Celebrating
60years ofbeingpart ofbeingpart ofourcommunity
Therehavebeen very few staff changes over the decades although,by1970, David had movedonand Paul Garrett had come on boardasBrian’s apprentice. Sadly,Brian passed away earlier this year
In 2024,Paul is still going strong in the business alongside his plumberson BenGarrett (akaBen the Boss) who has been on boardsince1997, truck operator Glenn, apprentice and“young fella” Blake, and Ben’s wifeTash who’s in charge of admin and is the company’s showerdome guru.
CartertonPlumbers hasbeen getting Wairarapa residentsout of the shit for 60 years,sinceold-timers Brian Allen and DavidSkeet first established the companyback in October1964.
Plumbing is asectorwith ever-changing markets and demands,combinedwith constantinnovation.Inthe midstofall that change, both Paul and Benattribute CartertonPlumbers’ lastingnaturetoreliable old fashionedprinciples: dependable customerfocusedservice, versatility and willingnesstohelp, qualitymaterials, and with everyjob done with pride byhighly trainedand expert staff.
“FromCapePalliser to Pahiatua,”Ben says,“we are Wairarapa’s go-toplumbers forrural plumbing.Wedoit alland it’s oftenurgent.”
CartertonPlumbers plan, install and servicerainwater harvesting systems,septic tanks and other wastewater disposal systems, pumps, filters,pipes,and fittings.
Bensaysthatlifestyle block ownersare the company’s biggest customer segment, with farmers notfar behind.
“Weoperate in aniche marketinWairarapa,”Ben says.“We’reunique, for example,inour ability to serviceand look after wastewater systems.
Knowing that, other plumbers even directthose jobs our way.”
Theteam at Carterton Plumbers (from left) Glenn, Blake, Paul Garrett, BenGarrett,Tash
Labourforce on tap
Startingout doingcleaning jobs forCarterton Plumbers when he wasagedabout nine or ten, BenGarrett waspaying the wages and doing the banking forthe business by age 13. Andschool holidays were all about working withhis dad.
“I leftschool at age 16,”hesays,“and tried other trades,such as building.Isoon realised therewas only onetrade forme, plumbing.”Benhas really only had one job sinceleaving school,and he says his dad wasthe same.“It’s ajob forlife, and Iloveit. Ireallyenjoythe mechanics of it and Ienjoyhelping people.”
CartertonPlumbers’vehicles, equipmentand team back in 2014
The
legacy
When Brian Allen and David Skeet established CartertonPlumbers in the 1960s,therewereupto30other plumbing businesses in Wairarapa. Therewas stiffcompetition locally, but CartertonPlumbers flourished. When Paul Garrett joined Brian at the end of 1969 -straightfromschool and aged only 15 -hewas paid 45 centsan hour and wasproud of it
Brian and Paul movedfromCarterton Plumbers’initial premises in Armstrong Street when they bought the old (fire-damaged) Norwood building at the back of Carterton’s Memorial Square. “Inthose days, plumbers had to make manyof their ownparts,and we needed a
workshop capable of handling that,” Paul says.“Brian used to make his own spouting out of copper.”Lifebecame easier forthe pair when PVC arrived on the scene; they could simplycut whatthey needed to size.
Paul remembers ajob they did on Powell hut in the Tararua Ranges which took multiple days.They were helicoptered up into the ranges each briskly cold morning,and then helicoptered out again latereach day. Andone of the highlights of his career,Paul says,was being involved in the plumbing forthe nocturnal kiwi house at Mt Bruce(Pūkaha). That was in the 1980s
Plumbingthe depths
When Brian retired from thebusiness in 1989,Paul purchased Carterton Plumbers outrightand nurtured the business through some leanyears
That wasthe period followingthe1987 global sharemarket crash and then therewas RuthRichardson’s mother of all budgets in 1991. Tough times were experienced in manyhouseholds
To get through, Paul recalls doing everything from roofing to drainlaying and gasfitting. He even remembers hanging curtains foranelderly customer. Those years areagreat example of CartertonPlumbers’versatilityand desire to be customer-focused
“I spentabout four years workingfor a local piggeryout the backofCarterton, running 14,000 pigs,” Paul says.“The farmershowedmea drawing on the back of abusiness cardandsaid Ineed youtomakethat.”It wasapictureofsix sowsheds -each ended up being60 metres long.Paul went on to build other structures,too,aswell as anew liquid feed system and awateringsystem. He even has memories of drivingofftothe
Griffins factory and loading up the truck with tonsofold biscuits to feed the pigs
Another job Paul remembers is abio gas planthebuilt to make electricityfrom methanegas.“Theeffluentwentinto largetanks,and the gas from it came out through pipes,togenerateelectricity,” hesays. “Every town andevery sewerage plantshould have one of these.”
Paul has always gone the extramile for his customers, and thatspirit continues under theleadership ofBen Garrett. Duringthe 2000s and 2010s,Carterton Plumbers coveredeverything from outdoor drainage work to solar water heating, indoor bathrooms, laundries, kitchensand woodburners,aswell as their speciality: rural services.Withtheir own diggerand truck they carried out all aspects ofany job without needing to bring in separatecontractors
Even today, with its focus on rural plumbing,Carterton Plumbers carries on its uncomplicatedway of progressing projects to give themselves end to end control. “Thisapproach worksfor us and is good for customers,” Bensays.
In supportofthis end-to-end approach,Ben has addedtothe company’sstable of machinery. As well as twotrucks and three vans,they’veinvested in a 14,000 litre water tanker which is in demand 12 hours aday all through summer.It’sevencalled out regularly in winterwhen, for example,acow knocks apump off atrough.
Thecompanyalso has a7,000 litre vacuum tanker (and this,too,has awater blaster on board). Bensays it can “unblock drains andwater blast pumpchambers -wecan suck out the crap.”They guyshave
Powerup
an additionaldrain clearing unit which,you guessed it,isahigh poweredwater blaster
As well as all this power, Carterton Plumbers has amini skid steer loader fortrenching and laying pipes formodernseptic systems; these ofteninclude drip lines
“Getting bigger diggers into most properties can be tricky,”Ben says Young fella Blake gets to stand on the back and operatethe machine.
Although the machines bed down each nightinMasterton, these days,the companyremains CartertonPlumbers,through and through.
Ben and his crew areready and able to install water tanks,plumbing,pumps, wastewater and stormwaterdrains, andsoakage pits fornew builds and renovationsalike.Theyalso repair and maintain drains,plumbing,pumps,hot water cylinders,tapware,and septic and disposalsystems
Thisisyourone stop shop forall rural plumbing.Rainwater harvesting? Carterton Plumberscan supply and install plastic or concretetanks for your garden or the whole house.Water filtration? No problem.Ben says he and his lads can supply and install new filters as well as servicefilters installed by themselves or others
CartertonPlumbersisthe preferred Wairarapa agentfor Devanwater tanks “Weare confident that Devanmakes the best qualityplastic tanks in New Zealand,” Bensays.“Theyrange in sizefrom600 to 30,000 litres,thereare numerous colours to choosefrom, and they’re backed by a 20-year warranty.”Andfor concretewater tanks,Carterton Plumbers can source these locally
As well as being an agentfor Devan’s water tanks,Carterton Plumbers is also an agentfor the Devanrange of wastewater/septic systems including all thoseunderground tanks, pumps, traps and their accessories.
Devans IntegraWastewater Systems have been developed on the back of years of research and development. They’ve become,Ben says,the most robust and reliable systems in the market “They’reefficienttorun, with lowannual operating costs and powerconsumption.”
But if you’re afterconcreteseptic tanks and pump chambers forsome of the morebasic systems, CartertonPlumbers can supply thosetoo.And no matter the tank, pump, drain, or wastewater system, CartertonPlumbers only uses quality piping and fittings thatare coveredby current standards
Turning 70 this year, Paul Garrett says he’s trying to slowdownbut he wonders if he mightworkuntil he drops.“I’mmeanttoonly work three days aweek now,” he says,“but Isometimesget called back on otherdays.”
He says his bodyistellinghim it’s wearing out.“Back in the day, it wasa very physical job, andthathas taken itstoll.”Paul remembers roofing as particularly hardonthe body.“We did everything,”hesays,“residential houses,commercial buildings.Very demanding physically.”
He says plumbing is less physically demanding nowand also more straightforward, with better machinery and gear.“Oneofmyfavouritejobs has alwaysbeen drain laying,”Paul says.“We used to use astring line and alevel and do everything by eye. Now, we use alaser level -deadly accurate.”
Asked whatitisabout plumbing that has kept him in onejob all his life, Paul talks about thevariety thatcomes with plumbing.“I’ll be working out at Ngawi one day, and at Castlepointthe following day. We’realwaysmoving around.”
He also recalls the plumbing conventions,made possible whenback in the day-Carterton Plumbers
wasashareholder of Plumbing World. “The trips were fantastic.Wewentto Thailand,Canada, youname it.”
Looking back at his lifeand everything thatCarterton Plumbers has achieved, Paul is understandably proud “Wedon’t really have to advertise,”he says.“Customers I’ve looked afterfor decades wouldn’t go anywherebut CartertonPlumbers.Wealwaysmake sureit’sagood job,well done.And I’ve loveditall.”
Even AlbertEinstein is said to have proclaimed“IfIhad my lifetoliveover again, I’dbeaplumber.”
All cisternsare go
Plumbing can be ajob forall hours.Ben recalls getting acall on his mobileone Christmas eveat10.30pm, askingwhy he wasn’t at home.“Iwas head down fixingsomeone’s septic tank,”he says.That’s commitment.
To take abreak from work,Ben and his wifeTash participate in shooting competitions. But because Carterton Plumbers is deeply involved in Wairarapa’s community, these opportunities don’t comearound very often. Benparks his water truckatevents suchasthe Harvest Festival,Relayfor Life, Martinborough Fair,the A&P Show, meetingsatlocal marae,and even at his brother-in-law’smotorplexburnouts. Thetruck has taps at the backfor people to fill up their water bottles.
Thewhole family is involved in Carterton Plumbers.Aswell as her admin role,Tash (whoBen describes as a“very practical lady”)installs showerdomes.They have four children between themand the two primary-school aged boys (Parker and Ardan) both reckon they’regoing to beplumbers.The oldestdaughter (nowaged 21) has worked for Benon the“shit-sucking”vacuum truck
Benand apprentice Blakeonajob in 2024
Benand his septic tank cleanerin2014
Parker and Ardan rearing to get into plumbing
Carterton Plumbers: the
KevanDudson, from Masterton’s Caltex sites, says“weappreciate the efforts thatBen and his team go to on our behalf.Wewish him well for the years ahead and congratulate all those past and presentwho areinthe CartertonPlumbers team forreaching a significant60year milestone.”
CartertonPlumbers looks afterthe cleaning of the Caltex drains and sumps.Kevan says“they perform avery importantfunction forus, particularly in respectofour busy carwash which requires them to call in everyweek to clean sumps so the carwash can
continue to operateefficiently.The work Bendoes at our sites is crucial as without it,key elements of ourbusiness would not be able to operateonaconsistent basis.”
Benhas the gear and the knowledge required to help Kevan maintain his work sites so thatthe Caltex sites can keep operating. What Caltex asks from Ben, Kevansays, is specialised and,if they were unabletocall on him, they would be in trouble.
“We’re very happywith the help Ben andhis crew provide us.Theyare professionaland alwayswilling to offer
suggestions on howbest to keep our work sites operating efficiently Bencommunicateswell and is thoroughly reliable.This is very reassuring forusasbusiness owners as we know Benand his team will do what theysay
We have foundBen to be straightforward in howhegets on with things and thathewill think outside the squareinrespectofwhattasks he is undertaking forus.”
“Great Service,”saysBarryHudepolil.
“For manyyears nowwehaveused CartertonPlumbers forall our work at our rural property.We’ve had several problems with septic tanks,field drains etc, and we’vealwayscalledinCarterton Plumbers.They even supplied anew 25,000 litrewater tank at the property and delivered urgentwater during the summer months
When we make acall to BenGarrett and his greatteam they aresoobliging and very helpful,always. We appreciate their prompt responses and professionalism, their qualitywork, and their service.”
