Tenth birthday
Electrical & Automation Solutions (EAS) are celebrating 10 years in business and what a ride it has been.
Hamilton specialist industrial engineers Electrical and Automation Solutions is celebrating a decade in business with its founder Carey Penn having extra reason to blow 10 candles out. Following a kidney transplant four years ago, he is now on a mission to make customers’ lives better by consistently blowing them away with their service.
See: Out and About
Poll results
A new poll of business owners and decision-makers in New Zealand’s small and medium-sized enterprises gave the coalition Government a six out of 10 for its overall performance. But that is better than what the previous government was getting when the same MYOB-commissioned poll was held last year. The current focus on reducing red tape and delivering legislative changes that enhance or simplify business processes was a winner with business owners.
Business stalwart moves on
Teresa and her ‘marketing manager’ John Haddad on her last day at the Ōtorohanga information centre.
Ōtorohanga Information Centre and Elevate Ōtorohanga after almost 25 years in the job. “It’s been a privilege to spend almost 25 years there, welcoming visitors to our wonderful district and so much more. I’ve worked alongside the best people and loved every minute of being in this incredible community,” Ferguson said.
As local business co-ordinator Teresa was an ambassador and proud supporter of the Ōtorohanga community. Elevate is the trading name for the Ōtorohanga District Development Board, a business member organisation and economic development agent working on behalf of the community.
Teresa’s dedication and passion greatly supported and helped grow local businesses through various initiatives, workshops and networking events, colleague Vanessa Drinkwater said. “We will miss her in the office and wish her well with future endeavours.”
Lifestyle lift
The latest stats from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) show Bay of Plenty (34) and Waikato (31) recorded the biggest drop in sales in the three months ending July. Across the country 1369 lifestyle properties were sold, marking a 1.9 per cent rise on the previous quarter.
Profit made
Waipā District Council will make nearly $400,000 from a low-risk arbitrage deal over the next eight months. The council has borrowed $50 million from the Local Government Funding Agency and invested it in term deposits at the ANZ and BNZ banks at a higher interest rate than what it was borrowed for. It will return a profit of $384,000 when the deals mature next April.
Chopper winner
Ōtorohanga Heli A1 pilot Alex Mudford, won the Forest Protection and Services category at the recent Central North Island Wood Council Forestry awards. Mudford was a standout in helicopter operations, professionalism, dedication, and composure, judges said.
Blue September
More than 4000 men will be told this month they have prostate cancer – the country’s most diagnosed cancer. Blue September is the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s biggest fundraiser of the year. It is hoped that Blue Do Ups will raise more than $1 million to provide wrap-around support services for those living with prostate cancer.
Winning builders
Supreme house of the year – Leamington.
Grayling Builders picked up six awards plus a highly sought-after gold award at the Waikato Registered Master Builders house of the year competition last month. The home they built in Leamington, Cambridge won the supreme award with judges saying it exemplified the finest in design and craftmanship.
KickStart breakfast
Te Wharekura o Te Kaokaoroa o Patetere breakfast club
Pupils in 186 Waikato schools – 61 per cent of all eligible schools – now get a nutritious breakfast thanks to the KickStart programme, a community partnership between Fonterra, Sanitarium and the Ministry of Social Development. Te Wharekura o Te Kaokaoroa o Patetere school in Putāruru joined the programme in 2009 and serves breakfast every school day/five days a week to more than 250 students.
Summer festival
Tickets go on sale this month for the Great Kiwi Summer Festival which will be held at Lake Karāpiro in November. Several events which had previously been held separately and bundled up into two days. They include the Illuminate Light and Sound Show, Armistice in Cambridge, Water World, BMX Big Air freestyle show and Outdoor Expo.
Financial cost
Dementia mate wareware – the name for symptoms caused by different diseases that affect a person’s brain, such as memory, thinking and social skills – costs the country $25 billion a year, greater than any other disease, says Alzheimers NZ. The 17 community-based Alzheimers and Dementia organisations around New Zealand are the primary source of support for the people who continue to live at home. September is World Alzheimers month and this month focus on dementia mate wareware.
Music partners
The New Zealand String Quartet – Te Rōpū Tūrū O Aotearoa: Helene Pohl MNZM (Violin), Peter Clark (Violin), Gillian Ansell MNZM (Viola) & Rolf Gjelsten MNZM (Cello).
Two Waikato venues – the Sound Lounge in Te Pahū and the Cambridge Town Hall – will be treated to performances by the New Zealand String Quartet and Youth Orchestra Waikato this month as part of an ongoing partnership with Orchestras Central to develop aspiring young musicians. The mentoring workshops and unconducted performance projects saw Youth Orchestra Waikato rehearse intensively with and perform alongside the string quarter.
Lives transformed
Tom Hunt’s Call for Stability in Youth Work
Hamilton youth worker Tom Hunt’s concern for the lack of stable relationships for young people makes him an indispensable part of Nawton’s Western Community Centre. The need for youth workers right now is bigger than ever but they are being lost because businesses are not meeting their day to day needs. “We need to pay them better and offer more stable contracts,” he says.
A-Varntage
Te Awamutu-based Virtual Assistant firm Varntage has joined forces with the Rite Group, a home service franchise group based in Hamilton. Virtual assistants are generally home-based personal assistants who serve multiple clients, but the idea of a VA franchise is relatively new. Varntage joins 157 franchises offering building washing, lawn and garden maintenance, interior cleaning and handymen services.
