| 77 CONTRACTING Alex Hyland Plumbing backing locals We have all the tools you need to get the job done! 06 863 1551 | office@eastcoasthire.co.nz | eastcoasthire.co.nz CIVIL • AGRICULTURE • HORTICULTURE • FORESTRY MOVING • LANDSCAPING • BUILDING & RENOVATION Your Local Hire Centre T T Anne Boswell Proper training important for plumbing From its Gisborne base, the company’s work spans plumbing, gas fitting and drainage, but also includes specialist services, such as solar energy, central heating and backflow prevention. For Gisborne business owners Alex and Kelly Hyland, plumbing is about far more than leaky taps and blocked drains. Since establishing Alex Hyland Plumbing in 2021, they have built a business that show cases not only professional excellence, but the diversity that exists in a trade that plays a critical role in community health and wellbeing. The business was formed when Alex took over the company from which he learnt his trade – first as an apprentice plumber, and later a qualified plumber. When business owner, Stephen Wolter, decided he wanted to step back from the business side of operations, he and Alex worked on a transition plan. “We established a new company and took over all the staff, customers, equipment and goodwill,” Kelly says. The move ensured continuity for customers, while allowing Alex to take the reins. Stephen remains involved in the business, working in a part-time capacity alongside the team he helped establish. From its Gisborne base, the company’s work spans plumbing, gas fitting and drainage, but also includes specialist services, such as solar energy, central heating and backflow prevention. That variety is one of the reasons Kelly believes plumbing is often misunderstood as a career. “People think it’s just unblocking pipes, but there is so much more to it,” she says. “It’s actually a really exciting industry to be part of.” Alex Hyland Plumbing services the wider Gisborne region, from Wairoa in the south to the top of the East Cape. “We are lucky to have a great range of industrial, commercial, and residential customers,” Kelly says. Today, the business employs 16 staff: 11 plumbers, two office staff, an operations manager, and Alex and Kelly. Kelly says the company has remained “a tight-knit family” throughout the business transition, and that culture is reinforced through a recently developed set of company values created alongside staff. Professionalism, being people-focused, building knowledge and leading within the industry are all at the core of the business. Leadership is particularly important to Alex, who is passionate about training apprentices properly, and ensuring the next generation of tradespeople enters the workforce with strong skills and confidence. “Alex really believes in getting training right,” Kelly says. “Leadership, to him, means making sure apprentices are trained properly and supported through the industry.” Industry leadership also means tackling the more complex jobs that other companies may shy away from. “Alex likes the larger, more challenging jobs,” Kelly says. The couple also credit industry organisations such as Master Plumbers for helping support the sector and create connections between tradespeople. “The Master Plumbers group is so inclusive and such a good place to meet people and learn,” Kelly says. Beyond the technical side, Kelly says plumbing plays a vital role in protecting public health and keeping communities functioning safely – a job that is fulfilling and exciting to be part of. “If someone is thinking about a trade career, plumbing offers so many opportunities and pathways.” ALL TRADES, ONE STOP SHOP. Engineering | Machining | Construction | Mechanical | Hydraulics 0800 220 426 www.mccannics.co.nz karen@mccannics.co.nz
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