Business View Oceania | April 2021

67 68 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA APRIL 2021 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA APRIL 2021 development in terms of how we can make products more efficiently. At the moment we are looking for the next evolution of building products for the New Zealand market and keeping a close eye on the global markets.” With any industry, labour is one of the most valuable assets for a successful business. Particularly in the timber sector, there are hundreds of skilled jobs that need to be filled and staff that need to be upskilled and developed for the long term. Juken is committed to keeping their workforce engaged and ensuring that they are constantly trained. As Wilmshurst admits, “It’s very important that we have the right people in place to ensure the long term viability of our business.” With a company the size of Juken that operates across various towns and huge forestry estates, keeping employees happy can be a challenge. But by engaging with the communities that Sales Platform for manufactures, wholesalers and distributers. Track your sales. Intelligent reporting. Keep your customers up to date with order progress. simpleas.com | notify@simpleas.com Taking orders and sales reporting made simple. JUKEN NEW ZEALAND LTD . Hexion has been at the forefront of the forest products industry for over 80 years inspiring our global partners to produce one of the most sustainable building materials on earth – engineered wood. © 2021 Hexion Inc. All rights reserved. Global Supply Local Support Proud to be associated with Juken New Zealand. Responsible Chemistry There’s much more to our story. Visit Hexion.com they operate in, ensuring that there are good safety measures in place, and working on nursing a healthy working environment, Wilmshurst believes they can achieve a good middle ground. He explains, “The regions and communities we operate in are very small rural towns. We play an important part and we want to make sure to provide a safe working environment that also challenges our staff to be innovative and do well.” While Juken goes above and beyond for its staff, there is still a need to give back to these communities, as well. A company that shows they’re adding value to a community can guarantee a reciprocation of respect. Juken New Zealand is dedicated to creating a better environment, and world, for those who share it with them. Wilmshurst emphasises, “Each mill has a regional allegiance and ties to their community, particularly around the sponsoring, supporting, and donating of products to schools, so the kids can be aware of the products we make. We also sponsor a category at the Timber Design Awards every couple of years, around student innovation within timber design. It’s something we’re very proud of.” As the timber industry in New Zealand intensifies, Juken believes that it needs to keep creating new opportunities within the wood sector to ensure that they stay competitive in a global and domestic market. The company has a goal of rolling out its ground-roots program to support and inspire young New Zealanders to become part of the wood industry. Helping communities, uplifting the youth and staff is important, but it