Page 9 - HW MAY 2019

hard news Easy Access marks first two decades Height access and platform specialist Easy Access is celebrating its 20th year “keeping tradies safe up there”. Jeff Wearmouth and his brother Shane launched Easy Access on the back of trestles that were produced in their father’s shed in the small rural Northland town of Maungaturoto. These first trestles were loaded into their Falcon ED wagon, driven to Auckland on spec and promptly sold. 20 years later, the business is now a substantial manufacturing and exporting business with sales of $35 million. Listening to customer feedback and acting on those insights have been key to the company’s continued growth and, says Jeff, “we’ve hardly started!” To celebrate the anniversary, Easy Access’ proudly NZ-made products these days bear the company’s “Still Made Here” logo. The company is also running a Facebook photo competition for end users until the end of June. www.easyaccess.co.nz Bunnings beats Queenstown hoodoo AFTER SOME TIME and no little money spent working through the thorny business of getting approval for a new Bunnings in Queenstown, the Environment Court has given permission for the new store. Overturning the decision of an earlier Resource Consent Panel, the Environment Court approved an amended design and reportedly also said that the store would bring “competitive pricing for the construction sector” as well as boosting local employment. Chris Hutching on Stuff.co.nz reports: “The judge accepted arguments that Bunnings was more of a supplier to tradespeople than a shop for the public.” On this basis, will the new Bunnings site not be selling to the consumer? www.bunnings.co.nz NEW Sikaflex®-123 MS Bond Adhesive and Sealant · Proven Sika MS technology · Multi use – sticks and seals in one · Bonds to almost any substrate · For indoor or outdoor use · Excellent resistance to water and weathering Scan for PDS and more info MORE AT www.facebook.com/nzhardwarejournal MAY 2019 | NZHJ 7 Sika 1433 Sika 1421