Waikato Business News October/November 2022

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
VOLUME 30
ISSUE 10
READ ONLINE AT
http://www.wbn.co.nz
/WaikatoBusinessNews
The Waikato region’s voice of local business
BETTLE X D3 PARTNERSHIP
Bettle & Associates and Auckland-based D3 have inked a
partnership deal to take performance media to a new level.
CBD’S FINEST CELEBRATED
CBD Celebration Awards showcases the diversity of
businesses that make Hamilton’s central city a destination.
HAMILTON AIRPORT UPGRADE
Hamilton Airport has unveiled a $15 million passenger terminal
refurbishment to welcome visitors to the Mighty Waikato.
Sweet Pea tops CBD business
awards
It was the icing on the cake for Sweet Pea
Parties topping the shopping category in
the 2022 Hamilton CBD business awards.
Specialising in birthday
party products and
specialty bakeware,
Sweet Pea started out as an
at-home business nearly 12
years ago.
It provided founder and
CEO Kirsty Parker with a
way to make a living and stay
at home with her first-born
William.
On maternity leave at
the time and not wanting
to return to the 9-5 grind,
she saw a gap in the market
and decided to take the
plunge into the party supply
business.
“We were having William
baptised and I wanted to
theme it all blue and white.
I couldn't find anywhere in
New Zealand at that stage
that had a full complement of
stock,” she says.
With the financial backing
of her mum, Kirsty stepped
into the world of online party
supplies and launched the
Sweet Pea website.
Ever the pragmatist,
Kirsty knew she could use the
website for another online
business if Sweet Pea was a
flop.
“We said, if it doesn't work
and we don't sell any party
supplies, then we've still got
the framework of a website
and we can rebrand the skin
of it and sell something else.
But we launched it in February
(2012) and it took a couple
of days before we had our first
order, and then the orders
just started trickling in.”
Her second son was born
later that year and at the same
time Sweet Pea sales surged.
“Hugo was born in September
and I vividly remember
coming home from hospital
and I was back at my little
desk processing orders and it
just went from there.”
Social media marketing
hadn’t made its mark at that
stage, so Kirsty advertised in
the directories at the back of
magazines.
“We did spend quite a lot
of money on advertising in
the early days. But I think
we were very lucky because
we got into the market quite
early in the piece and we got
to the top of the ranks in Google
search for party supplies.”
It didn’t take long for the
business to outgrew Kirsty’s
little home office and move
into the lounge and the double
garage.
“And the next minute the
car wouldn't fit in because we
had the entire garage filled
with stock,” she laughs.
By the time her youngest
turned three and was eligible
for the 20-hours free ECE
funding, and with stock taking
over nearly every space in
the house, Kirsty was ready to
move to a larger premises in
the CBD.
“We only wanted to move
to the CBD because we lived
in Claudelands at that time
and we didn't want to be at
the Base. We just thought the
CBD was a great place to be
because you're central to anywhere,”
she says.
Husband Chris joined the
business adding his support
to the marketing and IT side
of the business.
“We took a bit of a punt
CONTINUED ON - PAGE 3

At Bayleys, we believe relationships are
what businesses are built on and how they
succeed. We understand that to maximise
the return on your property you need:
Professional property management
A business partner that understands
your views and goals
Contact the Bayleys Waikato Commercial
Property Management team today.
Jan Cooney
Head Commercial Property Management -
Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki
027 408 9339
jan.cooney@bayleys.co.nz
David Cashmore
Bayleys Commercial Manager - Waikato
021 943 305
david.cashmore@bayleys.co.nz
Gert Maritz
Senior Facilities Manager - Waikato
027 230 2514
gert.maritz@bayleys.co.nz
Darren Rule
Senior Facilities Manager - Bay of Plenty & Taranaki
027 214 1631
darren.rule@bayleys.co.nz
SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008
ALTOGETHER BETTER
Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 3
Sweet Pea tops CBD business awards
having him join the business
full-time. But we never looked
back. It was the best move
that we actually made. He was
working full time on it after
hours way before that helping
load products to the website
at night.”
The new space in Princes
Street was just meant to be a
showroom, but quickly morphed
into a retail store.
“We had a little showroom
open for a few hours a week
for people who wanted to look
at the products. But we really
underestimated the power of
in-store retail shopping and
how much people wanted to
come in.”
They were only in the shop
for two years before they had
outgrown the space and need
to explore other options once
more.
Their amenable landlords
Steve and Rachel Morth were
happy for them to take down
a wall into the shop next
door and they doubled their
space without having to move
premises.
By 2020 and a dip in sales
during the first Covid lockdown,
Kirsty says it didn’t
take long for business to pick
up again.
Like many businesses relying
on imported stock and
dealing with supply chain
issues, they added more storage
to make room for larger
orders.
“We had to start sitting
on more stock and we added
some storage that Steve had
available at the rear of the
building. Then we added a
shipping container and that
wasn't enough, so we added
a second shipping container.”
By the time they were coming
to the end of the second
tenancy term, Kirsty knew
they needed to find somewhere
else.
In August 2021, Sweet Pea
moved to larger premises at
70 Rostrevor Street.
From small beginnings,
there is now 18 staff on the
payroll including her and
Chris, and she’s been grateful
for the opportunity to provide
jobs for locals.
“A couple of the people
we had employed in the early
days were customers. We haven't
often had to advertise
the staff, it’s mostly word of
mouth.”
This year, they had to
replace three full-timers and
Kirsty says, it’s the first time
they have had to advertise.
“When you talk to other
business owners is staffing
is always your biggest nightmare.
But we've been pretty
fortunate over the years,
we've had some really incredible
people work for us and
some have been with us for
quite a long time.”
Not one to rest on her
party supply laurels, Kirsty
has branched out into other
online businesses - adding
Cake and Kitchen – a one-stop
shop for cake decorating and
baking needs, and Jigstore
selling premium, arty jigsaw
puzzles - to her repertoire.
The Cake and Kitchen was
an obvious business move,
but Kirsty says Jigstore came
about as a result of using jigsaws
to unwind and spend
quality time with her boys.
“It’s been a hard couple of
years for many people with
Covid and I found I needed
a stress release. So instead
of going home and looking
at my phone or continuing to
work all hours of the night all
the time, I needed something
else.”
Ever the entrepreneur she
realised there was a gap in the
market for quality jigsaws and
Jigstore was born.
“We've got the capacity for
it now that we have a really
large retail store and a large
warehouse.”
She’s also proud to support
The Cake Detective, a nonprofit
that provides extraordinary
birthday cakes to vulnerable
tamariki, another perfect
fit for Sweet Pea.
“Right from day one, we
supported Laura with products.
Now she runs Cake
Detective out of our classroom
and the cakes get decorated
here. We know there's
plenty of people who have a
much harder life than what
we do and we believe in paying
it forward.”
Hamilton Central Business
Association general manager
Vanessa Williams says
Sweet Pea was a first-time
entrant this year and they
were deserving winners of the
shopping category.
“Sweet Pea Parties is a
real asset the central city and
holds the title of the largest
party supplies store in New
Zealand. They have really put
in the time and effort to grow
their business, from starting
out as a home-based business,
to moving into town
and recently expanding into a
larger premises. They have a
unique offering in the city and
from the moment you walk
through the doors you will
be captivated by the beautiful
ambience of the store and
delighted at the array of products
available. It feels like a
party waiting to happen.”
Bettle and D3 partnership taking media
performance to the next level
Hamilton-based Bettle &
Associates (B&A) and Aucklandbased
D3 have inked a partnership
deal to take performance media to
a new level in the Waikato region.
The combination of B&A’s
strength in brand and
marketing and D3’s
media strategy know-how will
offer the Waikato a broader
scope of media services, B&A
partner Will Peart says.
“As the media landscape
continues to change,
data-driven decision making
becomes more and more critical
in high-performance accountable
media investments, so
we’ve explored a number of
models to lead to the best media
outcomes for our clients.
“While we have already been
an accredited media agency for
most of our existence, this process
has resulted in our decision
to evolve this into a partnership
with D3. They’re 16 specialists
at the top of the game, led by
people who think like we do.”
Hamilton’s leading brand
and marketing agency, B&A
partners with clients like DeLaval,
Fonterra, Farm Source,
Challenge Fuel, CAL>Isuzu,
Soudal Gorilla, Mt Ruapehu
and Beaurepaires.
Whilst D3 is one of the
country’s leading independent
media agencies, working with
nib, Metlifecare, Ecoya, Milford,
Peugeot/Citroën, The
Co-operative Bank and UP
Education.
“We’re excited about the
partnership with the B&A
team,” D3 partner Richard
Thomspon says.
“We have been building our
offering around a core set of
principles – digital-first, datadriven,
consultative, transparent,
and outcomes focused. So
to have like-minded partners to
continue to scale our approach
is going to be good for both
businesses, our collective media
clients and digitally ambitious
clients across the Waikato.”
Founded in 2001 by George
Bettle, the origins of B&A date
back to the late 90s when network
agency Grey Worldwide
made a move into the regional
centres, including Hamilton.
Grey’s success was not as
expected and George, who was
a senior executive, saw the
potential in the Waikato and
bought out the business.
“George could see there
was a great opportunity in an
underserved market and over
time his level of consultative
services have grown as he partnered
with more and more clients,”
Will says.
Partners Will and Adam
Lurman joined B&A in 2007
and left to pursue careers overseas
before both rejoining the
agency in 2018 within months
of each other.
“Will and I came back into
the agency at the same time
for the same reason, and we’ve
both taken a slice of it for the
same reason,” Lurman says.
“We’re doing smart work, beautiful
work, interesting business
transformation and customer
experience-based work. The
reputation that George has
been building forever – client
work that focuses on outcomes
– is the thing we’re all invested
in continuing to grow. The
added weight of D3 expertise
will help us continue to grow
that reputation amongst our
clients for top-notch, intelligent
media services.”
D3 was founded in 2018
by media planning and digital
services industry leaders Richard
Thompson and Alex
Radford.
Will says, like B&A, at the
forefront of D3’s approach is
building long term relationships
with clients.
“They're very like-minded,
with a similar scale of operation
and a similar level of maturity
of business.
“Our strength, like D3’s, is in
partnering with our clients, getting
really deep into the business
and guiding marketing,
marketing planning, marketing
strategy and building brands.
“This partnership has come
about out of identifying an
opportunity here in the market
and looking for that level
of expertise that can add value
Will Peart (B&A), Adam Lurman (B&A), Alex Radford (D3),
George Bettle (B&A) and Richard Thompson (D3)
to complement the work that
we're doing,” he says.
D3’s mission has always
been to make media more
accountable and more scientific
with a commitment to testing
and learning.
The B&A x D3 hybrid media
team will consist of existing
B&A media talent team of 15
and the full force of the D3 team
of 16, ranging from data consultants
to media planners to performance
analysts.

4 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
Entries open for the
2023 Waipa Business Awards
The Waipa Networks Business Awards
Gala is back again for 2023. Entries
for the prestigious awards close on
Wednesday 15 February, 2023.
Our team
All entries received are
judged by an independent
judging panel of
experienced industry professionals
and Waikato University
representatives. There is
always a diverse range of businesses
which enter the awards
from new and emerging, small,
medium and large businesses.
Each are judged on their own
merit across the range of
award categories available.
The awards evening celebrating
the 2023 finalists
and local Waipa business
Liz Stolwyk
achievement, is set to take
place at Mystery Creek Events
Centre on Friday 21 April,
2023 and is sure to be an
event not to be missed!
“Waipa Networks is proud
to continue our long-standing
support as the Platinum
Sponsor of the awards. It’s
great to be part of an event
that recognises and rewards
excellence within our local
business community” CEO of
Waipa Networks Sean Horgan
says.
Joining the awards for
Jason Tiller
2023 are the newly appointed
Waipa Networks Business
Awards Ambassadors including
deputy mayor and Waipa
District councillor - Liz Stolwyk
and Jason Tiller from our
2021 supreme award winner
- Rocketspark.
Cambridge Chamber CEO
Kelly Bouzaid says it has
been incredible to hear the
stories of innovation, adaptability,
resilience, and growth
that have continued to happen
despite the challenges in
recent years.
“We believe that it is
more important than ever to
acknowledge our district’s
businesses achievements and
continue to inspire each other
to continue to be one of the
most diverse and innovative
business communities in the
country.”
“The awards are an opportunity
for Waipa businesses to
celebrate their efforts, drive
and determination as well as
their contribution to our communities,”
Te Awamutu Business
Chamber CEO Shane
Walsh says.
For more information and
entry details for the 2023
Waipa Networks Awards
please visit www.waipabusinessawards.co.nz
or contact
the Cambridge Business
Chamber on 07 823 3460.
DESIGNER
Ellie Neben
ellie@dpmedia.
co.nz
EDITORIAL
Janine Jackson
editor@dpmedia.
co.nz
ADVERTISING
MANAGER
Joanne Poole
Ph: (07) 838 1333
Mob: (021) 507 991
joanne@dpmedia.co.nz
PUBLISHER
Deidre Morris
Ph: (07) 838 1333
Mob: 027 228 8442
deidre@dpmedia.co.nz
STUDIO
Copy/Proofs:
studio@dpmedia.co.nz
SUBSCRIPTIONS
accounts@dpmedia.co.nz
2/1 Riro Street, Hamilton
Ph: (07) 838 1333
www.wbn.co.nz
-
www.dpmedia.co.nz
DESIGN
Process, mechanical and environmental
solutions
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
From concept to completion
CONSTRUCTION
Where drawings turn into a physical
structure
COMMISSIONING
Your end-to-end project specialist
+64 7 849 1638
info@vertex.co.nz
vertex.co.nz

User experience experts helped Hamilton
City Council understand its audience.
Hamilton City Council
asked Company-X to
help design the user
experience (UX) for new and
upgraded content.
As part of a larger city-wide
update of the Hamilton City
council website, Company-X
was asked to help design the user
experience (UX) for new and
upgraded content supporting its
Growth Funding and Analytics
unit.
There was a lot of
‘what if’ and ‘how
can we’ during the
work with Luke
and Cory
“We looked for help putting
ourselves in the shoes of our
users,” said Unit Manager Greg
Carstens. This included understanding
what outputs and information
would be most impactful
to each user group, specifically
relating to growth data, economic
analytics, and economic
development.
The Council wanted to ensure
that the user experience was
optimised for a unique audience
that was both internal and external
to the organisation.
Carstens and his leadership
team needed a solution that provided
data to elected members
and senior staff, but also helped
to educate a diverse collection of
external partners about Hamilton’s
economic performance and
investment opportunities.
Most importantly, the team
wanted to ensure that datadriven
insights, trends, and
projections could be shared to
support increasingly complex
decisions.
Company-X software architect
and senior developer Luke
McGregor and senior user interface
(UI) and user experience
(UX) developer Cory McKenzie
held several workshops with the
Council’s Growth Funding and
Analytics leaders to understand
the aims and objectives of the
website. Their previous experience
on other heavily UX-reliant
projects benefitted the council.
“There was a lot of ‘what if’
and ‘how can we’ during the
work with Luke and Cory. It was
genuinely like a greenfield project,
starting from the bottom and
building up,” Carstens said.
McGregor and McKenzie
developed eight personas for
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 5
Users first approach drives great user experience
whom they would design the
website user experience for. The
personas included an elected
member, managing director,
management accountant, planning
consultant, two property
developers and a senior Government
official. This exercise
helped understand the types
of goals and challenges of each
user.
“The idea was we had one
persona per each different category
of people the council
thought were going to go use the
site,” McGregor said.
“They have significant
amounts of data and analytics
within their systems, and they
wanted to ensure that it was
available and accessible to the
public. A key goal was to provide
ways to highlight insights
that are linked back to core data,
all with different elements that
would be useful to each persona.”
“Based on those personas,
we created a high-level journey
map that provided insights into
what pages would be on the site,”
McKenzie said.
“What are the individual elements
throughout the site, and
what supports the distinct ways
that each persona might interact
with them?”
The research led to the creation
of a user experience design
with McKenzie creating conceptual
designs for the council’s web
team to build.
Not every persona was
included in the end design, some
EXPERIENCED - Cory McKenzie, left, and Luke McGregor
were encouraged to use the website
as a contact point to request
the data they needed.
“The attributes that you
want to resonate with the internal
audience were night and day
different from the external audience,”
Carstens said. “But from
the start, we knew we didn’t
want a site that split users into
two distinct groups with Path A
and Path B. We wanted it to be
one integrated site because an
external audience quickly shares
a lot of the needs of an internal
audience.”
Another important goal was
to quickly educate users who
might initially come to the site
with an outdated or uninformed
view of Hamilton’s economy.
Council Economic Development
Manager Mike Bennett said
“once users learn who our largest
employers are, we want to make
it easy for them to dig deeper and
understand which key sectors
are behind our growth. It’s also
important to show how Hamilton
is part of a region that is
economically diverse but highly
integrated. The challenge is to
use complex data to generate
useful insights, and then deliver
it in an authentic and engaging
way.”
Company-X’s work also
provided the Growth Funding
and Analytics team with clarity
around customer prioritisation
and the power of search. “There
was a recognition of how important
it is to ensure high-volume
users can quickly get what they
know they need, while new users
can seek out something they
might not even initially realise is
there,” said Carstens. “Cory and
the team really helped us understand
how powerful search is. If
done well, it can transform an
average site into a critical tool.”
Hamilton City council’s
Growth Funding and Analytics
team gained a deeper understanding
of how to balance the
relationship between data and
information and address the
needs of a diverse set of users in
a web-based environment.
Navigate the
digital landscape
with us

6 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
What the ‘sustainability’ word
means at Fosters
Sustainability is trending. It’s a word that is bandied
about in business, politics and everyday life by just
about everyone. Yet, real commitment to
sustainability is not evident everywhere.
According to Thinkstep, the construction industry is
one of the primary contributors to climate change in
NZ, creating 20% of national greenhouse gas emissions.
Aware that their industry produces 40 - 50%
of NZ’s landfill waste, Fosters’ leadership team believe that
just because this is ‘industry standard’ does not mean it is
necessary.
As the only construction company to hold both of Toitū’s top
sustainability certifications, Fosters commitment to environmental
sustainability is proven through their daily operations.
The following commitments and initiatives implemented by
Fosters offer cleaner, more transparent, low-emissions builds:
• Fosters Toitū carbonzero certification demonstrates
they are positively contributing to the environment by measuring,
reducing, and offsetting their carbon footprint. They are
audited annually under international standards.
• Fosters Toitū enviromark diamond certification
demonstrates they have systems in place to reduce the environmental
impact of the business and the buildings they
construct.
• Fosters have the expertise to ensure green builds are
adaptable and durable, meeting the requirements of future generations
and creating healthier work environments – gaining
4+ Green Star certifications.
At Fosters, sustainability means operating in a way that
meets the needs of today whilst also ensuring future generations
will be able to meet their needs.
Misconduct Outside of Work –
What can Employers do?
Managing misconduct that occurs within the workplace can
be challenging. Procedural requirements must be met and
any disciplinary action must be lawfully justified. When
the misconduct occurs outside of work, things get even trickier. With
the silly season soon upon us and people starting to wind down after a
busy year, now is commonly the time when issues arising from bad or
impaired judgment start to increase. The question many employers
often ask is whether they can do anything to address an employee’s
bad behaviour if it did not occur at work but in the employee’s
personal life? The short answer is, like most things, it depends on
the circumstances.
The starting point is that employees have the right to privacy and
to be able to live their lives as they choose outside of work. However,
when bad behaviour in an employee’s personal life can in some way
be connected to their job or could impact their employer’s business or
reputation, an employer is entitled to get involved and take reasonable
action. If there is a lack of connection between the misconduct
and the employer’s business and the employee has just done something
an employer does not approve of, this is unlikely to justify disciplinary
action.
Employers should ask the following when deciding whether they
can do anything about misconduct occurring outside of work:
• Is the conduct incompatible with the job the employee does?
• Does the conduct impact other employees?
• Could the conduct impact on the employer’s trust and
confidence in the employee?
If after asking these questions an employer can determine there
is a link between the employee’s behaviour and their employment,
then an employer is entitled to commence an investigation or a disciplinary
process. For example, an employee accused of harassing
another employee outside of work hours would have a clear link
to that employee’s employment as the conduct impacts another
employee. Another example is an employee who, while driving
their employer’s branded work vehicle outside of work hours, verbally
abuses a member of the public during an instance of road rage.
Social media and the digi-workforce have further blurred the line
between work and employees’ personal lives. Employees should also
be aware that venting frustrations or personal opinions online that
may identify and reflect poorly on their employer may lead to disciplinary
action.
Like with misconduct that occurs at work, it is important the disciplinary
process is fair and follows any prescribed procedural requirements
that are set out in either the employee’s employment agreement
or employer’s policies. This would normally include providing
the employee with full details of the allegations and all other evidence
relied on in support. This could include witness statements, video
footage, photographs, and any other documentation. Any information
relied on by an employer to support the allegations should be
provided. The employee should be advised of their right to seek independent
advice and be provided an opportunity to respond to the
allegations and evidence. Once the employer has fairly considered
the employee’s response, which may include undertaking further
enquiry or clarification of any issues in dispute, the employer is then
entitled to make a decision on whether the allegations have been
KNOW YOUR LAWYER
— JAIME LOMAS
Jaime Lomas is a Director at DTI Lawyers, and alongside
Andrea Twaddle, heads the Employment Law Team.
Jaime has extensive experience in employment law and
dispute resolution. She takes a pragmatic and practical
approach to achieve commercial and workable solutions
for her clients. She is committed to understanding
the issues her clients face and the impact on their
businesses or on them personally. Her working
philosophy is that obtaining a better understanding of
her clients’ needs is key to give them tailored advice
to enable them to achieve their goals and objectives.
With both a specialist Employment Team and a
Commercial/Property Team, Jaime and the team at
DTI are well placed to meet your legal needs and
look forward to working with you.
SPECIALIST LAWYERS | 07 282 0174 | dtilawyers.co.nz
By Jaime Lomas,
Director and Specialist Employment Lawyer, DTI Lawyers
substantiated and what the outcome should be. When it comes to
decision making, the conduct of senior employees outside the workplace
whose duties impact on reputation and integrity of the company
may be more closely scrutinised.
Employers are wise to minimise the risk of ambiguity about what
conduct outside of work might impact on employment, by setting out
clearly what is expected of employees in employment documentation
such as terms or employment, or codes or conduct. Employees
should be put on notice of the potential consequences, including dismissal,
should misconduct outside work brings or could likely bring
the employer’s business into disrepute.
Ordinarily, in instances where an employee’s behaviour could be
seen to damage the employer’s reputation, the potential for damage
rather than actual proof of damage will be enough. Similarly, the
underlying conduct as opposed to the effect of any significant media
attention should be considered. For example, the fact of an employee
having an accident in an employer branded vehicle after hours is
clearly linked to the company, regardless of whether it was reported
in the local paper or social media.
Employers must always ensure the process and outcome is
fair and reasonable in the circumstances. The specialist employment
law team at DTI Lawyers can assist businesses in relation
to all employment matters, including advice on disciplinary
processes and whether an employer can take action for
misconduct occurring outside of work. For any further
information on employment law queries, please
contact the specialist employment team at DTI Lawyers.

Pacifika director breaking new ground
Award-winning director Meleane
Burgess has forged a governance
career path that others may follow.
Meleane Burgess
CMInstD considers
governance a form of
service.
As a groundbreaking director
from a Samoan background,
Burgess uses the concept
of “service” in two senses
– firstly to the organisations
she oversees, and secondly to
the Kiwi Pasifika directors that
will come after her.
The Waikato-based director
received the Pacific Governance
Leader and Rising
Governance Star awards at
the 2022 Women in Governance
Awards in August. She
is the managing director of
Dynamic Advisory Limited,
former chairperson of the Hillcrest
High board of trustees
and sits on the NZ Post board
as part of the Future Directors
programme. She also serves
as a member of the Pacific
Reference Group for the Ministry
of Social Development,
an independent director on
the Public Trust Board and a
Council Member of the University
of Waikato.
Her first foray into governance
was not actually as a
board member. In 2018, Burgess
set up the Waikato Pacific
Business Network, which provides
peer support and advocacy
for Pasifika business owners
and directors in the region.
A chartered member of the
Institute of Directors and an
accountant by trade, Burgess
felt the Pasifika business leaders
she worked with would
benefit from a professional
association.
“That was my introduction
to governance – setting up the
executive committee to take
the network forward,” she says.
“Doing that gave me some
of the initial experience I
needed in order to move into
governance – because it was
very difficult to get onto a
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 7
board.”
Governance was almost
“invisible” as an opportunity
for Pasifika professionals in the
very recent past, she says.
“When I started out as an
accountant, governance was an
area that was invisible. Pasifika
businesses and professionals
were pretty much invisible in
the Waikato at that time, to be
honest. We were always seen
as blue-collar workers, not
those who become the greatest
accountants or lawyers or
doctors. For me, I needed to
change that for the next generation,
for my own children who
will be heading towards those
pathways.”
Today, the Waikato Pacific
Business Network is the organisation
that is driving Pacific
economic development in the
region, she says. And Burgess’s
governance career has
also progressed. Establishing
the network led to invitations
to serve on organisations at a
local level, then at a national
level. In 2022, she completed
the Institute of Directors
Mentoring for Diversity
programme, which matches
up-and-coming governance
professionals with experienced
mentors.
“That was an excellent
programme. It gave me the
platform to learn from an
incredible mentor. It enhanced
my ability, my perspective, my
understanding of governance.”
Being recognised through
awards is great, she says, but
her focus remains on “service”
to her organisations and
communities.
“Growing up as a Pacific
Islander, service was one of my
core values. That passion for
service eventually turned into
a career – in governance.”
Waikato River bridge build marks
two-year anniversary
Hamilton’s new river bridge to
Peacocke has celebrated another
exciting achievement with the final
form of the bridge revealed.
The final girder segment
was lifted into place
recently with the aid of
the country’s second largest
crawler crane.
“The girder lift was a
milestone moment in that
the bridge’s superstructure
is now finished,” Hamilton
City Council executive director
strategic infrastructure
Andrew Parsons says.
“The bridge doesn’t have
a proper deck, handrails or
lighting yet but the final form
of the bridge is now complete.
It’s stunning and there’s nothing
like it in Hamilton.”
The bridge beams will be
visible under the bridge deck
and are made from the same
type of weathering steel used
for the central V-shaped pier.
With the bridge’s span
across the river completed,
the crawler crane will now be
tasked with lifting a pedestrian
bridge into place across
the new Wairere Drive extension,
at the river bridge’s
northern end. The footbridge
was fabricated locally by PFS
Engineering in Riverlea.
The bridge also
represents
our biggest
investment in
environment
and ecological
outcomes
The bridge contract was
awarded in 2020, with work
starting in October of that
year. At $160.2 million,
it’s the largest capital contract
awarded by council and
includes the building of new
roads in Peacocke.
Parsons says the bridge is
not only a significant transport
connection for the new
community in Peacocke but it
will also enable essential services
to support residential
development. Hidden inside
the girders are pipes for water,
wastewater and cables for
electricity and internet.
“The bridge also represents
our biggest investment in
environment and ecological
outcomes.
“If you look at the bridge
with no central pier in the
river there are large areas
underneath where bats can
fly. These design elements
contribute to the environmental
outcomes from our
investment.”
To get the best view of
activity at the bridge site, people
are encouraged to access
the shared path between
Hamilton Gardens and Howell
Avenue off Cobham Drive.
Peacocke is being built
with the support from the
Government’s Housing Infrastructure
Fund, made up
of a $180.3 million 10-year
interest-free loan and $110.1
million of Waka Kotahi NZ
Transport Agency subsidies.
The Peacocke programme
will deliver a new bridge, a
transport network that caters
for public transport, pedestrians
and cyclists, parks, and
strategic water, wastewater
and stormwater networks.
Other work includes protecting
and enhancing the environment,
including the extensive
gully system, opening the
area to the Waikato River,
and investigating community
facilities which are also
important parts of creating a
new community in Peacocke.
When completed, Peacocke
will be home for up to
20,000 Hamiltonians.

8 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
Waikato businesses showcase
growth on Deloitte Fast 50 indices
Hamilton-based concept development
and prototype production company
Torutek has been ranked the fastest
growing Waikato-based company,
placing sixteenth on the Deloitte Fast
50 index with 305% revenue
growth over the past three years.
The annual Deloitte
Fast 50 index ranks
businesses experiencing
rapid revenue growth
over three years and sets the
benchmark for high growth
businesses in New Zealand.
Auckland-based game design,
development and publishing
studio Legend Story Studios
Trading took out number one
spot on the 2022 index with an
unprecedented 6416% revenue
growth.
“This year we’ve seen a
number of organisations catapult
to the top of the Fast 50
index, as well as the highest
growth percentage we’ve ever
seen,” Deloitte private partner
Bill Hale says.
“It’s clear that some organisations
have continued to
thrive despite some tough economic
times in recent years
and have shown that what
would have once been thought
impossible, is indeed possible.
It has also been interesting to
see the mix of industries featured
on the indices this year,
with retail, technology, industrial
products and construction,
and food and beverage
seeing particular growth.”
It’s clear that some
organisations have
continued to thrive
despite some
tough economic
times in recent
years and have
shown that what
would have once
been thought
impossible, is
indeed possible
A number of Waikato-based
businesses also featured
on the Master of Growth
index which ranks the 20 fastest
growing established businesses
achieving longer term
sustained growth. It ranks
businesses starting from a
larger revenue base, and over
five years of revenue growth.
Civil construction firm
Waipa Civil saw 277% revenue
growth over the last five
years, with outdoor and adventure
equipment brand Zempire
Camping achieving 208%
growth, and clothing and
accessory design production
and supply company Global
Velocity Group rounding out
the Waikato representation
with 180% revenue growth.
“The Deloitte Fast 50 is
a celebration of fast-growing
Kiwi businesses right across
the country, of all shapes and
sizes. And once again, has
showcased the innovators and
entrepreneurs of New Zealand
business who have, against the
odds, adapted to thrive in the
current market,” Hale says.
To learn more about
the Deloitte Fast 50 programme
and all of this year’s
winning companies, visit
www.fast50.co.nz
CELF bringing leaders and community together
CELF alumni Class of 2020, Power Farming coowner
and executive director Brett Maber found
friendship, validation and personal growth on the
Elevate Leadership Programme.
The
eight-week
programme, delivered
over the course of eight
months brings together established
leaders from different
kinds of organisations, in an
effort to increase the elevation
and social impact of all participants.
CELF believes in the
positive impact that connected,
responsible leaders have on their
community. Brett describes his
journey as a business leader like
building a Lego set without the
instructions.
He knew Power Farming was
achieving at the top of its game
in New Zealand as well as keeping
pace with international players
in the farm equipment field.
“With CEFL it was like
someone had run me through
the instructions and it was nice
to know that through trial and
error, and experience that I had
worked out a lot of the ways to
do things over the 20 years in
the business. For my own personal
growth there was that validation
aspect to it which was
quite nice,” he says.
Spending time on the CELF
journey, affords participants the
time to step into a setting that is
separate from their day-to-day
business life to reflect on what
they’ve achieved, what they
want to achieve and the vison
they have for their business and
their team.
As well as validating what
he was already doing, CELF
gave Brett a space to check in
on Power Farming’s business
model and success, alongside
a group of people from a
diverse range of businesses and
organisations.
“It really invigorated you
to go back and use a lot of the
things you've learned on your
business. That’s one of the
things that I found really cool
about CELF is that 99% of the
content was really relevant.
You almost had steam pouring
out of your ears after most sessions
because it really ignited
that spark to try new things and
to be able to implement things
throughout the business.”
Every CELF business alumni
is matched to a not-for-profit
leader who they sponsor thought
the programme and walk alongside
them in the same year-long
leadership journey.
“Tanya and the team put two
or three applications in front of
you. There's no real tie up apart
from the acknowledgement
from that person that this business
is the one that's actually
funding you through.”
In Brett’s case, the match
with Thomas McNabb from The
Waterboy couldn’t been a better
fit.
The Waterboy’s goal is to
make sport and personal development
activities an achievable
option for every kid.
A rugby fan and junior coach,
Brett knew this was a charity he
could easily get behind. To top
it all off they both attended St
Pauls’ Collegiate, albeit Thomas
was there several years after
Brett.
“Thomas is the nicest guy
you'll ever meet. I totally get the
charity that he runs and think
it's fantastic,” he says.
The pair developed a good
friendship over the year on
CELF and Brett still considers
Thomas a good mate.
“Just seeing his passion for
what he does and the kind of
person he is, it's really neat that
we can we can help support his
cause as well.”
Brett and Power Faming
also got behind another of
Thomas’ initiatives, the Taka
Wairua Tupu Program, a personal
development for rangatahi
youth aged 16- and 17-year-olds
at schools in the Piako area.
“To actually hands-on see
what that programme does for
some kids that could be heading
down the wrong paths and to see
them graduate is awesome.”
Witnessing the transformation
of a young woman they
sponsored on the programme
made such an impact that she
was recently offered fulltime
work at Power Farming.
“She's doing really well,
is proactive and one of our
up-and-comers which is pretty
cool, right? She really excelled
despite a tough home life sometimes
and now to be able to offer
her the opportunity. I'd love
to continue that story on and
see where that goes. But that's
exactly why we do it.”

Chamber welcomes
new board member
The Waikato Chamber of Commerce
welcomes a new board member Caroline
Batley, while Peter Nation and Emily
Zhang have been re-elected.
They join current board
members Senga Allen,
Jason Cargo, TJ Asiata,
Tracey Clark, Andrew Boyd and
Quinton De Bruin who weren’t
up for re-election this year.
The chamber board had
three positions available. Peter
Nation, Phil Monahan and Emily
Zhang being at the end of their
three-year term were standing
again for re-election and were
automatically nominated.
In addition to Peter, Phil, and
Emily’s nominations, there were
four other nominations: Caroline
Batley, Grant Coombes, Janey
Haringa and Tim Pearson.
Caroline Batley has worked
as a solicitor at Bell Gully and
is currently a banker for ANZ.
She has governance experience
through Otago University academic
boards, as a sheep and
beef farm trustee, president of
Auckland Young Professionals,
and committee member for Seddon
Cricket Club and Waikato
Women's Fund.
Peter Nation has been on the
chamber board for three years,
Ebbett Volkswagen
support mental
wellness
Ebbett Volkswagen’s
WE LOVE VW
initiative has been
supporting NZ Thoroughbred
Breeders Association so that
they can help with mental
wellness initiatives for their
staff, friends and colleagues
within the industry. The
Ebbett Volkswagen team
supported the NZ Thoroughbred
Breeders Association
by donating their WE LOVE
VW campervan as an auction
item at the NZTNA National
Breeding Awards in July. The
and is currently CEO at NZ
National Fieldays Society Inc.
Emily Zhang has 12 years’
banking experience, is a founder
of several businesses and has
also been on the chamber board
for three years.
The chamber extends its
appreciation to Phil Monahan
for his three years of service
on the board, and all those that
stood this year.
Chamber chief executive Don
Good says he was encouraged
by the high standard of business
people who had put their names
forward for election.
“The competition for places
donation of the VW Campervan
was greatly appreciated,
and it was part of a
“Wicked Weekend Wairarapa
auction” which raised $2,800
for mental wellness support
within the Thoroughbred
Breeders Association.
The NZ Thoroughbred
Breeders Association will
be able to continue to support
the mental wellness of
the people in their industry.
Both Ebbett Volkswagen
and the association believe
this is important after the
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 9
and the quality of the candidates
this year is validation of
the strong position the chamber
is in.
“Despite the disruptions by
Covid, the chamber has managed
to successfully hold a twice-delayed
Waikato Business Awards,
the first standalone Hall of Fame
and dozens of other events for
members.
“The chamber is in good
heart, with good people, strong
finances and a large body of work
ahead to support out members
and improve their prosperity.
And to top it off we have a board
comprised of highly competent
people who each bring their own
unique skillset to the table and,
collectively, they will help the
chamber to build on our success
in the coming year.”
challenging last few years
for the racing industry and
their wider community. For
the people who work in the
thoroughbred industry it is
a lifestyle, not just a job. It is
great knowing that together
we can help take a proactive
approach to create a thriving
workplace by starting conversations
around mental health
and wellbeing.
Find out about all the
great community initiatives
the Ebbett Volkswagen
team do.
www.welovevw.nz
CONVERSATIONS WITH MIKE NEALE
OF NAI HARCOURTS HAMILTON
Banks – We Need Them,
More Than They Need Us ?
The most common topic of discussion
in relation to commercial and
industrial real estate over the last
month or so, has been around finance
and borrowing – or increasing difficulty
with this. To be clear, what follows might
seem an unfair assessment of the banking
industry, that is full of good people, but
seemly constrained by the banks increasingly
restrictive internal credit policies.
We are having discussions every day, so
it’s fair to say that where there is smoke,
there is likely to be fire. Consistently we are
being told by the banks that they have the
ability to lend money, but what is the saying
? - actions always speak louder than words.
Their appetite certainly seems to have
diminished over the last nine months or so.
Finance and the ability to borrow is a
critical element for development, whether
it be residential, commercial, industrial
or infrastructure, to enable us to develop
and continue to grow as a city, and also as
a country. Without capital it’s also incredibly
difficult to invest in, upgrade and modernise
assets.
Invariably banks are now requiring
much greater security and assessment of
cashflow serviceability in order to lend.
Tightening lending restrictions, along with
rising interest rates is already causing some
pain, which appears only likely to increase
in the short term.
Even as land and construction costs
have increased through 2020 and 2021, the
ability to borrow at viable interest rates,
still paved the way for development continue.
Second mortgages are now being
put under the spotlight, along with second
tier non-bank lenders either charging near
uneconomic interest rates, wanting repayment
or charging penalties.
“It is well enough that
people of the nation do not
understand our banking
and monetary system, for
if they did, I believe there
would be a revolution before
morning” – Henry Ford
While it seems highly unlikely that we
are going to see an avalanche of mortgagee
sales, we are already seeing signs of vendors
being “instructed” that they need to
get their house in order. Put simply, they
will need to sell assets, often their best
assets, as these are likely to realise the best
prices.
The Reserve Bank’s CFR (Core Funding
Ratio) was cut in April 2020 from 75%
to 50% in order to support banks lending
during the economic uncertainty caused
by Covid. On 1 January 2022 this limit
was returned to 75% - the issue is that the
tap, often due to Reserve Banks decisions,
seems to either be turned on fully or turned
off completely, rarely having times where
there is a nice steady flow of finance causing
neither a flood nor a drought.
Talking to a particular developer last
week, banks are not looking to lend on
many development projects and second
tier lending at 12% plus, make many projects
unviable. They have resorted to sourcing
private funders at around 8% - not
ideal, but they can make projects work at
this level. Once a project is completed, first
tier bank lenders come back into play.
To be clear, many of the parties with
these issues are not new to the market
or fly by nighters. Hamilton remains
extremely fortunate to have an extensive
pipeline of development at various stages
of actual construction and well underway,
as often its ‘proposed’ developments that
are delayed or put on hold.
They may say they are lending, but to
many it obviously doesn’t feel like it –
for our financial institutions to consistently
back their development horses for
the entire race – particularly the stayers
with proven or reliable track records. Different
if it’s a horse on its first outing,
with no pedigree or previous race experience.
Every horse will have a bad outing or
two, but the most successful trainers and
owners know a good thing when they
see it.
The challenges we have are
unlikely to be long lasting and financial
institutions will want to retain
these clients as the market returns
– Hamilton and the Waikato have
strong fundamentals for the future,
so the risk seems minimal. We
are increasingly a desirable place
to live and to conduct business,
we have strong geographic benefits
within the golden triangle and
the likelihood of a major disaster is
negligible.
NAI Harcourts Hamilton
Monarch Commercial Ltd MREINZ Licensed
Agent REAA 2008
Cnr Victoria & London Streets, HAMILTON
07 850 5252 | hamilton@naiharcourts.co.nz
www.naiharcourts.co.nz

10
Bartercard NZ turns 30!
This month Bartercard NZ turns 30. Founded in 1991 on the Australian Gold
Coast, Bartercard is the world's largest trade exchange and New Zealand’s
leading business trading currency, attracting new customers and increasing
sales. The concept allows businesses to exchange goods and services without
using cash; instead, they use trade dollars. Bartercard started in New Zealand in
1992 and has over 10,000 cardholders, with 50 staff across 12 regional offices.
bRewards was introduced in late 2019 as a way for members to refer new
businesses to the Bartercard ecosystem and earn valuable bPoints, which can
be exchanged for everyday spend gift cards, including grocery and petrol
vouchers. Since its launch, some members have been rewarded hundreds of
dollars worth of gift cards.
Supporting NZ businesses to grow
Over the years, Bartercard has helped many businesses grow and realise their
potential by filling some of their spare capacity with new customers and
through access to its interest free business lending.
Bartercard’s Interest Free Line of Credit allows many members to cover the
essential start-up costs of their business or invest in revenue-generating
expenses such as marketing and advertising, interior fitouts, equipment,
larger premises, and extra storage space sourced through Bartercard’s
cashless ecosystem. It’s offered as a cash-alternative currency that comes
without the interest rates of a business bank loan.
Some members use their trade dollars to invest in properties, allowing for
spare capital to be invested into bricks and mortar. Bartercard is an excellent
opportunity to fill empty seats and idle capacity for accommodation
providers, restaurants, bars and cafes.
Over the years, Bartercard has built strong strategic alliances with many
sporting teams, charities, and business groups to help save cash and sell
unused assets, including Heart Kids NZ, Sky Sport Breakers, Chiefs rugby
and the Blue Light charity. These organisations use Bartercard to sell
unsold advertising space, sponsorship packages and tickets. With the trade
dollars they’ve generated, they’re saving cash by offsetting some of their
expenses using Bartercard for costs associated with functions, raffle prizes,
merchandise and the equipment needed to run successfully.
Mixing business and pleasure
Bartercard’s online Marketplace has millions of dollars worth of products
and services available to allow members to offset cash expenses by
acquiring them through the trade exchange, conserving cash flow. Many
members also use their trade dollars for lifestyle purchases, such as dining
out, accommodation and hobby activities.
Ongoing success
While the business has diversified over the years, the very essence of
Bartercard remains for its members; growing their sales and attracting
new customers when they want them.
Bartercard NZ Chief Operating Officer Paul Hebbink has been with
the business since its early inception and was recently presented with
an Outstanding Service and Dedication Award at the team’s national
conference. “It was an honour to receive this award and a complete
surprise. I am extremely proud of what the business has achieved over the
years. Bartercard allows our members to continue trading through these
challenging times and conserve that all-important cash. We have
some big growth plans, and I’m excited about our future.”
As part of the 30th birthday celebrations and to thank its members, Bartercard is
giving away 30 gift hampers made up of 30 products available through its online
Marketplace. Any member who transacts 30 or more sales and purchases or
transacts more than T$3000 in trade volume (trade dollars) goes into the draw to
win one of these 30 exclusive hampers.
Winners will be announced in early December.

Business awards celebrate success,
resilience and positivity
A veritable who’s who of Waikato celebrated
the winners of the annual Waikato Chamber
of Commerce Business Awards, supported by
Foster Construction Group, tonight at a glittering
gala dinner at a sold out Claudelands Arena.
Profile Group was the
crowned the overall
champion, taking out the
Foster Construction Group 2022
Supreme Award, along with the
Business Growth and Service
Excellence awards.
Chamber chief executive Don
Good says Profile Group represents
a family of powerhouse
businesses that form New Zealand’s
only integrated supply
chain for aluminium window
and door solutions.
“Profile Group is on a journey
to redesign how they do
business, how they manufacture
even more efficiently, how they
reimagine and repurpose waste
streams, regenerate the natural
world around us and enable
their people to realise their full
potential across all facets of the
businesses.
“Their success is driven by
an excellence of service ethos.
Their structures, processes,
Elevate makes creative careers more accessible
Council building,
museum closed immediately
Waipā District
Council has evacuated
the Te
Awamutu Museum and
an adjacent staff building
following a seismic assessment.
Chief executive Garry
Dyet made the evacuation call
recently, following a report
which shows the building is
at 20 per cent of the National
Building Standard, with a
Grade D building rating. In
the event of an earthquake,
Grade D buildings represent
a risk to occupants between
10-25 times that expected for a
and more importantly – people
– set the standard for service
excellence both nationally and
internationally.”
Judges said Profile Group are
world class role models around
future vision, long-term strategy,
innovation and product design,
operational execution, ongoing
commitment and an ethos
of genuine care for the people,
community, Aotearoa and the
environment.
MilktechNZ’s Gustavo
Garza was named CEO of the
Year. MilktechNZ is a leader in
designing electronic milking cup
removers with future-proof technology
and accessories for herringbone
and rotary cow sheds.
MilktechNZ also took out the
Innovation Award.
Judges said Gustavo’s entrepreneurial
spirit, his energy and
passion for the business that
he has created, and the way he
spoke of the team who have
new building.
Dyet said the seismic risk
issues were discovered when
council was looking at doing
some work to replace the roof
and windows.
“The issue was identified
then and on the basis of health
and safety, I made the call to
evacuate the building; I was
simply not prepared to put any
staff member or any member
of the public at risk.”
Around 78 staff across the
council’s service delivery and
community services team work
in the building, but not all at
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
joined him on his journey, was
inspiring. Gustavo sets aspirational
goals for his business and
sets high standards for himself
and his team, including around
values and behaviours. He shows
a warmth and care toward his
team that is genuine, and a satisfaction
in progressing and
enabling others that is humbling.
Aware Group’s Jo Mickleson
was named Emerging Leader of
the Year. Aware Group is a globally
recognised leader in emerging
technologies. It provides a
range of innovative solutions and
services that focus on artificial
intelligence, big data and Internet
of Things.
Judges said Jo’s focus on
keeping people at the core of
all decisions and actions is one
of the primary leadership traits
that her team greatly respect.
Jo has gone above and beyond
in building the capabilities of
the senior leadership team with
steady improvements being
implemented that have developed
empathy, business acumen
and broader leadership skillset in
the team.
Good says the quality of the
four Emerging Leader finalists
was exceptionally high with Jo
A
fresh,
learn-your-way
version of Creative
Waikato’s Elevate
Programme is open for applications
now - boasting the same
game-changing content, in an
even more accessible format.
The big difference being
Waikato artists can now access
the free, Elevate Creative
Careers programme on their
own time, online and without
the need to travel.
The previous version's barrier
of needing to allocate a full
day’s mahi to attending live
weekly workshops - has been
replaced with a suite of pre-recorded
workshops that participants
can work through in their
the same time.
“Our staff are used to being
very agile – Covid made sure of
that,” Dyet said. “We will be
able to house staff elsewhere
and some will work from
home for a short time while
we work this through. Except
for museum staff, I don’t
think it will cause too much
disruption.”
Dyet said the museum
would be closed until further
notice.
“Right now, our priority
is working alongside mana
whenua, the Office of Kingi
Mickelson competing against
managing director / founder of
(AGP) Architectural Glass Products
David Bunting, Young New
Zealander of the Year and Nau
Mai Rā founder Ezra Hirawani,
and Chiefs Rugby general manager
commercial Kate Rawnsley.
Good says it was great to be
back to the full complement of
600 people at Claudelands.
“The calibre of entries this
year shows the resilience and
Tuheitia and the Te Awamutu
Museum Trust Board to ensure
all the taonga in the museum
are taken care of. Along
with staff, that is my absolute
priority and we will work
through this carefully and
meticulously.”
“It is inconvenient and disappointing.
But our focus now
is working through the next
steps to see what kind of remedial
work is required.”
Council’s main building
across the road in Roche St in
Te Awamutu is not impacted
and is open as usual
positivity of Waikato businesses
as they emerge from the impacts
of Covid.
“It was wonderful to have
finalists and winners from all
over the Waikato. And while
international headwinds remain
strong, the Waikato is in a good
place with strong foundations.
“The region is booming. You
can see wherever you go that
the Waikato is establishing itself
as New Zealand’s economic
powerhouse behind Auckland.
Benefiting from its proximity
to Auckland, its strong farming
A full list of the award winners are as follows:
foundation, its booming tech
industry, strong construction
sector, superb educational entities,
its highly efficient and well
located logistics industry and the
major work being undertaken
• Business Growth Award (sponsored by Deloitte): Profile Group – AGP
• CEO of the Year Award (sponsored by University of Waikato): Gustavo Garza – MilktechNZ
• Community Contribution–Commercial (sponsored by SkyPoint Technologies): Discover Waitomo
• Community Contribution – Non-Commercial (sponsored by Montana Food and Events):
Waikato Hauraki Coromandel Rural Support Trust
• Emerging Leader of the Year Award (sponsored by Mitre10 Mega): Jo Mickleson – Aware Group
• For Purpose Award (sponsored by Trust Waikato): HMS Trust
• Innovation Award (sponsored by Company-X): MilktechNZ
• Marketing Award (sponsored by Chow:Hill Architects): Shift72
• Micro Business (sponsored by Sleepyhead): The Chopping Block Limited
• People & Culture (sponsored by Hamilton Airport): EAS
• Service Excellence (sponsored by Tompkins Wake): Profile Group
• Sustainability (sponsored by Wintec Te Pūkenga): MyNoke
• Supreme winner (sponsored by Foster Construction Group): Profile Group
Applications for the 2023 Waikato Chamber of Commerce Business Awards will open in April
Full covergae of this fabulous event will be featured in our next edition of Waitkato Business
News including stories from the winners, sponsers and guests!
own time, around their own
unique schedules.
Work full-time? Live
rurally? Recently graduated? If
a creative career has been just
out of reach for whatever reason
- time, money, space, stress,
covid - Elevate has the material,
resources and support to help
finally make it happen. Completely
free with no hidden fees.
All the artist needs is
self-motivation, wi-fi, to currently
reside in Waikato, and
their eyes set on achieving a
sustainable, financially viable
creative career.
“It has been awesome to see
how the ELEVATE programme
has continued to develop,”
Creative Waikato CEO Dr Jeremy
Mayall says.
“Our team has put together
a range of useful resources, processes,
information and support
that have been put into
action with Waikato creatives to
help take local creative careers
to the next level.”
Aside from the workshops,
participants can expect a professional
development plan,
monthly online hui, and support
from industry experts at
Creative Waikato.
“This next iteration of the
programme is all about accessibility,”
Mayall says.
“It has been designed to
provide additional flexibility,
where you can set your timeframes,
work to your schedule,
still get all the information and
resources, and become part of a
supportive community of creative
professionals as well. We
are excited to see where Elevate
creatives will take their work
next!”
All criteria, FAQ’s and
sign-up forms are on the Creative
Waikato website or at elevatecreative.co.nz.
Anyone on the fence is
encouraged to apply anyway
and the process should make it
clear. Participants can exit the
programme any time. Follow
@creativewaikato for future
updates and announcements.

S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 2 VOLUME 30
WAIK ATO REGION’S
The Waikato region’s voice of local business
R E A D O N L I N E AT
http://www.wbn.co.nz
/WaikatoBusinessNews
12 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
MYOB announces the New Zealand winners
of its 2022 Partner Awards
Business management platform
MYOB has unveiled the winners of its
anticipated Partner Awards for 2022,
celebrating those who have supported
businesses of all sizes to thrive and
succeed, together.
The New Zealand winners
of the MYOB Partner
Awards 2022 for
Accounting Practice of the Year
are Waikato-based firm Singh &
Associates Ltd.
For the second year running,
Accounting Practice of the Year
New Zealand was awarded to
Singh & Associates Ltd, who
judges say embodied this year’s
theme of ‘thrive and shine’ and
are investing in their growing
team.
The practice is actively
involved in the community and
participates in the ‘Mana in
Mahi’ programme supported
by the Ministry of Social Development,
focused on providing
long-term employment for people
starting a new career.
This year marks the 14th year
of the awards, recognising the
accountants, bookkeepers and
consultants who go above and
beyond to ensure local small and
medium businesses succeed.
The awards run across Australia
and New Zealand and
span five categories; Accounting
Practice of the Year, Bookkeeping
Practice of the Year, Certified
Consultant of the Year, as well
as the debut awards Educator
of the Year and Education Partner
of the Year with the two new
awards recognising the educators
and institutions that are
inspiring the next generation of
professionals.
The Partner Awards were
judged by a panel of MYOB
executives, including chief sales
and support officer – Daniel
West, who says the awards are
an opportunity to reflect on the
important role accountants and
bookkeepers play in supporting
businesses to achieve their
ambitions.
“We’re emerging from two
incredibly challenging years and
our partners have been there
every step of the way, creating
a path of opportunity for the
businesses they serve. Partners
are a vital asset in our business
community and our awards
platform is designed to help celebrate
and recognise all their
efforts – putting leaders among
our partner community in the
spotlight,” West says.
“This year was all about celebrating
those who have helped
their customers to thrive and
shine together, and our winners
have really embodied that notion
across the last 12 months.”
Bank customers manage home loans and credit
cards well in challenging times
At a time of rising
costs, consumers are
continuing to manage
their credit cards and home
loans well according to data
insights released by the New
Zealand Bankers’ Association
today.
“In these challenging times
it’s great to see people using
banking products and services to
help stay ahead financially,” says
New Zealand Bankers’ Association
chief executive Roger
Beaumont.
“Nearly 46 per cent of people
with a home loan are ahead
on their repayments, which is
up 1.8 per cent compared to the
previous six months. People
behind on their loan repayments
dropped from two per cent of
all home loans to 1.05 per cent,
which is a very positive trend in
the current environment.
“This means many people
with home loans continue to be
well placed as interest rates rise
from historic lows. As interest
rates declined over recent years,
these borrowers likely retained
their repayments at the same
level, or increased them, to help
repay their loans faster, which
shows a good level of financial
capability.”
The information relates to
the six months from January
to June 2022 and was collected
and aggregated from NZBA’s 10
main retail member banks.
In this period customers
took out 44,681 new home loans,
of which 58.2 per cent were
issued to first home buyers. The
average value of all home loans
was $304,655, and the average
of value of home loans for first
home buyers was $505,741.
“People are also managing
their credit cards well, with 66.6
per cent of card balances paid
off in full without incurring any
interest costs. We’re delighted to
see people showing they know
how these products work and
getting the most out of them.
“While consumers are being
smart with home loans and
credit cards, it’s also fair to say
that banks are continuing to lend
responsibly. That’s particularly
important as we face some economic
headwinds.
“Anyone experiencing financial
difficulty should contact
their bank as soon as possible.
The sooner you talk to your
bank, the more likely they’ll be
able to help.
ISSUE 9
9 in 10 workplace
decision makers read
Print media
Iconic Construction - Line of beauty
HOMES OF
THE YEAR
ANNOUNCED
Lift out
in this
edition
Karl Kampenhout - Ethereal presence
View all issues online at www.wbn.co.nz
Enquire about our services today : info@dpmedia.co.nz
Publishers of Waikato Business News, Waikato AgriBusiness News and Beauty NZ

13
X-TRAIL ST-L FROM
$39,990 +ORC*
THE
BIG
1
%
APR FIXED
ZERO DEPOSIT
36 MONTH TERM*
NAVARA SL-450 FROM
$49,990 +ORC*
*Finance offer available on new Nissan Navara and SUVs registered between 01/10/2021 and 31/01/2022. Approved applicants of Nissan Financial Services New Zealand Pty Ltd (Nissan) only. Fixed Interest Rate 1% available on loans with a 36 month
term. No deposit required. Terms and conditions apply. This offer includes an establishment fee of $375, PPSR fee of $8.05 and$10 per month account keeping fee. All lease and some fleet purchasers excluded. X-TRAIL ORC of $990 includes initial
12 month registration & WOF, fuel and vehicle delivery. Navara ORC of $1,240 includes initial 12 month registration & WOF, fuel and vehicle delivery. This finance offer does not extend to Nissan Leaf, GTR & Patrol. Nissan reserves the right to vary,
extend or withdraw this offer. Not available in conjunction with any other offer. Additional terms and conditions apply and can be viewed at www.nissan.co.nz
1050 Te Rapa Road, Hamilton - 07 839 0777 - 0800 647 726 - sales@jwn.co.nz
16 Huiputea Drive, Otorohanga. 07 873 8066 - merv@jwn.co.nz

14 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
All for One, and One for all?
A core principle of trade mark law is that a
trade mark – a business’s ‘badge of origin’ –
should be distinctive.
Distinctive’, in law,
means that the trade
mark should not be
descriptive of a business’s
goods or services and should
be capable of distinguishing
a business’s goods or services
from those of other businesses.
In plain English, a trade
mark should set your goods
or services apart from your
competitors’ – noting that a
really distinctive trade mark
should set your goods and
services apart from every other
business.
Often-cited great examples
of distinctive trade
marks are APPLE and GOO-
GLE since neither describes
the products and services
the respective companies
provide and both are highly
memorable.
Closer to home, great
examples, in my view, are
ZESPRI and XERO – again,
neither describes the products
and services the respective
companies provide and
both are highly memorable.
SPARK, in my view, is
another great trade mark.
It is evocative, memorable,
and cleverly alludes to information
and communication
technology without being
descriptive. It has the inherent
ability to set the telco’s
goods and services apart
from its competitors at the
very least.
Readers may remember
that ZESPRI was the name
chosen to replace “New Zealand
Kiwifruit Marketing
Board”, while SPARK was
the name chosen to replace
“Telecom New Zealand”.
Readers may also remember
that when first revealed, the
ZESPRI and SPARK names
were not universally well
received. I don’t think too
many would dispute now,
however, that they have
become very strong and well
recognised brand names.
if you’re going
to change your
name as part of
a re-branding
exercise (because
of course you
can change your
brand identity
without changing
your name),
then you must
make sure your
new name is
distinctive and, to
the best of your
knowledge
Which brings me to
Vodafone. On 28 September
2022, Vodafone New
Zealand announced it will
be re-branding in 2023 to
ONE NEW ZEALAND. The
rebrand follows infrastructure
firm Infratil and Brookfield
Asset Management’s
acquisition of Vodafone NZ
in 2019 for NZ$3.4 billion
($1.9bn). *1
To say that the decision
to change to ONE NEW ZEA-
LAND has been met with
mixed reviews would be a
huge understatement. On
the one hand, you have those
who think the change is “a
good change”; on the other,
you have those who consider
ONE NEW ZEALAND to be “a
missed opportunity to name
the company something
bolder, brighter and more
distinctive”; and in the middle,
you have those who say “I
don’t hate it. [But] I don’t get
excited by it…”. *2
Also thrown into the
mix is that the ONE NEW
ZEALAND name is already
being used by what has been
labelled ‘a far right organisation’
*3 called One New
Zealand Foundation (ONZF).
According to a Twitter post
from Ben Moore (Technology
Editor, BusinessDesk NZ),
reported in a recent article on
Stuff *3, Jason Paris, Vodafone’s
CEO, was not aware
the ONE NEW ZEALAND
name “had a negative history”
before the re-brand
was announced. This begs
the question, why wasn’t he
aware? What searching for
identical or similar trade
marks was undertaken during
the name selection process?
This case highlights that if
you’re going to change your
name as part of a re-branding
exercise (because of course
you can change your brand
identity without changing
your name), then you must
make sure your new name is
distinctive and, to the best of
your knowledge, no one else
is using an identical or similar
name – even in relation
to unrelated goods or services.
In relation to the latter,
a search of the Internet and
relevant trade mark registers
is vital.
It is also desirable, of
course, that your target audience
likes the name you are
proposing to use – perhaps
even love it.
So…all for One, and One
for all? Maybe not at the
moment, but you can be sure
that like Zespri and Spark
before it, Vodafone/One New
Zealand will commit significant
resources to making
ONE NEW ZEALAND not
just its trade mark but a powerhouse
of a brand.
*1: www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/vodafone-new-zealand-at-oneahead-of-2023-rebrand/
*2: campaignbrief.
co.nz/2022/10/11/buildinga-new-brand-for-new-zealand-vodafone-nz-rebrandsto-one-nz/
*3: www.stuff.co.nz/
business/130021267/
far-right-group-one-newzealand-foundation-happy-to-share-name-with-rebranded-vodafone
INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY ISSUES
BY BEN CAIN
Ben Cain is a Senior Associate
at James & Wells and a
Resolution Institute-accredited
mediator. He can be contacted
at 07 957 5660 (Hamilton),
07 928 4470 (Tauranga) and
IP protection, simplified.
We’ve been championing innovation since 1979.
A safe pair of hands delivering outstanding results.
jamesandwells.com

Five-page plan or
back of an envelope?
Are you going with your gut when planning
your marketing activity or following a
detailed plan?
A
few years ago, when
we only talked about
‘HR’ people and ‘People
and Culture’ was a fledgling
concept, the fabulous Anne
Aitken spent the day with my
old team. Through a range of
hugely entertaining exercises,
we soon understood more
about what made each of us
tick.
One particular task that
stuck with me was designed
to help us understand our attitudes
to planning ahead, using
the analogy of how organised
we are for our holidays. We
gathered in the courtyard and,
through a series of questions
and discussion, put ourselves
in order.
At the front of the queue
was the person who needed to
have carefully researched lists,
calendars and itineraries. She
wasn’t going to go anywhere
without detailed scenarios and
back-up options, all carefully
documented.
At the back was the person
who would book last minute,
throw a few things in a bag and
see where life took him.
Back then, I was closer to
the front than the back. OK, I’ll
be honest, I was second from
the front. With number one, I
looked at the tail of the queue
with a mixture of horror and
admiration.
Nowadays, I’d definitely be
further down the line. But why?
Is it that I know I can benefit
from what I’ve learned from
experience? Or that I have a
bit more confidence to be able
to deal with whatever might
knock my plan off course? Or
that I care less about the worry
of facing challenges – so long
as we’re all safe and well, let’s
just go with the flow. If I have
the funds to get out of most
situations, surely, so it’s all
hunky-dory.
Recently, I’ve been comparing
this analogy to that of
marketing planning, and how
attitudes and expectations vary
across my range of people I’ve
been working with.
For some, the fear of getting
tripped up is driven by
the need for high levels of
accountability. Responsibility
to shareholders or funders,
mixed with reputational risk,
sees many organisations have
planning processes that sink
into infinite levels of detail.
This is all well and good, but
some fail to acknowledge the
need for flexibility because, as
the Covid years have taught us,
sometimes things just change.
Being able to write a robust
comms and marketing plan
is a valuable skill. Understanding
and documenting
all the parameters, making
TELLING YOUR
STORY
BY VICKI JONES
Vicki Jones is director of
Dugmore Jones, Hamilton-based
brand management consultancy.
vicki@dugmorejones.co.nz
recommendations to achieve
goals, setting budgets and timings
for tactical activities – all
that’s essential to the smooth
running of any marcomms
activity.
A detailed plan
feels like it will
give you the
reassurance of
having looked at
the options from
every angle
But sometimes I look at
monster-sized plans and baulk
at the thought of the work that
would be needed to change the
plan if any aspect needed to
change, or if one idea didn’t
quite work as expected.
If you run a small business,
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 15
you probably have personal
pressure and responsibility
for making sure your marketing
money is spent effectively,
so a detailed plan feels like it
will give you the reassurance
of having looked at the options
from every angle.
Planning ahead as far as
you can gives you comfort that
your marketing will maintain
your presence in the minds
of your potential customers,
but maybe don’t carve it into
a block of wood unless you’re
prepared to do some sanding.
Having the knowledge
and confidence to react to
new opportunities or walk
away from ones whose appeal
has waned are vital components
of successful marketing
and communications. A
simple over-arching plan for
your business, with top-level
goals and strategies, is best
supported by a series of tactical
plans, with plans for more
focused initiatives that can be
more bendy in their reaction to
the prevailing winds.
Our holiday-planning
example might see you booking
six weeks in America and,
with a few weeks to go before
you get on the plane, firming
up details of a couple of places
you want to be on certain days.
What happens in between?
Well, those gaps get filled in
closer to the time.
Social media marketing
allows us to be like our colleague
at the end of the line,
and act immediately. But even
our spontaneous traveller
needed passport, visa, access
to cash, just as on over-arching
top level plan should be your
organisation’s essential marketing
guidebook.
Travel well.
Government completes
immigration
re-balancing act…
The recent re-opening of the Skilled Migrant and Parent
residence categories largely constitutes the completion
of the Government’s plans to “re-balance” New Zealand’s
immigration policies, and it is certainly helpful to have
had the uncertainty surrounding these categories
finally addressed.
The Skilled Migrant category (SMC)
has been the main job-based residence
category through which, historically,
more than 50% of all migrants gained
New Zealand residence. The SMC has been
suspended from when New Zealand closed its
borders in April 2020 and there was no resident
visa pathway for migrants until the 2021
Resident Visa began in December 2021 – and
this visa only catered for migrants already
in New Zealand and holding certain types of
work visas. The Green List straight-to-residence
visa, which began in July, also only
caters for some 90 roles and migrants must
additionally meet very particular eligibility
criteria. At least many nurses can now apply
directly for SMC residence and do not have to
go down the Green List 2 year work to residence
route!
The resumption of the SMC was long overdue
because it is an absolutely critical piece
of the immigration puzzle. Many of the skills
that New Zealand desperately needs would
bypass us for other countries as no-one is
going to relocate across the world with their
family if they do not have the security that
they can stay long term. They also need New
Zealand residence to buy a house! The SMC
will resume with the first Expression of Interest
selection draw on 14 November. The Government
has also released a consultation
paper promoting a significant simplification
of the SMC points regime from around mid-
2023.
Level 2
586 Victoria Street
Hamilton 3204
Level 2
586 Victoria Street
Hamilton 3204
Level 3
50 Manners Street
Wellington 6011
07 834 9222
enquiries@pathwaysnz.com
pathwaysnz.com
The Parent residence category, which
enables parents to join their children in New
Zealand, has been closed since 2016. While
firstly, the Labour opposition, and then the
Labour Government, ran election campaigns
promising to re-open the category this has
been a very long time coming. Some 2,000
parents who have Expressions of Interest
already submitted, and who meet the revised
eligibility criteria, will be able to be approved
for residence in each year. At this rate it is
expected that it will take 3-4 years to clear
the present queue. In addition, new Expressions
of Interest, submitted after 12 October,
will now go into a ballot draw from which 500
parents a year will be able to gain residence.
Children must sponsor their parents for 10
years and need to evidence taxable income
of at least 1.5 times the New Zealand medium
wage – the level of actual income required
also depends on the number of parents being
sponsored and the number of sponsors.
Because every family’s circumstances are
very different there will never be a parent policy
which is “fair and equitable” to everyone,
as it is simply not possible to quantify all of
the humanitarian considerations involved,
and weigh these alongside a family’s financial
standing.
The Government originally announced a
“re-set” of New Zealand’s immigration policies,
and then later amended this to a “re-balancing”.
However, for many of us working in
the immigration industry it just feels like we
are back to where we started!
Level 3
50 Manners Street
Wellington 6011

16 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
Transport specialists appointed
Specialists are on board to help build
a business case which will define
Cambridge’s transport infrastructure
for the next 30 years.
Waipā District
Council has
appointed Invise
as lead consultants for the
Cambridge Connections
project. Council has allocated
$300,000 for the project
and work has gathered pace
Artist's impression
Artist's impression
since the adoption of the
Waipā Transport Strategy in
May this year. That strategy
formally confirmed the
need for a third bridge in
Cambridge.
Invise, an infrastructure
advisory company, has
already led the Cambridge
Connections Stakeholder
Group in its first workshop.
The group includes elected
councillors and Cambridge
Community Board members
plus iwi representatives. It
also includes those with a
direct impact on the transport
system including Waka
Kotahi NZ Transport Agency,
the heavy freight industry,
passenger transport planning
experts and others.
bayleys.co.nz/commercial
Artist's impression
Retail opportunities at Union Square
Cnr Anglesea and Hood Streets,
Hamilton Central
• Retail offerings starting from 50sqm up
(approx) with occupancy beginning 2023
• Beautifully designed and strategically located in
Hamilton's CBD
• Union Square envisions a complimentary mix of
retail, cafes, and restaurants plus a wellness
centre
Join the neighbourhood with over 2,500 people
working above
bayleys.co.nz/2312891
Expressions of Interest (unless sold prior)
96 Ulster Street, Hamilton
Rebecca Bruce 021 063 5165
rebecca.bruce@bayleys.co.nz
Chris Beasleigh 021 597 856
chris.beasleigh@bayleys.co.nz
SUCCESS REALTY LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED REAA 2008
BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, AUCKLAND CENTRAL,
LICENSED REAA 2008
Group manager service
delivery Dawn Inglis said
the first Cambridge Connections
workshop drove home
the complexity of the project
and laid out the requirements
of a Waka Kotahi NZTA business
case. That business case
will be essential to securing
a 51 per cent government
subsidy for a third bridge in
Cambridge. Without it, the
full cost of the bridge would
have to come from ratepayers
across the district, she says.
“However, this project
is not just about a bridge.
It’s about how to build the
best possible transport network
for Cambridge, taking
into account existing
Master Plumbers
take a bow
The Waikato Master
Plumbers awards’
night is the pinnacle
event each year and attracts
interest from all over the
greater Waikato.
Close to 200 people
attended, including Hamilton’s
Mayor Paula Southgate
and other dignitaries for a
night of black tie, dinner and
awards’ celebration.
Celebrating the best in the
industry, the awards are one
of the largest events run by
Waikato Master Plumbers.
Alongside the award
winners, the night also recognised
apprentices gaining
their New Zealand registration
certificates - a very
important milestone in their
journey in the industry.
The major award was won
by J T Carter Plumbing based
in Te Aroha and Hamilton
taking out the Waikato Master
Plumber of the Year for
2022.
This award recognises a
Master Plumbers’ member
who clearly demonstrates
business acumen and drive
for success. The recipient
exemplifies the highest levels
of professionalism and
service.
infrastructure, climate change
and the changing needs of a
growing population.”
The Cambridge Connections
business case will be
complete by June next year.
Implications will be considered
as part of the council’s
2024-2034 10-year plan.
This award
recognises a
Master Plumbers’
member
who clearly
demonstrate
business acumen
and drive for
success.
The top apprentice award
went to James Roberts from
Good Buggers Plumbing.
James graduated with awesome
results in plumbing and
gas fitting. He was identified
as a real team player – helping
his classmates when they
were struggling.
Lance Cuff from Hamilton
City Council was recognised
with the Outstanding Services
to the Industry Award.
A well-deserved award for
all the hard work that building
inspector Lance has put
into the Waikato Plumbing
Dawn Inglis
industry.
The personal growth and
development award went to
Jared Iti. In 2021 he achieved
a National Waka Ama title
and qualified to paddle at the
world champs - showing true
grit and determination in his
chosen sport. More recently
Jared was part of the men’s
gold winning team.
The Industry Excellence
award went to Julena Phillips
from J T Carter Plumbing.
One of many things Julena
has achieved is the development
of a social media campaign
through JT Carters
for customers to nominate a
deserving family to receive a
free bathroom make over. JT
Carters are currently working
with the family to surprise
the worthy candidate.
Procuta Associates
Urban + Architecture
CAMBRIDGE POLICE HUB
Contact us 07 839 6521
www.pauaarchitects.co.nz

Google’s Latest
Algorithm Changes and
What It Means for 2023
In 2022 Google made several algorithm changes with
how it ranks websites in search results. Their latest big
adjustment, called “The Helpful Content Update”, sends a
clear signal for what will affect rankings in 2023 and beyond.
Having your website
rank highly in Google
can have a significant
impact on your business.
However, what is required to
get a website ranked well is
constantly adjusting.
The Helpful Content
Update
With the “Helpful Content
Update” Google’s stated goal
was to, “ensure people see more
original, helpful content written
by people, for people, in search
results.”
Sounds fantastic, but what
did it mean for the average
sparky or plumber trying to
grow a profitable business?
A simple explanation is that
Google wants to see content on
your site that answers the questions
your customers are often
asking – and to do it in the most
accurate and informative way
possible.
Think of the kind of answers
you give to people when you're
on the phone with them or
standing on their porch giving
them a quote for work. That’s
the content Google is keen to
show in their search results.
Accordingly, they tweaked
their algorithm to start rewarding
businesses who clearly
demonstrated that they are
trustworthy experts with
well-established authority in
their field.
What happened as a
result?
For many businesses, not
much at all.
Google’s 2022 updates
appear to be taking a long-term
view. If you were already publishing
content in which you
had clear expertise that related
to search queries, you’re in a
good space. Your rankings are
likely to have improved a little.
But many businesses who
were trying to rank high in
Google by paying for backlinks
through overseas agencies felt
the hammer come down. This
is because most paid link-building
schemes use lots of short
articles that don’t really say
much. In other words, they
aren’t very helpful. And having
an SEO strategy that doesn’t
include content on your site is
not going to work well going
forward.
So, Google was cleaning
house and removing the junk.
Where did that leave small
business in New Zealand?
By people, for people
Google’s stated goal was to,
“ensure people see more original,
helpful content written by
people, for people, in search
results.”
The key here is not to try and
improve your ranking by tricking
Googles search bots, but to
simply write real content about
real questions for real people.
When creating content for
your site, Google suggests you
ask yourself a few questions:
1. Do you have an existing
or intended audience for
your business or site that would
find the content useful if it came
directly from you?
2. Does your content
clearly demonstrate first-hand
expertise and a depth of knowledge
(for example, expertise
that comes from having actually
used a product or service,
or visiting a place)?
3. After reading your
content, will someone leave
feeling they’ve learned enough
about a topic to help achieve
their goal?
If your team or SEO agency
is already doing this, you don’t
need to worry too much. But
if your SEO strategy doesn’t
include content, it’s time to
revisit it.
Go the extra mile
How original does it have
to be? Most blogs out there say
more or less the same thing
as their competitors. Every
plumber has a blog about how
to choose a plumber, when to
call an emergency plumber, and
how to unclog a drain.
You can do better.
THE DIGITAL
WORLD
BY JOSH MOORE
Josh Moore is the head
marketing fanatic at Duoplus,
a Hamilton-based digital
marketing agency that
helps clients get more leads
and sales through online
marketing. www.duoplus.nz
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 17
Our advice would be to write
articles that stand out from the
rest:
• Make sure your content
adds value to your readers
– you want them to leave
satisfied.
• Add something
unique to your content that differentiates
you from your competitors
and makes your offering
more compelling – make
them want to call you.
• Tell stories of people
you have helped to clearly
demonstrates that your products
or services are awesome
– so they see you as the expert
who can help them.
Understand the intersection
of their why and your why
Think about why people are
searching for the keywords you
want to target. And then find
where that intersects with why
you want people to visit your
site.
• Are they doing
research about a product and
want to know the pros and
cons?
• Do they want to
know which brand is the most
affordable, or has the best performance,
or looks the nicest?
• Perhaps they are
simply looking to see who
offers the best deal on a product
they have already decided to
purchase.
Write content that addresses
their why and be sure to remember
your why in the process. It’s
not just about getting traffic to
your site; it’s about turning that
traffic into potential customers.
So, answer genuine questions
with your content and plan how
this content can lead readers to
become a customer. If you forget
this step, you could write a
lot of content that gets a decent
amount of traffic, but doesn’t
produce any new customers.
Crafting a content strategy
Writing helpful content
isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. For
many marketing managers and
business owners, taking time
to write detailed content will
draw you away from where you
are most needed in the business.
But this doesn’t mean
you need to give up on having
strong Google rankings. Just
make sure that the staff or SEO
agency assigned to the work has
an intentional plan for developing
clear and helpful content on
your site.
Rich opportunity
here in world-class
Waikato
Along with investment in
world-class infrastructure
that enables the
Waikato to host a wide variety
of exciting and economically
important events, the region
is seeing the ongoing development
of experiences and facilities
geared not only to attract
visitors but also appeal to
mighty locals. An integral part
of strategic planning for future
growth is ensuring the Waikato’s
tourism and tourism-related
sectors continue to thrive
and therefore provide ongoing
economic and social benefits
across our communities.
As well as ensuring the
experiences we offer will be the
sort that our future manuhiri
(guests) seek, it’s also vital we
invest and build so we are not
caught short in the future and
have the basics in place, such
as enough beds for our visitors.
In terms of guestrooms,
a report prepared for Hamilton
City Council detailing the
economic impact of the city’s
accommodation shortage
revealed that by just next year
a further 160 hotel rooms and
serviced apartments will be
needed in the city, and a further
850 rooms by 2033.
The report notes that more
than half of Hamilton’s motel
rooms are currently off the market
for use for emergency housing
– and that lack of accommodation
in the city means
facilities like Claudelands Conference
& Exhibition Centre
lose business.
While our mighty Waikato
region has room for growth,
this must be managed carefully
so we keep supply ahead
of demand and avoid any boom
and bust which would be to the
detriment of our region and our
people.
Although tourism, like
other sectors, faces headwinds
such as rising construction
and labour costs, together with
labour shortages, forward planning
and investment is essential
– and it’s exciting too.
Hamilton & Waikato Tourism
works to a strategic destination
management plan,
teaming with our councils and
economic development agency
Te Waka, plus a range of sector
organisations and central Government,
to deliver the best for
our region, both right now and
in the future.
I want to take this opportunity
to highlight some of the
many diverse developments
underway now, some due for
completion before the Christmas
break.
First-off, the investment
and work being undertaken by
owner Tainui Group Holdings
at the ibis Hamilton Tainui
Hotel is to be resoundingly
applauded.
TELLING
WAIKATO’S STORY
BY NICOLA GREENWELL
Interim General Manager,
Hamilton & Waikato Tourism
The 126-room ibis was one of
three managed isolation facilities
in the city during the Covid-19
pandemic.
The three-month $8 million
redesign and refurbishment
is due for completion in
early December. Amongst local
businesses involved is Designwell,
a Hamilton-based team
with expertise in interiors and
architecture.
Coming up at Hamilton Zoo
is a new entry precinct that connects
with the adjacent Waiwhakareke
Natural Heritage Park.
Hamilton City Council owns
and operates both and says the
vision in linking the two is to create
a visitor-friendly conservation
zone.
Honouring the Waikato’s
connection with the land and
mana whenua was front of mind
for designers working on the $15
million refurbishment of the
terminal building at Hamilton
Airport.
Along with earthquake
strengthening work, improved
passenger and departure areas
including dedicated workspaces
and a new café, the refreshed
terminal showcases the Waikato
Māori culture with several art
installations already in place and
further to come before the official
opening early next month.
Waikato Regional Airport,
which operates Hamilton Airport,
called on Māori design
specialists, Eugene Kara (Ngati
Koroki Kahukura) and Norm
Te Hira (Ngati Haua), to advise
on the cultural aspects of the
refurbishment.
Ōtorohanga Kiwi House and
Bird Park has celebrated its 50th
birthday with a number of forward-thinking
developments
underway.
Right now, the excitement
is all about 3,000 giant wētā
eggs that are about to hatch in a
breeding programme pioneered
by the park’s scientists.
This summer visitors to the
park will be able to take a backof-house
tour to learn about the
ongoing breeding programmes
being undertaken there, including
for the rare and endangered
giant wētā.
Also in the behind the scenes
tour will be the chance to see how
the park trains its birds to assist
in the monitoring of their health.
In other developments that
will eventually see a total rebuild
of the acclaimed kiwi house and
bird park over the next few years,
a new nocturnal house experience
and visitor facility will be
built.
These will be certified as ‘living
buildings’ by the International
Living Futures Institute
and constructed of materials
that are either recycled or free of
90-plus percent of the chemicals
identified on the internationally
recognised Red List as being
harmful.
The final stage of the 65km
Ngāruawāhia-Lake Karapiro
Te Awa Great River Ride – the
Hamilton-Tamahere section – is
nearing completion and scheduled
to open next month
Work is also progressing
at pace for the new Waikato
Regional Theatre, scheduled to
open in June 2024.
Located overlooking the
Waikato River at the South End
of Victoria Street on the site
of the old Hamilton Hotel, the
world-class performing arts centre
complex will include elements
of the heritage building.
With one of the largest populations
of Pacific Islands people
outside Auckland, the Waikato
will shortly see the completion of
the first ever pan-Pacific hub in
the country, the K’aute Pasifika
Village.
Being constructed opposite
the FMG Waikato Stadium on
what was the Hamilton Bowling
Centre, the hub is the result of
determined effort by K’aute Pasifika
over the past two decades.
Community and cultural
events will take place in the distinctive
traditionally inspired fale
building facing Seddon Road,
while health, wellbeing, childcare
and early learning services will
be located in the village development
immediately behind it.
There is indeed rich opportunity
here in the mighty Waikato
– right now with these developments
and others around the
region, and in the future.

18 HBCA AWARDS
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
CBD Awards
Hamilton Central Business Association (HCBA) hosted
the revamped CBD Celebration Awards, sponsored
by Spark Business and supported by Mediaworks, in
an event focused on celebrating the businesses that
make up the central city.
Held at two of Hamilton’s
finest venues,
the evening kicked off
at the Ferrybank Park before
heading across the road to The
Meteor for the awards’ ceremony.
With a backdrop of the
Waikato River, the park
was brought to life with the
musical notes of the Trenwith
brothers providing live
jazz from the band rotunda,
complemented by Good
George cocktails and canapes
from the River Kitchen.
The 220 guests were able to
view the development of the
park extension due for completion
in December 2022.
The Meteor provided the
glitz and glamour of the
night, transformed by event
staging company Royal Lab
coupled with a delicious
banquet of food provided by
SkyCity Hamilton.
Momentum Waikato’s
CEO Kelvyn Eglinton
ensured the evening flowed
smoothly as MC for the night
and sax player Lewis McCallum
provided mid-ceremony
entertainment, which had
the guests dancing in the
aisles.
With subtle lighting from
SBI Productions and the
evening captured on camera
by Moving Media Ltd, the
awards provided a Hamilton
offering at every turn.
Hamilton Central Business
Association general
manager Vanessa Williams
was especially delighted
with the evening after a
rough couple of years for the
CBD weathering the Covid
storm.
“It really was a night of
celebration and appreciation
of these businesses and what
they’re offering in the CBD.
A reoccurring theme of the
award recipients was their
determination to be in the
central city,” she says.
“Our retail vacancy rate is
looking positive, we’re still
at the lowest we’ve been for
a number of years now and
which, all things considered
over the past few years, is an
amazing place to be.
“We have a number of
significant developments
underway in the central city
and the excitement of welcoming
returning and new
major events into the city in
2023.”
The broad range of businesses
celebrated at the
awards, Vanessa says, showcases
the diversity of offering
in the central city.
“From a tyre shop to the
more traditional food and
retail offerings, professional
services to experiences,
health and beauty places and
to those working in the public
good space, it takes them
all to really create a vibrant
and unique CBD.
“They make Hamilton’s
central city a destination
and a place like no other.”
The CBD Awards have
continued to evolve to suit
the priorities occurring in
the market at the time and
this year was no different.
After the success of the
inner-city campaign Love
the Centre which encouraged
the public to reconnect
with the city centre and to
show the business community
some love using the tagline
‘There is always something
to do, see, eat, drink
and love when you visit
Hamilton’s city centre.’
It made sense to carry
this brand across the CBD
Awards and invite the general
public to participate by
nominating businesses they
love.
This proved to be a hit
with both the public and
business community with
over 100 entrants across the
nine categories.
For a full list of winners
visit lovethecentre.co.nz

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 HBCA AWARDS 19
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2022 CBD AWARD WINNERS
PROMOTION
INNOVATION
PUBLIC GOOD
SHOPPING
Winner
Journey + Co
Cloudland
Earth Diverse
Sweet Pea Parties
Runner Up
Bull & Bear
Unbound
Op Shop for Breast Cancer
Precious Metals
Highly Commended
Last Place
Texas Radio
Dumpling House
Found Store
ACTIVITY BASED
EXPERIENCE
HEALTH & BEAUTY
EXPERIENCE
BARS / RESTAURANTS
EAT & DRINK
DAYTIME
EAT & DRINK
Winner
Boon Hamilton Street Art
ProStyle
Bahn Mi Caphe
Cream Eatery
Runner Up
Confinement Escape Rooms
The Skin Spa
Mr Pickles Bar and Eatery
The Grumpy Baker
Highly Commended
The Pottery Studio
High Above
Last Place
Le Rendez-Vous
ESTABLISHED BUSINESS
NEW BUSINESS
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Winner
Scott’s Epicurean
Hanrad Bespoke Rugs
True Store
Runner Up
The Pottery Studio
Capital Tyres
Highly Commended
Mitchell Vincent Collection
Sentinel Café
SPONSORED & BROUGHT TO YOU BY

20 HBC AWARDS
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
CBD Awards
www.texas-radio.co.nz
43 Ward Street, Hamilton

22 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
The Waikato is
absolutely booming
The Waikato is booming compared to the rest of New
Zealand, and it’s based on solid foundations.
Old data tells new story
I waded into a data lake and
solved a 300-year-old mystery.
Our confidence in our economy
was clearly articulated in the
recent Westpac Mcdermott Miller
Regional Economic Confidence Survey.
We sit at a strong plus-16% net confidence
for the September quarter, with every
other region except Wellington at negative
net confidence.
So why are we confident? One reason is
the ‘trickle around’ theory that goes: one
year’s great dairy payout results in three
years of economic growth for the Waikato.
With now two and potentially three
years of strong dairy returns, the export
dollar foundations of the Waikato
are looking strong.
Waikato is confident
in our future, which
attracts others seeking
opportunity to live and
grow. We have many
major industries as our
foundation; we have
room to grow
However, we’re no longer solely reliant
on dairy. We’re a region of manufacturers
that are growing: you see the likes of Gallaghers,
Prolife Foods, Profile Group, Porters,
Power Farming, and recently you see
Sleepyhead looking to set up in Ohinewai.
We have world-class tech firms such
as Company-X, IT Partners, The Instillery,
Aware Group, Shift72 and SkyPoint
Technologies employing talented graduates
out of The University of Waikato and
Wintec Te Pukenga.
With a benign geography, we’re a
region with rapid growth in sectors such
as health, agtech, education, professional
services, and importantly logistics.
The latter is evidenced by Tainui Group
Holding’s wonderful Ruakura Superhub,
Hamilton Airport’s Titanium Park development,
the University’s Pa project, Innovation
Park’s recently opened building,
ACC’s new building on Collingwood St,
as well as Foster’s Union Square development
that houses Rabobank’s headquarters.
The evidence is in concrete. Businesses
and their people are migrating to
the Waikato.
Waikato is confident in our future,
which attracts others seeking opportunity
to live and grow. We have many major
industries as our foundation; we have
room to grow.
We have a chance to avoid congestion
that so besets others. Our geography actually
gives us a competitive advantage.
The Mighty Waikato will be a powerhouse
of the New Zealand economy long
into the future, as well as being a great
place to live, to bring up families, to work,
prosper and play.
Written by Don
Good,
CEO of Waikato
Chamber of
Commerce.
I
found the lost medieval
priory house of Appuldurcombe,
Isle of Wight, UK,
by curating a data lake - a
centralised raw data storage
repository - over 30 years.
The exact location of the
old Appuldurcombe Priory
house has eluded experts since
its demolition between 1690
and 1720. Visitors have picked
my brains on the location
since 1982 when, aged nine,
I became a schoolboy guide
there.
Appuldurcombe Priory was
founded in 1090. It became
the seat of the Worsley family
in 1529 when Henry VIII’s
whipping boy Sir James Worsley
inherited the lease from his
wife Anne’s parents.
Sir Robert, 4th Baronet
Worsley of Appuldurcombe,
demolished the priory and
built a masterpiece of Baroque
architecture.
I became more determined
to find the site of the priory
after conducting guided tours
of Appuldurcombe in 2018
for Company-X co-founder
David Hallett and 2019 for
senior software developer Rob
Scovell.
The second question any
visitor to Appuldurcombe asks
is where was the priory house.
In 1720 Sir Robert wrote he had
not ‘left one stone standing’.
In 1781 Sir Richard Worsley
claimed, ‘the old priory house
was situated a small distance
from the present mansion.’
The first question any visitor
asks is why the current
house is in ruins. It suffered
catastrophic damage during
the Second World War and
stripped for building materials
before the Government halted
demolition on the grounds of
its architectural merits.
I embarked on a combined
textual criticism and data validation
exercise during the last
COVID-19 lockdown.
Three vital pieces of data
helped solve the puzzle.
Sir Robert’s annotated
drawing of the old priory
house, estate accounts kept
by the Steward of Appuldurcombe
Caleb Dowding, and
Lady Anne Worsley’s letters to
her father Lord Weymouth of
Longleat House.
They suggest the old priory
house was demolished and
rebuilt Baroque-style one wing
at a time.
The accounts show construction
was well underway
by November 19, 1701, when
Sir Robert paid “Mr Fisher,
Stonecutter” for putting up
chimneypieces, one in the
“best chamber over the chapel”
and another in the dressing
room.
Lady Worsley’s letters suggest
Appuldurcombe’s new
chapel, best chamber and
dressing room were built over
the priory’s northeast wing
containing the stable and
chapel.
“The Chappell goes up
apace,” Lady Worsley wrote in
1701. “I wish he would let them
go on as fast with the rest of the
building, that we might see an
end of it, which I hard hope to
do.”
The accounts show when
the chapel block was completed
Sir Robert moved onto
the Great Hall at the centre of
TECH TALK
BY CHRIS GARDNER
Chris Gardner is
Communications Manager at
Waikato software specialist
Company-X.
the building. First, he repaired
the hall, following the Great
Storm of 1703, and then rebuilt
it. Archaeologists suggested,
early this century, that the
internal ground floor wall of
the Great Hall may be from the
old priory house.
Sir Robert left more than
one stone standing.
He finished by demolishing
the southern wing of the priory
containing the Great Drawing
Room and Library, building
the south elevation of the new
house containing the southeast
pavilion (Drawing Room),
Library and southwest pavilion
for Dowding to occupy.
The function of rooms in Sir
Robert’s new Baroque house
mostly matches those of the
priory proving, beyond reasonable
doubt, that one is constructed
on top of the other.
Archaeologists uncovered
foundations of an earlier building
beneath the southern elevation
of the current house in
1986 as well as Tudor rubble.
Architectural historians
describe Appuldurcombe as
eccentric, unusual and strange
on account of its large protruding
pavilions dominating the
central block. Pavilions are
usually set back into the main
building, or completely separate
of it. One reason for such
an unusual footprint is that
it follows the footprint of the
original priory house.
My work shows poor quality
data in insolation can tell a
very misleading story, and an
abundance of good quality data
can set the record straight.
Connect - Grow - Inspire - Represent

Hey Toyota, got something
to get me out of sticky situations?
Oh yeah. Get the Hilux SR5 Cruiser, it’s available NOW!
HAMILTON 5 Kahu Crescent, Te Rapa Park Hamilton, 07838 0499
MORRINSVILLE 85 Avenue Road North Morrinsville, 07 889 7678
TE AWAMUTU 29 Kihikihi Road Te Awamutu, 07 872 0017
Toyota Personalised Finance available on all new & used Toyota models. Accessorised Model Shown.
Contact us for model availability information.

24 CONFRENCE AND EVENTS
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
Hero events are fun & bring many
benefits to the mighty Waikato
With world-class facilities and ready access thanks
to our geographic location and top-notch transport
links, the Waikato has increasingly become one
of the most popular places to host ‘hero’ events –
events that not only attract local attendance but
also visitors from outside the region, both from
throughout New Zealand as well as internationally.
These hero events are
enjoyable, entertaining,
and often
make the headline news.
Importantly, they also they
bring economic, cultural,
and social benefits to the
Waikato. From dollars
spent directly on the likes of
accommodation, in eateries
and bars, creating employment
opportunities and
on-flow of the visitor expenditure
into our communities,
to sharing the regions
history and stories and
creating a sense of community
pride.
From December 8-12 the
Special Olympics Summer
Games New Zealand will be
staged at various venues in
Hamilton Kirikiriroa when
more than 3,000 athletes,
Set to be the
largest women’s
sporting event
in the world
ever, the FIFA
Women’s World
Cup 2023 is being
hosted next July
in various cities
in New Zealand
and Australia,
including in
Hamilton
Kirikiriroa
coaches and supporters are
expected in the city.
Special Olympics is a
global organisation giving
people with intellectual
disabilities opportunity
to train and compete in a
range of sports, representing
their region at national
events and their country
internationally.
The multiple day event
sees Special Olympics athletes
from around the country
compete in 11 different
summer sports including
athletics, football, swimming,
basketball, and
equestrian events at venues
across the city.
It is no secret to proud
mighty locals that the
annual Fieldays at Mystery
Creek is the southern
hemisphere’s largest agricultural
event.
This year’s Fieldays is
being held from November
30-December 3 when
ground-breaking innovations,
along with shopping,
competitions, demonstrations,
live shows, and tasty
food prepared by some of
New Zealand’s top chefs
will tempt and entertain
visitors.
New Zealand’s biggest
sporting party returns to
Hamilton’s FMG Stadium
Waikato, the spiritual home
of rugby in the region, when
the HSBC New Zealand Sevens
takes place on January
21-22.
Full men’s and women’s
tournaments will play
out across two fields at the
stadium with special zones
dedicated to festival, party
and family activities.
Set to be the largest
women’s sporting event in
the world ever, the FIFA
Women’s World Cup 2023
is being hosted next July in
various cities in New Zealand
and Australia, including
in Hamilton Kirikiriroa.
Being selected as one of
the World Cup host cities is
a major feather in the cap
for the Waikato community
as a whole.
Hamilton has also been
confirmed as one of the
cities to stage a number
of play-off games with the
result that in February 10
top women’s football teams
We’re
here to
help
from across the globe will
take to Waikato Stadium to
compete for the final three
qualifying spots in the cup.
As part of the fun and
games, the Football Ferns,
who have already qualified,
will also play a series of
friendly matches with these
teams.
To stay up to date
with events, hero or otherwise,
that are happening
in the Waikato and
find out about the latest
things to see and do in the
region, sign up for Hamilton
& Waikato Tourism’s
free quarterly newsletter.
Follow this link waikatonz.com/sign-up-for-ournewsletter/
Meet in the
Waikato
Be a Mighty Local
- we’re here to help
with your next
business event
businessevents@waikatonz.com
www.meetwaikato.com

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 CONFRENCE AND EVENTS
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
25
Stars set to shine at Seddon Park
Cricket fans can look forward to a
massive summer with visits to
Seddon Park from the India and
Sri Lanka men’s teams, Bangladesh
women as well as the return of
crowds to domestic cricket.
The action will burst
into life when India
arrives in New
Zealand to play the BLACK-
CAPS in three T20s, and
three ODIs including one in
Hamilton on 27 November.
Playing at home for the
first time under new coach
Ben Sawyer, the WHITE
FERNS will play Bangladesh
at Seddon Park in an ODI a
week before Christmas on 18
December.
ND Cricket chief executive
Ben MacCormack
was looking forward to the
return of the WHITE FERNS
after the successful hosting
of the world cup earlier this
year.
“Last summer’s ICC
Women’s World Cup did so
much to promote the game,
and it will be great to see
the WHITE FERNS in action
back at Seddon Park.
“And to have India and
Sri Lanka visit here means
cricket fans can look forward
to a summer of top-quality
cricket.”
Sri Lanka’s arrival in
New Zealand will round out
a jam-packed Seddon Park
schedule this summer on 31
March.
Domestic competitions
for Northern Districts are
sprinkled between the international
matches, headed by
the Dream11 Super Smash
which has been scheduled
to coincide with the school
break and summer holidays.
The latest iteration of
New Zealand’s domestic T20
league will welcome back
families, children, crowds,
and fun, following the challenges
of last season’s
Covid-related restrictions.
Beth Mooney of Australia fielding on the boundary as the sun sets
at Seddon Park during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022
Seddon Park will host
three matches – Otago (6
January), Wellington (28
January), and Central Districts
(3 February) – with the
Northern Brave men defending
the title they claimed last
season, and women looking
to build on the positive
foundation laid last season.
There will also be the
traditional diet of Plunket
Shield (four-day), Ford Trophy
and Hallyburton Johnstone
Shield (one-day) for
men and women respectively
through the summer.
“This summer is all about
welcoming back crowds
and providing fans with the
best possible opportunity to
get out and experience the
action first-hand, to let their
hair down and have a good
time,” said MacCormack.
“This is a brilliant competition
for showcasing
excitement, action and fun,
while still retaining a really
serious edge in terms of
high-performance – it’s the
ultimate cricket mix.”
MacCormack also confirmed
ticket prices at all
BLACKCAPS and WHITE
FERNS games would remain
the same as last year’s discounted
levels.
“New Zealand Cricket
have recognised the challenges
of the current environment
– and their priority
is to make international
cricket as accessible as possible.
“After the previous seasons’
restrictions from
Covid, we want to ensure
Seddon Park fixtures remain
affordable and welcoming.”
Hospitality packages and
memberships for the season
are still available, please
contact: hospitality@ndca.
co.nz for more information.
Photo credit: Andrew
Cornaga /
www.photosport.nz
Northern Brave celebrate winning the 2021/22 Dream11 Super Smash final at Seddon Park
Seddon Park matches 2022-23
CHRISTMAS PARTY
AT THE CRICKET
BLACKCAPS V INDIA 2ND ODI
SUNDAY 27 NOVEMBER, 2PM
FIRST BALL AT 2.30PM
Match day hospitality at Seddon Park.
Limited spaces available. Don’t miss out!
Individual & group packages
from $360+GST pp.
Contact Seamus on 021 675 716
or email hospitality@ndcricket.co.nz

26 CONFRENCE AND EVENTS
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
waikato Business News, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
New Ag Drive expansions aiming to expose
more of Waikato to agriculture
A whole raft of new courses and new
Ag Drive Team Building Days facility
aims to expose more people to
Agriculture in a fun and safe way.
Ag Drive is the Waikato’s
largest agricultural
vehicle training
provider and was the winner
of two 2020 Waipa Business
Awards for excellence in new/
emerging business and the
Innovation and Adaptation
Award.
Located just 15 minutes
from Hamilton CBD at the
iconic Mystery Creek site, Ag
Drive Team Building Days will
give people a chance to experience
agriculture first-hand in a
purpose-built outdoor facility.
Guests will have the chance
to off-road drive in Polaris
LUVs (Light Utility Vehicles)
and participate in LUV soccer,
tyre-pull and digger challenges,
experiencing a range of terrains
and conditions in an iconic agricultural
setting.
Ideal for corporates, businesses,
and the general public,
the Ag Drive Team Building
Days venture can cater for up to
20 guests at a time.
“We wanted to bring agriculture
to the wider business community.
A lot of the local economy
is agriculture-related yet
not many people get the chance
to experience it first hand,” says
Andre.
“The last two years have seen
teams working apart, alone,
from home. Now is the time to
bring everyone back together,
have some fun and learn some
new skills. It’s about giving
more people the opportunity to
get out there and give it a go, in a
fun and safe environment.”
Managing Director Andre
Syben says launching Ag Drive
Team Building Days is the natural
next step in a series of extensions
for Ag Drive agricultural
vehicle training.
Ag Drive recently announced
some exciting new one-day
courses designed to help the
rural sector keep their staff safe
and compliant with the latest
Health and safety requirements.
New initiatives on offer
include One-Day Safe Operator
courses for tractors, motorbikes,
quads, and side-by-side
vehicles. Many employers aren’t
aware that they are required to
provide adequate training to
their staff. Aiming to educate
people on the importance of
health and safety, AG Drive is
also launching refresher courses
that should be attended annually.
A lot of the risk involved in
Agricultural machinery is due
to people underestimating the
machinery and overestimating
their skill level. In an effort
to reduce this risk Ag Drive has
also launched Operator Competency
assessments. Employers
can send their new staff through
to be assessed on their entire
range of machinery so that both
the employer and staff can be
aware of what extra training is
required.
The new courses are a culmination
of the feedback from the
primary sector received over the
last 2 years
“Our training is interactive,
industry-leading but also fun.
The phrase, “Health and Safety”
doesn’t need to be something
that’s feared says director Andre
Syben. “We have invested heavily
in tractors, machinery, bikes,
and side-by-sides and our commitment
is to get people trained
and safe in the industry. The
statistics for on-farm injuries
are simply horrific and we are
here to do something about it “
The Mystery Creek site with
its rolling terrain replicates
real on-farm situations and the
experienced tutors work alongside
participants and tailor the
course to their personal training
needs.
Everyone is different says
head tutor Les Waghorn “what
works for one individual or
group may not work for another
as past experience dictates
the type of training they may
require”
Ag Drive also has a nationwide
mobile training service
available for groups that may
be unable to come to their Mystery
Creek site so it’s not just
a Waikato-based service says
Syben.
Ag Drive is also rolling
out two-day secondary school
courses in 2023. Course costs
have been reduced to help
schools get on board. It is our
way of giving something to the
industry says Syben.
If you are keen to learn and
discover more call 0508 AG
DRIVE or email paulasyben@
agtechnz.com or go to their
website www.agdrive.co.nz
CORPORATE TEAM
BUILDING
Team Building Activities & Challenges with an
Agricultural Twist
Only 10 minutes from Hamilton!
Ultimate Adventure Package: 2-2.5 hours
Off-road Polaris Tour
Tyre-Pull Challenge
LUV Soccer
Digger Challenge
$250 pp
paulasyben@agtechnz.com
www.agdriveteambuilding.co.nz
0508 24 37483

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 CONFRENCE AND EVENTS 27
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
Q&A with H3’s Senior Conference and
Functions Manager
With business events booming, H3
Senior Conference and Functions
Manager Leanne Jack provides some
insight into her role, why she loves
what she does and what makes H3’s
venues the perfect event locations.
Tell us about yourself and
your role within H3’s Conference
& Function team.
I started with H3 eight years
ago as a Conference and Function
Coordinator based at FMG
Stadium Waikato, and shortly
after I moved to Claudelands
Conference & Exhibition Centre
and became a Conference and
Function Manager. Since then,
I’ve worked in the Business
Development team and now I
am the Senior Conference and
Functions Manager tasked with
looking after a team of six dedicated
coordinators who take
care of all business events at
GLOBOX Arena & Events Centre
Claudelands, FMG Stadium
Waikato and Seddon Park.
What do you enjoy most
about working in events?
I love the fast-paced environment
of events and the
ever-changing requirements.
No two events are the same, no
matter how big or small they
all have their different needs.
I enjoy getting to meet lots of
engaging individuals from different
walks of life, from corporates
to associations to everything
in between. I love the
collaboration we have with
other suppliers, from catering
to AV requirements and theming
to security. We all work
together as a cohesive team and
have the same end goal, keeping
the client and guests happy
and returning to our venues.
We have an exceptionally talented
and dedicated team of
professionals that work so well
together, we are very lucky to
have each other to learn from
and grow with.
What impact does conferences
and functions at
H3’s venues have on our
community?
Conferences and functions
have a huge ripple effect
on our community. Each person
visiting the region spends
money on food, accommodation
and transport services.
Some conferences we host can
range from two to three days
which encourages delegates to
shop and support local Hamilton
and Waikato businesses.
We are proud of the contribution
that conferences and functions
have on Hamilton and the
Waikato region, and we hope
we can continue to attract new
and returning client, visitors
and event attendees.
What customer experience
can clients expect when
bringing their event to one
of H3’s venues?
Tried and tested – here at
H3 we pride ourselves on doing
events well, collaborating effectively
with many different contractors
to provide world class
events. Our H3 team genuinely
want to make true connections
and provide valuable service
and event delivery to each
client. We understand there
are challenges with planning
any event, but with 470+ years
of combined event management
experience across the H3
team you can trust us to help
guide and support you every
step of the way. We are fortunate
to have close relationships
with our key partners and work
closely with them to provide
everything the client requires to
bring their event to life.
Were there any conferences
or functions that
stood out for you this year
and why?
A standout event is the
TUANZ Rural Symposium
which had to change their event
date 6 times in the last 2 years
due to the pandemic. Seeing
rescheduled events successfully
take place is a huge highlight for
me and my team.
Another standout event was
the Crane Association Conference
held in July. It’s incredibly
exciting to see so many cranes
set up in the Claudelands Exhibition
Plaza towering over our
venue. Due to the large scale
of this conference many other
venues would struggle to host
this type of event.
Other standout events
include the New Zealand Vets
Conference, Electricity Engineers
Association Conference,
New Zealand Wound Care Society
Conference, Water New
Zealand Conference, Master
Builders House of the Year
Awards and New Zealand Thoroughbred
Horse of the Year
Awards. We are very fortunate
to host a diverse range of events
and it’s our privilege to help the
client’s vision come to life.
What business event space
throughout H3’s venues is
your favourite and why?
The Heaphy Rooms at
Claudelands Conference &
Exhibition Centre is my favourite
space. These rooms can be
used as three separate spaces
or one large space seating up
to 900 people. The Heaphy
Rooms can be changed quickly
and easily from a conference
room into a large gala dinner
within one hour.
Lighting and theming can
totally transform this space and
with such a large and versatile
room, clients can really think
outside the box. I’ve been lucky
enough to see many different
events take place in this space
and it still ceases to amaze me
what events can be brough to
life in the Heaphy Rooms.
To find out more
about H3 and explore its
range of events spaces,
visit h3group.co.nz
Arena Lounge
Heaphy Room
Boardroom
MEET YOUR
SPACE
When you need a location for a meeting, a
workshop, a hui or a huddle, we have a variety
of spaces across our three premier venues to
perfectly suit all types of events.
Visit H3group.co.nz and explore
our spaces today.
CLAUDELANDS
FMG STADIUM WAIKATO
SEDDON PARK

28 CONFRENCE AND EVENTS
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
Flexible coworking space launches
in Hamilton central
Co-working space The Crate plans to
complement the energy of Hamilton’s
town centre with the opening of a new
facility in the city—modelled
on its highly-popular Rosedale
flexible working office space.
The
multi-use
co-working space is on
526 Victoria Street and
feature similar facilities to
The Crate’s successful Auckland-based
offering.
It will offer 90 desks
with a mix of both flexible
and dedicated workstations,
boardrooms, office suites,
virtual offices, business coffee
lounge and meeting rooms.
The workspaces cater for full
teams, individuals, sole-traders,
and companies.
The Crate director Dean
Payn says expanding his flexible
working space model to
the heart of Hamilton’s CBD
is about fulfilling the city’s
demand for different working
styles as its commercial sector
blossoms into a regional
powerhouse.
“The Crate has been
wildly successful in Auckland
and now we have an opportunity
for growth into other
New Zealand cities. Hamilton’s
commercial dynamism
made it the obvious next
step,” Payn says.
Just as in Auckland, Payn
says many Hamilton workers
are asking their employers
for extra flexibility in terms
of where and when they can
do their jobs. Working from
home full-time might not be
suitable for everyone and
many companies are searching
for locations that facilitate
a hybrid working options
plan as well as full-time
office space.
People’s lives have radically
changed due to the disruption
over the last two
years, and they need more
workplace options.
“The Crate’s workspace
is a great solution for modern
companies in need of a
venue that offers all the amenities
and benefits of a large
The Crate’s
workspace is a
great solution
for modern
companies in
need of a venue
that offers all
the amenities
and benefits of
a large office
space, without
any of the
administrative
worries
office space, without any of
the administrative worries.
“Our job is to give you or
your team the best and most
productive workday. You’ll
be looking forward to getting
back to work on Monday,” he
says.
What sets The Crate’s
business model apart—and
made it so popular among
Auckland companies—so its
focus on building a collaborative
and genuine business
community.
Payn wants the newest
workspace in Hamilton to
be a similar “hub” that businesspeople
across the city
can leverage to foster productive
relationships that both
help boost their own companies
and develop Hamilton’s
thriving commercial sector.
“The Crate Hamilton will
be packed full of highly experienced
people with amazing
skills. That sense of community
and mutual support is
what makes The Crate so special.
Our aim is for this new
space to be the glue that connects
businesses.
Change Payn says the
workspace is carefully
designed to maximise productivity
with multiple work
zones, meeting rooms and
break-out areas while facilitating
a real sense of community
and creating business
networking opportunities.
“We created lightening
in a bottle with The Crate in
Auckland,” Payn says.
“So, if you’re looking for a
flexible working space with a
real human edge, pop down,
grab a complimentary barista
coffee and check it out.”
For more information
visit: https://thecrate.co.nz/
hamilton/overview/

$15m upgrade for Hamilton Airport
Hamilton Airport has unveiled a
$15 million passenger terminal
refurbishment to welcome
visitors to the Mighty Waikato.
The upgraded terminal
was unveiled to the
public today after 16
months of work. It involved
structural strengthening, a
plush new departure area,
brand new furniture, fittings
and and flooring, more dedicated
work spaces for travellers
and a modern, new
colour scheme that reflects
the natural colour pallet of
the Waikato region.
The terminal is also
home to commissioned cultural
artworks, an integral
part of the terminal refresh.
Maaori design specialists
Eugene Kara (Ngati Koroki,
Kahukura) and Norm Te Hira
(Ngati Haua) collaborated
with Archimedia Architects,
Adrian Morton Landscapes
and airport staff to co-design
an environment that draws
on the rich cultural history
of the greater region.
Te Hira has infused the
terminal ceiling and carpet
design with cultural
references to Waikato Awa
(Waikato River) and Pu
korero (deep history) of
Pekapeka tou roa (longtail
bat). Kara, in his role
Building a future-fit workforce
The World Economic
Forum’s Future of Jobs
Report (2020) anticipates
that around 50% of
workers globally will need
reskilling by 2025. New
Zealand’s workers will be no
different. However, it appears
we are not doing enough to
meet the opportunities that
are being presented to us. Our
workforce is an essential pillar
in delivering value for our
country, our economy and all
New Zealanders. But, we know
many traditional jobs will
evolve or disappear completely
as technology enables greater
efficiency and changes the way
we work. Our workforce must
therefore continually evolve to
meet changing environmental,
social and economic needs
through upskilling, reskilling
and expanding our talent pool,
or we risk falling behind our
global counterparts in the ‘war
for talent’.
So, as a nation, how do we
as pukenga toi (project art
curator and designer) has
called on the expert skills
of master weaver, Tina Wirihana
(Te Arawa, Tainui
Iwi) to produce a bespoke
woven ceiling that promotes
a warm and calm feeling in
the arrival and departure
gate area.
A stunning pekapeka
kapua (pekapeka cloud formations)
designed by Kara,
covers the glass balustrades.
Three further cultural artworks
will be in place in time
for an official opening in
early December.
Waikato Regional Airport
Ltd group chief executive
Mark Morgan said the
cultural narrative throughout
the refurbishment
was incredibly important
because the terminal now
truly reflects the heart of
Maaoridom and therefore
the heart of the region.
“I’m very proud of what
we have achieved together.
The days of arriving at a
functional and soul-less
Hamilton Airport are gone.
There can be no doubt, upon
landing in Hamilton, that
refine and upskill our workforce
to be fit for the future?
There are two clear ways:
the first is to look at the talent
and development potential we
have at home and the second
is to look at our immigration
settings.
Singapore is a small
advanced economy, comparable
to New Zealand, that has
consistently outperformed
its peers by investing in their
workforce. They have made it
a priority to continually build
and refine their in-country
workforce, promoting collaboration
between government,
business and academia to
encourage lifelong education
and training.
Singapore’s national initiative,
‘Skillsfuture’, is an
example we could draw on.
The programme provides its
citizens with opportunities to
learn throughout life regardless
of their starting point
(early education, mid-career or
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 29
you’ve arrived in a special
region, rich in cultural tradition.
I think that’s brilliant.”
Morgan said planning
for the upgrade began well
before the Covid-19 pandemic
which decimated airports
and air travel around
the world.
A stunning
pekapeka kapua
(pekapeka cloud
formations)
designed by
Kara, covers
the glass
balustrades.
Three further
cultural artworks
will be in place
in time for an
official opening in
early December
“It was a major bump in
the road and we certainly
considered every angle very
carefully before deciding
to soldier on. That decision
speaks to the confidence
we and our Board have in
Hamilton and the wider
post-retirement) in the drive
towards an advanced, inclusive
society.
New Zealanders appear
up to the task, and in PwC’s
recent Global Hopes and Fears
survey, 77% of New Zealand
respondents noted they were
ready to learn new skills and
retrain, but only 32% said their
employers were investing in
their skills.
This is a huge opportunity
for businesses. Similar to Singapore
we need to encourage
businesses, unions, academia
and the Government to work
better together to promote
lifelong learning that engages
everyone, no matter their age,
skill set or experience.
For us to grow and sustain
a future-fit workforce, we first
need to understand the workforce
we need to build to meet
future demands. Anticipating
future needs isn’t an exact science
in a world that’s changing
at pace, but we can focus
region,” he said.
“This was a huge investment
and I’m proud of our
decision to stay the course
despite an unprecedented
environment. It illustrates
absolute confidence in
the airport as well as the
strength of our domestic
tourism offering and the
wider Waikato economy.”
Waikato-based Livingstone
Building were lead
on where we put our energies
- starting with the sectors and
skill sets where we already
have the foundations to win.
Take climate tech as an
example. New Zealand is
known globally for our natural
resources and our desire to
look after them. We also have a
burgeoning startup ecosystem
which, in recent years, has seen
an increase in climate-based
investing. So, climate tech is an
area where we could have the
licence to operate, and the credentials
to compete for a significant
share of the global market.
Other areas could include
agritech, sustainable technology
and medtech/biotech.
Now is the time to develop
a national workforce strategy
that sets out how we are
going to target, skill and retain
the talent we need. A national
workforce strategy could combine
the powers of government,
educational institutions,
businesses and unions and get
them working together to support
skills development across
all parts of our workforce.
Secondly, complementing
an in-country strategy, we
need to review, adjust and continually
adapt our immigration
settings. Recent studies show
a decline in New Zealand’s
appeal as a destination of
choice for expats. But with the
right policy settings in place,
contractors and all major
sub-contractors were Waikato-based,
he said.
“That was important
to our shareholders - five
Waikato councils - and we
fully supported that. Our
contractors did a fantastic
job and we were able to keep
our terminal open the whole
time with very little disruption
to passengers.”
Coming weeks will be
as part of a national workforce
strategy, we will be able to
attract and retain talent with
the skills we need for a more
prosperous future.
This is an opportunity to
build on our reputation as a
politically stable and socially
progressive society to attract
talent from around the world.
Australia is already doing it,
recently lifting the country’s
migration cap by 35,000 to
address its current skills gap.
We have seen governments
over time willing to target specific
skilled workers to enter
New Zealand. This was evident
recently during COVID-19 border
restrictions with carve outs
made for essential healthcare
workers, technology sector
workers and shearers.
The Minister of Finance
has indicated that changes
to immigration settings are
expected to take effect in the
next couple of months, with
fast visa processing under the
Accredited Employer Scheme
and further changes due to be
announced.
Of course, flexibility is key.
Change is ongoing, and creating
and nurturing a future-fit
workforce is not a one-time fix.
This is why sometimes we will
get it wrong, and sometimes
we will get it right. But, that
doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be
giving it our all. New Zealand
spent “ironing out any kinks”
before a formal opening of
the new terminal in early
December.
“Perhaps we’ll celebrate
then but right now, we still
have plenty to do. We’ve got
three more culturally significant
pieces of artwork coming
and we want to make
sure those are in place and
looking fantastic as soon as
possible.”
Group Customer Experience Manager Angela Beardsmore, CEO Mark Morgan and Group General
Manager Airport Operations Ben Langley on Friday, before the refurbished terminal opened.
WAIKATO’S
WORKFORCE
BY GRIERE COX
Griere Cox is a partner
at PwC New Zealand and
supports clients across the
public and private sectors
to understand current
workforce challenges, and
plan for future workforce
opportunities.
has the opportunity to lay
the foundations of a national
workforce strategy that can
evolve and adapt with the
world around us. This is an
investment that can enable us
to compete on the global stage
and support the long-term
future of all New Zealanders.
And it is an investment that we
should make.
Read more about how our
workforce can enable greater
prosperity in PwC’s latest
report: Building prosperity, a
pathway to wellbeing for all
Aotearoa- www.pwc.co.nz/
insights-and-publications/
building-prosperity.html

30 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
2023 we’re
coming for you!
At this time of the year, many clients start to ask questions
like – what’s coming up in 2023? Do you see the market
changing next year? Will we see more candidates seeking
new roles? Well, I do wish I had a crystal ball as it would make
our lives easier, wouldn’t it? 2022 has been tough for many
businesses and the historic amount of disruption over the last
few years has left us feeling a bit shell shocked.
Recently Gartner
(gartner.com) surveyed
over 800 HR leaders
across 60 countries and all
major industries to identify
their priorities and challenges
for 2023. Data is better than
a crystal ball! First up 60%
of respondents put “leader
and manager effectiveness”
on their list, followed closely
by organisational design
and change management
(53%), employee experience
(47%), recruiting (46%) and
the future of work (42%).
So, what’s driving these
priorities?
Globally organisation’s
face uncertain and confusing
times – rising inflation,
scarce and expensive talent,
and global supply constraints.
• Employee expectations
have changed considerably
– more want flexible
work policies and when not
available, lack of flexibility
affects their decision to stay
with their employer.
• Employees want to
feel like they have a shared
purpose with their employer
– they want to feel connected
to a business that takes
actions on issues they care
about.
• Not surprisingly
well-being is topping the list
for employees and the Gartner
report tells us that 70%
of companies surveyed have
introduced new well-being
benefits or increased the
amount of existing well-being
benefits.
• Lastly, 82% of
employees surveyed said it’s
important for their employer
to see them as a person, and
not just an employee.
2023 and how
to tackle it….
• Work on how to
become a humancentric
leader – be authentic, act
with purpose, be empathetic
– show genuine care and concern
for employee wellbeing,
be adaptive – enable flexibility
and support the unique
needs of team members.
• Involve your
employees in change decisions
– engage your workforce
as active participants in
making and shaping change.
Consider shifting the ownership
of change planning to
your employees. Start early
conversations about change!
• Develop your leadership
skills in a volatile
labour market – consider
building your sourcing capability
to find accessible, not
just available talent. Identify
alternate skills and experiences
that can fill your
vacancies, target potentially
internally first, incentivise
mobility and focus on building
your onboarding and
induction practices. Many
employees leave in the first
three months because reality
versus what they were sold is
drastically different!
• Refresh your thinking
about matching your
business planning to today’s
reality. If the last three years
PEOPLE AND
CULTURE
BY SENGA ALLEN
Managing Director,
Everest – All about people tm
www.everestpeople.co.nz
has taught us anything is that
we need to be more agile,
flexible, and responsive to
what’s happening right now
and how we can keep ahead of
the trends.
For me I think 2023 is
going to be a bumpy ride
with global headwinds at our
door. We can’t keep doing
the same thing year after year
and expect different results.
Spend time now planning for
2023 and how you’ll adjust
your sails.
Handling Staff
Departures with Care
As the end of the year approaches, it’s the time of year
when people start assessing their current job situation
and you’ll start to see a few leave in anticipation of
starting a new position to kick off 2023.
Staffing changes happen
all the time, but when
it’s an integral member
of the team who is in a leadership
position then you
need to handle the departure
announcement carefully to
mitigate potential risks. As
we all know, really important
staff members’ exits have
the potential to create team
unrest, customer unrest and
can even lead to negative
rumours in the industry if
handled poorly.
Because of these potential
risks, it’s worth pausing
and putting your PR hat on.
How are you going to communicate
this announcement
internally, to staff, and externally,
to clients, stakeholders,
the industry and wider
public?
What risks are there – will
staff feel concerned about
the future of the company or
their jobs? Will clients wonder
if their projects or contracts
are at risk? Is there a
perception that the leader
takes a lot of company IP and
reputation with them, and
how do you manage that?
A well-planned communications
strategy can ease a
key staff transition and mitigate
risks to the company’s
reputation or projects.
Here are seven things to
think about when communicating
about leadership
transition at a company or
organisation:
GATHER YOUR
INNER TEAM
You’ll want to get key
members of your team
together immediately to start
planning next steps. Keep
things confidential and limited
to just those who need
to know.
MAKE A PLAN
Alongside your HR and
recruitment plans, develop
a communications strategy.
This is your road map for
communicating about the
leadership change. You need
to decide what to say and
how to say it, and to whom,
and in what priority order.
This is a detailed planning
process, and generally
includes gathering information,
considering audiences,
setting strategic communication
objectives, crafting key
messages, looking at communication
risks and mitigation,
and planning a timeline
for all communications.
DOT THE I’S AND
CROSS THE T’S
It’s important to be thorough
and consider every possible
scenario with your communications
execution and
delivery to do it well.
PREPARE THE
COMMUNICATIONS
Once you have your road
map written, and signed off
on by leadership team, it’s
time to ‘do the doing.’ This
may involve crafting bullet
points for the staff announcement,
with all the key messages
you want to convey.
This is typically followed
up by an email letter that
goes out to all staff, confirming
the contents of a face-toface
staff meeting. Another
letter should then be sent to
PR AND
COMMUNICATIONS
BY HEATHER CLAYCOMB
Managing Director,
Everest – All about people
www.everestpeople.co.nz
other audiences, including
clients and stakeholders.
As part of this preparation,
it’s worth spending time
brainstorming questions you
may get asked so you are
not caught out. In any situation
where there is change,
it can be upsetting, and it’s
best to be prepared and have
responses in place to assure
staff and clients if needed.
Get your email databases
ready in advance, so everything
is drafted, approved
and you are ready to press
send on the day of the
announcement.
STAFF COME FIRST
In any announcement of
this kind, talk to staff first
before clients and other
stakeholders, and do it in
person where you can. If necessary,
if you need to make
the announcement across
multiple office locations,
consider getting staff in a
Zoom call, and ensure the
senior leaders at those locations
have been briefed prior
so they can answer follow-up
questions.
MEDIA/PRESS RELEASE
When a key leader moves
on to another role or even
retires, it can be a great
chance to celebrate their
achievements and contribution
to the industry, region
or community. Write a media
release for an industry publication,
business paper or
local media outlet. There
is often a good story to tell,
especially if it’s a long-serving
team member. A media
story can also help with
recruiting a new person into
the role.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Don’t forget about sharing
the news on your social
media channels as a last
step. A post on your business’s
LinkedIn page may be
appropriate.

Fieldays is entering its 54th year as the Southern Hemisphere’s largest
agricultural event and it’s expected to be a terrific summer event. Like
many other organisations, Fieldays was massively affected by COVID,
leading to a change from its original date in June to a sunnier date at the
end of November. Because of this, visitors will have the added benefits of
longer daylight hours, warmer days and organisers will enjoy an increased
interest from international visitors from the Northern Hemisphere. Although
the date of the event has changed, the classic Fieldays atmosphere hasn’t
so visitors can be excited for tan lines and good times this November.
Resting on its 3 pillars of education, innovation, and globalisation, Fieldays
will be packed with many things to see and do. This year, the event is
celebrating forestry with the opening of a brand-new Fieldays Forestry
Hub. A collaboration between Fieldays and an advisory group comprising
of Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service, Forest Growers Levy
Trust, Scion, NZ Forest Owners Association, Red Stag, NZ Farm Forestry
Association and Future Foresters, this will be a large-scale exhibit of the
entire Forestry industry, including science, careers, and the value of wood.
This hub will give visitors the chance to explore the many facets of the
forestry and wood processing sector and how the sector has a vital role in
mitigating climate change.
Fieldays will also have their Fieldays Innovation Hub and accompanying
Innovation Awards. Designed to help innovators in their journey to
accelerate the growth of their products, the Innovation Awards give keen
innovators the opportunity to show off their innovations in the hopes of
winning their chosen category. The Fieldays Opportunity Grows Here
Careers Hub has been developed further to be aimed specifically at people
of any age who are keen to have a career in the Primary sector. Sponsored
by the Ministry of Primary Industries, visitors will be able to talk to people
working in primary industries such as farming, apiculture and aquaculture
and get further information from experts. The Hauora Taiwhenua Health
& Wellbeing Hub is set to be three times bigger than previous years,
and visitors and exhibitors will have the opportunity to get health advice,
check-ups and connect with health support groups, all under one roof. The
goal of this hub was to reach people that usually wouldn’t receive regular
check-ups or health care.
‘We believe that the most important asset on your farm is you’ NZ National
Fieldays Society Chief Executive Peter Nation says.
‘We know that workers in the primary industries aren’t great at looking
after themselves – both physically and mentally. What we’re doing here is
making healthcare accessible and easy because everything you need is
under one roof. We’ve helped many people over the years through this hub
and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s going on this year.’
Fieldays will be running Fieldays TV again this year in tandem with their
physical event. Fieldays TV proved to be such a success that organisers
felt it needed to be reinstated to stay connected with people that couldn’t
physically attend the event. The online digital content continues the
conversations happening at the physical event, celebrating NZ food,
education in the kitchen and topics that are on the minds of those in the
primary sector.
Chief Executive Peter Nation says ‘Unfortunately, some exhibitors won’t be
in attendance due to ongoing issues from supply chain and resourcing.’
‘But rest assured if you’re planning on attending Fieldays this year, it will
still be the place to meet your friends and bag a good bargain. We’ll have
the same event with the same atmosphere at the same venue but this time
it’ll be at a different time of the year. Fieldays in summer – same, same but
different!’
Fieldays allows people to come together to connect and learn and
organisers are preparing for a huge turnout. This year will be unique as it
will be a one-off opportunity to see what a summer event will be like and
Fieldays looks forward to welcoming visitors through the gates of Mystery
Creek on the 30th November.
SAME SAME
BUT
DIFFERENT
BUY TICKETS
fieldays.co.nz
30 NOV-3DEC

32 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
Proud Sponsors
More Buyers
Every Season
Hamilton’s No.1 Real Estate Team
LODGE.CO.NZ

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 33
Looking to Enhance Your
Leadership in 2023?
CELF’s Elevate leadership programme is a unique 8-week
experience, spread over 8-months, bringing together established
Waikato leaders from across multiple organisations to build
leadership capability, connectivity and increasing social impact.
A transformational experience!
For more details or to apply: www.celf.org.nz
BUILDING A STRONGER WAIKATO THROUGH LEADERSHIP
We keep
you growing
Our key reason for being in business
is to help you grow. Both in respect to
helping you improve the land you farm
through technological and innovative
techniques, also about helping
you improve your bottom line and
increasing your work productivity.
We believe in providing our customers
with the complete package from the
start, and ultimately we achieve this
with our people. At our dealership
you will find highly skilled, passionate,
parts, service, and sale’s teams
working together to do their utmost to
keep your business growing.
100%
proudly locally
kiwi
o w n e d a n d o pe r ate d
owneD
BUILDING FOR
THE FUTURE
Due to be completed early next year, our
new parts and assembly distribution centre
will become a vital piece of our customer
support network. It will provide us with the
ability to have more parts lines available for
the rural and construction sector. The hub
will also provide a larger area with better
technology for the assembly and quality
control of equipment arriving from our
global factories. We’re proud of the service
we provide to our customers and look
forward to taking that to the next level.
Power Farming NZ | powerfarming.co.nz

34 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022
Waikato uni students solve
sustainability problems
Students have been working to find
solutions for sustainability problems
posed by local organisations, and have
shared their insights as part of the
University of Waikato’s Impact Lab.
Impact Lab is part of
the Work-Integrated
Learning (WIL) papers at
the University, providing an
opportunity for students from
all disciplines to collaborate
Bachelor of Business students, Joel
Liddle, Kyle Martin and Akshay Aolaskar
and develop transferable
skills.
Year three student teams
presented their findings on
topics such as Tauranga City
Council Student Transport,
Trees at The Meteor, and the
University’s Community Herb
Garden Project.
Bachelor of Business
(BBus) students, Kyle Martin,
Joel Liddle, Akshay Aolaskar,
and Bayley Graham teamed
up with Bachelor of Social
Sciences (BSocSc) student
Chloe Logan to create - one
of the most exciting central
city areas in New Zealand - on
behalf of the Tauranga City
Council.
Impact Lab
provided a lot
of opportunities
to get handson
experience
and work on a
project - it was
very much a
drawcard
The group investigated
sustainable transport options
for students in Tauranga, an
area undergoing significant
growth and development.
Mentored by Priority
One’s innovation manager
Shane Stuart, the students
valued the hands-on, realworld
practical approach to
learning.
“For a lot of us, it’s very
hard to get work experience,
especially in entry-level roles.
Impact Lab provided a lot of
opportunities to get hands-on
experience and work on a
project - it was very much a
drawcard,” Kyle says.
Before Impact Lab there
was no data on how students
University’s Community
Herb Garden Project students
travel to and from the Tauranga
campus.
Akshay says he specifically
asked to be part of the Tauranga
project, “because the
whole idea of sustainability
while supporting a community
is key.”
Joel says he enjoyed working
with people from different
backgrounds and subject
areas within the university
and valued the chance to work
with the community to share
knowledge.
Another group looked at
how The Meteor Theatre in
Hamilton might reorganise
and rejuvenate the Trees at
the Meteor event, including
accessibility improvements
for the community, after
Covid-19 and management
changes impeded the event
over the last two years.
It was made up of BSocSc
students, Petra Williams and
Melissa Jardine, BBus students
Omar Abdullahi and
Callum Johnstone, and Bachelor
of Management Studies
with Honours student Jacob
Oak Archvarin.
The event, which normally
raises around $20,000 each
year for local charities, will
use the student’s findings for
future events.
WIL papers connect academic
learning to the practical
applications of the workplace.
It’s a compulsory component
of all undergraduate degrees
and includes work placements
and work-related projects.
As part of their study,
students can spend up to
400 hours in the workforce
acquiring and applying essential
professional skills that
prepare them for life after
university.
Catering for all occasions
Weddings, wedding platters,
birthdays, corporates plus many more.
We bring the restaurant to you!
Professional buffet catering
for 60-5000 guests.
www.southernspitroast.co.nz
E: graham@ssbbq.co.nz | 0800 2 SPITROAST

LEVEL 1, 131 VICTORIA STREET
120 SQM PRIME COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITY
IN THE HEART OF HAMILTON’S HOSPITALITY
For Lease
Directly opposite the new Waikato Regional Theatre
development, this newly renovated, character filled
commercial property is surrounded by award winning
hospitality with spectacular views over the south end of
Victoria Street. Close to excellent parking options and the
Waikato Museum – Te Whare Taonga O Waikato.
This impressive vacancy is a blank canvas for a new tenant
wanting to locate amongst the action of Hamilton’s nightlife
and zoned for City Centre under the Hamilton City Council
Operative Plan. 120 sqm of office space with a small
kitchenette area located at the rear of the building. This
property is available now.
MIKE NEALE
027 451 5133
mike.neale@naiharcourts.co.nz
RA PIRIPI
021 838 887
ra.piripi@naiharcourts.co.nz
MONARCH COMMERCIAL LTD MREINZ
LICENSED REAL ESTATE AGENT (REAA 2008)
Cnr Victoria & London Streets, Hamilton 07 850 5252
Further Information Available - Enquire now
Take control of your future.
Buy your own business.
0800 225 999
LINKBUSINESS.CO.NZ
Portable Cabins/Homes Rentals
$EOI
Waikato Surrounds
· Excellent tangible assets ($6.3m)
· Profits/earnings on par with commercial
property yields
· Great growth opportunities ahead
· Central Waikato location
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00257
Rick Johnson 021 911 485
rick.johnson@linkbusiness.co.nz
Successful Engineering Business
$EOI
Waikato
· Established Waikato brand for 60+ years
· Management Team in place
· Impressive profitability to working owner
· Good forward workload
· Provides a range of services that are highly
regarded by its “blue chip” customers.
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00276
Rick Johnson 021 911 485
rick.johnson@linkbusiness.co.nz
Import/Wholesale/Distribution
$EOI
Waikato
· Designed, imports & distributes B2B
· Exceptional systems, well est CRM & customer
relationships
· Impressive sales & profits, minimal
normilisations
· Secure lease in place until 2028
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00274
Therese Bailey 021 707 641
therese.bailey@linkbusiness.co.nz
Wealth & Fitness! $775,000
Hamilton
· Recognisable health & well-being brand
· Awesome lifestyle business
· Experienced staff
· $299,000 Profit in 2022
· Act now as this business is sure to attract a lot
of interest
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00280
Scott Miller 027 301 6543
scott.miller@linkbusiness.co.nz
Multipurpose Automotive $395,000
Waikato
· Heavy & light auto services
· Strong lease, reasonably rent in busy town
· 4 bay high roof building & 2 drive thru bays
· Solid, profitable with room for growth
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00286
Andrew Whyte 022 097 0065
andrew.whyte@linkbusiness.co.nz
Unlock The Potential
By Negotiation
Hamilton
· Installer of home interior product
· Imported & supplied by master distributor
· Huge pipeline, a preferred installer
· Large workshop, showroom in great location
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00302
Scott Miller 027 301 6543
scott.miller@linkbusiness.co.nz
Large Scale Home Staging $356,000
Waikato
· Operating for 17+ yrs, $150k cash surplus
· High-profile location, secure lease
· Strong client relationships
· High quality & huge selection of furniture
linkbusiness.co.nz/BOP00524
Lisa Lloyd 027 685 4556
lisa.lloyd@linkbusiness.co.nz
Be Ready for the Summer! $155,000
Thames-Coromandel
· Popular licensed eatery in coastal destination
· Good lease, reliable staff
· Current sales $11-12k per week
· Excellent fit-out & kitchen
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00299
Therese Bailey 021 707 641
therese.bailey@linkbusiness.co.nz
CBD Franchise Cafe $275,000
Hamilton
· Prominent location, fantastic layout, loyal
clientele
· Weekly sales of $10.5K + GST
· Great lease, reasonable rent
· Franchisee support
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00300
Therese Bailey 021 707 641
therese.bailey@linkbusiness.co.nz
Pizza + Great Location $132,000
Cambridge
· Not a franchise, great reputation
· Secure lease includes 2 bdrm accom
· Dine in, takeaway & delivery
· Easy operation, good facilities
linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00304
Therese Bailey 021 707 641
therese.bailey@linkbusiness.co.nz
Know Your Numbers
Knowledge
is power.
Understanding
what your business
is worth will help
you make informed
decisions about
exiting your
business.
Come see us
at the
Field Days!
Site RM192
All LINK NZ offices are licensed REAA 2008

“To achieve what Fosters did, within
budget and timeframe was exceptional.”
Mark Kennedy, Altus National Operations and Supply Chain Manager
Darren Marshall, Richard Bott & Mark Kennedy from Altus
Industrial aluminium and window system
manufacturer Altus have consolidated their two
Hamilton sites into one, recently moving into a new
aluminium extrusion plant on Maui Street.
Stage one of this two-stage project involved
demolishing an existing building and replacing it with
the new plant whilst the site was still operational.
Altus asked Fosters to tender for the project based
on Altus National Operations and Supply Chain
Manager Mark Kennedy’s recommendation – he had
worked with Fosters before.
“We underwent Early Contractor Involvement (ECI)
with four companies, Fosters proved to be the
most professional and proactive” says Altus Project
Manager Richard Bott. “We had highly specific
requirements; Fosters asked questions we didn’t
think of and made thoughtful suggestions around
building smarter. We were impressed.”
Altus Project Engineer Darren Marshall says that
going into the project, sustainability wasn’t a
key consideration. However, Fosters demolished
4,000sqm of building and managed a 96% recovery.
“We were blown away by that and really pleased
with the result” he says.
Timeline critical, the project had to be finished by
September 2022. The pandemic created many
unexpected challenges.
“To achieve what Fosters did, within budget and
timeframe was exceptional” says Mark. “Fosters
exceeded even my expectations. They kept
operations running through lockdowns, managed
material delays and significant design changes.”
During construction, Altus purchased a different
press which meant adjustments to plant layout,
foundations, and floor slabs. With very tight
tolerances for set-out, the team also had to achieve
alignment within 2-4mm in the critical areas.
“Fosters took all of this in their stride” continues Mark.
“They had a good understanding of what we wanted
to achieve, and they never lost sight of the end game.
“There were plenty of opportunities for delay and
extra cost, but Fosters were always solutionsfocused
and committed to the drop-dead date.
“We’re amazed at the finish, timing and quality of
this build and we’re pleased to have commenced our
next project already, working with much of the same
team.”
FOSTERS.CO.NZ . 07 849 3849