energetic and busy team at the helm. Here they are,
with their contact details. Also listed is the person you need to be in touch with if you
want to join.
Brendan Mclean. P 027 220 8969
Rob Taylor. P 027 451 9193
Trevor Reid. P 027498 7571
Dave Vea. P 021 722 665
Kevin Harmsworth. P 027 220 2607
Tony Schoen. P 027 449 78408
Mike & Paul Green.
P 027 251 9589
Justin Toomey. P 021 797 406
Luke Orr. P 027 424 9574
Tim Wilton. P 027 463 2775
Darryl Stuart.
P 027 284 8588
Brendan Cranfield
National Board member
P 027 475 0800
Kathy Reid
Secretary
P 027 288 8404
To Join MPNZ
Contact:
Ash Leatherby
P 021 485 299
E ash.leatherby@masterpainters.nz
or visit MPNZ website
https://masterpainters.nz
Back row: Paul Green, Dave Vea, Luke Orr, Brendon McLean,
Tim Wilton, Justin Toomey, Brendan Cranfield, Darryl Stuart
Middle: Kathy Reid (secretary), Kevin Harmsworth
Front middle: Trevor Reid, Tony Schoen, Mike Green
Significant savings on your
insurance. The only insurance
packages designed specifically for
the painng industry
Membership deals on mobile
phones, landlines & home
broadband.
Mobil Fuelcard scheme saving
you money on petrol and diesel.
Why Should You Join
Master Painters?
Joining Master Painters NZ
Association Inc., gives you a
distinct business advantage.
You have the credibility of a naonal
brand behind you
You can make savings by using the Perk
& Perk+ secon on the MPNZA App.
You receive regular trade news and
updates
A digital copy of the Painter &
Master Painters and Your Business
Member Benefits
Decorator e-magazine
(produced every second month)
You have the opportunity to network
with others in the industry
Subsidised Lead management courses
(sponsored by Resene)
Your business details are displayed on
the Master Painters website providing
visibility for the consumer
You have access to the MPNZ
Members website, providing you with
a wealth of business and technical
informaon
5 Year Workmanship Guarantee
MPNZ Fact Sheets
Annual Master Painters Conference
Annual Master Painters of the Year
Awards – showcasing our members
workmanship
Annual Master Painters Apprence of
the Year Awards, held at the Master
Painters Conference
Workmanship Inspecon Services
PainterCra Trust (sponsored by Dulux
NZ) held annually, providing newly
qualified apprence painters, with
potenal, an insight into running an
exisng paint contracng business, or
their own business
Quality Assurance
Programme Opon
Member Benefits App. Discounts
from a number of major suppliers.
5 Year Workmanship Guarantee:
Protecng Protecng You and Your Client
Supported by:
Master Painter of the Year
Awards – celebrang
excellence in our industry.
For more informaon informaon about joining, please contact our Naonal Naonal Office E: naonaloffice@masterpainters.org.nz
naonaloffice@masterpainters.org.nz www.masterpainters.co.nz P: 04 472 5870

28 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS
DECEMBER 2023
Waikato Master Painters
What people say about us …
FEATURE
How do you know you’re going to get the best service possible when you need a painter? Well,
one way is to find out what the Waikato Master Painters’ Association is all about, and the other is
to read these testimonials from a few happy folk who have dealt with their members.
Here’s what they are saying …
We are delighted
with the exceptional
painting job
completed by this
Master Painters’
Association
member. Their
attention to detail,
professionalism
and commitment
to delivering highquality
results
surpassed our
expectations. The
transformation of
my space is truly
remarkable, and I
highly recommend
using a Master
Painters’ Association
member for peace of
mind.
– Brendon
A professional job
carried to a high
standard by a leading
commercial ‘Master
Painter’, working in
with the Inghams
team with their busy
day-to-day operation
of their business.
– Inghams Prestige
We hired a Master
Painter for the whole
interior of our house.
The workmanship and
friendliness of the
firm was brilliant. We
would recommend
a Master Painter to
anyone, as you know
that if there is a
problem, you will be
able to get it sorted out
without any hassles.
– Sindy
Another satisfied
customer, with the
successful repainting
of the exterior of
‘House on Hood’, the
client working with a
leading commercial
‘Master Painter’ to
successfully complete
this project.
– House on Hood
Definitely recommend
using a member of
Master Painters.
Their workmanship
was outstanding;
staff trustworthy and
customer service
and advice was very
professional.
– Joanne
We always use a
registered Master
Painter for our jobs
as it gives us the
reassurance that
they can handle any
project and complete
the job within the
scheduled time
frames. Our projects
range from bathroom
renovations to
multi-duplexes, and
when you choose a
Master Painter, you
not only get a skilled
professional, but also
the peace of mind
that your project,
regardless of size, is
in capable hands.
– Red Developments

DECEMBER 2023
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 29
FEATURE
Waikato Master Painters
Members
J L CONNOLLY LTD
E darryl@jlc.nz
P 0272 848588
J. THOM LTD
E johnthomltd@xtra.co.nz
P 027 4978370
KEITH MAHON PAINTERS
E admin@kmahonp.co.nz
P 021 797 406
ANGLO PAINTERS & DECORATORS
E anglopainters@xtra.co.nz
P 027 493 8713
GMR HOLMAC LTD
E admin@gmrholmac.co.nz
P 027 4953417
WAIKATO DECORATORS (1999) LTD
E accounts@waikatodecorators.co.nz
P 0274 937 943
ROB TAYLOR PAINTING LTD
E robtaylor@hotmail.co.nz
P 0274 519193
WILTON CONTRACTING LTD
E luke@wclgroup.co.nz
E tim@wclgroup.co.nz
P 274 249574 P 0274 632755
ACADEMY PAINTERS
& DECORATORS
E acadpd@xtra.co.nz
P 027 474 5656
BROMLEY DECORATORS
E admin@bromleydecorators.co.nz
P 027 278 0083
REID DECORATORS
E trevkathyreid@xtra.co.nz
P 0274 987 571
CANTEC SERVICES - HAMILTON
E brendon@cantecservices.co.nz
P 027 220 8969
DECORATIVE PAINT EFFECTS LTD
E info@painteffects.nz
P 027 4978408
M R (BOOF) BOLAND
E jenboof@outlook.com
P 0274 367 254
HARMSWORTH & BOURKE
DECORATORS LTD
E harmsworthx4@hotmail.com
P 027 2202 607
MIKE STENT DECORATORS LTD
E m.stent@xtra.co.nz
P 027 2904484
BRENDAN CRANFIELD DECORATORS LTD
E bcranfield6722@icloud.com
P 027 475 0800
P & M QUALITY PAINTERS LTD
E info@pmpainters.co.nz
P 027 669 3738
P 027 251 9589
PAINT CREATIONS LTD
E yardley@actrix.co.nz
P 0274 711 891
RENAISSANCE DECORATORS
E pauldebbiejennings@xtra.co.nz
P 027 4720658
RIVERSIDE PAINTING SOLUTIONS LTD
E riversidepainting@xtra.co.nz
P 021 722665
I T C LTD
E ian@itcltd.net.nz
P 027 4912346
STRAIGHT PAINT LTD
E info@straightpaint.co.nz
P 022 4726882
DANIEL CATTLE DECORATORS LTD
E dcdecorators@outlook.com
P 021 242 2602
PAINTSMART HAMILTON
E goddens@outlook.co.nz
P 021 158 4430
P & P DECORATING 2016 LTD
E office@ppdecorating.co.nz
P 022 697 8915
S M CONTRACTORS LTD
E shaun@randmbuilders.co.nz
P 021 316104
RS PAINTERS & DECORATORS LTD
E rs.paintpro@gmail.com
P 027 276 8084
UNLOCK PAINTERS
E lucas@unlockpainters.co.nz
P 021 131 6969
RRB CONTRACTING
E contact@rrb.nz
P 0210 2819698
PMD PAINTING
E peter@pmdpainting.co.nz
P 027 6215786

30 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS
DECEMBER 2023
Waikato Master Painters
Waikato members’ fabulous work
FEATURE
Here are some of the spaces where our Master Painters’ Association members work has left a lasting impression.
PAINTING AND WALLPAPERING RESIDENTIAL INTERIORS AND EXTERIORS
REPAINTS
SCHOOLS
SWIMMING POOLS
COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
BUSINESSES
OFFICE SPACE

DECEMBER 2023
Out and about…
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 31
Waikato Real Estate staff have celebrated being named Property Management Agency of the Year during a two day event in
Wellington. The award is contested by agencies managing more than 1000 properties.
Community thanks: Representatives from Waikato disability
organisation Enrich Group Johnathan Tan, general manager,
left, and Operations manager Janne Nottage, right, at the
Celebrating Waipā event at Lake Karāpiro last month hosted by
deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk and mayor Susan O’Regan.
Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
The Waikato Regional Council Environmental Science Award at the Kudos Science awards in Hamilton last month was presented to Te
Kūwaha o Taihoro Nukurangi, NIWA. They were pictured with council chair Pamela Storey, right.
Pictured at a retirement expo in Cambridge were, from left, Peter
Carr, Nicole Stanley, John Collyns and organiser Peter Matthews,
who says the event is set to become an annual fixture.
The latest list of recipients of an education scholarship with a rural focus were celebrating last week. They each
received $6000 from the David Johnstone Charitable Trust, administered by Perpetual Guardian, to help fund the
start of their tertiary education next year.
Wines and spirits company Invivo Wines were the supreme winners at last months’
Waikato Business Awards, and it also won the International Trade Award. Pictured
from left were Yasmina Pena, Aaron Coxhead and Alan Gregory.
Photo: Barker Photography.

FOSTERS.CO.NZ
07 849 3849
32 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS
DECEMBER 2023
Left to right: David Fredericksen,
Left to right: David Fredericksen,
Left Tony Tony to Letcher, right: Letcher, David Louise
Louise Fredericksen,
Cassidy
Cassidy
Tony Letcher, Louise Cassidy
“When “When it it comes comes to to
building “When it
building solutions, comes to
solutions,
Fosters building
Fosters have solutions,
have always always
provided Fosters
provided
have us us with with
always
the the
total provided
total package.” package.”
us with the
total package.”
Tony Letcher, Director & CFO
Tony Letcher, Director & CFO
Tony Letcher, Director & CFO
Hamilton business Convex prides itself on providing
Hamilton business Convex prides itself on providing
innovative packaging solutions for its customers as it strives
Hamilton to
innovative push
business the
packaging boundaries
Convex solutions of
prides sustainability,
itself for its on customers providing
performance
as it and
strives
innovative shelf
to push appeal. packaging the boundaries solutions of sustainability, for its customers performance as it strives and
to push shelf the appeal. boundaries of sustainability, performance and
shelf Mirroring appeal.
that continued focus on quality, innovation and
environmental Mirroring that continued responsibility, focus Fosters on quality, has been innovation Convex’s and
first
Mirroring choice environmental that in construction continued responsibility, focus companies on Fosters quality, for nearly has innovation been three Convex’s decades. and first
environmental choice in construction responsibility, companies Fosters has for nearly been Convex’s three decades. first
choice “When in construction it comes to companies building solutions, for nearly Fosters three have decades.
always
provided “When it us comes with to the building total package,” solutions, director Fosters and have CFO always
Tony
“When Letcher provided
it comes said. us with
to building
the total
solutions,
package,”
Fosters
director
have
and
always
CFO Tony
provided
Letcher
us with
said.
the total package,” director and CFO Tony
“Our relationship with them stretches back to the 1980s and
Letcher said.
we’ve “Our relationship always found with them them excellent. stretches They’ve back to got the depth 1980s of and
we’ve always found them excellent. They’ve got depth of
“Our knowledge, relationship we’ve with found them them stretches easy back to deal to with, the 1980s and we’ve and
knowledge, we’ve found them easy to deal with, and we’ve
we’ve
been
always
very
found
happy
them
with every
excellent.
project
They’ve
they’ve
got
delivered
depth
for
of
us.”
been very happy with every project they’ve delivered for us.”
knowledge, we’ve found them easy to deal with, and we’ve
So Fosters was immediately engaged when Convex embarked
been on So very a Fosters project
happy was to
with demolish immediately every and
project replace engaged they’ve its when offices
delivered Convex and expand
for embarked us.”
its
warehouse on a project space to demolish in 2021. and replace its offices and expand its
So Fosters was immediately engaged when Convex embarked
warehouse space in 2021.
on a “We’d project always to demolish planned and to replace our its head offices office and facing expand out on its
warehouse to “We’d Kahikatea always space Drive in planned 2021.
with to a design place our we head would office be proud facing of out and on
features to Kahikatea that would Drive with stand a out design to those we would passing be by,” proud Tony of and
said.
“We’d
features
always
that
planned
would
to
stand
place
out
our
to
head
those
office
passing
facing
by,”
out
Tony
on
said.
to Kahikatea Particularly Drive valuable, with a he design said, was we would Fosters’ be feedback proud of on and
features architectural Particularly that would valuable, plans, stand which he out said, were to those was carefully Fosters’ passing scrutinised feedback by,” Tony before on said.
architectural plans, which were carefully scrutinised before
Particularly valuable, he said, was Fosters’ feedback on
architectural plans, which were carefully scrutinised before
Got a build project in mind?
Get Got in a build touch project with Fosters in mind?
today!
Get in touch with Fosters today!
Got FOSTERS.CO.NZ
a build project in mind?
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in touch with Fosters 07 849 today! 3849
work began in mid-2022.
work began in mid-2022.
work “Fosters’ began ability in mid-2022.
to provide opinions on the costs of those
designs
“Fosters’ features
ability and
to provide how things
opinions could
on be
the done
costs differently
of those
to
“Fosters’ save
designs money ability features was to really provide and how helpful.” opinions things could on the be costs done of differently those to
designs save money features was and really how helpful.” things could be done differently to
save He felt money Fosters’ was strong really contractor helpful.”
relationships were one of
the He company’s felt Fosters’ greatest strong strengths contractor in relationships being able to were manage one of
He construction the felt company’s Fosters’ challenges strong greatest contractor and strengths deliver relationships the in being build able within were to a manage one tight of
the timeframe. construction company’s challenges greatest strengths and deliver in being the build able within to manage a tight
construction timeframe. challenges and deliver the build within a tight
timeframe.
“We began this project when there was high demand and
significant “We began material this project and labour when constraints there was high in the demand building and
“We sector,” significant
began he said. this
material
project
and
when
labour
there
constraints
was high
in
demand
the building
and
sector,” he said.
significant material and labour constraints in the building
“Fosters were able to mitigate those challenges, so they were
sector,” “Fosters
he were
said.
not an issue for us. able I to think mitigate that comes those back challenges, to their so experience they were
not an issue for us. I think that comes back to their experience
“Fosters
and their
were
relationships
able to mitigate
with contractors
those challenges,
and other
so
industry
they were
professionals and their relationships that they’ve with established contractors over and many other years.” industry
not an issue for us. I think that comes back to their experience
professionals that they’ve established over many years.”
and Convex their founder relationships David Fredericksen with contractors and supply and other chain industry
manager
professionals Louise Convex Cassidy founder that were David they’ve also Fredericksen impressed established with and over Fosters’ supply many chain excellent years.” manager
time Louise management, Cassidy were proactive also impressed communication with Fosters’ and ability excellent
to
Convex founder David Fredericksen and supply chain manager
work time around management, a functioning proactive manufacturing communication business. and ability to
Louise
work
Cassidy
around a
were
functioning
also impressed
manufacturing
with Fosters’
business.
excellent
time “We’ve management, come to expect proactive a lot from communication Fosters, but the and finished ability to
work quality “We’ve around of come the a build functioning to expect still managed a manufacturing lot from to Fosters, exceed business.
our but expectations,”
the finished
David quality said. of the build still managed to exceed our expectations,”
“We’ve David come said. to expect a lot from Fosters, but the finished
quality of the build still managed to exceed our expectations,”
David said.