Author Archives: Damon Harvey

About Damon Harvey

Damon is the editor and publisher of The Profit. Damon has over 20 years experience as a journalist, content developer, marketer and public relations specialist. Damon is a huge advocate for Hawke's Bay businesses and The Profit was created as a platform to celebrate HB businesses and business people. Damon is also a director of Attn! marketing pr - www.attn.co.nz alongside wife Anna Lorck. He is also a Hastings District Councillor and chairman of Sport Hawke's Bay. In his spare time he loves surfing, mountain biking, crossfit and spending time with his family, which includes five girls! If you've got a great story contact Damon on 021 2886 772 or damon@theprofit.co.nz

Business Hub turns 3

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The Hawke’s Bay Business Hub is maturing into a busy and vibrant resource that’s being well utilised by the local business community.

2018 marks the third birthday of Hawke’s Bay Business Hub. The Hub, as it’s more commonly known, is a key initiative of Business Hawke’s Bay, the business-led economic development agency with a region-wide focus, devoted to creating the right climate for businesses to thrive in the Bay.

Carolyn Neville, CEO of Business Hawke’s Bay says that the Business Hub is a focal point and fantastic resource for the region’s business community and delivers a collaborative environment focused on business success and growth.

“We’re seeing record use of Business Hub facilities from a range of businesses, social enterprises and individuals, and the ways in which we serve business is growing all the time.”

To make sure the business community knows what’s available, how to make use of Business Hub facilities and to illustrate the versatility of the venue, a photoshoot was recentlyheld.Theresultingimagesshowcase a modern, flexible facility, that can support a wide range of activities including a training session, product launch, workshop, board meeting, networking event or recruitment drive. The Business Hub can cater for small or larger groups of up to 60, and the all-inclusive room hire is surprisingly cost effective.

Hawke’s Bay Business Hub:

  • Light, bright and modern meeting and conference rooms
  • A range of room sizes and facilities, with modest daily rates
  • Free WiFi
  • DIY espresso coffee
  • Presentation/multimedia equipment available according to the room hire, and covered in the hire price
  • Commercial grade kitchen facilities
  • Conveniently located in Bridge Street, Ahuriri

Hawke’s Bay Business Hub’s resources and rooms are available to everyone, says Carolyn Neville.

“We welcome visitors and there’s an open invitation to the business community to drop by and see us.

“If you’re in Napier for business and have a gap between meetings, feel free to drop- in and experience the buzz of The Business Hub. It’s free, and you never know who you might meet. Grab a DIY espresso coffee (for a gold coin donation), tap into our WiFi, perch on a stool at our white board tables in the breakout area and watch our vibrant business community in action.”

Hands-on-help for business people to develop and grow their business

The Business Hub is much more than a collection of rooms and well-appointed spaces, says Carolyn Neville.

“It’s the place where Hawke’s Bay business people come to learn, share, connect, grow their skills and unleash their business potential.

“At the Hub, people can get hands-on-help to develop their skills, grow their business and

make the right connections. For example, the response to the Hub Connect 123 pilot programme and in particular, the business starter session (featured in February’s The Profit) has been outstanding.

“We are gearing up to do much more in 2018 to make sure we provide businesses and business people with the right kind of support, starting with Friday Coffee Talks.

“It’s is a brand-new initiative incorporating a welcome end-of-the-week caffeine hit as well as valuable business networks, business insight, and the support to power businesses forward.

“We’ll have a barista brewing up the flat whites as industry experts share their entrepreneurial journey, wisdom and lessons learnt along the way. The event format is a 45-60 minute interactive presentation followed by plenty of time for Q&A and networking over coffee.

“These sessions are suited for anyone thinking of starting a business, new to business or wanting to gain more

understanding to help grow their current business. Sessions will be relevant, practical and interesting. They’re great value for money and well worth the investment of time away from work. Every coffee talk will have practical take away learnings.

“And for those with a business problem, The Hub’s Ask an Expert session, also on selected Friday mornings, is free and the chance to get initial advice followed by a referral for specific, detailed support.”

Fridays at Hawke’s Bay Business Hub:

• Business insights with the Friday Coffee Talks guest speaker series covering a range of business relevant topics ranging from marketing, on-boarding for new employees and market validation ($15 Business Hub members, $20 standard). Check Business Hub website for dates.

• Specialist advice with Ask an Expert – a free drop in session over two hours on Friday mornings that includes experts such as lawyers, accountants, HR/health and safety, and Regional Business Partners. No appointment necessary. Check Business Hub website for dates and the expert line up for each session.

• On-site barista; gold coin koha for a coffee.

Carolyn Neville says that 2018 is gearing up to be a big year for Hawke’s Bay Business Hub.

“We’ll be launching even more new ways to support the business community, drive business growth and contribute to the regional economy. We’re passionate our region and helping it to grow.”

For more information: www.hbbusinesshub.co.nz/hubevents or drop in to 36 Bridge Street, Ahuriri.

Tumu Timbers – nailing its market

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Pallets and bins may look simple to build but for one of New Zealand‘s largest manufacturers, Tumu Timbers, there’s a level of sophistication that’s getting the best from what others would regard as the off-cuts.

Tumu Timbers, based in Irongate Maraekakaho, has been supplying a range of pallets, bins, wooden packaging and timber products to a wide range of industries since the early 80s. The business – part of the TUMU Group of companies, some of which are neighbours – is set out across the nine-hectare site.

In the early days the construction process was manual – from the grading of timber through to hammering the pallets together – yet today the constantly growing facility uses computer software, digital grading scanners, automated assembly lines and a trial is about to get underway involving robotics.

Jobs are safe however; although technology is helping increase productivity, staff numbers have grown over the past eight years from 80 to 150.

Tumu Timbers general manager James Truman and operations manager Andrew Cranswick can easily reel off the statistics but as impressive as they are, they’re also focussed on ensuring the 150 staff and their families are part of its success.

In terms of productivity and reliance on the core material – pinus radiata – Andrew easily rattles off the impressive numbers.

He says about 10 truck and trailer units transport timber to site every day. “Or if we laid timber end to end, it would stretch the distance from here to Australia seven times a year, that’s 40 to 50 kilometres of timber a day,” he says.

In finished product, Tumu Timbers builds approximately 800,000 pallets and between 50,000 to 100,000 bins each year. Of the 800,000 pallets (which are used mostly for the apple, kiwifruit and industrial sectors), 75 percent are exported across the world. If pallets produced were stacked on top of each other they would reach the heady heights of Mount Everest every four to five weeks.

The mix of technology and manual labour pumps out about 5,000 units across two shifts, totalling 22 hours of operation a day.

So how many nails are used in the process? Enough to build around 20,000 houses a year, or in actual nail numbers, 75 million!

Yet for all the numbers, James hopes that the business is not just well regarded for its business success but as an employer of choice.

“The business has increased production significantly for the growing demand for bins and pallets, especially within the horticulture sector, and automation has helped this but not at the expense of losing staff, in fact the opposite has occurred.

“We embarked on a series of automation instalments eight years ago. During that time, a lot of people perceived automation would replace jobs but instead we’ve gone from 50 staff to 150 staff.

“Automation has enabled us to do things better and grow. We have increased volume and are now servicing more customers. We’ve just realigned staff in the process for better utilisation.”

As sectors such as horticulture have grown so has the demand for pallets and bins. But a log of timber is cut for many uses, from building houses through to industrial uses, such as bins and pallets.

As the construction industry is also booming, the demands on timber are stretched. Tumu Timbers sources timber from more than eight sawmills, including sister company Kiwi Lumber.

“Our sheer volume means we need to rely on a range of mills such as Pan Pac, Red Stag, Tenon and Kiwi Lumber. Availability is becoming an issue with a lot of logs being exported. Historically it has been cyclical; previously we would have been able to buy timber for the seasonal demand but now you need to commit all year round.”

As demand increases for timber, the bit in the middle (what Tumu Timbers uses) is under more pressure from the building sector.

This pressure has led to the introduction of new grading technology and computer software to get more out of the raw material.

“We used to manually grade timber with people marking out defects with a crayon based on their visual assessment of a knot.

“Now with computer software and digital grading using cameras and lasers, we can utilise more of the timber and reduce waste while not over spec’ing things.

“A human can probably mark three to four grades on a board of timber while a scanner can instantly identify hundreds of defects and work out which ones can still be used to meet the product specification.”

James says that with technology becoming ever present in the facility, there is more of a focus on upskilling staff.

“We are upskilling staff all the time and looking to recruit, which like many other businesses is sometimes difficult.

“Potential job candidates probably look at us and think we only have people cutting timber using manual docking saws but we’ve got a skilled workforce. We’ve got tradespeople, qualified engineers and timber machinists and we offer apprenticeships and strong career pathways – both within the business and the wider group of businesses.

“One area we have been struggling with is management trainees – ie. future managers – they are hard to find. It’s sometimes hard to convey to someone young about a future career but we have opportunities that can grow into leadership roles.

“The view we’ve got is that TUMU Group is big enough for fantastic career opportunities. You can come in at the factory floor and work your way up; and if you outgrow this business, there’s the other businesses within the group – so if there’s a road block within the business that they are in there’s usually an opportunity elsewhere.”

James says a core business objective is to promote the business as a great place to work.

“That’s about offering a range of things to create a desire to work here. We’ve always been very capable on the safety side having invested a lot of money in safety improvements, but over the past two years, we have focussed on well-being of staff and whanau.”

A well-being committee has been established and the company provides a range of programmes to improve general health including medical checks and mole maps through to encouraging diet and fitness.

“We are currently going through a life- changing challenge. We have 20 staff who are undertaking a programme of fitness activities in our association with the Giants boxing academy in Hastings.

“We also provide free fruit and healthy lunch options and we’ve had some great results not just in staff participants but also their families.”

It looks like Tumu Timbers is fit for purpose and will continue to grow in line with the industries it serves.

www.tumutimbers.co.nz

Fastway delivering for 35 years

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From one man driving a van delivering parcels across Napier and Hastings 35 years ago, Fastway Couriers now delivers over 25,000 parcels every day of the year throughout New Zealand.

The franchise model business with 17 regional franchise owners and 300 franchise couriers in New Zealand has exponentially grown in parcel deliveries with the rapid growth in online shopping both nationally and globally. In the last three years parcel movements have risen from 8,072,539 to 8,834,002 in 2017.

Fastway New Zealand chief executive Scott Jenyns has been with the business for 17 years, starting out as the franchise business manager and has progressed his way through the business to chief executive.

Scott says the courier sector has transformed dramatically over this time – from 80 percent of deliveries being large packages delivered between two businesses to 80 percent of parcels being smaller than 3 kilograms delivered to residential properties.

He says much of the success of the business can be attributed to the franchise model that founding owner Bill McGowan initiated in 1984, after just one year of business.

The franchise model is also now in place in Australia, Ireland and South Africa.

“We get a real kick out of seeing the franchisees embrace our model and be true courier experts in their local markets.

“Every day is slightly different in that instance when you are dealing with them as business owners (rather than employees),

but for me it’s seeing them go and take on national initiatives and adopting them into their local markets,” Scott says.

A vision to be a cost-effective courier service

Bill McGowan founded Fastway in 1983 with the vision to develop a cost-effective courier service using a simple pricing structure with no complicated weight breaks and no time-consuming consignment notes.

Bill spent a year doing research, and after that he was ready to go. He saw Hawke’s Bay as the ideal place to start Fastway, due to the short distance between the twin cities of Napier and Hastings, with fast-growing Havelock North also being part of the delivery route.

At the time, the industry was extremely regulated and Bill had to purchase an existing company with transport licenses to be able to get underway.

He purchased a security company called Hawke’s Bay Security Services, which came with three goods services licenses, which it used for carting cash.Bill changed the name of the company to Hawke’s Bay Courier Services. Later, Bill made extensive submissions to Government which successfully led to industry deregulation and then also successfully lobbied a move away from requiring consignment notes, which supported Bill’s business model of using prepaid courier labels.

Initially Hawke’s Bay Courier Services was branded in red and white livery but with the potential to expand the business to other regions, Bill rebranded to Fastway Couriers, with the new logo featuring a running man, which Bill designed himself.

From day one Bill created each courier delivery area himself. He would define a geographic territory for the run, work it himself for a month, before handing it over to a driver to manage. He would then build up another run, and so on.

To give an impression of being busy every morning Bill would fill his van with empty boxes – and as he said at the time “no one wants to do business with a courier that has no work!”

During this time, he developed a process called saturation marketing, which is still the way new courier territories are developed today.

A Franchise model is born

Early on Bill realised that he needed to find a way to make the couriers as motivated to gain new business as he was. After building up courier runs and handing them over to drivers, no new business was being established other than the sales Bill himself made.

n what is regarded as the most crucial decision ever to grow the business, Bill decided to create courier runs as a stand- alone franchise, rather than employing drivers. His catch phrase was “the harder you work, the more money you’ll make.”

His first franchise owner was Chris Guildford in Gisborne and due to his success, others soon followed.

The franchise model enabled Bill to expand the business beyond Hawke’s Bay, opening depots in other main centers. A linehaul network was also established to link the various branches, and for about a year Bill drove a linehaul truck at night and worked in the day.

As more and more depots opened around the country, Bill decided that franchising was also the answer to establishing and managing the depots, so he turned each depot into a Regional Franchise. Regional Franchisees were business people who could operate the depot and office facility and provide business support services to their courier franchisees.

The first regional franchisee was Gisborne and was sold to Milton Smith in 1984 and other branches were quickly converted thereafter.

Staff who had previously run the depots were redeployed to provide high levels of management support to the regional franchisees and show them how to support their courier franchisees.

They worked from a central office in Napier, which was named Franchise Support Office.

This restructure resulted in further growth and improved productivity enabling the expansion of the network throughout the country, with the linehaul trucks linking all locations.

International expansion begins

By 1992, the New Zealand business was highly profitable and performing well. It was the second largest courier company in the country, with national coverage in all main population centers, and had carved out a market niche that was untouched by the other operators.

It was now that Bill started to look at the potential of expansion into Australia and like he did for New Zealand he researched the opportunity and then launched into business across the ditch in 1993.

Running a business in two countries was tough going with Bill travelling back and forth on a weekly basis for several years.

It was time to put a management structure in place and he appointed a CEO and general managers in both New Zealand and Australia.

A fundamental change also took place in the positioning of the business. Bill was finding it difficult to get business minded people interested in a franchise associated with transport. He made the observation that other franchise organisations could get the sort of people that Fastway wanted and he needed to move from being positioned as a transport company to a franchise company.

This lead to a complete overhaul and tidying up of the business by Bill’s wife Suzanne McGowan. She revamped the franchisee operations manuals, the logo, the uniforms, signage, imagery, and advertising messages and strict marketing standards were implemented to control and maintain them.

Developments in technology were taking off at this time, and Bill brought in one of his Directors, Brem Ellingham to work on a part- time basis, establishing a separate company that would develop IT solutions for Fastway.

Brem’s role didn’t stay part time for long – he eventually oversaw all IT and later became the Managing Director of the Fastway Group of Companies, a position he held for 18 years.

In the year 2000 Fastway looked at further global expansion and it created a National Master Franchise, granting rights to operate the Fastway system for an entire country.

National Master Franchise operators would undergo extensive training and research before replicating the model successfully working in New Zealand and Australia.

Fastway Couriers now operates out of Australia, Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand

Technology starts to deliver results

A leading-edge software package Franchise Management System (FMS) was developed so regional franchisees could track every parcel in the system from pick up through to delivery. It stored customer information and calculated courier remuneration, as well as providing comprehensive reporting and a range of other tools that assist the Regional Franchisees to manage their business.

FMS is now known as WebFMS, a cloud based product with a single database which controls all of Fastway’s financial transactions including customer accounts payable and receivable, courier remunerations and has now evolved to include the company’s dynamic and offline label customers.

Scott says hand held computers (scanners) were introduced in 2006 to courier franchisees enabling the delivery signature to be uploaded to the website, so customers can view the signature online.

In 2014 Fastway integrated WebFMS with a US based company; BluJay Solutions Ltd which allows real-time scan data, in flight diverts, custom messaging and provides both an Android and iOS option for secondary devices and hardware failure.

“If you go back 35 years we had couriers running around without any handheld devices, it was a very manual orientated business. If I look at the business then and now we have created a lot of efficiencies for our couriers through leveraging technology – so all of their daily delivery and pick up jobs are managed by a handheld device ensuring that there is no disruption to serving their customers.

Challenges and opportunities ahead

Scott says the biggest challenge facing the courier delivery sector today is servicing the compounding volume increase from people buying online and wanting it delivered to their home address, usually when they are not home.

He says traditional courier companies were designed to delivery parcels between business to business, therefore many haven’t evolved to cater for the increase in single deliveries to a residential address and are therefore being left behind.

“Before online retail shopping 80 percent of transactions were large consignments between two business but this has completely swung to business to consumer being 80 percent of our deliveries.

“The e-commerce growth rates are phenomenal, all of our large global e-commerce customers and domestic customers we are integrated with are growing at double digit.

“This has challenged the traditional way that we do business and we are really having to look internally how we can ensure that we maintain a delivery network for all those customers buying online and having their products delivered to a residential address.

“We have some technologies that we are offering our franchisees to circumvent that and we have some new initiatives that we will be launching later this year, which will be market leading in New Zealand. We feel that it will put us as first choice for e-retailers, so watch this space.”

Fastway has already introduced some new technology to make it easier, the biggest initiative being the launch of ‘label free delivery’.

A growing number of transactions on websites such as Trademe and Amazon are done at home on a mobile phone as most people don’t have a printer.

“Many of the transactions are being done via a mobile phone, so how can we expect them to print a tracking label, so we have introduced a piece of technology that is “no printer – no problem.

“It’s providing real ease of transactions for the consumer and our customers just love it as it has broken down a barrier to sales that they have previously had.”

The last delivery mile

Another added value new product that also supports label free technology is Parcel Connect, which is giving greater delivery control to the consumer. Parcel Connect is a convenient agency network such as (service stations/dairies) which Scott says helps overcome an inefficiency that was created by e-commerce and the delivery of parcels to residential addresses during the day, when most people are at work.

“We are trying to deliver a parcel to someone’s home during business hours and in most cases the person isn’t home, so Parcel Connect puts control with the consumer and how they choose to receive their item. They can ask us to leave it in a safe and secure place, or if they are not happy with that they can redirect to a Parcel Connect agent and they can collect on their way home from work. In 2016 International express, mail delivery and logistics services company, Aramex bought Fastway which has helped increase the service offering to international delivery, as well as gaining access to leading edge technology.

Scott says little has changed to the franchise model since the sale to Aramex but it’s opened up parcel delivery to and from over 80 international markets.

“We have been able to launch an international service on the back of that acquisition while we get access to all their technology. They are very big on investing in start-up businesses, so when any new investment in a start-up business we get access to that information and make and assessment whether that is applicable to the NZ market.”

The future for Fastway looks set to continue in the fast lane.

Style and grace mark doyenne of hair and beauty

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For 50 years Kay has been at the forefront of hair design, owning and operating hair salons and beauty clinics in Hastings, Taradale and Havelock North.

As she passionately rolls out MèCHE (pronounced Mesh), the latest brand reincarnation of what started back in 1968 as Kay’s Salon, there’s no way she’s standing still or looking at retiring – just yet. Not many superannuants can say they’re still a trendsetter who is constantly striving to improve the business.

“It won’t be another 50! It’s a bit of a standing joke about when I will retire but realistically, maybe five years at the most, but you never know.

“I love the hair industry and I’m a hairdresser through and through. I can still see that we can do things better, improve and change things. There’s always room to grow, whether that’s around the business model or the customer’s experience.

“I get bored, you can’t do the same things forever; my motto is, if you don’t continue to look into the future and change you will die in business.”

As a 19-year-old, and not fully qualified, Kay bought her first hair salon in Mayfair. She had started her apprenticeship with Sandra

Fox before heading across the ditch for some overseas experience. Upon her return, she started working for Marcia Walden, who would become a lifelong friend, in Warwick Street before being thrust into ownership.

“I worked for Sandra Fox at La Femme Couture in Karamu Road. It was a very busy salon and I did most of my apprenticeship with Sandra before going to Australia for a short time. I then came back and worked for Marcia before buying her salon at the age of 19.”

That was the beginning of the journey. Kay built up the salon over the next six years before selling it in the lead up to having her second child. However, maternity didn’t last too long and she was quickly back working for Marcia, who had set up her next salon, again in Mayfair.

“I didn’t have much time off, I think it may have been about six weeks, and I went and worked for Marcia in the new Mayfair Shopping Centre.”

Having already had one stint of ownership, Kay was keen to set up again and she found a small salon in Mahora that she quickly established and then bought her second, again off Marcia who was moving to Auckland.

“I worked between the two salons while also getting into competing in hairstyling competitions.

“I had the Mahora salon for about a few years before selling it and opening in Kings Street while also retaining the Mayfair salon.

“I changed the names of the salons every five minutes; the Mahora salon was called Ginger Brown, Mayfair was called Mayfair Hair Design when I bought it and I changed it to Dabblers Hair Company and then Pizazz Hair Works, while King Street was also branded as Pizazz.”

Kay sold Mayfair and King Street to have a well-deserved break, which she says only lasted about two weeks, before she took up a manager’s job at Mode Salon in Taradale and no sooner was she there, she was scoping out her next ownership move.

“There was a bit of a gap in the market for another hair salon in Taradale, so I opened up a new salon named Visage Hair Design in 1996.”

Word spread quickly that Kay was back in business and to cope with growth, she bought the premises of a beauty clinic next door in 1999, with plans of expanding the salon’s footprint.

However, she decided to delve into the world of skincare, make-up and cosmetics and operate both businesses until she was eventually forced to look for new premises for the beauty clinic.

“We had so many people in a small space we just couldn’t cope so I decided to split the two up and increase the size of the salon.”

The move didn’t stop the businesses’ growth and in 2007 the businesses were split in two again, with Visage Hair Design moving to a large new premises and the beauty clinic moving back to its original home.

Kay then set up Visage Hair & Beauty in Havelock North’s Joll Road in 2011 in what is and still remains a highly competitive and well saturated market.

Although both are small and compact retail areas there are noticeable differences. Taradale is more of a localised precinct serving its close surroundings while Havelock North is more destination shopping.

“It’s almost like working in two different countries. In Taradale, people come and do their business and go, whereas in Havelock North you come and shop for half a day and potter around and there’s some lovely shops to visit.”

However, to get customers in the door Kay says it’s ultimately about giving clients great service and value.

“You have got to continually try and improve what you do as well as have staff who are highly knowledgeable.”

Last year Kay was on the move again. She sold the Visage beauty clinic in Taradale to the store manager, who had been with her for 13 years, and she commenced another rebrand as well as moving the hair salon to a new location in Gloucester Street.

The rebrand was also motivated by a plan to use more digital media and marketing as well as a desire to continue to be progressive.

“I felt we needed to have a brand that was going to take us into the future. It gave us an opportunity to look at the direction that we wanted to go in.

“I’ve done it plenty of times before so I knew I could do it again. I’m always looking for where the industry is going next; we want to be innovative and ready to change with it and that’s probably why I am still here.”

To come up with the new name, brand identity and the instore experience, Kay started to put together Pinterest boards with images of other salons, names and suitable type fonts.

“I just go through everything, Pinterest boards and I search Google. It takes months and months and constant enquiry as to whether the potential names match the brand that I am trying to create.”

For support she confides in her marketing and brand specialist of over a decade, Stefan Olsen from Ed, who provides some cohesiveness to the process.

Stefan picked Kay’s brain on the vision for her business then got to work crafting a strategy that covered all aspects of advertising, marketing and communications.

Stefan’s top-down approach to marketing Kay’s businesses has been to understand how the business operates, from clientele and staff to environment and systems.

“Stefan is always present, efficient and attentive to my vision, which he turns into an effective strategy. He gets things done, and the things he does work,” says Kay.

Over the years Kay has employed many hair designers and beauticians and is particularly proud of employing and training many apprentices. Currently MèCHE employs 7 of the 19 apprentices in Hawke’s Bay and 25 staff in total.

“A big focus for me has been about growing and developing young people and that is what I have always done. It’s always been about bringing young people through with skills to a high level.

“When I was learning, you could never get enough knowledge and usually there’s not enough people who want to teach and pass on their skills, so we always employ people who are willing to share and pass on their skills and knowledge.”

It’s this hands-on approach and love of the industry that has kept Kay youthful, motivated and inspiring to others.

SUPERCHARGED ADVENTURE A MUST-DO EXPERIENCE

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Ten adrenaline seekers from Hawke’s Bay – bar one from Hunterville – started 2018 on the ultimate product promotion trip that they’ll never forget and which is now set to become a regular opportunity for others.

While Hawke’s Bay was in the midst of a hot summer, the 10 blokes and one of the wives were ploughing their way through the Canadian wilderness on high-powered snowmobiles reaching speeds near 200 km/hr.

Bay Motorcycles general manager Jono Kight organised the adventure as a showcase of Bombardier Recreational Powersports. (BRP) Ski-Doo (snowmobile), taking clients that already own a BRP vehicle and either use it in the day-to-day running of their business (such as farmers using side by side Can-Ams) or for recreational use, such as a Sea-Doo – the best jet ski on the planet.

Jono says none of them had any idea of what they were about to experience and a few months on since the trip, they’re all still hooting and high-fiving about the eight-day high-speed trek across frozen lakes, four- metre-deep snow and encounters with wild moose and deer.

The snowmobile tour of the wilderness surrounding Montreal and Quebec came about following Jono attending a BRP conference in Texas earlier in the year. BRP is the world’s leading powersports company and has a specialist adventure tour company – VIP Adventures (www.vip-adventures.com).

“VIP Adventures was promoting these high- octane-fuelled adventures in the snow of Canada and the deserts of Brazil on BRP powersport vehicles. It got me excited and I thought it would be a great way to take some clients who, like me, love going fast and having an adventure!

“I put the feelers out to a few people and pulled together a group that was ready and raring to go. They all now say it was one of their best trips ever, while it was a great marketing tool for us in showcasing BRP. It’s something that none of us would have ever done and was an experience of a lifetime.”

The trip is highly subsidiszed by BRP; this was a chance of a lifetime and as it was all organised, there was little they had to do except pack some thermals and jump on a plane with Jono.

The trip started with a visit to the home of BRP in Valcourt where they visited the interactive Bombardier Museum of Ingenuity, where BRP was started by Joseph Armand Bombardier, before having dinner at the just as famous Maple Sugar Shack – a Canadian must.

In preparation for riding the Ski-Doos, they went to the Valcourt Ski-Doo Grand Prix – the world’s largest grand prix of racing snowmobiles, snowcross motocross bike and vehicles held on an ice oval, snowcross and drag racing.

“It was the most un-PC racing event I think we’ve ever seen, a huge amount of fun and laughs and it certainly got our eye in for the next eight days,”

The following day the tour started in earnest at a place called St Raymond, when they were given 600-850cc snowmobiles that can reach speeds in excess of 200 km/hr.

“All the gear and skis we were given were second to none. There was no training as such, it was ‘here’s the throttle, the brakes don’t really work on snow, so let’s go and have some fun’.

“They were really easy to ride – pretty much like the jet ski versions that we are more used to in New Zealand.”

     

A big difference was the temperature, which was as low as -22 degrees!

“On the first day we rode about 150 kilometres through farmland and forests, with scenery you can’t explain to anyone else. After the first few hours we all thought we were expert riders and so the racing began.

“We started to run behind schedule and that’s when the real fun started! We were riding through forest tracks; it was snowing, visibility was poor, it was pitch black and with only our lights on, it was like driving dodgems. Luckily we all got to our accommodation in one piece and we all agreed this was going to be the best-ever adventure!”

There were plenty of thrills and spills as they all navigated their way through snow- laden forests, climbing mountainous tracks and riding over frozen lakes.

“We would ride about four to five hours a day from either some cabins or a hotel. The terrain was a real mix and the scenery was jaw-dropping.

“We all felt a ‘need for speed’ and got the opportunity to go full throttle across Lake Édouard, where one of us reached speeds of close to 190 km/hr.”

The hospitality was as memorable as the riding. They stayed at a little pub in Lake Édouard for two nights. It was a very remote area with a population of about 150.

“This is in the middle of nowhere, so when people come to stay from out of town it seems a perfect time for the entire population to come together and party with us. They were fantastic hosts and although the majority only spoke French, we made it through with a lot of laughter and very fond memories.”

Although the trip is quickly becoming a distant memory, travelling together over 800 kilometres on Ski-Doos (the distance from Wellington to Russell) has created some long-standing relationships and was “one of the best marketing initiatives we’ve ever done,” says Jono.

“I’m already planning the next trip and the beauty of BRP products is that they cover summer and winter adventures. We can go Can-Am driving in deserts of Brazil to jet skiing in the Mediterranean.”

Bay Motorcycles is now a tour partner with VIP Adventures and Jono is exploring opportunities for tours in New Zealand for international BRP customers, as well as taking New Zealanders to the likes of Croatia, Brazil and North America.

“I’ve quickly found that there is a demand for these sorts of trips. This trip has got people talking and now I’m doing a bit of reconnaissance for all sorts of adventure options. I’m not sure what else is around the corner but it’s all very exciting.”

So, watch this space for the next trip or email Jono at jono@baymotorcycles.co.nz.

“It’s more affordable to do adventure travel as an organised group rather than on your own, and it also gives Bay Motorcycles an opportunity to do something very special with our clients.”

www.baymotorcyclesbrpdealer.co.nz

High Flying Scot ready to take airport into new era

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The Hawke’s Bay Airport has a new chief executive. Stuart Ainslie, a Scot, who brings a wealth of experience within the aviation sector and he’s arrived with fresh eyes and ideas on how to further establish the airport as the gateway to the region.

Where are you from?

I was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, which was the original capital seat of Scotland in the mid 11th century. Its also famous for being the birthplace of Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish- American industrialist, business magnate and philanthropist believed to have been one of the world’s richest men at that point.

My wife Elaine and three children were all born in Scotland but I seem to be the only one left with a thick Scottish accent, something I’m deeply proud of. They say that you can take the boy out of Scotland, but you cannae take Scotland oot the boy’.

Where did you study?

I didn’t follow a conventional path towards university. I left school in 1988 aged 16 and completed an electrical apprenticeship that led into some junior management roles at Rosyth Royal Dockyard, working for Babcock Rosyth Defence Ltd (BRDL). At 21, I was given the opportunity to take on a supervision role with responsibility for around 20 men, all much older and experienced than me. I was then given the

opportunity to study for a Bachelor of Science degree at Glasgow Caledonian University and subsequently went on to complete a Bachelor of Engineering and Masters in Maintenance Management. In 2010 I completed a one-year professional management course with University of Adelaide.

Tell us about your career path?

I spent 12 years with BRDL at Rosyth Dockyard in various project management roles, after which point I knew it was time to move on. I always had a hankering towards change and transformation so I decided to leave for new challenges.

In 2000 I entered into airports for the first time. I was asked by one of the facilities service providers who worked for Babcock if I’d like to do some consulting at Edinburgh Airport to help them develop their asset management system. Within a few months I was part of Edinburgh Airport’s senior management team, employed by British Airports Authority (BAA) as their facilities/engineering manager. In 2005 I relocated to London Gatwick and was employed as head of airside engineering responsible for over 250 people and

the upkeep of the world’s busiest single runway in the world. The plan was to stay at Gatwick for a while but after a family holiday to Australia, my wife and I vowed to return one day to live. In 2006 an opportunity arose to help NT Airports in Darwin with delivering their $45 million capital plan. I led Darwin Airport’s master-planning process, a $60 million terminal development as well as a challenging two-year airline pricing negotiation with the major Australian airlines.

I left the role in 2010 and ended up as the executive general manager for the NT’s leading mechanical services provider for 12 months. Following this period, I decided to establish my own aviation consultancy business, which I ran until late 2017. In late 2014 I relocated the family to Cairns as it was closer to Papau New Guinea, where I was working back and forth.

The start 2014 to end 2016, I was the executive general manager for Port Moresby International in Papau New Guinea. During 2017 I was engaged by APEC Authority in Papau New Guinea to assist with the air movement planning for Leaders’ Week in November 2018.

What have been some of the highlights?

Working across airports from 500,000 pax per annum to 33 million pax per annum has been highly rewarding. Working for a company like BAA exposed me to all aspects of the airport business, from strategic planning one day to crisis management the next.

Although it was a politically tough environment I truly enjoyed being able to lead the transformation of Port Moresby Airport, getting the team fit for the Pacific Games in 2015 and delivering a $90 million international terminal expansion with new check-in, security, border control and retail experience, including a sizable duty-free store. Most recently I was preparing airport infrastructure advice directly for Peter O’Neill, the Prime Minister of Papau New Guinea, as part of the APEC planning requirements. Something I have lots of stories to tell that might be better in a book

What attracted you to the Hawke’s Bay Airport role?

After spending a significant amount of time away from home for work, my wife and I decided that it was time for a new outlook and towards the end of October we decided to target New Zealand. After 12 years in Australia we both knew we were ready for a change.

For a few years I had aspired to an airport CEO role but a few opportunities passed me by. In December 2017 I saw the position advertised and thought it was a fantastic career step in a great place to live and explore.

Although Hawke’s Bay Airport is a much smaller airport than I’ve been used to, there are a lot of opportunities to transform the business and lead the way forward.

Although you’re only just getting your feet under the desk, what do you see as some short-term changes/ improvements?

Firstly, I’ve inherited a terminal expansion project and I want to ensure we deliver absolutely the best capacity and customer experience from the development.

As we are working in a live environment the construction staging through the life of the project will generate some significant challenges. I’m keen to ensure that all of our passengers experience minimal disruption and we deliver an end result that exceeds expectations. Regular travelers should look forward to improvements that will deliver more space, improved baggage collection and a better retail experience.

In addition to this we finalising some key road infrastructure to connect the Watchman Road development to the airport, which is an important development in relation to our aspirations for the business park development and exit/entry statement to the airport.

You’ve adopted a terminal upgrade – will you be keeping it as status quo or will you be recommending any modifications?

That’s a great question and there is a possibility that we will make some minor modifications to the design but these will most likely be around the layout of some of the common use spaces and perhaps the retail, food and beverage offerings.

Do you see any new airlines coming to Hawke’s Bay or any new routes in and out of Hawke’s Bay?

Another great question and early days to give a definitive answer; that said we have already started discussing the potential for increases in capacity from existing airlines and exploring a potential fourth carrier. The development of new routes is a two-way street and my philosophy is we don’t sit and wait on airlines coming to us, we’ll aim to work smarter to understand the opportunities that exist and work in partnership with the airlines to develop new routes where it is economically viable.

There is also the possibility that in the near future we may start to see a few larger aircraft, but that comes with some challenges around supporting infrastructure. We’ve started to understand some of these challenges so that we have the right plans in place to accommodate this in the future.

What did you know about Hawke’s Bay before your arrival?

Believe it or not my wife and I hadn’t even visited New Zealand before I was invited to interview for the position but we had it on our to-do list. The first things we really became aware of was the wine industry, the history of Napier’s reconstruction and the great cycling tracks.

I was here during Art Deco Weekend so I was able to experience that first hand. I loved the buzz, and everyone seemed to be really enjoying it.

How well does the airport connect with the community?

I believe we have great linkage to the community around us, perhaps more than I’ve seen in other airports. We have a number of forums where the locals are engaged in helping us to understand where we can improve. In particular, the wetland surrounds and local environment are a source of pride and we are committed to working with the community to maintain this.

Over the next year we’ll be reviewing our masterplan and also developing an environmental strategy that will give us a better opportunity to work closely with the local community.

What are you looking forward to about residing in Hawke’s Bay?

I love the diversity of the landscapes that I’ve seen in the Hawke’s Bay region. I’m looking forward to enjoying the climate, exploring the area and enjoying some of the great food and wine from the region. We enjoy a well brewed cup of coffee and there is a great café culture so that’s a good start.

What do you do in your spare time?

My wife and I love getting out and exploring the outdoors. We’ll need to dust off the mountain bikes and we’re also keen to get into some sea kayaking. Other than that, I play guitar and another instrument but as I’m from Scotland originally I’ll leave you to guess that one… I don’t think the neighbours will appreciate it too much.

On the right Axis for growth

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A Hawke’s Bay business that plays a big role in putting other businesses up in bright shining lights, prefers to keep a low profile.

Axis might not be well known within the Hawke’s Bay scene in general but they are the ‘go to’ business for sign writers nationwide through to boat manufacturers and everything in between.

So, what do Axis directors Russell Thorogood and Leon Pryce and their team of 13 actually produce?

Essentially Axis can take a flat sheet of alloy, plywood or plastic (or anything) and with a CNC router or CNC laser create 3D building signage, shop fittings, engraved award trophies or componentry for the building and engineering sectors. In fact, they can pretty much do anything with a flat sheet of material!

“We can do anything from door plates to all sorts of signage, boats along with props for the film industry. We can do individual letters or numbers as small as six millimetres through to boat panels as large as six metres,” says Russell.

In the early days when they were on the hunt for work, they got the opportunity to profile cut and manufacture the rear end of an Americas Cup yacht with an interactive grinder that was used as part of a promotional campaign for the America’s Cup in the early 2000s.

Another early break was supplying all the signage for the redeveloped Waikato Stadium in Hamilton in 2002.

The business first set up in what Russell says was “pretty much a shoe box” in Duchess Crescent in 2001 and has grown and moved several times to now be in a purpose-built facility in the Irongate industrial zone.

“We started out in a room that was 20 m2 and now we’ve got this fantastic facility that is about the size of eight basketball courts, with room to expand.”

Axis was previously in an industrial park alongside Furnware in Omahu Road – a facility that they needed to expand twice.

“I remember when we first moved in and we had 600 m2 and I thought we would never fill it; but five years later, we doubled our space and now we’ve moved again,” Leon says.

Russell and Leon identified early the type of business they wanted to create and who they would target. They didn’t want to deal with the end user but instead wanted to be a supplier or intermediary to an overall business sector.

They initially targeted sign writers nationwide, with Russell getting in a car and driving the length and width of the country showing what they were capable of.

Some of the clients secured in those early days remain with them today as well as many others that email daily designs that they want to be brought to life using a vast range of raw materials.

“We’ve also been involved in the development of unique products that someone has invented. They will come to us with an idea, we’ll do a prototype, tweak it and depending on its success, we’ll continue to supply.”

Axis has been a supplier to one of the world’s largest technology companies for many years. Russell says they built a strong relationship with Vectek Electronics (which was bought by ABB) early on supplying labels that went on electronic equipment to now, manufacturing and supplying many parts that go into ABB equipment.

“Our focus has always been on quality and service and that’s helped us compete well against other CNC businesses.

“Our aim is to quote, produce and deliver to, say, an Auckland customer faster than if they had someone like us just down the road.”

Axis now employs 13 staff and has heavily invested in technology and software. The business has four CNC routers and two CNC lasers.

The one-hectare Irongate Road site is powered by solar energy, with one of the largest double-sided solar commercial installs in New Zealand. Solar generates enough electricity to operate the complex throughout the day and then some.

“While we were in the early stages of building this facility, I visited some buildings in Australia and we could see the cost and environmental benefits immediately. Solar is the future.”

The next route for the business looks exciting. Leon and Russell, with involvement from the team, are always looking to drive the business into the future.

www.getroutered.com

Collective wisdom, bottom line success – The Alternative Board

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Many small and medium businesses (SMEs) in Hawke’s Bay are set to benefit from a globally successful business development model that is based on collaboration of those sitting around a boardroom table.

The Alternative Board – www. thealternativeboard.co.nz, has been brought to the Bay by two well-known local businessmen Wayne Baird and Russell Jaggard. It draws on their wide range of business skills, the experience the business owners participating as board members bring; and the collective wisdom of thousands of businesses from all over the globe.

Wayne says it was only by chance that he stumbled across The Alternative Board when he saw the opportunity online.

“Russell and I had been working as business coaches since last July but we were constantly having to invent new resources across the business spectrum. I saw The Alternative Board online and I was instantly interested.

“It’s an alternative way to look at taking a business to the next level. There’s a wealth of tools and resources as well as coaching, but the unique factor is that we are bringing business owners together – to help each other succeed,” Wayne says.

The Alternative Board was launched 28 years ago by US entrepreneur Allen Fishman and Wayne and Russell got the opportunity to meet him on two occasions while they learned more about the organisation during a visit to its headquarters in Denver.

“Allen is now in his 80s but he is an incredibly inspirational person, who is passionate about seeing other business owners succeed.”

Aucklander Stephen James brought the concept to New Zealand in 2012 and it is now established in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Wellington and Christchurch.

Russell and Wayne have secured the territories of Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Taupo and Wairarapa. The plan is to establish Hawke’s Bay over 2018 and then look at Taupo as the next area.

“There’s over 9000 businesses across our area and we can see that the boards that are created have the potential to add significant income and jobs to many businesses as well as boost each region’s GDP,” Russell says.

The Alternative Board brings together six to eight non-competing business owners as a board with those owners meeting monthly to give advice and provide solutions for each other’s business.

Wayne says there is always a different focus at each meeting with board members presenting an issue or an opportunity which is then explored collectively.

Wayne and Russell’s role is to facilitate and make sure the meetings flow and that time in the hot seat is evenly shared so that all participating business owners get guidance and support.

“We make sure that everyone is well prepared for the meeting, ready to update others on actions taken from the previous meetings, and having a clear idea of what they would like to be discussed with the Board.

“There’s a high level of confidentiality in a trusting environment. We look at it as a combination of shared wisdom and being accountable to our peers,” Russell says.

After each board meeting Wayne and Russell meet individually with the business owners to assist in implementing the actions arising from the board meeting or on other projects that have been identified.

The duo have access to a wide range of The Alternative Board proprietary tools and resources that cover the business spectrum – from human resources materials to marketing and sales through to financial resources.

So what credentials do Wayne and Russell offer in supporting the growth of other businesses?

Wayne has worked across a wide range of businesses, from small start- ups to a corporate environment. His business acumen has been honed in manufacturing, engineering, utilities, IT and telecommunication businesses.

“I’ve owned businesses and have worked in a range of other businesses both locally and nationally. I’ve experienced and seen most of the issues that are likely to arise in a business.”

Russell spent 21 years in the accounting profession and most recently was the CFO for a national ICT business. He is buoyed by the introductory launch event held in mid-April in Napier, as well as the positive responses he and Wayne have received from visiting local businesses.

“It’s been well received. The concept is very different to traditional business growth concepts and most see the value in coming together to accelerate the growth of each other’s business.

To find out more go to: www.thealternativeboard.co.nz/ alternative-board-hawkesbay/ or see dates below for sample board meetings.

 

If it aint broke… why change?

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It’s Long Term Plan time across the local councils. They’ve all got some big spend items – Hastings with water($47m), Napier a Master Plan for Park Island ($15.8m) but its the huge rate hike at the HBRC and the possible loss of some funding for tourism that is the hot topic.

The HBRC says a major priority for the next 10 years is the environment and I don’t think anyone can argue about that. But, it shouldn’t be at the expense of tourism – which brings in $630m in spend.

As a current councilor at HDC, I know the influence we can individually and collectively have on council outcomes. We’ve seen it time and time again with the regional council and the 4–5 split (or rift) that has gone on for at least the past three terms.

Do the current HBRC councillors understand the background and history as to how we have ended up with the most effective approach to tourism for many years? Remember Vision 20/20, HB Inc and every other failed model?

Tourism has many benefits and touches us all. $630 million in direct spending by tourists and 8 percent of regional GDP, and employs over 6,200 people across the Bay.

The economic benefits are broad, from the corner dairy and a tourist walking in and buying an ice cream, to our wineries, retailers, restaurants and hotels. So, when councilors say that the sector must contribute, where does the spectrum of the tourism sector end?

I think they have also forgotten the soft tangibles of tourism. During Art Deco weekend I had a long lunch in Napier and we asked many tourists what they liked about Hawke’s Bay.

We talked to a wide range of people, one 21-year- old Aucklander who on a whim decided to come down and stroll down yesteryear through to a couple from California who were on a cruise ship tour. Another American family had heard about Hawke’s Bay while in Auckland and out of curiosity decided to come and take a look – they’re now keen to move here!

They all spoke passionately about the Bay, many saying it was the best place they had visited. But not only were they spending money but they were making us feel proud about where we live.

As locals we love being told how great a place we live in (perhaps that’s why there’s a marketing slogan called Great Things Grow Here) so we should all be happy to contribute $26 per household a year – I think that’s about the cost of five coffees.

I do agree with the councillors that in some way Tourism Hawke’s Bay and the industry must contribute and although I’m happy to support their cause, I also think they need to be a bit more transparent with the funds they receive.

HBRC has done a good job of questioning the value of contributing to tourism, which has in turn upped our understanding of the importance of tourism, but the last thing we want is to go back to the previously unsuccessful models.

HBRC is really the only way that all residents in the region can contribute via rates. We don’t want rate collection via Napier, Hastings, Wairoa or Central Hawke’s Bay councils. All this will do is dilute the Hawke’s Bay brand and see each town or city competing against each other.

 

 

New residential development for Arataki

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The largest residential development in Havelock North in the last seven years will be released to the market over the next six months.

Greenstone Land Developments which has a successful track record of residential developments in Havelock North and Hastings has purchased the ex-Arataki Motor Camp.

The company bought the camping ground from the former owner, who recently purchased it back from the Crown, after the land was deemed no longer suitable for education purposes.

Greenstone Land Developments director Tim Wilkins said site preparations are well underway for the development with 39 residential sections planned ranging in size from 400m2 to 750m2.

The first stage of 9 sections is expected to go to market in June, but already Greenstone has had more registrations of interest than sites available.

Sales manager Peter Cooke said interest is already high following the listing of information on the Greenstone website – www.greenstoneland.co.nz

“This isn’t surprising since it’s the largest release of land in Havelock North for some time, and follows the same strong demand we experienced with our large residential development in Lyndhurst, Hastings”.

Tim has kept a close eye on the Arataki Camp Ground site since he purchased and developed adjacent land in 2004.

“That development, Arataki Mews, sold quickly and those who missed out asked about the potential of the camp ground site. We’re now thrilled to be able to offer new sections in Havelock North,” he said.

De-commissioning the camp ground and clearing the 70 plus buildings including 20 cabins is already underway, with some of dwellings being purchased for RSE worker accommodation and a number of caravans sold to the Hastings and Mahia Motor Camps.

“There’s a lot of work to do to clear the site and our aim is to recycle as much as possible. It’s been an eye opener walking through and seeing what was left behind, everything from bedding and televisions to barbeque tables. There is also an indoor swimming complex, a cinema and library,” Tim said.

Greenstone has submitted a resource consent with the Hastings District Council. It has also submitted engineering plans for onsite infrastructure and services.