Page 8 - HW October 2020 NEW

hard news
Shop.PlaceMakers.
co.nz goes live
As previewed in our in-depth catch-up with PlaceMakers CE, Bruce McEwen, in the August issue, Fletcher Building Distribution’s two and a bit year-old standalone e-commerce site Snappy. co.nz has now retired.
Snappy said in a characteristically informal email to customers: “In tough times we’ve had to make some tough decisions and it’s with great sadness that we let you know Snappy will be closing.
“We can assure you, it wasn’t an easy decision to make.
“We have loved delivering you, our valued customers, an awesome range of products to help you take care of all sorts of DIY.”
So, happy retirement Snappy and welcome Shop.PlaceMakers.co.nz, which went live on Saturday 26 September with 14,000+ products and the ability to click and collect from any PlaceMakers store.
www.shop.placemakers.co.nz
Aluminium joinery
gets a smart lock
Tom Harrison and the team at Elements Hardware, ably supported by Neil Kilby of marketing specialists Atticus Road (left and right in the photo above), have launched the E-LOK 7 Series smart lock for aluminium joinery, which they say is a New Zealand first.
E-LOK 7 Series offer entry via smartphone, Bluetooth, fingerprint sensor, RFID, pin code or key and has its own website which you can find using the first of the two URLs below.
https://www.e-lok.com/ https://elementshardware.co.nz/
Changes ahead for NZ hardware co-op leaders
FIRST THERE WAS
news that came
in just after we
went to press with
the last magazine
about the surprise
resignation of Mitre
10 NZ’s CEO, Chris
Wilesmith (photo above), who will be returning home to Australia at a date that’s yet to be defined.
More recently we spotted an advert indicating that the 30-store BuildLink buying group (BuildLink, Handilink and Trowel Trades) was also seeking a new GM, to “take the business through a period of re-invigorated leadership”.
Mitre 10 NZ Chairman, Martin Dippie, explained the Mitre 10 co-op’s news thus: “While the role was always an Auckland-based one, [Chris] has been commuting between Auckland and Coffs Harbour on a regular basis due to family commitments.
“The recent disruption of the borders closing due to the Covid-19 pandemic
PlaceMakers’ Big Builds are back
HAVING ALREADY DONATED $211,514
to community groups and individuals around New Zealand last year, the PlaceMakers Foundation Big Build
Grant is back after a delay caused by the disruption of the Covid-19 lockdown and has now opened applications for the next Big Build Grant.
Since its launch last year, Big
Build Grant projects have helped
make a difference for those in need, combining charitable giving, the skills of PlaceMakers’ own staff and customers, and all available resources to help make a lasting difference in communities around the country.
The inaugural Big Build Grant project in 2019 saw three-year-old Harry Finch’s
has made this travel very challenging. “Despite the need to quarantine on
both sides of the Tasman, Chris has remained highly effective and committed to his leadership role.
“However, with no vaccine in sight and strong indications that our borders will remain tightly controlled for the foreseeable future, travelling between countries will not be sustainable and he has made the difficult decision to resign.
“Chris’ strong leadership during the initial lockdown and in subsequent months allowed the business to operate at very high levels, despite the restrictions and challenges we have faced.
“The Board has been delighted with his impact on the business.”
While Chris Wilesmith is still very much still at his desk, Mitre 10 NZ has started the search for a new CEO through global leadership advisory firm Egon Zehnder, while the BuildLink role is being addressed through Build People.
www.egonzehnder.com www.buildpeople.co.nz
family receive $100,000 from the sale of two container houses which were built and sold to fund life-changing leg surgery and ongoing physio costs for the Otago youngster (see photo).
Next up, the Big Build Grant created a hive of activity at Rotorua’s Sunset Primary School, where PlaceMakers staff installed vegetable gardens, fixed downpipes and repaired and upgraded bench seats.
Applications can now be accessed using the URL below.
www.placemakers.co.nz/foundation/ the-foundation-grants/
6 NZHJ | OCTOBER 2020
MORE AT www.hardwarejournal.co.nz