Issue #103 RoofLink® Summer 2022 by the Roofing Association of New Zealand (RANZ)

T H E O F F I C I A L M AG A Z I N E O F T H E R O O F I N G A S S O C I AT I O N O F N E W Z E A L A N D

SUMMER 2022 • ISSUE 103

The art of roofing ARCHITECTURAL ENVELOPES We've got your back – Exoskeleton trial underway Beyond resilience – Plan and adapt Business succession – How to plan for success Future-proofed career – What sets roofing apart

RANZ SUPPORTERS 2022 RANZ NATIONAL SPONSOR BUSINESS PARTNERS

PLATINUM

Inside this issue 5

CEO message from Graham Moor

6 From the rooftops: Bite-sized snippets of news from around the country SILVER

9 Major merger: The evolving partnership of metal roofing tile brands Gerard and Metrotile is complete 11 Beyond resilience: Shielding your business from risk 13 10 Steps for building personal resilience 14 Member profile: The Art of Roofing – Architectural Envelopes 21 NZWiR: Mentoring programme announced for 2023

BRONZE

22 Health & safety: RANZ and CHASNZ embark on an exciting exoskeleton trial for roofers 25 A futureproofed career: RANZ Executive Gary McNamara looks at roofing's future 28 Business succession: Selling or passing on your business? The key to succession is planning for success 30 Insurance: Advice and tips from roofing industry insurance experts, Austinsure 32 Training: VHNZ Trainee Profile – Elisa-Leigh Atkins-Percaskey 33 Training: Skills – Helping your team with literacy issues 34 Meet the Network: Deborah Harkin

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RANZ CONTACTS

FROM THE EDITOR

www.ranz.co.nz President

Jenny Maxwell, Christchurch Phone: 03 338 0400 Email: jenny@csroofingcanterbury.co.nz

Take a breath Kia ora tātou, Art has played its part in helping us humans through an infinite number of trials throughout history, and the turbulent times we face now are surely no different. While 2023 looks like it will serve up some fresh challenges, as usual, our network of members offers inspiration, along with resources, connections and solutions to prepare you well – as showcased in this edition. Right from the stunning cover, it starts – new RANZ member, Architectural Envelopes and Director Ben Porte’s leadership of approaching roofing like art.

Read the full article on p14.

Beyond art’s value, which helps us pause, take a breath, re-group, re-imagine, reappreciate and re-motivate ourselves as needed, there are reminders around the merits of quality vs quantity that may prove valuable with the forecasted economic slowdowns ahead. While Ben Porte’s target market and approach obviously won’t apply to each of your unique areas of service, there may be valuable opportunities for refinements across your organisations and daily processes to be realised into 2023.

‘Resilience’ is perhaps the new over-used buzzword of the day, ahead of the former ‘unprecedented’. We have two complimentary articles to build on the topic, which will hopefully prepare you well here – one from a business preparation perspective, the other from an individual standpoint (see p11).

The roofing insurance ‘need-to-know’ article (p30) offers another valuable opportunity to prepare well and shed some excess worries.

Vice President

RANZ’s exciting new collaboration with CHASNZ is outlined p22 – the exoskeleton system trial for roofers. If successful, it could well be a valuable piece of the puzzle the industry has been looking for to improve the quality of roofing as a career proposition and look after our people now and into the future. NZ Women in Roofing (NZWiR) is launching a mentoring programme in 2023, too, with a call-out for mentors and mentees alike – see p21.

I hope you enjoy this edition over the summer, but even more so, as Graham says in his report over the page, I hope you get to have a quality, restorative break over the holidays to refresh for 2023.

Ngā mihi nui ō te raumati – best summer wishes.

Stephanie.

Paul Stanley-Boden, Christchurch Phone: 027 290 2446 Email: info@redandblack.co.nz Executive Committee Mark Bishop, Christchurch Phone: 021 376 629 Email: mark@roofsafenz.co.nz Eddie Tell, Auckland Phone: 021 388 863 Email: eddie@superiorwaterproofing.co.nz Mason Fisher, Nelson Phone: 021 281 7653 Email: mason@maxsafe.co.nz Gary McNamara, Auckland Phone: 09 274 4097 Email: gary.mcnamara@roofguard.co.nz Michael Sentch, Hamilton Phone: 07 849 1700 Email: michael@projectunite.co.nz Victoria Elvin, Auckland Phone: 09 274 4056 Email: victoria.elvin@steelandtube.co.nz Chief Executive Officer Graham Moor Roofing Association of New Zealand PO Box 302272, North Harbour Auckland 0751, New Zealand Phone: 09 415 0278 or 027 702 0452 Email: ceo@ranz.co.nz Editorial and advertising contact Stephanie Fill Roofing Association of New Zealand PO Box 302272, North Harbour Auckland 0751, New Zealand Phone: 09 415 0278 or 027 702 0451 Email: editor@ranz.co.nz

Stephanie Fill Marketing Manager and Editor

Content coordination by John Williams Design by Stephanie Thatcher Produced by

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Issue 103 • Summer 2022

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FROM THE CEO

CEO Summer 2022 This year is rapidly coming to an end, and, to add to all you have endured, you now have the usual push to Christmas to manage. While the worst of what Covid brought to us all over the last two years is behind us, there are lingering effects, and it is very obvious that we will see the results of the world’s economy dealing with that.

number one, so much better to load stress onto someone else – not! I have heard of ridiculous amounts of money being offered for relatively inexperienced roofers recently. One case involved second-year apprentices being poached and offered a rate you would possibly consider paying a very experienced and qualified employee. Unless the poacher has done their numbers really well, they would be employing these people and losing money.

Throwing people at your work volume will not result in your desired outcome.

Sorry about the broken record stuff, but I can’t stress enough the importance of putting plans in place to manage what’s coming. Better to plan for something that may happen than wait and deal with the consequences.

Get alongside your professional advisors. Do some forecasts that take into account various scenarios. Have a look at what happens if your revenue stream alters dramatically.

Understand what happens when you reduce margins. Know your overheads. Identify the customers that are best for you and your business. Do credit checks. Have a ‘does it make the boat go faster’ mindset. Analyse your expenditure. Work with your suppliers – they have the same need for margin as you do!

Poaching other people’s staff is a crap thing to do. I understand the need to look after

To my point, I am aware of a company that has been trying to complete a fair-sized roof and wall cladding job. This business is in a dark place – full order book, insufficient people, and customers baying for service. Their approach has been a bit like a moth attracted to bright light. They do a bit there and a bit over there, hoping that it quells the noise.

take action and tough action at that. You can’t change what’s happened, but you can change what you do in the future.

Sorry about the bluntness of the messages here, but it’s a necessary heads-up for some!

Please look after yourselves and your people – and have a decent break over the Christmas/ New Year period. There is no doubt that some recharging and rest are required by many.

Thank you all for your support of RANZ. The RANZ Executive and staff wish you all the best for the festive season. Take time with those closest to you and reflect a bit.

Make sure you switch off, too.

Have a great 2023!

Graham.

The only way to finish a job is to put appropriately skilled people on a site consistently and keep them there until it’s finished. Flitting from one job to the next won’t finish anything. The customer is lining up lawyers and the LBP Board, just for starters.

This is tough to manage, but they have to

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Issue 103 • Summer 2022

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FROM THE ROOFTOPS

Accident prevention campaigns ACC has launched two accident prevention campaigns that could help support your roofing team’s health and safety communications: Looking out for your workmates Many injuries sustained in Aotearoa require time off work, which means more pressure on your team while that person recovers. Around two-thirds of those injuries occur outside of the workplace. These preventable injuries are adding significant pressure to workplaces that are already stretched. To address this, ACC’s new campaign encourages New Zealanders to consider the impact their injuries have (or would have) on their workmates. And to encourage people to help their workmates stay injury-free, ACC has released a series of online videos. You can view the video’s on the ACC website: www.acc.co.nz/newsroom/stories/looking-out-for-your-workmates/ Injured? Don’t tough it out – taihoa ake, and get help ACC’s second new campaign aims to improve Māori awareness and help access their services. Kia Mahea, Kia Puāwai (making it clear so we can flourish) aims to share practical information about the services and support available to whānau when injured. This includes access to rongoā Māori – traditional Māori healing.

Central to the campaign is the message: Don’t tough it out – taihoa ake, and get help.

A video has been created in collaboration with (and features) well-known Māori journalist, writer, actor, comedian and social media influencer D’Angelo Martin.

The campaign includes appearances by reigning kapa haka champions (Ngā Tūmanako) and their tutor Kawariki Morgan, champion powerlifter Montel Tivoli, and Aunty Ana Berry-Tumoana from Whakaata Māori’s What’s Up with the Tumoanas.

You can view the videos and more information on the ACC Website: www.acc.co.nz/dont-tough-it-out/

Dimond partnership helps save the kea Dimond Roofing is proud to partner with The Kea Conservation Trust (KCT) by supporting the work the KCT are doing to save our kea, an endangered native species and the world’s only alpine parrot.

The KCT has made it their mission to protect and preserve kea in their natural habitats, which includes embarking on a project to remove lead flashings and nail-heads from the roofs of buildings in areas accessible to kea and replacing them with safe, non-toxic alternatives. The programme broadly focuses on privately owned buildings which are known hotspots for lead poisoning in kea and will be a free service to landowners.

As a not-for-profit organisation, this is an expensive and time-consuming project for KCT – which is where Dimond stepped in as a supporter, contributing to the material costs of the project.

The first season of the KCT’s Lead Removal Project is now complete, having finished work on 32 buildings in Arthurs Pass and Matukituki. KCT’s experienced roofing team has spent 877 hours removing lead, which included 644m of flashing and a whopping 15,020 nails – all of which have been replaced with safer, lead-free alternatives.

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Summer 2022 • Issue 103

H1 Changes resources MBIE has released learning modules to help the sector better understand the changes to the H1 requirements coming into force from 1 May 2023.

Go to: www.building.govt.nz/aboutbuilding-performance/all-news-andupdates/new-learning-modules-for-h1energy-efficiency-and-insulation/ RANZ have resourced members via conference, email and RoofLink Magazine updates. For digital backcopy access to relevant RoofLink issues, please email editor@ranz.co.nz.

Graham Burke steps into a new role Specialist Trades’ leader Graham Burke is stepping aside from his role in the Construction Accord Steering Group to take up a new position that focuses on driving the people goals for the new plan.

The Accord is appointing four Transformation Leads to cover each of the critical areas of delivery to drive the new Transformation Plan: • •

Environment People

• •

Innovation Client-leadership.

“I am thrilled to have been selected as a Transformation Lead for the new plan and especially leading the work to support our people,” says Graham. “People are the essential element of every part of the sector, and enabling people to thrive is core to lifting performance and achieving the Accord’s transformation objectives. I am very proud of the achievements of the Accord to date and excited at the prospects of what can be completed in the next three years.

He aha te mea nui o te ao? (What is the most important thing in the world?) He tangata, he tangata, he tangata! (It is the people, it is the people, it is the people!).”

These Transformation Lead roles from the Construction Accord will work alongside industry and Government and build on the momentum and leadership set by the Workstream Leads to drive engagement and action towards the Accord goals. They form part of the leadership group for the Accord team and will work closely with the Sector Reference Groups to design and develop the initiatives led and supported across the groups – the Construction Accord.

Do you have some news or an interesting project you'd like to share? Please email editor@ranz.co.nz. We'd love to hear from you!

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Issue 103 • Summer 2022

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Appraisal No.1089 [2020]

INDUSTRY NEWS

Metal roofing brands unite with a focus on future growth The evolving partnership of steel tile brands Gerard and Metrotile is complete.

From October 3, New Zealand’s leading manufacturers of steel tiles have combined under one brand – Gerard. Both brands are owned by Roof Tile Group Ltd, following the acquisition of Ross Roof Group, including the Metrotile brand in September 2021.

Historical background Ross Roof Group had been operating as a family-owned enterprise for nearly 80 years, starting as manufacturers of concrete blocks and then concrete tiles. Its pressed steel tile brands – Metrotile in New Zealand and Tilcor internationally – are sold in over 80 countries worldwide.

The first steel roofing tile in the world was developed by Lou Fisher here in New Zealand, and this innovative roof system came to be known as Gerard Roofs. Its pressed steel tiles are used in 127 countries with manufacturing plants in three continents.

Both Gerard and Metrotile have a proud history of innovation.

Collaborative merger In the past year, teams from both companies have been dedicated to combining their innovation, knowledge, and expertise with the intention that Gerard, with an increased capacity, aims to grow the market in New Zealand further.

Country-wide network The distribution network is a significant part of Gerard’s business, and the combined network is even more robust, with over 130 distributors.

Gerard will have enhanced coverage from the far north to the deep south by working with its distributors.

Range and product availability A review of the range and the consolidation of ‘like’ products has created a new balanced range that reflects the needs and feedback received from customers and other stakeholders. A greater range of colours will now be kept in stock from the previous Metrotile range, and Metrotile’s Concealed Fastening (CF) Profiles (CF Shake, CF Shingle and CF Slate) are now available under the Gerard brand.

With a new development stream planned for 2023, the Gerard brand is committed to the New Zealand market and will continue to invest in local production to meet the current and future needs of the building industry.

Visit Gerard’s new website: www.gerardroofs.co.nz

Issue 103 • Summer 2022

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RISK & RESILIENCE

Beyond resilience: plan and adapt The definition of resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; to spring back, resuming the original form. But is that the solution for the roofing sector? We also need to adapt and respond to circumstances. My lead in the front of this issue of RoofLink talks about planning rather than reacting. Planning entails adjusting to what is required to get us where we want to be. The plan may not see you return to the way you used to do things, but you will be able to manage far better for yourself and those around you.

Below are two articles on resilience – the first from a business perspective, the second, from a personal standpoint. Please read them and take what you need to adapt to your circumstances. – Graham Moor

Shielding your roofing business from risk With a slowing economy, now is the time for construction companies to build resilience to a future downturn by taking a deep dive into how their business is functioning.

BY JAMES MACQUEEN AND NICK INNES-JONES THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN BRANZ BUILD 192 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022. WWW.BUILDMAGAZINE.ORG.NZ

The building and construction sector is currently operating at full capacity, and there is a long pipeline of work, either secured or required, to meet Aotearoa New Zealand’s infrastructure and housing needs.

Signs new work is easing With inflation building – a factor those in the sector have been dealing with for some time – the Reserve Bank is intent on raising interest rates to slow the economy down.

The construction sector has traditionally been a lead indicator of economic activity and will not be immune from the Reserve Bank’s objectives.

We are already witnessing this in some parts of the residential sector where presales off the plans have dramatically eased since November 2021. Once the builders complete the backlog, some will be light on future projects. Accordingly, construction businesses should be planning now for these future impacts.

Steps to protect your business There are several steps New Zealand construction businesses can take to shield their organisation from fluctuating economic conditions: • Plan your workflow carefully to avoid any gaps between projects – allow for lower productivity on site because of material shortages and delays such as staff being away. Material delays mean we are seeing significant gaps during and between projects, which is having a negative impact on cash flow.

• Start preparing to ‘rightsize’ – also known as downsizing. Consider what overheads you can trim now to operate at half the level you are currently working at.

• Retain your best staff and continue with their training – the government’s Apprenticeship Boost scheme can help you do this.

Don’t perpetuate the skills shortage that is significantly contributing to current conditions. Consider who your best talent is and actively engage in succession planning – staff are much more likely to stay if they know they have a future with you. Shares and bonus schemes will also help to hold employees in the business.

• Focus on your cash flow as cash continues to be king. It’s a good idea to address your overheads, slow down capital expenditure and review job margins.

• Have a monthly forecast for the next financial year and test this against any unforeseen events to show how your business would perform.

• Monitor your performance against budget and gross margin on projects monthly. This will give you a better view of expected income.

• Review your monthly accounts to get a much better picture of how the business is performing. You should also benchmark against your peers to see where you’re at in relation to others.

• Avoid low-margin work simply to keep busy. These projects are inherently riskier and magnify cash flow and profitability challenges rather than improving them. You are usually better to right-size sooner.

• Do your due diligence when accepting projects – if a client is unlikely to be able to pay to the last progress claim, don’t accept them.

• Subcontractors should review and collect outstanding retentions.

Head contractors should maintain the spread of subcontractors and review their finances where possible.

• Review your contracts – these are essential to get right. Avoid fixed-price con- tracts, especially if the price is fixed at current prices. Introducing allowances to cover rising building costs and including cost escalation clauses is also helpful.

• Anticipate and protect yourself from disputes that are more prevalent when activity and cash flow slow down. Well-kept site diaries and other records are critical to protect your position and discourage opportunistic disputes. continued on page 13 Issue 103 • Summer 2022

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RISK & RESILIENCE

continued from page 11

Understand your business Shield your business from risk and understand it fully by taking a bird’s-eye view. Regularly reviewing your projects, accounts, margins and forecasts is the only real way you can understand how your business is tracking. This will enable you to identify as soon as possible whether the current economic conditions are having a negative impact on you.

If there are issues, take the appropriate actions promptly rather than taking a wait and hope approach.

Communication and relationship building key Strong client communication and relationship building is also key. Take the time to understand who your key subcontractors and your best clients are and regularly communicate with them about projects, including any potential material shortages or delays.

They will be aware of the current economic instability and supply chain challenges and will hopefully understand that there are aspects that are out of your control. However, they will be much more understanding and accommodating when you take the time to actively communicate with them.

10 Steps for building personal resilience There are far more than ten ways to build your resilience, but try these and see how you go.

6. Look for opportunities for self-discovery People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss. Many people who have experienced tragedies and hardship have reported better relationships, greater sense of strength even while feeling vulnerable, increased sense of self-worth, a more developed spirituality and heightened appreciation for life.

BY MATT VAUGHAN

7. Nurture a positive view of yourself

1. Make connections

Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience.

Good relationships with close family members, friends or others are important. Accepting help and support from those who care about you and will listen to you strengthens resilience. Some people find that being active in civic groups, faith-based organizations, or other local groups provides social support and can help with reclaiming hope.

Assisting others in their time of need also can benefit the helper.

2. Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems You can’t change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can change how you interpret and respond to these events. Try looking beyond the present to how future circumstances may be a little better.

Note any subtle ways in which you might already feel somewhat better as you deal with difficult situations.

3. Accept that change is a part of living Certain goals may no longer be attainable as a result of adverse situations. Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed can help you focus on circumstances that you can alter.

4. Move toward your goals Develop some realistic goals. Do something regularly — even if it seems like a small accomplishment — that enables you to move toward your goals. Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask yourself, “What’s one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me move in the direction I want to go?”

5. Take decisive actions Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away.

8. Keep things in perspective Even when facing very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion.

9. Maintain a hopeful outlook An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear.

10. Take care of yourself Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience.

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Issue 103 • Summer 2022

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MEMBER PROFILE: ARCHITECTURAL ENVELOPES

The art of roofing Despite being a relatively new member of RANZ, Architectural Envelope’s pedigree goes back a long way – centuries, in fact, if you take the collective knowledge brought to this Cromwellbased roofing firm by its Operations Manager, Ben Porte.

BY JOHN WILLIAMS

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Summer 2022 • Issue 103

Above & opposite: Mt Isthmus Lodge, Lake Hawea

Ben Porte hails from the historic town of Annecy in the foothills of the Alps in Southwestern France. He started his roofing career in his mid-teens, embarking on a two-year course at the impressively named Association Ouvrière des Compagnons du Devoirs du Tour de France in Lyon. It has to be said that the French have a way of elevating the ordinary into something mystical. Who’d have thought a roofing school could sound so fancy?

“Originally, I wanted to be a carpenter, but there were no more spaces on the course; that’s when they asked me if I’d thought about roofing. In the province where I am from in France, the roofer is the carpenter – it’s the same thing. I’m like, OK then, let’s try it. I was 15, and I loved it. And here I am twenty years after.”

Typically, an apprenticeship in France comprises six weeks working in the company, followed by two weeks at school – and you do that for two years, explains Ben. Part of his ongoing training was to travel, changing cities every six months, learning the best from those cities – both traditional and modern techniques. “Back in Europe, each region has

its own style of roofing – because of the weather conditions. And that’s why I moved around; to learn all the different techniques for those conditions. If you stay in one place, you are limited in what you can learn.”

“You have to make sure you spend time teaching people.

You can’t expect to have good people unless you spend time teaching them."

Many of the techniques Ben has learnt are hundreds of years old and were often specific to the cities and regions he worked in. For example, the tiles for the buildings in Lyon were made locally, from local clay of slate, so materials and techniques evolved regionally.

He says this migratory style of training is great for getting experience and gaining knowledge – and is certainly a system New Zealand could adopt.

“Moving around, just for the knowledge, is great. Between different companies, people

work differently. Imagine when you go to a different place with different techniques and materials. All that knowledge is great.”

Sharing is caring This sharing of knowledge is fundamental to how Ben runs his teams at Architectural Envelopes.

“You have to make sure you spend time teaching people,” he says. “You can’t expect to have good people unless you spend time teaching them. Every time we do a job that’s a bit specific – like we recently had a job in Arrowtown converting the old BNZ building into the new museum that involved a lot of lead work – we spend a whole afternoon with the whole of the staff, taking a look at what we have done and how we did it. You can see this as a day lost, as a total waste of money for the business, or you can look at it as a day full of knowledge, which we shared with everyone.”

Another example Ben mentions was a few months ago when Ben spent all day with three of his team showing them the techniques involved in another unusual job, where all the internal guttering was fabricated from stainless steel. continued on page 16 Issue 103 • Summer 2022

15

MEMBER PROFILE: ARCHITECTURAL ENVELOPES

continued from page 15

O’Connells Mall, Queenstown

“You must pass that [skill and experience] onto someone else. A lot of people have spent a lot of time teaching me and passing on their knowledge. I’m not the smart one; I just learn from others. They spent time teaching me, so the minimum I can do is spend time teaching others – otherwise, that’s selfish. And when they see that, they see that you’re passionate, and they become passionate themselves.”

Who are Architectural Envelopes?

Based in Cromwell and serving the bottom of the South Island, the clue to the types of projects Ben and his team work on is in the company’s name – Architectural Envelopes.

“We target people who care about quality. It doesn’t necessarily mean a project has to be a large, high-end home. It could be a smaller house but just done properly, using highquality materials. And not only the roof, but also the cladding, the soffit, the front door, the garage door, interior details, and feature walls inside the home – like a piece of art,” says Ben. The company was initially formed by Bruce Gibson, Marcus Mariu and Ben under the name

16

Summer 2022 • Issue 103

TARC Southern, a subsidiary of Christchurchbased TARC (The Architectural Roofing Company). “People got confused between us and our headquarters up in Christchurch, so after two years, we changed to Architectural Envelopes to create its own name and to tell customers that we had manufacturing

“Roofs are the same as cars,” Ben says. “There’s a Kia, and there’s a Mercedes... there’s a big difference in how they look and how much they cost." capability down here. The materials we use are for the high-end market, so you don’t want any scratches or marks on them. To transport [material] properly, you waste so much time and materials in packaging – and even then, you will sometimes still get damage from loading and unloading, so it made sense to have our own factory.”

Tough time recruiting There’s no doubt it’s tough times for recruitment across the whole country right now, and it is hard to attract NZ apprentices into the industry when young workers don’t really understand what we do and the craft involved.

Ben says the company has barely half the people on the tools they had pre-Covid – which is not nearly enough. “We are desperately short of skilled craftsman roofers, but Immigration NZ has often made it very complicated and difficult to bring people in from overseas. There are so many people that could be over here working right now. It has always been the case that we cannot find enough skilled roofers to work here. The government needs to get involved to make it [training] bigger and faster.”

Building relationships The company’s main line of business is working with architects and high-end builders, predominantly on modern, new-builds, but the occasional renovation.

Top: Forsyth Barr Foyer, Dunedin Above: Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Queenstown

They do a lot of PREFA aluminium roofs, some copper, and quite a bit of zinc – and also use a lot of COLORSTEEL®, says Ben. “It’s important to build a relationship with the architect and the builder from day one, and if you keep the quality high, whatever you do, you do it well, people will spread the word. It’s as simple as that,” says Ben. “There’s a huge amount of work done before the build starts; preparation, where we draw things correctly.

This is key. When the build starts, there will always be minor issues, but they are a lot easier to fix if you have good plans and drawings.”

working with the inside of the house, as the architect wanted it.

“It was interesting and challenging,” he says.

“But once you’ve done ten percent of this house, you’ve done it all because it’s all repetitive after that. You need to find the first

“If you keep the quality high, whatever you do, you do it well, people will spread the word. It’s as simple as that.”

Like a piece of art One of the most striking and complex roofs undertaken by Ben and his team is the Mt Isthmus project – a one-off, unique roof profile and façade. Where did he start with this project?

“The architect drew the shape that he wanted, then I made a 3D drawing of the structure and the detail of how to make it work; where the individual seams would go, so they could place the windows and skylights – but still

ten percent to be able to do it correctly. This is the trick. As we say in France – a good roofer is a good cheater. You need to work out how to ‘cheat’ with your tray width; so you might put four at 490 instead of 500, so your skylight will fit in exactly the right place.

Then you do the rest at 510. Nobody will notice if you cheat a few mills. But it all takes time to work out, and it costs more.”

Forsyth Barr, Dunedin

Ben considers the roofs they work on as individual pieces of art, working through the details, costings, and practicalities with the architects and the builders so that they end up with an amazing, beautiful result.

“Roofs are the same as cars,” he says. “There’s a Kia, and there’s a Mercedes. Both have wheels and a body, and they get you to work and back, but there’s quite a lot of difference in how they look and how much they cost.

There’s nothing wrong with a Kia; it has to do the same job; it’s just different. Same with roofing. It’s how much detail do you want?

Do you care about certain things? Do you want everything to line up perfectly?”

“It’s challenging work, and we are constantly learning. Architects and clients come with new and sometimes crazy ideas, and we have to work out how to make it happen. Nothing is impossible – it just comes with a cost. As long as the architect and the client understands this, everything is possible.”

Issue 103 • Summer 2022

17

COLORSTEEL.CO.NZ

Nothing less than COLOR COLORSTEEL® remains one of the

BEHIND THE SCENES

most recognised roofing brands

Starring Bella the cat, her furry friends and a cast of relatable

in New Zealand and continues to

characters, the story was brought to life on the site of a

uphold strong levels of awareness, consideration and preference with kiwi homeowners.

recent reroof in Auckland, installed by the team at Aspect Roofing, using COLORSTEEL Dridex®. A mystery surrounding missing neighbourhood cats and our heroes, a roofing duo finishing up the job who shed light on the situation.

“We are incredibly proud to be part of this fantastic ad with

For over 40 years, COLORSTEEL® has helped create

the team at COLORSTEEL®. This was a special project for

the spaces and the places where life happens, where

Aspect - our first time installing COLORSTEEL Dridex® on

families are raised and where memories are made.

a residential roof - we couldn’t be happier with the result.

The latest campaign urges homeowners to be more

The product saved a huge amount of time and we can’t

particular about choosing a superior roof – one that

recommend it highly enough for residential projects, it’s a

will last for generations to come, protecting the

game changer for both new and replacement roofing.”

things that matter most.

- Katy O’Neill Sales Manager, Aspect Roofing.

STEEL® While of course no cats (or actors) were harmed during the making of the ad, there were some clever cinematic techniques applied to get the final 45 second cut. With a combination of green screens, kitty treats and a large team of professionals, everything came together across 2 days of filming to accomplish the final result.

The TV Campaign is supported by ongoing print, digital and social activity.

Nothing less than COLORSTEEL® – designed, tested & approved to stand up to New Zealand’s unique environments and become a part of them. Reflecting a connection to the natural world around us, while protecting us from it, at its most extreme.

T E R R A C O T T A

URBAN SHINGLE

“Kōtuitui in Māori means ‘to connect’, a

name gifted by Te Ākitai Waiohua to the development. These homes connect to mana whenua, to the land, to the

The Monier Urban Shingle Tile is

community, the landscape and the city.

styling, delivering a flat and

Kōtuitui is a collection of terraced homes,

the epitome of contemporary seamless profile.

CERAMIC COLOUR THAT LASTS A LIFETIME NOISE REDUCTION

SUPERIOR THERMAL PERFORMANCE

that are distinctive and have an individual character. They are built in solid timeless

materials with variation in roof lines, heights

and colours but creating a cohesive identity.”

- Crosson Architects -

The Stage II homes were built using Monier

Terracotta Urban Shingle tiles as both a roof and wall cladding to achieve the desired look, superior building performance and enduring quality.

DEVELOPERS

Avant Property Developments Ltd Te Ākitai Waiohua

ARCHITECT

Crosson Architects

DRAWING DOCUMENTATION

Assemble

CONSTRUCTION

Chancellor Construction

INSTALLER

Webbs Roofing Ltd

www.monier.co.nz 0800 666 437

NZ WOMEN IN ROOFING

EDUCATION | MENTORING NETWORKING | RECRUITMENT

As a mentor, jumping in and solving a problem can be easy. However, a mentor’s role is to help mentees think for themselves – and to do so, mentors need to ask thoughtprovoking questions.

Mentoring programme for 2023 The four core pillars of NZWiR are Education, Mentoring, Networking and Recruitment. In this issue of RoofLink, we would like to focus on the second pillar – Mentoring.

BY JENNY MAXWELL

In 2023, we will be promoting messages about mentoring and providing opportunities for personal growth and development of the women in our industry by supporting the work required for a mentoring program. So what is mentoring, how does it work, and why is it important?

Firstly, let’s clear up the confusion between coaching and mentoring. Coaches focus on assisting their clients meet specific goals.

Mentoring is considered a more open-ended process because it does not necessarily lead to a particular or intended result. Coaches give goal-oriented assistance, whereas mentors offer general advice over a more extended period without necessarily keeping track.

A mentor’s guidance is more akin to a role model. Mentoring focuses on longer-term objectives instead of coaching short-term goals; more of a one-on-one relationship to learn from someone else’s experience.

Mentoring also provides help throughout the process, whereas coaching may be only a one-time consultation.

Mentors like to learn everything there is to know about you and frequently ask personal questions that may initially be uncomfortable but could be beneficial if you’re going through a tough time. Mentorship emphasises the knowledge of many individuals and how they work together to achieve better results as a group.

Vital for roofing Building these mentor-mentee relationships within the roofing industry is essential for the industry’s growth and staff retention. If employees understand the value of their role within the industry, they are more likely to stay in that role and become a champion for both the business and the industry.

Three types of mentoring One-on-one mentoring: A mentee and mentor are matched to maximise the specific requirements of the mentee.

Distance mentoring: A mentoring relationship in which the two parties (or group) are in different locations.

Group mentoring: A single mentor is matched with a number of mentees.

Are you a mentor?

Mentorship is an organic and honest learning process where the experience and knowledge of one person are used to demonstrate and guide another through a trusted ongoing relationship. For us to be able to provide the benefits of this program, we need first to identify the mentors.

Mentors don’t have to be a member of NZWiR – they don’t even have to be women – but they do need to have a strong knowledge of the industry and be a great communicator.

The key to mentoring is having both the mentor/mentee or group in a place where they feel safe and open. This allows the mentor to speak to an experience that, good or bad, has a connection. This personal experience will walk through the mistakes and/or learnings to spark further conversations.

A successful mentor guides the story of their experience toward a positive learning experience. Listening to the questions brought on by the mentee and/or group will allow for an open dialogue of similar experiences with different results.

By no means should a mentor step into the shoes of a therapist. Mentoring is successful when all parties are open, honest, and safe with what is spoken and shared. Time is often limited, so keep the conversations to the relevant topics: • • • • •

Career Development Skill Development Personal Development Work-Life Balance Other (Technical Skills, etc.)

Situations vacant If you believe you have the skills and time to help us grow good people and would like to get involved as a mentor, please email info@nzwomeninroofing.org.nz, with ‘mentorship’ in the subject line.

Remember, you do not have to a member of NZWiR to be one of our mentors.

Situations wanted If you are a member and would like to have a mentor assigned to you, please email info@nzwomeninroofing.org.nz, with ‘mentor required’ in the subject line.

This program will be run on a volunteer basis.

If you would like further information, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at info@ nzwomeninroofing.org.nz. We look forward to being able to provide this program in 2023 and beyond to grow and empower women in our industry.

Issue 103 • Summer 2022

21

HEALTH & SAFETY

Exoskeleton trial for roofers In New Zealand, 60-70% of the roofing industry’s annual Accident Compensation Claims (ACC) are due to Musculoskeletal Disease (MSD). Lower-back injuries make up the highest proportion of these claims, accounting for over 18,000 days off work in 2020 – that’s a lot of pain, not to mention the cost and lost productivity.

BY CHRIS POLACZUK, CHASNZ

To address this problem, RANZ has partnered with Construction Health and Safety New Zealand (CHASNZ) to form the Roofing MSD Taskforce, with a mission statement, ‘to improve the musculoskeletal well-being and productivity of the Roofing workforce through industry collaboration, establishing best practice and using innovation’.

This task force has identified a range of contributory factors to MSD in the industry (See figure 2). One of these factors is the amount of ground-level work performed daily by roofers in bent-over or ‘stooped’ positions. In roofing, these work positions can occur for prolonged periods, especially when fixing down a roof.

International studies have shown that stooping is a significant contributor to MSD. If stooping is frequent, fatigue failure in the spine can occur. Also, repeated or sustained stooped postures may also disturb the neuromuscular and ligamentous stability of the lower back, leaving the back more vulnerable to injury.

Reduce, not eliminate, risk WorkSafe NZ (2017) states that all risks must be eliminated or minimised as reasonably practical. As the risk of MSD in roofing cannot be eliminated entirely, it was suggested that using an exoskeleton may minimise the risk by reducing the stress on the lower back whilst ‘stooping’.

On the back of this (excuse the pun), a pilot study has been undertaken to assess whether the use of an exoskeleton can contribute to a safer workplace and generally make roofing a more attractive and lasting career option by reducing injuries and absenteeism, decreasing accident claim costs, enhancing productivity, increasing worker health and well-being, and levitating job satisfaction and worker retention.

22

Summer 2022 • Issue 103

The trial This small-scale workplace study aims to trial the Exxovantage lower back exoskeleton for its potential to reduce the harmful effects of a prolonged stooped posture when roofing, eg. screwing off or fixing down roofs.

There are three participants: A membrane roofer of an ‘older age’, looking to prolong their career; a commercial roofer with an existing back injury, looking to stay in roofing; and a new recruit to roofing. All three participants have agreed to wear an electronic device that records and measures a range of health and well-being metrics for seven days and nights (five work days and two rest/recovery days) while carrying out their typical roofing duties and days off. They will then wear the same device for the same period while wearing the exoskeleton and carrying out their roofing duties and days off.

Using the data, a comparison will be made to determine if the exoskeleton improves or has positively affected each participant’s health, well-being and/or fatigue levels.

During the trial, the participants will also be assessing the practicality of wearing the exoskeleton, taking into account safety, comfort, ergonomics, and measurement of time to carry out everyday roofing tasks.

The exoskeleton is being trialled at various building sites and on different pitched roofs. If found to be beneficial, RANZ and CHASNZ plan to promote exoskeleton use for roofers to reduce the high burden of MSD in the industry, improving the overall health and productivity of members and lessening costs due to MSD. Findings may also lay a basis for further studies in other trades.

ORGANISATIONAL FACTORS

PHYSICAL FACTORS

Staffing Time pressure Work planning Training/skills

Ground level work Repetition Tools Weather Site layout

What contributes to

SPRAINS AND STRAINS in our industry?

INDIVIDUAL FACTORS

Age Fitness/flexibility Diet/hydration Weight

PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS Risk taking Relationships Team work Financial strain

Objectives and questions:

Acknowledgements

1. Is the exoskeleton practical to use when roofing and of benefit to the roofer?

This research trial is being made possible by the support of Arnaud Daurat from Exxovantage. A big thank you to Jenny Maxwell, HSE Manager at CS Roofing Canterbury, and Paul Stanley-Boden from Red & Black Roofing Co Ltd. We especially want to thank the three roofers who agreed to participate in this trial. We hope it will make a difference to the aches and pains prevalent in the industry.

2. Does exoskeleton use reduce fatigue and musculoskeletal discomfort, pain and injury?

3. Does it have more or less applicability in residential, commercial and/or membrane roofing?

4. Are there additional risks for accidents and injury from using an exoskeleton when roofing?

5. Could exoskeletons benefit other trades, eg. Plumbers, who work at ground level?

The preliminary results of the exoskeleton trial should be available by early 2023. RoofLink will follow up with Chris Polaczuk from CHASNZ and will bring you his findings in the next issue of RoofLink.

Design of the exoskeleton The Hapo back exoskeleton is a lightweight, passive and spring-loaded exoskeleton that supports the upper body through the partial transfer of forces from the upper trunk (via the chest support) to the thighs, thus reducing spine compression. It is designed to manually handle loads by providing support and reducing strain on the lower back.

Here are some of its key design features: •

It activates when the back angle is greater than 5%

•

It weighs just 1.2kg

•

It can be fitted in 20 seconds

•

It is designed for freedom of movement

•

The system can activate/deactivate in one click

Chris Polaczuk Programme Manager | Ergonomics, CHASNZ Issue 103 • Summer 2022

23

ROOFLINK ADVERTORIAL

Debris & Asbestos Containment RE-ROOFING AN INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY? HAVE YOU CONSIDERED OUR BESPOKE DEBRIS AND ASBESTOS CONTAINMENT, FALL PROTECTION SYSTEM? The team at Safety Nets NZ is continually looking to innovate and develop new services that are of benefit to our clients.

Over the last 5 years we have developed our debris and asbestos containment fall arrest solution that is perfectly suited to situations where clients find it necessary to replace their existing factory/warehouse roof.

Our specialised 3 and 4 layer protection systems are tailor made for situations where an existing roof has to be replaced, whether it has asbestos present or not.

As property owners are beginning to realise the issues they face with regards to the safe removal of asbestos contaminated materials, particularly in older roof sheeting systems, the team at Safety Nets NZ has developed a bespoke solution to assist clients having to deal with this issue.

Our system provides fall protection, together with containment/collection of debris and any asbestos fibres that may be present / generated as works take place, meaning that the removal of asbestos contaminated roofing can be carried out safely and in a fully compliant manner, whilst still allowing the clients processes and operations to continue unaffected by the protection measures deployed.

Go to www.safetynetsnz.co.nz/safety-nets/debris-asbestoscontainment/ to learn more about how our system works.

Of course, the system also works superbly where there is no asbestos present but the roof needs to be replaced anyway by protecting staff, equipment and work processes from contamination by dust and debris.

We have successfully used this system on over 50 projects throughout the country, saving our clients hundreds of thousands of dollars by enabling the roof to be replaced with no production downtime – their work process can continue unaffected as the roof is replaced.

DEBRIS & ASBESTOS CONTAINMENT If you are planning to replace an old roof, whether it be asbestos contaminated or not, speak to us to find out more about how our innovative and effective containment and fall protection system can save you time, inconvenience and money.

If you have any questions feel free to contact the Safety Nets NZ team:

Freephone: 0800 NETSNZ (0800 638 769) Summer 2022 • Issue 103 24 www.safetynetsnz.co.nz

THE NEXT GENERATION

Image credit: Edwards and Hardy

Roofing – a futureproofed career RANZ Executive Member, Gary McNamara, outlines why roofing as a career looks to have a bright and stable future for the next generations of roofers in New Zealand.

Would you recommend roofing or accounting as a profession in 2050? Although this is an unfair question to ask RoofLink readers, as you have a strong bias towards roofing, and the answer is dependent upon the physicality and personality characteristics of the individual, I’d like to respond to it holistically, by looking at the professional opportunities that exist today and whether these same opportunities will hold true in thirty years.

Our parents, teachers and employers will have told most of us at one stage or another that the best indicator of the future is the past, and to know your history is to know your future. With this in mind, let’s rewind the clock some fifty years and see how the traits, products and tools required to make a successful accountant and roofer back then marry up with today – and whether today’s virtues will still be relevant in 2050.

In 1970, police and anti-Vietnam war protesters clashed outside the Intercontinental Hotel in Auckland; Christchurch was awarded the hosting rights to the 1974 British Commonwealth Games; Visa transactions were undertaken on carbonless paper; flared trousers and bright colours were fashionable; a ‘Kodak moment’

was a thing; businesses communicated via type-written letters, and cassette tapes were a revolutionary new technology.

If you were a detailed-orientated person, who enjoyed an office environment and had a head for numbers, you could leave school in the ‘fifth form’ and, armed with a School Certificate, train as a bookkeeper en route to becoming an ACA Qualified Accountant. Very few mainframe or micro-computers were being used in New Zealand at this time – the Bank of New Zealand only purchased its first commercial computer in 1966 – and the leading-edge technology for accountants was a hand-held calculator.

Then, in the late 1970s, there was an explosion in technology. Personal computers became increasingly common in the workplace until, by the early 1990s, many bookkeeping tasks had been automated, and most businesses were using PCs. With the advent of cloud-based accounting tools, many companies can now access their accounts and manage their affairs remotely and independently on a wide range of devices – even phones.

It is likely that increasing levels of automation and integration, coupled with new and

emerging technologies, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), will profoundly impact accountants’ role by 2050.

In short, over the next thirty years, there will no doubt be further streamlining of traditional accounting roles, such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, data analysis, expense management, procurement, purchasing, month-end reporting and company audits. And if the accountant of today does not evolve into a high-value business consultant with an expert crossfunctional financial, legal and technical skill set, it is likely that, as with evolution, they will be left behind.

By contrast, within the same period, there has been incremental as opposed to transformational change to roofing products and how they are installed.

Concrete Tiles: Although concrete roof tiles are no longer handmade or produced locally, they remain a mainstream product in the repair, renovation-and-addition, and new-build markets, with the vast majority of the machine-manufactured masonry profiles now being imported from Australia.

Long-run: Unpainted, cut-to-length long-run galvanised sheets progressively replaced continued on page 27 Issue 103 • Summer 2022

25

THE NEXT GENERATION

continued from page 25

NZQA Roof Trainees 2022

Total NZ residential dwellings [built] by decade 200000

Dwellings

150000

 European/Pākehā

100000

50000

 Māori & Pasifika  South East Asian & Indian

0

00s

10s

Source: Skills

short-run sheets during the 1960s. In 1982, the first pre-painted roofs were introduced, with the next significant change being the launch of Zincalume and the progressive availability of other alloy-coated steel products from 1994.

Metal Tiles: The first metal tiles were produced in 1957. Although a significantly more comprehensive range of textured and coated metal tile profiles is available in the market today, the most significant technology change took place in the early 1980s, moving from mastic to acrylic coating technology.

Asphalt Shingles: In the last 25 years, asphalt shingle roofs have become an increasingly popular choice. However, the technology and techniques used to install these roofs are similar to the other mainstream roofing substrates.

Membrane Products: The most significant change in membrane roofing products over the last 50 years has been the introduction of elastomeric liquid-applied membranes as an alternative to traditional butyl rubber and mastic-based products.

Underlays: Underlays are an important component of many roofing systems. Over the past 20 years, the roofing industry has progressively moved from bituminous to self-supporting synthetic and fire-retardant underlays.

Fasteners: The fastener technology used to install asphalt shingle, concrete tile, long-run, and metal-tile roofing products has improved considerably since 1970. However, the installation methodologies remain recognisable to what they were ‘back in the day’.

Here are the biggest changes taking place in the roofing industry today – and which will continue to affect the future of roofing: 1. An increasing number of multi-unit apartments are being built in metropolitan areas. Prior to 2000, these builds consistently accounted for less than 10% of all builds.

Today, they account for some 50% of all new builds in Auckland. This change to a single

roof covering multiple dwellings is impacting the design of buildings, the roofing substrates that are being specified, and the type of work that is available to trades in our major metropolitan centres. They also pose new challenges regarding how the roof and gutter products on these properties will be maintained, repaired and replaced.

2. There are over one million existing properties in New Zealand, with a good proportion of these homes built between 1950 and 1970. Although well-installed and well-maintained roofs are durable and last well beyond their warranty periods, roofers are now experiencing a wave of repair and replacement work that will last for another 20 years.

3. NIWA’s climate change scenarios for New Zealand forecast an increase in extreme weather events, including periods of more intense rainfall, which will place more pressure on the performance and maintenance of roofs, gutters, and downpipes. Paradoxically, changing climatic conditions also result in periods of drought, which, along with an increasing population, is placing pressure on our potable (drinking) water systems. Many new dwellings are now being installed with retention tank systems to better use their stormwater run-off for non-potable purposes, such as exterior cleaning, gardening, and irrigation, and for use in washing machines and toilets.

4. The move to more sustainable communities – via planned development of suburbs and properties that are more resilient, affordable, and sustainable – is likely to lead to a growth in the demand for solar and water harvesting technologies in many parts of the country, which, along with the growing number of multi-level properties, will pose novel challenges in how these systems are safely and cost-effectively maintained in the future. It is also likely that the use of potable water for the preparation of roofs for restoration purposes is likely to be restricted and that the management of any water discharged from this work will be more tightly controlled than it is today.

20s

30s

40s 50s Decade

60s

70s

80s

90s

Source: Stats NZ

5. New Zealand is a preferred destination for many immigrants due to its relatively high levels of education, career opportunities, lifestyle options, safety and wealth. These factors, coupled with our under-investment in infrastructure, will continue to fuel commercial construction for years to come.

6. At a social level, the composition of roofing practitioners is increasingly reflective of the communities in which we live, opening up significant new employment opportunities for many. In addition to the many hundreds, if not thousands, of women involved in roofing businesses as shareholders, managers, administrators, accountants and sales-and-marketing team members, we are now seeing a growing number of female apprentices. There are currently 25 NZQA Roof Trainees on sites throughout the country.

7. The ongoing investment in people will likely see continued improvements in health-and-safety practices and the types of tools, PPE and resources available to roofers to reduce manual handling, repetitive strain and impact injuries. These factors combined will improve the lives and extend the careers of our specialist trade team members.

In summary, though the future of accounting as a highly specialised consultancy and advice-orientated profession appears both bright and exciting for the talented few, there will continue to be a much wider variety of specialist trade and people-based positions within the roofing industry in 2050.

So, if you know of a young person who enjoys a physical, outdoor working environment, has a solid work ethic and good communication skills, then I would suggest that roofing is a great, sustainable and rewarding career option that can provide a varied range of career pathways, which can ultimately lead to supervisory, sales, quantity surveying, management and business-owner opportunities.

Go forward and conquer, young person, for the world is small, and you are the giant.

Issue 103 • Summer 2022

27

BUSINESS ADVICE

"A family succession plan recognises and accommodates each family member’s various needs, goals, and objectives."

Plan for success If the time is approaching to sell or pass on your business, the key to succession is planning for success.

BY ANNA DICKEY

So, you’ve created your company from nothing, put years of blood, sweat and tears into its success, and retirement is just around the corner. What do you do next? If you’re one of the lucky people who have an exit strategy, congratulations. If you’re unsure what will happen or what to do, it’s time to think about succession planning. Succession can mean one of two things: handing over the reins to a new generation or having someone in the wings ready to buy you out. Either way, you need a plan.

Start the planning process by asking yourself two questions: • What needs to be done to prepare my business for succession?

• Do I have a set timetable for handing over the company?

Many business owners think that selling their company will be a golden ticket to a dream retirement, but making that dream a reality is far from straightforward. With so many companies on the market, yours needs to stand out. Good businesses will fetch a good price, while bad ones won’t. There are four key drivers of business value that need to be addressed: growth, profitability, efficiency and capacity, and risk management. Leave no stone unturned.

• Start by assessing the current position of your business. Perform internal due diligence and conduct financial and non-financial analysis.

• Valuing the business with an independent party is another critical part of succession planning. It’s common for there to be significant gaps between an owner’s expectations and what the market is willing to pay. Do this early.

• Reflect on what you can do to make your business more attractive to potential buyers. Remove obstacles that might hinder succession planning and look at ways to enhance your company’s value.

28

Summer 2022 • Issue 103

Defining roles is important Whether you’re running a small family business or one that employs dozens of people, defining roles and governance is vital for any SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprise). The basic roles in a company include ownership, governance, management, and operations. Setting out a clear structure can bring long-term benefits and prepare your company for growth.

Ownership: Aside from owning the business, these are the people responsible for setting out an effective governance structure and protecting the company’s future. Owners need to have a succession plan and ensure that a transition happens as smoothly as possible.

Governance: Refers to the people in charge of a business’s long-term strategic planning and objectives. While the owner has the final say on where a company is heading, a structured governance process ensures the owner’s wishes are met.

Management: The people who run your business day-to-day, working towards quarterly, monthly, or annual goals. They focus on bills and cash flow and play an integral role in hiring and training. Management doesn’t have to be part of the family. Some business owners choose to have non-family members in charge or choose an outsider to train younger family members into future management roles.

Operations: Refers to the non-financial side of the company, for example, the people out labouring on the farm or meeting clients every day. Many family businesses view experience at this level as essential before moving up to a management role. Clearly defining these levels can help business owners manage career progression.

Setting out job roles and a clear structure is hugely beneficial for every business owner: it ensures everyone in the business knows what they are doing and what is expected of them.

Handing over to family?

You might be planning to hand over your business to a family member.

This may seem like a more straightforward route to succession, but it still requires careful planning. A family succession plan recognises and accommodates each family member’s various needs, goals, and objectives. It should avoid creating ill-feeling and take everyone in the family into account. Compromises should be reached where necessary to ensure a smooth transition. At Whitelaw Weber, we have prepared a succession planning worksheet to gauge what different members of your family want from the succession process – call us and ask for one to be sent to you. This worksheet can help families determine how they

Top tips for running a thriving family business • Communicate effectively and early on to establish what each family member wants out of the business. Open dialogue is the best way forward.

• Don’t wait for an event or trigger. Have processes in place to deal with issues as they arise.

• Pass on knowledge from one generation to the next.

• Involve family members from a young age, so they understand the business.

• Be aware of the influencing factors (history and generation).

• Be mindful of company culture — family businesses can lack proper governance structures.

• Be logical, not emotional.

• Clearly define the roles each family member plays in the business.

• Establish a family advisory board with independent board members.

feel, what different people want, what the business needs to thrive in the future, how much money and equity is changing hands, and who gets what.

Family advisory boards Every business, large or small, deserves to be run professionally. By setting up the proper structure, you can give your family business the best chance of success. While the family knows your business inside out, it can be helpful to have independent parties on hand to provide an external perspective. A family advisory board can offer fresh insight and perspective, giving your enterprise the edge. A family advisory board can include family members, anyone with an interest in the company, and independent advisers.

There are significant benefits to setting up a family advisory board:

Roofing near power lines?

Follow the code.

• Bringing younger people into strategic management and retaining the experience of founding generations.

• Adding specialist expertise, for example, sector-specific advisers, accountants, and legal counsel.

• Defusing family tensions — an external facilitator can keep discussions on track.

• Taking the pressure off ‘mum and dad’ by ensuring decision-making responsibility is shared.

Not knowing what’s a safe distance can come at a price. Help avoid electrocution or serious injury – and any costs of correcting the work – by following NZ Electrical Code of Practice NZECP34 - Electrical Safe Distances.

Succession is a journey Developing, improving, and grooming your business is just the starting point in the succession planning process. Good advisers, including accountants and legal counsel, are also invaluable in helping you on your journey. If you need advice, please contact us at Whitelaw Weber to see how we can help shape your succession plan.

Think twice. Think safety.

Know what’s safe at powerco.co.nz/building

Anna Dickey Director & Chartered Accountant Whitelaw Weber, Chartered Accountants & Business Advisors info@wwc.co.nz | (09) 407 7117 Issue 103 • Summer 2022

29

INSURANCE

What I wish you knew about insurance Advice and top tips from roofing insurance expert, Tracey from Austinsure.

BY TRACEY FITNESS

Liability – what does it mean to be liable? Just because damage occurs does not mean you are liable. Legal liability requires negligence.

For example, suppose you have tarped a partially completed roof according to best practice, then a severe weather event happens, and water gets in. In this case, you are not liable for the damage, as this would fall back to the building insurance.

Four things to note about liability: • It is a requirement of your liability insurance that you do not admit liability. I know this is contrary to the customer service you want to provide, but you can be sorry a problem has occurred without accepting responsibility for it.

• Are you following the current manufacturers’ specifications and code best practices? If a claim is made against you, your insurers and the courts will expect this of you.

• Tempting though it may be, resist the urge to enter into agreements with clients about fixing issues without considering the insurance and liability implications.

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Summer 2022 • Issue 103

Just because your client is reasonable at the time (or a friend) doesn’t mean their insurer won’t come after you to recoup costs – or they change their mind when the costs start to add up.

• Make sure you are advising customers of maintenance requirements in writing. Don’t risk being hit up for the damage caused by a build-up of debris or seals which failed because they weren’t kept clean.

Waterproofing and membrane work Obtaining adequate liability insurance protection for waterproofing and membrane work is often not possible, which can prove to be a significant issue from an insurance point of view. Insurers will impose a range of restrictions and limitations on cover. And while Austinsure’s exclusive RANZ wording includes cover for incidental membrane work, the scope is limited.

If you are involved in this work, consider what you can do to minimise the risks you face, such as adopting a ‘limitation of liability’ clause (for example, limit liability to five times the contract value or lower). Your lawyer will

be in the best position to assist you in drafting a suitable clause for your business. A good clause will limit your liability, and the agreement of such a clause will allow work to occur that would not otherwise be done due to the risks involved.

The problem for insurers is that they don’t want to provide a form of product guarantee if the membrane doesn’t stand the test of time.

Incorrect installation can lead to costly claims, and heat processes lead to fire risk. Hot work (meaning any heat source, including welding, grinding, open flame or hot air gun) requires hot-work protocols are followed.

Talk to your broker to understand what is and what isn’t covered!

Changes to what you do or where you work Let your broker know if you change the work you do or where you carry out your work. Do you do any non-roofing–related work, building work, roofing reports, tanking, plumbing, etc.?

What you do and where you work impact the risk to your insurer, which in turn affects

"Be careful who you work for – not all developers are created equal. You risk being pulled into issues if their work is substandard."

the terms and premium. Your liability coverage is limited to the business activities your insurer knows about and is prepared to cover. There is a big difference between working on a residential roof and working at a large factory, cool store, or retail mall. Talk to your broker if circumstances change – preferably before you sign on for different types of work that may be difficult, impossible, or very costly to insure.

Photos, photos, photos Take and document photos for every job.

Take close-ups of tricky areas and distance shots for perspective. Images will protect you from claims where, say, a Sky dish or solar panel installer damages the roof after you leave. A year or two on, your recollection may not be crystal clear, and the client will want to believe it’s your fault, so they don’t have to pay for repairs. A picture is worth a thousand words (and potentially dollars) in a dispute.

Stolen tools ex vehicles At Austinsure, we have seen a definite increase in claims for tools taken from vehicles – including a couple of examples of return visits to ‘collect’ the replacement tools a month or two later. There are some preventive measures you can take to reduce the risk: • Make sure you have cover for your tools and equipment and your team is aware of the risk.

• Consider a locked box within the vehicle (some insurers require this) or moving high-value and highly portable tools inside overnight.

• Audible alarms on vehicles and/or CCTV are also options worth considering – you want to make yourself less attractive than other targets.

• Cover for stolen tools requires violent and forcible entry, so make sure vehicles are locked, even when you are only away for a few minutes!

Vehicle Insurance Are your company vehicles insured for enough to replace like for like, including roof racks, tools bars, signwriting, etc.? Several of our clients have found they have been under-insured because, in the last couple of

years, vehicle values have increased rather than decreased, as we would have expected, particularly for trade vehicles. Have a look on TradeMe – you may be surprised!

removed, unless the insurer has specifically agreed to cover. Again, your liability cover requires there to have been some negligence on your part to respond to a loss.

Accidents happen. When they do, it’s essential to gather as much information as possible about other parties involved – at a bare minimum, take note of the other party’s rego, the driver’s name and contact information, and details of any witnesses (name, contact details). If possible, note the time, location, road conditions, and other contributing factors. Photos are a good idea, including images of the location, rego plates and licences, if you can.

Be careful who you work for – not all developers are created equal. You risk being pulled into issues if their work is substandard.

If a vehicle being off the road for weeks or months would cause you difficulty, then talk to us about ‘loss of use’ cover, which will contribute to the cost of renting a replacement until your vehicle is repaired.

Shipping issues mean it takes longer to obtain replacement parts, which delays repairs – sometimes for months. Remember, courtesy vehicles, if available, are for the period when the repair is taking place, NOT while waiting for parts to arrive.

Contract Works If you are acting as the main contractor, you should consider Contract Works cover – either Annual or Single Contract. Also, as a subcontractor, there are reasons you should have this cover. Talk to us about the risks and when this might be appropriate for you.

When to walk away?

Think about what risk is in your business, including from an insurance point of view.

We regularly see claims arising out of like-for-like roof replacements. If the design you are replacing is badly flawed and doesn’t meet code, the ‘like-for-like’ work you carry out won’t protect you if something goes wrong. Similarly, if the design set out by an architect won’t work, in your professional opinion, speak up. Agree on changes or don’t do the work.

Suppose a home or building owner refuses to take out Contract Works cover for their re-roof. In this case, it’s time to consider whether the risk is worth it, as their home/ building and contents insurance will not cover damage caused by the roof being

Roofing Reports From an insurance perspective, only do roofing reports if you have arranged Professional Indemnity coverage and are fully aware of the cost (high) and the need to keep this insurance active for at least seven years.

There are also issues around defamation and the risk of being joined to claims for problems with the roof, even if you have done nothing wrong. These claims can cost tens of thousands to defend. Is the income from writing a report worth it?

Exclusive Liability offer from Austinsure There are two critical solutions for RANZ Members under our wording: • Membrane application – included, although limited in scope • Building defects cover – some cover for leaking issues and resulting mould damage not available anywhere else and usually an exclusion under the building insurance policy Talk to your broker We are not experts in roofing installation, but we are experts in insurance. We have personal experience with roofers’ claims, so we can help you avoid problems before they come up or navigate through them when they do.

Let us take the stress out of insurance for you so you can get on with doing what you do best!

Get in touch to review your risk and insurance needs. Contact Tracey at: tracey@austinsure.co.nz or call 0800 009 001 Issue 103 • Summer 2022

31

TRAINING

thinking they have a handle on the skills.

However, you’ve got to be open to learning the important details that your boss on-site may not have time to teach you,” he says.

“Our supportive approach is the real advantage of these block courses, as we get a chance to drill down into the reasoning for some of the things that are just taken for granted out on site. The trainees also benefit from an experienced ‘old hand’ working alongside them, focused on helping them learn,” says Bishop.

VHNZ: trainee profile When she was 19, Elisa-Leigh AtkinsPercaskey decided that her job as a bartender was going nowhere. She was good at working with tools, so she applied for various hands-on trade jobs. The first employer that replied was a sole-operator roofing contractor who introduced Elisa-Leigh to the world of roofing and gave her a great start to her learning journey.

Fast-forward six years, Elisa-Leigh joined a larger firm and was given the opportunity to formalise her education with a roofing apprenticeship. The block courses at Vertical Horizonz (VHNZ) in Christchurch helped her work through the classroom-based part of her training. They also allowed her to focus

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on completing all the course requirements and not feel pressured to juggle work and study commitments. She credits the VHNZ block courses with getting her through her apprenticeship, and she is now thriving in this exciting but challenging industry.

“I find it so hard to motivate myself with my tool belt off! Joining the other apprentices in a flexible environment while being supported by our amazing trainer Mark Bishop was the key to me completing the bookwork,” says Elisa-Leigh.

Mark Bishop, Roofing Trainer at VHNZ, says the most important thing Elisa-Leigh brought to the block courses was a positive attitude.

“Many young people come to the course

Back out on the tools, Elisa-Leigh loves her job, is committed to continual learning and feels proud of obtaining her qualification.

“I learn something new every day – or I learn a better way of doing something,” she says.

“Roofing is just as mentally challenging as it is physically; a willingness to learn and an open-minded approach are so important in this job.”

Her advice for those looking to join the roofing trade is that success is all down to mentality. “You need to take constructive criticism well, be persistent to develop your skills and have the self-confidence to share your ideas,” she says.

While ten years ago, female roofers were rare in Aotearoa, Elisa-Leigh is just one of a growing number of wāhine joining the industry.

“There were challenges in the beginning for me, but I’ve seen the young male roofers go through the same struggles, so we all experience the same ups and downs. You’ve just got to work hard, focus on learning as much as possible, and the respect comes with that.”

TRAINING

Helping your team gain literacy skills Most of us read and write daily at work and home without thinking twice about these essential skills. However, nearly half of New Zealand’s workforce struggle with basic literacy and numeracy – likely, some of your staff are among them.

The issue of adult literacy is real, and it is impacting New Zealand’s trade industries and workplaces, with both employees and employers unable to engage in their jobs, at home, or in their communities. Ultimately, it’s stifling economic productivity and well-being.

Skills Consulting Group’s new Piki Ake (Step Up) programme aims to implement change by coordinating New Zealand workplaces and industries to help employers and workers develop and strengthen their numeracy and literacy skills. Piki Ake is funded through New Zealand’s Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) and includes administering the Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (WLN)

Fund. This means many employers can offer Piki Ake at no cost to them.

The fund provides a gallery of high-quality literacy and numeracy programmes customised for your workplace. Whether you’re in scaffolding, roofing or PGD, it applies to everyone.

How do literacy and numeracy help onsite?

Improving literacy and numeracy is often a low priority in a competitive working environment. There’s an assumption that you don’t necessarily need to be a scholar if you’re good with your hands.

While some tradespeople affected by literacy and numeracy issues develop coping skills to mask or compensate for their struggles, it’s stressful for them to battle on. Getting them the help they need can free them up to perform even better and further their careers.

The issue is particularly relevant for the many tradies with learning disabilities.

Kiwi plumbing apprentice Harrison West felt held back by his dyslexia until getting help through Skills Consulting Group. Like many tradespeople, Harrison’s strong practical skills allowed him to offset his challenges with the paperwork, but after Skills worked with him to develop his literacy and numeracy skills, he flourished.

Harrison is not alone with his learning disability. One in ten workers across New Zealand has some form of dyslexia.

Addressing literacy and numeracy challenges frees up staff to communicate better with clients and colleagues, handle tasks more efficiently, and conduct themselves with greater confidence. Skills Consulting Group is proud to support this with Piki Ake. skillsconsultinggroup.com

AWARDED BIENNIALLY One of Matt McDougall’s winning projects

RANZ Roofing Excellence Award RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE AND HIGH ACHIEVEMENT IN THE ROOFING INDUSTRY

EMPLOYERS – Does one of your employees demonstrate the ‘X FACTOR’ and would be a worthy recipient of the RANZ Roofing Excellence Award?

PRIZE PACKAGE – includes $1,000 cash, gift pack, travel to the RANZ 2023 Conference and accommodation valued at $3,000 + publicity/profiling opportunities.

Email ceo@ranz.co.nz for details.

NOW CALLING FOR NOMINATIONS FOR 2023 Closing date for entries: 31 March 2023

Issue 103 • Summer 2022

33

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MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Meet the Network

Q Years in roofing?

A I’ve been in roofing for eight years as co-director of Harkin Roofing, though I was raised around roofing with my parents being in the business.

Q How did you get started?

A My love of roofing started as a youngster as my parents owned Harkin Roofing.

My brother, Brad, and I always knew we wanted to take over the business.

We finally did that eight years ago.

Q Family nucleus?

A My partner, Mike, daughter Sophie and son Noah.

Q What motivates you?

A My biggest motivation is finding the next big commercial job! I also take a lot of pleasure from being able to make a difference in our employees’ lives and their families. Brad and I think of our staff as part of our family.

Q What do you do day to day?

A My days are pretty much packed with roofing and looking after kids!

Q Favourite products/brand? Why? A We love Kingspan insulated panels.

We find them quick and easy to install and have had a lot of success with them.

ROOFING GUIDES To purchase please email admin@ranz.co.nz

Deborah Harkin Co-Director, Harkin Roofing

Q Where are you based?

A Tauranga.

RANZ

Visually, I love the Kingspan Dri-Design façade on our new premises, with our logo on it.

Q Favourite roof?

A My favourite project we have done is the APL building in Cambridge. I love the design of the soffit and always love driving by and seeing it.

Q Favourite beach?

A Tawharanui, north of Auckland.

It’s so beautiful.

Q Favourite movie?

A Such a hard question for me right now.

I barely have time to watch a movie with two toddlers to keep up with. But I caught Men in Black the other day – and it was so classic.

Metal Wall Cladding A step-by-step illustrated critical junctions and penetrations for residential wall cladding

METAL WALL CLADDING published 2020

A step-by-step illustrated guide to flashing critical junctions for residential wall cladding.

Members $25 + GST + postage Non-Members $50 + GST + postage

Q Favourite brew o’ beer or wine?

A Going into this summer, I’m enjoying Ranga at the moment.

Q What’s on my playlist?

A Ben Howard.

Q What makes a top roofer?

A A great attitude, resilience, and attention to detail.

Q Where will roofing be in 20 years?

A I hope that the roofing industry is using robots to make light work of some of the heavy lifting and monotonous parts of roofing. We can only dream, right?

METAL ROOF FLASHINGS published 2013

A unique and innovative step-by-step illustrated guide to flashing critical junctions and penetrations for residential roofing.

Members $15 + GST + postage Non-Members $30 + GST + postage

METAL ROOF PENETRATIONS published 2014

A step-by-step illustrated guide to flashing rectangular and round penetrations in corrugated and rib-profiled metal roofing.

Tawharanui Beach

Members $20 + GST + postage Non-Members $40 + GST + postage

Issue 103 • Summer 2022

35

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