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

Hawke’s Bay Deer Velvet Goes International

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It’s only been two years since Josh Buckman took the reins of the well- known Hawke’s Bay deer velvet company Gevir but already he is charging ahead, exporting the product to new markets with a unique proposition for natural health seekers.

Gevir is now exporting to China and the United States with plans to be in six other countries by the end of the year.

“We have a loyal following in New Zealand but the growth potential is in exporting our story and quality products. There is a much bigger customer base abroad and a huge opportunity to tell a unique story.

“It takes a lot of work and money to get into these markets but our long-term goal is a bigger business that adds value to deer farmers and the velvet industry.

“Deer velvet is one of the only renewable sources of all nine essential amino acids the body needs to grow and repair; it is made up of glucosamine, collagen, Omega 3 and Omega 6, minerals, nutrients and lipids, to name a few. It’s an adaptogen, increasing the body’s ability to withstand stress and ward off exhaustion. The more we can educate our customers about the benefits of our diverse and natural supplement, the better.”

Josh and the Gevir team have started exporting their premium supplements to retail markets in China and the United States and plan to be in Canada, Japan and South Korea by the end of the year.

Gevir has been making the deer velvet supplements for nearly 30 years, with premium deer antler velvet being the only ingredient.

Josh bought the business two years ago from Shelley and Clint Thomson, who founded the business and had owned Gevir for 26 years.

Since then, not only has he entered the export market but he has also diversified the product range, with a soon-to-be launched natural skincare range, and he has also introduced a pet range.

“I have been overwhelmed by the number of Kiwi farmers who have purchased the pet product for their working dogs. We knew the Gevir pet product would be an attractive option for pet dogs, especially older dogs, but we didn’t expect the product to be so popular for working dogs.”

Hawke’s Bay farmer Mike Ritsson-Thomas has a 13-year-old heading dog called Thai who tore her Achilles. After the vet tried

several different treatments, none of which worked, Mike decided to start feeding her his Gevir deer velvet tablets.

“It was like a miracle, suddenly Thai just came right and she no longer had a busted Achilles. She was back out on the farm with me mustering and easily jumping on and off the bike. It was unbelievable how the deer velvet gave her a new lease of life.”

And Thai wasn’t the only ‘miracle’ deer velvet case for the Tikokino sheep and beef farmer. His wife Caroline has a 12-year-old Aussie Terrier called Fergie who started going bald.

“She was so bald that her tail poked out like a finger. So, I fed her Gevir deer velvet tablets every day and within a few months she had a thick coat again, she was much more sprightly and back running around the farm.”

Mike is a firm believer in the natural product and has been taking the Gevir deer velvet tablets for over 10 years.

“As a farmer you get a lot of bashes and bruises. I find the deer velvet helps me heal quickly and I don’t have the aches I had before.”

His wife Caroline used to have arthritis in her knee but after taking Gevir for three months, the pain has stopped.

“If I stop taking the deer velvet tablets I get aches and pains, so there is a noticeable difference.”

Josh first came across deer velvet following multiple shoulder injuries and three reconstruction surgeries, which left him in constant discomfort with numbness and pins and needles.

“I first discovered deer velvet following several dislocations and surgery from playing rugby. I had seen Gevir for years at rural retailers and remember the old tv ads and gave it a go after my third shoulder reconstruction. When using Gevir following surgery I made an exceptionally speedy recovery, particularly with the reduction in pain and numbness, and was back to work in four weeks. So I am very passionate about the product and believe there is huge potential to educate people on the long-term benefits and improved quality of life with Gevir.”

Josh was working in a diverse sales and project role with FMG and was also managing his finishing farm near Havelock North when he heard the Thomsons were looking to pass the reins of Gevir on.

“My wife and I jumped at the opportunity with Gevir, we were attracted to the natural health and renewable element but also to the health benefits. It is sustainable, it grows every year and the deer don’t have to be killed to produce it. Deer velvet is the fastest growing mammal tissue with more than 300 active components. It is hard not to be excited about the diverse and unique supplement we produce with some of New Zealand’s best deer farmers.”

“We are really excited about sharing Gevir with the world and providing our passionate farmers with the added value they deserve.”

 

Garth Cowie – Napier Port boss weighs anchor after 18 years

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Back in 1999, Garth Cowie “traded oysters for red wine” when he left the top job at South Port in Bluff and headed north to become chief executive at Napier Port.

“At the time I most probably thought I was getting the raw end of the deal but I’ve certainly found that the lifestyle and the growth prospects here were significant, compared to Bluff, and the port has gone from strength to strength since then.”

Garth retires as CEO in December after overseeing 18 years of growth and significant development at Napier Port.

When he announced his decision to leave in April, port chairman Alasdair MacLeod said Garth should take great pride in a number of achievements under his watch that have positioned Napier Port well for the future.

“He’s developed an outstanding senior management team and a motivated and dedicated staff across the board – across our marine, cargo handling and support functions. They are pushing industry boundaries nationally and internationally in health and safety, technology and logistics,” Alasdair said.

“Napier Port’s relationship with customers and suppliers is strong and the company is forging partnerships for collaboration across the globe. We are heading towards a healthy profit this year and we are currently planning for a wharf development that will see Napier Port significantly increase its capacity.”

When Garth arrived from South Port in 1999 – after five years as the Southland facility’s CEO – Napier Port was handling about 67,000 twenty-foot equivalent (TEU) containers a year. This year it will handle more than 288,000 and volumes are forecast to continue growing over coming years.

Cargo and log volumes have also increased markedly and Garth says significantly, the growth has been achieved on virtually the same physical footprint the port had when he arrived.

A key highlight over his time leading the company has been Napier surpassing Wellington and Port Chalmers to become the country’s fourth largest container terminal.

While the port industry has a history of strong union involvement, Garth says another highlight has been a change of culture to a more constructive, open and transparent relationship across the organisation. This was highlighted after last year’s Kaikoura earthquake which brought significant extra work to Napier, meaning the peak season arrived in December rather than March.

“It meant a huge change and our people had to adapt and be flexible to rise to the challenge. Our staff were working flat tack for six rather than three months of the year. We couldn’t allow people to go on leave so they had to reorganise their holidays and that sort of thing. So it’s the people who have really made all the difference over my time and that will be the thing I miss the most – the day-to-day contact and the relationships with the people here.”

Another highlight has been the port’s consultation over its upcoming $100 million-plus 6 Wharf development, which has involved feedback from more than 2000 people.

Born and bred in Invercargill, Garth studied accounting at university and began his working life as an assistant auditor with the Government Audit Office. In 1979 he became the accountant for what was then the Southland Harbour Board.

He was the harbour board’s secretary when it morphed into South Port in 1988, and took up the deputy chief executive role followed, in 1994, by the CEO role which he held for five years before heading north to Hawke’s Bay.

Garth says there were a number of factors behind his decision to step down after 18 years running Napier Port. One was Prime Minister John Key’s departure last year.

“He picked his own time, and didn’t have to. That started making me reflect that there is a right time for the chief executive to retire.”

Then long-serving port employee Graeme Hart passed away in January, aged 67.

“He didn’t get to enjoy the retirement that was coming. Both of those were triggers for me to think about what my future was going to be.”

Having turned 60 himself, Garth says he was also mindful of the major expansion work being planned at the port.

“With the development that we’ve got coming up, if I was going to stay I would need to stay to see it through, which is probably about another four years. I thought that was going to be too long and I really needed to make a decision to allow the new CEO to come onboard early enough to work through and understand it completely by the time the full business case was developed.”

While he is looking forward to stepping aside from the heavy demands of a CEO role, Garth will continue to chair a committee overseeing Hastings District Council’s water services change programme and will be looking to pick up other governance roles or advisory work.

“And hopefully my golf handicap might start to come down, slowly.”

George Reedy – Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga chief executive

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George Reedy is the chief executive of Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga, a charitable trust that provides a wide range of health, social and education services to over 10,000 whanau. The Profit put a series of questions to George.

What’s your background?

I grew up in Tikitiki, up the East Coast, surrounded by uncles, aunts and grandparents. That gave me a solid start in life. I was secure in the knowledge of who I was, and who was there for me.

Who has been the most inspirational person in your life?

One of my earliest memories is of my mother piggybacking me across a floodgate spanning a flooded stream. It was quite a dangerous exercise really, but my mother was determined to get me across because, on the other side, the school bus was waiting for me. That was the value she put on education.

My parents, Te Moana and Apikara Rangi, worked hard. To them, education was the ultimate goal, the gateway to everything they didn’t have. That’s why I never got a day off school just because the stream was flooded. It’s an ethos that has always stayed with me. It’s why I’ve spent the past 20 years working in Māori development.

What career path have you followed?

After school, I spent a bit of time fencing, then went into the forestry service before getting a cadetship with Māori Affairs. They introduced me to accountancy and I realised I was really good with numbers. I went on to do a degree in accountancy and become a Chartered Accountant. That was my pathway into senior management.

Since then I’ve had many roles in a range of sectors, including Government and Māori economic and development initiatives. My focus is on growing sustainable businesses using information technology combined with a strong emphasis on quality of service and product.

What is a stand-out feature of your role?

TToH is values-based. That’s a lot more than a mission statement on the wall. We really do underpin everything with cultural values. They shape our world view, our business operations, and the way we function on a daily basis. As Chief Executive, it’s an important part of my role to maintain that. For example, our staff are 80 percent Māori, and one of our key goals is to promote the development of a skilled Māori workforce.

Out in the community, we’re engaged with 10,000 whānau. About 75 percent of them are younger than 25, and many are living in challenging circumstances, focused on day-to-day survival. That’s their reality.

TToH’s reality is the need to connect with whānau, and support them into a space where they can start to take control of their own lives and move forward.

What is Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga?

Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga is a Charitable Trust, governed by a board of trustees elected by the 14 marae of Heretaunga.

The organisation started 32 years ago, becoming an Incorporated Society on September 19, 1985. Its base was the tractor shed at Waipatu marae. It had $60 in the bank and one part-time employee. The office was the boot of a Toyota Corolla.

Today, TToH owns a substantial campus in Orchard Rd. It was once the DB Heretaunga. Now it’s home to our medical and dental centre, mental health centre, purpose-built childcare centre, and our central daily operations. This includes the administration of a large portfolio of health, social and education contracts applied across a large geographical area – from Mahia to Wellington and across to Wanganui.

We have 270 employees, which probably makes us one of Hawke’s Bay’s larger employers. It might sound like a platitude, but the staff really are the foundation of TToH. They’re dedicated, selfless, and I think they really don’t realise how good they are at what they do.

What are your plans for the future of Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga?

The long-term sustainability of this organisation is crucial for the people of Heretaunga. We are here for them in ways that no other organisation is, or can be.

We’ve never received a cent of Treaty Settlement money. We are where we are today, turning over $20 million a year, through sheer hard work. We will continue to do that, but while we remain dependent on government contracts, there’s always uncertainty. I want TToH to become less dependent on contracts, and more financially independent.

I look at the needs of our people out there, and they’re the same as everyone else’s – warm, secure housing, affordable and effective healthcare, social connection, jobs, good incomes, education and hope for the future. There’s too much of that missing from the picture at the moment.

So we’re thinking about wider horizons, and for a start, that’s probably going to mean we step into the social housing space. Every indicator for high-needs and poor social outcomes begins with poor housing.

I also want big changes in the way that successive governments shape their policies and contracts around Māori support.

Mainstream contracts come out of centralised policy, one size fits all. Too many are process-driven box- ticking exercises that are never going to achieve fundamental, long-lasting change for whānau. But trying to change bureaucratic thinking around that is huge. It’s a real mind-shift. To say, fund us for an agreed set of outcomes, and let us do it our way, involves high levels of trust.

What TToH achievement are you most proud of?

Late last year we introduced a new system of workforce organisation, in the form of multi-skilled, integrated teams. Each team has the capacity to create individualised, wraparound packages of care and support for whānau, depending on their circumstances. They can also draw on other teams with relevant skills to help that whānau.

So we’ve gone from mono-skilled teams working within their own contract silos, to teams with the ability to create a holistic, integrated plan that includes tackling the underlying issues affecting whānau.

This system is producing exponentially better outcomes for whānau, and efficiencies for TToH. Why have five cars up the driveway when one, with two people in it, can do the job.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

My heartfelt thanks go to Iron Māori, who taught me how to swim. Now I go swimming and biking and walking all the time. I love it. You might see me walking on Te Mata Peak from time to time.

 

Barker Contractors – Signed, sealed and delivered for roading contractor

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Waipawa based Barker Contractors has gone from being a jack of all trades to a specialist roading contractor, leading the way with new innovations.

Business owner Michael Barker returned from a five year working stint in Australia back in 1980 and has taken the business of a journey of expansion, both in services and staff numbers, to evolving into a niche contractor that works across Hawke’s Bay.

At one stage, the business was doing everything from forestry roading, agricultural contracting, general earthmoving, fibre, drainage, council and roading work to quarry ownership.

“It actually started to feel as if it was getting out of hand. It doesn’t take much to trip you up when you’re running several operations under the one business,” Michael says.

A new direction was needed and Michael brought on John Masters, who had retired from the corporate world, as general manager.

“It was the best thing I could have done, as I had someone that I could bounce ideas off,” he says.

“We got rid of forestry, the bulldozers, transporters, some truck and trailers, the “big diesel items”, reduced the quarries to one, rebranded the company, and looked toward delivering a specialised chip sealing operation, complementing the work we wanted to retain and servicing a market that the larger roading companies weren’t really interested in. We also purchased new graders, rollers, a road mill – all the toys really needed for this change.”

“We started using Emulsion Chip Surfacing technology which came recommended to us and also had the Clean Green tick.”

The product called CRS-2 sourced from roading contractor Higgins to seal over the high-grade aggregates, which is produced at Barker’squarry. The CRS-2 is contained

in a stainless steel 6,000 litre spray tanker unit Barker built and designed with the engineering design firm, Randal & Associates and Deakin Engineering, which constructed the unit.

Unlike the butane methods used on traditional Bitumen tankers to keep the product hot, a 30Kva generator was fitted to heat the CRS-2 and also power the tankers operations, something Michael thinks is a New Zealand first.

“The process is known as emulsion spraying and it’s proving to be a game-changer for us, offering clients a positive and more environmentally friendly option than the traditional process.

“The quality of finish, ease of application and providing a service that was thought of as being unaffordable to the home owner has been very rewarding. Previously concrete, pavers or gravel finishes were the only option, not now,” he says.

One key advantage in using emulsion is derived from the fact that it is flexible, but with strength. “It will stretch if necessary but also returns to its original shape.”

As well as the Green tick, it also ticks the Health and Safety boxes for both the public and those working on the sealing operation. CRS-2 only needs to be heated to 75 degrees Celsius, which helps eliminate the risks of burns. “There is a You Tube video example of Downers applying RS1 Emulsion to the runway on Great Barrier, which shows the uptake in these products in both strength and acceptance in the commercial world.

Michael says the unit is exceeding all expectations.

“We knew there was a niche market because the bigger roading companies just weren’t really interested in taking on smaller jobs like sealing driveways and since starting this operation last year, we’ve been very busy, and certainly getting more and more enquiry.”

This year Barkers sprayed a residential subdivision as well as a huge commercial carpark in Hastings, on top of all the domestic work that has been undertaken.

Barkers Contractors is committed to helping young sports people in CHB achieve their sporting goals, by sponsoring the Central Hawke’s Bay Rugby Club Senior grades for a number of years as well as supprting young Waipukurau golfer Lucy Owen achieve her goal to earning a scholarship to play golf at an American University.

“I happen to think that if someone is into their sport it’s a good thing and should be encouraged as much as possible, keeps kids off the streets, gives focus and direction.”

For full details of all the services the company offers, go to their website www.barkercontractors.co.nz

Enable Business – Championing the Success of Businesses in the Bay

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Two of Hawke’s Bays’ most innovative accountancy firms — enablebusiness and Knowledge Accountants — have joined forces to deliver even more value to their clients.

Well-known Hastings accountant Cedric Knowles and his team at Knowledge Accountants Ltd have merged with enable- business Hawke’s Bay – and the new two-partner firm is looking forward to an exciting future.

“We’re rapt to have Cedric and his team on board,” says Sam Ogle of enablebusiness.

“Our two firms are very similar – we’re both passionate about the Bay, and we share the same philosophy. We believe accountancy is more than just ticking-the-boxes and filing tax returns on time…it’s about bringing those wider business skills and proactive advice that will really add value.”

Cedric has been running Knowledge Accountants for 10 years; while enable- business started in the Bay nearly four years ago, and is headed by Sam Ogle.

The two Directors also have a similar approach when it comes to their client relationships, adds Cedric.

“Most of our clients have been with us for many years. It’s important to build that strong relationship, so you actually enjoy working together. It doesn’t hurt to bring a sense of humour either.”

Growing client base

The two firms have a similar client base – mostly family-owned businesses in trades, manufacturing, export businesses, professional services, and horticulture/ viticulture. Although proudly Hawke’s Bay-based, they also have clients based throughout regional New Zealand, Australia and even the Chatham Islands.

Cedric says the feedback from his clients about the merger has been “overwhelmingly positive”. The merger will deliver several benefits for the newly-expanded client base.

“From our clients’ perspective, we now have an even broader set of skills and expertise in-house,” says Sam.

“When it comes to solving client issues, two heads are better than one. We also bring different skills to the table. For instance, Cedric is experienced in forensic accounting and providing expert witness services.”

Moving forward, the firm will host business education events that encourage clients to network with each other, and potentially forge new business alliances.

Value-added packages

As a national group of accountancy professionals – located in Auckland, Wellington and the Hawke’s Bay – enablebusiness offers a full range of accountancy and business advisory services.

They specialise in providing clients with affordable fixed-fee packages, specifically designed for the SME-sized business.

There are three types of packages – each with affordable ‘no surprises’ fees – to suit the business at every stage of growth. To help with cash flow, payments can be made by monthly instalment.

“Our philosophy is that we like to quote everything up-front before we do any work… just like our clients have to do in their own business,” says Sam.

“The Basics” is a cost-effective package covering annual returns, GST, tax compliance,

as well as phone and email support. The “Enabler” and “Enabler Ultra” packages are aimed at business owners who are ready for the next stage of growth. They include a business plan, followed up with business coaching quarterly or monthly management reporting, and annual integrated forecasting. Advice on HR and people management can also be provided.

Outcome focused business plans

Their business coaching and advisory services are a key point of difference from the traditional accountant’s offering. enablebusiness offers business planning to set goals and objectives; supported by regular business coaching.

“This is not the kind of business plan you file away in a draw to collect dust,” says Sam.

“It’s a punchy two-pager that’s entirely outcome focused. We tell clients they can laminate it and put it on the dash of their ute – to remind themselves daily what they need to be doing, and why.”

The plan has 12-month objectives, broken down into 90-day tasks. The coaching sessions keep the client on track to their goals, and accountable to themselves.

“The coaching is about making sure the business plan gets executed. It’s a bit like having a mini-Board of directors – a trusted team who are helping you solve problems and overcome roadblocks, while keeping you on course to achieve your goals.”

Airport Expansion takes off

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A major redevelopment of the Hawke’s Bay Airport is underway that will ensure the terminal is fit for purpose after a 37 percent increase in passengers over the last two years.

The airport is flying high at the moment, having reported a record net profit of $1.7m on a turnover of $6.1 million for the year ended June 2017. The Airport Company achieved all its financial performance targets, with revenue up 16 percent from the previous year.

Construction will be in full swing over summer, with a temporary arrivals hall being set up in the area formally used for rental car parking to enable a new arrivals area to be built at the southern end of the terminal.

Hawke’s Bay Airport chief executive Nick Story says strong passenger growth and the resulting demands on existing airport infrastructure is the catalyst for the multimillion-dollar expansion. In the last two years passenger movements have risen 37 per cent to 652,000 passengers.

There was an 11 percent increase in aircraft movements for the year with a total of 14,256.

“We have had exponential growth over the last couple of years due to a significant increase in airline capacity, driven by the arrival of a second airline in Jetstar and Air New Zealand switching to larger capacity aircrafts, all of which has created competition for passengers and enabled growth of the region’s business and tourism sectors.”

The expanded terminal will increase in size from 2,500 m2 to 3,800 m2 to accommodate the growth in passenger movements and visitors to the airport.

“The airport is a major gateway for the region, so as well as catering for increased passengers and visitors, the expansion is also about enhancing their experience,” Nick says.

As The Profit was going to print, the lead construction contractor was due to be confimed. A local project manager, Steve Birkhead, has been involved through the final design stages of the project and will continue in this role through to the terminal being fully operational in early 2019.

The staged construction project will see the new check-in area constructed at the southern end of the terminal, followed by a central area with a large cafe accommodating 110 people, visitor seating and new bathrooms.

Stage 3 will be a new automated baggage handling system at the northern end, a dedicated arrivals gate, new offices for Air New Zealand, Jetstar and Sound Air, as well as a substantially expanded Air New Zealand regional lounge and rental car concierge area.

During construction Air New Zealand will relocate its regional lounge to a pre-fabricated building to be situated in the current staff car park area.

“We are aiming to keep the airport operating on a business as usual basis. There will be disruptions but our aim is to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible.

“We will have something exciting to look forward to in 2019, a larger, more functional and vibrant terminal.”

Nick says the design enables future growth with the majority of the complex design elements in the centre of the building, making additional expansion to the north simple and cost-efficient.

The project is to be internally funded by Hawke’s Bay Airport Limited, enabled by the airport company’s strong financial performance, and will not require any financial support from current shareholders Napier City Council, Hastings District Council and the Crown.

The new-look terminal has been designed by local architects Paris Magdalinos Architects. PMA architect Chris Ainsworth said the terminal has been designed in the shape of a Kuaka (godwit) bird in flight.

“A key consideration of the brief was to tell the story of the Hawke’s Bay area, which had to be integrated into the building’s architecture and not simply applied later on by using artwork. It is important to tell our story, in what is one of the key gateways into the Hawke’s Bay.

“The Kuaka achieves some amazing feats, flying over 8,000 kilometres every year to Alaska, which is pretty incredible for such a small bird,” says Chris.

The Kuaka-inspired shape will be further showcased inside the terminal using a modern approach to traditional Maori carving.

A new entranceway to the airport is also progressing well and under development at the intersection of Watchman Road, SH2 and Meeanee Quay. This project will be completed by August 2018.

Watch video announcement here 

 

A visitor from Hawke’s Bay

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The Lions certainly roared throughout New Zealand during June and July. The team drew the series with the All Blacks and their huge supporter base spent up large in bars and restaurants from Northland to Dunedin.

I went to a few games in 2005 with a mate, the last Lions tour, and we had such a great time that there was no way we were going to miss them this time.

I went into the ballot for test tickets and although I had several entries, I only got tickets for the last test in Auckland. I was gutted about this as I thought the series would be all over by then, two–nil to the All Blacks. How wrong could I have been!

Anyway, our tour schedule included a trip down south for the Highlanders game, the Maori match in Rotorua, Hurricanes in the capital and the third test, which to the joy of many became the decider.

The four games were a memorable experience. We went mountain biking in Queenstown, where after my mate Tim got injured, we turned our interest into tasting Central Otago wines. It was during our Sunday wine tour that we met up with my old school mate Chris Keys, now the head winemaker at Gibbston Valley.

Chris gave us a tour of the winery, where he talked to us about the success of the tourism side of the winery and in his words: “Central Otago is well ahead of Hawke’s Bay when it comes to the wine trail experience.” Chris is featured on pages 8 and 9.

Queenstown was abuzz with star spotting with the likes of Tom Cruise in town for the filming of Mission Impossible 6. Another Hawke’s Bay export – a cellar door rep at Peregrine – suggested we go and have a drink at Atlas Bar where we might bump into some of the film crew. Her tip was spot on as we meet up with the technical sound crew, with one of the guys saying, “Superman will be joining us soon”.

We thought nothing of it but soon after a tall muscular guy turned up and was warmly welcomed by the crew. We talked for a while but I had no idea I was talking to Henry Cavill, the most recent Superman star.

Superman stayed for about an hour before flying off to rescue some damsel in distress (joking) while we moved on to a restaurant with the others, shared a bottle of Craggy Range Syrah and had a great evening.

We exchanged emails and urged them to visit Hawke’s Bay, if they got the chance.

We weren’t the only ones trying to lure visitors to Hawke’s Bay…

Hawke’s Bay Tourism set up a mini Hawke’s Bay experience in Wellington the day after the Hurricanes and Lions game. Local entrepreneur Rick Kirkland offered one of his two dome tents to Annie Dundas to promote the region’s tourism scene.

Rick bought two awesome large-scale domes last year and won the contract for Lions tour sponsor DHL to create a fan zone on the waterfronts of Wellington and Auckland, as well as the other match host regions.

Annie says the idea of ‘taking the Bay to the capital’ paid off, with many Lions fans visiting either between the Hurricanes game and the second test (also held in Wellington) or on their way back up to Auckland for the third test.

It was great to see a collaborative initiative in action. Craggy Range and Trinity Hill shared a tasting area, Annie was cooking up New Zealand’s best bacon (Holly Bacon) and

selling the quintessential English breakfast, bacon butties, while Takaroa Trails promoted our extensive cycle trails.

So back to the third test … Tim and I were still confident of a big win in Auckland. Well, we all know the outcome and to be honest, it was a well-deserved result for the Lions. Some fans spend more than £50,000 and for that investment, you do want some return!

I look forward to the next tour in 12 years’ time!

 

Top Award for Havelock North’s Mia Dolce

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Skin centre Mia Dolce, has been awarded the top honour of Distinction by Dermalogica New Zealand, excelling against a list of criteria that recognises education, innovation, product and service, marketing and commitment.

Located in the heart of Havelock North Village, Mia Dolce offers a range of beauty therapy services, including specialised Dermalogica skin treatments, body massage, spa packages, hands and feet, hair removal, tanning and collagen induction therapy.

Mia Dolce owner and professional skin therapist Claire Jarman says: “It’s such an honor to receive this award, the highest level of recognition by Dermalogica! For the previous three years we have received merit, the next level down, so we’re thrilled to be awarded distinction and sit amongst the top six skin centres in New Zealand.

“The award is testament to my incredible team who always go above and beyond. We have made a concerted effort to advance our training in the past year, giving us the tools to help achieve great results for our clients. And of course, none of this would be possible without our amazing clients.

“Seven years ago, I opened the doors with two staff; we now employ six and have a large clientele. We love supporting the community and being recognised as a top New Zealand skin centre.”

Mia Dolce also won the favourite hair and beauty category at the Havelock North Business Awards last year. This year’s awards will be held at Black Barn in September with online voting via www.lovehavelocknorthnz. co.nz

For the past five years, Claire and her team have also taught basic skincare to Year 12 students at Woodford House. As part of this programme, Mia Dolce donates a Dermalogica skincare pack and an eyelash tint or brow shape to all the students involved.

“Claire and her team continue to impress us with their dedication to their clients and community. They have worked incredibly hard to upskill, innovate and go above and beyond, which is reflected in this award. We look forward to continuing to work with Mia Dolce to help them access success,” says Natasha Bourke, managing director of Dermalogica New Zealand.

 

Hurford Parker – Good cover is just one part to being a leading local insurance provider

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Experienced insurance broker Jeff Parker has seen disasters such as fires destroy Hawke’s Bay business premises and can tell the good and the bad stories when it comes to insurance cover and business continuity.

Jeff and the late Jim Hurford set up Hurford Parker on 1 June 1994 on the simple ethos that people want to know who they are signing a long-term relationship with and that that insurance broker would be by their side should the unfortunate occur.

“We were driven to setting up this business by wanting to ensure every transaction had a familiar face to it. The larger international companies no longer offered that level of service and we wanted to provide first- class service; so that when there’s a claim, especially when it’s in an emotional situation such as a fire, our clients have the comfort of having a local whom they could talk to,” Jeff says.

“The rubber hits the road when there is a claim and we always tell our clients that we want them well insured because we will be the first call they make when disaster strikes and we want to say to ‘you’re very well covered’.”

Jeff and the team, led by fellow director Ashley Rowe and group manager Dean Sewell, have built a strong portfolio of local business and rural clients across a wide range of industry sectors, and with it has come a level of knowledge and understanding of the risks associated with these businesses.

They have also broadened their service range to include personal insurance and life and medical cover insurance.

“Being based in Hawke’s Bay means we have a wide range of clients across many sectors but at the same time, we have got to know our clients’ businesses very well, which ensures they are not only well covered in the event of a disaster but they have a plan in place to keep the business running, staff employed and customers happy.”

An example that many will remember is the large fire that took place at VJ Distributors on a hot and sunny Saturday in March 2006.

Many businesses would never have recovered from that devastating blow but VJ Distributors had Hurford Parker at their side, not only paving the way through the claim but helping to put in place a plan that ensured the business got up and running again quickly.

We spend a lot of time on site with clients understanding the business and its processes. This is when your business continuity plan is so important and that’s where we like to start – looking at the business and its set of obvious risks as well as identifying the game-changing risks, some of which are insurable and some that aren’t but can still have a plan in place for.

Hurford Parker’s senior management team – Dean Sewell, Jeff Parker (Managing Director), Ashley Rowe and Will Parker.

In a singular loss (events such as a fire) there’s loss of market, competition and all those sorts of things, they are key risks, but then you look at your major assets such as a building and equipment and you need to realise what the impact of a fire has on your business and how quickly you can get back up and running.

“It’s then entirely different if it’s an event that has created multiple losses, such as an earthquake, when your business isn’t the only one affected. It’s then not that easy to find a new premise as many businesses are also looking too.

“The key is to have a plan that identifies both types of events, those that will only impact your business as well as those that will impact many businesses.

“People automatically assume that insurance will cover everything, but in the event of an earthquake your insurer will only pay out to a certain amount. The idea is to keep the business going and maintaining the level of turnover into the future because it’s all very well getting paid out during your indemnity period if your business goes under, but what’s the long-term future look like?”

Jeff estimates that many businesses are underinsured and predicts that the figure could be as high as 60–65 percent of businesses that don’t have the cover they need should disaster strike.

He points to Edgecumbe, which was hit by severe flooding earlier this year, and reports rapidly rising building costs are leaving 85 percent of New Zealand homeowners underinsured.

“In the case of Edgecumbe, the number of underinsurance or no insurance was large and although we are advocates for people to be well insured, it’s obvious in these situations that people aren’t covered.

“Most commercial business people understand the value of having insurance but it is only one part of business continuity planning.”

Hurford Parker is a founding member of a powerful group of independent New Zealand brokers called NZbrokers Management Ltd, and collectively the group employs more than 500 staff who between them place insurance business with local and international insurers for 120,000 clients with premiums in excess of $440 million.

NZbrokerswasformedtodeliveradditional client benefits for exclusive use by member brokers, including the development of exclusive insurance products.

Jeff says the team at Hurford Parker has a wealth of experience and is well equipped to provide first-class service and customised products.

The business is also focussed on succession planning in the business and the mantle has been taken up by Ashley and Dean along with Jeff’s son William Parker, who joined the firm in January after working for three of the largest insurance broker firms in New Zealand, Australia and London.

William’s arrival has also inspired a new look for the firm that includes new branding and marketing materials, such as a refreshed website. William hopes that not only will the new look create new business opportunities but help recruit new talent.

“To recruit new talent is very difficult, which is a New Zealand problem, but if we had a better education pathway into insurance – like in the UK, – then the talent pool would be bigger.”

www.hurfordparker.co.nz

Havelock North Tyres – More tread in the game than most

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You would get bald tyres driving around Hawke’s Bay trying to find someone with more knowledge on tyres than Havelock North Tyre and Alignment owner Greg Nicholson.

The tyre industry runs as deep as new tyre tread in Greg’s life, he and wife Fiona even named their youngest son after Greg’s favourite tyre brand – Cooper.

Greg left school in Morrinsville in 1982 and went straight into the tyre industry with Paramount Tyres, where he started to learn as much as he could about the industry.

After 11 years working for Paramount the business was bought out by a large global brand and Greg decided to set up his own business.

He founded Hawke’s Bay Tyres in Napier in 1993, targeting the truck tyre market with aspirations of setting up a branch network in Hawke’s Bay and then bought the Havelock North tyre service in 2003.

The decision to grow the Havelock North business has been two-fold. Not only has the businesses broadened its services and tyre products with brands such as Cooper, Yokohama, GT Radial and Bridgestone but it has rekindled the feeling of community spirit that Greg liked so much growing up in Morrinsville.

“Morrinsville has a strong sense of community and Havelock has the same appeal. We’ve got to know our customers really well, we have some that come in once a week just to get their tyre pressure checked.”

Since 2003 Greg has set about broadening its customer base which had relied on locals getting replacement tyres for the family car to adding a 24/7 fleet service for the farming and horticulture businesses around the Bay.

“I saw an opportunity to grow the business up, which was starting to move away from its core business and delve into doing warrant of fitnesses. I introduced mobile tyre servicing and concentrated on selling and repairing tyres and left the warrant of fitness and servicing to the garages and instead supplied them with tyres.

Greg also saw a gap in the market to supply tractor tyres to the farming sector and has now built up Hawke’s Bay’s largest stock of new and used tractor tyres with over 200 tyres.

“Being from Morrinsville, I knew a lot about tractor tyres.

“We also moved into tyre welding (vulcanizing), which is pretty unique. As you could expect tractors can get punctures in some pretty difficult situations, so to get out to the tractor we bought a 4-wheel drive vehicle that gets us out to jobs that no others can.”

“Punctures can easily occur while driving through strange paddocks at night. I went out to one farm late at night and the harvester was driving through long grass and hit a water trough, puncturing a tyre.

Today one of Greg’s team of eight, many with over a decade experience, are rostered on every hour of the day to keep Hawke’s Bay food producers moving.

The business has grown and to secure its presence in a fast developing commercial business area, Greg bought the property and expanded its operations.

“We were bulging at the seams. We’ve now been able to bring additional services such as our truck tyre changing machine onsite as well as creating new office space. Health and safety is really important in this industry so it made sense to have more services on-site where there’s always a few of us around.

The tyre centre also does wheel alignment which also enhance the lifespan of tyres.

Greg and his team love the variety of what is driven into the tyre centre. “We can have the Masarati and Porsche come in for a new set of tyres to the second-hand teenager’s car through to a heavy duty truck.

“As an independent tyre dealership, we’re not constrained by what we can recommend, although we’re big fans of Coopers as they are one of the only tyre manufacturers that guarantee milage.”

Greg is a founding member of the National Tyre Assistance, a nationwide group of independent tyre businesses. He says the benefits for customers is that if they have tyre problems anywhere in New Zealand a partner member can come to their aid.

Cooper tyres are guaranteed to last between 50,000 – 80,000km depending on size and tread pattern and subject to normal usage in on and off-road situations.

“The regular care and maintenance of your wheel alignment, brakes, suspension and wheels are crucial to the performance and wear of your tyres; for this reason, you should get your tyres every 10,000km.

“Safety is vital when it comes to driving and it pays to talk to experienced tyre specialists, who know how the rubber hits the road.

GREG’S TOP TYRE TIPS

Greg says a little care and maintenance goes a long way in prolonging the life of your tyres and making sure you get the maximum usage out of each set. Here’s his top tips.

  1. Ensure your tyres are properly inflated. Keeping your tyres at the right air pressure will help you avoid fast and uneven treadwear, improper vehicle handling and excessive heat build-up.
  2. Rotate your tyres at the recommended times. Moving your tyres around so that they trade places on your vehicle will ensure that they wear out uniformly.
  3. Drive in a tyre-friendly manner! You may not realize it, but the way you drive can have a lot to do with how long your tyres will last and how well they perform. Overloading, abrupt braking, rapid acceleration andhard cornering are just some things to avoid.

www.havelocknorthtyres.co.nz