Business View Oceania | February 2021

33 34 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA FEBRUARY 2021 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA FEBRUARY 2021 At ANZ we understand how important it is to remain competitive and progressive in an increasingly demanding business environment. That’s why we have sector specialists, industry events, benchmarking and research papers providing you with access to knowledge and insights. So it’s a little easier to make better decisions and stay on top of your business. Talk to us today for more information on how we can help. FINDING YOUR COMPETITIVE EDGE NOW A LITTLE EASIER ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited 02/21 21313 anz.co.nz ANZ Business Insights 0800 269 249 WOODSPAN PLT PANELS Boon reports, “They did a 33-townhouse block with us using our product for ground floor, mid-floor, roof and they’re very happy with it. We just finished that in October and now we’re doing 101 townhouses with them using the same system on another site in Auckland. So we’ve cracked into the multi-residential housing market and from that we’ve just completed a 44- unit apartment building in Wellington. Because our system is new, a lot of companies are hesitant to use it until it’s proven but now we’ve done about 40 different projects from a house right through to apartments and townhouses and we’re getting a good track record.” The main advantage is speed of the build. The project for the 33 townhouses was made up of six blocks with the ability to fully install an eight-unit floor in one day. For a property developer, the sooner they complete a project, the sooner those units are rented out or sold. It’s all about speed. Woodspan’s market channel is a direct install, finished panels leave the factory and are delivered to the building site ready for the crane. According to Boon, “Our initial contact is through architects and eventually our customer becomes the builder – the construction company – and we work with them directly. The panels are tailored to their specifications, stacked in a certain way, and delivered on a specified time and date to locations throughout New Zealand.” From a sustainability aspect, wood ticks all the boxes when it comes to an environmentally friendly build. In fact, Woodspan is now having architects and builders coming to them specifically because their clients want low carbon emitting building materials. And that demand is growing. Radiata pine is the main species grown in New Zealand and the plantations are all replanted as sustainable forests. “And there is very little waste in our process,” says Boon. “Right through from the log, all the residue such as bark goes into garden products, wood chip goes to pulp mills, and shavings from the timber goes to the planers to build and they both loved the product. It’s a two-level house, so not only was it a structural floor, but we used the finished panels exposed as a beautiful timber ceiling, as well. The builder loved the speed – having floors down in less than a day. So we’ve been very fortunate that both the architect and the builder have continued to use Woodspan PLT since the early days in their local projects, in the same town where we manufacture the product.” From there, the company has done extensive target marketing, getting products specified with other architects and builders into attractive high-end homes. Woodspan PLT’s next big break was in Auckland where there is quite a serious housing shortage. Du Val Group, a major property developer of quality, affordable housing, visited Taranakipine and Woodspan and saw that they not only have a good product but the manufacturing capability to back it up. And control of the whole supply chain from raw material to finishing to distribution.