m a g a z i n e

from Joiners Magazine September 2020

PRODUCT focus

fashion & function 14

Beautiful, durable, functional - we look at some of the many options available in benchtops, sink inserts and taps as researchers and designers look to enhance the kitchen experience both in terms of function and aesthetic.

Offshore Success 22

Homag Australia boss Ross Campbell and AWISA organiser Geoﬀ Holland talk to Bob Nordgren about their careers, challenges, support and time in the business over the last 25 years.

SCM virtual expo 34

More than 4,000 on-line guests from 100 countries took part in a live streaming event in late July when SCM presented the latest technologies that would have been shown at various trade fairs that have been postponed due to Covid-19.

the Blum NZ story 46

Blum NZ Managing Director Mike Hawkins gives us the background and history that has seen Blum establish itself as a premier supplier of furniture hardware in New Zealand.

Contract Spraying 60

Masterton spray painter Penthouse Furniture Spraypainters has been in business for 25 years during which time they have acquired an impressive body of work which can be seen in many residential and commercial properties in the lower North Island.

Are we doing a good job together?

Congratulations Joiners

Magazine on achieving this milestone, 25 years and 100 issues. It was good to sit down with Bob recently and recognize the longstanding relationship with Joiners Magazine and the New Zealand Joinery Manufacturers Federation (Master Joiners). This publication is well received and I’m sure we all look forward to seeing it arrive in the mail. All the best Bob and your team for many issues to come.

So how do joinery and our related industries stack up against others in New Zealand? I was thinking about this recently and concluded that in many areas we do okay. Our business’s tend to be resilient and don’t come and go in the same way that some in other industries do. Overall working conditions are okay. We are pretty quick on the uptake of new technology. We are well served by material suppliers and we produce generally high quality products.

But what if we could lift our game and achieve more?

What’s in it for each of us and as an industry as a whole if we reach a bit higher? Well for a start a career in joinery could pay better, we should be at least on par with other highly paid professions and we have some ground to make up on that one. That would attract more people to our trade and allow us to train and foster the future. An increased joinery workforce, highly skilled and trained in their craft and also in management and leadership would ensure sustainability and succession. Business owners would enjoy systemised and therefore saleable organisations that employ great people.

There was reason for me to look over the NZJMF rules recently and I noted the objectives as: To promote and encourage the joinery trade generally and confer on all matters aﬀecting its interests. And also to secure its members all the advantages of unanimity of action.

Those objectives guide us as a membership organisation to help the joinery industry raise the bar. We can apply tactics to achieve this by providing learning opportunities for our members, bringing together industry partners to foster product development and and create awareness of technology available, collectively investing in research and development, and promoting what’s excellent about our trade such as how we are caring for the environment by manufacturing legacy products that will last for generations and not end up in landﬁll!

The strategy we are working to has three strands. Membership is all about fostering networks which is achieved regionally within our 10 branches, connecting regionally and nationally with our Associate Members and suppliers, and getting together at events like conference. The strength of these networks is demonstrated constantly, don’t go it alone. The Federation’s advocacy work is ongoing and we have “confer on matters aﬀecting industry interest” with MBIE, Worksafe, MOE, BCITO, Standards NZ. The annual (usually) excellence awards are another example of how we as a membership advocate to the public by showing what it really is that we do. The education strategy not only looks to monitor training of technical skills but to provide opportunities to strengthen our member’s organisations with professional development, mentoring, webinars, and by sharing tools and resources.

Have we got some traction?

I certainly think we have. Even through Level 4 lockdown regions connected using e-meetings, even Friday afternoon beers. Nelson Marlborough boxed on and held their Regional Excellence Awards via zoom. There has been good activity on the MJ website forum and the executive connected with members with a nationwide phone around. We have a growing and engaged membership, the basis of unanimity of action. Master Joiners have hosted a webinar series over recent months, one hour long on subjects speciﬁcally targeted at making our industry resilient and to raising the bar. There are more to come along with other opportunities to upskill and tool up, perhaps even see how your business measures up. Will you take up the challenge to help lift our game?

Covid virus containment allowing, we will look forward to holding our 2020/21 Inspired to Perform Conference in Hamilton on the 25th-27th March along with the Excellence and Apprentice Awards. Our members can also expect to see increased benefit delivered by year end in the form of Contract Templates and an eﬀective and robust Disputes Resolution process.

So have a think, are we doing a good job together? Master Joiners welcome new membership enquiries and encourage existing members to be active and contribute. Our networks, our voice, and our skills will determine how much more we can achieve.

Take care, stay safe

Paul Ingram National President Registered Master Joiners