60 | Fostering rising stars Buzz Electrics apprentice Jack Burns placed third in the Hawke’s Bay regional round of the Master Electricians Apprentice Awards. CONTRACTING Buzz Electrics T T Bernadette Cooney “Being part of Aotea gives us the scale to tackle large, complex projects and share knowledge and expertise across the group, which means our clients benefit from a wider pool of experience.” Buzz Electrics of Napier is celebrating one of its rising stars this year, with apprentice Jack Burns placing third in the Hawke’s Bay regional round of the Master Electricians Apprentice Awards. The competition puts apprentices through a series of technical modules under time pressure to test their skills in wiring, switchboard testing, and diagnostics across domestic, commercial, and industrial systems. Buzz Electrics Managing Director, Daniel White, says the result reflects the company’s commitment to equipping and mentoring the next generation. “We see the competition as a great learning curve,” says Daniel. “Even if they just come away with one new skill and the experience of working under pressure, that’s a success in our book.” Buzz Electrics currently employs 10 apprentices as part of its 55-strong Hawke’s Bay team, serving clients across the region from Wairoa to Dannevirke. Founded in 1994 by Buzz Barham, the company has built its name on quality workmanship, long-term client relationships, and a strong focus on safety and compliance. Daniel joined the ownership of Buzz Electrics in 2013, alongside Gerrie Wolmarans and by 2018 the pair were joined by Carl Williams. In the same year, Buzz Electrics acquired Napier Heat Pumps Ltd and in 2022, the company became part of the Aotea Group, gaining access to the shared resources of a national network of 32 electrical companies, while still operating independently in Napier. “Being part of Aotea gives us the scale to tackle large, complex projects and share knowledge and expertise across the group, which means our clients benefit from a wider pool of experience.” About half of the work undertaken by Buzz Electrics is commercial and the remainder split between domestic and industrial projects. “There’s a lot of evolution happening in the commercial solar energy sector,” says Daniel. “We’ve recently just finished New Zealand’s largest roof-mounted solar project at a cool store in Whakatu, Hastings.” Alongside the successful completion of the commercial solar project Buzz Electrics has also completed advanced electrical installations under Gemco Construction on the Kaweka Private Hospital Stage 2 project. The new specialist healthcare facility sets a benchmark for modern medical infrastructure in Hawke’s Bay, featuring nine cardiac-protected areas, fifty body-protected zones, and an advanced angiography suite. The company delivered a complete electrical installation built to healthcare-grade standards, including medical control panels, dual UPS systems, and meticulous compliance with AS/NZS 3003. More than 1300 lights, 500 metres of LED strip lighting, and 250 medical-grade RCDs were installed to meet the stringent safety and reliability demands of a hospital environment. The company also led the electrical rebuild of Napier’s Bremworth Carpet manufacturing facility, following severe flood damage. This required full reinstatement of the site’s power distribution systems, as well as the design and programming of new PLC-based automation for the carding and blending departments. Buzz Electrics in-house electrical engineers designed a centralised PLC platform, rewrote PLC logic, and replaced hardware and software restrictions on various OEM machines. “A main reason around the successful delivery of the Bremworth project is our electrical engineering and automation capabilities.” www.jarussell.co.nz Austin St, Onekawa, Napier Proudly supporting Buzz Electrics Connecting New Zealand Electrification & Automation FOR INDUSTRY Scan To Connect Best Service Locally Stocked Fast Free Delivery* *Free delivery applies to online orders over $100 1 100 100
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