| 63 DEVELOPMENT Fairfield Palms: Craig Diffey Builders Craig Diffey and Malcolm Davie came together to form Fairfield Palms and develop the Phoenix Grove Palms subdivision in Levin, along with the 28 homes in the development. Five years into operating his own business, Levin tiler Daniel Willis says tiling is one of the perfectionist trades, where straight lines really do make all the di erence. After learning the trade in Hamilton working on multi-million-dollar homes and some major commercial projects in and around the city, Daniel decided it was time to venture out on his own and established In2Tile Ltd. The decision to base his business in Levin was purely commercial, with the prospect of greater opportunities in a smaller town and signi icant growth throughout the outlying regions. “I stated out with no money, very little equipment, but a very strong can-do attitude and work ethic, progressively building the business into what it is today,” says Daniel. “I relied on my people skills to build relationships with builders and the other trades in the area. One of the existing tilers in Levin, had a lot of work and he also provided me with an opportunity, and that opportunity helped grow my reputation with builders. For the irst few years I worked eight days a week and twenty- ive hours a day, building a reputation as the go-to tiler, consistently providing skilled craftsmanship for each and every project I did. I have now taken on an employee to help with the workload.” Operating throughout Horowhenua/Kapati and Manawatu Central regions, In2Tile has earned its reputation as the preferred tiler for a wide range of builders along with referrals for projects from private home owners. Two builders that Daniel worked for in the early days were Craig Di ey and Malcolm Davie. Perfection in tiles When Craig and Malcolm established the Phoenix Palms Grove subdivision, their building company, Fair ield Palms, contracted In2Tile to do the residential tiling work. “We have completed the tiling work in all the houses in that subdivision to date, and will continue until it is inished.” Re lecting on the range of projects undertaken by In2Tile, Daniel simply says, if it is a tile, we can lay it. “We tile new builds and renovations, and we also do waterproo ing and under loor heating. Our projects include bathrooms and showers, kitchens and kitchen splashbacks, and kitchen/lounge/dining areas. We have done patios and decks, and even tiled some garage loors. On a few occasions we have tiled pools. We also completed the tiling in two homes that won the Master Builders Home of the Year competition. Both of those projects were completed in the irst couple of years of being in business, so we were very proud to be part of their success story.” Daniel says what he loves most about his chosen trade is seeing the progression of the jobs he works on. “At the end of a working day, you can look back and physically see what progress you have made. Every day is an accomplishment. There is a process to everything as well. Yesterday we put down under loor heating, today we are waterproo ing the area and tomorrow we will tile. There is also an artistry in what we do. It is like picking up a 1000 piece puzzle every day. Every home is di erent and you have to manage multiple puzzles all at once.” In2Tile • New Builds • Renovations • Underfloor Heating • Waterproof Membrane Installation Certified 0273 585 440 dan.willis@hotmail.co.nz
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