Wellington Today Magazine issue #80

Issue 80 | October/November 2012

www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

Xeroing in Rod Drury, the digital doyen with a knack of making remarkable things happen Zero tolerance When it comes to climate change ‘keep calm and carry on’ just doesn’t cut it

Can house prices be controlled?

Olly Newland on how to slow down rapidly rising rent and property prices

An environmental ultimatum The Kiwi teenager who challenged the global community to step up and protect the planet

Small steps Little things that make a big difference • How Fraser Engineering fights fires with innovation • What your company can learn from the military • Personal branding for busy leaders • Tackling time management • Protecting your identity

Reader rewards in this issue…

Save $50 on your next run of business cards with Colourama on page 2 | Buy two SafeBottles and get a third for free on page 24 Grab yourself a half case of wine from myjobspace.co.nz on page 43 | Take advantage of the Amora Hotel Wellington’s delegate package on page 44 Get an audio-visual discount package with Vidcom for your Amora Hotel conference on page 45

The waste that won’t go away Yuk! Now this may be straight out of the ‘too much information’ department, but what people throw away creates a mammoth headache for local authorities all around the country.

In Wellington for instance, the city council’s waste-water infrastructure struggles daily with the tonnes of nappy liners, wet wipes, tampons and sanitary pads being flushed down city sewers, causing blockages in Wellington’s sewerage systems.

Council staff say clearing out the system costs Wellington City ratepayers more than $100,000 a year.

In Hutt City, Hutt Valley Water Services general manager Louis du Preez says maintenance staff spend an extra four hours a week unblocking pumps at the 16 Hutt Valley pump stations.

Never a pleasant task, it detracts from the high-value maintenance capacity contractors could be performing. The solution, says the director of Disbin Ltd, Helen Mays, is quite simple.

“Like all waste, sanitary and nappy waste needs to be captured at source, which is exactly what the Disbin disposable sanitary bins are designed to do.”

Disbin Ltd is a Palmerston North-based company, with its manufacturers, Charta Packaging, based in Lower Hutt.

The problem of flushing sanitary waste is not new; disposable sanitary pads have been blocking pipes since their invention over 60 years ago. What has compounded the problem is the sheer volume of sanitary and nappy waste, combining with fats and oils, to block the sewer pipes at every junction.

“Women can now buy disposable pads, tampons and panty-liners in every shape and size conceivable, and the waste disposal problem has grown bigger,” Helen explains. “There’s the added burden of disposable nappies, and both women and men using disposable incontinence products.”

Combine the availability of disposable products with an increase in population, and the city sewers are simply being overwhelmed.

Helen designed the first Disbin 10 years ago as a result of her teenage daughter’s personal needs and has refined and developed the product to its present form.

“It can sit on a dry floor or hang on the wall on a wall clip. It’s a bit of a family effort; my son designed the wall clip while studying for his industrial design degree at Massey University in Wellington.”

“The Disbin has a safe, biodegradable water repellant coating on the inside, an internal chute to conceal the contents and comes with a commercial sanitiser, so there’s no odour.”

The cost savings for users of the disposable Disbins are significant, she adds.

“We once had a plumber in to unblock a sewer pipe and the cost was $270. That was 10 years ago; I imagine the costs are much higher now. The low cost of a disposable Disbin and its low carbon footprint is a much more sustainable answer to sanitary and personal waste disposal.”

The Palmerston North City Council was first to endorse the Disbin, saying that savings to the council were “exponential”.

The eco-friendly disposable sanitary bin option has provided hostels and backpackers, cafes and commercial offices with an eco-friendly low-cost option, rather than contracting a commercial sanitary bin service.

“We’ve now got Disbins all over the South Pacific, from both New Zealand and Australian divisions of Scott Base Antarctica, through

Three designer recycling bins for separating recycling and collecting disposable nappies at source.

to the Cook Islands - and we’ve also been steadily expanding our product range to provide other sustainable solutions to waste disposal,” Helen says.

The new Disbin products include a biodegradable, disposable food waste bin, used at Massey University in Palmerston North and Albany to collect food waste on campus.

“It’s the first time they’ve been able to separate food waste from the daily rubbish, because the Disbin food waste bins don’t require water for washing.”

While the collected food waste has a value as a compostable resource, its real value is in not contaminating other waste items and spoiling their potential for recycling.

There’s also a Disbin nappy bin for collecting disposable nappies.

With her background in occupational therapy and journalism, Helen says she is working hard on turning the disposable sanitary, nappy and recycling bins into a means of directly communicating with people.

“Charta Packaging in Lower Hutt is our Disbin manufacturer and they can produce photographic quality images on the Disbins. I call the concept ‘the Art of Recycling’.”

Being able to communicate with the community by running a visual promotion on the Disbins is a long-term strategy for Disbin Ltd. “It’s the Art of Recycling because Disbin nappy and recycling bins provide a blank canvas for artwork or publicity, and give appropriately themed marketing campaigns relating to say health, wellbeing or recycling access to places that are normally off-limits.”

Phone: Business: 06 3537275 After Hours: 06 353 72 75 Mobile: 027 22 44 154 Email: info@disbin.co.nz Website: www.disbin.co.nz Mailing Address: PO Box 1793 Palmerston North, 5301 New Zealand Street Address: 6 Firth Place, Awapuni, Palmerston North, Manawatu, 4412 New Zealand

Sue Lund of The Learning Connexion in Taita, displays her own painted Disbin recycling bin, decorated in the same style as she has painted the TLC Campus.

Disbin Ltd director Helen Mays, with the Disbin food waste bin and Disbin disposable sanitary bins.

Issue 80 October/November 2012

Issue 80 | October/November 2012

www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

Xeroing in Rod Drury, the digital doyen with a knack of making remarkable things happen Zero tolerance

Contents

in this issue…

Viewpoints

Features

Business

6 Business development

11 Can house prices be controlled?

26 Focus

When it comes to climate change ‘keep calm and carry on’ just doesn’t cut it

Can house prices be controlled?

Olly Newland on how to slow down rapidly rising rent and property prices

An environmental ultimatum The Kiwi teenager who challenged the global community to step up and protect the planet

Small steps Little things that make a big difference

• How Fraser Engineering fights fires with innovation • What your company can learn from the military • Personal branding for busy leaders • Tackling time management • Protecting your identity

Reader rewards in this issue…

Save $50 on your next run of business cards with Colourama on page 2 | Buy two SafeBottles and get a third for free on page 24 Grab yourself a half case of wine from myjobspace.com on page 43 | Take advantage of the Amora Hotel Wellington’s delegate package on page 44 Get an audio-visual discount package with Vidcom for your Amora Hotel conference on page 45

Wellington Today

Issue 80

7,615 ABC circulation as at 30/06/12

www.wellingtontoday.co.nz HEAD OFFICE Academy House 47B Birmingham Drive Middleton PO Box 1879 Christchurch

MANAGING DIRECTOR Gary Collins

GENERAL MANAGER Rebecca Harris

OPERATIONS MANAGER Di Barclay

ADMINISTRATION Kylie Moore ADMIN MANAGER Kelly Clarke Judy Slater Stacey Coy Lucy Neill Rachel Cooper

SALES & ADVERTISING Melissa Sinclair SALES EXECUTIVES Grant Williams Mogens Petersen Rob Cochrane Evaon Watkins Aoife Dunne Melissa Kala Anthony Patrickson Kent Caddick Stuart Gunn Peter Black

NEWSROOM Jonathon Taylor EDITOR Corazon Miller JOURNALISTS Karen Pasco Melinda Collins Marie Sherry Phone: Fax: Email:

Motovated Design and Analysis MD Jonathon Prince discusses the pros and cons of developing products to deliver value

6 Management

Getting your head in the game - the cost of being at work in body, but not in mind

Labour Party leader David Shearer talks about the need to be hiring, not firing

8 Finance

What your company can learn from the military and making meetings matter

12 Business tips

14 An environmental ultimatum

7 Politics

Olly Newland on how to slow down rapidly rising rent and property price

Business improvement consultant Kevin Vincent discusses the need to keep an eye 13 Small steps on the competition Little things that make a big difference

7 Human resources

Financial adviser Alan Clarke reveals the big mistakes people aged 55 to 65 make

8 Legalities

The Kiwi teenager who challenged the global community to step up and protect the planet

15 Personal branding for busy

business leaders

Although your online personal brand is becoming increasingly important, it has also become harder to control

16 Cover story

Xero founder Rod Drury talks about how, Trademark attorney Angela Searle with the right attitude, staff and strategy, explains the Madrid Protocol’s influence truly remarkable things can happen on international trademarks and what this means for you 18 Zero tolerance When it comes to climate change and 9 Online the environment, the old stiff-upper-lip Website design manager Suzanne approach of ‘keep calm and carry on’ just Carter says selling online is all about doesn’t cut it communicating

20 Lifestyles

9 Productivity

Time management expert Robyn Pearce explains why your business won’t grow until you learn to delegate

10 Technology

Our gadget guru Ian Knott reviews the Xperia P, Sony’s latest smartphone

10 Events diary

Bling for your fingers, bags for the hand, a PC packing some punch, a Spanish abyss, island life and wine, retro lamps, espresso machines and more

22 Hot spots

Put a spring back in your step with three spots within a short distance of Wellington perfect for a quick holiday fix

Learn how Field and Hall earned its reputation as a leading local construction company with a knack for commercial and education based projects

30 Export

Having locked down the major supply contracts in New Zealand, Fraser Engineering’s fire appliance division is expanding to keep pace with international demand

33 Transport and motoring

How August Panel and Spray delivers the right care for your car

34 Property & construction

A recently completed state of the art culinary school built by Naylor Love is ready and set to turn out top quality chefs, and step inside Command Services’ total heating, ventilation and air conditioning service

Aesthetics Lighting Solutions transformation of living and working spaces, how Meat Direct gets the best fare for you and Computer and Telephone Services talk up VoIP and SIP solutions

Get a head start and plan your Christmas party now, how the Amora Hotel Wellington makes your stay a pleasure, all aboard the Parade Café, the Southern Cross Garden Bar Restaurant’s centre city oasis, discover the sweet tastes of Italy at Carrello del Gelato, and bringing dinner to your door with the Nosh catering company

38 Goods & services

40 Hospitality

This is where you find out what’s on near you

42

41

03 961 5050 0800 555 054 editor@academy.net.nz

PRODUCTION Ian Knott PRODUCTION MANAGER Carolynne Brown PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Jenna Day

DESIGNERS Sarah Betman Janelle Pike Jarred Shakespeare Phone: Fax: Email:

03 940 4732 0800 555 054 production@academy.net.nz

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Advertising feature articles are classified as advertising content and as such, information contained in them is subject to the Advertising Standards Authority Codes of Practice. Contents Copyright 2012

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The battle

against plastic

By Bridget Gourlay

In 2000, Dianne Collins was diagnosed with cancer. She was only 61. Her son, Gary, began to research the issue, looking for answers. What caused cancer and how it could be stopped were questions that began to plague his mind.

In Gary’s research, the same word kept coming up in all the information he read.

A chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA) was increasingly being questioned by reputable doctors and researchers and was being reported in mainstream health magazines.

The problem with BPA is it behaves similarly to estrogen. When enough of this accumulates in the body there can be negative health effects – that’s why BPA has been linked to obesity, diabetes, breast cancer and hyperactivity.

Gary’s mum died in 2001. But he couldn’t forget about the issues he’d come across.

“I discovered many possible causes of cancer that I’d never heard of before, and whether it’s a conspiracy, or simply ignorance by us, the general public, I feel it’s time people became aware of some of these issues.”

While BPA exists only in some plastic bottles, our standard day to day plastic bottles can leak out other toxic chemicals such as phthalates and antimony when scratched or heated.

The more Gary read about plastic bottles, the more the self-described ‘non-greenie’ came across uncomfortable facts about the environmental problems these drink bottles cause.

Plastic bottles are a petroleum product and use 151 billion litres of oil to produce each year. That’s enough to run 500,000 cars per year. In New Zealand, 78 percent of the time these bottles are not recycled and they go to landfills, where 700 years later they start to decompose.

A significant amount of the world’s plastic winds up at sea. There’s an area estimated to be the size of Texas (some say twice the size) in the Pacific Ocean known as the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’, a floating mass of plastic rubbish.

A lot of this plastic that ends up at sea gets eaten by hungry animals thinking it’s food. Many researches and environmental organisations list plastic as the number one threat to our marine environment.

All of this research inspired Gary to act. As the CEO of several successful New Zealand businesses, he turned his entrepreneurial eye to a solution that would stop people from using the chemical ridden and environmentally devastating plastic bottles.

The culmination of his research, and arguably one answer in the fight against cancer and environmental harm are SafeBottles. These BPA- free bottles are made from high quality stainless steel. Unlike aluminium, the inside isn’t coated with an epoxy lining, which becomes dangerous if scratched.

In fact, all commercial hospitality cooking is made in stainless steel for this reason.

And because they are stainless steel they can be re-used again and again – no more plastic clogging up our landfills or killing our vulnerable sea creatures.

SafeBottles come in 500, 750 and 1000 ml varieties and are designed in an assortment of colours. SafeBottles can use a custommade design, making them the perfect choice for a sports team or organisation.

Within a typical CBD, it’s easy to count how many free water fountains there are – usually about three, all within parks. However, corner dairies and supermarkets selling plastic drink bottles are ubiquitous – there’s one on every street. Gary’s grand vision for SafeBottles involves free water at petrol stations. He hopes thirsty customers would bring their SafeBottles with them, re-fill and drive away without buying a plastic bottle while they bought their petrol. This might cut down on the 168 plastic bottles the average Kiwi buys a year.

and the Drinking Water Standards for New Zealand 2005.

How often is the bottled water industry in NZ regulated?

Bottled water has far fewer health and safety standards to which it must conform to than municipal supplies. Bottled water simply has to comply to the Food Act 1981. It is also regulated as a packaged food product

by Food Standards Australia New Zealand.

Its regulations are nothing like the three separate organisations required to ensure our tap water is safe.

For more information contact SafeBottles: T 0800 777 444, E service@safebottles.co.nz www.safebottles.co.nz

Plastic facts What percentage of plastics used in New Zealand are recycled?

The figure is growing - in 2000 26,702 tonnes of plastic was recycled. Two years later the figure had increased to 30,190 tonnes.

Still, from our 242,000 tonnes of annual production, a shocking 190,000 tonnes is still being sent to New Zealand landfills every year - just 52,000 tonnes being recycled.

How many plastic bottles are made and/or consumed in NZ? In 2003, 125,955 tonnes of plastic packaging were produced in New Zealand. The average New Zealander uses about 31kg of plastic packaging each year. Globally each year we drink 30 billion throwaway bottles of water that’s 2.7 million tonnes of plastic.

How often is our tap water regulated?

Three organisations are concerned with the provision of safe and wholesome drinkingwater to any community in New Zealand, one at the local level, one regional and one with a national perspective.

Locally, the supply is owned by a local authority such as a district or city council, who extracts the water, runs the treatment plant to remove contaminants and pipes the water to your door. Under the Drinking-Water Standards for New Zealand 2005 (which applies to private and public water supplies, but not bottled water!), they are expected to test the water regularly to ensure it is safe.

The Ministry of Health, through the provision of standards, guidelines and other tools, has a national function to ensure regulations are in place. It works at the regional level through District Health Boards (DHBs). Each DHB is expected to oversee the local authorities and ensure, through auditing measures, that the local bodies are maintaining appropriate water quality.

Underlying the standards and processes is the Health (Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2007

www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 5

Viewpoint | Business Development/Management

Developing products to deliver value

Keeping an eye on the competition Kevin Vincent is a director of business improvement consultants Vincent and Nugent Limited www.vincentnugent.co.nz

Jonathan Prince is the managing director of Motovated Design and Analysis. For further information visit www.motovated.co.nz

The design process is a tough thing to get right. Many companies would like to develop a new product but few really understand what it takes to develop a successful product, the right way to go about it or the real costs in behind it.

The result is often a project that, if you’re lucky, gets to market simply well over budget.

If you’re not lucky, gets to market very late. Or if you’re particularly unlucky - gets to market over budget, late and, low and behold, it doesn’t actually meet the customer’s need!

Sound familiar?

Interestingly enough, the scenario that gets targeted the most is the cost overruns as this is the easiest to measure and the most tangible. It is however, the least of a company’s worries in terms of return on investment.

It’s a tough market out there and your competitors are working just as hard to get their product to market and no doubt they see the same opportunities you do too. All products have a finite life in the market and in this day and age, that life span is only getting shorter.

If a product is late to market, it doesn’t extend the life of the product; it simply reduces the ability of that product to generate a return. And this impacts it in the most profitable years. Product adoption speed doesn’t necessarily change and neither does the product’s twilight. It’s the number of profitable years that get impacted.

When developing product, companies really need to focus on utilising a robust development process that: • Identifies the core product requirements early • Ensures the product targets the ‘latent’ or underlying need of the customer • Gets that product to market as quickly as possible.

This brings me to my next point of really understanding the latent, or unmet, customer need and developing your product to target that need to set it apart from the competition.

Many companies are notorious for just jumping right into designing a product without the up front market research and analysis that’s required to ensure their product will hit the mark.

We’ve all been there... someone high up in the company, rightly or wrongly, perceives a need.

Without any real market research, the ‘urgent’ project gets thrust in front of the engineering team. Everyone else puts their five cents in and the project morphs into an uncontrollable beast.

Budgets go out the window, estimated time frames are long since passed, the engineers have their heads buried in their hands and management says ‘what a waste of money that was’.

If companies are to survive and prosper I’m a firm believer we must innovate to create ‘value added’ product that commands a premium and sets itself apart from the competition.

However, to do this without incurring unsustainable costs requires a well thought out and well executed process. Too often companies cut these simple corners only to find that it bears a huge cost.

If you’ve been struggling with your product development costs or are looking to start developing product and not sure how to take the first step, you can save yourself a lot of unnecessary heartache by setting up a robust development process before you go any further.

About the author: Jonathan has an impressive track-record in product design. His experience stems from working for some of the leading design companies in NZ, including Tait Radio Communications, Formway, Intercad and InFact. Jonathan is passionate about NZ innovation and has a strong focus on business development, process, and sustainable design.

The next Successful Product Development seminar Jonathan is running is with two other companies and in conjunction with New Zealand Trade and Exchange on September 13 in the NZ Trade and Enterprise boardroom at 139 Quay Street, from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. To register visit: seminars@motovated.co.nz

Increased competition is a reality and driven by many factors, including the emergence of a global marketplace, the increased number of companies and new technology that makes it easier for them to enter new markets.

Competition is great. It drives you to continually improve. It drives the quest for and the development of establishing a sustainable competitive advantage which is achieved through differentiation and unique selling propositions.

You can ignore your competition and lose, copy them and be a follower, or lead them and become a winner. Winners are always more successful. Take an offensive position not a defensive one and devote time to continual improvement.

The process should start with a general assessment of its product positioning, how it compares with yours on price and quality and its relative market share. Secondly ascertain its strengths and weaknesses and likely next moves.

Areas of strength Capabilities?

Competitive advantages?

USP’s (unique selling points)?

Resources, assets, people?

Experience, knowledge, data?

Financial reserves, likely returns?

Innovative aspects?

Price, value, quality?

Accreditations etc?

Management?

Areas of Weakness Lack of competitive strength?

Reputation, presence and reach?

Own known vulnerabilities?

Timescales, deadlines and pressures?

Cashflow, start-up cash-drain?

Continuity, supply chain robustness?

Morale, commitment, leadership?

Accreditations, etc?

Management?

Areas for opportunity

The next step is to counter these initiatives or deficiencies with your own strategy.

Market developments?

Competitor analysis will assist you to understand your competitive advantages and disadvantages relative to competitors.

It will give you a greater understanding of competitors’ past, present, and most importantly, future strategies. It will assist strategies to achieve competitive advantage in the future and it will help forecast the returns that may be made from future investments.

Industry or lifestyle trends?

The following questions should be considered: • Who are your competitors?

Competitors’ vulnerabilities?

Technology development and innovation?

Global influences?

New/niche markets?

Tactics: eg, surprise, major contracts?

Business and product development?

Partnerships, agencies, distribution?

Potential threats Political effects?

Legislative effects?

Environmental effects?

• What threats do they pose?

• What are the objectives of your competitors?

• What strategies are your competitors pursuing and how successful are these?

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors?

• How are your competitors likely to respond to any changes to the way you do business?

Competitor intentions - various?

Market demand?

New technologies, services, ideas?

Vital contracts and partners?

Loss of key staff?

Sustainable financial backing?

Economy - home, abroad?

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Viewpoint | HR/Politics

Getting your head in the game

We need to be hiring, not firing

Karen Degen is the owner of Set Free with EFT, a company that changes mindsets to create business success. Email karen@setfree.co.nz or visit www.setfree.co.nz

Presenteeism is the act of being at work but not really ‘there’. When employees are physically present but mentally absent the loss of productivity costs New Zealand businesses a minimum of $4 billion each year.

Mercola, states “I have long maintained that your emotional state plays a role in nearly every physical disease, from heart disease, to depression, to arthritis and cancer. If your thoughts and emotions play such a significant role in modifying your biology and your health (and I believe they do) then treating your emotions becomes an essential part of optimal health.”

New Zealand Treasury assesses the costs associated with absenteeism, presenteeism, working less and not working at all due to poor physical and emotional health. In its November 2010 paper it estimated the cost of lost hours at somewhere between $4 billion and $11.5 billion. Absenteeism accounted for just three percent of that figure, compared to 55 percent for presenteeism!

If emotional (leading to physical) ill health is costing New Zealand businesses between $4 billion and $11.5 billion per annum, it makes sense for companies to address this issue. Unfortunately taking a day off for physical ill health is still met with annoyance by many employers, let alone taking a mental health day.

Of the remainder, not working accounted for 23 percent and working less making up 19 percent of the estimated cost. This research shows that presenteeism is vastly more detrimental than staff being absent.

According to a Ministry of Health survey, New Zealand has one of the highest prevalences of anxiety, mood and substance abuse disorders in the world. Studies have found that emotional health issues diminish productivity far more than physical health issues. The two however, may be inextricably linked.

Many medical professionals are convinced that unresolved emotional issues are a major contributor to many illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stress related illness accounts for approximately 85 percent of all illness and disease. Dr Bruce Lipton, a cellular biologist and former professor of anatomy is convinced that figure is over 95 percent.

Stress is a complicated cascade of physical and biochemical responses to emotional stimuli. “As we think our thoughts and feel our feelings, our bodies respond with a complex array of shifts. Each thought or feeling unleashes a particular cascade of biochemicals in our organs. Each experience triggers genetic changes in our cells. Thoughts and feelings turn sets of genes on and off in complex relationships,” says Dr Dawson Church in his book The Genie in Your Genes.

New York Times best selling author and world leader in disease prevention, Dr Joseph

Even in the mental health industry this is not an acceptable reason for being absent.

A psychiatric nurse who has worked within the Canterbury District Health Board for over 20 years stated in an interview “If I said I was taking a ‘mental health day’ they would see me as weak and a slacker”.

Such is the culture within our own mental health system that she was reluctant to speak publicly on this subject and wished to remain un-named.

Taking emotional health days may not be the answer however, addressing emotional health certainly is. Many employers allow staff to visit a doctor during work hours.

Visiting an emotional health professional is not looked upon as favourably and may attract derogatory comments.

One step businesses could take towards addressing this problem is looking at the workplace culture in terms of attitude towards health, in particular emotional health. Many businesses still have the culture that staff should keep their stress or emotional issues to themselves, be strong and not let the team down. Unless the workplace culture changes, no progress can be made to lessen the impact of presenteeism.

Despite the appalling statistics, most employers don’t need studies to tell them that psychologically healthy people make better decisions and have better interpersonal behaviour. Basically, for colleagues and for customers, they are nicer people to be around.

David Shearer is the MP for Mt Albert and leader of the Labour Party

In 1881, a group of South Island farmers and businessmen established Summit Wool Spinners in Oamaru. For more than a century it forged a proud heritage of local skills and expertise in blending, spinning, yarn-making and exporting.

It grew into a high-tech international business; one of North Otago’s biggest employers. But in June this year, 50 jobs were lost at Summit Wool Spinners’ Oamaru plant.

That’s 50 households down an income.

This is happening too often. Seventy jobs were lost at Onehunga’s Norman Ellison Carpets in June. Seventy-one at Wiri engineering firm Flotech the same month.

Fifty-five were lost at Wellington’s Gould’s Fine Foods in July. Some of those staff had been loyal employees for more than 20 years.

There are lots of reasons why businesses falter or fail. But these weren’t fragile startups, or badly run. They were once very productive businesses.

The Government blames it on Europe. But our major trading partners, Australia and China, haven’t been in recession at all. In the last three years New Zealand’s GDP has grown just 0.4 per cent a year. The other non-European OECD countries have grown twice as fast as that. And in the same period Australia’s GDP grew 2.8 percent per year.

We’re falling behind.

Meanwhile we’re losing 50,000 good people a year to Australia because our wages are so low.

I listened to a speech recently by Professor Göran Roos, a world leader in innovation and intellectual capital. His research shows that each job in manufacturing generates between two to five jobs in the rest of the economy.

Flip that on its head and – given the right conditions – a few clusters of vibrant startups could help turn the tide in New Zealand. That’s what Labour wants to facilitate, and we have a plan for how to achieve it.

His research also revealed the countries that have recovered best from the global financial crisis are all focused on high valueadded export-oriented manufacturing. By manufacturing, I mean ultra-modern, clean, green, high-tech, precise: biotech, nanotech, cognitive science and ICT. What this all adds up to is the need for change. We need to modernise our economy and get some dynamism back into our productive business and export sectors. We need more of our own capital: this means a universal savings scheme.

We need to fix the tax system so we promote growth in exports instead of penalising it: this means a capital gains tax, and investing in science and innovation R&D. Our private sector spend on R&D is one third of the OECD average. Growing this will mean new products and ideas to take to the rest of the world.

We need to take the hard decisions and steadily raise the retirement age to 67. It’s essential that we provide for older New Zealanders and are fair to younger New Zealanders.

The Government also blames it on the earthquakes. They were devastating, but economically the rebuild of Canterbury now presents a source of growth.

Labour is thrifty. We ran budget surpluses for nine years, leaving the incoming National government with among the lowest government debt in the world.

We have tried to shield ourselves from declining living standards by borrowing money and selling assets. Consequently, our overseas liabilities from personal borrowing are among the highest in the world.

A modern economy like this will put a higher value on innovation, talent, skills, education and training, because these will enable New Zealanders to take advantage of the job opportunities of a 21st century economy. So we’ll invest in skills and education all the way through from early childhood to post-doctoral.

The IMF says our currency is persistently overvalued – currently by about 15 percent.

Labour is totally committed to Reserve Bank independence, and to a low inflation target.

Then we’ll see innovative exporters like Summit Wool Spinners hiring, not firing.

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Viewpoint | Finance/Legalities

The big mistakes people aged 55 to 65 make

Protecting your identity

Angela Searle is a trademark attorney for Trade Mark Intelligence who works with both SMEs and global corporations. She can be reached at angela@tmintelligence.co.nz

Alan Clarke is an authorised financial adviser with 24 years’ experience in the finance sector and can be reached at alan@acfs.co.nz

Retiring too soon This is a common problem, too many people think they have to stop at age 65, before finding out just what cash flow they will have/need in retirement. If it is just too little, they would be better working a little longer.

Just by working say two years longer means you can save for two more years, probably enough for an extra two years in retirement.

thousands. An independent adviser might help you see the wood from the trees.

Failing to understand what diversification really means You can’t pick the hot investments, no one can. Rather diversify properly and you will make good money in good times, and survive the bad times pretty well too.

Moving house too often while looking for utopia

Spending too much This is pretty obvious, do your homework and budgeting. However you may plan to gradually spend your money and “die broke” (easier said than done). Be smart and find independent advice to help you monitor how fast you are spending your money. Then if you “live too long” hopefully you won’t have to live out your golden years in poverty.

Spending too much on housing It is not much good owning a $500,000 house and having only $50,000 in the bank to supplement your (rather lean) govt super of $26,000 pa. Don’t get to retirement living in a castle with too little cash to supplement your super.

Worrying too much The news media will drag you into the mire.

Turn the news off and get out and about.

Utopia does not exist yet. I have seen people move up to seven times in five years looking for it. Imagine the moving costs, real estate agents fees, cost of new carpet, or curtains, or kitchen etc. It’s money down the drain!

Not living and spending too little You can’t take it with you. Get advice and find out how much you can safely spend if you are worried.

Not realising how much you can do in NZ on less than you might think There are dozens and dozens of free things you can do in NZ with an ordinary car and an inexpensive caravan. Be adventurous, go on the road and enjoy it all, we have a beautiful country.

Not taking sabbaticals while still working

Knowledge is power. Learn about investments as you save for retirement, and probably avoid the disaster some people incur when they put all their money into one or two finance companies.

Getting burn out, then quitting work (retiring too soon) because you are exhausted, is not smart. It will be cheaper in the long run to take breaks as you go along, so that you can have more quality of life and if necessary extend your working life. A lot of people like working; but don’t get burned out and then quit for the wrong reasons.

Helping children too much and leaving themselves short

Believing that you can pick the hot investments

Love them or not, they may have 25 to 40 years of working life in front of them, you don’t. Be careful, keep most of your money back for yourself.

No one can, rather buy quality and diversify widely. Beware of some apparently wonderful companies; the costs can be too high. After all someone has to pay for their big buildings and glossy brochures - and it will be you.

Not learning enough about investment before retirement

Not getting on-going financial & planning advice leading up to retirement If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Get advice – if it costs say $150 to $200 pa that is peanuts compared to what it might do for you. It might get you organised. It might save you thousands. It might even save you tens of

Your trademark is potentially one of your most valuable business assets. Your ability to use it, unimpeded, is something many of us take for granted. Come December, the Madrid Protocol is anticipated to come into effect in New Zealand and while this provides a simple, economic and flexible means to register your trademark overseas, it also means your mark is under more potential threat than ever before.

This could, for example, mean that you are unable to expand your business into geographical areas in which you are not currently trading.

While the system will make it easier to file in multiple countries, it also makes it more accessible for overseas entities to file here – thus increasing the risk of someone else registering your mark (if you have not done so), meaning that there may be competing rights to your mark.

raised during the registration process – and objections are commonplace.

If you do business overseas or have goods manufactured offshore, protecting your right to use your name on the international playing field has never been more important.

If you have not registered your trademark – your brand name, then you leave yourself wide open for someone else to swipe it from While working in Australia, I became familiar underneath you. with the operation of the Madrid Protocol, so here are some insights on what it means for I can register a trademark myself – why would I use an attorney?

New Zealand businesses.

Do you file your own tax returns? Would you What is the Madrid Protocol? write your own will? Registering a mark is the same. Yes you can do it, but it’s a case of you It is an international system, which allows don’t know what you don’t know. If you get businesses to file a single international it wrong, you might not know until someone trademark application and designate challenges you or tries to steal your mark out multiple countries in one application. This from under you… they might even succeed! makes the process more streamlined and saves time and money. There are currently The Protocol, while simplifying the process, 87 countries which are party to the Protocol, brings added complexity to getting the right which include some of New Zealand’s protection in the right countries. Effective major trading partners such as Australia, US, searches become even more important, and for someone not used to doing them, they can Europe, China and Japan. be difficult.

The Madrid Protocol also simplifies the subsequent management of the mark, since Many self-filers also go wrong by defining their goods/services too narrowly, therefore a simple, single procedural step serves not allowing them scope to expand the breath to renew the registration and to record of their goods or services being provided subsequent changes in ownership, or in the under their existing mark – or by filing an name or address of the holder rather than application to register a logo, whereas they recording each change for each would obtain much stronger protection if just individual registration. the word mark was registered.

Why it is important that I ensure my An attorney will also have more success trademark is protected? at overturning any objections that are

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8 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

It is expected that trademark applications and objections by foreign companies are likely to increase, so before this comes into effect, it is important to consider the importance to your business of having adequate protection of your trademarks.

Registering your mark is like insurance – it protects your good name. The name you have worked hard to establish. A professional puts you in the strongest possible position, now and into the future.

Viewpoint | Online/Productivity

Don’t sell - communicate

Share the burden

Suzanne Carter is the business development manager for website design and development company Limelight Online Ltd. To find out more visit www.limelightonline.co.nz

As every business owner knows, an effective marketing strategy is key to promoting your services/ products in order to grow your customer base and your revenue.

Traditionally, marketing has taken the form of print and radio advertising, seminars, emails to mailing lists and tele-marketing.

This is called outbound marketing as you are pushing your products and services out to your target market.

Inbound marketing focuses on driving relevant traffic to your website, converting that traffic to leads and finally, turning those leads into sales. Relevant traffic is driven to your website through an effective content marketing strategy, social media and effective search engine optimisation techniques.

This form of marketing is built on the belief that if companies provide valuable content and information to buyers on a regular basis, buyers will ultimately reward those companies with their business and loyalty.

Inbound marketing strategies provide a stronger impact by using online channels and in most cases, for significantly less spend. One of the main inbound marketing strategies is content marketing.

Content marketing is the art of communicating with prospective and existing customers without selling. Instead of pitching or attempting to persuade someone to buy your product or hire your services, you’re delivering information that educates buyers and makes them more intelligent.

Instead of developing ads designed to interrupt customers, you’re looking to create targeted, useful and relevant content for your audience using a variety of mediums including (but by no means limited to): Blogs. Write an informative blog that addresses a particular hot topic. Guest blogging is also a good idea to get your business name and brand known. It also builds your brand trust and credibility.

Videos. Produce a short video explaining how to use one of your products or provide an answer to a problem consumers in your industry might be having.

Podcasts. A podcast is like a radio show but instead of being broadcast live it is recorded then distributed online e.g. via your website.

E-newsletters. Put together a mailing list of your customers and potential customers and send them monthly short but informative newsletters.

White papers. Publish a white paper on a particular topic that is impacting your industry.

Webinars. Webinars are essentially web based seminars, so either arrange one with guest speakers or be a guest speaker yourself.

It is recommended that you do your research first to find out which channels your target market is most actively engaged with.

Any content you produce must be of a high quality and relevant to your business services or products and to your customers’ needs. You may need to hire the services of a professional copywriter to help you with getting the quality, relevance and tone right.

Once produced, your great content needs to be distributed and shared. This is where social media comes in. Get people engaging you - talking about your content, sharing it with their friends and followers, commenting on it.

It also must not be understated that content marketing is a very effective way of generating traffic, links and referrals to your site. All this will help your website perform well in the search engines which again increase your chances of being found by people looking for what your business offers.

Inbound marketing can build brands, drive engagements and, ultimately, lead to vital conversions. For these reasons, no company — no matter how big or small — can afford to ignore its benefits.

However, it doesn’t happen overnight! As with any marketing strategy patience is most definitely a virtue.

So focus on building connections and relationships via social media, produce amazing content and make sure that you communicate it and distribute it effectively.

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Robyn Pearce is a time management expert, helping people turn time challenges into high productivity. Visit www.gettingagrip.com

If you’ve got the desire to build a big business, if you see yourself as a budding entrepreneur, and you’ve never read ‘The E-myth’ by Michael Gerber, rush out and get it immediately.

One of the key points Gerber makes is that being self-employed is not the same as being a business owner. If you’re good at what you do and decide, based on that skill, to go into your own business, all you’ve done is buy yourself a job.

A business owner, on the other hand, isn’t wedded to the service or product that’s provided. They see themselves as separate from what the company does and if they’ve done their job well, the company can not only operate quite well without them, but is also an entity that can be sold.

Not sure what you can delegate? Don’t know if you can afford it? Try writing down a list of all the regular tasks you do in a week and estimate the amount of time spent on each activity.

Now, pretend you’re paying someone a wage appropriate to each task and put a dollar value beside each item, based on the ‘guestimated’ hours spent. For example, bookkeeping might be worth $35 per hour. If you’ve spent two hours this week doing the books you’d put $70 beside that one. If, on the other hand, you’ve done data entry, that may be worth $15 per hour. You’ve taken 30 minutes, so $7.50 goes in the column.

Now, ask yourself: “What is my hourly rate when I’m engaged in income-generating work? If I were able to free up some of these other tasks, would I be able to do more of my work, and if so, what income could I generate?”

If it’s higher than the value of the miscellany of tasks you’ve spent your days ploughing through, you’re doing the wrong work and you’re underpaying yourself. Find a parttimer or contractor until you can afford to pay more wages and keep your focus on your work.

Or if someone else could do the work far more efficiently than you, leaving you free

...that exceed all expectations

to focus on the work you’re best at – find them.

Every start-up business goes through this soul-searching. The need almost always comes before we have the money to pay for help, but if we don’t take that step we’ll never have the money to pay anyone, including ourselves!

Taking time As I talk to business people in all industries and at all levels it seems that interruptions are the single biggest issue.

We’ve come out of the dark ages where managers never communicated anything to their underlings, through the development of open communication and empowerment, to the point where many people feel they have to be available all day.

Open plan layouts compound the problem.

It’s easy to communicate with your team, problems can be shared rapidly, expensive floor space is saved and internal partitioning is relatively inexpensive. But they create another whole raft of problems, headed by interruptions. Open and free communication is great – but not that great! However, there are ways to minimise the down side.

How much more work would you get done if you had one uninterrupted hour a day? Does this sound good?

It’s easy to achieve. Create a company culture of Red Time. Translated, this means that everyone gets an hour a day when no one is allowed to interrupt. Colleagues take your calls, no interruptions are allowed from either internal or external sources, and you can concentrate on the ‘real’ work, or the ‘thinking’ work, impossible to do when fifty thousand people keep interrupting you.

As more and more people in a company adopt the idea it becomes easier to implement, for others start to experience the benefits.

A basic rule for Red Time is you must be meticulous about quickly returning calls and attending to people’s problems when you’re done.

If you have a lot of concentration work, try two blocks – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. And look for a time that impacts as little as possible on other people.

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www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 9

Viewpoints | Technology

News | Events Diary

Sony’s super smart Xperia P Events diary Ian Knott has been commentating on various forms of technology for the past 16 years. He’s had columns on gadgets, gaming, computing and digital entertainment in many newspapers, magazines and websites in New Zealand and overseas.

Since paying out Ericsson in a divorce settlement, Sony is travelling alone in the smartphone stakes. Its first solo effort is the Xperia NXT series – a range of three phones from the high-end Xperia S, which sits proudly side by side with the iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy SIII, the mid-range Xperia P and the more affordable sibling – the Xperia U. I got to take the Xperia P for a test drive and despite having an ever-present bad taste in my mouth from reviewing way too many Sony Ericsson Symbian-powered phones in the past, I found the Xperia P an absolute joy to use.

Google’s Gingerbread Android 2.3 operating system runs beautifully on the Xperia P, but the unit is fully upgradable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The price point and size of the handset places it head to head with Nokia’s Lumia 800 Windows phone. But there are several redeeming features hiding within the Xperia P that boost the model above its immediate rivals.

At 120g, the phone is no lightweight and at 10.5mm thick the sensation in the hand is a solid one. There’s no flexing or creaking when the phone is put under reasonable pressures, unlike the Samsung Galaxy range which feel like they could snap at any moment.

The scratch resistant screen holds up to the rigors of daily use very well, but the plastic framing around the Xperia P will soon start to show the knocks and scratches. There is also a small gap/groove separating the screen from the casing - which is probably the most disappointing design flaw.

If you’re like me and keep your mobile in your pocket for much of the day, then this groove will soon become a collector of fluff, lint and dust, further tarnishing the otherwise slick aesthetics.

Speaking of slick aesthetics, the crystal clear strip that encompasses the standard three home, back and menu buttons is a stunning

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 26

FRIDAY OCTOBER 26 – 27

Free Internet Marketing Course – Grow Wellington

2012 Tax Conference – New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants

Many businesses pay thousands to get found

by Google; these courses will show businesses how to do it for free and structure websites to be more effective. The course will also show you how to advertise with Google for as little as $200 per month and get more customers than businesses that pay more than a $1,000 per month. For more information go to www.spinningplanet.co.nz/free-internetmarketing-courses

Now in its 20th year the NZICA annual tax conference continues to bring you the latest news in tax law, changes and practice, and updates from leading industry experts. This event is ideal for all tax professionals at all levels and in all sectors. For more information go to events.nzica.com

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27 – SUNDAY OCTOBER 7 2012 Brancott Estate World of Wearable Arts

inclusion. Even for an old cynical tech-head like myself, this pressure sensitive strip had me grinning in appreciation.

The more you use the Xperia P, the more the built-in handy features begin to integrate themselves into your everyday life.

Clever NFC capabilities allow your phone to be used with the latest tap-compliant technology where just a touch of your phone will pay for services or acquire information from a vendor - something that will become increasingly more common in times to come.

The Xperia P also comes with four SmartTags - which can be programmed to do almost anything. Keep one beside the bed, one in the car, one at the office and simply touching them with your phone will activate preset commands. Starting up GPS navigation in the car and activating Bluetooth, or turning on WiFi when you get into the office and opening emails or reminders. They’re a clever innovation that can save a lot of time if your average day is dominated by digital devices.

The 8MP rear camera is as good as the industry topping high-end devices, but the inferior front camera is nothing to be proud of. The inclusion of a mini HDMI port next to the standard mini USB is a great touch, allowing the full 1080p video taken on your phone to be easily transferred to your TV. The Xperia P displays features that many more expensive phones would be envious of - and at just $649 (exclusive to Vodafone) will no doubt prove to be the mid-priced smartphone of choice to future-proof your mobile phone usage.

What’s happening on the business and entertainment front

The Brancott Estate World of Wearable Art Awards Show is New Zealand’s single largest art show, with more than 50,000 show goers from around the attending every year. In a breathtaking two-hour spectacular of dance, theatre, music and art, incredible garments are brought to life in a two hour non-stop spectacular. The garments are the top designs selected in the annual WOW Awards competition, which challenges designers to take “art off the wall and onto the human form”. www.worldofwearableart.com

TUESDAY OCTOBER 9 Chamber Business Networking Forum – Wellington Employers Chamber of Commerce

TUESDAY OCTOBER 30 Professional Ethics: What Would You Do? – New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants In an increasingly ethics-conscious world people seek out those they can trust. This course is an opportunity to receive the latest developments with regard to the Code of Ethics. The course has been designed to ensure you meet the requirement of undertaking four hours of NZICA approved ethical training every five years. Furthermore this course aims to go beyond the compliance aspect of ethical conduct and explores why it is good for you business. For more information go to events.nzica.com

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 22 Leadership Conference – Wellington Employers Chamber of Commerce

The 2012 Leadership conference will focus on practical solutions for your leadership issues.

How to lift performance and productivity by The Chamber Business Networking Forum not by spending more or doing more, but just is a Boardroom style gathering aimed at by doing things differently - doing things in a developing your business relationships leadership way. To register email with other Chamber members and business training@eccc.org.nz or visit the website leaders. Take this opportunity to share insights www.eccc.org.nz about each others’ businesses and business issues, expertise and contacts. Meet other TUESDAY NOVEMBER 27 chamber members who may be valuable to you and your business. To register email Mastering Powerpoint and Word; Handsevents@wecc.org.nz on Learning – New Zealand Institute of

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 19

Chartered Accountants

PowerPoint and Word skills are mostly self-taught. Learn quick tricks, develop core knowledge and add value to your daily tasks. Undergo step by step training, see free templates and receive custom help on specific Understand how lean thinking can generate remarkable value for your business, no matter problems. After attending this session ugly reports and presentations will be a thing of its size or what industry you work in. Gain an introductory set of tools and practices you the past, you will improve your productivity can use to grow value for your customers and and learn about the most useful Word and staff. For more information go to Powerpoint functions. For more information events.nzica.com go to events.nzica.com Lean Thinking – Develop Your People, Improve Your Processes – New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants

SUNDAY OCTOBER 21

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 5

Diwali Festival of Lights

The Great New Zealand Santa Run

A major fundraiser for KidsCan, the Santa Run concept is simple – a 2-3km fun run/walk in a Santa suit! Each adult entrant receives a free Santa suit and a goodie bag as part of their entry fee. While Santa Suits are provided previous years have also had a lot of fun innovative costumes including elves, Rudolphs and lots of other characters who make the Bring along the whole family to sample run and are rewarded with a spot prizes for the colours, sounds, tastes and spicy the best dressed at each venue. All proceeds aromas of India. Highlights of the festival go to KidsCan a charity which works to ensure include delicious food stalls, traditional and contemporary dance and music, and beautiful that all Kiwi kids affected by poverty can look forward to a brighter future. For more rangoli displays. For more information go to information go to www.lacticturkey.co.nz www.asianz.org.nz India’s best loved festival, Diwali symbolises the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and the renewal of life. To celebrate, families light small oil lamps (diyas) around the home and set off fireworks. Now you too can enjoy a taste of authentic Indian culture at Wellington’s 11th Diwali Festival of Lights.

10 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

News | Property

Can house prices be controlled?

By Olly Newland

It’s clear that house prices and rents are rising. The media run stories of astounding prices being achieved for what are sometimes old houses in less than mediocre condition.

Various talking heads have been asked “what should be done?” but have had no real solution other than saying more land should be made available. I’m sorry to tell you this, but they are all dreaming.

Let me tell you that more land may be the long term solution, but it will take many years for any benefits to be felt. What are needed are more dramatic moves that will get results without distorting the market.

For starters, a suggested capital gains tax, as some are clamouring for, will have the totally wrong effect. It would drive prices up even further. If such a tax were to be introduced it would result in a mass withdrawal of property off the market.

Think about it. If you have a property that you are considering selling, would you rush it onto the market if you were going to be slugged with tax? Of course not. After all, if you don’t sell you don’t pay tax. It’s a no-brainer.

Worse still, those pushing a capital gains tax want to exempt private homes. Well, that’s even sillier, because private home sales make up the vast majority of the market.

Under that system we will end up with mums and dads flogging off their houses for tax-free gain… leaving house prices to continue to rise.

Look overseas if you want proof positive.

Some of the countries that have capital gains taxes have suffered the worst property crashes. Such a tax does nothing to stop price rises.

Twelve months ago I predicted the coming current rise in property prices and told everyone the reasons why. That some sort of ‘mini bubble’ was forming has become obvious.

“

Twelve months ago I predicted the coming current rise in property prices and told everyone the reasons why. That some sort of ‘mini bubble’ was forming has become obvious.

”

The reasons for the current situation are: 1. The extortionate costs of council charges when building or subdividing 2. Escalating costs of raw materials 3. The loss of tens of thousands of houses because of the leaky homes scandal 4. The loss of thousands of houses from the Christchurch earthquake disaster

5. Slow but steady immigration and increase in population 6. The removal of tax breaks (small as they were) in the 2011 budget was a colossal blunder and I said so at the time. It wasn’t so much the money, it was the message.

The authorities openly stated that they wanted to discourage investment in

Olly Newland

Property Consultant Impartial, expert guidance

For an obligation-free session with Olly, call: 0800 66 22 80

property. Well, they succeeded didn’t they?

It discouraged many buyers from going into the market to provide rental accommodation.

7. We have GST on every new house or renovation. Think about it: A newly built $500,000 house carries a GST content of $75,000! So why build? Next door could be a second hand house for sale, GST-free and often loaded with extras 8. The ongoing effect of historically low interest rates cannot be overstated. So long as these low rates exist they have the effect of providing a hefty wage rise to the mortgage home owners as well as allowing borrowers to borrow even more. These low rates are likely to fall even further which will add more fuel to the fire. The worry that interest rates will rise sharply has so far proven to be an empty threat.

scandalously too expensive and make up a disproportionate part of building costs 4. Give first home buyers a grant towards any low cost home. This would only apply to newly built homes and that, along with the GST rebate would give a big boost to builders to provide low cost homes. There’s the nub of the problem: Builders cannot make a profit on cheap houses. Radical thinking is required to solve that conundrum

5. Give encouragement to investors to provide more affordable rental accommodation.

For those who provide long term accommodation, remove some of the more onerous restrictions of the Residential Tenancy Act. The emphasis is on long term.

If tenants could rent for years, free from the threat of eviction, able to call their house or flat a “home”, a lot of pressure Well, some might say it’s easy to criticise, but would come off the rental market. In what can be done? other countries you can lease a home for years if not decades. Think about it: If you Here are a few ideas: could rent back your own home (the one you live in) for, say, 30 years and use the 1. First home buyers should be given a GST money for business or similar would that rebate on new built houses of up to (say) not be attractive? Such a move would take $500,000. First time buyers only and not a lot of pressure off people who currently repeatable. That would be a good start for think they need to buy or face eviction at those who are trying to get on the property relatively short notice. ladder. Australia has something similar and stamp duty is rebated for first home With more than 45 years in the buyers. It’s the same general idea and property game, Olly Newland provides it works a consulting and mentoring service for 2. Reinstate the building depreciation people committed to making serious deduction allowances — thereby send out progress with property investments.

Whether it be buying, selling, holding or the message that being a property owner troubleshooting. If you’re interested in is no longer a sin knowing more, visit Olly’s webpage at 3. Shake up the costs involved through www.ollynewland.co.nz council and water charges. They are

Get skilled advice on residential and commercial property investment from Olly Newland, reknowned property expert, author & Authorised Financial Advisor.

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www.ollynewland.co.nz www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 11

News | Business Tips

Meeting the mark

By Stephen Lynch

I read a survey recently where participants were asked “What frustrates you most about meetings at work?”

You want everyone being able to say “We hit our targets, and we nailed our project milestones,” rather than having a whole lot of projects still up in the air, with staff still grinding away day after day, never feeling the thrill of victory. You want the team to be able to pop the cork and celebrate their achievements at the end of every quarter, not feel like failures.

The top reported frustrations about meetings were:

Everyone has a huge ‘to do’ list of things they could be doing – but what is the one thing - the one tangible bite-sized action they can complete this week that will move each project forward?

• No clear purpose or objective for the meeting • Meeting doesn’t start on time, stay on track, or finish on time • Repeating information for late arrivals • Too long • Not organised. No agenda • No specific action items or tasks assigned

If they can just get that ‘one thing’ done – that is the secret to strategic execution. Anything else they may accomplish during the week is a bonus — but everyone must know what their one thing is relating to each project. In many cases this also means being able to say “no” to anything else that comes up, and protecting your people from distractions.

• Allowing attendees to ramble

“

Meetings are crucial to drive effective business execution. Whether it is a weekly team meeting, a project meeting, or weekly one-on-one meetings with your direct reports - it is vital that leaders learn how to run effective meetings.

”

Business execution is not about working hard, • Weak presenter (unprepared, not inspiring or or being busy. It is about everyone taking the right action - each and every week – and motivating). nailing that one thing.

Some writers say there should be fewer Leaders must follow up at every meeting and meetings. What nonsense! The number of hold each of their people firmly accountable meetings is not the issue – the problem is for commitments made. most companies do not know how to create and run great meetings.

Fortunately, business execution software Meetings are crucial to drive effective business execution. Whether it is a weekly team meeting, a project meeting, or weekly one-on-one meetings with your direct reports - it is vital leaders learn how to run effective meetings.

As a leader, your aim is for everyone in your team to finish each quarter with a sense of satisfaction and achievement.

makes the leader’s job easier. You can create specific meeting agendas, and then use the software to drive the meeting and keep things on track. You can track everyone’s progress, and assign new tasks. It makes the job of holding people accountable so much easier.

Running effective meetings is one of the key skills business leaders must master.

What your company can learn from the military

By Stephen Lynch

Many modern management books write dismissively of the so-called “command and control” style of leadership (except of course when Steve Jobs was doing the commanding), and infer that this so-called military style of leadership does not apply in the modern business environment.

I wonder how familiar the authors are with how much the modern military has evolved – and how effectively they have overcome many of the challenges business leaders are only just learning how to master. Here is our take, derived from a blog in Three Star Leadership.

As we move from an industrial-based society to a knowledge-based society, it has become clearer individual employees on the front lines require the autonomy to make their own decisions in order to achieve high performance and feel fully engaged.

In order for employees to make the good decisions however, the organisation needs to have a clear strategy to begin with – a strategy that is well communicated throughout the company, a coherent strategy which all staff are aligned to in terms of their individual strategic priorities.

Only when you have a well communicated, coherent strategy will employees have a clear context for their decision making and know

12 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

the “right actions” to take, how to behave, what to say yes to and what to say no to.

There are far too many variables which occur on a day to day basis for “orders” to apply to every situation. This applies to warfare as well as business. Top military organisations use what they call a “mission order” to drive strategic execution.

equipment, training, mentoring and support the results are increased productivity, morale, innovation and agility.

• Do you provide clear strategic objectives for your people?

• Do you provide the appropriate equipment, training, mentoring and support?

A mission order could be compared to a strategic priority a business leader chooses for the quarter. It defines clearly the strategic objective that needs to be implemented without specifying “how” it should be accomplished.

• Do you let staff make decisions about “how” to accomplish the objectives?

The US Marines describe it like this: “We leave the manner of accomplishing the mission to the subordinate, allowing them the freedom to take whatever steps deemed necessary based on the situation. The senior prescribes the method of execution only to the degree that is essential for coordination.”

Elite military units seem to do a far better job than most businesses at getting this right.

The military has learned when clear strategic direction is given – along with appropriate

• Do you measure progress every step of the way and hold them firmly accountable for results?

Stephen Lynch is the chief operating officer of Global Operations at RESULTS.com and the information on this page was kindly provided by RESULTS.com: www.results.com

News | Small Steps

Small Steps to a more productive and efficient business

By Karen Pasco

Sometimes it is the little things that can make a huge difference to productivity and cost savings. Each may seem like just a little adjustment, but on mass can turn your whole business around and create a working environment that is more productive and efficient.

Overheads Eliminate unnecessary lighting – install motion detectors to control lighting in frequently unoccupied areas, such as restrooms and copy rooms.

Keep a close watch on energy consumption – set your thermostats to a lower temperature, turn off all appliances when they’re not in use and encourage staff to shut down their computers when they’re out of the office.

Look at paper usage – implement paperreducing strategies such as double-sided printing and reusing paper. You’ll save some trees, too!

Font and font size – is the font you’re using embellished? For instance, Century Gothic doesn’t use as much ink as Arial when printing. If you also reduce your font size from 12 to 10 or 11, then you will reduce the ink you use therefore reducing costs.

Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate – suppliers definitely don’t want to lose business so you have a real power to pull them down to the lowest possible cost. As long as service and quality are not compromised, then you can make some big savings.

Communication and marketing Communicate on online forums and message boards - you’ll interact with potential clients and customers — for free.

Be responsive – if you are going to use social media as a marketing tool, make sure you follow up any feedback you receive — watch for and respond to comments, questions and especially complaints. And when you are contacted as a result of offline marketing activities, respond quickly and professionally.

Start a blog – you can advertise, review your offerings and give free tips as often as you’d like without worrying about running up your budget.

Use Skype – instead of running up a hefty travel bill make the most of this free service.

Speak, pause, listen - when you have several topics to tackle, rushing through them to get all of your ideas out may be tempting.

But this causes confusion and makes staff feel their input is not important. Slow down, and remember communication is a two-way street. Establish a give-and-take that allows both parties to have their say.

Ask for feedback - one way to maintain long-term relationships with your clients is by keeping open lines of communication.

This means asking them for their input on how things are going and how they feel about the service you’re providing. This can

be accomplished by inquiring at the end of a project, during day-to-day conversations or through formal surveys.

Staff productivity Get more organised – individuals and businesses can get through a multitude of work with careful planning and organisation.

List your tasks, prioritise them and track the progress. You’ll find you get through more with a less haphazard approach.

Cost vs task - are you paying someone an unsightly amount per hour to do menial tasks.

Look at the tasks of each of your employees and yourself. Think about getting in a student or part-time worker to complete these tasks so you and your staff can be more cost effective.

Create some competitiveness – set goals and targets for your team members. This may provide a little healthy competition which will increase productivity. Ensure you have short term and long term goals and make sure everyone knows their contribution towards reaching them.

Do we need to do this? – look at all tasks performed within your business. Are you completing some processes just because they are historical or are they essential? Are some processes being duplicated by different people? Can the process be pared down or done when completing another task to save time? Check with staff who complete the jobs – often they have great solutions to

how things can be done more effectively and efficiently.

Be a positive person - present an attitude of positivity and approachability. Show staff you are available and willing to help them. Walk around with a smile, and make eye contact with those you pass in the hallways. Be friendly, pleasant and nice. Talk with kindness, encouragement, civility, and respect. Ask questions before making assumptions. Listen to others with interest.

Environment Look at the space – does your office reflect the needs of your staff? Do people’s jobs require them to interact with other staff members yet everyone is tucked away in their own office?

Are some people’s job sensitive or require privacy and yet they are in an open-plan environment. To get the most out of your staff and provide a productive workplace, match the space to the jobs.

Mobility When you lay your office out you can choose to have straight paths throughout your floor plan. However, it may be worth investigating paths that wind and curve around different work areas to offer a bit of variety to the work day. Worker morale is important to productivity, and if winding paths to get from one department to another help to break the feeling of structure and a rigid workplace, then it is something worth looking into.

www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 13

News | Rio+20

An environmental

ultimatum

By Corazon Miller

This side of the millennium has seen its fair share of green placard waving, so much so that many have become immune to the call of the environment.

But even here in New Zealand, with our vast expanse of green pastures and huge spreads of marine environment, there are problems left over from generations of slow action.

One New Zealand teenager has taken matters into her own hands; challenging the global community to step up and protect the planet from further environmental and economic decay. At this year’s United Nations conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Wellingtonian Brittany Trilford gave an impassioned speech for change in front of some 140 delegates.

The 17-year-old told the leaders to think why they were there; “Why are you here and what can you do here? I would like you to ask yourselves: are you here to save face? Or are you here to save us?”

As Brittany concluded her speech she delivered an ultimatum to those listening; “You have 72 hours to decide the fate of your children – my children’s children and I start the clock now.”

The conference commonly called Rio+20 was held over three days from June 20 – 22, the meeting where governments, international institutions and NGOs hoped to generate change; form measures to reduce poverty, promote decent jobs, clean energy and a fairer use of resources.

Broken promises Brittany kicked off the conference by criticising the 140 leaders present for failing to live up to promises made at the first conference held in Rio 20 years ago.

“They made great promises; promises that when I read them still leave me felling hopeful. These promises are left not broken, but empty. How can that be? When all around us is the knowledge that offers us solutions, nature as a design tool offers insight into systems that are whole, complete, that give life, create value, allow progress, transformation, change.”

The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon himself acknowledged the world has made little progress on environmental issues since that first meeting two decades ago. “Twenty years ago, the Earth Summit put sustainable development on the global agenda. Yet let me be frank: our efforts have not lived up to the measure of the challenge,” he told delegates.

“Far too long we have behaved as though we could indefinitely, burn and consume our way to prosperity. Today we recognise that we can no longer do so.

“The old model for economic development and social advancement is broken. It is time for all of us to think globally and long term, beginning here now in Rio.”

New Zealand at Rio New Zealand, while traditionally having a reputation for being clean and green, has problems of its own. Many regard our green paddocks and blue waters as part of the status quo – but if critics are right, change may soon be afoot, and action is needed now.

World Wildlife Fund New Zealand executive director, Chris Howe says his organisation’s recent Beyond Rio report highlighted New Zealand’s poor environmental performance since the original Rio Earth Summit 20 years ago.

“While the New Zealand government has little to be proud of, we urge the New Zealand delegation at Rio+20 to be a constructive part of the negotiations and to put true environmental protection at the heart of decision-making.”

However, Environment Minister Amy Adams at her opening address at Rio says New Zealand is committed to safeguarding the future environment.

“New Zealand has come to Rio with a hope – that in reaffirming and renewing the world’s commitment to sustainable development we will address the future of the planet and aspirations of future generations,” she says.

As proof by the closing of Rio+20 New Zealand had solidified its commitment to the global ocean partnership and gave support to an indigenous network which was also launched at the conference.

In Adam’s speech she highlighted the range of other commitments New Zealand brought to Rio+20: • Phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies: These are said to be in the range of US $400 – $600 billion a year. Money spent on fossil fuels is money that could be spent on other sustainable development priorities, health and education.

• Protecting the oceans: Sustainable management, conservation and protection of our oceans are areas that New Zealand feels deserve a more ambitious collective action. The oceans provide jobs, resources, food and impact on the global climate.

The problems At times it is certainly easier to sit in the comfort of our first world homes without a thought as to who will be left to tidy up our mess. We can quite easily pretend the third world does not exist, poverty is a choice, climate change is a myth and rising sealevels are fiction.

But the signs are there; our actions, or lack thereof, have consequences. Marine life is suffering, the water is being sullied, poverty

14 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

“

The old model for economic development and social advancement is broken. It is time for all of us to think globally and long term, beginning here now in Rio. - UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon

is rampant, famines are starving nations, droughts prevail and islands in the Pacific and the Caribbean are literally drowning.

Director general of WWF International Jim Leape says nations needed to set a new direction and mindset at this year’s conference. “Over the past few years we have seen how reckless mismanagement of the world’s financial capital can wreak havoc in society and yet we are treating the Earth’s finite natural capital in a similarly dangerous way,” he says.

“Rio+20 needs to set a new course for the global economy… in order to meet the food, water and energy needs of the future.”

Director of the French humanitarian organisation Charles Leopold Mayer Foundation (CLF), Pierre Calame, echoes Jim’s sentiments, saying it has taken some time for humanity to begin to understand we are sharing a planet that has a finite supply of natural resources.

for the better must happen. “It is a historical opportunity not to be missed.”

Small steps As the three days of discussing, debating and formulating plans came to a close, there were no miracles but there were promising signs of change.

An outcome document, titled “The Future We Want”, formed the foundation of the global leaders’ renewed promises to change.

Countries renewed their political commitment to sustainable development, agreed to establish a set of sustainable development goals and established a high-level political forum on the issue.

“By the time of the first Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the global community had begun to realise humanity had the potential to destroy the planet – not by war – but simply through our way of life.

It called for action including; detailing how the green economy can be used as a tool to achieve sustainable development, to strengthen the UN’s Environment Programme, as well as promoting corporate sustainability, steps to assess the well-being of a country outside of the normal GDP rating strategies for financing sustainable development, a focus on gender equity and the need to engage civil society and integrate science into policy.

“The first decade of the 21st century has witnessed repeated failures of international negotiations.” Part of the problem Pierre says is that the big powers are often reluctant to change.

However critics, environmentalists and anti-poverty campaigners have blasted the document as lacking both detail and ambition, saying more definitive action is needed – now.

Pierre points out the former United States president George W. Bush once said, “The US way of life is not negotiable”. But Pierre says it should be negotiable, the big-shots need to be challenged to create radical change.

He adds Rio+20 is the place where change

As young New Zealander Brittany Trilford put so succinctly without change “our future here is questionable… time is ticking”.

“We, the next generation, demand change.

We demand action so that we have a future and have it guaranteed.”

News | Your Brand

Personal branding for busy business leaders Social media’s impact on our business and personal lives is only going to intensify. Your colleagues, staff, boss, clients, suppliers, investors, potential business partners, recruiters and business connections are already judging you based on what they find about you online. Like it or not, you are a brand.

But while your online personal brand is becoming increasingly important, it has also become harder to control. Some call it the age of “radical transparency.” Thomas Jefferson’s advice that: “Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching” now truly applies.

Be strategic So how do you protect and build your online reputation? Above all, you must be proactive.

You must first define what is great and unique about you and clearly position how you want to be perceived – rather than allow others to define you. Doing so may determine whether you get the top job, win the support of investors, or gain the trust of potential business partners.

To position and market your personal brand strategically just as you do with your company brand, the following questions will help: • Who is your target audience – the people you want to appeal to the most?

• Completely fill out your LinkedIn profile: list all your past companies (not just your current company), education, affiliations, activities, and include a professional photo • In the summary section, market yourself by inserting the key personal brand messages you developed earlier. Don’t think of it as just a resume. Most profiles are just a boring list of facts. Here is where you can stand out from the crowd by effectively branding yourself • A rule of thumb I follow is to only connect with people I have had meaningful interactions with and where I am willing to personally vouch for them • Tell the truth – it is easy for people to contact your connections to verify information about you. Recruiters these days don’t just perform reference checks on the names you supply on a traditional paper resume. Now they search and make direct contact with anyone you’ve ever worked with or done business with

• What key benefits do you offer?

• Ask for recommendations from your connections. Don’t be shy. If you have done good work in the past this is where you provide proof and enhance your credibility

• What proof can you provide to back your claims?

• Recommendations from managers highlight your strengths

Using this framework, create two or three short statements that communicate who you are and what you want to be known for. Don’t make the mistake of passing yourself off Jack or Jackie of all trades.

• Recommendations from employees highlight your leadership qualities

• What makes you meaningfully different and special?

Rather than try to be all things to all people your personal brand will be far more powerful if you get very clear and focused about what you do. This advice applies equally to company brands and personal brands.

Less noise/more substance Invest time to cultivate an effective presence within all the key social media platforms.

Building a personal brand is not a one-off event. You need to be like a gardener and tend your plot regularly and not let the weeds take over.

Realise that social media platforms are just a means - they are not an end unto themselves.

It’s a common mistake for companies and people to make lots of noise online without having a clear brand strategy in place.

Linkedin As a busy business leader, if you use only one social media platform, use LinkedIn. The average user is in their early 40’s, well educated, earns a six-figure income, and more than 50 percent claim to be key decision makers in their company. Here’s how busy business leaders can get the most out of it:

• Time commitment to maintain an effective LinkedIn presence: 10 minutes per week.

Who are you really?

Many people mistakenly believe that they can separate their online personas into LinkedIn for business use and Facebook, Google+, and Twitter for personal posts. For sure, the style of content you post on each platform may differ, but always remember that everything you do online is searchable, so try to keep your brand identity consistent across all social media.

However, sharing elements of your personal life on all platforms makes you more interesting, and provides talking points that can deepen both your online and offline relationships.

So in summary - get clear and focused on who you are, and how you want to be perceived.

Then “live your brand” consistently. If you manage your personal brand wisely, it will serve you well for a lifetime.

Stephen Lynch is the chief operating officer of Global Operations at RESULTS.com Information kindly provided by RESULTS.com: www.results.com

• Recommendations from customers and suppliers show that you do great work and can be trusted.

Don’t just sit there!

• Use the status update function once per week to keep your network informed about projects you are working on, or to ask for help (e.g. let people know if you are looking to hire a new employee, or find a new supplier etc). This is a simple and effective way to draw on resources, and keep in touch with a lot of people simultaneously

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• Demonstrate industry leadership by sharing blog posts that you (or others in your company) have written that you think may benefit others in your network. This promotes both you and your company at the same time and keeps your name visible • Check your profile home page at least weekly. You will quickly see what everyone in your network is up to, and where you may be able to offer assistance.

• Build your network before you need it.

These are the people you want to be able to call on for support in the future. Make introductions and offer to help others where you can • Time to set up an effective LinkedIn profile and get recommendations: 2 to 3 hours

For Reservation: +64 09 925 0777 or or res@achhobson.co.nz 157 Hobson St, Auckland | www.achhobson.co.nz

www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 15

Cover Story | Xeroing in

Xeroing in A Hawke’s Bay surfer with some sharp ideas has made accounting a simple task for small business owners worldwide. Xero founder Rod Drury talks about how, with the right attitude, staff and strategy, truly remarkable things can happen.

Rapturous applause in recognition of an outstanding performance is enough to flatter any artist. When the management team at Xero received just that from the 400 shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting this year, it was indeed an indication of the solidarity and devotion the financial backers of this publicly-listed New Zealand company have developed.

When he passed School Certificate, Drury says he became the highest qualified member of his family. On holidays to Wellington he was introduced to an institution called university and it was then he made his decision to attend Victoria. There is no doubt his choice to go on to further education puzzled his parents, but as it turned out, it was definitely a move in the right direction.

Funnily enough the company has not yet made a profit, but the outstanding growth that has been achieved in the company’s short life and the strategies for future expansion had this congregation exalting its praises.

After completing his Bachelor of Commerce and Administration (BCA) majoring in Accounting from Victoria University, he took

It has much to do with the pragmatic, wily and personable man-at-the-helm, chief executive Rod Drury – an “ordinary bloke” from the Hawke’s Bay, who has the knack, know-how and entrepreneurship to take an idea and turn it into gold.

Drury was enamoured with computers at Napier Boy’s High School. As a teenager he could already see the potential in this new technology. His computer teacher Bob McCaw, father of one of the first TradeMe investors Phil McCaw, inspired the boys to delve into this new world which allowed schoolboys to become computer wizards.

Bob started a scheme where parents could invest $50 towards an Apple II which allowed those students to then take the computers home. It was in his Napier home where Drury would take the first tentative steps in learning his trade. “The magic of computing is like an assault on your brain. With computing you’re always solving a problem. Doing a project built more confidence and things got bigger and bigger and bigger,” he says.

16 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

“

by Karen Pasco

IT, bright business graduates with a little bit of technology knowledge, in that company.”

The company was sold in 1999 for $7.5m and still runs today as Intergen with Stewart still at the helm and more than 300 employees – something Drury is extremely proud of. The company’s success, he believes, was somewhat down to its location. “I think Wellington is good for that - being a government town where budgets have to be spent. It’s a great place to build services.”

I think Wellington is good for that - being a government town where budgets have to be spent. It’s a great place to build services.

up his first job at Ernst and Young. He says it was the place he learnt his foundation skills and started thinking about more efficient business systems. Once this apprenticeship was over, he knew he wanted to work in software development. “There were no software development companies to work for – so we just had to start our own. We created the jobs we wanted.”

The business partnership was with Tony Stewart and the company they developed was Glazier Systems – a software development and consultancy company. This new business didn’t just provide Drury with the job he wanted; it was also a platform for others.

“There’s a lot of people who got their start in

”

His next well-publicised project saw him develop AfterMail, email software that allowed users to capture, archive, retain and preserve as well as search for email. It was bought by California-based Quest Software for a multi-million dollar sum. “It was designed to be built up and sold quite quickly. The great thing about it was that it won the best exchange product at Microsoft TechEd proving it was world class technology, developed in New Zealand.”

It was in 2006 that he and fellow Xero founder Hamish Watson (who worked as the virtual CFO with him in AfterMail) launched Xero, an accounting software company which gives small business a real-time on-line accounting,

Cover Story | Xeroing in

invoicing, billing and bank system. A year later the company was listed on the New Zealand stock exchange. A brave move for a start-up business, but an essential one Drury insists all other New Zealand business owners should consider.

The need to boost the coffers in order to develop Xero in an industry where the slightest delay can cost was one of the catalysts for listing on the New Zealand Stock Exchange. Another was that with a huge capital input also comes the ability to put in to place long term plans. “We wanted to be a global business from day one. The only way we could do that is if we had some big venture capital.”

Drury knew he had to ensure the story of Xero was heard loud and clear to all potential backers. A business story, he says, is important for any company either looking to be, or which are, publicly listed.

It helps gain momentum so people intending to invest know the full background and successes. It is also important for those who have invested, so they are continually updated on the company’s performance.

“Forty Two Below and Icebreaker have those stories. People like a good story, so what we’re doing makes a lot of sense. We have a real track record and passion for what we’re doing, so we need to tell the story so we can build more confidence in the market.”

Thus far this story includes a proven business model with strong growth prospects, growing market opportunity, compelling product offering, credible and capable management team, experienced board of directors and clear reasons for raising money.

Xero’s directors are a striking array of likeminded visionaries – TradeMe founder Sam Morgan, MYOB co-founder Craig Winkler, Works Infrastructure former chief executive Graham Shaw, and Xero chairman Sam Knowles who established Kiwi Bank. With this heavy-weight band of brothers at the top, there is no doubt big things are yet to happen.

Drury is obviously a good story teller. In total the company has raised more than $85 million in growth capital during the past five years (subsequent capital raisings since the initial IPO include $29m in March 2009, $4m from key US investor Peter Thiel in October 2010 and $35m in February 2012) with its corporate profile and credibility greatly enhanced. The company also has an employee share scheme which provides an incentive for long term motivation and performance.

With a publicly listed company comes the extra scrutiny. “It does get quite personal, but when you actually look at it, it’s my job to get out there and tell the story. You develop a thick skin.”

A question frequently posed is ‘when are you selling it?’ For Drury he sees this venture as an opportunity, to not only take the company through its infancy, but also to see it develop through its teenage years to adulthood.

“I could sell Xero but that’s not the goal any more. In the early parts of your career you want to earn some money. Now that I’ve built something that is really interesting, that is good for people, the thrill is in building a global team. There are 260 people all over the world now working for the company.”

Not content with just running his own show, Drury has held directorships on various boards. There was a stint as independent director on the TradeMe board, and he’s a

director of the New Zealand Stock Exchange and a member of Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Commerce Advisory Board.

Having the insight into how other organisations and institutions operate has definitely contributed to the way he developed his own businesses, he says. “As a CEO it’s good to do director roles at some time. I definitely recommend that CEOs look to do board roles and be active ‘sea level’ executives.”

There are also other interests. The Pacific Fibre project which would have seen New Zealand leap into a world of faster internet, opening up a multitude of small business opportunities, is one he says is not necessarily “dead in the water”.

“I’m still talking to government about it,” he says. The project had planned to build a 13,000km fibre-optic cable between Auckland, Sydney and Los Angeles at a cost of around $400 million however failed to find the financial backers to fund it.

Currently New Zealand’s only broadband cable link is provided by the Southern Cross Cable Network, a venture in which Telecom has a 50 percent shareholding.

He says that despite commentators saying the current cable has great capacity, the capping that goes on is ultimately costing New Zealand businesses. “Because of our involvement with Pacific Fibre we are experts on this now, and we can see the potential a network like this could offer.”

“

It does get quite personal, but when you actually look at it, it’s my job to get out there and tell the story. You develop a thick skin.

He believes government now needs to step up and work alongside technology entrepreneurs to ensure projects like this get off the ground. Drury says a chief technology officer, who would endeavour to look at ways the country could grasp opportunities and gain a competitive advantage over other countries, needs to be created. “It would be real game changing stuff.”

He still describes himself as an ordinary bloke and commuting between Wellington and his home in Hawke’s Bay is one way that Drury keeps the balance between home and work.

“It provides me with the best of both worlds.

I’ve tried with Xero to get it right. I really enjoy work, but I love to get out in the sea and have a surf, barbecues at night, spend time with the family. It also makes me really enjoy work more and the city.”

The shareholder applause at the AGM could have been because of the company’s latest

”

growth. Despite taking five years, from 2006 to 2011, to build up the first 50,000 Xero customers, in the past 10 months that number has doubled. It could have been because of the business’s increase in committed monthly revenue which has grown to $34.5m, compared to full year revenue to the end of March of just more than $19m.

It could have been because of the announcement that the company is considering a dual listing on the Australian Stock Exchange to make it easier for its Aussie partners and customers to invest. Or maybe, just maybe, it is because the message Drury delivers is one of confidence and optimism, full of passion and hope about the business he continues to build.

“We don’t have any doubt we’re going to be successful. You make sure you’re managing strategic risk, hire great people around you and control systems – it’s not rocket science.”

www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 17

Interview | carboNZero

Zero tolerance It’s difficult to find a hotter topic right now than climate change and the extent of our impact upon it. Considering what’s at stake, the old stiff-upper-lip approach of ‘keep calm and carry on’ doesn’t really cut it, and this is where carboNZero comes in.

The carboNZero programme was established in 2001 by Landcare Research New Zealand Limited. The programme is based on more than a decade of research on climate change, greenhouse gas measurement and carbon monitoring.

Its goal is to provide robust tools for individuals, organisations and events to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions or carbon footprint with the highest level of credibility and integrity.

Karen Pasco talks to carboNZero acting chief executive Dr Ann Smith about the programme, her role in it and what they’re trying to achieve.

What is the carboNZero programme?

“The carboNZero programme is a scheme that provides the rules and guidance for individuals, companies’ products and services to be certified as carbon neutral.”

Why was it introduced?

“Initially, the carboNZero programme was introduced for individuals and companies wanting to take action to reduce their climate change impacts. Individuals were concerned about the impacts of their air travel. Companies were concerned about the impacts of energy use and freight to overseas markets. In the mid-1990s there was an overseas campaign that targeted the ‘food miles’ associated with New Zealand exports.”

What research prompted its introduction?

“In the early 1990s, Landcare Research had a number of research programmes that focused on measuring greenhouse gas emissions and carbon monitoring. This research linked the concept of rewarding landowners for restoring native forest on land where production was marginally profitable with companies wishing to reduce the impacts of their carbon footprint. Through this research, Landcare Research created the first carbon credits in New Zealand and facilitated the first examples of companies becoming carbon neutral. The carboNZero programme resulted from this research.”

How does it work?

“You (individuals and companies) measure your carbon footprint, put in place a plan to reduce your carbon emissions and offset your remaining unavoidable emissions by purchasing carbon credits. The carboNZero programme then audits your carbon footprint and emissions reduction plan and certifies that you have met the requirements or rules of the programme. Companies that measure and reduce their carbon footprint can choose to be CEMARS certified (Certified Emissions Measurement and Reduction Scheme).”

What impact has its introduction had?

“The carboNZero programme has influenced the development of the voluntary carbon market in New Zealand and what actions are required to become carbon neutral. Over 700 organisations and many products across five countries have been certified through the programme. Over the past five years, the carboNZero programme has certified carbon footprints that add up to more than New Zealand’s annual national footprint, which is around 70 million tonnes of greenhouse gases. These companies are actively working to reduce their emissions.

“NOTE: the greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (from burning fossil fuels), methane (mainly from agriculture and landfills), nitrous (mainly used in electricity transformers); these gases have different impacts or global warming potential in the atmosphere; they are collectively measured as tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents where carbon dioxide has an impact of one.”

What businesses are being certified?

“CEMARS and carboNZero certified companies can be found in almost every sector including food and beverage, utilities, transport, airports, construction, finance and banking, higher education, health, tourism and accommodation.”

What businesses are eligible to join the carboNZero programme?

“Any business can register to become certified through CEMARS or the carboNZero programme. Any company required to report their carbon footprint or actively working to reduce their carbon footprint will find the framework and rigour provided by the carboNZero programme helpful.”

How are businesses reacting to it?

“The feedback that we get from CEMARS and carboNZero certified companies is great. You need a good measurement to identify where the hot spots are in your carbon footprint.

Generally, reducing your carbon emissions requires you to put in place electricity and fuel efficiency, water conservation, waste minimisation and green travel plans. These are all part of a company’s sustainability journey. Success in reducing emissions becomes part of a company’s story and great marketing material.”

What are some of its success stories?

“As a programme we have had many successes such as: becoming the world’s first internationally accredited greenhouse gas certification scheme under an international standard called ISO 14065, being recognised

18 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

“

Antipodes Water, carboNZero certified product

These leading initiatives are great to see. Not just seeing results from clients when they reduce their carbon footprint, but also when they reduce their costs as a result and New Zealand and overseas businesses become leaner and meaner. Those success stories really motivate the team.

- carboNZero acting chief executive Dr Ann Smith

”

by the Carbon Disclosure Project, being recognised by the UK Government, and now we have measured and verified over 75 million tonnes of CO²e.

day activities cause emissions and take action to manage and reduce the largest sources of these emissions (you can use our free calculators on our website to do this).

“To put that in perspective it means we have measured and verified footprints that collectively are more than New Zealand’s entire annual carbon footprint.

“Where emissions cannot be further reduced or are unavoidable, some organisations and people choose to invest in projects elsewhere that reduce emissions. This is most often done by purchasing and cancelling offsets from trusted carbon credit projects overseen by governmental or international agencies with the authority to issue tradable units or carbon credits created by these projects.”

"However, the success we really cherish and enjoy is the success and achievements of our clients. Clients that achieve world firsts, like the New Zealand Wine Company with the first carboNZero certified wine, Bridgestone and the first carboNZero certified tyre.

“These leading initiatives are great to see.

Not just seeing results from clients when they reduce their carbon footprint, but also when they reduce their costs as a result and New Zealand and overseas businesses become leaner and meaner. Those success stories really motivate the team.”

What are the major steps New Zealanders need to take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

“Burning fossil fuels for activities such as transport and electricity generation are generally where most New Zealanders emissions come from. But the most important contribution that individuals, communities, organisations and businesses can make, is to understand how their day-to-

What are some easy ways businesses/ farmers could reduce their greenhouse gas emissions?

“Farms are businesses and like most businesses, farms can look at energy and fuel being used in various parts of their farm. If you can reduce your usage, you are reducing emissions. And, by the way, you will reduce your costs, which can really help farmers. Just need to be smart about using resources.

“A large proportion of agricultural emissions come from livestock and fertiliser use.

Although it seems there is not a lot that can be done about this, there is some great research being done by Landcare Research and the other Crown Research Institutes – have a look at the greenhouse gas projects reported on their public web pages.”

Interview | carboNZero

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Bridgestone NZ’s Ecopia tyre, carboNZero certified product

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carboNZero acting chief executive Dr Ann Smith

J.Friend and Co, carboNZero certified product

What considerations do people need to make in various sectors?

“They need to first consider the fundamentals of the business e.g. what is necessary? Then look at all other operations, what could be done better, smarter and more efficiently.

Generally most industries will have a necessary function which emits emissions, but that function is imperative to use to remain competitive in that industry.

“For instance, a courier company needs to use cars and fuel to run their business. But what they can do is look to use more fuel efficient vehicles, look at ways of streamlining delivery runs, provide drivers training and incentives to operate their vehicles more efficiently etc. The courier company could also look at the energy use in their offices, waste to landfill and try to reduce the amount used. There are many things that can be done.”

What is your role at the carboNZero programme and your main objectives?

“I manage technical strategy for our programme and lead a team of dedicated environmental experts and auditors who are passionate about reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I am also responsible for the technical development and quality of the programme and related research.

I also participate in the development of international standards for greenhouse gas accounting and reporting to ensure that the certification of our clients is based on international best practice.”

What prompted you to take up this role?

“I was using the science and stories from the carboNZero programme as examples in my teaching in the UK before I came to live in New Zealand. I was running a masters programme in environmental management for business and all my

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VnC Cocktails, CEMARS certified product

“

What tertiary education have you completed and degrees/doctorates/ professorships do you hold?

We need our planet to be safe and healthy in the widest possible sense. Every little bit helps no matter where you are.

Through the carboNZero programme I can help make a difference.

- carboNZero acting chief executive Dr Ann Smith

students were middle and senior managers from business and industry. Later, I joined Landcare Research and I was delighted when I was asked to be programme leader for the carboNZero programme. I felt that the research programme had the potential to be a successful business.

“There is a real opportunity to take our expertise to the world and make a real, tangible difference in reducing emissions. I want to leave the world a safe and healthy place for my grandchildren to grow up in. I can’t do that alone.

“We only have the one planet to live on. No company would set out to trash the planet in its business plan. So the converse implies that the majority of businesses want a safe and healthy planet. If we needed to find another suitable planet to live on, we should have set out to find it 50,000 years ago.

“We need our planet to be safe and healthy in the widest possible sense. Every little bit helps no matter where you are. Through the carboNZero programme I can help make a difference.”

“I have a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in botany and psychology from the University of Adelaide, a doctorate in marine biology from the University of London, and a professorship in environmental management for business from the University of Hertfordshire.”

”

What previous roles had you been working in prior to this one and where were they?

“I have significant expertise and experience in environmental management and sustainable development strategies.

Previous roles include designing and running the masters programme that I mentioned above, sustainability coordinator for a large UK University and project manager for collaborative projects designed to help businesses improve their environmental performance.”

How do these contribute to your present role?

“Having a background in environmental management and real hands on experience in trying to reduce environmental impacts for large entities, have helped me to understand the problems our customers face and to tackle these with wider sustainability objectives in mind. This experience enables me to shape the vision for our programme to be effective for our clients and to make a difference for the environment.”

Where do you want the carboNZero programme to be in the next five years?

“I would like the programme to be world leading through its credibility and integrity.

I would like our programme tools and guidance to be easily accessible, practical to use and able to be integrated with existing business systems. I would like our brands to become symbols associated with clients and consumers who have made the environmentally responsible decision to reduce their footprints. I would like our programme to be making a difference for organisations and the environment on a world wide scale.”

How do you intend to get it there?

“By being science-based, robust and practical, ensuring that we continue to lead the world with our certification rules, tools and guidance. If participation in our programme helps our clients to reduce their emissions and costs and helps them meet stakeholder demands for sustainability action then it makes good business sense to do this. We are also working on some big projects, which will get attention. But in general, with commitment to our programme principles and hard work, we believe we can be the next New Zealand success story.”

If you would like to know how carboNZero certification could help your business call 0800 CNZERO or visit www.carboNZero.co.nz

www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 19

News | Lifestyles

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Mirabelle rings

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Premium computing

Ring ‘blingin’ fashion These gorgeous rings are part of the Mirabelle collection of rings and earrings designed exclusively for Kate Sylvester, inspired by the cult film and soundtrack Reality Bites; think Gen Y, first love, first heartbreak.

Each piece is hand-made in New Zealand and available in gold or silver. When it is not shining on a finger, keep this ring safe in its cute, red leather, love heart pouch.

HP all-in-one PC It’s the best of the tablet and smartphone realm rolled into one bigger and better package on the HP TouchSmart. HP promises that its latest touch screen computer will deliver some of the best touch technology that you will ever experience on a PC, on its biggest screen yet. Its cutting-edge touch technology with a sleek all-in-one design has resulted in a revolutionary PC experience. With its Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium system and tilting monitors, it is designed to be both comfortable and high functioning. An added bonus is the integrated apps and games that keep you entertained, informed and in touch.

RRP: $238 Available from: shop.katesylvester.com or Kate Sylvester shops nationwide

RRP: $2499 - $2899 More information go to: www.hp.com

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Island wine Obsidian Viognier 2011

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Tech savvy bottle opener

This boutique wine made on New Zealand’s own Waiheke Island is a must-have. With its pale straw colouring, this wine has floral aromas of honey suckle and citrus blossom with a subtle apricot and vanilla undertone. It has a refined but focused palate with sweet fruit and subtle oak giving it a unique complexity. Quite simply, it is the perfect partner to an evening meal.

iPhone bottle opener

Go to: www.obsidian.co.nz

The iPhone claims to do just about anything, from waking you up in the morning to recording your heart-rate. But there is one thing it hasn’t been able to do – until now; open a beer bottle.

The solution is simple; use this funky case turned bottle opener.

RRP: $39.95 Available from: www.notsocks.co.nz

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Sustainably fashionable Chica Rosa Clutch Bag in Silver

It’s the perfect clutch for any girl interested in protecting the environment. This beautifully designed bag has been hand-made in Brazil from recycled aluminium pull tabs. Made as part of an initiative to create work locally in Brazil, each bag is signed by the person who made it and you can also go online and read all about their lives.

This makes for a great clutch purse with a difference, one that is the perfect size for a phone, lippy and credit card.

RRP: $89.99 Available from www.boltofcloth.com

20 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

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“Green” tea Eco Cup – tea lovers edition An Eco Cup for tea lovers, this cute version of reusable coffee cups are made of stylish porcelain, which provides an alternative to the disposable coffee or tea cups. Take it to your local café, use it at home or show off your stylish earth-loving ways at the office.

RRP: $19.90 Available from: www.funkygifts.co.nz

News | Lifestyles

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Indonesia’s Island Collective Gili T Islands Just a short two hour, exciting (or terrifying – depending on how much of a thrill-seeker you are) fast-boat trip away from the Bali shores, are a set of picturesque atolls which promise a tranquil island holiday.

Bugatti diva espresso machine

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Coffee art

Crossing the Wallace line from the Oriental region over to the northernmost tip of the Australasian region, you will find the West Nusa Tenggara province and three of its most attractive gems – the Gili Islands of Gili Meno, Gili Air and Gili Trawangan.

Gili Meno is the smallest of the three islands, and with its castaway feel is perfect for honeymooners or those simply wanting an escape from civilisation. Gili Air is probably the least developed of the three and provides a real Indonesian island community experience for those who fear the tourist masses. Gili Trawangan is the most popular of the three atolls and as a result is commonly called the party island, with its spattering of bars and restaurants.

The Case Bugatti Diva espresso machine is the queen of all fine Italian design. Available in striking red or stunning chrome, this product features a 12-bar pump, 16-bar steam pressure, thermo block heating element, one litre water tank, a steam nozzle for frothing and heating milk and can be used with both coffee pods or ground coffee for 1-2 people. An innovative drop system stops any coffee escaping. With a quick warming time of two minutes this is truly an investment for your morning fix.

However unique characteristics aside, all three idyllic atolls are home to the powdery white sand beaches and sparkling turquoise waters, which provide an idyllic time away from the rowdy shores of Bali. With its clear turquoise blue waters and stretches of white beach, the land and island marine life, it’s a holiday that is both relaxing and exciting. Go diving or snorkelling, watch the marine life dart by, see the pretty corals in their glorious colour and watch the turtles laze in the warm tropical sun.

RRP: $2,099 Available from: www.whare.net.nz

Vespa table lamp

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Lighting up

However cat-haters must beware, being trapped on the island these feline creatures have bred and now rule the roost basking on the beach or in a café chair – just look before you sit.

Being car free may seem like another problem to city slickers, but these islands are so small going for a walk around doesn’t take long at all; and if you do get tired, on your way back there is always one of the horse-drawn taxi carriages.

This Vespa Table Lamp is a very special and elegant object - its inspiration comes from the headlight of the 1946 hub cover of a GS vespa. It is a must-have for scooter enthusiasts or for anyone who appreciates classic Italian design and style. This very practical and functional unit featuring some of the historical themes from over the years of Vespa production.

For those staying the night there is a range of accommodation suited to all budgets; from the five-star villas with all the perks, to a small beach-side bungalow.

For more information go to: www.gili-paradise.com

RRP: $595 Available from: www.iconic.co.nz

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Swiss Time Zuric Partime

Bolt of Cloth cushions

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Chic cushion wear

Choose from one of the many unique designs (linen or cotton) Bolt of Cloth has wrapped around its nice comfy cushions; from the New Zealand-inspired Tui in Red cushion cover, to the more exotic Las Senoritas. If these don’t fit your style – call Bolt of Cloth and it can, more often than not, custom-make a design to suit your needs.

This Swiss-made timepiece is a geometric version of the hourglass, which shows both the elapsed time and the proportion remaining. It is a work of art that is uncomparable; no ticking, no trickling, and no blinking digits.

A right angle within the circle shows the hours horizontally and the minutes vertically. The elapsed time is shown in white and the blue represents the hours left in the day. For those wanting a more traditional timepiece, never fear, a push of a button reverts the hourglass into a digital display of time.

RRP: $ 981.55 Available from: www.partime.ch

RRP: From $39.99 - $89.99 Available from: www.boltofcloth.com www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 21

News | Hot spots

Put a spring back in your step Winter, summer, autumn, spring rain, snow or shine – there will always be a time when some time out is called for. Personally, there is nothing better than just a short weekend or day trip away to leave me feeling rejuvenated and ready to face the week ahead.

Here are three hotspots within a short distance of Wellington that will give any city-slicker in need of a break the perfect quick holiday fix. From stunning coastal stays to a day trip to the beer country.

Boomrock Extreme experiences in an extreme location Just 25 minutes away from Wellington city sits a 3,000 acre farm, right in the middle of a wide expanse of nature’s best greenery, with breathtaking views that soar over the sea straight across to the South Island.

Boomrock, as it is aptly named due to the huge breaking waves that thunder against the 250-metre cliffs towering over the Tasman sea, is situated along 8km of stunning coastline on the North Island’s western side.

Made up of a divine lodge with its welcoming ambiance, a track where guests can partake in a range of car sports and the bunkers which provide guests with the opportunity to try out the lodge’s shooting range, Boomrock promises a holiday away from home for both adrenaline junkies and the more laid back type of vacationer. It’s also the ideal venue for weddings, corporate entertaining, birthday parties and family reunions.

The lodge, nestled comfortably into its natural surrounds, provides an ideal place to relax, lie back, enjoy the views and the warm feeling created by the huge wharf beams and the roaring open fire.

For those unable to sit still there’s a range of adrenaline inducing activities, including car racing, 4WD terrain, archery, knife throwing, extreme golf, claybird shooting and even the chance to fly a helicopter.

Boomrock is also the ideal place for a day trip; time it with one of the many events held throughout the year; from wine tastings and lunch to Cup Day cocktail parties.

The Boomrock team is more than willing to arrange transport from a preferred location, by coach or mini van. For a faster more scenic ride it can also organise a transfer with a Helipro chopper from Wellington’s waterfront that arrives at the lodge a mere six minutes later.

For more information on how to visit this natural escape go to www.boomrock.co.nz

BURNELL & SON TRANSPORT LTD FOR SUPERIOR BULK SERVICE THROUGHOUT NEW ZEALAND

Contact Wayne Burnell Cell: 021 281 5549 Email: burnelltsp@xtra.co.nz 22 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

News | Hot Spots

Wharekahau Country Estate

Tui Brewery To appease the blokes

Entrenched in history and steeped in pride

Head out to Mangatainoka to the founder of Tui beer’s, Henry Wagstaff, old stomping grounds; much of which is now occupied by a state-of-the-art brewery, which on a daily basis has the fragrant aroma of hops and malt wafting out of its crevices into the surrounding countryside.

The site, which is now made up of the Tui brewery and Tui Headquarters attracts more than 40,000 visitors each year. Its team’s innovation and passion about offering guests an unforgettable experience has certainly paid off.

On-site there is a welcoming bar which offers some ice-cold Tui straight from the source. Take advantage of one of the twice daily beer tastings and factory tours, check out the Tui brewery tower, visit the museum, the shrine to all things Tui, pick up a souvenir and see how the brand has grown and developed over the years.

Nestled between the vibrant capital city and the tranquil surroundings of the Wairarapa sits one of the earth’s most picturesque places.

After a few hours of beer sight-seeing, don’t let the hunger take hold; stop off at Tui HQ’s Kiwiana Café and eat one of the tasty lunches on offer. Try the Ken Hunt Toki Dark Hot Pot, a steaming hot beef casserole with a pastry lid, served with a portion of garlic demi baguette; or the Brewer’s recommendation, Wagstaff’s Paua Fritters - three hot paua fritters with fresh white bread served with lemon and tuimato sauce. Tidy it all up with something sweet to finish; the Gaylene white caramel tart served with ice-cream or the all-time favourite Jo Hirst brownie served warm with ice-cream and chocolate sauce.

Ranked highly on the travel advisory website Trip Advisor’s places to stay in the Wairarapa, one guest has ranked it as a place worth selling your kidney for.

As you wander into the Wharekahau Country Estate’s grand lodge, you are greeted by a breathtaking view over Palliser Bay, an array of antique furniture and heart-warming over-sized fireplaces which capture the grandeur of the “once upon a time” era. It’s a setting which is grand in design, yet still manages to maintain an intimate and welcoming feel.

Spend the night and be at one with nature in one of the luxurious cottage suites on the grounds. In true Wharekauhau style, natural

materials are used throughout the cottage suites, including clay tiles, pebble mosaics, plastered walls, rich New Zealand wool carpeting, cotton bed linen and hemp curtains.

The surrounding 5,500 acres of private land is painted with picturesque ancient forest, peaceful lakes and rivers and a wild and rugged coast. Guests are spoilt for choice when it comes to a route for walking, mountain biking, horse-riding, clay target shooting, archery, golf, or ATV quad-bike adventures.

After a day of adventure seeking, rejuvenate yourself with one of Wharekauhau’s range of day spa treatments for both men and women; from hot stone and therapeutic massages to face and body treatments.

Fix the hunger pangs with some of Wharekauhau’s decadent but simple fare.

Being a small property it prides itself on being able to tailor to each guest’s wishes to create a memorable dining experience, be it breakfast, lunch, dinner or a specially packed picnic hamper.

For more information go to www.wharekauhau.co.nz

Once you’ve had your beer and food fix, explore the rest of Mangatainoka with a range of non-beer related activities from the Tui National Park (the bird not the beer) to jet boating across the spectacular, scenic Manawatu Gorge, helicopter rides over the region and the classic New Zealand wine trail.

For more information go to www.tui.co.nz

www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 23

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Creating kitchens that cook Eisno Lifetech Appliances are now available to discerning New Zealand home owners who love to cook.

Eisno is a leading international kitchen appliances brand, with products including high-quality ovens, cooktops, rangehoods and dishwashers. The joint venture Italian brand is distributed throughout New Zealand by Team Robert Elite Limited.

Leading kitchen design

Eisno prides itself on offering highfashion appliances that help determine the style of any kitchen. Eisno is not just a kitchen appliances distributor brand, its target is to be a kitchen fashion leader, continually offering a full range of products backed by Range of kitchen appliances decades of professional experience in The word Eisno stands for “efficient, kitchen appliances and manufacturing innovative, stylish, noble and to Oceania users, who demand highoutstanding”. Each kitchen product is an original Italian contemporary design. end brand quality, leading product concept and fast service.

Eisno offers four different product series to suit the different purchase The company’s remarkable quality is requirements of its customers. due to the strict Italian manufacture The E-Basic range offers the most cost- standard system. Eisno products have only been available in New Zealand effective kitchen appliances that are since 2010 and have been specially well suited for rental properties and designed for the Oceania market. budget kitchens.

Eisno has worked hard to determine what New Zealanders want in their kitchen appliances and what styles they favour. Eisno’s factory is one of the largest OEM (original equipment Eisno’s E-Freedom products are ideal for manufacturer) factories in China. Its every level of purchase. Every appliance customers around the world include in this range is free standing, with no Whirlpool, Electrolux, CDA, Haier, with cabinet needed to install. millions of product units exported each year to customers in more than Finally, the E-Phantom range is Eisno’s premium product line designed for the 40 countries. luxury kitchen, and they are all Because Eisno supplies to many OEM limited edition. clients in Oceania, the company has The E-Aristo range is a fashion design range that is kitchen designer friendly, with new products to be released within the range in the coming months.

Success at Auckland Homeshow Eisno enjoyed great success at the 2011 Auckland Homeshow, with an even larger booth and more products available at this year’s Homeshow in September.

Eisno’s booth was eye catching, with the kitchen appliances stand using entirely bright acrylic and full LED lighting to highlight its product. The booth offered visitors an insight into how a modern kitchen can look.

The booth featured just 12 Eisno products, with all details available and knowledgeable staff on hand to help customers make the right decision for their kitchen. Eisno’s booth at this year’s Auckland Homeshow in September will be even larger and will feature 46 different products.

Eisno plans to not only bring New Zealanders a huge range of fantastic kitchen products, but will also offer the ultimate exhibition experience.

The first generation E-Phantom range all the safety and energy qualifications Prices across these four product series will be launched at the homeshow. The the market requires. The company has range from low-cost budget appliances team at Eisno expects E-Phantom to through to high-end products. However, its own parts warehouse to ensure overturn customers’ previous thinking future parts are all available, with all customers benefit from Eisno being a about high-end luxury kitchen products. products carrying a two-year premium factory direct-import brand, with low The 2012 Auckland Homeshow will run manufacturing costs passed directly onto warranty, as well as extended warranty options on some products. customers, who are able to purchase from September 5-9 at Auckland ASB Eisno offers a complete onsite service. Showgrounds in Greenlane. high-quality products at great prices.

All about Eisno • Eisno Lifetech appliances is an Italian brand offering high-quality stylish kitchen appliances that meet the strict Italian manufacture standard system • Eisno products are fully distributed in New Zealand by Team Robert Elite Limited • Eisno products are available in four ranges, to suit every budget and requirement • Eisno prides itself on offering high-fashion appliances that help determine the style of any kitchen • The Eisno range includes ovens, cook tops, rangehoods, dishwashers, free standing ovens and accessories.

Eisno Lifetech Appliances, 188A McLeod Road, Te Atatu South, Auck | T (09) 974 3226 | E enquiry@eisno.co.nz | www.eisno.co.nz

Focus | Field & Hall

Delivering

better buildings Building a good reputation doesn’t just happen all by itself. It takes time, skill and a whole heap of hard work. Field and Hall Limited has earned its reputation as a leading Wellington construction company specialising in commercial and education work.

History of Field and Hall Field and Hall’s origins date back to 1923, when Harry Field formed his own construction company in Wellington, HG Field and Co Limited.

His first job involved building the Public Trust Offices in Blenheim.

Later that year HG Field refurbished and strengthened the Wellington Town Hall.

Harley Field took over from Harry Field, and today Harley’s son Richard is the managing director In 1963 Alan Hall joined the business, which became Field and Hall.

The Field family is continuing the tradition of quality recognised throughout the Wellington building industry.

Field and Hall is a third-generation familyowned construction company based in Rongotai. It was formed in 1923 by Harry Field, with its core business today including commercial construction specialising in educational buildings, upgrading and refurbishment of buildings, warehouses, interior fitouts and earthquake strengthening in the greater Wellington area.

The company was founded on a strong ethos of trust and integrity, which has been passed down through the generations and still exists today. Field and Hall is committed to customer satisfaction and delivering high quality projects.

The company has been a registered Master Builder since 1962 and is today owned by the founder’s grandson Richard Field, who employs a skilled team of experienced employees.

Field is actively involved in the day-today running of each project. He acts as construction manager and oversees the quantity surveying and contract administration required for each project.

High quality construction work Field and Hall is a specialist in commercial construction and education work, as well as

This requires specialist knowledge, experience and the resources of a large and highly trained team of installers and floor preparation experts.

Proud to support Field & Hall Ltd P. 04 232 7003 F. 04 232 7229 E. wgtn.sales@hillsfloorings.co.nz

“But now, with the requirements for earthquake codes, some of those residential buildings are a lot like commercial buildings anyway, with steel and concrete, so in time we might do more.”

There are often many facets to Field and Hall’s work in any particular project.

Complete construction jobs frequently involve comprehensive interior fit-outs, with the company being highly qualified and experienced in this line of work, from sound-proofed recording studios to restaurant facilities and office refurbishment.

Any refit project can be applied to an existing structure, and as with all projects, the team at Field and Hall approaches an interior refit project with emphasis on the client’s needs, budget and timeframe.

The company has also successfully completed many projects at independent and public schools in the past five years. Each project has been completed on programme and within budget with very few issues during the construction phase of each project.

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Specialist installation.

Hotels, hospitals, office blocks, apartments, schools and supermarkets are just some of the areas in which hills floorings have successfully installed hard floorings, commercial carpets and vinyl.

doing an increasing amount of earthquake strengthening work. “We do construct some high-end residential work when people come to us, but we don’t go out there and actively market ourselves to residential,” Field says.

Specialists in Structural Steel Fabricating and Installation Whatever the project, whether a long-span portal frame warehouse, a multi-storey towerblock or seismic strengthening upgrades MJH delivers on time and within budget

MJH are proud to be associated with Field & Hall Ltd www.mjh.co.nz | Ph: 04 5682050 E: enquiries@mjh.co.nz

26 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

FREE QUOTES DRAINAGE & GENERAL CONTRACTING 24 HOUR SERVICE

Proud to support Field & Hall limited DEAN ALABASTER P: 0800 44 66 18 or 027 444 6618 A/H: 04 528 3064 E: dtd@xtra.co.nz PO BOX 37015, STOKES VALLEY LOWER HUTT 5019, WELLINGTON

Earthquake strengthening work Field and Hall expect to be doing an increasing amount of earthquake strengthening work in the next few years. Earthquake strengthening requires the retrofitting of supporting structures into buildings, using materials such as k-beams, reinforced concrete beams, sprayed concrete shear walls, carbon wrapping and micro piles.

Each project provides its own set of challenges and Field and Hall endeavours to find a cost-effective and safe solution to meet earthquake code ratings. The company’s recent strengthening projects have been completed ahead of schedule and within the agreed budget costs.

“We believe a lot of our future work will come from strengthening earthquake work,” owner Richard Field says. “It’s something that we will continue to do more of.”

Proudly supporting Field & Hall Ltd » Toilet Partitions » Washroom Accessories » Vehicle Accessories » Motor Bodies P. 04 570 5887 | E. alan@haleman.co.nz www.haleman.co.nz

Focus | Field & Hall

Working with Scots College

But before the building could go up, strong roots had to go down. “We used screw piles, which literally turn into the sandy substrate – 100 in all – creating a deep, solid footing,” Field says.

Field and Hall Limited has enjoyed a close working relationship with Scots College for many years and has completed several major projects at the private Wellington school.

“There were several advantages to this method, beyond strength; it was a quiet and speedy method – important when part of the build agenda was to work in and around a large school in full operation. Also producing far less vibration, the process literally screws the piles into the sandy substrate using a 40-ton digger. The end result is so strong that the building has achieved an incredible 133 percent earthquake-proof requirement rating.”

Richard Field says his company has been involved in five major projects at Scots College during the past seven years. “We’ve constructed a new two-storey science block and a new two-storey boarding house.

“More recently, we’ve totally refurbished the interior of the main building. In the last two years we’ve built a new sports centre and a new building called the Creative and Performing Arts Centre, which is four storeys and has a floor area of 2500 square metres.

The creative and performing arts centre has provided Scots College with a new pipe band facility, recording studio, drama rooms, music rooms, middle school administration area, offices, art and graphics rooms.

World class arts building Field and Hall has worked with Athfield Architects and Scots College in a partnership now spanning 10 years.

Scots College projects

The new $10 million creative and performing arts facility at Scots College is intended to last for hundreds of years – part of the established school’s on-going commitment to the future.

Field and Hall has completed several major projects for Scots College, including:

Underpinning this philosophy is a structure that will endure not only over time, but will also withstand rigorous seismic activity.

• A two-storey state-of-the-art science block

Completed in February, “The arts building posed significant construction issues,” Field says. “As it butted the historic Leuchars Wing, we had to introduce sheet piling and screw anchor piles that shored up the old building while construction for the new facility was carried out.”

• A new two-storey boarding house • A total interior refurbishment of the school’s main building • The new $10 million creative and performing arts building • The modern new Hodge Sports Centre.

The solution, put together by Field and Hall in consultation with the design team, brought considerable savings to the project budget.

The creative and performing arts facility is made up of a fire-protected, steel column-beam structure with reinforced concrete floors.

Growing strong relationships Field and Hall operate with a management ethos focused on building strong relationships with clients and consultants alike. This philosophy ensures projects are completed with a minimum of disruption and to the highest of standards. This applies equally to multimillion dollar projects as it does to the select residential projects that Field and Hall take on. These are typically complete remodelling projects or new builds, since small additions and related projects are generally outside of its project base.

PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH FIELD & HALL OVER MANY SUCCESSFUL CONTRACTS

Proud to be associated with Field & Hall

Tel: (06) 377 1331 E: info@prestigejoinery.co.nz Prestige Joinery Limited, 140 Perry Street, Masterton

T: 04 565 4391 | F: 04 565 4392 E: info@kiwicontractors.co.nz W: www.kiwicontractors.co.nz

ALL ELECTRICAL WORK

DOMESTIC | COMMERCIAL | INDUSTRIAL We are proud to be associated with Field & Hall Ltd for the Electrical Installation on the Scots College Sports Centre.

We are pleased to be associated with Field & Hall Limited

All Electrical Services - Data - Access Controls - Lighting Re-Wiring - EMG Lighting - AC Wiring - Switchboard Upgrades

3 STRUCTURAL STEEL & METALWORK FABRICATORS 3 HANDRAILS / BALUSTRADES 3 HOUSE BEAMS 3 STRENGTHENING STEELWORK

Tel: (04) 4732 743 Mob: (0274) 439 276 E: hightrev@paradise.net.nz

Phone: 04-939 1087 | Fax: 04-939 1154 | Email: atco@atcosteel.co.nz www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 27

Focus | Field & Hall

Scots College Hodge sports centre Field and Hall’s construction of Scots College’s world-class Hodge Sports Centre was less problematic than the new creative and performing arts building.

Sitting near the school boundary, the $3 million Hodge Sports Centre, which was designed by Athfield Architects, continues the idea of buildings creating borders for open, internal campus spaces.

The building is a state-of-the-art indoor sporting facility with complete automation of practice nets from the roof, exceptional natural light and award-winning construction methods that make use of curved glulam beams.

The light-weight building’s modern, translucent skin hugs the curved framework made of strips of timber laminated together.

“The construction was relatively simple – it was a matter of achieving the right connecting angle for the segmented arches and repeating it,” Field says.

The company took the requirements of the school into careful consideration and worked closely to incorporate design changes by both the school and the project architects, while ensuring it met the close schedule critical for the school’s operating needs.

While the sports centre is eye catching, its low profile means it does not impact greatly on adjacent residences.

Focus on education Richard Field says his company has completed a lot of education work during the past five years, with the Scots College work involving several large projects. “The Scots College work was one of the larger projects for us in education,” Field says.

“It’s quite unique because it’s for a private independent school and was carried out on a negotiated contract. We have an ongoing relationship with Scots College and they came directly to us. That arrangement doesn’t always suit, particularly in public school jobs where they’re required to obtain competitive tenders, although we have the ability to do that as well.”

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Providing electrical requirements since 1976.

Call the guaranteed Master Electricians, who have been proud to work with Field & Hall on the Scots College Creative and Performing Arts Centre project.

Our coverage of services includes: - Commercial Installations & Maintenance - Industrial Technology PLC Design & Installation - Maintenance Repair & Fault Finding - Renovations & New Work - Domestic Rewiring Alterations & Additions - Hot Water & Stove Repairs

28 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

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Field says this partnership with Scots College creates a unique situation in the education building sector. “We work very closely with the school and architects from the beginning of the project. We were involved from the design phase right through to the completion of the process. It works well because they get the benefit of our experience and our knowledge of how to build things more economically.”

Related education projects Field and Hall has completed include the new state-of-the-art gymnasium at Samuel Marsden Collegiate, complete with an international standard sprung floor.

The Hodge Sports Centre The Hodge Sports Centre at Scots College offers a range of facilities, including: • Automated practice nets allow for multi-sport use • A four-lane indoor practice facility for cricket, with specialised cricketing turf covering the entire playing surface • Built from translucent polycarbonate sheeting, the centre’s shell allows for a high level of diffused natural light and thermal insulation.

Award winning projects Field and Hall’s commitment to excellence has been acknowledged with many registered Master Builders’ commercial project awards, including a gold award and category winner for Scots College’s science wing, and a silver award for the new gymnasium project at Samuel Marsden Collegiate school. The company also received an architecture award from the New Zealand Institute of Architects for the Scots College boarding house project.

Focus | Field & Hall

Health and safety Field and Hall has developed its own health and safety management system with input from all employees.

Staff have ongoing input into the system, take part in tool box meetings and are involved with updating the hazards boards and carrying out regular spot inspections.

All accidents and/or incidents are reported and investigated and inductions are carried out for anyone entering our building sites.

In the last five years Field and Hall has had no serious harm accidents on any of its building sites and has only had two incidents that have resulted in lost time.

These were thoroughly investigated, and new measures were introduced as a result.

Field and Hall is a member of Site Safe and Hazard Co.

Focus on quality Field believes his company’s attention to detail and quality is the reason for its continued success during 90 years of operation. “It’s also our commitment to delivering each project on time. We’re very good at onsite supervision as well,” he says.

Wide range of capabilities

Field and Hall’s people

Field and Hall Limited’s portfolio of successful work includes the hospitality industry and commercial and industrial sectors. No industrial project is beyond Field and Hall’s expertise, including the recent reconstruction of an old factory to create new premises for Flight Plastics.

What began as a re-roofing project grew into a multi-million-dollar, design-and-build factory rebuild, making use of the existing concrete floor slabs. “We have a long-term relationship with Flight Plastics and we ended up negotiating the whole project. We’ve been providing construction services to this client for more than 20 years,” Field says.

“Where projects grow, we pride ourselves on completing the work efficiently and with a high level of quality control.”

Field and Hall is operated by a team of highly skilled and motivated people, including: • Owner Richard Field, who acts as the construction manager and oversees quantity surveying required for each project Field and Hall has built and fitted out two Speights Ale House premises in the Wellington area, as well as some related smaller projects.

While each construction project is unique, the company’s collective skills and expertise from nearly 90 years of construction allows it to accurately price, schedule and complete virtually any project to an extremely high standard.

• Office manager Raewyn Gee, who carries out all financial and administration tasks including health and safety issues • Construction supervisor Ted Hart, who undertakes onsite supervision • Construction foreman Mike Wood, who also carries out onsite supervision.

“To complete each project to a high standard we rely and benefit from the support, loyalty and high standards of workmanship of our subcontractors, who all contribute to a successful project.”

Field and Hall Limited PO Box 14-069 Wellington 6241 T (04) 387 9470 F (04) 387 2424 E info@fieldandhall.co.nz www.fieldandhall.co.nz — Advertising Feature

AWARD WINNING BUILDERS USE THE BOYS

Proud to be Associated with Field & Hall Ltd Specialists in: • Waterproof Coatings • Decking & Roofing Membranes • Joint Sealants • Plaster Cladding & Specialist Finishes • Registered Master Painters

“I’m the owner but I’m also fully involved in every project on a day-to-day basis. Regular site visits ensure I’m very aware of what’s going on. That’s a big thing for us. When customers talk to some building companies they’re not talking to the owner, but if there’s any problem with us you can talk to me and we will fix it.

Builders Plastics Contracting Limited 21 Burgess Road, Johnsonville PO Box 2417, Wellington p. 04 478 7554 f. 04 478 1131 e. enquiries@buildersplastics.co.nz

25 Bouverie Street, PETONE 9 Park Street, UPPER HUTT

0800 2 634 28 Big is GOOD!

Commercial, Domestic, Metal and Membrane Roof Specialists Proudly associated with Field & Hall for 15 Years

Phone 04 473 1552 | Fax 04 473 1551 | Email enquiries@premierroofing.co.nz

QUALITY WORKMANSHIP AT COMPETITIVE PRICES www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 29

Export | Fraser Engineering Group

Fighting fire with

High quality components

innovation

The demand for Fraser Engineering’s fire components is continuing to grow.

These components include hose reels, locker doors, collecting and dividing fittings, equipment holders, stands and clamps, nozzle systems and adaptors.

Fraser Engineering undertakes state of the art machining using CNC lathe and mill technology for both simple and complicated components in either small quantities or mass production.

Capabilities include CNC laser cutting, turret punching, folding and bar bending.

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The company will also assemble a product and provide a powder coating service and professional finish. In addition, it can provide an electroplating service for industrial and decorative purposes.

Fraser Fire and Rescue has all the major fire engine supply contracts in New Zealand

Fraser Engineering Group has come a long way since it was formed in 1953 as a small home business.

Today the Lower Hutt company is recognised as an international leader in building fire appliances and components.

Founder and chief executive John Fraser had a vision of expanding his technical expertise with the role he predicted computer technology would bring.

General manager Martin Simpson says this vision has now come to pass. “It is from this foundation that the Fraser Engineering Group has grown to be the number one in its field in the Wellington region.”

The company’s fire appliance division, Fraser Fire and Rescue, now has all the major fire engine supply contracts in New Zealand and is expanding to keep pace with international demand for its fire engine components.

One of Fraser Engineering’s key roles is the design and manufacture of fire appliances for clients. The company takes a comprehensive specification from the customer and completely designs the appliance around the chosen vehicle. It then manufactures and sources all parts for the highly skilled assembly team to take the appliance through to completion.

Fraser Engineering prides itself on the finish and quality of the product. It manufactures all types of fire appliances, from light response vehicles to heavy aerial pumpers and airfield fire fighting appliances.

Fraser Engineering provides fabrication services on both small and largescale products and projects for any size production run. Its plant includes stainless steel, aluminium and steel welding capacity.

Some recent projects include the Wellington Zoo marque roof, Britomart pop-up retail centre Cladding, Supreme Court screens, and Auckland Airport seat supply and installation.

It is led by company directors John Fraser, Martin Simpson and Raewyn Fraser, who head a staff of 90 and have demonstrated their ability to grow the company within the challenging manufacturing sector.

Emphasis on design and manufacturing

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Fraser Engineering is highly focused on design, as well as manufacturing. Its qualified design team is experienced in designing and developing complete products, on any scale from small to large. They are also experts in the use of 3D modelling software and can accept customers’ files in most formats.

Fraser Engineering exports its fire components throughout the world.

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E. sales@nzspringworks.co.nz 30 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

Cuts all gaskets, metals, glass, plastics, marble, granite, composites, rubber, wood... you name it!

P. 04 566 2661 E. info@nzfx.com W. www.nzfx.com 52 Wainui Road, Gracefield, Lower Hutt

Export | Fraser Engineering Group

Fire appliance fleet Fraser Fire and Rescue’s fleet of fire appliances includes light appliances through to heavy specialist vehicles.

The company has built a large range of rural appliances, from vehicles designed to service rural communities to bush appliances designed to fight bush fires in the most unforgiving terrain.

Its rescue aerial appliances are designed to give firefighters access to inaccessible locations in extreme urban locations and deliver high volumes of water to high-rise buildings.

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Airport and accident emergency vehicles are built for quick response situations. With large water capacity and high powered foam systems, these airport appliances are ready to meet the toughest of challenges.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force fire appliance designed and built by Fraser Engineering

Heavy appliances are the premium frontline response vehicles. Fitted with high-powered pumps, a foam system and large capacity water tanks, these appliances are built to deal with the most severe emergencies.

Securing contract a coup Fraser Engineering Group has secured a major contract to manufacture 46 fire appliances for the South Australia Country Fire Service.

The lightweight class of appliance is specially designed for quick response situations not requiring the power of a heavy appliance.

Fraser Fire and Rescue was selected above Australian manufacturers because it delivered the best overall result and was the best value for money. Martin says Fraser Engineering is renowned for its quality and innovation.

The medium appliance vehicles have larger body capacity than the lightweight for a larger range of equipment for emergency responses, while retaining the speed and agility of a lightweight appliance.

“Our specialist vehicle manufacturing team at the Fraser Engineering Group has a comprehensive knowledge in the building of fire and rescue vehicles and has worked on the manufacture of over 200 vehicles,” Martin says.

Fraser Fire and Rescue initially completed a contract for 23 units for the SA Country Fire Service, and recently secured a new contract to supply a further 46. The contract covers the supply of rural fire trucks for the next two years. In addition, the company has just been awarded a contract to supply both metropolitan heavy pumpers and rural type fire trucks for the Australian Capital Territory.

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“The company prides itself on understanding customers’ needs and ensuring an appliance is supplied that meets those requirements.

Unrivalled after-sales service is provided to customers in New Zealand and offshore by a dedicated customer service department.”

Ideal for rural fire requirements Fraser Fire and Rescue’s appliances are gaining global recognition, with the company now one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of fire appliances and equipment in the Southern Hemisphere.

“Fraser Fire and Rescue currently has over 120 vehicles on order and a healthy New Zealand

The demand for Fraser Engineering’s fire components is continuing to grow.

market share which forms an important manufacturing base, with over 40 percent of the company’s production being exported,” Martin says.

“Our range of appliances has been developed over many years and offers the ideal choice for many municipal and rural fire authorities and airports. Appliances are designed to ensure they meet the local environmental and legal requirements, and can be customised to meet our customers’ requirements.”

Congratulations to Fraser Engineering Group on their continued success, we are proud to support them.

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www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 31

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Export | Fraser Engineering Group

Leading the manufacturing sector

Fraser Engineering exports a large number of fire appliances to Australia.

Fraser Engineering Group stands out from its competitors through its ability to manufacture anything in-house.

Martin says the company has a fundamental knowledge of the value of engineering and manufacturing, which enables it to be the “powerhouse of revolution” that is now recognised in the fire industry.

“We are one of new Zealand’s leading machine shops and our product development team is second to none,” he says. “Having one of the best machine shops in the world at your fingertips - what do you think we can achieve?”

Digital development Fraser Engineering was the first company in Wellington to invest in computerised machine tools, and continues to set the standard. The asset base of the Fraser Engineering Group includes the very latest in engineering technology, placing it in the position of having the greatest pool of advanced engineering and design technology and expertise at its disposal of any fire appliance manufacturer in the South Pacific.

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The company is continually expanding and investing in technology and is currently installing more automated tool technology. It is undergoing a complete automation review with the aim of operating an automated 24/7 operation.

Fraser Fire and Rescue has recently secured a new contract to supply 46 new fire appliances to the South Australia Country Fire Service.

Fraser Engineering is continually growing and changing in order to meet the needs of the market. “We currently employ 90 staff and Frasers recognises its future depends on growing and nurturing our own talent,” martin says.

Fraser Engineering operates out of the Wingate Industrial Estate in Lower Hutt, with all manufacturing facilities close by.

The company is focused on expanding its local customer base for both small and large engineering contracts and single item production.

SUPPLIERS OF: STAINLESS STEEL: COPPER: ZINC: BRASS: ALUMINIUM

OUR HUGE NEW STORE NOW OPEN

Proud to support Martin, Raewyn and the team at Fraser Engineering Group

30 VICTORIA ST, PETONE Ph. 04 586 6681

Adaptation

“Our team of design engineers use the latest three-dimensional virtual design tools to ensure our customers receive a complete concept-to-completion service, giving unrivalled customer satisfaction. Our contract management and quality control also ensures that the most demanding of contracts are manufactured on time and on budget.”

Proud supplier to FRASER ENGINEERING GROUP Automotive Paint • Wood Coating • Powdercoating

This move would increase Fraser Engineering’s manufacturing capability and meet increasing local and international demand for its services in production engineering and the fire industry.

PH 0800 ALL METALS ( 255 638 ) - FX 0800 FAX MICO ( 329 642 ) - www.micometals.co.nz

32 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

Fraser Engineering Group 18 Peterkin Street Wingate Lower Hutt T (04) 568 6819 F (04) 568 6342 E inbox@fraser.org.nz www.fraser.org.nz — Advertising Feature

Transport & Motoring | August Panel & Spray

The right care for your vehicle Getting the right care for your vehicle really is one of those ‘no-brainers’ as it can save a fair bit of money and a lot of inconvenience.

State-of-the-art painting technology August Panel and Spray operates a fully equipped paint shop containing leading edge technology, including a large new spray bake oven. “We’ve had the new oven in for a year and it’s extra long and wide, with infrared heating,” Glen says.

Focus on quality and great service August Panel and Spray places a huge emphasis on completing every job to the highest possible standard, within the shortest time possible.

August Panel and Spray is now able to spray larger vehicles in its big new spray bake oven.

Factfile August Panel and Paint offers a range of high-quality services, including:

• Plastic welding

August Panel and Spray Limited 110 Nelson Street Petone Lower Hutt T/F (04) 568 5276 www.augustpanel.co.nz

Granitone provide a high standard in industrial coatings for surfaces that are exposed to severe weather conditions and need high durability levels.

• Gelcoat boat repairs

— Advertising Feature

The versatile coatings can be applied to any hard surface and dry in a matter of seconds.

• Spray-on liners

In addition, the team at August Panel and Spray can undertake gel coating repairs on fibreglass boats, colour matching the repair perfectly to the boat colour.

• Free loan cars available.

Spray-on liners

August Panel and Spray has two chassis straightening machines and also has considerable experience in vehicle restoration work.

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The business was formed more than 15 years ago by Glen August, who today leads a qualified and skilled team from large premises “We can get larger vehicles and high-top vans in Nelson Street, Petone. in it, which most other spray shops can’t do.”

August Panel and Spray is registered as a All vehicles receive the highest standard of structural repair centre with the Collision painting available, with August Panel and Repair Association and offers leading edge Spray recently moving into waterborne panel beating technology, including a 3D PPG paints. measuring system.

“There are only half a dozen shops in Plastic welding is done on site by qualified Wellington that have waterborne paints. There craftsmen who are experienced in the are less solvents and chemicals in them for specialised area of plastic welding. The your staff and the environment,” Glen says. company is an approved repairer for Vero, “They’re slightly more expensive, but you AMP, AMI, Medial Insurance, Lumley, Tower get better coverage so you don’t use as Insurance and Westpac Insurance. much paint.”

With well-deserved recognition for highquality repairs to European vehicles, August Panel is used by Armstrong Prestige, Audi and Another specialty service for August Panel and Porsche, Jaguar and Range Rover, as well as Spray is spray-on industrial liners for utes and Jeff Gray BMW and Mini. trucks. Brands such as Vortex, Granitex and

• Panelbeating • Spray painting

• Restoration work • WOF rust repairs • Free online quotes

August Panel and Spray has moved to using waterborne paints. <

The company that can help is August Panel and Spray Limited in Petone - a leader in automotive care with a reputation for providing the highest possible customer service for panel beating, spray painting and plastic welding.

Proud supplier to AUGUST PANEL & SPRAY LTD

The company offers great value for money and is always happy to give customers extra advice and service to help them out.

Automotive Paint • Wood Coating • Powdercoating

This focus on doing right by the customer was recently seen on TVNZ’s Fair Go, when August Panel and Paint offered its services free-of-charge to a woman whose car had been damaged after being towed away from an expired car park.

OUR HUGE NEW STORE NOW OPEN 30 VICTORIA ST, PETONE

Owner Glen August says he was happy to help the woman out of a difficult situation.

Workshop: 65 Nelson Street. Phone 586 9320 Mobile Hutt Valley Service. All insurance work.

Ring us on 09 525 1000 or visit www.wyatt.co.nz

Proud to provide professional service to August Panel & Spray

Ph. 04 586 6681

Congratulations to Glen August and the team at August Panel & Spray Limited from the team of August Insurance Brokers & Allfinanz Risk.

Phone us on 04 569 8749 or email chris@august-brokers.co.nz

www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 33

Property and Construction | Command Services

Clearing the air

Service division The team at Command Services recognises the importance of ensuring all installed equipment is kept in good working condition through routine maintenance. The service division provides regular maintenance arranged at intervals to suit the customer.

Not only does Command Services maintain airconditioning systems, it also has the diversity of skills and trades to cover all building services requirements, including heating and ventilation, refrigeration, electrical and general building services. Each contract is tailored to suit the client’s specific requirements and a 24/7 fault response is also available.

The service division is led by a service manager supported by a management team covering scheduling, pricing, administration and quality control, and a comprehensive team of Trade Qualified personnel.

Growing and expanding Command Services often works as a specialist subcontractor on projects, subletting some of its work for electrical controls and specialist installation. Subcontractor agreements are set in place for each project, allowing the subcontractor to work within the framework of the lead contractor.

HVAC services Command Services can supply and install: • chillers • boilers • cooling towers • air handling units • heat pumps • building automation systems • chilled beams • variable refrigerant flow/variable refrigerant volume (VRF/VRV) units • solar powered systems as used in energy efficient “green buildings” • ducting • chilled and hot water pipes • medical gas systems • lab gas systems

Command Services Limited in Petone offers a total heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) service, from design and installation through to complete building services maintenance.

• refrigeration pipes … in fact anything that is required for building air and water services.

The business has grown into an HVAC leader, based on more than 35 years of history and experience in the industry, operating through two separate divisions reporting to the operations manager.

General manager Anusheel Chandra says Command Services has doubled its revenue every year for the past four years. “We have a great team, with high standards of delivery, performance and quality,” he says.

Contracts installation division Its commercial/industrial division offers full supply, installation and commissioning of HVAC services for new or refurbished buildings. The division also provides design/ build facilities, including full construction drawings, as-built drawings and operation and maintenance manuals.

The contracts division is led by a contracts manager supported by a management team covering design, estimating, drafting, quality control and on-site management, and a comprehensive team of tradequalified personnel.

A high-tech company Anusheel Chandra says Command Services employs a unique team, who operate within an almost paperless system.

Full Circle Business Solutions Ltd are proud to provide IT support to Command Services.

04 461 7172 5 Moorefield Road, Johnsonville Email: info@fullcircle.co.nz

www.fullcircle.co.nz 34 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

Installers of commercial and industrial insulation

Proud to be associated with Command Services Ltd T: 04 568 4191 | F: 04 568 7387 E: nixeyinsulation@xtra.co.nz

“Our database is home grown and fully customised to our purposes. It runs all our contracts’ correspondence and financial information for analysis purposes, both internally and externally,” he says.

“Customers can request that information and reports be emailed. The aim is to move towards being a paperless system.”

All tenders are run electronically, with a user name and password system on the company’s website offering full access to all documentation. “Right from tender stage to moving into project stage, everything is electronic and involves web-based systems,” Chandra says.

“We aim to use technology wherever it provides a better experience for our customers or more efficiency for us.”

Property and Construction | Command Services

“

Testimonial “We recently engaged Command Services Limited to carry out a cooling system upgrade in an existing critical data centre site. We were very pleased with the way Command completed the contract, the standard of work was very high, and we would not hesitate to use Command again on this type of critical high risk work.”

Warwick Knott, project manager, United Group (NZ) Ltd

”

Experience in five-star Green Star construction

“We have some very skilled people on our staff. One of our managers, Neil Holtom, has worked with us for 35 years, and is an incredible source of historical knowledge around many of the sites we maintain.”

Command Services is currently working on a number of significant projects at universities and government departments. “We work mainly in Wellington. We now have a branch in Palmerston North, with a view to having a branch open in Christchurch later this year or early next year. Continued expansion is on the horizon.”

Command Services supports the community in which it operates, such as the Life Flight Trust and by entering in the recent Lower Hutt Duck Race, which raised funds for local community organisations.

Command Services recently finished work on the new hangar for the Royal New Zealand Air Force at Ohakea. The hangar is the first fivestar Green Star building in the country using the industrial rating tool.

Command Services was involved in the construction of New Zealand’s first five-star Green Building, the Meridian head office in Wellington. Its services included:

a suite of rating tool kits developed to be applicable to each building type and function.

• Supply and installation of chilled beams, two-stage packaged heat pumps, in-line circulating pump and full heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems

The industrial rating tool assesses the environmental attributes of new industrial buildings, as well as major refurbishments of existing industrial buildings throughout New Zealand.

• Supply and installation of heat recovery unit

Chandra says his company provided design services and installation, which involved construction drawings and technical innovation.

• Supply and installation of VAV boxes

“It’s a big project; a multi-million dollar project,” he says. “On site we’ve had a couple of project managers, a site engineer, drafting engineers and a lot of other people to manage those processes.

• Supply and installation of controls (building management system).

• Conditioned mechanical ventilation through AHU fitted with heat recovery wheel

“This is a one-off building and the project had its challenges,” Chandra says. “Being a Green Star building means there are a number of things you can and cannot use, but the building was successfully delivered.”

Command Services Limited PO Box 39 227 Wellington Mail Centre T (04) 568 8002 F (04) 568 8680 — Advertising Feature www.command.co.nz

Green Star is a comprehensive national, voluntary environmental rating scheme that evaluates the environmental attributes and performance of New Zealand’s buildings using

Central Plant Heating and Air Conditioning Product Specialists Proud Association with Command Services

Contact: E: epi.sales@energy-products.co.nz P: 04 576 9980 M: 0274 424 005

Proud to be associated with Command Services Ltd for many years and suppliers of INNOTECH HVAC Controls, CAREL Steam Humidification Equipment, BELIMO & SAUTER Control Valves & Actuators to the RNZAF Ohakea project.

Tel: (04) 499 3591 Email: sales@eurotec.co.nz Website: www.eurotec.co.nz

A world Leader in Air Conditioning Technology Our entire focus is on bringing climatecontrolled comfort to places where people live, work, meet and relax.

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www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 35

Property & Construction | Naylor Love - Le Cordon Bleu

A recently completed state of the art culinary and hospitality school in the heart of downtown Wellington is set to turn out top quality chefs.

It is home to both the industry renowned Weltec School of Hospitality and one of the world’s top culinary schools, Le Cordon Bleu, considered by many to be the world’s premier culinary arts institute, with about 30 schools worldwide.

An institute for

culinary arts Naylor Love demolished 70 percent of the old building and worked with the remaining 30 percent to create the culinary school.

Naylor Love Wellington has completed a range of major projects in recent years, including: • The $55 million, 5-star Green Star Pipitea Plaza in central Wellington, a 10-storey office block with sophisticated mechanical services. This project won a gold in the retail and business category of the 2011 Regional Master Builders’ commercial awards

The Wellington culinary school was constructed by Naylor Love’s Wellington operation. The four-storey building has a restaurant staffed by students that is open to the public, a 100-seat lecture theatre, a training bar and seven full training kitchens.

• The $62 million Plaza Mall in Palmerston North, a fast-track refurbishment and extension to an existing shopping precinct, including a three-level car park building

Project manager Stewart Peck says “We demolished 70 percent of the old building and worked with the remaining 30 percent, strengthening it to well beyond current requirements, and making sure the layout suited the school, including putting on a new warm roof.

“We also added some new space, which was the main structural part of the job. It was integrated with the fit out, and managed collaboratively by the same Naylor Love team to ensure that the needs of both clients (landlord and tenant) were met.”

The project, which took about 19 months to complete, was extremely demanding due to several factors, including its central Wellington site, the complex strengthening requirements, and the coordination of the school’s huge number of services.

“Being a cooking school, it’s probably got more specialist services than a hospital,” Peck says. “The space was very large, and the sheer number of services in the building made it challenging, as well as the complexity around finishings.

Significant projects

• Whanganui Base Hospital, a $37 million complex redevelopment, including construction of the perioperative block and acute services building while the hospital was operational “You’re in a kitchen with a lot of stainless steel, glass and specialist flooring, and then you’re in a hallway with feature lighting and amazing joinery, so there was a lot of variety.”

• The $24 million Trentham City Shopping Centre in Hutt Valley, a complex redevelopment of the Logan Plaza retail precinct involving new retail outlets and an undercover car park.

The project is a big success for Naylor Love, Le Cordon Bleu and WelTec. “Naylor Love is really rapt and the clients are as well,” Peck says. “There were some big timeline challenges and we were up against it, but as a wider team we managed to solve them.

The integrated programme was the most challenging aspect, as well as the size of the team. We were working in with a lot of people; there were three architects involved, one for each client.”

Naylor Love is extremely pleased with the completed Le Cordon Bleu project.

NME GROUP CONGRATULATE NAYLOR LOVE AND WELLTEC ON COMPLETION OF THIS HIGH QUALITY FACILITY. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning as well as service are all sectors in which we operate from Wellington’s largest mechanical contracting installations to heat pump repairs, servicing and maintenance.

8 Victoria Street, Alicetown Lower Hutt, Wellington Ph: (04) 589 0310 | Fax: (04) 586 0320 E: admin@nme.co.nz

36 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

Property & Construction | Naylor Love - Le Cordon Bleu

“

Naylor Love was required to build Wellington’s Le Cordon Bleu culinary school to an extremely high standard

We truly strive to understand the values and goals of our clients, not just what is on the plans or a specification.

Naylor Love has a proud history of serving the property industry in New Zealand for more than 100 years.

The company’s heritage has been built around a commitment to fostering long-term relationships and its continuous improvement policy, as it strives to deliver the best construction services to its clients.

Naylor Love, one of the largest construction companies in New Zealand, is an acknowledged leader in many aspects of best practice and lean construction.

The company employs about 300 staff nationwide, spread over five regional divisions. The Wellington division is led by Nick Clayton, who heads a team of about 45 staff members.

As well as a comprehensive construction management skills base, Naylor Love has retained a technical culture. This has provided the company with a practical and pragmatic site management capability augmented by the trade supervisors, who have an intimate knowledge of the project process ‘at the coalface’.

A quality offering Naylor Love is a founding supply chain member of the New Zealand Construction Clients’ Group, formed to promote and nurture the practice of ‘constructing excellence in New Zealand’.

Through a national benchmarking programme, Naylor Love measures its performance against national standards published by the Centre for Advanced Engineering.

The company benchmarks several areas, including: • Client satisfaction in product • Client satisfaction in service

”

Health and safety is another major focus for the company, which works in partnership with all team members to provide a safe working environment. It aims to be the leader in its industry, setting new standards of safety and achieving its goal of zero accidents.

Naylor Love is also focused on minimising the impact of its activities on the environment and promoting a culture of environmental awareness and commitment.

Leading the industry Peck believes Naylor Love is an industry leader for several reasons. “We truly strive to understand the values and goals of our clients, not just what is on the plans or a specification,” he says.

“The important stuff takes a bit more digging but that’s what lets us deliver. Once we understand the “why” it is relatively easy to deliver a win. Personally, it is a mixture of trust, integrity and adventure that gets me out of bed in the morning. In Wellington the opportunities that we get in the market are confirmation that we are heading in the right direction. That said, we are always keen to shoot a little higher.”

Construction services Naylor Love offers a complete range of high-quality construction services, including: • Single-line accountability design and build

The four-storey Le Cordon Bleu building features a range of learning spaces

Naylor Love Wellington 199 Gracefield Road Seaview Petone T (04) 586 3192 F (04) 586 3197 www.naylorlove.co.nz — Advertising Feature

• Environmentally sustainable design and construction

Ninox Construction Integrity, Quality Assurance

• Project costing and estimating

• Defects on handover

• Professional quantity surveying

• Project cost predictability • Project time predictability

• Building technology

• Safety.

• Project management

Naylor Love’s primary goal is to provide its clients with a predictable and positive outcome, an enjoyable experience and total satisfaction.

• Construction management • Seismic strengthening.

General Carpentry, New & Old Housing, Office Fit-Outs, Gib Supply, Fix, Stop & Paint, Aluminium Partitioning and Steel Stud Project Management & Consultancy

Ninox Construction are proud to support Naylor Love - Le Cordon Bleu

For information on how we can help you, contact us today: Phone: 027 2544 879, Freephone: 04 212 4855, ninox_investments@hotmail.com

For all of your resin flooring needs call the team at BM Scott

DEGADUR®: rapid-cure resin flooring Proud to have been a part of this amazing project. www.bmscott.co.nz | Ph. 06 367 9799

www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 37

Goods & Services | Computer & Telephone Services

Open

communication

On the 10 March 1876, Scotsman Alexander Graham Bell stood in the lab of his Boston apartment and spoke into a transmitter. He said to his assistant Thomas Watson who was holding the receiver in another room, “Mr Watson, come here, I want to see you.”

This successful experiment led to a dramatic change in the way people communicated.

From those days to now, telephone technology has moved from the crude contraption it once was, to deliver exceptional clarity and connection to people all around the world.

At the leading edge of this communication revolution is Wellington company CTS (Computer and Telephone Services Ltd) who have an extensive track record, working in the industry for more than 25 years.

CTS assists you in making informed decisions when investing in technology. When building or refurbishing an office, it will work handin-hand with architects, project and site managers to design, quote and complete full installations within required time frames and budgets. It can also retrofit already established offices requiring advancement in communication technology.

CTS use reputable products and specialises in LG iPECS, Samsung, NEC & Panasonic phone systems. It has digital desk and cordless phones, Plantronics headsets, Polycom conference systems and are also certified structured cabling engineers.

From small business to complex call centres and government departments, CTS has the experience and knowledge to ensure its Whether it be traditional PABX systems or customers are getting the best possible newer technologies such as VoIP/Sip Trunking, communication system within their budget. cabling and data networking, voicemail and call routing, phone hardware and software, Bluetooth technology or system support and maintenance – CTS staff can assist through • Help you to make informed every step of the process. It also offers finance technology decisions that can also scale as your business changes solutions – so you can always afford to look and grows after your vital telecommunication systems.

• Never trap you into a system or CTS director William Macdonald says data maintenance contract. Where desired, cabling & telecommunication systems are it can provide 24 hour service now an integral part of any businesses level agreements to meet its infrastructure. “A phone system provides a customer’s needs professional profile to callers and convenient • Train staff to use the technology and options for both business clients and do it in plain English employees, ensuring calls can be conveniently • Only recommend products it has transferred to extensions, diverted to cell personally trialled and tested phones or voice mail at the press of a button. eliminating the risk for customers “New IP technology now enables businesses • Provide prompt, professional, to integrate telecommunications with CMS approachable and personalised service. and call logging software. Phone systems can significantly reduce call costs with the advent of VoIP phones systems – which utilise the internet to transmit your calls,” he says.

CTS will:

“VoIP & SIP solutions have become a growing part of our business as more company’s look to utilise IP solutions to reduce toll call costs and improve inter-branch communications.”

Seeing the business in action helps CTS identify the best solution. CTS works closely with clients to ensure they have the best option to suit their team, requirements and budget, keeping their future in mind. “CTS take business seriously – telecommunications is a vital link in most company’s operations and we will prioritise any business having trouble with their lines or phone system,” William says.

Computer and Telephone Services Ltd 53D Kenepuru Drive Porirua Wellington 5022 T 0800 366 363 F (04) 233 9962 E info@cts.co.nz — Advertising Feature www.cts.co.nz

Goods & Services | Meat Direct

Meat in the middle As the farming industry was undergoing a downturn, one farmer decided to make the move to the “big city” of Wellington; missing the regular access he had to fresh meat led to his flash of brilliance – why not make a business out of sourcing great meat?

And so in 1998 Meat Direct was established with the aim of providing the freshest possible meat, poultry and seafood products at a reasonable price. Today the company continues to be the place to get the freshest and best of meat, chicken and seafood delivered right to your doorstep.

Owner Victor Smith says they have made a business out of sourcing products from topquality suppliers from all around the country and delivering them to commercial and individual customers throughout New Zealand.

“There are three areas to our company; food service, the website which acts as our shop, and the brokering buy and sell part.”

Through the food service sector Meat Direct provides its services to the mid and high-end restaurant, hotel and catering markets.

It provides product for clients that include the Whitehouse Restaurant, the Hotel Intercontinental, Hippopotamus Restaurant and numerous catering companies including Billionaires Catering and Nosh Catering that catered for the Hobbit movie.

The company works closely with their chef clients to source different products to help establish a point of difference on their menus.

“Lately we have been very involved with clients for their Wellington on a Plate menus,” Victor says.

Through the Meat Direct website people at home have the opportunity to order meat and seafood and get it delivered to their door. “Meat Direct also works with a number of offices whose staff purchase their meat and fish online each week and then have it delivered to work.

“Delivery within the Wellington CBD is free, but if they prefer they can have it couriered to their home. Many of our customers tell us that buying from Meat Direct is far more

convenient than going to the supermarket and they love the quality.”

Those living overseas no longer need to miss the taste of good old New Zealand meat as Meat Direct can also arrange for you to enjoy a good kiwi roast lamb or a prime juicy New Zealand steak. It can quite easily package up a number of meat products for you to take back with you. Meat Direct is also the perfect solution for a Christmas or birthday gift for friends and family back home. A simple click of a button will get things in motion to ensure your special someone receives the perfectly packaged gift or Meat Direct voucher.

Victor says that Meat Direct works to ensure it meets the client’s specific needs; providing them with anything from West Coast whitebait to prime eye fillet to everyday mince and lamb shanks. “We are really strong on customer service, it’s right to your door service that makes it so easy.”

So save time and use Meat Direct’s convenient service while also ensuring the freshest possible meat and fish products are on your table.

In their words…

“Meat Direct is great. I usually have a special request, in the way I have my packs packaged and the weight and it’s no problem at all. If there is a query or a problem, they just do a quick ring or a reminder and it’s no big deal. If I’m not home they’ll store my package overnight and keep it for me. They have even packed me up some in a vacuum chiller for us to take down south.”

Helen Bartlett, online customer (8 years)

“Meat Direct provides me with all the meat delivery, they are always happy to deliver. I have been dealing with them for 8 years now. I have really good contact with Vic. He used to be a farmer so he knows his meat, he knows his product.

It is a small family business that is really hands-on. They strive for quality.”

Laurent Loudeac, Museum Hotel

Meat Direct T (04) 479 9491 www.meatdirect.co.nz

— Advertising Feature

Tailoring accounting services and accounting software to your individual business needs

Bennett Currie Chartered Accountants are proud to be associated with Meat Direct P. 0800 356 5511 | E. reception@bennettcurrie.co.nz | www.bennettcurrie.co.nz

38 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

Goods & Services | Aesthetics Lighting

Light up your life <

Aesthetics Lighting Solutions provided 500 DALI controlled coloured fluorescent tubes within the twisting structure of The Cloud in Auckland.

Aesthetics Lighting Solutions has the experience, expertise and product knowledge to design and install the perfect lighting package for your home or commercial premise.

The business is a lighting solutions-focused company that specialises in lighting design, product application and supply.

History of lighting Aesthetics Lighting Solutions was formed almost 30 years ago and today has locations all around New Zealand. Backed by the Gerard Lighting Group, it has access to many highly reputable Australian and European lighting manufacturers such as Pierlite, Sylvania, Austube, CSE, Siteco, Ghidini and Traxon.

• Customised lighting products and solutions based on your requirements and desired lighting effects • Product application according to the agreed concepts. It is always searching for new technologies to provide innovative designs for your projects

The Blade lighting range is available in a variety of length alternatives, lamps, mounting and component options. It uses a reflective aluminium optic system to maximise the light output. Blade lighting is available in anodised aluminium or powdercoated finish.

Another exciting range is TossB, from Belgium, which offers medium to high-end fittings that are high quality, yet still affordable.

“Our Ghidini range is made in Italy and is high end and really good quality. They come with a five-year Tellus guarantee,” Longley says.

• State-of-the-art lighting calculation software

Aesthetics Lighting Solutions has a wide range of lighting products available to suit any interior or exterior requirement and application.

Significant projects Aesthetics Lighting Solutions has completed a wide variety of major projects in recent years, from architectural projects to commercial and industrial jobs, sports projects and roading jobs.

With a thorough understanding of New Zealand regulations and standards, the company only supplies technically compliant and tested equipment from its lighting partners, guaranteeing the best products to suit any application. It employs a team of more than 50 people based in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and the Bay of Plenty/Waikato.

The construction of The Cloud in Auckland required an unusual lighting design, which involved 500 DALI controlled coloured fluorescent tubes mounted in purpose-built IP-rated fittings installed along the twisting structure on both sides of the building.

Exciting lighting products High-quality Blade extrusion lighting is ideal as a feature over any breakfast bar and available from Aesthetics Lighting Solutions.

<

Aesthetics Lighting Solutions has a wide range of lighting products available to suit any interior or exterior requirement and application.

Aesthetics Lighting Solutions offers customers many benefits, including:

One range of products made locally in Wellington is the Blade range of extrusion lighting. “Blade lighting is made from aluminium and is ideal for high-end residential over breakfast bars, in bathrooms and for mirror lighting. They’re also used in boardrooms and in receptions,” Longley says.

<

“We do commercial and high-end residential and we offer full project management, full design and complete installation,” Porirua lighting consultant Christina Longley says.

“That means we can offer the whole package in terms of the complete lighting solution.”

Whether the need is for functional lighting systems for commercial, industrial, sports or roadway applications, or decorative and architectural systems for domestic and interior design lighting, Aesthetics Lighting Solutions can supply and install the perfect product.

Significant commercial projects included the Massey University library, Novotel, Unitec and BNZ Quay Park, while architectural projects included quality feature lighting in high-end homes and apartments.

•Rendered 3D-images formulated from lighting plans to help you visualise the company’s ideas •Sourcing products, their details and the corresponding technical data for final specification and supply • The project management of your lighting installation • A stunning website which offers an on-line product catalogue, portfolio and more. The Virtual Showroom allows clients to pick, collect, email and specify light fittings from the company’s range with nothing more than a computer.

Aesthetics Lighting Solutions PO Box 50-516 Porirua T (04) 237 2636 F (04) 237 2633 E enquiries@aesthetics.co.nz Christina Longley: T (027) 545 5446 www.aesthetics.co.nz — Advertising Feature

ULLRICH ALUMINIUM COMPANY LTD Proud to support Aesthetics Lighting Ullrich Aluminium is among the advance guard of a new technology...

Improvements in aluminium metallurgy, quality, and finish promise to revolutionise this industry.

Producing a vast range of aluminium products for: • Marine • Industrial • Commercial • Domestic • Designer Applications

0800-500-338 | 04 5688188 | www.ullrichaluminium.co.nz www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 39

Hospitality | Southern Cross Restaurant

Star hospitality Long recognised as a local institution in Te Aro, the Southern Cross Garden Bar Restaurant has been an icon in the area since the 1840s when it was created as a downtown local.

In 1989 Gary and Liz Clarke took over the ownership of the bar and undertook renovations to accommodate the Wellington student market, while retaining a public bar for the locals.

Dynamic evolution After a successful period providing a venue for students and a locals’ public bar, the decision was made to re-brand in early 2004 which

resulted in the two premises combining.

The focus of the renovation was on creating a community bar for all.

Gary says “Our strongest point of difference has always been our unique garden bar in the centre of the city. In the renovation we carried this through in the décor with colours and finishes.

“Our emphasis now is on creating events and occasions rather than solely a drinking environment. We are now making it a place that is more welcoming and safe for all; including children.”

Food used to just be a token gesture with 90 percent of sales on alcohol. Today the focus has shifted to 65 percent of sales on refreshments a larger percentage of this being made up of non alcoholic drinks, including coffees and fresh juices. They have the ability to cater for 400 to 500 people when at full capacity. The décor is eclectic and ever changing.

The hosts The Cross, as it is known locally, is a popular functions venue. There are of course various benefits to having someone else host your function, opposed to say having it at home, such as leaving the cooking and cleaning to them while you get on with hosting your event.

It’s quite common for The Cross to have several functions happily running at any one time. A birthday party for under-five’s is easily achieved by the staff with face-painting and crafts to keep the littlies entertained while the parents relax. The team promises to make guests feel as comfortable as if they were in their own home.

or celebrate environmental, creative and community based plans and achievements.

The Cross also raises funds for local charities with regular sausage sizzles and meat raffles.

The philosophy of The Cross is not to discount drinks and promote alcohol, but rather to provide value added events. These range from knitting circles to quiz nights and live entertainment. There is never a cover charge and they like to support and nurture local talent.

Gastro grub

The business supports the local community by providing private areas for a variety of functions. As an example it regularly hosts breakfast meetings for 30 or more people, providing coffee and breakfast while business is conducted.

The food style is essentially “gastro pub”.

The most popular are the steak and burger dishes with “flair”. There is also a range of options for anyone with special dietary needs from the gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian dishes. Special efforts are made to personalise and address all dietary needs.

During the day there are a range of price friendly express options including a $10.50 lunch special.

Spaces are regularly offered to local not-forprofit organisations who meet to discuss and/

“At night time we provide a more leisurely meal option. We don’t hurry people through.”

Capital Eggs are delighted to supply free range eggs to Southern Cross For information on any of our eggs or processed egg products please view capitaleggs.co.nz or to speak with us phone 04 387 9841

40 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

Hospitality | Southern Cross Restaurant

Hospitality | Nosh

The guests speak up Mandy

Be entertained The team at the Southern Cross Garden Bar Restaurant aim to entertain, which is why in any given week there is a great line-up to choose from; whatever your definition of fun may be.

Monday Knitting circle Tuesday Mums and bubs morning General knowledge quiz night Wednesday Kroon for your Kai – grab your 15 minutes of fame and get paid with some good grub Giant Jenga competition Thursday Mums and bubs morning Music quiz night Friday Good bands, good music and dancing at night Saturday Arvo show - good bands, good music and dancing at night Kids activities Sunday Recovery sessions Kids activities Dine and dance With room for a five to six piece band, the weekend evenings promise a fun evening of local bands playing original music.

“We had an absolutely superior eating experience at Southern Cross Restaurant tonight. It has long been our favourite venue for special occasions because of its amazing ambiance – the unique outdoor area particularly which caters for all weather conditions.

“The food and service in the past has been good, but tonight the service exceeded all expectations. Josh, who attended on us, who I later found out was the manager, anticipated our every need.

“He even pointed out when the birthday boy’s choice of drink was getting low and asked whether I wanted to order more for him.

“He was on hand to fill up glasses and did so unobtrusively. Every member of our 10 person table was delighted with their meals and the fantastic service.

“I eat out often, and this has to have been our best restaurant meal to date.

“Worth absolutely every cent of what we paid! Good on you Southern Cross, and Josh, and all the other lovely waitresses who assisted. You made my son’s 25th birthday very special!”

Catherine “Came here yesterday afternoon and went for the 2 for 1 stonegrill and some drinks. This deal is great value for money.

They use quality cuts of meat and its great fun to sizzle them yourself on the hot plate. Great interior decor and friendly service too.”

Sarah “Went here on Saturday morning for breakfast, my God the service was amazing. I’m a complete hospo snob and actually couldn’t find anything to fault, even with a three year old’s birthday party going on behind us. Every little detail was looked after, the food was fast and the wait staff couldn’t have been nicer – congrats guys, that’s how it should be done everywhere.”

Southern Cross Garden Bar Restaurant 39 Abel Smith Street Te Aro, Wellington T (04) 384 9085 T (04) 384 5930 E cu@thecross.co.nz — Advertising Feature www.thecross.co.nz

Fresh

Wholesale & Retail Produce Proud to be associated with Southern Cross Restaurant & Garden Bar

Proud to be

Preferred Supplier To the

168 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington

For Kitchenware, Tableware & Barware Products

E. cubafruit@gmail.com

sales@bce.net.nz

Ph. 04 385 0634

04-902-5223

www.bcecateringequipment.co.nz

Inspirational fare Food is often used in a variety of ways – to impress, acknowledge appreciation or even to show love. We all know when time and attention has been taken to create something delicious for our benefit it makes us feel valued, important and appreciated.

So if you haven’t got the technical know-how, the time or even the inclination, but still want to deliver the same message, what can you do? Nosh the catering company has impressed hosts and their guests for more than 10 years and does so in a way that brings a wow factor to any event – large or small.

Nosh specialises in office and corporate catering for businesses – whether it be a morning tea or a Christmas party. It can take the hassle out of catering for private functions, such as birthday parties or wedding anniversaries and of course weddings.

Director Amelia Hemphill bought the business this year, although she has been working for the company for the past three years. “I have always been a foodie, in the hospitality industry for over 17 years and I have always had a passion for food and for beautiful presentation – that was my motivation for buying the business.”

Nosh is all about fresh, high-quality ingredients and making everything it serves. “I think the thing that sets us apart is that we make everything ourselves, from scratch, and made fresh on the day the catering is supplied. I’m convinced our customers really taste the freshness and the quality ingredients that go into their catering.”

For daily corporate catering clients, menus are changed daily so the choice will always be fresh and different. You can either select your own menu, from Nosh’s seasonally designed list or you can let its chef choose for you.

Paramount is the food tasting terrific but equally important to Amelia and her staff is the need for it to look stunning “because you eat with your eyes”, she says. “We love the challenge of presenting food in a way that adds to the occasion and personalises each individual event.”

The staff at Nosh love to be creative and to work with their clients who are keen to theme their event. They provide special presentation, whether for a buffet table or elegant canapé trays and can present food with soft sophistication, or with just a bit of a quirk, depending on the client’s needs.

Amanda Dalgliesh is the events manager and second in charge at Nosh. She delivers exceptional events by carefully co-ordinating each aspect and ensuring every person from clients to staff are fully informed of the process.

signature style based on delicious, healthy dishes made from the freshest of seasonal ingredients.

Daniel Pedersen is the sous chef and has been working in the industry for 17 years. He trained and worked with some of London’s best chefs, including Marco Pierre White in his Michelin star restaurant Mirabelle. Dan immigrated to New Zealand in 2002, where he took on the position of head chef at Boomrock Lodge. Dan has a good knowledge of New Zealand’s cuisine, which shows through in the food he cooks.

Nosh’s wait and bar staff serve with a quiet confidence, caring for guests without intruding. They will see to your needs, and ensure that you won’t have a thing to worry about beyond enjoying yourself and circulating among your guests.

It is a licensed provider of beverages with trained and licensed bar managers and is happy to provide a wonderful selection of drinks. It can create a wide variety of special cocktails including interesting non-alcoholic refreshments. Design your own beverage package from a cocktail on arrival to a complete spirit and cocktail bar.

Nosh 9 Ganges Road Khandallah Wellington T (04) 479 0529 E noshshop@nosh.co.nz www.nosh.co.nz — Advertising Feature

Curtis McLean likes to think outside the square.

We are proud to support Nosh the catering company.

7th Floor, 234 Wakefield St Nosh’s chefs are nothing less than passionate.

Frank Prskawetz is one of New Zealand’s most P O Box 2293, Wellington experienced and respected chefs. He has P (04) 384 5609 F (04) 385 1067 cooked for rock stars and royalty, run kitchens E mailbox@curtismclean.co.nz in venues ranging from the Duxton Hotel to the Westpac Stadium, and developed a www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 41

Hospitality | Parade Café

A delicious

Corporate functions Planning an important business meeting?

We have found the premier function venue in Wellington for a comfortable, work friendly environment. You can expect it all from The Upper Deck & Foyer:

union

Different areas offer spectacular views of Wellington harbour

• Panoramic views of Wellington Harbour • Comfortable seating • Full facilities (including WiFi) • Space for 30 people • Incredible kitchen to back it up • Hi-fi audio equipment is also available for hire.

The Parade Café

Two Wellington institutions have merged into one to form a union which is proving to be a successful and welcome place to relax, celebrate and enjoy beautiful food on Wellington’s waterfront.

Parade Café owner Diane Schollar had not intended to look for new premises after her well known Oriental Parade establishment was bulldozed and made into apartments in 2010. “But customers kept asking where we were going to move to,” she says.

She knew that in order to retain her loyal clients she would have to find premises in the same area. “It wasn’t easy to find a commercial property that would be financially viable on Oriental Parade. Finally a regular customer suggested that I take a look at the tug boat – the same tug boat I’d been looking at out my office window for 10 years, so I went over and had a look.”

After a two month refurbishment, the new Parade Café on the tug boat (Tahui II) moored at Oriental Bay opened its doors once again.

Di was extremely grateful all the staff agreed to move too, so the familiar faces were all there to greet customers who returned to the new premises on its opening- a very nervous time!

Boarding the tugboat you must first cross the gangway. The gangway has been designed to be used as a dining platform as well as the main entrance and is a suntrap for those who want to take part in some alfresco dining.

Through the main doors you will find yourself in a large open-planned room surrounded by window booths and the smell of fresh coffee.

If you come during the day you will pass the usual mouth-watering sweets displayed at the counter – the place where you also order from the wonderful selection on the menu.

You can then choose where you would like to sit – a hard decision as there are a multitude of spaces which allow for spectacular harbour views.

Although in need of some love and attention, what Di and her staff could see was the huge potential the tug boat had as a hospitality destination on Wellington’s waterfront. And so it was that when the doors of the café on Oriental Parade shut, work began on the boat to make it a pleasant and inviting place to enjoy great hospitality and excellent food.

Customers enjoy alfresco dining on the gangway The upper deck which, as well as providing an excellent panoramic view of the harbour and surrounds, is also the venue for a casual lunch, corporate event or more intimate evening dining experience. There is also a bar and foyer area which provide extra space for private functions.

In the hull of the boat there is a very unique function space suitable for larger parties, whether it is a business’s corporate party or product launch, a 21st, wedding or other significant celebration. Able to accommodate up to 150 people comfortably, the area also contains its own bar and dance floor.

This really is one of the best meeting rooms in Wellington for short to full-day business meetings. To arrange your function room hire, please contact us today.

The Parade Café a competitively priced, fully-facilitated conference venue.

The end of an era; the old Parade Café on Oriental Parade comes down

The tug boat’s refurbishment

The Parade Café functions team can personally tailor-make a menu for your event based on budget, dietary requirements and personal preferences.

Whether it is a corporate event, family celebration or just somewhere to have a lovely meal, the Parade Café definitely provides the essential mix of atmosphere, delicious food and top service to ensure a wonderful experience – whatever the occasion.

A little taster…

Chicken Supreme W mozzarella, rosemary infused olive oil & grilled Mediterranean vegetables GF

A behind the scenes look at the service area

Rib Eye Steak W potato gratin or chunky chips, summer greens & peppercorn sauce 180 gm or 300 gm Lamb Rump W grilled aubergines & warmed Oriental chickpea & couscous salad DF

0508 WINESALE

Seared Duck Breast W honey potato & pine nut salad GF DF Pan Fried Market Fish W kumara gratin & homemade watercress pesto GF Grilled Prawns, Scallops, Bacon & Banana Skewers W pilaf rice GF

Pleased to be associated with The Parade Cafe Kahurangi Estate is a family owned boutique vineyard and winery specialising in hand-made wines and dedicated to quality.

PO Box 1031, Nelson 03 5432 980 | www.kahurangiwine.com

42 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

Fresh New Zealand Green Lipped Mussels served hot in a cast iron pot coconut & herb broth DF, GF • 100’s of discounted wines from NZ & around the world • No minimum order. Order as much or as little as you like!

• The best wine prices in NZ

Parade Café 139A Oriental Parade (The Tug Boat) Wellington T (04) 939 3935 E diane.paradecafe@clear.net.nz www.paradecafe.co.nz — Advertising Feature

sweet LOOKING A taste of Italy

Hospitality | Carrello del Gelato

Love at first bite

Not content to simply leave his newfound love behind on the shores of the picturesque European paradise, Nathan decided to start up his own business selling his beloved gelato. Back in his hometown of Wellington, this trained chef turned gelato maker built a “carrello” [cart] to trundle through the streets of Wellington selling this decadent Italian dessert.

At the time gelato was a newcomer to New Zealand’s shores, but it didn’t take too long for consumers to also fall in love with the little piece of Italian goodness. Before long, restaurants and other customers were asking where they could source Carrello gelato for themselves.

Its success is in large part due to Nathan’s commitment to producing top-quality gelato.

“Everything is still hand-made, we stick to traditional techniques to keep the gelato true to its traditional form,” he says. “We use the best of New Zealand local produce where we can.”

As a result Carrello del Gelato has on offer a range of simply mouth-watering goodness, from the ever-popular chocolate gelato, to the range of creamy Italian dressed gelatos and the more twisted range of Kiwi flavours such as rocky road and ginger nut.

Whatever your taste, Carrello del Gelato promises to serve.

Carrello del Gelato P O Box 6818 Marion Square Wellington 6141 M 021 483 443 T (04) 212 6060 info@nzgelato.co.nz www.nzgelato.co.nz

100% money back guarantee if you’re not completely satisfied plus we’ll give you another 12 month membership FREE Free access to search CVs and work wanted ads You are able to include a profile of your company next to your job ad – FREE! myjobspace.co.nz is provided by Kiwis for the benefit of all Kiwis. We’re proud to be the only major Kiwi owned job site Special offer

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“The aim is to help customers rather than compete with them,” he says. “We purely manufacture the gelato and help our customers to drive their sales,” he says.

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Armed with the best local and Italian ingredients for churning out the handmade batches that are the true mark of premium gelato, Carrello del Gelato was born; making its successful debut at the Wellington Italian Festival in 2004.

In the years since its conception, Carrello del Gelato has quickly proven it has the ability to scoop gold; firstly for its mango Sorbetto at the New Zealand Ice Cream Awards in 2011, as well as a commended award for business growth in the emerging category at the Wellington Gold Awards and a recent lucrative deal with Hell’s pizza.

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Owner of Carrello del Gelato, Nathan Meyer, on a trip to Italy in 2003 discovered a passion for all things gelato. It was love at first bite, with the creamier and more intense flavour than can be found in an ice cream. Nathan loved everything about it; from the taste and texture to the colour and presentation.

Today the brand has grown into an awardwinning name that is sought after by retailers, restaurants and the general public.

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According to one leading gelato maker and supplier; “Made properly gelato is out of this world. It is creamier than ice cream, but has less fat and sugar and the flavours are more intense. It is the perfect Scooping up gold way to indulge yourself.”

www.cornish.co.nz www.wellingtontoday.co.nz October/November 2012 | 43

Hospitality | Amora Hotel Wellington

Making your stay a It’s an iconic piece of Wellington architecture.

Designed with a nod to the streamlined look of the 1980s when it was built, Amora Hotel Wellington swoops across the waterfront, majestically overlooking the harbour and its surrounds.

Although situated here for a number of years in another guise, it has recently undergone a transformation to ensure its guests, whether there for a conference, event, dining or staying in one of the 192 hotel rooms, are surrounded in a beautiful, luxurious and contemporary environment.

When you wander into the grand entrance it is airy and palatial with the pale wood, glass and tiling dispersing the light through the sumptuous foyer area. The rejuvenated accommodation has been accordingly acknowledged with a four star plus Qualmark rating.

It is not only the exterior and interior which impress. What makes the Amora Hotel Wellington stand out is the care and attention of a totally committed staff who ensure every visitor leaves with the feeling they have been well cared for.

The perfect conference venue With its convenient downtown location, Amora Hotel Wellington provides the perfect situation for conferences, events or celebrations.

It boasts one of the most extensive convention venues of any hotel in Wellington and New Zealand, comprising 20 superb yet functional conference rooms including Wellington’s largest hotel ballroom.

pleasure

Loryn Bennettbusiness development manager What is your role and how long have you been with the hotel?

I have been with Amora Hotel Wellington for 12 months now and have thoroughly enjoyed every moment. In my role I am responsible for obtaining new business; in addition to the retention and development of existing clients, with particular reference to the meetings, incentives, conferences and events industry.

I also maintain relationships with key surrounding conference venues in addition to working with the Wellington Convention Bureau.

Ideal for events on a grand scale, the ballroom comfortably accommodates up to 850 delegates for a conference, 540 guests for a formal banquet or 1,000 for cocktails.

Special deal *

Up until the end of December, Amora Hotel Wellington is able to offer a day delegate package of $59 per person to corporate clients.

The Amora Chambers are ideal for in-house meetings or as delegate break-out rooms during large conferences. Comprising of eight rooms this area can handle large numbers, or act as an exhibit space for up to 40 booths, with access via the grand staircase flowing directly from the ballroom.

Meet the Amora Hotel Wellington conference team

The intimate private dining room is located on the mezzanine floor and is perfect for those exclusive gatherings or executive dinners.

Designer decor and fabulous food make this the first choice for Wellington’s most select diners.

Amora Hotel Wellington promises to deliver the best experience for you, your delegates and your event. It has a dedicated conference and events team who strive to provide the best customer service and ensure that your event is brought to life as only you could imagine.

* Terms and conditions apply

What do you enjoy the most in your role, any particular events that you really enjoyed?

The one thing I enjoy most would have to be the relationship building aspects of my role, not only within the hotel but also with other stakeholders. I love seeing the entire hotel team come together from the initial stages of acquiring a piece of business right to the very end. Each and every team member takes pride in ensuring each event is faultless. Seeing the final product is always an extremely rewarding time.

What qualifications do you have?

Prior to joining the hospitality industry, I gained a Bachelor of International Hospitality Management.

Conference services Amora Hotel Wellington staff work with service providers to ensure each client’s wishes are met. They work with Vidcom which provides audio visual services to corporate clients, whether it be for a presentation, entertainment or a meeting.

Vidcom can provide Media Site, a service that transmits the full AGM, conference or event, including PowerPoint, to stakeholders live on their desk PCs. This allows those who cannot make it to the venue to see the event, presentation or meeting.

Sarah Ashworth- convention and events office manager Becky Chin- conference and events operations manager What is your role and how long have you been with the hotel?

I am the Amora Hotel Wellington convention and events operations manager. I oversee the smooth running of the operations side of convention and events. This is everything from ensuring rooms are set up correctly, to catering being placed out on time as well as being on call for our conference organisers on site.

What do you enjoy the most in your job role, any particular events that you really enjoyed?

Every event from a 550 guest seated gala dinner, exhibitions, day conferences through to weddings and balls, they are all unique.

The conventions and events operations team love receiving positive feedback from our delegates and organisers, especially when they say that ‘nothing was ever too much trouble’.

What qualifications do you have?

I have over 10 years of experience in various food and beverage operations. I left hospitality to understand VIP guests better. Prior to rejoining hotels, I worked for a former senior cabinet minister and Prime Minister in communications. In the end my love for hospitality brought me back, and now I am focusing on conventions and events.

44 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

What is your job role and how long have you been with the hotel?

I joined in March 2012 as the senior convention and events co-ordinator. In July I was promoted to the convention and events office manager. In this role I manage a team of three co-ordinators and oversee our 20 function rooms. Along with on-going training and development of the co-ordinators, I also ensure we maintain maximum growth through sustaining regular business, gaining new clients and contracts.

What do you enjoy the most in your role, any particular events that you really enjoyed?

I recently had the opportunity to host some clients at a function held in our ballroom for Sir Graham Henry. It was an amazing opportunity to see professional conference organisers attending from the Wellington region and it was an honour to ‘experience’ an event from the other side and see our team at work.

What qualifications do you have?

I hold a National Certificate in Hospitality Operations.

Amora Hotel Wellington 170 Wakefield Street Wellington (04) 473 3900 convmgr@wellington.amorahotels.com www.wellington.amorahotels.com — Advertising Feature

You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get a second chance to make a first impression Rest assured that when you book your conference, meeting or event at the Amora Hotel Wellington, your audio visual and technical needs will be well cared for.

Vidcom and the Amora Hotel Wellington have been in partnership for over 10 years and during that time we have developed an enviable relationship focussing on exceptional service and customer satisfaction.

Vidcom has a dedicated onsite Account Manager who will help to establish your needs and provide presentation solutions for events of all sizes from a small boardroom meeting right through to a 500 guest gala dinner with all the lights, cameras and action you can imagine!

The Amora Hotel Wellington is one of the best equipped venues in Wellington with a large amount of top-end audio visual equipment installed in many of the conference rooms. Whichever room you chose, Vidcom has the AV solution.

To ensure your first impression is the right one weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very pleased to offer a projector, screen, laptop and remote mouse presentation package for just $295 + GST during the month of October. An experienced technician will meet with you prior to your event to ensure your presentations are loaded onto the laptop and looking great - no hassle, no fuss, just great service at a great price.

For absolute confidence with all of your audio visual requirements, contact Vidcom on 0800 VIDCOM or visit our website www.vidcom.com

Special Offer

(Offer valid for bookings in the Amora Suites, Boardrooms and Chambers)

October Onl

y

A u d i o

V i s u a l

E x c e l l e n c e

Hospitality | Christmas functions

Top tips for

fab christmas function

The festive season is also called the silly season for good reason; with loads on it can sometimes be a crazy time. Planning the annual staff Christmas party should be fun, but it can also be stressful.

John McKenzie, chief enthusiast from events and entertainment company, Enthuse, has a look at some planning tips to make sure your staff Christmas party is a huge success this year and doesn’t add to your stress.

1. Decide on a theme Just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean it has to be a Christmas theme. Themed parties are loads of fun, help build excitement and anticipation. You can build in elements of your own industry or business into the theme and it gives you another reason to hand out fun awards.

2. Decide on where you want to have it as early as you can This means whether it’s held in-house in your building or in an appropriate venue that can be themed well or at an entertainment venue. Don’t limit your search to just urban areas - just plan to provide adequate transport.

3. Work out a budget early Your budget should cover catering, including beverages, theme, entertainment, invites and any additional activities and gifts. Divide your budget by the number of staff coming so you have an idea of cost per head. It’s important to remember this is actually an investment in staff, so just how much per head it costs should equal how much value you put on your staff’s wellbeing. Also, are partners invited? If you need help deciding this, go back to the first point - the reason for the function.

4. The invite sets the scene early, so make sure it’s good The invite sets the early standard for the function, so make it good and memorable.

It’s far too easy just to send out an email.

Use email for follow up teasers and use staff notice boards.

5. Get good entertainment Mix it up a bit, do something a bit different and book entertainment. It doesn’t have to be for the whole function, it can just be an entertaining and memorable ‘character’ that adds a fun, surprise element.

9. Presents Either set a dollar value and have each staff member buy a secret Santa gift, or if the business can, purchase gifts for everyone.

Make sure you have a few extra just in case someone is missed.

6. Book good catering This will ensure everyone is happy and make sure you cover special dietary needs. It also means you are being a responsible host. Make 10. Take photos and celebrate Make sure you take lots of good photos – sure there is enough food for everyone and maybe even show some during the evening – serve it sooner rather than later. to use ‘if appropriate’ for staff newsletters and 7. Consider transport options sharing afterwards.

Consider how staff will get home after the function. Purchasing taxi vouchers to hand out Two time NZ entertainment company of as required is a good option to make sure staff the year Enthuse has an award winning get home safely. track record of adding an enthusiastic 8. Provide non-alcoholic beverages creative spark to conferences and Make sure you have drinks such as coffee, events all around the country. soft drinks and punch available for those who Visit www.enthuse.co.nz don’t drink alcohol.

Christmas Cruises Why not try something new and exciting?

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Up to 65 guests in style, we have a cruise to suit everyone: Lunch Cruising, Dinner Cruising, Cocktail Cruising, Casino Cruising and Hire by Hour options Contact us now for our cruise brochure ph: 04 499 1282 email: info@eastbywest.co.nz www.eastbywest.co.nz 46 | October/November 2012 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz

Bring this add in when you check in and receive $25 voucher for Bistro

Napier is the Art-Deco CAPITAL of the land and arguable one of the architectural style’s premier sites on the planet. The unmistakably stylish and funky design is what this small east-coast city prides itself on; making it a great place to visit.

And of course nothing quite compares to a weekend away, especially if you’re lucky enough to find the perfect destination – one that seems as if it were designed with exactly your needs in mind.

A comfy stay This is where the Econo Lodge Westshore Beach in Napier can help.

This family-owned business offers a wide range of stand-alone private accommodation options; from a studio suite, to a one or two-bedroom suite. These suites are spacious and functional, ideally suited for business travellers or for a family on holiday.

All suites are equipped with air conditioning, super king or king beds, ensuite bathrooms, couches, microwaves and fridges, with parking right alongside.

The team at Econo Lodge Westshore Beach likes to make things easy for guests, so included in any stay is free parking, a free newspaper, free WiFi allowance daily, a free airport shuttle and an easy late check-out till noon.

The Econo Lodge Westshore Beach caters for any and all, but one of its prime attractions is its undeniable value for money, meaning you can escape life’s daily grind without even the slightest risk of putting a dent in the wallet.

An ideal location This simply decorated but homey, welcoming hotel is situated just 50 metres from Westshore beach and from Napier’s new cycleways and walkways. It is also just minutes away from the city’s famous art-deco district, the West Quay restaurant area and there are 60 wineries within close driving distance to the lodge.

The lodge also offers four high-quality trek bikes available for hire, for those wanting to enjoy the scenery in an environmentally friendly way.

Staying at Econo Lodge Westshore beach is a no-brainer as not only does it offer affordable accommodation,

but it is ideally situated in the midst of all the offerings of a perfect holiday destination – so come and stay explore the best of what Hawke’s Bay has to offer.

Fresh flavours It is also here that you can find Hawke’s Bay’s oldest pub (c. 1851) – on the site of the Westshore Beach Inn. Its award-winning pub bistro ranked number one on TripAdvisor for 2012.

The Bistro offers fresh local produce and as a result has earned itself a variety of accolades such as the “Beef & Lamb Excellence Award” for 2011 and was nominated again for the 2012 Hawke’s Bay Hospitality Awards as an “Outstanding Local” for the fourth year in a row. It is the ideal place for any family celebration or get-together with friends

You can’t judge a book by its cover Reviewed March 6, 2012 on Trip Advisor “From the outside you don’t realise how modern and comfortable the rooms are. Best bed I have ever had in a motel/pub. Nice and quiet with the separate cabins, carpark right outside the room, and the bathroom was nicer than mine at home! Friendly and helpful staff.”

- Travelmumo8 NZ road trip Reviewed April 18, 2012 on Trip Advisor “Travelled with family from Auckland to Wellington. Found econo lodge in Napier and had a fantastic stay. Not only affordable but everything you need. Meals in the restaurant were great and catered for different palates.

Rooms were clean, well set out. Parking easy and not far from the city centre .Found the area quiet and peaceful, within walking distance to the beach. Staff were friendly and helpful. A great two night stay.”

– Sally L Just made so welcome Reviewed February 19, 2012 on Trip Advisor “I have now stayed here twice & found everyone there to be so friendly & helpfull, & will go & stay there again should the occasion arise.”

- Pauline Quality place all round Reviewed October 30, 2011 on Trip Advisor “Highly recommend this place to stay to anyone. The people in charge were welcoming and friendly. The breakfasts were amazing and the place in general is very nice place.”

– Jamie H

Reception Open hours – 8am – 9pm Check-in from 2pm Check out by 10am Late check out by arrangement with no extra cost Facilities at a glance - The Bistro – Fresh local produce, local flavours, everyday people.

Open 7 nights a week -

Sports Bar – Great bar snack, 150in Hi definition screen plus many 50in LEDs and 7 live sport feeds -

Platinum TAB

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50 metres away from safe swimming beach, smack bang in the middle of Napiers cycle ways and across the road from the Ahuriri Estuary walkways -

Four minutes drive to inner city

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10 minutes walk to the entertainment quarter

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Five minutes away from five key wineries.

Find us on Facebook Econo Lodge Westshore Beach

Econolodge Lodge Westshore Beach 85 Meeanee Quay Westshore Beach Napier, Hawke’s Bay T (06) 835 9879 www.econolodgewb.co.nz