| 25 Winstone Wallboards Ltd (GIB) - Auckland: Tauranga Facility Karen Phelps Recruitment drive resounding success The new 12.8ha site in Tauranga includes 66,000 square metres of floor area spread across two main buildings. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Filling job vacancies in today’s tight labour market has become an increasingly daunting task for recruiters. So with approximately 100 new roles to fill for the company’s new GIB® plasterboard manufacturing and distribution centre in Tauranga, Winstone Wallboard’s Human Resource and Change Manager Suliana Mailangi set out mid-year on a focused recruitment drive with a sense of cautious optimism rather than unbridled confidence. However fast forward six months, and well ahead of the new facility opening, most of these positions have been filled by quality candidates. The secret, says Suliana, has been connecting with the community and proactively telling the Winstone Wallboards story. This process has been driven as much by engagement as recruitment, and has incorporated open days, speaking at events and working with local community partners like Tauranga’s economic development agency Priority One, iwi and hapū. Winstone Wallboards is New Zealand’s only manufacturer and largest marketer of gypsum plasterboard, drywall systems, associated products and services. The company has been operating since 1927 and manufactures plasterboard systems under the GIB® brand. It is part of the Building Products Division of Fletcher Building. “In GIB® we have a brand that New Zealanders recognise and trust. The values that sit behind the brand I think have shone through in the way we’ve approached building the new facility and engaged with the community - and this has resonated with the good pipeline of talent we’ve been fortunate to see coming through,” she says. “We started recruiting critical roles early and managed to get many of them secured well in advance. We had planned to start filling manufacturing roles early 2023, but we’ve managed to fill most of these ahead of schedule. We’re now working on our distribution team and are on track to be on target by Christmas.” Those who wanted to relocate from the current Winstone Wallboards facility in Auckland were supported to do so and around 30% of staff has made the shift. Suliana says that the fact that Winstone Wallboards’ annual staff turnover is historically very low is an indication that people see the organisation as a great place to work, therefore the staff themselves became integral to the recruitment campaign. “We’ve made an effort to profile our people and our stories, which showcases our culture and what we do for our people, which helps build our reputation. “We started recruiting critical roles early and managed to get many of them secured well in advance. We had planned to start filling manufacturing roles early 2023, but we’ve managed to fill most of these ahead of schedule.” “An applicant recently told me he was happy with his current job but wanted to work for Winstone Wallboards as everyone in Tauranga is talking about us. He knew we didn’t have a high turnover, which would make it harder for him to join the company if he wanted to in the future.” The new facility is also a big draw card. Located at Tauriko Business Park in Tauranga, the 12.8ha site is more than double the size of the current facility. With 66,000sqm of floor area spread across two main buildings it will start out life as one of the biggest manufacturing and distribution facilities in the Southern Hemisphere and it will also have the capacity for further growth. Reducing the manufacturing and distribution process’ impact on the environment has been integral to the site’s development. The new plant will allow Winstone Wallboards to recycle its waste plasterboard onsite and reduce the carbon footprint of its manufacturing. This also includes making a significant investment in installing efficient board dryer technology to reduce energy usage and carbon emissions and recycle water. “GIB® is known for its quality products, commitment to sustainability, innovation and excellent customer service,” says Suliana. “This new facility will ensure we can continue to support our customers both now and in the future, and I think everyone who is joining our team shares the excitement of being part of this.” 94 Gargan Road, Tauriko, Tauranga 3110 | 07 575 2027 | office@harkinroofing.co.nz | www.harkinroofing.co.nz PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH WINSTONE WALLBOARDS LTD (GIB) AS THEIR PREFERRED INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL METAL ROOFING AND CLADDING SPECIALISTS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=