Waikato Business News November/December 2022

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 

VOLUME 30 

ISSUE 11 

READ ONLINE AT 

http://www.wbn.co.nz 

/WaikatoBusinessNews 

The Waikato region’s voice of local business 

POU MARK WELLNESS CENTRE 

Pou carved by five tohunga whakairo will mark Te Kōhao 

Health’s soon-to-be-built $15M wellness and diagnostic centre 

in Enderley. 

CELF CELEBRATES LEADERSHIP 

Transformational programme Community and Enterprise 

Leadership Foundation adds another 18 graduates to the 

growing CELF Alumni. 

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS’ SUCCESS 

Waikato secondary school students took home top honours 

at the Waikato-King Country Lion Foundation Young Enterprise 

Scheme Awards. 

Business Awards 

live again, 

at last 

Celebrating 

great 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, at a glittering sellout 

gala dinner at Claudelands Arena. 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

2 

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 

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

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 said 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, 

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, 

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 3 

Business Awards live again, at last 

Celebrating great success, resilience 

and positivity 

Back Cover (Side A) 

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 futureproof 

technology and accessories 

for herringbone and 

rotary cow sheds. 

MilktechNZ also took out 

Vertex Engineers Ltd 

+64 7 849 1638 | info@vertex.co.nz | vertex.co.nz 

2 Barnett Place, Te Rapa Park, Hamilton 

the Innovation Award. 

Judges said about Gustavo, 

“His entrepreneurial 

spirit, energy and passion for 

the business he has created, 

and the way he spoke of the 

team who have joined him on 

his journey, was inspiring. 

“Gustavo sets aspirational 

goals for his business 

as well as 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 about Jo, “Her 

focus on keeping people at 

the core of all decisions and 

actions is one of the primary 

leadership traits 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.” 

Don Good said the quality 

of the four Emerging Leader 

finalists was exceptionally 

high with Jo 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 said 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 

positivity of Waikato businesses 

as they emerge from 

the impacts of Covid. 

“It was wonderful to have 

finalists and winners from 

all over Waikato. And while 

international headwinds 

remain strong, Waikato is 

in a good place with strong 

foundations. 

“The region is booming. 

You can see wherever you 

go that Waikato is establishing 

itself as New Zealand’s 

economic powerhouse behind 

Auckland. 

“Benefiting from its 

proximity to Auckland, its 

strong farming 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 in sustainability 

are making the region a stunning 

and positive place to 

live, work and play.” 

Wishing you a safe and happy 

holiday season 

Our offices will be closed from 23 December 2022, 

reopening on 9 January 2023. 

+64 7 849 1638 

info@vertex.co.nz 

vertex.co.nz

4 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 

EarthDiverse enriching 

lives through learning 

A relative newcomer on the block, 

EarthDiverse came up trumps at the 

2022 Hamilton CBD business awards in 

the Public Good category. 

An adult and community 

education provider 

and not-for-profit 

social enterprise, EarthDiverse 

offer a wide range of diversity 

education courses in both the 

social and natural sciences. 

The brainchild of long time 

educators Todd Nachowitz 

and Nona Morris, their overarching 

goal is to provide programmes 

designed to broaden 

worldviews, which in turn 

will mitigate racism, discrimination 

and environmental 

degradation, and very importantly, 

to promote the joys of 

following an interest, learning 

new things, sharing ideas, 

and engaging in meaningful 

discussions. 

“The idea behind EarthDiverse 

is to provide community-based 

diversity education 

in both the cultural diversity 

space and in environmental 

diversity. We look at it in terms 

of a two-way street so we can 

do community education for 

the community, but we also 

encourage education by the 

community,” Nona says. 

Now based in Anglesea 

Street, like many not-for-profits 

EarthDiverse started life 

at the couple’s home, moving 

around various temporary 

locations before settling in the 

CBD. 

“It was our growth that precipitated 

the move. In the last 

place we only had two classrooms 

and we've grown so 

much in the last year that we've 

now got six different classrooms 

and we have a number 

of teachers that are zooming 

from their own spaces as well,” 

Todd says. 

They currently offer over 

150 different courses in the 

broad categories of language, 

culture and nature on a rotating 

basis, with new courses 

introduced each term. 

Courses are open, affordable 

and accessible to anyone, 

anywhere and they welcome 

learners and qualified instructors 

from around the globe. 

“One of the silver linings 

that has come out of the pandemic 

is that people are much 

more familiar now with using 

modern technologies than they 

were three years ago. We were 

already providing access for 

Zoom audiences before Covid 

hit, so we were well poised to 

continue our courses without 

interruption during the lockdowns. 

After the lockdowns, 

we picked up on that wave of 

people saying, ‘you know - it's 

a cold, wet, rainy winter night. 

I don't feel like going out. I’ll 

just log in from the comfort of 

my home with a cup of tea and 

listen to a great lecture,’” Todd 

says. 

With learning for the joy 

of learning at the forefront of 

how the courses are designed, 

there are no assignments or 

assessments, just a 1.5 hour 

class each week that can be 

attended in person (depending 

on the tutor), online at the time 

of the class, or via a recording 

of the class if they are unable to 

attend at the scheduled course 

time. 

There are no criteria for 

enrolment, so regardless of 

prior learning, age or any other 

barrier to a pathway to learning, 

an EarthDiverse course is 

open to all. 

“What's unique about what 

we're offering is accessibility, 

affordability, and learning 

without the pressures of 

a formal school system. Yes, 

you can go to a university and 

enrol in papers that discuss 

diversity and yes, there are 

some great programmes in 

the social sciences and in the 

languages, but, to access these 

courses, you have to apply to 

get accepted, pay the university 

fees, do the hard work 

- assignments, exams, tutorials 

- in order to walk out with 

the knowledge. What we are 

saying is this content should 

be accessible to anybody that 

wants it. Both of us felt, from 

our teaching years, it shouldn’t 

be so stressful to learn about 

something that interests you. 

You should be able to say, ‘I 

want to learn this language,’ 

and, for a low cost and no 

assessment pressures, be able 

to access the knowledge you 

want in a stress-free environment,” 

Nona says. 

Developing new courses 

means two things: listening 

to what tutors have to offer in 

the subjects that they are passionate 

about, and listening to 

what the community wants and 

finding someone passionate to 

teach those particular topics. 

While many of the lecturers 

are seasoned teachers, Nona 

guides and mentors some of 

the very knowledgeable individuals 

leading the non-language 

courses, who perhaps 

are less experienced in teaching, 

to develop courses that are 

Renee delivers 20 years 

with Aramex 

For more than two 

decades, Renee Bennett 

has played an integral 

part in delivering for Aramex 

customers. 

First joining the business 

when it was still Fastway Couriers 

in 1999, Renee found a 

passion for the courier industry 

and the logistics of moving 

freight. 

Promoted several times for 

an outstanding work ethic and 

can-do attitude, Renee made 

an essential contribution to the 

Aramex Covid response efforts. 

Now as head of operations 

for Aramex Waikato, Renee is 

a highly valued member of the 

team, recognised for more than 

20 years of dedicated service. 

“I have loved every step of 

my journey at Aramex,” Renee 

says. “While there were times 

that were challenging, especially 

through the Covid-19 

pandemic, I really enjoy my 

job and my team plays a huge 

part in that.” 

Fastway Couriers, one of 

New Zealand's oldest courier 

businesses, adopted the brand 

name of its international parent 

company Aramex in 2019. 

Established in Hawke's Bay 

in 1983 by Bill McGowan, Fastway 

Couriers New Zealand has 

18 regional franchisees with 

more than 250 courier franchisees 

from the Far North 

District to Bluff in the South 

Island. 

Aramex, a Dubai-based 

logistics group, which has 

a presence in 72 countries, 

transporting nearly 70 million 

parcels globally each year, 

bought Fastway Couriers New 

Renee Bennett 

Pepa Torre, Todd Nachowitz, Nona Morris and Eva Bernabe-Bernardo 

sometimes quirky but always 

interesting. This includes all of 

the junior lecturers who are in 

their teens and early 20s, 

Courses are 

open, affordable 

and accessible to 

anyone 

“We have a 20 year old 

junior lecturer, Michael Burton 

Smith, who loves history 

and birds equally. Together, 

we created a course called ‘The 

Social History of Birds’, looking 

at how humans and birds 

have interacted over time, in a 

number of different contexts. 

Then he came up with the 

idea for another course called 

‘The Birds of World War I’ in 

which he veered away from 

what happened to the humans 

in wartime, and instead asked 

what happened to the birds 

on the Western Front? It was 

a absolutely fascinating exploration 

of the impacts of war on 

nature,” Nona says. 

The same process of 

instructor mentoring happens 

with the language courses. 

Language director Cristina 

Schumacher individually 

works with the newest language 

instructors to use a distinctive 

intuitive grammar curriculum 

that she has developed, which 

emphasises understanding the 

patterns in the language rather 

than on rote learning. 

In the corporate space, 

EarthDiverse offers tailor-made 

professional development 

in cultural diversity for 

business. 

“Next month we have a 

professional development programme 

that caters to businesses 

called ‘Doing Business 

in China’. And as we move into 

next year, we'll be doing a variety 

of other ‘doing business’ 

workshops. But we also cater to 

and have done quite a number 

of professional development 

seminars for individual organisations, 

groups, businesses, 

associations, who want multicultural 

training in any of a 

wide variety of subjects,” Todd 

says. 

With many businesses 

staffed by people from different 

ethnicities these days, 

EarthDiverse can also design 

programmes to help breach the 

Our team 

DESIGNER 

Warren Gilbertson 

studio@dpmedia.co.nz 

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 

gaps in understanding. 

“We have the academic 

resources and the access to 

such an incredible range of 

teachers. We can design anything 

from language workshops 

to cultural, historical 

and religious diversity courses 

to ecology seminars,” Nona 

says. 

While EarthDiverse sits in 

a unique educational space, 

Nona says, they are not replicating 

what is already on offer 

in New Zealand. 

“We're not going to compete 

for other people's students. 

Our goal is to fill the needs that 

exist. For example, we partner 

with the Talents of the Pacific 

Academy (TOPA) . They teach 

multiple Pacific language and 

cultural classes across Polynesia, 

Melanesia and Micronesia, 

with an emphasis on gafa 

(whakapapa), song, dance and 

history. We promote them, 

because people need to have 

access to their knowledge 

and skills. We want to build 

this kind of collaborative way 

of thinking about education 

because ultimately, it benefits 

all of our futures.” 

To find out more 

about EarthDiverse visit 

earthdiverse.org.nz. 

PUBLISHER 

Deidre Morris 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Mob: 027 228 8442 

deidre@dpmedia.co.nz 

STUDIO 

Copy/Proofs: 

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SUBSCRIPTIONS 

accounts@dpmedia.co.nz 

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Ph: (07) 838 1333 

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www.dpmedia.co.nz

MilkTechNZ wins Company-X Innovation Award 

The Waikato’s technology sector is in growth mode and 

emerging agri-tech MilkTechNZ just proved it. 

INNOVATIVE: MilkTechNZ chief executive Gustavo Garza, left, receives the Company-X 

Innovation Award from Company-X co-founder and director Jeremy Hughes. Photo: Barker Photography 

MilkTechNZ in Te Rapa, 

Hamilton, invented 

wireless milking shed 

cup removers in the last year, 

earning it a double whammy 

at the Waikato Chamber of 

Commerce Business Awards on 

Virtual reality health and safety training 

experience wows roadshow 

WorkSafe impresses health and safety 

professionals with Company-X VR training aid. 

Health and safety 

professionals attending 

a WorkSafe roadshow 

had a virtual reality welding fume 

risk management experience 

courtesy of Company-X. 

“It’s really good,” said PPL 

Plastic Solutions Health, Safety, 

Environment and Quality 

Coordinator Jackie Uy. 

Uy donned a Meta Quest 2 

Headset to try out the interactive 

VR risk identificiation 

experience at the Worksafe 

Carcinogens and Airborne 

Risks roadshow in Hamilton in 

September. 

“It’s very simple and 

effective,” she said. “It is a really 

good training aid. It is absolutely 

November 4. 

MilkTechNZ chief executive 

Gustavo Garza was presented 

with the Chief Executive of the 

Year Award after receiving the 

Company-X Innovation Award 

from Company-X co-founder 

going to be a good training tool.” 

Uy’s only previous VR 

experience was driving a virtual 

forklift truck. 

Company-X senior 

consultant Lance Bauerfeind 

said the tool was a unique 

creation. 

“We really did not know what 

we wanted at the start. We knew 

we wanted a VR experience, but 

we had not come across one, so 

we had nothing really to do it 

on.” 

As the discussions 

progressed the requirements 

became clear and developer 

Sebastian Dusterwald was 

involved. 

Company-X built the VR 


and director Jeremy Hughes. 

“It is great to see MilkTechNZ 

win the Company-X Innovation 

Award with a digital technology 

innovation,” Hughes said. 

MilkTechNZ’s CR-1 Electronic 

Milking Cup Removers 

welding experience for a Meta 

Quest 2 headset using the Unity 

game engine. 

“We wanted to include 

learnings on risk identification 

and understanding that every 

situation has multiple highand 

low-level controls. So, we 

are hoping to use it for internal 

training and engagement for 

our new inspectors who may 

not have much experience with 

welding fumes.” 

“The biggest challenge was 

getting the interactions right,” 

Dusterwald said. “Making them 

feel intuitive to users with no 

prior VR experience. Little 

things, like turning buttons into 

objects in the VR world that 

the user could press with their 

hands, just like they would in the 

real world made a big impact.” 

There was also some 

can be fully customised and 

programmed from any Wi-Fi 

enabled device and include a 

built-in diagnostic system that 

alerts dairy farmers to any issues 

that arise during the milking 

cycle. 

"Digital technology innovation 

is the area that Company-X 

works in and MilkTechNZ’s 

innovation and export success is 

another strong affirmation that 

New Zealand has the capacity 

to produce world leading digital 

technology,” Hughes said. 

“It’s great to see more innovation 

companies basing themselves 

here in the Mighty 

Waikato,” said Company-X 

co-founder and director David 

Hallett. 

"The Waikato technology 

sector's contribution to gross 

domestic product (GDP) is 

around $1.1 billion and climbing. 

New, innovative, companies like 

MilkTechNZ show this will continue 

to grow as they bring new 

innovations to market." 

Cultivate Trust chair Erin 

Wansbrough said it was great 

to see an emerging Hamilton 

agri-tech company take out 

such a prestigious award for an 

challenge in getting this complex 

environment working within 

the limits of the Meta Quest2 

headset. Careful consideration 

went into the environment 

design, and what graphical 

features to use to maintain a 

smooth experience for users. 

A few ideas were dropped to 

keep on time and within budget 

but the end solution provided 

WorkSafe with a brief yet 

comprehensive demonstration 

tool with which to engage with 

health and safety people across 

the country. 

Unity allowed Dusterwald 

to get early prototype builds out 

very quickly to iterate on. This is 

a key requirement working with 

bleeding edge virtual reality 

technology when the best way to 

do things is often undefined. 

innovative product sold here and 

overseas. 

“The fact that MilkTechNZ 

was able to conceive and deliver 

an award-winning product 

during such a disruptive time 

shows how resilient the tech sector 

is, particularly here in the 

Waikato,” Wansbrough said. 

“The future is bright.” 

The trust recently launched 

the Tech in the Tron initiative 

to attract 500 skilled workers 

and their families to the Waikato 

from within New Zealand and 

overseas to grow the region's 

technology sector. 

Waikato Chamber of Commerce 

Business Awards Chief 

Executive of the Year judges were 

inspired by Garza's entrepreneurial 

spirit, energy, and passion 

for his business. 

“Gustavo sets aspirational 

goals and high standards. He 

shows a warmth and care toward 

his team that is genuine, and a 

satisfaction in progressing and 

enabling others that is humbling," 

the judges said. 

“That was insane, it was not 

expected,” Garza said of the Chief 

Executive of the Year Award. 

Although he had his heart 

set on his company, founded in 

2018, winning the Company-X 

Innovation Award. 

“Innovation is the DNA of the 

company,” he said. “The reason 

we have been so successful is that 

we are doing something completely 

different.” 

The Company-X Innovation 

Award judges said Garza and 

the MilkTechNZ team had taken 

deep industry knowledge and 

built a business that provided 

innovative solutions to meet the 

market. 

“These solutions were delivered 

with rapid succession over 

the past 12 months through a 

challenging economic backdrop,” 

the judges said. “Despite 

this MilkTechNZ managed to 

drive exceptional growth rates, 

their process of developing products 

that are scalable, while also 

continuing to grow is to be recognized 

and commended.” 

The judges said they looked 

forward to watching MilkTechNZ 

continue to evolve and grow. 

Previous winners of the 

Company-X Innovation Award 

include Yardmaster Effluent 

Pumps, Montana Group, and the 

Spring Sheep Milk Co. 

IMPRESSIVE: Jackie Uy tries the WorkSafe VR welding 

experience at the WorkSafe roadshow in Hamilton 

Navigate the 

digital landscape 

with us


Purchasing a Business: 

Due Diligence Considerations 

New Zealand is a country that has embraced the 

entrepreneurial spirit, and this is evident in the numerous 

successful Kiwi businesses operating on the world stage. 

Jack Sullivan, Senior Solicitor at DTI Lawyers 

Embarking in business is 

exciting, but the process 

of getting there can be 

stressful and potentially risky 

if you are not well-informed 

and do not understand what is 

required. 

There are many important 

matters to consider if you 

are thinking of purchasing a 

business. Your lawyer should 

play a large part in the process, 

advising you throughout. Their 

knowledge and experience in 

this area is abundant, and they 

know how to foresee and deal 

with problems, assist with due 

diligence, and help coordinate 

any finance required. 

Regardless of the type of 

business you are looking to 

buy, your lawyer’s job is to 

protect you against risk, and to 

assist you in making informed 

decisions while minimising 

stress. Your lawyer needs to be 

one of the first professionals 

you contact to provide initial 

guidance on the process. 

This article summarises 

some important considerations 

that may be relevant to the 

business you are looking 

at purchasing. Please note 

that this article does not 

provide an exhaustive list of 

considerations, and it is also 

important to consult with a 

number of other professionals 

to provide guidance throughout 

the purchase process. 

Some important due 

diligence considerations when 

purchasing a business include: 

• Assessing business records, 

accounts receivable and 

payable etc., to determine 

what income the business 

has generated in the past. 

• Determining the ownership 

structure of the business 

(for example, will you 

own the business as a 

limited liability company, 

trading trust, sole trader, 

partnership). 

• Assessing the age, 

condition, and functionality 

of the plant, equipment, 

and stock included in the 

purchase. 

• Assessing any commercial 

risks to the business, 

including competitors, 

suppliers and customer 

contracts and relationships, 

products, services, and 

markets. 

• Determining whether any 

rezoning or redevelopment 

is planned in the area where 

the business is located. 

• Assessing litigation and 

insurance risks, and any 

risks to the reputation and 

goodwill of the business. 

• Assessing the legal 

framework of the business, 

including regulatory 

approvals and licences (for 

example, many businesses 

require certain licences or 

approvals and can only be 

operated by people with 

certain qualifications). 

• Determining the ability of 

the vendor to comply with 

pre-settlement and postsettlement 

obligations. 

• Assessing staff 

relationships, staff 

performance, compliance 

by staff and the vendor 

with respect to legal and 

contractual obligations. 

It is very important to 

complete thorough due 

diligence and consult with 

your professional advisors 

prior to entering into an 

unconditional agreement to 

purchase a business. DTI can 

provide advice on the proposed 

ownership structure for the 

business and recommend other 

professionals with appropriate 

expertise to provide you with 

advice on matters such as 

tax and finance (for example, 

accountants, finance brokers, 

insurance brokers, banks). 

As lawyers, we can review 

or prepare the documentation 

required including the 

agreement for sale and 

purchase of business, lease 

documents, employment 

agreements, franchise 

agreements (if relevant), and 

terms of trade. 

At DTI, we have a team of 

specialist lawyers commercial 

and employment lawyers 

available to assist you with your 

business purchase. Contact us 

at reception@dtilawyers.co.nz. 

LEVEL 1, 131 VICTORIA STREET 

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IN THE HEART OF HAMILTON’S HOSPITALITY 

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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) 

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Further Information Available - Enquire now


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Eye-catching ‘Pā’ Perimeter of Pou 

Marks Start of $15M Build 

No ordinary fence will wrap around a soonto-be-built 

$15M wellness and diagnostic 

centre in Enderley (Papanui Hamilton). 

A 

team of five industrious 

carvers from 

Te Kōhao Health have 

custom made 28 pou to stand 

tall marking out the Tennyson 

Road construction site ahead 

of bulk earthworks officially 

starting. 

Kaumatua and board 

member, Koroneihana Cooper 

with Archbishop Emeritus, 

Tā David Moxon blessed and 

named the Pou in accordance 

with tikanga. 

“In March we had the turning 

of the sod with Minister 

Mahuta and the Mayor – now 

our Pou will stand all along 

the perimeter of the security 

fence,” Lady Tureiti Moxon, 

Te Kōhao Health managing 

director says. 

The kaupapa of having the 

pou is so everyone visiting 

knows that this is a community 

project. 

“It’s not Te Kōhao Health’s 

project, it’s the Enderley community’s 

project,” Moxon 

says. “This is about living our 

tino rangatiratanga through 

strong, healthy, vibrant and 

prosperous whānau.” 

Head carver Rei Mihaere, 

Pene Campbell, Steve Rankin, 

Wiremu Tonga, Ammon 

Tarawhiti and Hakopa Parker 

started carving back in September 

at Te Whare Maui in 

their dedicated carving studio. 

Mihaere says the idea for 

Artist Impression 

the quantum of pou that range 

in size from 2.4metres and 

3metres at ground level came 

from the intention to bring the 

site back to a te ao Māori view. 

“We thought we’d take a 

different approach from a typical 

construction fence. When 

you get here and see all the 

This is about 

living our tino 

rangatiratanga 

through strong, 

healthy, vibrant 

and prosperous 

whānau 

says. 

The wellness and diagnostic 

centre aims to reduce 

inequality, offer Whānau Ora, 

mental health and addictions 

support to health services. 

Key partners in the build 

include: Kirikiriroa Marae, 

Pacific Radiology, Chibnall 

Buckell Team Architects, ECS 

Group surveyors, Condair 

Air Conditioning and Fiesst 

Electrical. 

“No government funding 

has been received to date 

however we would like that. 

We have been very blessed 

to have the wonderful support 

of philanthropic trusts 

including The Bryant Trust 

that very generously granted 

of $1M, Trust Waikato that 

granted $2M and the Lottery 

Significant Fund that granted 

$5,651,821.00,” Lady Tureiti 

says. 

The development secured 

building and resource management 

consent and will be 

completed by Christmas 2023. 

pou lined up, it reminds you of 

a pā site,” he says. 

“The majority of the neighbourhood 

here are whānau 

Māori, so we hope that they 

feel included. Many have 

been asking questions about 

what’s happening and saying 

‘awesome’.” 

Moxon shares the same 

view about the project belonging 

to community. 

“Everything here will be 

for our community and we’re 

working with Kāinga Ora, 

the community centre and 

whānau that live here,” she 

Fastlane Fitness heart of the city gym 

Don’t look further than Fastlane Fitness 

to take care of all your health and fitness 

needs. A big gym with a big heart, 

Fastlane Fitness is an award-winning 

facility located in Hamilton central. 

The family owned and 

run facility houses 

some of New Zealand’s 

leading brands in fitness equipment 

including a crossfit rig, a 

30-metre lunge track, a separate 

strength area, air-conditioning, 

a pool and a café and 

some great motivating trainers, 

all designed to ensure a safe 

and welcoming environment. 

For group fitness fans there 

are three separate studios 

for boxing, stretch, HIIT and 

crank, Yoga, Pilates, Barre and 

cycling classes. 

Fastlane Fitness is the 

only gym in Hamilton with a 

purpose-built 25m pool with 10 

lanes of crystal clear water for 

training, swimming lessons and 

rehabilitation. 

The pool is designed to eliminate 

surge and waves that slow 

swimmers down, with air cushioning 

systems that soften the 

impact when diving into the 

pool and provide a clearer line 

of sight. 

Fastlane also run a swim 

school for school aged children 

and adults. They are passionate 

about every aspect of swimming 

and safe activity in water. The 

team provide a fun and enjoyable 

learning environment for 

swimmers to build their confidence 

and develop lifelong 

water skills. 

Lessons run Monday 

through to Saturday offering 

both group and private lessons. 

Owner Susie Vincent says 

they wanted to create a facility 

that was so much more than 

just a gym. 

“We know that people looking 

for a gym have a variety of 

wellbeing and health needs and 

goals. We believe that there is 

something for everyone at Fastlane 

no matter what their level 

of fitness is.” 

Catering to all budgets, Fastlane 

have a variety of membership 

options; from separate 

gym and swim plans to combo 

gym and swim and concession 

entry for a variety of classes. 

They can also tailor corporate 

packages for businesses 

wanting to offer membership to 

their staff. 

“We enjoy working alongside 

local businesses to support 

their employees’ positive health 

and wellbeing experiences, we 

can tailor packages to suit different 

needs. This has been 

proven to increase productivity, 

and staff retention amongst 

many other benefits," Susie 

says. 

Fastlane’s very own café 

Feedzone has a variety of balanced 

dining options including 

salads, wraps, slices and gourmet 

sandwiches. They also provide 

healthy lunches to several 

local schools. 

Kickstart your day with a 

freshly brewed Mojo coffee or 

try out some of the best protein 

shakes and smoothies in town. 

“Feedzone also caters for 

corporate events providing 

healthy and delicious options 

for business meetings, staff celebrations, 

client catch-ups and 

everything in-between,” she 

says. 

Led by Kelly in the gym, Stevie 

in the pool, Alex taking care 

of customer service needs, and 

Leonard and catering team in 

the kitchen, the Fastlane team 

are passionate about wellbeing. 

“We’ve got a great team of 

wellbeing educators who can 

tailor the ideal programme 

to suit the needs of anybody 

– from absolute beginners 

to gym-goers with a bit more 

experience.” 

Gym bunnies back in the 

early 2000s might remember 

the first incantation of Fastlane 

when it was in an old building 

on the same site and was called 

Club Cardio. 

Susie’s uncle, a consummate 

salesman, had been inspired 

to get into the gym business 

after seeing a gym in action in 

Auckland. 

Several years later he convinced 

Susie’s parent to become 

shareholders. 

“Neither my uncle or my 

parents had been in a gym 

before they bought Club Cardio,” 

she laughs. 

Around 2007 Susie and former 

husband Shane took over 

the business running it for several 

years before earthquake 

strengthening requirements 

saw the demise of the original 

building. 

It was a blessing in disguise, 

and plans went ahead for a purpose-built 

facility on the same 

site. 

Built in stages, the gym was 

completed in 2014 and the 

pool opened the following year 

on the same spot as the old 

building. 

There are plans to build 

another Fastlane in Rototuna 

with Hamilton City Council 

backing in the near future. 

To find out more visit www. 

fastlane.kiwi.


Get connected to Electric 

Vehicles – the smart way. 

News 

If you’re out and about on any 

New Zealand road these days, and 

you’ll likely see Electric Vehicles 

(EVs). They’re becoming quite 

commonplace on our roads, 

and there’s a good chance that 

we may have helped a few of 

those get up and running! 

That’s because as the world shifts to using 

more sustainable energy sources, we’re 

using our energy experience and practical 

insights to help businesses make the move 

to EVs – for good. Using our experience 

and smart infrastructure ideas, we help put 

businesses on the road to sustainability 

faster, smarter and at just the right price. 

Because of this We.EV has seized the 

opportunity to lead the way in supporting 

businesses to transition their fleets to EVs 

by investigating, designing, installing and 

provide an end-to-end solution to meet the 

customers’ needs to minimise costs now 

and into the future. Community owned, 

our vision is simple; to help businesses 

shape a better, more renewable future 

We guide and support businesses who 

want to make the shift to EVs with specific 

plans and infrastructure that’s flexible, costeffective, 

and can expand as your EV fleet 

does. From accurate advice to on-the-ground 

planning, every customer we work with has 

unique needs and goals. So whether your 

fleet of EVs is large or small, or you’re even 

just at the early stages of thinking about 

it – it pays to talk to the local experts first. 

How to get started on 

your EV transformation 

So, you can make the change once, and 

do it properly, there are a number of things 

you’ll need to look at, says Craig Marshall, 

Head of We.EV. He explains it should start 

with good advice before you start laying 

cables. “There are a lot of people out there 

who are keen to help with suggestions 

and hardware. But it all starts with solid 

advice that simply comes from handson 

experience. We’ve been working with 

energy for decades. And we’ve seen cases 

where clients were told to invest hundreds 

of thousands of dollars, when in fact they 

needed nothing of the sort for their usage.” 

So, if you’re ready to make the smarter 

EV infrastructure choice and you’re ready 

to take your sustainability goals up a 

gear – get in touch with the EV experts. 

0800 800 935 | we-ev.co.nz 

Driving 

brighter 

business 

futures. 

From advice and planning 

to design and build, We.EV 

helps businesses become 

future-ready with their 

Electric Vehicle charging 

infrastructure. So whether 

your fleet of EVs is large or 

small, or you’re even just 

thinking about it – it pays to 

talk to the local experts first. 

we-ev.co.nz


CONVERSATIONS WITH MIKE NEALE 

OF NAI HARCOURTS HAMILTON 

Just Received A Notice? 

Earthquake-Prone Buildings 

Hamilton City Council have just 

issued notices to owners of buildings 

deemed to be earthquake 

prone (EPB Methodology), as is required by 

government legislation under section 133AL 

of the Building Act 2004. These notices are 

required to be displayed in a prominent position 

on the building. 

Hamilton is currently classified as a 

Medium Risk area and buildings below 34% 

NBS (New Building Standard) are deemed 

to be earthquake-prone. Under the Building 

Act 2004 legislation, Councils around 

New Zealand are required to identify earthquake-prone 

buildings that fall within the 

following criteria 

A) Unreinforced Masonry Buildings 

B) Pre-1976 buildings that are either 

three or more storeys or 12 metres or greater 

in height above the lowest ground level 

(other than unreinforced masonry buildings 

in Category A) 

C) Pre-1935 buildings that are one or two 

storeys (other than unreinforced masonry 

buildings in Category A) 

HOWEVER, if an owner has previously 

provided a seismic or engineering report to 

Hamilton City Council that confirms a building 

is earthquake prone (below 34% NBS), 

even if it does not fall within the above criteria, 

then Hamilton City Council also has an 

obligation to issue a notice relating it being 

an Earthquake-Prone Building. 

Timeframe to Remedy or Demolish 

Buildings that that been identified by the 

relevant authorities as Earthquake-Prone, 

generally have 25 years from the date of the 

notice or remedy to demolish. 

HOWEVER, should it be deemed a Priority 

Building, then an owner would only 

have 12.5 years to remedy or demolish. A Priority 

Building is defined under 133AE of the 

Building Act 2004 and are buildings situated 

on a Priority Route, such as those having the 

potential to impede a transport route of strategic 

importance (in terms of an emergency 

response) if the building were to collapse 

in an earthquake. This will apply to unreinforced 

masonry buildings on main thoroughfares 

and high pedestrian routes, along with 

hospitals, emergency response services and 

education facilities occupied by at least 20 

people. 

The onus of proof appears to lie with the 

owner, as there will be buildings at 34% NBS 

or marginally higher, where the relevant 

local authority may seek a peer review of 

the seismic report that they have been supplied 

with, due to the figure potentially being 

within a margin of error. 

MBIE (Ministry of Building, Innovation 

and Employment) now holds a register, 

supplied by the local authority, of all of 

Hamilton’s buildings deemed to be earthquake-prone: 

epbr.building.govt.nz 

There is also a very useful satellite map 

which enables you to zoom in, which specifically 

identifies buildings from a birds eye 

view, including the address. 

If one searches, it currently shows for 

Hamilton (although this may increase if 

more buildings are identified) the number of 

such buildings within an area: 

Claudelands 3 

Frankton 58 

Hamilton Central 51 

Hamilton East 21 

Hamilton Lake 9 

Hillcrest 13 

Te Rapa 4 

We have also seen some Waikato towns 

identify theirs: 

Cambridge 42 

Te Awamutu 20 

Note: a number of other towns have not 

as yet uploaded their register of earthquake-prone 

buildings. 

The fact that a building is deemed earthquake 

prone, having a defined timeframe 

to remedy or demolish, does not mean that 

it must be immediately vacated and remain 

so until this work is completed. There is 

no legal requirement to close a building 

because of a low NBS rating. 

No need to vacate earthquake-prone 

buildings, MBIE says 

Stuff: Justin Wong, Jul 04 2022 

MBIE published new seismic risk guidance 

for buildings on Monday, saying earthquake-prone 

structures don’t need to be 

vacated. Instead, their owners should mitigate 

earthquakes risks through emergency 

planning and training. 

MBIE’s Building Performance and Engineering 

Manager Dr Dave Gittings said there 

was a need to provide guidance on how to 

interpret seismic assessments, and earthquakes 

are low probability compared to 

other risks. 

He also said the NBS was not a predictor 

of building failure in an earthquake, and 

buildings with low NBS scores were not in 

imminent danger. 

Old becomes new 

During the last two years members 

of our practice have been fortunate 

enough to make trips to Christchurch 

and Dunedin, the kaupapa on each 

occasion being to tour the architecture 

of the city. One of the highlights for 

me of both excursions was the clever 

adaption and reuse of previously 

neglected buildings. 

In Christchurch, the 

rebuild of the city has 

seen the creation of 

some award-winning new 

architecture, but I was most 

taken by the businesses that 

had sprung up and created 

compelling spaces in often 

unassuming or simply 

functional buildings. The 

Welder, previously a group of 

industrial warehouses used 

by a welder, blacksmith and 

engineer, is now an urban 

oasis, home to professional 

offices, boutique eateries and 

food producers, a plant shop, 

event space and yoga and 

wellness studio, all focused 

around a shared indoor 

garden space. Architecture 

practice Fabric has fitted out 

their own former warehouse 

with a surprising mix of old 

oil drums, plants, a shipping 

container, and the installation 

of several glasshouses, 

to create a space far more 

inviting and cohesive than it 

might sound. 

More recently I read of 

the example of Marian College, 

which, having searched 

nearly a decade for a new 

home after the Christchurch 

earthquakes, has found an 

innovative solution by building 

a new school in a former 

Foodstuffs distribution 

centre building. Two-storey 

classroom blocks, as well as 

gym and other facilities, will 

be built within the existing 

structure, while some parts 

will be opened up to bring 

in the outdoors and provide 

natural light. 

In Dunedin, heritage 

architect Mark Mawdsley 

gave a tour of the warehouse 

precinct, where Dunedin 

City Council, together with 

enthusiastic building owners, 

is working to revitalise 

buildings that date to the 

gold rush era when the city 

was the largest and richest in 

New Zealand. Concentrated 

in one area, the buildings, 

with a little TLC, have character 

and personality that 

spills over into the eateries, 

bars, shops and offices that 

now inhabit them, in a way 

that new buildings seldom 

do. 

While locally we have 

developers like Stark Property 

providing excellent 

examples of this kind of rejuvenation, 

I remain hopeful 

that more and more property 

owners will take note of the 

value to be created by investing 

in existing buildings. As 

well as the attractive character 

of adaptive reuse and 

cost-saving potential of using 

an existing structure, there’s 

good evidence that upgrading 

environmental and 

energy performance leads to 

improved occupancy rates. 

The initial carbon 

LANDMARKS 

BY PHIL MACKAY 

Phil Mackay is Business 

Devolpment Manger at 

Hamilton-based PAUA, 

Procuta Associates Urban + 

Architecture 

footprint is also significantly 

reduced compared to a new 

build. At a recent conference 

architect Fiona Short of 

Warren and Mahoney shared 

an example of a project in 

which the decision to retain 

an existing concrete structure 

had saved 1400 tonnes 

of CO2 emissions per square 

metre. In a carbon constrained 

world that should 

already be a consideration for 

every building owner, though 

it’s likely only a few years 

until such carbon emissions 

will carry a more tangible 

cost imposed by government 

or international obligations. 

At a time when good staff 

are more precious than ever 

and encouraging teams back 

to the office, at least for a 

few days a week, is challenging, 

creating interesting, 

engaging and healthy spaces 

to work seems like a sound 

investment. Repurposing 

an existing building offers 

a cost- and carbon-effective 

way to achieve this and an 

opportunity to contribute 

to the re-invigoration of our 

city. 

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



Tailored innovative approach 

to build business leaders 

Yashili paves the way for new industry leaders to learn management skills 

Leadership capability is 

quite often learnt on 

the job. However, many 

businesses are now reaping 

the benefits of investing time 

and resources into their people 

of all levels, with the help of 

Wintec, a business division of 

Te Pūkenga. 

Today’s 

business 

environment requires 

resilience, adaptability and 

practical skill sets around 

business topics such as 

communication, dealing 

with change and conflict, 

and strategies for developing 

teams. 

For four years, Wintec has 

offered tailored professional 

development programmes for 

businesses. 

Some of the epic 

testimonials coming from 

this space were featured in a 

previous edition of Waikato 

Business News. This last 

article, features Yashili NZ 

Dairy Co Ltd, the business 

that catapulted Wintec’s 

Professional Programmes’ 

popularity. 

Tina Yakas, General 

Manager People and Capability 

at Yashili NZ Dairy Co Ltd, 

approached Michelle Pearse, 

one of Wintec’s Training 

Consultants, four years ago 

to see if Wintec might be able 

to help create a programme 

to help shape Yashili’s future 

leaders. 

Yakas shared that “We were 

targeting an audience that 

we really wanted to develop 

into emerging leaders. In a 

manufacturing plant you can 

have a lot of senior operators 

with super technical skills as 

well as a great work ethic and 

we wanted to get them ready 

to go into a role where they 

have direct reports. It’s a big 

change going from working 

beside someone as a co-worker 

to becoming their supervisor.” 

Fast forward to now and the 

programme is in full swing. Not 

only has Yashili made it part of 

its yearly operations, but it’s 

also being used by the likes of 

Foster Group Waikato, Vestas 

New Zealand Wind Technology 

and Kalós Windows & Doors. 

Yakas said the course 

had been adapted along the 

way, but the reason for it had 

remained the same. 

“Throughout my career I’ve 

seen many people with great 

technical skills promoted to 

a supervisory or managers 

role without having developed 

any people management 

or managerial skills. That’s 

where this course comes 

in. It really develops those 

people management skills. 

The learnings are practical 

and easily applied to day-today 

work, thanks to the course 

we’ve created with Wintec. 

“I wanted our staff to be 

confident in managing change, 

coaching and developing 

their people, and be sure of 

themselves in situations of 

conflict.” 

She said the whole 

programme was designed 

around giving people the 

confidence to be able to manage 

others, and still be work 

friends with them. It was about 

giving them the tools to be able 

to gain respect and to be able to 

have any conversations, tough 

and easy alike, that they need 

to as a manager of people who 

used to be their co-workers. 

Yashili call it the Emerging 

Leadership Programme. 

“A big part of the value in 

this programme is that they get 

taken away from the business 

and actually get to work on 

themselves.” 

Yakas said the course has 

helped staff learn to manage 

up as well as down, which 

is important for middle 

management roles. She said 

their course has a presentation 

element where, at the end 

of the programme, each 

member of the cohort must 

do a presentation to Yashili’s 

senior management. This is a 

game changer for the cohort’s 

confidence. 

Yashili nominate people to 

go through these courses. 

“The senior management 

team have a talent review 

meeting twice every year 

where we discuss all staff 

and identify performance as 

well as potential. Those that 

are in the top bracket for 

high potential are selected to 

attend the Emerging Leaders 

Programme for their individual 

development. 

“Those who have completed 

our first cohorts (way back 

when we first started this) have 

gone through to lead and then 

to manager positions.” 

She said another benefit 

which they didn’t see coming 

from this course was the 

network they created. 

“When you have six to eight 

people in a cohort you are 

creating your own network of 

people. They will often reach 

out to their colleagues and 

work on issues together, which 

is really amazing,” Yakas said. 

Peter Huntley the senior 

Professional Programmes 

Facilitator who led the team 

who worked with Yashili 

initially on these emerging 

leaders’ programmes shared 

his vast experience as one 

of only a few generalist HR 

practitioners in the country, 

and he’s kept his finger on the 

pulse since. 

Peter believes these Wintec 


courses are just what the 

industry needs and loves that 

they are being facilitated by 

people who have years of 

experience. 

“I enjoy training people, 

seeing the lights go on, 

and seeing them grasp the 

principles and process of what 

we’re talking about while in the 

workshops. If people are doing 

something because they’re 

passionate about it, then they’ll 

do it when it needs to be done, 

they won’t do it just 9-5.” 

Wintec in-house current 

Supporting 

leaders to 

transition 

upward, is 

key to future 

growth and 

development. 

facilitator, Delia Beuker, has 

an extensive background 

in people development and 

communications, having 

worked with a large range 

of industries – from small 

business to corporate 

environments for over 25 

years. 

Delia said the Leadership 

Programmes have helped so 

many people to uncover their 

personal strengths through 

self-awareness. 

“We have seen vast 

improvements in confidence 

and motivation from 

participants. They have 

demonstrated a deeper 

understanding of what is 

required to lead themselves 

and others to higher levels of 

performance. This includes 

having the ability to think 

on their feet and adapt to 

changing situations. It has 

helped people to build stronger 

relationships and to become 

more effective in decisionmaking, 

resulting in increased 

productivity within their roles. 

“Supporting leaders 

to transition upward, is 

key to future growth and 

development. We are seeing 

increased capabilities 

from participants, and an 

improved customer-focused 

collaboration with other areas 

of the business too.” 

Leadership training options 

now available for smaller 

businesses 

Marty Lowry, Wintec 

Training Consultant, said 

companies had seen great 

results when it came to 

developing their people, 

with a number of single day 

courses and follow up courses 

scheduled over a number of 

months to embed the learning 

in the workplace. 

“Professional Programmes 

is now extending this 

opportunity for smaller 

businesses to enrol managers, 

and potential managers, into 

learning options that best suits 

the needs of each business.” 

My Pathway to Leadership 

is an open programme which 

offers four different learning 

suites, all of which focus 

on business strategies as 

well as personal growth and 

development skills. 

· Accelerate – the foundation 

learning suite 

· Elevate – the Intermediate 


· Master – the advanced 


· Recall – post programme 

coaching/mentoring 

“Participants will join other 

like-minded organisations 

to collaborate ideas and gain 

valuable skills, tools, and 

strategies to gain greater 

learning outcomes during 

these face-to-face, interactive 

workshops,” Lowry said. 

Right now is the perfect time 

to take your business forward 

into the future. To talk to our 


team about your business goals 

and how a tailored Leadership 

Programme can work for you, 

contact: Michelle Pearse: 

michelle.pearse@wintec.ac.nz 

or Marty Lowry: marty.lowry@ 

wintec.ac.nz.


Success for Young Entrepreneurs 

Waikato secondary school students took 

home top honours at the Waikato-King 

Country Lion Foundation Young Enterprise 

Scheme (YES) Awards. 

Bliss Enterprises, 

founded by Waikato 

Diocesan School 

for Girls’ students Emma 

Bartram, Beth Steele and 

Tessa Smyth was named the 

Wintec Te Pūkenga Company 

of the Year at the awards, 

managed in the region by 

Smart Waikato Trust. 

Bliss Enterprises look to 

give customers a moment of 

‘bliss’ and help them to create 

a more balanced lifestyle 

with their healthy bliss ball 

mixes. Their popular product 

line nearly completely sold 

out, with their last two units 

donated to their local food 

bank, and leftover ingredients 

made into baked goods gifted 

to their community. Bliss 

Enterprises attended the YES 

National 

Finals in Wellington. Other 

winners on the night were: 

Foster Construction’s 

Runner Up – Wheelie Tyred, 

Hauraki Plains College 

Waikato Chamber of 

Commerce’s Excellence in 

Financial Management Award 

– Floti, St Peter’s Cambridge 

EMA’s Excellence in Production 

Award – Wheelie 

Tyred, Hauraki Plains College 

Waikato Pacific Business 

Network’s Pasifika Enterprise 

Award – Case C, Sacred Heart 

Girls’ College Hamilton 

Smart Waikato’s Best 

Trade Fair Presence – Baking 

Memories, Fraser High 

School 

Waikato Business News’ 

Excellence in Sales and Marketing 

Award – Bliss Enterprises, 

Waikato Diocesan 

School for Girls’ 

Smart Waikato’s Excellence 

in Sustainability Award 

– Love Eco, Hauraki Plains 

College 

CAL Isuzu’s Excellence in 

Innovation Award - Fly Away, 

Sacred Heart Girls’ College 

Hamilton 

The University of Waikato’s 

Excellence in Leadership 

Award – Tina Hille-Taylor, 

Fraser High School 

Smart Waikato’s Sole 

Wintec Te Pūkenga’s Company of the Year and 

Waikato Business News’ Excellence in Sales and 

Marketing – Bliss Enterprises (Waikato Diocesan 

School for Girls’) presented by Martin Brock 

Trader of the Year – Astro- 

Soup, Paeroa College 

Smart Waikato’s Commitment 

to Business Award – 

Reclaimed, Rototuna Senior 

High School 

More than 300 Year 12 

and 13 students participated 

in YES in 2022, setting up 

and operating their own 

businesses, creating, promoting 

and selling a product 

or service, conducting market 

research, planning, budgeting, 

managing risk and 

turning problems into opportunities. 

YES helps students 

develop knowledge in operating 

a small business, team 

building, relationship management, 

meeting procedures, 

record keeping, the legal 

requirements for running a 

business and the process of 

reporting company performance. 

Its value is far-reaching, 

providing students with 

skills to equip them for life 

after school. The YES experience 

also adds depth to a 

Foster Construction’s Runner Up and EMA’s Excellence 

in Production recipient – Wheelie Tyred (Hauraki Plains 

College) presented by Sharon Robertson 

curriculum vitae when seeking 

employment. 

All teams at the regional 

awards were standout performers 

in the YES competition 

throughout the year and 

pitched to a panel of judges. 

YES Waikato co-ordinator 

Maddie Walker, of Smart 

Waikato Trust, was impressed 

with the creativity and resilience 

of this year’s teams. 

“It’s been a challenging few 

years for all business in New 

Zealand, and our young people 

have really stepped up and 

embraced these challenges. 

These awards are a reflection 

of the very talented young 

entrepreneurs we have here 

in Waikato,” Maddie says. 

YES is sponsored in 

the Waikato by Wintec Te 

Pūkenga, Waikato Pacific 

Business Network, the University 

of Waikato, EMA, 

Waikato Chamber of Commerce, 

CAL Isuzu, Foster 

Construction, and Waikato 

Business News. 

Battle it out for Movember 

Raising money for 

charity can take a more 

creative approach, 

Aware has designed the first 

iteration of its ‘Battle Mo’ 

units that use AI to scan your 

“Moustache”, compare it to 

the style and give it a rating. 

“By encouraging people to 

donate and receive something 

in return, we aim to encourage 

a greater social participation 

in the Movember Challenge,” 

Aware Group CEO 

Brandon Hutcheson says. 

The first unit was 

deployed outside renowned 

Mr Pickles in Hamilton’s CBD 

on the Waikato River and is 

being used to scan the final 

Moustaches after the close 

of Movember, likely through 

to Xmas. 

The goal is to use this 

technology to draw attention 

and raise funds for Movember 

by each ‘Battle Mo’ 

card printed with ‘Moustache’ 

information and competing 

values. It will contribute 

$5 directly to the Movember 

charity to raise funding 

and awareness of mental 

health, suicide prevention, 

prostate cancer, and testicular 

cancer. These issues are 

critical to men globally, but 

especially in New Zealand 

where we suffer from one 

of the highest youth suicide 

rates in the OECD. 

Local sponsors in Aware 

Group, ASB Bank Hamilton, 

Tompkins Wake and Stark 

Property have facilitated 

this becoming a possibility 

through their donations. 

The interactive booth 

uses computer vision to measure 

the attributes of users’ 

moustaches and generates a 

unique photobooth print out 

styled like popular trading 

cards. 

The stats, names and 

descriptions of the cards are 

all unique and allow visitors 

of the booth to compare 

their Battle Mo’s in a friendly 

competition. 

The next goal is for 

2023 to have around 50-60 

of these Battle Mo units 

deployed around New Zealand 

encouraging a giant ‘Mo’ 

battle-off, allowing Movember 

participants from around 

the country to compete. 

Procuta Associates 

Urban + Architecture 

Contact us 07 839 6521 

www.pauaarchitects.co.nz 

“ 

HOME. 

Architecture takes you to a place you are 

unlikely to arrive at on your own. It is the 

ultimate opportunity to make your home or 

work environment personal and purposeful.

Let’s get digital 

Most businesses understand the importance of fostering 

great relationships and protecting their reputation. This 

is an important strategy that helps any organisation 

achieve its business goals. 

Good public relations 

(PR) builds, maintains 

and protects 

your brand image through 

putting your business in 

front of your audience at the 

right place, at the right time, 

and with the right messaging. 

The PR industry is undergoing 

some huge changes. 

The digital space is pushing 

professionals into a new 

space, forcing practitioners 

Retrain to retain: 

the importance of professional 

development for staff retention 

In an ever-tightening labour market, professional 

development has never been more important for staff 

retention. Judy Davison, Asset Recruitment’s Permanent 

and Executive Recruitment Specialist, explains why now’s 

the time to retrain to retain. 

From professional 

certifications to 

management and 

leadership training, upskilling 

of technical skills to 

teamwork and interpersonal 

communication tools, 

professional development 

opportunities come in an array 

of forms. 

In recent decades, the 

training and upskilling of staff 

has become recognised as an 

integral part of a company’s 

culture, recruitment policy, 

and retention strategy… 

and then COVID-19 hit. As 

businesses and organisations 

were faced with a myriad 

of challenges operating in a 

pandemic-inflicted world, 

investment in professional 

development started to wane. 

Then, came the tightening of 

the labour market. 

“Employers simply 

cannot afford to lose staff 

and are therefore needing to 

to think outside the traditional 

understanding of strategic 

communications. The 

channels we use are increasingly 

becoming digitised – 

resulting in the emergence of 

‘digital PR’ a few short years 

ago. 

In many ways, however, 

digital PR is simply an extension 

of traditional PR. The 

concept of ‘digital PR’ may 

have you scratching your 

look at what they can offer 

employees to keep them 

interested, stimulated, and 

financially secure. Professional 

development is an integral 

part of,” explains Judy 

Davison, Asset Recruitment’s 

Permanent and Executive 

Recruitment Specialist. 

Retraining existing staff 

through a variety of courses, 

either online or face-to-face, 

establishing an in-house 

mentorship programme, and 

fostering the interests of staff 

wishing to extend their skillset 

will be advantageous for 

businesses in the long run. 

But with the current 

growth many businesses 

are experiencing, retraining 

existing staff members won’t 

necessarily alleviate the 

labour requirements of an 

organisation. 

“We support our clients in 

scoping their roles and look 

at how we can provide those 


head, but in reality it is no 

longer a distinct discipline. 

It has merged with traditional 

communications practices 

such as media relations 

and stakeholder engagement. 

It allows businesses 

the opportunity to connect 

with its audiences in the 

broadest sense, which will 

improve an organisation’s 

visibility and reputation. 

Every organisation 

should have a communications 

strategy sitting alongside 

its business plan, and 

to ensure you will achieve 

maximum impact, be sure 

to include both online and 

offline tactics. 

Here are some good reasons 

why your organisation 

needs a thoughtful and strategic 

digital presence: 

People are searching – 

be found 

Building a thoughtful Google. Are you selling or 

Utilising digital channels digital PR strategy that is working with business professionals 

gives your business a modern true to your brand allows 

over 40? Then, 

platform. You can position you to connect with a specific 

Google and Facebook are 

yourself as a thought leader 

niche of people – your likely the most important 

in your field through sharing customers, your community, channels where you need to 

your valuable expertise in a industry peers and even your be found. 


Employers simply 

cannot afford to 

lose staff. 

extra added incentives to 

attract excellent candidates,” 

explains Judy. “Opportunity 

for and investment in ongoing 

training and both personal 

and professional development 

is highly sought after by job 

seekers. They want to feel 

valued within an organisation 

and seek a position where they 

can grow in their role as much 

as they can contribute to the 

growth of their organisation. 

Professional development 

encourages that.” 

Looking to improve your 

staff retention? Speak to the 

Asset Recruitment team today. 

They’ve been positioning 

excellence in Waikato for more 

than 30 years. 

range of digital ways. 

And it all starts with the 

question, “What is your 

audience searching for?” Do 

some research to find the 

answer. Then, create web 

stories, blogs, videos, a podcast 

and other types of content 

that gives your audience 

what it is looking for and 

leads people straight to you. 

Online - accessible and 

trustworthy 

Being online on multiple 

channels, saying the same 

consistent messaging, allows 

the people searching for you 

to find you with ease. And 

most importantly, when you 

are consistent and providing 

lots of useful, timely information 

they want, then they 

will trust you above your 

competition. 

Showing up online in a 

consistent way allows your 

business to more intimately 

connect with your audience, 

encouraging trust, likeability 

and recommendations. 

Community and 

connection 

staff. 

We are increasingly ‘digital 

creatures’ and we are getting 

to know people and companies 

in a virtual way. If 

you haven’t thought through 

how you can create multiple 

touchpoints for your audiences 

to get to know you, 

you are missing out on an 

important component of how 

you build brand loyalty and 

trust in our modern world. 

Channels are as 

important as your words 

Not only is what you say 

important, but the way you 

package your messages and 

where you put them has a 

huge impact on your digital 

image. This is because consumers 

are searching and 

researching online in a fast 

manner and attention spans 

are short. Again, you want 

to meet them where they are 

and stop them in their tracks. 

And what channels you 

use go back to how your target 

audiences search. Are 

you selling to 20-somethings? 

Then, they are probably 

searching questions 

on Tik Tok or YouTube, not 

For more than 30 years, we’ve been aligning 

great For more candidates than 30 with years, great we’ve opportunities, been aligningand 

‘positioning great candidates excellence’ with great throughout opportunities, Waikato. and 

‘positioning excellence’ throughout Waikato. 

We strive for excellence and quality in all we do. As part of 

our We commitment strive for excellence to excellence, and quality we’re in focussed all we do. on As part finding of 

the 

our 

right 

commitment 

fit for both 

to 

job-seeker 

excellence, 

and 

we’re 

employer. 

focussed on finding 

the right fit for both job-seeker and employer. 

So, if you’re currently looking to hire or would like to 

So, if you’re currently looking to hire or would like to 

discuss your career opportunities, get in touch with our 

discuss your career opportunities, get in touch with our 

team. team. 

Temporary| Permanent|Executive|Industrial 

07 07 839 839 3685 | | www.assetrec.co.nz 

PR AND 

COMMUNICATIONS 

BY HEATHER CLAYCOMB 

Heather Claycomb is director 

of HMC, a Hamilton-based, 

award-winning public 

relations agency. 

So, how can you shape 

up your digital PR skills to 

strengthen your reputation 

and relationships in 2023? 

Ask yourself these critical 

questions and then formulate 

a plan: What do you 

want to be known for? What 

is your audience searching 

for online? Does what 

you look like on your digital 

channels match what you 

look like in-person? 

And finally, the best thing 

about growing your relationships 

and reputation online, 

is that you can track and 

measure every action you 

take to see if it’s creating 

impact. Don’t forget to set 

some SMART objectives and 

measure, measure, measure 

along the way. 

Supporters Supporters of of the the Waikato Breast Cancer Research Trust Trust


Business analysis 

is like photography 

Tiaki – mighty local 

business events sector 

doing the mahi 

Three greedy little pigs are amongst the helpers 

assisting to make the business events sector in 

the Waikato region more sustainable. True story. 

Being a senior business 

analyst is like 

being an accomplished 

photographer. You 

get to see the big picture 

and focus in on what really 

matters. 

I started working as a 

business analyst in 2001, 

documenting business 

processes and software 

through analysis of data. 

I have 32 years of photography 

experience and 

elevated my photography 

skillset to a professional 

level 12 years ago. 

Capturing the relevant 

requirements for a software 

development project 

is like pointing the camera 

to focus on the action of a 

bird of prey approaching 

its target. You treat your 

interactions with wildlife 

with healthy respect to get 

the best results. I embrace 

that same principle with my 

clients. 

Mother Nature gives 

us two eyes, two ears, and 

one mouth. To maximise 

our life’s experience and to 

interact well with others, we 

should observe and listen 

twice as much as we speak. 

My observations of wildlife 

confirm this. Animals only 

make noise when it is necessary. 

Hours of observation 

of birds of prey flight 

taught me to watch the 

bird’s pectoral muscles and 

not merely track the bird’s 

TECH TALK 

BY DAVE KOOKER 

A business analyst at Waikato 

software specialist Company-X 

motion. Understanding the 

bird’s pectoral muscle angle 

tells me the bird’s intended 

flight pattern, giving me 

precious microseconds to 

react and better track the 

bird and, ultimately, taking 

a better photograph. 

The same behaviour is 

applied to my clients and 

how, as a business analyst, 

I can ensure I understand 

what they are really asking 

for. Was the statement 

they just made a basis for 

their problem, a statement 

of frustration about their 

problem, a nice to have, 

or something else? Understanding 

the demeanour 

of how the message is conveyed 

to me gives a good 

indication of what the client 

is expecting. Business 

requirements are drafted 

at a level the client understands 

then at a level the 

developer understands. 

The two versions convey 

the same message. 

A good wildlife photographer 

projects trust. The 

wild animal senses you 

mean no harm and comes 

closer. The same reassurance 

is conveyed to the 

client who feels assured 

that the job that I perform 

for them will be done with 

due diligence and to their 

satisfaction. 

To maximise 

our life’s 

experience and 

to interact well 

with others, we 

should observe 

and listen twice 

as much as we 

speak 

In photography I enjoy 

framing the image and guiding 

the viewer to see exactly 

what I am trying to convey. 

Several people could stand 

at a waterfall and describe 

it differently. When I point 

my camera at the waterfall 

and frame the picture 

others see the same as me. 

That is the power of photography. 

Using that same 

visual principle, I show my 

clients what I have captured 

from the documented 

business requirements, 

including illustrations. The 

visual presentation provides 

an excellent starting 

point for the client. A visual 

confirmation avoids customer 

differences during 

the lifecycle of the project. 

It is a win-win for both the 

customer and Company-X. 

The pigs are part of the 

sustainability programme 

at the Accor Novotel and 

Ibis Tainui hotels in Hamilton. 

Owned by the hotels, they live 

happily on a farm outside the 

city and eagerly help out by 

devouring food scraps. 

I share this delightful story 

with you for two reasons. 

Firstly, it is a great practical 

sustainability step by these 

hotels, both major entities in the 

Waikato business events sector, 

to reduce food waste – and 

it’s a way of keeping food out 

of the landfill (food in landfills 

generates greenhouse gases as it 

decays). 

Also, this seemingly minor 

initiative truly represents what 

many of us here in the Waikato 

believe regenerative tourism is all 

about, and that rather than having 

a one-size-fits-all approach, 

it’s the culmination of a number 

of various sustainability initiatives, 

however large or small, that 

is having a positive impact on our 

sector’s carbon footprint. 

Businesses and individuals 

across the tourism and business 

events sectors are enthusiastically 

embracing the Tiaki Promise, 

a set of guiding principles for 

the care and protection of people 

and place. 

They are putting their commitment 

into action with initiatives 

like installing solar panels 

to generate electricity, eliminating 

single-use plastic, recycling, 

moving towards electric vehicles, 

using environmentally friendly 

products, including for cleaning 

and garden maintenance, and 

getting involved in community 

projects to plant trees, trap predators 

and weed-bust pest plants. 

As we look back on a year that 

has delivered us a mixed bag of 

challenges and successes – and 

look forward to a promising new 

year – it’s important we celebrate 

the Tiaki Promise being made by 

some of the major players in our 

business events sector, a sector 

that continues to drive enormous 

benefits for our region, both economically 

and socially. 

Of course, there are way too 

many great initiatives to include 

in this column, but the following 

are some of the efforts that 

have piqued our organisation’s 

interest. 

Along with the three little 

pigs, the Novotel and Ibis Tainui 

hotels are fierce about removing 

as much plastic as possible. 

In guest rooms the customary 

small plastic bottles of toiletries 

have been replaced with 

larger refillable options. Single-use 

plastic-encased amenities 

(dental kit etc) are also now 

plastic-free with eco-friendly 

welcome gifts including shower 

bombs and local chocolates. 

Like many accommodation 

providers, the hotels invite guests 

to re-use their towels and linen, 

rather than having them changed 

daily, using the savings made to 

help fund tree planting. 

It’s about being plastic-free 

in the restaurants too with the 

little plastic containers of spreads 

like butter, jams and peanut butter 

replaced with jars for guests 

to help themselves. 

Menus hero local food products 

and seasonal produce while 

in the kitchens there are milk 

kegs, saving the recycling of 

about 90 plastic bottles a week. 

The hotels also provide free 

charging stations for electric 

vehicles (EVs), donate products 

they no longer use (towels, 

sheets, etc) to charities and use 

energy efficient lightbulbs. 

Being sustainable is important 

across Hamilton’s premier 

event venues – Claudelands Conference 

and Exhibition Centre 

where there are honey-producing 

beehives on the roof, at FMG 

Stadium Waikato and Seddon 

Park. All are managed by Hamilton 

City Council’s H3 group. 

Environmentally friendly 

features were incorporated into 

the design and construction of 

the world-class Claudelands, 

including recycling of rainwater 

for toilet flushing, energy-efficient 

building management 

systems and the creation of an 

onsite wetland for stormwater 

management. 

Recycling is a crucial part 

of H3’s ongoing sustainability 

commitment including recycling 

plastic pallet wrap, as well 

as e-waste (phones, computers, 

and other office equipment) and 

batteries. 

EV charging stations are 

being installed at Claudelands 

while the venue’s catering partner, 

Montana Food & Events, 

also embraces sustainability 

choosing compostable packaging 

for food items and reducing food 

waste. 

Tiaki-minded event planners 

and organisers are impressed 

when they learn Montana’s 

attention to reducing food waste 

where leftover food that is consumable 

goes to Kaivolution, the 

Waikato food rescue charity supporting 

needy families. 

At HobbitonTM Movie Set 

the commitment to sustainability 

includes the continuing 

restoration and protection of 

this special environment that 

attracts over half a million visitors 

annually. 

Maintaining diversity is a key 

focus at this attraction which is 

just as popular with business visitors 

as it is with the leisure market. 

Hobbiton’s gardeners have 

planted some 3,000 native seedlings 

around the movie set and 

on surrounding farmland. The 

gardens flourish with plants that 

TELLING 

WAIKATO’S STORY 

BY NICOLA GREENWELL 

General Manager, Hamilton 

& Waikato Tourism 

attract birdlife, bees, and butterflies 

– all playing essential roles 

in supporting the ecosystem. 

Waste reduction is another 

focus. An on-site waste facility 

turns food and green waste in to 

compost to be used on the gardens 

along with the compostable 

drink and food containers and 

packaging Hobbiton has used 

for a number of years – this eco 

packaging has a carbon footprint 

of up to 75 percent less than traditional 

packaging. 

Water management is a top 

sustainability priority at the 

internationally acclaimed Hamilton 

Gardens, an attraction that 

pleases both business and leisure 

visitors with its stunning gardens 

and event facilities. 

The individual gardens are 

watered early in the morning to 

ensure watering efficiency while 

extensive mulching minimises 

evaporation, the high-quality 

mulch being made on-site from 

garden waste. 

A new water management 

system being developed includes 

a retention pond, a wetland and 

filter planting, 

Owned and managed by 

Hamilton City Council, Hamilton 

Gardens recycles glass, plastic, 

aluminium cans, paper/cardboard 

and even the metal blades 

from the lawn mowers, working 

closely with the organisers of 

events staged in the gardens to 

ensure they are sustainable too. 

Good progress is being made 

to achieve the aim of being carbon 

neutral by 2030, including 

replacing petrol fuelled handheld 

equipment with electric 

devices and moving to EVs. 

An important natural feature 

of Hamilton Gardens, the Eco 

Bank Bush, is one of the most 

significant seed sources in the 

Waikato. It is carefully maintained 

with exotic plants eradicated 

and fresh plantings of 

local species grown in the on-site 

nursery. 

Being a significant part of 

the Waikato River wildlife corridor 

through the city, Hamilton 

Gardens’ planting programmes 

are also geared to provide food 

sources for native species including 

birds and the long-tailed bats 

inhabiting trees in the gardens. 

Our mighty Waikato business 

events sector is willingly 

and wonderfully doing the Tiaki 

mahi. 

Ka ora te whenua, ka ora te 

tangata – when the land is well, 

the people are well.


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1/12/22 3:31 PM


We need to get our 

immigration act 

together! 

When most overseas workers think about coming to work 

in New Zealand one of the key factors they consider is 

their ability to obtain residence and to be able to live 

here permanently. 

This is understandable given that New 

Zealand is probably the furthest 

country from their home, and the cost 

of relocation will be higher than with other 

countries who are also competing for their 

skills. It therefore flows that New Zealand’s 

residence policy settings play a critical role 

in the attraction of many migrant workers. 

A resident visa is also required to be able to 

buy a house here. 

With the re-opening of the Skilled 

Migrant Category (SMC) in November, 

after a hiatus of 20 months due to Covid, 

there are now two residence categories that 

migrant workers can rely on to apply for residence. 

The other category is for roles on Tier 

1 of the Green List. These roles comprise 

mainly construction management, engineering, 

health and IT roles and applicants 

must have the specific credentials such as 

particular qualifications, professional registration 

or a minimum salary level. While 

there are many health professional roles 

listed there are a significant number of 

in-demand roles which are not (eg; Dentist, 

Physiotherapist, Pharmacist etc). It has 

been reported that a list of 30 additional 

health roles has been promoted for immediate 

inclusion on the Tier 1 list. While this 

list is not due for review until May 2023 it 

is very much hoped that the reality of New 

Zealand’s current health crises will prevail, 

and these roles are urgently added. 

Registered Nurse is also on the Green 

List but falls within Tier 2, which does not 

enable a straight-to-residence application 

to be made, but rather for a residence application 

to be made after working as a nurse 

for 2 years in New Zealand. The Government 

has dug a hole for itself in continuing 

to insist that it wants nurses to work 

for these 2 years before they can apply for 

residence. What the Government is failing 

to comprehend is that these much-needed 

nurses are in high demand all over the 

world and, with New Zealand pay and conditions 

below what is offered elsewhere, we 

only have the “residence card” to play – and, 

currently, we are just not playing this game! 

The SMC is a points-based residence category 

with points awarded for age, qualifications, 

NZ employment, work experience 

etc. Applicants initially submit an Expression 

of Interest (EOI) and in the recent 

selection draw some 6,500 EOIs (representing 

14,700 people) achieved the required 

160 points, and may now be invited to apply 

for residence. One third of these applicants 

are currently offshore. This high level 

of selections reflects the demand that has 

accrued while the SMC has been suspended. 

The selection mark will be increased to 180 

points in the next draw scheduled for 18 

January and this will remain in place until 

the SMC is fully reviewed mid-2024. 

While Green List residence applications 

are prioritised (with some approvals within 

just a few days) there is no visibility on processing 

times for the new SMC applications. 

With 40,000 applications under the (now 

closed) 2021 Resident Visa category still to 

be processed, and now another 6,500 potential 

applications under the SMC, applicants 

can expect a long wait for their application 

to be decided… 

If New Zealand is serious about attracting 

the skills we need, then we better get our 

act together – sooner rather than later! 

Is your marketing 

brave or safe? 

Taking risks with your marketing 

messaging is a no-go zone for many 

because the potential impact on our 

businesses is scary. But should we be 

pushing our comfort zones more? 

We’ve become quite 

cautious souls 

these days. And 

there are clearly reasons 

outside the control of 

marketing departments for 

that shift. 

I hate the over-prevalence 

of derogatory use of 

the word ‘woke’. But the risk 

of creating the perception of 

a political or social position 

has made advertisers play 

safe, to avoid possible misinterpretation 

and criticism. 

We have become increasingly 

wary about upsetting 

anyone, as, fair enough, we 

should be. Instead, we find 

ourselves taking the riskfree 

middle ground to avoid 

the danger at the edges, 

where we might be misunderstood, 

wrongly labelled, 

and ‘cancelled’. 

Businesses can often 

worry so much about being 

judged for not being smart 

enough, funny enough, current 

enough or creative 

enough in their marketing 

that they attempt to be none 

of those things at all. 

We often used to think 

about possible negative 

press coverage and ask ourselves 

‘what will the headline 

be?’ before sticking our 

heads above the marketing 

parapets with anything that 

might be a little bit different. 

Today we’d be thinking 

about the Facebook comment 

or tweet that might 

derail our campaigns and 

undermine our brands. 

So, my observation on 

the marketing world at the 

moment is that we’re taking 

the easy path. Advertising 

campaigns and general 

marketing messages all over 

are tending to focus on telling 

us the facts rather than 

challenging our reactions. 

Don’t get me wrong, 

there’s still plenty of creativity 

happening – marketing 

departments haven’t totally 

given up the ghost. But if 

you’re one of those members 

of the target audience 

that likes to expect the unexpected, 

you could find yourself 

waiting for a less restrictive 

environment. 

Combine an uncertain 

economy with a crippling 

fear of getting it wrong, you 

may end up making yourself 

hamstrung and irrelevant. 

Whatever the current 

mindset of the people you’re 

aiming your marketing messages 

towards, it’s more 

important than ever to try 

and understand what they 

will react best to. Build up 

a picture of what they care 

about. 

Taking a 

different 

approach might 

simply be in the 

tone of voice you 

employ in your 

marketing 

Yes, that calls for some 

sweeping generalisations 

but analysis of previous 

behaviours, particularly 

online, can give you useful 

insights. If you want to try 

something new, even common-sense 

assumptions 

informed by your previous 

experience are better than 

TELLING YOUR 

STORY 

BY VICKI JONES 

Vicki Jones is director of 

Dugmore Jones, Hamilton-based 

brand management consultancy. 

vicki@dugmorejones.co.nz 

no consideration at all, and 

will steer you away from the 

real danger zones with some 

level of reassurance. 

Think about the scale of 

the impact if you choose to 

do something that might 

be a little away from the 

norm. If I mention the Toyota 

ad with the dog that 

ends up face down in the 

mud, you’ll remember it for 

the expletive, I’m sure. Yes, 

that ad got 120 complaints 

for the ‘bad’ language, but 

it undoubtedly stuck in the 

minds of countless others 

because of it. 

I’m not saying that 

swearing your way through 

life will help your marketing 

get traction, of course! Nor 

am I suggesting that being 

cheeky or disrespectful is 

going to be a great idea for 

every brand. 

Taking a different 

approach might simply be in 

the tone of voice you employ 

in your marketing, or the 

creative style. Wasn’t it 

Henry Ford that said, “if you 

always do what you always 

did, you'll always get what 

you always got”? 

Trying something new 

and being just that little 

bit braver may be the only 

way that you can stand out 

amongst the clutter. 

Level 2 

586 Victoria Street 

Hamilton 3204 

Level 3 

50 Manners Street 

Wellington 6011 

07 834 9222 

enquiries@pathwaysnz.com 

Level 2 

586 Victoria Street 

pathwaysnz.com 

Level 3 

50 Manners Street

Supreme Award Winner - 

Profile Group 

If you’ve driven along the Waikato 

Expressway heading south, you’ll no 

doubt have noticed a sprawling building 

on the left-hand side at Hautapu, 

on the outskirts of Cambridge. 

That is the manufacturing 

facility and 

headquarters of Profile 

Group – a family of powerhouse 

businesses that form 

New Zealand’s only integrated 

supply chain for aluminium 

windows and doors. It is the 

first stage of their new campus 

that will consolidate multiple 

Hamilton sites to one fully 

self-serviced location. But you 

wouldn’t know that the simple, 

yet striking building was home 

to Profile Group because its 

name is not emblazoned on the 

building. 

Profile Group’s HQ is a 

physical manifestation of the 

way they do business: quietly, 

just getting on with it without 

making a fuss. And yet, like 

their building, Profile Group is 

an award winner. 

While the building won two 

Excellence and Best in Category 

Awards at this year’s Property 

Council Industry Awards, 

Profile Group has taken out 

three awards at the Waikato 

Chamber of Commerce Business 

Awards – Service Excellence, 

Business Growth, and, 

fittingly, the Foster Construction 

Group Supreme Award. 

CEO Craig Vincent says it’s 

been a journey of more than 

three decades to grow the business 

from the 12 staff who were 

there when he began working 

alongside, managing director 

and his good friend, Mitch 

Plaw. 

Looking back at those early 

days, Craig says it was a simple 

philosophy that has driven the 

Group’s success. 

“Our philosophy has always 

been that if we could be the 

easiest supplier our customers 

deal with, we will all naturally 

grow together.” 

And it was that philosophy 

that saw Craig spend a great 

deal of time assisting their customers’ 

businesses back then, 

to ensure they understood 

their customers’ obstacles and 

challenges. 

“That meant we really 

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 WAIKATO BUSINESS AWARDS 17 

developed and nurtured the 

relationships too. We basically 

went and lived in their 

businesses. By going out and 

learning we worked out how to 

take the obstacles away, supply 

great quality product and end 

up with a great result.” 

It was those early learnings 

that not only set up the lifelong 

relationships with their 

customers – “a large portion 

of them are personal friends 

today. – but set in motion the 

vertical integration of the business 

over the next 30 years. 

“The pivotal move for us 

was taking away all the obstacles 

in terms of supply, manufacturing 

and delivery. By 

taking our reliance away 

from external suppliers… it 

now means we control our 

own with extrusions, powder 

coating, anodising, glass and 

transport.” 

And it’s not just the relationships 

with their customers 

that Profile Group places great 

importance on. “Our staff are 

key to our success. Because, 

while Profile Group’s growth 

has been enormous, at the 

end of the day it is still family 

owned and operated and those 

family values are an incredibly 

strong part of the culture.” 

There are many, many people 

who come to work every day 

who feel they are part of a big 

family and we like to believe 

they are treated that way. For 

example, we’ve just opened a 

wellness centre where a nurse 

provides care. We’ve got more 

to achieve but it’s about being 

able to provide a great environment, 

being able to take care of 

our people.” 

That extends to staff 

members’ families too. They 

recently held a Christmas function 

for 600 people – that’s 

staff and partners – and there 

will be another Christmas 

party for the kids to attend. 

Profile Group does a lot 

in the wider community too. 

Mitch and Kate (Plaw) are 

extremely generous individuals. 

“The philosophy 

for us is about how we build 

better communities. We’ve 

been thinking this way for a 

long time, but I think it’s even 

more so now since Mikayla 

[Mitch and Kate’s daughter] 

has come on board. She has 

brought a different vision into 

the business that we’ve built 

on – sustainability, wellbeing, 

and the circular economy, for 

example.” 

The business awards judges 

said Profile Group’s success 

was driven by an excellence of 

service ethos. 

“Their structures, processes, 

and more importantly 

– people – set the standard for 

service excellence both nationally 

and internationally. The 

customer and their care is the 

centre of their world.” 

And they recognised that 

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 and enable 

their people to realise their full 

potential across all facets of the 

businesses. 

“Profile Group are world 

class roles 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.” Craig 

said the Supreme Award was 

“for the staff”.z 

“It’s not for us [the executive 

team]. These awards 

are recognition of the effort 

of everyone who is here 

daily, their commitment and 

dedication.” 

WAIKATO CHAMBER 

OF COMMERCE 

BUSINESS 

AWARDS 

Connect - Grow - Inspire - Represent 

PROUDLY 

SUPPORTED BY 

Connect - Grow - Inspire - Represent

18 WAIKATO BUSINESS AWARDS 



Emerging leader Jo Mickleson’s 

focus is people 

You sometimes wonder 

about the accuracy of 

a person’s LinkedIn 

profile. Jo Mickleson’s description 

beneath her name captures 

who she is perfectly. She calls 

herself a business enabler, leadership 

coach, process designer, 

lifelong learner, and human 

being fanatic. It is that last term 

that is perhaps most fitting and 

is abundantly evident when you 

talk to her. 

Named Emerging Leader of 

the Year at the Waikato Chamber 

of Commerce Business 

Awards, Jo lights up when she 

talks about her role, her team at 

Aware Group, and her plans for 

the future. 

Jo started off as an HR 

advisor and sales coordinator 

at Aware Group – 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. 

With plans to travel around 

Europe riding a motorcycle 

alongside her partner, Jo initially 

took on a short, fixedterm 

contract as an HR advisor 

and sales coordinator. 

She impressed Aware Group 

throughout this time and they 

asked her to stay on. 

“Being a relatively new company 

then, I helped get systems 

in place. And with my background 

in HR I brought that to 

the table, helping strengthen 

processes, put strategy in place 

around people and culture.” 

Jo stuck around for a bit longer 

before heading to Europe 

where she continued to work 

remotely. When she got back, 

she moved into a full-time role 

implementing what she’d put in 

place while she was overseas. 

Now director of strategy and 

growth, Jo’s laser focused on 

Aware Group’s people. 

“Your people are your biggest 

assets and given Aware Group 

is relatively young and small, 

developing a strong layer of 

leaders coming up from within 

is really important. I love that 

we’ve put a structure in place 

to build both soft and technical 

skills in our existing leaders who 

can then welcome the next generation 

of people to the business 

and build them up.” 

Jo’s philosophy – and one 

shared by others at Aware Group 

– is that the role of a leader isn’t 

necessarily that of someone in a 

senior leadership team. Rather, 

anyone can be a leader. 

“I’ve always said leadership 

isn’t a role, it’s a behaviour.” 

Jo has helped foster a 

healthy culture at Aware Group 

where people are enabled to try 

new things, push boundaries, 

and shine. 

“We’re very much about 

stepping back and letting people 

do what they’re good at. I’ve had 

the opportunity to try a bunch 

of things from a leadership and 

culture perspective. There have 

been lessons along the way, and 

those have brought a lot to the 

business.” 

And being given the space 

to try new things means people 

learn new skills. 

“I think of a skill set as a 

quiver of arrows. Some we might 

add are blunt, some might be 

super sharp, but it’s about adding 

arrows to that quiver that we 

can draw on and sharpen later 

as we practice them. That’s the 

kind of vision that I share with 

our team when we’re working to 

upskill them.” 

And it was the wider Aware 

Group team who contributed to 

Jo’s nomination for the Emerging 

Leader of the Year award. 

“My colleague Jeffrey Brown 

wrote the nomination and when 

he got to the last question, 

which was ‘what would people 

say about Jo’s leadership?’ he 

decided to let others speak for 

themselves. So he went out and 

got quotes from about 12 staff 

about the impact I’ve had and 

how they see me as a leader.” 

Jo was ecstatic to win the 

award but says reading what her 

colleagues said about her was 

the icing on the cake. 

“They talked about me being 

inspiring, building trust in our 

team, motivating, being honest, 

being candid and challenging 

people… that I congratulate 

them on their success but that I 

also challenge them to continue 

as well.” 

And Jo takes her own advice 

on the latter. Not one to sit on 

her laurels, she has her sights 

set on what future success looks 

like. 

“Ultimately my key goal is 

having an impact on people. 

Let’s not dance around the bush 

– we all go to work to get paid. 

But by creating a stable, successful 

business you provide job 

security for people which flows 

on to their family, their community, 

and the economy.” 

Looking back at Jo’s LinkedIn 

description as a lifelong 

learner, and that’s evident when 

she talks about the lessons she 

took from the judging process 

and the support network she has 

in place. 

“The interview with the 

judges was great and it was great 

to meet and learn from people 

who brought a different perspective. 

They challenged me 

to be more direct and also to try 

asking well-placed questions. 

Those can be more impactful 

than sharing your opinion. That 

goes against my being as I’m an 

extrovert and can talk all day but 

I’m trying to catch myself on that 

and asking questions instead of 

proffering my opinion.” 

And it’s enjoying different 

perspectives that sees Jo 

working with friend and mentor 

Steve McNae, as well as a 

psychologist, both of whom Jo 

credits with helping her grow as 

a leader. 

No doubt Jo will continue to 

flourish in parallel with Aware 

Group. With teams in Hamilton, 

Wellington, Singapore and Seattle, 

the company specialises in 

leveraging emerging technology 

to solve problems and unlock 

valuable data in an ethical and 

sustainable way. 

“Emerging technology is 

such a vague thing, but ultimately 

we help people harness 

data to get good outcomes and 

insights.” 

Indeed, Jo Mickleson’s 

LinkedIn profile offers great 

insight into who she as a person 

– and as a leader. 

Old school butchery 

techniques gets a win 

Award-winning business 

The Chopping 

Block has developed 

a sausage that could claim to 

be a world first. Who would 

think of grabbing a tasty pork 

sausage and adding seaweed? 

Well, according to business 

owner Matt Colvin, it’s a winner 

on a grand scale. 

The win 

confirms that 

the hard work 

we do is 

paying off 

“A local bloke who farms 

the seaweed and sends it all 

over the world, came in one 

day and suggested we put some 

in a run of pork sausages,” said 

Matt. “We’re always up for a 

challenge so we added the seaweed 

and the sausages are now 

our best seller. 

“We all know a good sausage 

sells, but this one is a 

star.” 

The Chopping Block, a 

family-run business based in 

Coromandel, put its name in 

the hat for the recent Waikato 

Chamber of Commerce Business 

Awards. 

They were entered in the 

Micro Business category sponsored 

by Sleepyhead. 

“The whole team is thankful 

we put our name forward 

as we are always striving to 

offer the best products for the 

community. 

“The win confirms that the 

hard work we do is paying off,” 

said Matt. 

“It has put a spring in our 

step.” The butchery itself was 

built in the late 1930s as a 

butcher shop. So it has been 

running as a butchery since 

then. 

“I bought it two years ago, 

employed my brother Stephen, 

and we haven’t looked back,” 

said Matt. “We turned the 

whole place up-side down and 

got straight to business. 

“Ours is a small family-run 

butchery with a goal 

of providing our community 

with a wide variety of the finest 

quality gluten free meat 

in an affordable and innovative 

way, using old school 

butchery techniques.” 

The Chopping Block also 

offers homekill and wild game 

processing. With a paddockto-plate 

approach and a sharp 

eye for quality, Matt and his 

team pride themselves on 

putting 110 percent into the 

business. 

Contact the winning 

butchery at: thechoppingblockltd@gmail.com 

Phone: 07 866 8838


Proud Sponsors 

Happy Off-Season 

From Hamilton’s # 1 Real Estate Team 

LODGE.CO.NZ

Nationally Awarded, Individually Focused 

At Urban Homes, taking ownership is key. Building quality homes with integrity is what we do. 

Building meaningful relationships and world-class experiences that our clients remember 

for generations, is who we are. 

This year, it was a privilege to receive the Registered Master Builders Platinum Award for consistently achieving 

outstanding excellence across five or more National Category Titles and, we are proud to be the first home builder 

in the Waikato to achieve this. 

“The Registered Master Builders House of the Year competition has played a big part in our commitment to 

excellence and continual improvement over the years,” says Founder and Managing Director, Daniel Klinkenberg. 

“Joining the elite group of Platinum Award winners, I feel that Urban Homes has forged its place at the forefront 

of the New Zealand housing and residential building market.” 

To find out more about us and our award-winning homes, visit urban.co.nz/awards

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 HOTY AWARDS 21 

Waikato-based home builder Urban Homes 

takes home prestigious National Platinum 

Registered Master Builders Award 

Waikato-based home builder, Urban Homes, was 

awarded the prestigious National Platinum Award at 

the 2022 Registered Master Builders National House of 

the Year Awards, held in Auckland in November. 

The Platinum Award 

is given to a New 

Zealand builder who 

has achieved outstanding 

building excellence across 

five or more National Category 

titles. Urban Homes 

is the first Waikato-based 

builder to receive this prestigious 

award, and the mostawarded 

builder in the region. 

Urban Homes Managing 

Director, Daniel Klinkenberg, 

has no doubt that 

receiving this award is an 

honour, and comes down to 

the hard work of the Urban 

team on a day-to-day basis. 

“At Urban Homes, we 

treat every home we build 

as our own. The Registered 

Master Builders House of the 

Year competition has played 

a big part in our commitment 

to excellence and continual 

improvement over the years. 

“Each year the competition 

gets tougher. Winning 

regional categories against 

our industry peers is not 

easy, so I’m proud that we 

have achieved steady success 

over the years at a national 

level,” says Klinkenberg. 

Klinkenberg founded 

Urban Homes in Hamilton 

in 2004 with his wife Bronwyn, 

and utilising his background 

as a trade-qualified 

builder and high quality 

standards the business has 

grown to now build over 150 

new homes each year across 

the Waikato, South Auckland 

and Coromandel. While 

much has changed over the 

last 18 years, their goal of 

building with integrity has 

never wavered. 

“I believe we occupy our 

own niche, taking the qualities 

of an independent building 

company but combining 

them with the robust systems 

and processes of a volume-based 

builder,” says 

Klinkenberg. 

“With the option to build 

from our current house plans 

or go bespoke, we never build 

the same house twice for our 

clients. It’s a partnership, 

and our aim is that clients 

enjoy the home-building process. 

Our team is clear that 

without our clients, we do 

not exist.” 

It’s no secret that the past 

couple of years have been 

challenging for those in the 

construction industry, facing 

material shortages and rising 

costs due to dramatic market 

shifts. Klinkenberg notes 

that like any other builder, 

Urban Homes has adapted to 

these market forces. 

“I have experienced all the 

highs and lows of running a 

construction business, and a 

smart company knows how to 

react to each end of the spectrum. 

For us, it’s about maintaining 

our core values and 

providing the best service to 

our clients. There’s nothing 

better than attending a client 

handover and seeing the end 

product ready to be enjoyed 

for years to come.” 

It would be hard to argue 

against Urban Homes’ consistency, 

achieving Gold awards 

every year since 2010, and 

collecting multiple supreme, 

category and lifestyle awards 

over the past decade. 

“Joining the elite group 

of Platinum Award winners, 

I feel that Urban Homes has 

forged its place at the forefront 

of the New Zealand volume 

housing and residential 

building market.” 

This win is certainly not an 

end point for Urban Homes, 

with Klinkenberg’s current 

work focused on developing 

the company’s franchise 

system, with opportunities 

going out to market soon 

across South Auckland, Bay 

of Plenty and Coromandel. 

“We’re looking to speak 

with like-minded, driven 

business people ready to 

share and expand our blueprint 

outside of our Waikato 

Bronwyn and Daniel Klinkenberg, Chris Foy, Andrew South, Brad Conning. 

base, with franchisees given 

all the tools to succeed 

including access to all software 

and systems with extensive 

head office support. 

“I have no doubt the 

future looks exciting, and 

while we have solid foundations 

and supports, we’re 

always ready to take a leap 

of faith to move the business 

forward.” 

Registered Master Builders 2022 

apprentice of the year announced 

Chris Foy, 21, from the Waikato took 

out third place at this year’s Registered 

Master Builders CARTERS 2022 behind 

Apprentice of the Year Dane Schnell, 

23, from Auckland and runner-up Paulo 

Oliveira, 29, from the Northern Region. 

The top eight apprentices 

from around Aotearoa 

came together in Auckland 

to compete in the final 

stages of the competition. Across 

a two-day event, the apprentices 

undertook a 45-minute 

interview with the national 

judging panel and a six-hour 

practical skills test. This year’s 

practical component challenged 

the apprentices to each create 

a rocket ship to donate to early 

learning centres through Evolve 

Education Group. 

Before qualifying for the 

national competition, each of 

the top eight apprentices competed 

against other apprentices 

in their region. This involved 

a written project submission, 

a two-hour regional practical 

challenge, and an interview and 

site visit. 

It is promising 

to see a steady 

increase in 

diversity in the 

Apprentice of the 

Year competition 

Registered Master Builders 

chief executive David Kelly 

was impressed with the group’s 

talent and their commitment 

to being the best in their field, 

especially during our current 

environment. 

“Learning new skills and 

applying oneself is challenging 

at the best of times but doing so 

under the conditions of the past 

two years is a testament to their 

dedication and commitment. 

“Leadership in our industry 

matters. We look at our 

up-and-coming apprentices and 

asses their aspirations to see 

how we can provide fulfilling 

career pathways, within the sector,” 

Kelly says. 

Every year the high level of 

talent in the competition grows, 

and at the same time diversity in 

the sector continues to improve. 

The Master Builders State of 

the Sector survey reported that 

nearly 60 percent of builders 

found that diversity in their businesses 

improved during the last 

year. This was supported by a 

recent MBIE report that showed 

increased diversity is being 

driven at the apprenticeship 

level, with the Government’s 

Apprenticeship Boost Scheme 

reporting that 19 percent of the 

over 50,000 apprentices in the 

scheme identifying as Māori and 

eight percent identify as Pacifica. 

“It is promising to see a 

steady increase in diversity in 

the Apprentice of the Year competition. 

Year-on-year the competition 

has seen an increase in 

diverse entrants. This year, we 

saw 20 percent of regional finalist 

from non-European backgrounds, 

as well as a quarter 

of our finalists. While we have 

more to do, it is encouraging to 

see good progress being made,” 

Kelly says. 

The sector has also seen 

an increase in females, with 

the recent MBIE report stating 

that the number of female 

workers employed in the sector 

has nearly doubled in the last 

decade. 

“Although there is still work 

to do in this area, the number 

of females increasing across the 

sector are very promising to see. 

It was also fantastic to see more 

females enter the competition 

this year and even place in the 

regional competition,” he says. 

The national competition 

was celebrated with the finalists 

Chris Foy, Apprentice. Urban Homes 

and their employers, family, and 

friends at a gala awards dinner 

in Auckland. 

Committed to standing 

behind all apprentices as they 

start their careers, CARTERS 

chief executive, Mike Guy is 

impressed with the talent the 

competition brings together 

year-on-year. 

“We have been sponsoring 

the Apprentice of the Year 

competition for 19 years now, 

and that’s something we are 

incredibly proud of. It’s great to 

be able to watch these talented 

apprentices giving their all in the 

competition and then going on 

to have successful careers. 

“CARTERS remains committed 

to supporting apprentices 

from across the country as they 

build their future in the construction 

industry. Partnering 

with the competition is a great 

way to celebrate emerging talent 

and our future industry leaders,” 

Guy says.


HOTY AWARDS 

NATIONAL 

CATEGORY 

WINNER 

Karl Kampenhout Builders Ltd is a 

proven team of craftsmen, providing 

very high quality workmanship with a 

strong focus on attention to detail and 

exceptional customer service. 

KARL KAMPENHOUT BUILDERS 

P: 0800 875 555 | info@karlkampenhout.co.nz 

www.karlkampenhout.co.nz

Raglan Food Co doubles 

community fund to $10,000 

After getting their start 

on Facebook on the 

Raglan Community 

Noticeboard in December 2014, 

Raglan Food Co credit much 

of their success to the enthusiastic 

support and backing from 

locals. That’s why it seemed only 

natural to give back by launching 

their RFC Community Fund last 

year. 

“We wanted to make it easy 

for local groups who align with 

our social and environmental 

values to ask for support,” 

co-founder Tesh Randall says. 

“Last year we gave out 

$5,000 in grants to organisations 

doing all kinds of wonderful 

things in our community – 

protecting endangered Oi birds, 

planting trees, rescuing fruit, 

teaching tamariki about gardening, 

and raising mental health 

awareness.” 

This year, with over $5,000 

paid out already, they’ve 

announced plans to double the 

fund to $10,000. 

“We’re seeing some great 

project applications come 

through and want to continue 

backing more initiatives in our 

local community,” she says. 

Feedback from the organisations 

who have already received 

funding has been positive. 

“Funding from Raglan Food 

Co has allowed us to build a 

‘Community Foodbowl’ at Waitetuna 

School,” principal Amanda 

Nasilasila says. “The children 

have been loving planting seedlings 

in the greenhouse and garden 

beds, and eating vegetables 

they’ve grown themselves! So far 

we’ve harvested kumara, spinach, 

tomatoes, have set up potatoes 

and will be planting other 

summer vegetables in term 4. 


It’s great to see them so engaged 

in learning about gardening.” 

“We were able to pay for the 

print costs of our Mental Health 

Toolbox with Raglan Food Co’s 

funding,” Ruby Gibbs says. “It’s 

been made freely available to the 

whole community as a resource 

to prompt conversations about 

mental wellbeing – since we put 

it together as volunteers, this 

financial support was hugely 

appreciated.” 

“Seeing perfectly good fruit 

go to waste seemed like such 

a tragedy,” says Jono Hutson 

from Community Fruit Harvest. 

“With the fuel vouchers from 

Raglan Food Co, our volunteers 

have been able to arrange collecting 

and donating it to the 

Feed the Kids program at the 

Raglan Area School – providing 

students with nutritious kai.” 

Visit raglanfoodco.com/ 

doing-good/ 

rfc-community-fund for 

more 

information. 

We love to 

warm up winter 

Grassroots support for 

our community is 

part of the everyday 

at Ebbett Volkswagen. On 

a cold crisp winter’s day in 

July, the WE LOVE VW team 

supplied the mighty Amarok 

BBQ for the Cambridge 

Primary School’s winter 

sports day lunch. There were 

multiple primary schools 

all competing at the event, 

held at Tom Voyle Park in 

Cambridge. Cambridge High 

School senior PE students 

helped run this successful 

day. Cambridge East School 

organised a hot lunch for the 

dedicated young athletes. 

Hundreds of hot sausages 

were cooked on the BBQ 

for the kids, teachers and 

supporting parents. 

If your school or workplace 

would like to use our 

Amarok BBQ for FREE at an 

event, get in contact with the 

WE LOVE VW team. 

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


Celebrating 

Leadership in the 

Waikato 

The Community and Enterprise Leadership Foundation (CELF) 

celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2022 at the Gallagher 

Academy of Performing Arts, University of Waikato in November. 

Another 18 graduates 

joined the growing 

CELF Alumni. 

In its seventh year and with 

132 CELF Alumni active in the 

Waikato Community we are 

seeing increased impact of the 

ripple effect these leaders and 

their leadership are having on 

their organisations and their 

communities. 

This programme (like the 

foundation itself) is guided 

by the conviction that socially 

responsible leadership will 

always have a positive impact 

on the community around 

them. 

CELF Graduates 2022: Back - Brett Fleming, John Adams, Kent Holdsworth, Dr Jeremy Mayall, Matt 

Nugent, Megan West and Anton Waller, Desarae Frisk, Gerald van der Broek. Front- Shannon Clarke, 

Riikka Anderson and David Wiles (WEL) Vani Mills (NZ Diversity Counselling), Rachel Rabarts (BNZ), 

Kathy Harward (CCS Disability), Anna Ellis (Prolife Foods). Not Pictured: Marty Emmett (YWAM Ships 

Aotearoa) & Fraser Bell (Foster Construction) 

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, XXX/XXX 2022 1 

Kent Holdsworth (Te 

Whatu Ora Waikato) and 

Rachel Rabarts (BNZ), Class 

of 2022 graduates, expressed 

their thanks on behalf of their 

cohort, for the opportunity to 

participate in such a life changing 

and transformational leadership 

programme. 

CELF Alumni Leader of 

the Year 2022 

Kylie Leonard was chosen 

as the CELF Alumni 

Leader of the Year 

2022. Kylie was sponsored onto 

the CELF Elevate Leadership 

Programme by Tompkins Wake, 

as NZ Dairy Woman Network 

Community Leader of the 

Year in 2018. Since graduating 

from The Elevate Leadership 

Programme in 2019, Kylie has 

been on a leadership trajectory. 

Kylie is a dedicated mum, 

wife, and community leader. 

She is an experienced director, 

rural professional, a farmer, 

governance specialist leader 

and mentor. A member and 

chair of multiple boards in the 

CELF recognises founder 

Dr Peter Sun 

As part of the evening’s 

events, Dr Peter Sun 

was recognised by 

the Community and Enterprise 

Leadership Foundation’s 

Board and wider 

CELF Alumni for his significant 

contribution to the 

formation of CELF alongside 

co-founders Bernie 

Crosby (Prolife Foods) and 

David Irving (Icehouse). As 

CELF’s founding programme 

director, he has shaped 

community, providing guidance 

and leadership., Kylie was 

a finalist in this year’s Women 

on Boards, retained her seat as 

the programme, content 

and format that constantly 

evolves to meet the changing 

needs of leadership and the 

environment. 

Accepting the acknowledgment 

Peter says, “As I 

reflect on the times past 

and present, and reflect 

on what lies ahead, I’m 

more than convinced of 

the impact that CELF has 

and the impact on the 

community.” 

Taupo district a counsellor and 

just announced a recipient of a 

Nuffield Scholarship. 

” if I want to see change it is 

up to me to be part of making 

that change happen,” Kylie says 

David Irving (Co-Founder CELF) and 

Dr Peter Sun (Co-Founder CELF/ 

Founding Programme Director) 

Confidence in continued growth 

Frank Risk Management’s decision to raise its footprint 

and profile reflects the firm’s confidence in the Waikato 

business sector. It’s a big jump for the firm founded in 2008 

by CEO Andrew Newman and Director Rene Swindley in a 

residential Cambridge garage. 

Frank Risk Management 

now employs 32 staff 

across four offices; 

Hamilton, Matamata, 

Auckland, and Wellington, 

and was the first broker 

in NZ to offer the fully 

disclosed, transparent fee 

business model. The growth 

in staff necessitated the 

need for larger premises; 

however, co-founder Rene 

Swindley strongly believed 

that Frank needed something 

unique and a space that 

staff and clients enjoyed 

using. “In these times, you 

want to support flexibility, 

but if everyone wants to 

be in the office, you get 

the collaboration upside 

while still giving everyone a 

choice”. 

Regardless of the 

immediate economic 

outlook, the management 

team at Frank feel confident 

that the firm will continue to 

see solid growth. They think 

the Waikato, underpinned by 

its diverse economic base, is 

the best place to be located. 

Frank Group’s General 

Manager, Emma Haugh, 

says, “Standing still wasn’t 

an option. Frank is filling a 

place in the risk management 

market, and approaches 

are not only coming from 

within the Waikato but also 

nationally”. 

An upside of having the 

additional space is that Frank 

can support clients who 

need space for meetings or 

a boardroom. This was very 

much in mind when planning 

the re-development, and 

it’s working well. Haugh 

says, “It’s great that we see 

clients, not just when they 

want to talk about insurance 

or risk management”. It’s 

also a good space for clients 

to meet with providers that 

support Frank’s proposition. 

Frank worked closely with 

Fosters Construction and 

Edwards White Architects 

throughout the development 

of 630 Victoria Street. The 

Frank team are pleased to 

have the project behind 

them, and Haugh says, “we’ll 

never look back, the move 

has been a giant leap forward 

and Fosters & Edwards 

White were brilliant to work 

with. We couldn’t be happier 

with the result”. 

630 Victoria Street, Hamilton 3204 

07 903 5000 | info@frankrisk.co.nz | ww.frankrisk.co.nz

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to get data security 

and privacy right 

Cybersecurity, data security and privacy are all intertwined. As businesses 

move towards digital business models, exponentially more data is 

generated and shared, both within the business and with partners and 

customers through interconnected systems/technology. This digital 

information has become the lifeblood of this interconnected business 

ecosystem and is increasingly valuable to businesses - and to threat actors 

(cyber criminals, competitors, foreign states). 

PwC’s 2023 Global Digital 

Trust Insights survey 

highlights that two-thirds 

of organisations consider cyberattacks 

their most significant 

threat in the coming year. Cybercriminals 

are increasingly using 

off-the-shelf tools to perpetrate 

and orchestrate a variety of 

attacks. And yet, many of the 

breaches we’re seeing are still 

preventable with sound cyber 

practices and strong controls. 

A business’s key stakeholders 

- customers, employees, 

business partners - are increasingly 

equating any security 

breach to a breach of trust. 

Governments and regulators 

are becoming increasingly 

concerned about the theft 

of personal information from 

organisations. Looking overseas, 

the Australian government 

has introduced a bill that would 

increase the maximum penalty 

for serious or repeated privacy 

breaches to AUD$50 million 

or 30% of turnover for all businesses 

that operate in Australia, 

including foreign companies. 

These penalties have 

increased substantially from 

the initial proposal of AUD$10 

million or 10% of turnover. This 

is due to several recent major 

breaches of customer data in 

Australia including names, dates 

of birth, email addresses, drivers 

license numbers, passport numbers 

and medical claims data for 

millions of people. 

Australian Attorney General 

Mark Dreyfus said that “We 

need better laws to regulate how 

companies manage the huge 

amount of data they collect, 

and bigger penalties to incentivise 

better behaviour.” This is 

essential “to ensure Australia’s 

privacy framework is able to 

respond to new challenges in the 

digital era.” 

In the UK, the construction 

group Interserve has recently 

been fined £4.4m after a cyber 

attack that enabled hackers to 

steal the personal and financial 

information of up to 113,000 

employees. 

Current NZ privacy legislation 

only came into force in 

December 2020 and introduced 

mandatory disclosure for serious 

data breaches. However, it 

has a maximum penalty of only 

$10,000. Given where international 

legislation is heading, this 

level of penalty is significantly 

lighter than other jurisdictions 

and will likely come under 

pressure if further serious data 

breaches occur in New Zealand. 

The recently released Draft 

National Security Long-term 

Insights Briefing (DNSLIB) 

shows that New Zealanders feel 

particularly at risk of a cyber-attack, 

with 81% of respondents 

to the National Security Public 

Survey saying that there is a real 

threat of hacking into information 

systems happening in the 

next 12 months (compared to 

a global average of 75%). The 

Computer Emergency Response 

Team (CERT NZ) reports that in 

2021, incidents rose by 13% for 

individuals and businesses, with 

an estimated direct cost of $16.8 

million. 

Looking ahead the DNSLIB 

expects to see: 

● A growth in more 

complex and frequent 

cyber crime challenging 

our collective ability to 

respond 

● More cyber attacks 

targeting technology 

critical for businesses, 

including supply chains. 

Waikato organisations are 

not immune with the 2021 DHB 

cyber attack and, more recently, 

the Pinnacle Health cyber attack 

in September 2022. 

In a world that is increasingly 

technology focussed and complex, 

how do you improve your 

cyber security and data trust? 

Technology, in itself is not the 

answer to simplified security. 

Security needs to be a concern 

for the entire business. Ask 

yourself these four questions: 

1. How involved/ 

engaged is your CEO in cyber? 

2. How complex are 

your organisations’ operations? 

3. How do you know if 

you’re securing your organisation 

against the most important 

risks to your business? 


BUSINESS IN 

THE WAIKATO 

BY AARON STEEL 

Director, Risk Assurance, PwC 

4. How well do you 

know your third-party and supply 

chain risks? 

Results of our Digital Trust 

Insights survey show that those 

organisations that had the best 

cybersecurity outcomes are: 

● 14x more likely to 

have CEOs that provide significant 

and broad support to 

cybersecurity. 


have streamlined operations 

enterprise-wide. 


say data and threat intelligence 

are integral to their operating 

model, especially in relation 

to cybersecurity and data 

governance. 


understand their third-party 

cyber and privacy risks. (At 

best only 40% of respondents 

say they thoroughly understand 

these risks). 

Sound cyber practices 

and strong controls 

For all organisations, there 

are some key foundational 

cybersecurity practices that 

provide a solid baseline. These 

are the essential eight recommended 

by the Australian 

Government Cyber Security 

Centre (https://www.cyber. 

gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/ 

essential-eight): 

1. Application control 

2. Patching applications 

3. Microsoft Office macro 

settings 

4. User application hardening 

5. Restricting administrative 

privileges 

6. Patching operating systems 

7. Multi-factor authentication 

8. Regular backups. 

About 

PwC’s community of solvers 

works with businesses to understand 

digital risk within their 

business context, providing 

insightful advice and innovative 

solutions,to build confidence 

and trust in their technology, 

data and security. 

Whatever Happened to 

the CBD? 

Guest article by Brian Squair 

of Chamber member 

Chow:Hill Architects. 

The Central Business District, as we have 

known it, is quite probably a thing of 

the past. The Covid-19 pandemic has 

merely accelerated the changing character 

of downtowns amidst poorly rented lowergrade 

commercial buildings, infrastructure 

under-investment, cheaper land elsewhere 

and remote working practices. Prior to the 

pandemic we were seeing an increase in work 

mobility, (planned) residential sprawl to the 

fringe (requiring services and amenities), but 

we also experienced the redevelopment of 

some key buildings in the Central City by a few 

well-funded developers. 

I recall the 1980s when we would all “go 

to town” on a Friday night or Saturday morning 

and it was an excursion with mum or dad 

and latterly a hang-out with school mates. 

Mid-week the CBD was primarily for business, 

banking, post office and occasional scoping-out 

for a new piece of furniture that would 

be purchased on the Saturday morning. 

Over the last 20 years or so, and through 

a couple of recessions, we have witnessed the 

increasing number of poor quality or poorly 

maintained commercial buildings, the decentralisation 

of large retail outlets, the rise of 

online purchasing and the move to remote 

working. These changes have placed great 

pressure on sustainable city centres. 

If we haven’t yet, we need to reconsider 

the way the Central City works in the light of 

change. 

Rather than predict CBD doom, there is, I 

believe, an incredible opportunity for a reset 

of the Central City and its relationship to the 

city at large. It is time to imagine a new model 

for growth, one that is more inclusive, resilient, 

sustainable and healthy. The foundations 

of this reset include the issues of affordability, 

talent, workplace, public realm, built environment 

and the economics of real estate. 

Affordability 

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic we had 

witnessed a number of businesses choosing 

WHAT’S 

ON 

AT THE CHAMBER 

to relocate out of the Central City to fringe 

and outer suburbs primarily for cost saving 

reasons. There is certainly cheaper land elsewhere. 

Anecdotally, the chickens are coming 

home to roost in that many decentralised businesses 

are finding a loss in accessibility and 

network effects. They no longer experience 

the efficiencies and productivity gains of the 

agglomeration resulting from the density and 

proximity that Central City locations provide. 

Cheaper rent may, in fact, be a false economy. 

The answer to the affordability crisis is 

found in sweating the assets through mixed 

use developments and repurposing of lower 

grade buildings. For example, I predict more 

flexibility – multi-use spaces that are part 

office, part education, part retail for example – 

we will see more city-centre residential and on 

the back of that, an uplift in retail and services 

to accommodate the needs of city residents. 

Workplace 

It would appear that many post-pandemic 

workers are returning to the office for the sake 

of in-person connectivity and collaboration 

with colleagues. At the same time, the benefits 

of working remotely are clung to, including 

the flexible elements, the transport saving, 

the ease of performing concentration activities. 

The workplace in the city centre needs to 

embrace a hybrid work model. 

At Chow:Hill, our research indicates that 

30% of our work could comfortably be done 

remotely. Acknowledging that Chow:Hill staff 

are engaged in collaborative creative work, 

then one can assume that staff in a more process-type 

business could easily perform their 

roles remotely to a greater proportion. 

The potential for a distributed workforce 

to weaken social capital is real, so it is important 

to leverage the power of good workplace 

design and amenity to strengthen internal culture. 

Businesses will need to be intentional 

about this if they want an environment that 

attracts staff to the ‘mothership’. 

Read the full article here: 

www.waikatochamber. 

co.nz/opinion-pieces. 

Written by 

Brian Squair, 

Senior Principal, 

Chow:Hill Architects. 

EMERGE: With Thomas Nabbs 

from The Waterboy Monday 

December 5, 5:00 – 6:30PM at 

McCaw Lewis Lawyers, Victoria St, 

Hamilton. 

BA4: With Torpedo7 Te Rapa Wednesday December 7, 

4:00 – 6:00PM. If you are a non member and would like to attend, 

please email jenny.macgregor@waikatochamber.co.nz. 

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CHAMBER MEMBER? 

Find out more about the benets of a Chamber membership, in addition 

to the 60+ events we hold each year, at www.waikatochamber.co.nz. 

TO REGISTER: www.waikatochamber.co.nz/events 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: info@waikatochamber.co.nz, 07 839 5895 

Connect - Grow - Inspire - Represent

26 MOTORING 



e-Power tech a viable alternative to hybrids 

ELECTRIC MOTOR CHARGED BY PETROL-FUELLED ENGINE 

Dean Taylor 

In 2016, Nissan launched 

anew type of engine that 

blends hybrid and electric 

capabilities. Last year it 

was announced it was coming 

to Australia, and this month 

Nissan said the new X-Trail 

and Qashqai for New Zealand 

in 2023 with have e-Power. 

But e-Power is already 

available here—electric car 

specialists Hamilton EV 

imports the Nissan e-Note and 

Nissan Kicks. 

e-Power is an electric 

motor charged by a 1.2-litre, 

three cylinder petrol-fuelled 

engine, effectively a generator 

merging the driving experience 

of an electric car with a petrol 

machine’s ease of ownership. 

Nissan claims “e-Power is a 

true EV solution”. 

At its core is the same 

100 per cent electric motordriven 

technology used in the 

Nissan Leaf to deliver instant 

torque, power, efficiency and 

excitement. 

In high-power-demand 

situations, such as strong 

acceleration, the petrol engine 

and generator are used to keep 

the battery pack charged and 

can directly power the electric 

motor. 

The new option is popular 

in Japan, where it is commonly 

found in small cars such as the 

Nissan Note. 

It was a low-mileage 2021 

Nissan e-Note I drove—a 

completely capable hatch, with 

amazing power, smoothness 

and quietness, without the 

worry of “going flat”. 

Unlike a conventional 

hybrid, there is no mechanical 

link between the petrol engine 

and the wheels. 

Owners refuel the car at 

conventional petrol service 

stations as opposed to electric 

car charging points. 

I joked I was driving a 

Datsun 1200—the car that 

served my wife and me well 

when we were first married. 

But this new “Datsun 

1200” was no comparison 

to a standard ICE vehicle, 

especially an old-school one. 

For a start, even though 

modern ICE cars are pretty 

fuel efficient, it is pretty hard 

to beat 20-30km/litre of fuel 

in a vehicle with so much get 

up and go. To be fair, if you 

use that get up and go too 

much, the fuel goes as well. But 

drive properly and economy is 

fantastic. 

I averaged about 26km/ 

litre over three days—that’s 

3.8l/100km in today’s fuel 

efficiency language. My best 

was a trip at 3l/100km. 

And that was with climate 

control and sounds operating— 

nothing special to save fuel. 

Hamilton EV describes the 

technology as Series Electric 

and agree it is a way to get 

into EV driving, without range 

anxiety. 

For some,who might live 

remotely, travel long distances 

or not want to be held up 

at charging stations, it is a 

completely viable alternative 

to hybrid—and possibly a 

better drive. 

There is no plug-in option, 

but I guess that adds weight 

and cost. 

The e-Note itself is a handysized 

vehicle and good looking. 

It probably wouldn’t serve 

as a people mover, but for 

two people, a small amount 

of luggage, shopping trips 

or the around-town car it is 

completely perfect. 

My one also had a sports 

package—mostly about the 

looks I’m guessing, so it did 

look cool in some eyes, but 

wasn’t completely practical as 

the front spoiler was ground 

hugging. 

But Hamilton EV has a 

good range of the e-Note and 

Kicks in store—there’s one that 

would suit. 

As part of the deal, Hamilton 

EV has comprehensive car 

manuals translated into 

English, and also update 

software in the vehicles for 

Kiwi conditions. 

0800 31 32 33 

www.hamiltonev.co.nz

LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED FOR OVER 30 YEARS 

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WE WISH ALL OUR CLIENTS A HAPPY 

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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


EVOLVE YOUR LEADERSHIP 

A unique 8-week experience, over 8-months 

with established leaders from across 

multiple organisations 

Class of 2023 Intake Now Open 

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https://www.celf.org.nz/what-we-do/ 

Everyone’s investment 

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we can help you with yours. 

Speak with the Hamilton Branch today. 

E: hamilton@craigsip.com | P: 07 838 1818 

craigsip.com 

Turn to page 31 to read about our exciting new space 

Craigs Investment Partners Limited is a NZX Participant firm. The Craigs Investment Partners Limited Financial Advice Provider Disclosure Statement can be viewed 

at craigsip.com/tcs. Please visit craigsip.com.



Craigs commits to 

Union Square 

Fosters latest development project in central Hamilton, 

Union Square is changing the face of Hamilton’s CBD and 

will be a notable business hub for the Waikato region. 

Craigs Investment Partners 

(Craigs) will join 

other blue-chip organisations 

such as Rabobank 

and AA Insurance Service 

Centre, BBO and Baker Tilly 

Staples Rodway, by moving 

its operation to the last of the 

office spaces currently available 

in the recently completed 

Building F. 

As one of New Zealand’s 

leading investment advisory 

firms, Craigs has 19 offices 

across New Zealand and has 

been based in Hamilton for 

over 26 years. Craigs Investment 

Adviser Stuart Anderson 

and Area Manager Hayley 

Nelson note that they began 

searching for a new premises 

in the CBD back in 2018. 

“Our current premises have 

served us well but with a team 

of over 35 advisers and assistants 

we need more space to 

accommodate further growth” 

explains Stuart. 

“Our team is passionate 

We want to do 

more communityfocused 

activity, 

so having extra 

space will enable 

us to step up 

our involvement 

with charitable 

organisations in a 

variety of ways. 

about supporting the local 

communities in which we live 

and operate. We are actively 

involved with a range of community 

organisation and charities 

and provide regular educational 

seminars from our 

offices – our aim being to 

develop a ‘centre of excellence’ 

for investing.” 

Level 2 of Building F, on the 

corner of Anglesea and Hood 

Streets, provides the perfect 

location and a good amount of 

space. 

“Union Square already has 

great community profile” Stuart 

continues. “Being here will 

help us raise the flag for Craigs 

and show the Waikato the 

strength of our brand and our 

long-term commitment to the 

Hamilton CBD.” 

Hayley adds that whilst 

the Hamilton team have well 

established relationships in 

Hamilton and Cambridge, the 

team works right across the 

region, from Pukekohe in the 

north, Raglan to the west, Coromandel 

to the east and Taumarunui 

to the south. With 

that, their community involvement 

– supporting education, 

welfare, health, sport, and the 

arts – is extensive. 

Craigs have fully embraced 

Fosters’ vision of creating a 

business hub that will encour- 

Members of the Craigs team (L to R) Don Jones, Kay Green, Hayley Nelson and Stuart 

Anderson stand in the empty floor of Union Square Building F, soon to be Craigs Hamilton 

office. With consent in place, Project Manager Don says the new office will be “modern, bright, 

flexible and worth boasting about – a truly exciting space for our staff and clients alike.” 

age business back to Hamilton’s 

CBD. 

“We can clearly see the 

future of this precinct,” says 

Stuart, “and the future development 

of the south end of 

town as the new Waikato 

Regional Theatre takes shape. 

Combined with the unique 

people-focused experience that 

Fosters are creating, it makes 

for an attractive proposition 

for our business, our staff, and 

our clients. 

“We look forward to 

entrenching ourselves within 

the growing community at 

Union Square and look forward 

to welcoming clients and 

guests to our new premises 

very soon.” 

With the fitout consent 

now in place and the works 

sched-uled to commence in 

the com-ing days, the 

company is antic-ipating 

moving in early March 2023. 

Take control of your future. 

Buy your own business. 

0800 225 999 

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· Central Waikato location 

linkbusiness.co.nz/WK00257 

Rick Johnson 021 911 485 

rick.johnson@linkbusiness.co.nz 

Import/Wholesale/Distribution 

$EOI 


· Designed, imports & distributes B2B 

· Exceptional systems, well est CRM & customer 

relationships 

· Impressive sales & profits, minimal 

normilisations 

· Secure lease in place until 2028 


Therese Bailey 021 707 641 

therese.bailey@linkbusiness.co.nz 

Waikato Electrical Business $1,550,000 

SOLD 


· Operating 25+ years, wide range of clients 

· Experienced, qualified staff & apprentices 

· Cash surplus to working owner over $600k p.a. 

average over last 3 yrs 

· Fantastic reputation, many years of high 

profitability 


Successful Engineering 

$EOI 


· Established Waikato brand for 60+ years 

· Management Team in place 

· Impressive profitability to working owner 

· Good forward workload 

· “Blue chip” customers 

· Purpose-built offices and workshop 




Floating Restaurant $950,000 

Rotorua 

· Asset value over $1M 

· 30+ years of history 

· $500k surplus pre-covid 

· Reinstate or reinvent the business 

· Unique opportunity to relaunch this iconic 

floating restaurant! 


Theresa Eagle 021 289 0949 

theresa.eagle@linkbusiness.co.nz 

Liquor Store, CBD Location $1,470,000 

SOLD 

Hamilton 

· Spacious store 500m2 

· Plenty of storage and large chiller space 

· Great location close by the FMG stadium 

· Excellent fit-out 


Civil Engineering Practise $595,000 


· Great reputation and brand, established clients 

· Knowledgable & experienced staff 

· $250k ave earnings to 1 working owner 

· Opportunities for further growth 




Busy Café on Highway $275,000 

Hauraki 

· Café with accommodation onsite 

· 7 days a week, sales averaging $18-19k 

· Secure lease & rental agreement 

· Loyal Client base, prime location 




Funeral Home $350,000 

Waikato Surrounds 

· Current FDANZ Member 

· Large premises with Chapel & Mortuary 

· 3 Hearses, vehicle storage & workshop area 

· Earned $190k+ to 2 working owners in FY22 

· Located in Mid-North Island 

· Services a wide geographical area 


Reuben Silby 021 133 0624 

reuben.silby@linkbusiness.co.nz 

A Little Bit Different $190,000 

Otorohanga 

· Beautiful boutique clothing business 

· Well established, on-point branding 

· Good online & in-store sales split 

· SDE $94k, Sales Revenue $517k 




Fun Family Business $949,000 

SOLD 

Electrical Contractor $695,000 

SOLD 


· Multiple income streams 

· Reliable team of over 10 

· Great systems in place 

· Strong cash flow & good profit 



· Established 20+ years, impressive sales & 

profits 

· Strong processes & systems already in place 

· Solid financial performance, $312k profit 

· Future growth plans already in motion 


All LINK NZ offices are licensed REAA 2008

“We had a vision for what the new 

office would look like; what we 

have is even better.” 

Jaden Hatwell, Frank Risk Management Director 

Jaden Hatwell 

630 Victoria Street, once built for Newton King 

stock and station agents, has been repurposed and 

retrofitted for Frank Risk Management. Director 

Jaden Hatwell says they chose Fosters for the job 

based on their reputation in the region firstly, but also 

because Fosters promised delivery on a very tight 

timeline. 

The project ran from November 2021 through to June 

2022. 

“Our main objective was to create an awesome 

space for Frank Risk Management to call home, a 

space where our team would really enjoy coming to 

work” says Jaden. 

“At a time when materials were hard to get and 

working to a set deadline for the business to move in, 

we also needed to work with a good team to make it 

happen. 

“Fosters made it happen. They got involved in the 

design process with Edwards White, securing 

materials straight away. The process was smooth 

and easy; we were in constant communication with 

the site managers and any changes we made were 

easily accommodated.” 

Initially divided into three tenancies, the area is 

now one big open and modern space. A third of the 

original wooden floor was repurposed into a kitchen 

island unit, bookshelves, door handles and other 

fittings. “Recycling the wood was not only a nice 

touch, but it also feels good to know we have been 

able to reuse the native timber” notes Jaden. 

And would Jaden use Fosters again? “Absolutely” is 

his response. “Timeliness, cost being as expected, 

and great communications are all the reasons I 

would use Fosters again. 

“We had a vision for what the new office would look 

like; what we have is even better. Coming back from 

a time when a lot of people worked from home, we 

have created a space that everyone appreciates and 

wants to work in. The result is exactly what we were 

hoping for.” 

FOSTERS.CO.NZ . 07 849 3849

Waikato Business News November/December 2022

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