June 2019 In this month’s issue: Director’s point of view from Stu McIvor Young Plumber of the Year Update Trade Up Tour 2.0 Move Your Butt Campaign NZPM Shareholder Roadshow ConnectorNews and views from the Group. Chairman’s update. During May I was privileged to be announced at our annual attend our annual Plumbing meeting in Wellington in August. World Managers Conference, Earlier in June Rob Kidd and and it was fantastic to see the I started our annual NZPM/ energy and enthusiasm from Plumbing World roadshows our staff right across the country, and we’re really hoping that and who genuinely want to we’ll see as many of our play their part in our goal to be members as possible from our New Zealand’s number one 51 branches across the country. plumbing merchant by choice. This year a number of our Whilst Jason Wood and his directors will also attend various Ashburton team were deserved roadshow meetings, so these winners of the overall Taurus events are not only a great Award for Branch of the Year, opportunity to hear about the a huge number of dedicated progress of the business, but people contribute to the success also for you to ask questions, and of this co-operative and they offer your feedback about the will undoubtedly have different were rightly recognised for their co-operative to your directors. expectations than their peers. performance. The date and venue for your Secondly, our Digital & May also saw a number of local roadshow can be found Technology team will be applications for our NZPM on our NZPM website: providing their half-year review Future Governance Programme, www.nzpm.co.nz/events to the Board. NZPM, Plumbing and it was really encouraging Our June Board meeting will World and Metrix have made to see some of our younger see your NZPM Directors very significant investments in members showing a genuine busy. Firstly, we’ll be meeting technology over the last 12-18 interest in developing their with a group of our younger months as we strive to improve governance skills for the future shareholders to help develop a efficiencies in the business benefit of the co-operative. better understanding of their and further enhance our Every one of you will recognise expectations for the future. With customer offering. We expect from your own business that the obvious retirements of a this investment will continue the regulatory and commercial number of our baby boomer over the next period of time environment that we exist in shareholders over the next few as we catch-up on the level of becomes more challenging years, we have to genuinely digital expertise that we require every year, so as a co-operative understand what the co- to both build resilience and company with principally operative needs to focus on for to help achieve our goal to be elected directors, it’s imperative the long-term. And, as we turn the number one plumbing that we continue to build 55 years old later this year the merchant in New Zealand. member competence for our vision of a 100-year co-operative future governance. This year’s Thirdly, the Directors will be starts to become real, but it rests Future Governance applicants considering and confirming more and more in the hands of will be interviewed in July, and this year’s ordinary shareholder our younger members who the successful candidates will rebate dividend. We’ve made Chairman’s update - cont. significant progress in the co- are trading less, and we expect pillar of ‘democratic member operative in the last 12 months, that the dividend will be paid control’ by exercising your vote and despite the additional in September. in the election process. investments that we’ve already Lastly, with our annual Director Kind Regards, made in both bricks and mortar nominations recently opened properties and in digital and and with voting due to technology, the Board has commence in July, I urge you all been able to forecast a 5.0% to consider the best candidates cash rebate dividend for our to support the future strategic members. Should this dividend direction and governance of your be confirmed, it will include the John DeBernardo co-operative, and to follow the minimum $300 rebate for our Chairman second Rochdale co-operative smaller members or those who Director’s point of view - Stu McIvor. Greetings to all. of our technology and systems, forward with the current culture, the opening of new branches strategy and direction that has This will be my last Connector and the upgrading of existing proven to be so successful. article as I have decided to step sites throughout the country, down as a director of NZPM Thank you all for your support the reinvestment for our future Group at this year’s AGM. After over the years, and to my fellow resilience, the concern for the nine years as a director it’s now directors, NZPM, Plumbing health and safety and well-being time to concentrate on family World and Metrix management of our staff, and the growth of and business, but I will continue and staff – thanks and well done own brand products. to support our co-operative as a team. It has been sometimes shareholder. The Young Plumbers Club now challenging but always has over 1,300 young plumber rewarding. Looking ahead, I’d like to briefly members. This year’s Young talk about our co-operative as Thank you once again. Plumber of the Year competition it stands today. If we look at attracted approximately 350 Kind Regards, the total numbers of ordinary competitors and kicked off in Stu McIvor shareholder members at this April, and at time of writing NZPM Director point in time, they number 884 we have already held 31 and this has been increasing branch events. The comradery, year on year. This figure takes networking and future business into account, the number of opportunities provided by these withdrawals due to retirement, events bodes well for future of business closures or sales etc. both the co-operative and the We are continuing to attract new plumbing industry in NZ. ordinary shareholders which is always pleasing to see, and this Our NZPM Future Governance continued growth of members is program is also working out very one key indicator that points to a well, and I believe this program bright and prosperous future for has a very important part to play the co-operative. for the future governance roles of our elected directors. There are many other highlights for me; the focus from the This year’s elections for Directors whole team around service will commence in July, so I urge and communication levels to you all to carefully consider and our members and business vote for the candidates who will partners, the on-going upgrade keep the co-operative moving Page 2 A word from Rob Kidd. It is very exciting to let you know customer interfacing digital saving you valuable time (unless that Plumbing World move into and technology projects. The of course you want to come into the new Distribution Centre (DC) Commercial Quoting System the store to pick the order up). in Wiri, South Auckland, during (CQS) should be implemented Thank you for your ongoing June. Metrix will move in during in July / August and the Trade support of Plumbing World, we September this year. Purchasing App (TPA) from look forward to delivering more August / September. The new DC will enable us exciting initiatives for you. to more rapidly grow our Both are designed to enable imported products program you to more easily and for the benefit of shareholders efficiently purchase product Regards, across the country including an from Plumbing World and help extension of products within the provide significant operating LeVivi brand being launched in benefits for your business. quarter two of this year. The CQS will enable you to I am also pleased to let you know accept quotes from Plumbing Rob Kidd that to help continue delivering World without your business or Plumbing World GM the excellent service you expect Plumbing World having to rekey from Plumbing World we have a the product information when number of new branches being you accept a quote and turn it opened over the next into a purchase order – this will few months. save time and help eliminate human error. In addition to Kumeu which opens in June, we are opening a The Trade Purchasing App is branch in Bream Bay (Marsden currently being branch tested City) in quarter two and have with customer orders in six signed a lease for a new branch branches across the country. The in Onehunga (Auckland) which App will enable you or your staff should also be opened during to purchase product from any late quarter two. We are also location utilising your mobile looking for a site for an additional device. You will be able to select branch in the Wellington region. product, add an order number and provide a delivery address We are making very good to link to our delivery service progress on the first two key Metrix and Plumbing World’s New Distribution Centre Wiri, South Auckland. Page 3 Trade Up Tour 2.0. As the skills shortage becomes Getting the plumbing trades more of a problem for the front and centre will help to economy and trade industries, attract the right talent to a Plumbing World are front plumbing apprenticeship or footing it and bringing the training program. Trade Up Tour Trade Up Tour to the nation 2.0 is designed with this one again in 2019.