Category Archives: Pro Features

Profiling successful Hawke’s Bay Businesses and business leaders

Hawke’s Bay Airport spreads its wings

Posted on by
Reply

The Hawke’s Bay airport has taken a step closer to its vision to be “New Zealand’s most vibrant and successful regional airport” with the opening of the new arrivals hall.

The new arrivals hall opened in early January with Araminta Wilson the first passenger to collect her bags from the new automated baggage system.

At the same time, the airport rolled out a team of airport ambassadors, who will welcome people to Hawke’s Bay and provide some guidance to navigate around the airport as well has helpful tips to enjoy their stay.

The carpark is also being reconfigured and new parking payment technology will be introduced as the airport aims to further improve the visitor experience and the New Zealand Transport Association’s new Watchman Road, including a new entrance to the airport.

Hawke’s Bay Airport chief executive Stuart Ainslie said progress on the $20.2 million airport redevelopment is on schedule, with stage 1 finished and Stage 2 already well underway.

“Completion of Stage 1 was a big milestone for the airport but there’s much more to come as a new-look airport becomes a gateway for the region that will be much more culturally connected.

As well as the new baggage reclaim system the arrivals hall also has vehicle rental kiosks and a pop up café.

The arrivals area will remain separate from the remainder of the existing terminal. Stage 2 construction is at the southern end includes a new check in area.

Stuart says the “big wow” of the redeveloped airport will not be realised until stage 3 of a centralised hospitality and commercial hub is completed in mid 2020.

“We are pretty much building a new terminal on part of site of the current terminal and increasing the footprint by 74 percent.

In August 2018 the Hawke’s Bay Airport company announced an upgrade to its terminal expansion due to a revised passenger forecast of 1 million passengers by 2025.

“We added another 500 square metres and revised the budget from $15.7m to $20.2m so that we could meet the anticipated growth as well as create additional retail and commercial offerings.

Changes to car parking are also needed due to the increase in passengers.

“The significant growth in passengers has had an obvious impact across the business, including a big increase in vehicle movements. This means that it is now unrealistic to always find a park in front of the terminal. However, in an effort to control congestion and optimise short stay capacity with close proximity, the airport will be actively enforcing the time limits on the P120 parks and ensuring that vehicles are not dwelling in the pick-up and drop off zone.”

He said new car parking payment technology will also be introduced and the airport is currently looking at options through a tender process.

Get your business lean in 2019

Posted on by
Reply

It sounds pretty simple, and it is: the leaner your business, the better it performs.

A lean business doesn’t mean fewer staff doing more; in fact, it’s about getting the best out of people, processes and equipment.

Steffan Kelly of The Lean Hub, says LEAN is “a way of thinking and acting”. It’s being focussed on performance and creating efficiencies.

And he has practiced what he preaches, having successfully adopted LEAN while working at a cashew nut food manufacturing plant in Bali, Indonesia.

“The business was going through rapid growth with 350 staff and we needed to make changes to become more efficient. I’d heard about LEAN and thought it would be worth giving it a go and the results this way of operating produced were outstanding.

The Lean Hub has now partnered with Hastings District Council’s economic development team to offer and deliver a 12-month tailored LEAN programme for local businesses.

Last year Hastings drainage business Drainways undertook the programme and experienced its significant positive impact on the growth of their business.

The family business headed by Mark Currie and his two brothers, Jaydon and Carlton, was looking for a step change in its performance and it took up the challenge to get LEAN.

“The business was reliant on the three brothers; Jaydon and Carlton working on the tools all day while Mark was organising the work, securing new business and managing all the office administration.

“With help from The Lean Hub we set up clear roles and responsibilities so that everyone including staff knew where they stood. By clearly defining all the roles and putting in place key performance measures and targets and staff are offered a greater challenge and in turn greater rewards.”

At Drainways the business had five drainlayers of varying skills and experience. Thanks

Lean Hub’s Steffan Kelly (left) with Mark Currie from Drainways and Lee Neville, Hastings District Council economic development manager

to LEAN the roles became more clearly defined to one skilled drainlayer, two digger operators and a general labourer.

The change provided career progression and ultimately business growth. Staff now have a career pathway with progression to more senior roles and the business has grown from eight to 18 employees.

“You get consistency of work and no impediments as staff are no longer frustrated because they now understand the bigger picture and how their role has an impact. At the end of the day the business owner and the employee want the same and that’s seeing a positive future in the business.

Mark Currie says local businesses should take up the opportunity of going up through the programme.

“Steffan did such an amazing job, 100 percent. He was proactive and very hands on. It wasn’t all text book stuff. He came out and observed the team on projects and that also helped refine our systems and processes.

“We were able to get some early runs on the board through making some small changes that built up to the bigger changes which boosted our turnover as well as create new jobs within the business.

“Some of the simple changes included getting staff to think about reducing downtime, for example previously they would forget to take something that would be needed on site that day. They were shown what the impact of that downtime was and they put in a process that stopped this from occurring, which then boosted productivity,” Mark says.

Hastings District Council economic development manager Lee Neville says the programme has had significant success for local businesses over the last two years.

He says that for council, the spin offs are creating job opportunities and career pathways for youth as well as ultimately boosting the economic vitality of the district.

“It’s about adding value to the district’s economy but we also want to support local business leaders in their personal development, which has a positive impact on their business and those whom they employ.

“Another spin off of growing local business is that direct local suppliers also benefit. That’s been the case with Drainways, whom having gone through the programme they now have the capacity and capability to secure larger projects. This in turn means they are sourcing more products and services from other local businesses.”

Steffan and his team help put in place plans and processes that support continuous business improvement as well as providing business owners with new skills and tools to create sustainable growth.

To engage with staff, Steffan’s team use a range of fun, effective and interactive tools. These tools help The Lean Hub really engage and connect the people in the business to the performance of the business.

“Growth, profits and loyalty rise exponentially when you have committed staff who continuously create and implement productive solutions.”

The programme is broken down into four game changing quarters starting with training and application followed by sustainability and growth.

Hastings businesses can apply for funding support to undertake the year long programme. Hastings District Council has invested $80,000 into the programme with four placements available for 2019. The council’s investment into each business undertaking the programme is matched dollar for dollar, up to a maximum of $20,000.

“It’s well worth the investment, our business has already seen a substantial return on the investment in a very short time and we are now in a position for sustainable growth,” says Mark.

To find out more about LEAN visit

www.theleanhub.co.nz/hdpp

sponsorship hits sweet spot

Posted on by
Reply

All honeys are not created equal. And New Zealand is home to arguably the world’s finest. Locally based The True Honey Co. is optimising its global brand exposure by helping to bring headline eventers Tim and Jonelle Price to this year’s Land Rover Horse of the Year Show.

As one of a handful of New Zealand companies to offer authentic high rating MGO Manūka honey, using only ethical practices, the potential to market their product is already proving fruitful – according to the company’s Sales and Marketing manager Jeanine Daly.

“We are proud to be teaming up with Land Rover Horse of the Year to help bring the kiwi ‘power couple’ home to compete in this year’s event.

“Being New Zealand’s most prestigious equine event, it aligns perfectly and will gain a large amount of exposure both nationally and internationally. There are some great synergies between the event and The True Honey Co. including the fact that Tim and Jonelle like many of our customers use Mānuka honey on their horses for any cuts or abrasions.

“I’ve also heard on good authority that Tim and Jonelle drink our honey with apple cider as a daily tonic, so it must be the source of champions!”

The True Honey Co. launched in New Zealand and the UK in 2016, with Australia, Europe and Japan following soon after. Their vision of becoming the world’s most trusted Mānuka honey brand has driven global expansion plans with export markets continuing to grow with the introduction of China, Middle East and Europe.

Local honey lovers can purchase online at truehoney.co.nz, or through selected retailers. The True Honey Co. offer taste testing Monday to Fridays at their Ahuriri offices in Waghorn Street.

Vets rearing for service at Horse of the Year

Posted on by
Reply

When you have up to 2000 horses competing at Land Rover Horse of the Year you can expect the onsite vets are going to be pretty busy!

Vet Services Hawke’s Bay equine vet Richard McKenzie says that’s certainly the case for their team of veterinarians and support team.

“You can say we’re pretty tired by the end of the week, for sure.”

Richard says the early part of the week is about treating horses that have travelled, some a long distance, they may have either picked up a ‘travel injury’ or illness such as colic.

“It’s pretty hectic at the beginning of the week as you have a large number of horses arriving within a few days and some have travelled from the far north, the South Island or from overseas and they may have a cut, abrasion or illness during their travel.

“They need to be assessed and with the horses required to be drug-free to compete, it can be a big disappointment for the owner and competitor if we have to treat their horse with drugs. The event is the climax of their season, some of the horses are worth a lot of money, so it can be an emotional time if they then can’t compete.

Richard says after the arrivals period, it gets a bit quieter in the middle of the week before getting busier again as the event finals start to commence.

“We’re usually treating a few niggly injuries during the week and then there’s a bit of pressure and emotion as the competitions head towards the final rounds.”

As well as a base tent, the Vet Services team of 4-5 vets and nurses use their vehicles across the large event site. Technology is also important for quick diagnosis and the team is armed with a mobile digital radiology unit, an ultrasound unit and an endoscopy unit.

“It’s rare, but there can be some serious injuries over the week and we might have to refer surgical treatment to vet hospitals at Massey University and Waikato

Other work over the week includes pre- purchase checks, as horses are bought and sold.

Another big spinoff for Vet Services of being involved with HOY is getting to see some of their clients horses compete and win or place as well as catching up with other clients that are attending as spectators.

“It’s rewarding to see some of our clients perform well and it is always great to catch up with our local clients who are watching the events.

“Having a strong visual brand presence also helps reinforce that we’re very active in the equine vet services area too.

Suited up and ready for business

Posted on by
Reply

Two of Hastings’ oldest retail businesses are taking their diamond rings, watches, trousers, jackets and shirts to Land Rover Horse of the Year instead of hoping visitors may walk through the doors of their shops in the CBD.

Grieve Diamond Jeweller and Thomson’s Suits have shared a pop up retail trade site at the event for the last four years, and James Griffiths says it’s “been well worth it”.

The two retailers were part of an trial five years ago by the Hastings Business Association to set up a Hastings retail trade area. James says that it was a break even exercise in the first year but they now re-book their site immediately after the event ends.

“For us we realised pretty early on that we had to have a presence at the event, rather than expect visitors to come into our shop.

“You’ve got to be on their doorstep, not the opposite. You’ve got to take advantage of the opportunity and not expect it to just fall on your lap.”

The Grieve Diamond Jeweller and Thomson’s Suits pop up store has evolved over the five years, as has their understanding what customers buy.

James says high profile brands such as Karen Walker and Stolen Girlfriends jewellery are popular with teenage competitors and visitors while they also design and sell ‘horse jewellery’ such as necklaces with stirrups and horse shoe pendants.

“We’ve also sold a few diamond rings over the years, and we also sell a few watches too.

Thomson’s Suits managing director Angus Thomson says that initially their stall was mostly clearance stock at reduced prices along with some higher end clothing, which proved to be more popular.

“Customers are definitely wanting the latest designs and brands like R M Williams and Ben Sherman and being seen to be up with what’s hot in fashion. If it’s sunny we sell a lot of hats as well,” Angus says.

Both men say their staff enjoy getting out of the CBD shop and working in a different environment and sharing the site works well – both in cross selling opportunities and but also socially.

“Another benefit is that if a wife drags her husband into the stall to get him to buy a new shirt or trousers, she might also leave with some new jewellery! James says.

Angus says that although there’s talk about the economic benefits of the event for Hastings and the region, he says that there are many more benefits of having a large scale international event.

“It shouldn’t just be about the money, the exposure the event nationally and internationally for Hastings and the entire region is priceless. It’s the perfect promotion to our target market.”

Burghley Day launches in Hawke’s Bay

Posted on by
Reply

Burghley Day’ presented by Höpt Soda is Land Rover Horse of the Year 2019’s new marquee event and already the concept is creating giant strides in sponsorship circles.

The inclusion of current Burghley and Badminton champions Tim and Jonelle Price as headline acts is proving a potent formula for aligned sponsors, both international, national and local, to connect with New Zealand’s premium equestrian event and use Burghley Day to leverage their own marketing.

Burghley Day provides a platform for international brands Land Rover and Höpt Soda to coexist alongside smaller local brands like The True Honey Co, which event director Dave Mee says is providing a very unique set of marketing opportunities.

“Sponsorship opportunities at Land Rover Horse of the Year are highly sought after and for good reason. The association this year with the coveted Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is providing a way for local brands to promote their products not just into Australasian but also UK markets.

“With over 55,000 expected attendees over the six days of competition and potentially millions more, watching, brand awareness is exponential. The event maximises this through live streaming, television, radio and print coverage along with our own professional public relations.”

Burghley Day, held March 16 at Hawke’s Bay’s A&P Showgrounds will see Hastings’ Discovery Gardens transformed into a ‘Baby Burghley -featuring iconic Burghley Jumps, British food trucks, a Beefeater Pink Gin Bar, pop-up Höpt Soda ‘Höptail Bar’ and authentic Burghley theming.

Other VIP functions across the week of March 12-17 provide unique scope for sponsors and local dignitaries to network and connect. Entertainment includes the glamorous Hall of Fame cocktail party, Bayleys Business Lunch, family fun Friday night Hastings Heart of Hawke’s Bay Extravaganza and finale events the G.H. Mumm Champagne Cross Country Lunch (Saturday 16th March) and Cup Day (Sunday 17th March).

It’s become an annual pilgrimage for many, who arrive to take in the event’s shopping, wine and food villages and salivating assortment of hospitality experiences. But for exhibitors and sponsors, the stakes can be far greater.

“Where else do you encounter six days of televised international, national and local brand alignment? We’re celebrating 21 years in Hawke’s Bay this year, and we’d love to see other local sponsors jump onboard to ensure the longevity of this fantastic community event,” says Dave Mee.

Connecting youth and business

Posted on by
Reply

There’s plenty of youth looking for work says Hastings District Council social and youth development manager Dennise Elers, “they’ve just got to be given a chance”.

That’s what Orsborn Roadmarkers has done becoming one of the first local businesses to employ a Hastings youth from the council’s Youth Connectors programme.

Orsborn Roadmarkers  owners  Angela and Lucas Orsborn bought the family business two years ago and decided when the opportunity arose, they would   look to provide jobs to local youth. Their first Youth Connector employee Keanu has been such a success they’re keen to employ more youngsters.

Hastings District Council started the Youth Connector programme in 2017 and it was given a $460,000 funding boost last year from the Government tO build on its already successful Connector model programme, which connects employers, local youth and whanau.

Since then council has engaged with 89 youth with 45 going into work and two into training. The remainder are being mentored in the programme to link them to employers like Angela and Lucas.

“We have a workforce here now, we just need to do a bit of work with them to prepare them. It’s about giving them a chance.”

Angela and Lucas have been busy building up their business which over the years has painted road markings on nearly every road across the Central East Coast of the North lsland.

Angela says the y were keen to employ youth both as the business grew and when the time came replace retiring staff.

“We’ve heard about the Youth Connectors programme and decided to give Hastings District Council a call and it was a good decision,” Angela says.

As part of Youth Connectors, both parties – the employee and the employer are connected with the council’s Youth Connectors team.

Dennise says there is a strong emphasis on pastoral care, both in preparing youth for employment opportunities as well as follow ups once they’ve been placed in a job .

”We also offer this co the business to make it as easy as possible for them to give someone a chance,” she says.

Already you th have been placed with a good mi.” of businesses across Hastings from fencing firms, to horticulture businesses

as well as being placed in council managed facilities such as Splash Planet and the libraries.

“We get employee referrals from City Assist, community centres, Work and Income and we’re trying co strongly engage with local businesses.

“Business people are busy and sometimes they don’t have the time to provide support for a young potential employee.”

Based on the success with Keanu Angela and Lucas arc keen to employ more youth from the programme.

“Without a doubt, we would give other youngsters a chance and we’ve also referred Youth Connectors to other local businesses.

 

The land of milk and honey

Posted on by
Reply

Relationships have been the key ingredient to launching the world’s first milk and Manuka honey drink, Moonuka Milk.

Relationships have been the key ingredient to launching the world’s first milk and Mānuka honey drink, Moonuka Milk.

Hawke’s Bay’s Steffen Kara has partnered with long-term work colleague Gareth Wynyard and mutual friend Greg Hayhow to bring an idea first dreamed up in Gareth’s Auckland apartment in 2012 to life.

It’s been a long journey but the three friends have now found the perfect milk-to-Mānuka honey formula and have created and trademarked the drink that has been strongly influenced by several Hawke’s Bay businesses.

Steffen says that although he thought the idea of a milk-based drink was not necessarily a moneymaker, Gareth thought otherwise and spent many nights in his apartment kitchen trying to find the perfect balance of milk and honey.

“It was back in 2012 when we sat in Gareth’s apartment in Auckland and brainstormed a wide range of ideas, one of which was a milk and honey drink, which I didn’t think that much of but Gareth did.”

However, nothing came of any of the ideas for about four years until Gareth decided to start mixing milk and Mānuka honey in his kitchen. He then convinced Steffen that it was worth further developing and backed his hunch by trademarking the product in China.

The product was taken to Massey University’s FoodBowl, an open access food processing facility operated by NZ Food Innovation to perfect the flavour and undertake a full trial.

Food science technicians tested a range of milks from low fat to standard and various concentrations of Manuka honey, before settling on standard pasteurised milk blended with three percent Mānuka honey.

If it hadn’t been for Steffen’s relationship with a former neighbour, Moonuka may have ended up with a different taste profile to the finished product, which is currently being taste-tested by friends in New Zealand as well as samples being passed around to distributors in China and parts of Asia.

“We were pretty happy with it [the taste] but we wanted the drink to be in a bottle rather than in a Tetra Pak carton.

“We had created a high-value product using Mānuka honey and it would have been a shame to then put it into a carton.”

Steffen went to see Neil McGarva, his former neighbour and the founder and owner of Envictus Diary NZ based in Whakatu, Hastings.

Neil established New Zealand’s first state of the art UHT aseptic PET bottling line for dairy, juice and water in 2011 and Steffen was keen to see if Moonuka Milk could be bottled using Neil’s technology.

A key benefit would be to use UHT heat treatment to extend the shelf life of the drink from around a week to at least 12 months.

It would also enable the PET injection moulding to create a ‘milk bottle’ look that Steffen and Gareth desired.

What they didn’t expect from Neil was a suggestion of changing from standard milk

to full cream milk, a decision that they believe will be the export success of the product.

“Neil liked the mix of milk and honey but he asked what our target markets were, which we named as South East Asia and China, to which he suggested we use full cream milk instead.

“He said they liked the taste of full cream milk, so we did a batch at Envictus and it was perfect.”

Working with Envictus enabled Gareth and Steffen to keep true to their brand’s vision of using recyclable packaging.

Two other local businesses have also been instrumental in the product’s development. An old work colleague of Steffen’s created the brand and the bottle design, based on a brief of being authentic and having a strong Maori culture focus. The Mānuka honey has also been sourced locally from Melita in Manchester Street, Hastings.

“George Williams from Blackdog Design did the branding and has brought our vision to life and created an amazing looking bottle.

“We also decided that if we were going to make the product in Hawke’s Bay then we should try and find a local honey supplier. Hawke’s Bay is the food bowl of New Zealand and I wanted to be able to promote as much of the region’s products as possible.

“Mānuka honey is a big cost, especially when it comes to formulation when you’re doing big volumes, and it was great that we met the guys at Melita, who’ve been really helpful in getting our trial up and running. To be honest, the Mānuka honey from Melita is the star ingredient,” he says.

A trial batch isn’t about taking a few dozen bottles around to supermarkets; they needed to produce the equivalent of a 40-foot shipping container of Moonuka Milk, which costs, as Steffen says, “a heck a lot for our first production run”.

This is where Greg became part of the mix as the money man and also his experience in business ownership and sales acumen. Greg, a semi-retired Aucklander, approached Gareth and Steffen after tasting the product, seeing the brand and then engaging in some “tough” negotiating on his shareholding.

“Greg’s decision to work with us was like the stars aligning and perfect timing for us all; it enabled us to quickly do our first full production run with Envictus.”

Now the hard work begins in convincing international distributors to promote it and New Zealand retailers to stock Moonuka Milk on their shelves. They have successfully gained a contract to supply all Farro Fresh food stores in Auckland and some speciality food stores like Haumoana Burger, Pixie Bowl and Switch Coffee in Napier, just to name a few.

“Our aim is to produce four container loads a month, or about 250,000–300,000 bottles, that’s our target. We have got to get China’s CIQ accreditation, which will enable us to export Moonuka Milk, and then that will enable us to get further access into Asia.”

Steffen also hopes that Moonuka Milk can join the Hui Māori Collective, the first Maori business collective to have a presence on one of China’s main e-commerce platforms, Tmall Global, which is part of the Alibaba Group.

The collective comprises 13 companies that together sell a range of premium products including wine, Mānuka honey, dairy (milk powder), fruit bars and Kawakawa soft drink.

“It will be great if we can join the collective as it will enable us to further tell our brand story, Tehei Mauri Taiao, which has several meanings including ‘a breath of nature’s elixir’ and ‘cheers and good health to all’,” Steffen says.

For Gareth, Greg and Steffen, the horizon above the land of the long white cloud looks more like a sea of NZ’s finest white creamy milk and golden Mānuka honey.

www.moonukamilk.com

Finding a niche in a large global market

Posted on by
Reply

Global and national interest in hemp seed products may be growing but when Kanapu launched into the market, its founders knew they needed to establish a unique selling proposition to ensure success.

At that point, the market was focused on hemp seed oil as a nutraceutical and it was commonly found on the shelves of health stores, particularly in pill form.

But Kanapu co-founder Isaac Beach says at the time there was also growing national and international interest in ‘functional hemp foods’.

“We decided to enter the market from a culinary point of view, focusing on the associated benefits of consuming hemp in the form of a functional food.

“That was a big gap in the market we identified. No one was in that space and yet it was perfect for us because not only is Hawke’s Bay the best part of the country to cultivate industrial hemp, it’s also full of expertise and business support in the area of food. We have some of the nation’s best culinary experts and chefs.

“We partnered with some of them and they came up with these brilliant ways of consuming hemp seed oil, and that led to the community understanding hemp food products are not drugs, they are safe and these expert chefs are using them in their meals at high-end restaurants, in high-end cuisine.”

Among the chefs championing the company’s oil have been Hawke’s Bay’s Kent Baddeley (best known for his restaurant 1024) and Jackson Smith, executive chef at Havelock North’s Malo.

Another aspect of Kanapu’s business strategy has been focusing on supplying the highest-quality product to local markets, given that hemp seed products degrade over time once they’re processed.

“In terms of quality and the realisation of functional benefits of hemp foods, consumers are wanting to consume them within the shortest time since they’ve been processed,” Isaac says.

“We’re better positioned to supply the local market than producers in other countries because of our shorter distance and time to market. We can compete effectively locally, and also in Australia, with regards to providing quality product.

“That, combined with the fact that we’re growing in Hawke’s Bay, is a significant unique point of difference from a quality standpoint.

“Our goal as a company is to focus on functional hemp foods and minimise the distance as much as possible from process to plate, and that’s essentially what we’ve achieved.

“Consumers are raving about the colour, the texture and the taste of our oil versus other oils on the market.”

 

Mastering the plumbing business

Posted on by
Reply

Tim had been working as a contractor in Hawke’s Bay before making the decision to move to Port Headland, travelling around the Pilbara in Western Australia, setting up massive infrastructure for satellite mining camps – housing developments for between 2 to 5 thousand people. The money was amazing and the driving eye-opening.

“I covered some huge km’s, often driving 5-6 hours to fix a tap. It was the Australia that you wouldn’t otherwise see – vast desert. It was awesome.”

Coming home in 2012 Tim knew he wanted to set up on his own. He opened an office in King Street in Hastings, with a part-time office person and one other plumber joining him. There was plenty of work and it was hard to know which jobs to take and how to manage the business growth, having had no business management training.

“I went to an event and listened to another owner speaking about his experience with The Icehouse and thought it sounded practical and could work for me.”

Tim was able to access NZTE funding from the Regional Business Partner in Hawke’s Bay which gave him the extra push to get into the local Owner Operator Programme, facilitated by Michaela Vodanovich and incorporating one on one business coaching with monthly workshops and action groups.

“Getting started with The Icehouse, I realised how naïve I was, but I quickly picked up more and more skills from the workshops and the other people on the course. I had been a bit worried about paying

Jay Jay Kettle and Tim Masters at their new offices in Hastings.

for the programme but the funding we were able to access did make a big difference. I started pushing ahead and was gaining clarity as well as momentum so the cost wasn’t an issue – looking back it was a no-brainer – suddenly I was adding another plumber and another plumber.

One of the first things I learnt from the Icehouse was, if you want to be a bigger business then you need to act like a bigger business so we invested in software that could run massive crews, even though at the time we only had a few staff.”

Tim also learnt about the importance of high-quality customer service to the business and what that looks like.

“I know that’s one of the key reasons we are so busy today, together with top notch, quality workmanship – customer service remains our focus.”

Now the business has 10 staff, including plumbers, gasfitters, drainlayers, a digger and truck driver plus apprentices and two office staff in a bigger office in King Street. They cover a mix of commercial and residential services for Hawkes Bay’s top builders and Masters is one of only a few local companies to offer central heating – a feature that many people moving to Hawke’s Bay from Europe can’t be without.

Jay Jay Kettle is the face of the business as the office manager and is taking more responsibility from Tim. A need to understand strategic aspects of the business meant Jay Jay required new skills and management tools. Tim enrolled her in The Icehouse Effective Leadership Programme at the Business Hub, a three month programme of workshops and coaching, to support and develop managers in their individual roles.

Over the last year or so I have been picking up a lot of work that Tim used to do and now I feel like Tim can focus on growing the business and I have the confidence to take on more responsibility, including recruiting staff and dealing with issues that come up.

Learning how to be a better communicator and take positive and different approaches to day to day challenges was valuable and we all learnt so much from each other on the Programme.

Sometimes you think you’re the only one dealing with complex issues but The Icehouse makes you realise you’re not alone.”

For Tim, the chance for Jay Jay to do an Icehouse programme was perfect timing, not only just for the business but also allowing him to plan for some much-needed time-off.

“The leadership training has given Jay Jay a deeper understanding of the business, allowing me to focus on the jobs I need to be across and the big tenders.

“I’ve also got a trip planned to the States later in the year and to be able to leave the country with confidence that everything will be ok is pretty cool – we’ve come a long way.”

Working as a travelling plumber in the Aussie mines gave Tim Masters the experience to manage large scale projects but it provided little guidance through the minefield that is owning your own business.