Page 49 - HW July 2020

then as now
Then as now
– July 2000 & 2010
THIS ISSUE WE’RE looking back 10 and 20 years, to July 2010 and 2000.
Both years were coloured by economic circumstances, the latter by 1997’s Asian economic crisis and the former by the knock-on e ects of the Global Financial Crisis.
In the year 2000, Fletcher Building was just set to become the listed entity it is today.
In 2010 the market was still soft, patchy to say the least, as the e ects of the GFC continued to inform consumer and corporate con dence and spending.
2000 – A YEAR FOR CHANGE?
With a decade and a half in hardware already under her belt, in mid-2000, Raewyn Brady (right)
had just joined Proline as area
representative for Auckland and
20 years ago, Myles Opie was Manager of Scott Panel & Hardware’s impressive Auckland Trade Shop and DC.
& Hardware’s impressive Auckland Trade Shop and DC. Despite a scaled back showroom, the Penrose site was
important for the inclusion of a 5,500m2 centralised distribution centre, divisional boss Bob Linton and team having taken learnings from such operations as FedEx as they looked for the optimal way to serve their B2B customers.
Alongside innovating with a covered pick-up area, Scott Panel & Hardware (part of Fletcher Merchants) would also be amongst the rst Kiwi operations to adopt measures such as DIFOTIS.
Y2K was also a seminal year for Fletcher’s. Indeed, in December 2000, Fletcher Building would be incorporated, having been assembled if you will from the building materials and construction sector of the former Fletcher Challenge!
Back to Scott Panel & Hardware; by 2004, the operation would be part of Fletcher Building’s Laminex Group New Zealand, comprising Australia’s Laminex Group (bought in 2002, Ralph Waters’ rst major acquisition), Fletcher Wood Panels and Scott Panel & Hardware.
And if you’re wondering where PlaceMakers comes into all this, by year 2000, the blue sheds had already celebrated their 20th anniversary, having made their debut in 1981 as one of Fletcher Merchants’ banners.
2010 – A YEAR FOR BUILDING?
Moving on by a decade now, the July 2010 magazine featured our annual State of the Nation article, a straw poll of the industry’s captains about how the year had fared so far and prospects for the second half.
Our panel comprised Kevin Marevich who spoke for BuildLink, Rod Caust for Bunnings New Zealand, Brent
Poverty Bay.
Having spent 13 years with
Grove Mitre 10 in Onehunga, Caloundra Mitre 10 across the ditch and at PlaceMakers New Lynn, you could say this was a case of gamekeeper turned poacher.
Raewyn these days is ITW Proline’s NZ Business Manager and a regular commentator within these pages!
35-odd years in hardware: Raewyn Brady from Y2K.
Also from Y2K, another name that will be familiar to a wide range of people from in and around the building industry is Myles Opie (top right).
Now Auckland Market Manager for Zealand Distribution, back in July 2000, we talked to Myles as Manager of Scott Panel
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JULY 2020 | NZHJ 47