| 77 T T Virginia Wright Customer relationships a strength Daniel Pepperell learnt the trade from his father straight out of school before setting up on his own in Tauranga in 2006. Tika Interiors “What Dad’s always taught me is that you can teach anyone a trade, but you can’t teach them an attitude, so I’m always looking for people who will turn up every day, be respectful with our customers and follow the rules.” INTERIORS Daniel Pepperell joined his father Mark in the Hamilton-based family business, Tika Interiors Ltd, in 2010, but the business dates back to 1988 when Mark bought his first ceiling grid from Potter Interior Systems, which is still supplying the company today. Daniel learnt the trade from his father straight out of school before setting up on his own in Tauranga in 2006. “At that time, it was Bay of Plenty Suspended Ceilings here, and Waikato Suspended Ceilings in Hamilton, but we joined forces in 2010. In 2019, just pre-Covid, we did a big rebrand to Tika Interiors, which is more reflective of the jobs we do, which is commercial and interior fit-outs,” Daniel explains. “We’re like a super-subcontractor working for all the main contractors, doing all their internal work. “We don’t do structural or weathertightness, but we pretty much do everything else within a building.” Tika Interiors now has 70 staff across the two regions, all skilled in the trades they need as internal builders responsible for the internal partitions, wall linings, doors, finishes, suspended ceilings, acoustic products and whatever else is used for a well-turned-out building interior. They also have a number of trusted contractors to call on if they need extra capacity. “We complete hundreds of jobs every year, and with so many things out of our control as the subcontractor, we make sure our schedule can always respond to our clients’ needs, and that we’ve got the people to be able to do that,” says Daniel. A 100% Maori-owned family business, Daniel credits the company culture, combined with skillful use of technology, with keeping everything running smoothly and efficiently behind the scenes. “I’m the president of the Association of Walls and Ceilings, so I have a good overview of the systems in use, and I’ve realised that our use of technology to increase our efficiencies is paying off. I’m always looking for the next productivity gain to help us stand out to our customers.” As a company, they are strong on relationships, both internally and externally. Daniel never forgets that they are only as good as their last job, and he believes that everyone at every level, from the quantity surveyor to the apprentice, has a role to play in building a relationship with their customer. At least as important as their skill base, is that every person working for Tika Interiors should be trustworthy and do what they say they are going to do. “That’s been a huge focus for us over the last five years, to get that reputation for being extremely reliable in a tough market, with plenty of cowboys undercutting the pricing,” says Daniel. “What Dad’s always taught me is that you can teach anyone a trade, but you can’t teach them an attitude, so I’m always looking for people who will turn up every day, be respectful with our customers and follow the rules.” It goes both ways, with Daniel and Mark always mindful of the lives behind the company, and of their staff relying on them to get things right and keep the work going. Working in the regions, they enjoy doing everything, from lining a garage, completing a full commercial fit-out, to what Daniel thinks is one of the most high-end fit-outs they have ever done – on the top two floors of the new Hobec Lawyers offices in Tauranga. With 40 years of business behind them, there’s every chance, if you are driving around the Waikato or Bay of Plenty, that you will be seeing buildings Tika Interiors have had a hand in fitting out. Drainlaying 9HPU >H[LY /HY]LZ[PUN p. w. [WJ UL[ Ua Specialists in commercial and residential plumbing Plumbing .HZÄ[[PUN <UKLYÅVVY /LH[PUN *LU[YHS /LH[PUN Proudly associated with MAKING WALLS & CEILINGS EASY. keep it real with steel. We take pride in supplying quality steel components to the New Zealand building industry. SRP manufactures a range of internal steel stud and metal concealed ceiling system to the New Zealand construction industry. Our manufacturing plant is based in Penrose, Auckland - with Distribution centres located in Tauranga and Christchurch. srpltd.co.nz • Aluminium partitions • Suspended ceiling grid + panels • Commercial + industrial insulation • Whiteboards + display systems • Acoustic wall coverings • Passive fire systems Since 1966, we’ve supported New Zealand’s interior specialists with reliable products and expert support. www.potters.co.nz 0800POTTERS
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