| 89 T T Hugh de Lacy Opprtunity comes from challenge Hayden is still getting new inquiries that will take him well into 2024. Sherman Builders BUILDING A couple of weeks twiddling his thumbs when the Covid pandemic shut things down for his employer at the time prompted Whanganui builder Hayden Sherman to go out on his own, creating his company, Sherman Builders, in 2020. Hayden had started his carpentry apprenticeship with local firm Geoff Davies Builders fresh out of high school, and completed it in June 2017. When Covid began soon after to disrupt the local building industry, it created challenges he thought he’d like to take on himself. So to set himself up in business he began contracting to other local builders to fill in between his own jobs. Shortly afterwards things began to pick up and he employed an apprentice to allow him to take on bigger jobs, and that was closely followed by his winning his first contract to build a new home. He’s never been short of work since, having completed several more new builds and multiple large renovation projects. Though, like everyone, he ran into problems with materials shortages a year ago, those have since sorted themselves out. As well as being licensed building practitioners (LBPs), Sherman Builders became a Registered Master Builder in mid-2022, realising a long-held goal for Hayden. A fan of his native River City, Hayden said he was never tempted to embark on the usual OE after completing his apprenticeship, preferring instead to stay home in Whanganui – “It’s a great place to live and work,” he says. He specialises in house building and renovations in preference to commercial projects because residential building is where his experience lies. “We’re doing a lot of catch-up work at the moment from the busy times of the past couple of years, which were made even busier by the shortages of labour and materials. “During that big rush builders were restricted in what they could do by the shortages, and some of the projects and part-projects that were scheduled then are only just being completed now. “It was a rocky time to start up a new business, but we’ve hung in there, and we’ve got plenty of work looking into next year,” he says. Hayden has not noticed any softening of the home building and renovating market this year, and is still getting new inquiries that will take him well into 2024. He’d like to expand his business by having a qualified carpenter join him and his apprentice on the job, but he’s run into the chronic skilled labour shortage that plagued the country’s economy during the worst of Covid’s after-effects, and continues to negatively affect it. “I haven’t advertised yet, but I’m keeping an eye out for someone to join us if I can find the right person, but the supply of skilled labour is just so short at the moment,” Hayden says. It’s a problem unlikely to go away in the short to medium term, to judge from the change of direction that the residential property market took in September this year. That’s when Quotable Value announced the Covid-driven slump in house prices had finally turned around It wasn’t by much – up just 0.5% over three months – and it was still 8.2% lower than the same period in 2022, but it’s heading in the right direction and will pull the residential building sector along with it, exacerbating the labour shortage. Proud to support Sherman Builders · Floor Tiling · Commercial · Waterproofing · Wall Tiling · Residential · Supply & Install admin@mtsutherlandtilingltd.com www.mtsutherlandtilingltd.com 06 3450300 Proud to be associated with the team at Sherman Builders Phone 027 3629 855 Email completeplastercoatings@gmail.com Providing professional exterior plastering service to the Wanganui and South Taranaki regions. Incorporating Rockcotes superior plaster products. businesscentral Each edition priority delivered to your door. . Stay informed; we work with business owners and decision-makers across all economic sectors, pro iling their success. i ; i i i i - ll i , ili i . www.waterfordpress.co.nz/subscriptions . . . bscriptions 03 983 5525 03 983 5525 Your Business, Your Industry, Your News. Volume 6 | Issue 2 | April 2021 www.waterfordpress.co.nz ‘Excellence in Energy’ Taranaki’s Todd Energy will have a key role to play as New Zealand moves toward a low emissions economy. Page 8 Waikato farmers Dean & Ang Finnerty have expanded their dairy cow operation into a successful goat milking enterprise as well PAGE 10 Turning challenge into opportunity AUTUMN 2022 www.waterfordpress.co.nz Volume 6 | Issue 3 | July 2021 www.waterfordpress.co.nz Making waves Back on track New Zealand hydrofoil maker Armstrong is generating interest around the world with its high performance products. Work on the ambitious NZCIS facility in Upper Hutt is progressing well after Covid disruptions. PAGE 70 PAGE 10 Healthy delivery A new elective surgery facility in Hastings will provide a big boost to the region’s operating capacity. PAGE 52 Volume 6 | Issue 5 | December 2021 www.waterfordpress.co.nz Cheers Boys! YoungWellington irm3Māori Boys is creating a buzz with it’s ground-breakingWai Manuka natural beverage. PAGE 45 Passion and pride New Plymouth’s Energyworks has forged a strong reputation in 50 years of business. 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