20 years ago:
• The NZMBF “absolutely suppported” the New Zealand Employers Federation advertising campaign promoting the benefits the Employment Contracts Act had brought to the country.
“We have put money into the campaign to reflect the importance of the retention of the Act by whichever party or parties have the government benches after next month’s general election,” NZMBF chief executive Trevor Allsebrook said.
He said the Federation was not promoting the election of any particular party, “but is doing its best, both in supporting this advertising campaign and in personal contacts with politicians, to make it clear New Zealand can‘t return to the failed policies of the past, particularly in industrial relations.”
15 years ago:
• Plumbing World, the only 100% New Zealand-owned national plumbing merchant, pipped international competition by opening New Zealand’s first plumbing superstore in Manukau, Auckland.
The 550 sq m showroom included the only working gas displays in the country, along with working steam showers, spa baths, bathrooms and kitchen displays.
The company’s move to reach the home maker reflected overseas trends where bathroom, laundry and kitchen fixtures were big fashion news, marketing manager Jeff Laurie said.
“These are areas that have traditionally been considered the domain of the trade. But with the huge growth in product and style choice, and the increased importance of these areas to lifestyle, the customer enjoys making their own decisions at a one-stop shop environment,” he said.
10 years ago:
• RMBF chief executive Pieter Burghout said the Federation had seen a plethora of web sites pop up in the previous few months that rated builders and other tradespeople.
“We would be disappointed if the public used this sort of vehicle to choose their builder. The builder ratings, in our view, don’t give real confirmation of quality that the public should be looking for, and could also be open to abuse,” Mr Burghout said.
“We believe the RMBF brand already provides a much better validation of the kind of quality that consumers should expect, because over the years we’ve learned that builders who run sound businesses also build good homes.”
5 years ago:
• The lack of available earthquake insurance in the Canterbury region was having a crippling effect on building companies in the area, according to RMBF chief executive Warwick Quinn.
He said there was a blanket policy by all insurance companies of not providing earthquake cover when it comes to new policies.
“That means home owners looking to settle on the purchase of a new home could not do so as they could not get earthquake cover or bank funding and, therefore, no settlement.
“There are many building companies with virtually finished houses on their books that they cannot hand over, and many frustrated would-be home owners as a result,” Mr Quinn said.
