| 117 BUILDING Totalspan East Waikato Totalspan East Waikato has won a host of awards through the years, but as the Furze family will tell you, they are not in this business to win awards, but to provide the best experience for clients on every project. From a combined background in construction, business and administration, Errol and Diane Furze launched Totalspan East Waikato in 2007. Their commitment to best solutions, best service and best products paved the way to growth and success in their area of operation. “We’re trying constantly to improve ourselves, with the customer experience at the forefront of what we do,” explains Diane. “Our ethos is to treat our clients in the same way we want to be treated.” Totalspan is New Zealand’s leading choice for sheds, garages and other customised steel buildings. Diane says having the design, engineering and manufacturing expertise of Spanbild behind the brand, as well as nationwide marketing reach, have been key advantages throughout their franchise journey. Exciting for Errol and Diane, now, is seeing the next generation – their daughter, Demi and son, Jake – starting to lead Totalspan East Waikato into its next phase. Demi has a university degree in marketing and business as well as accountancy skills. Jake completed a motor mechanic apprenticeship and undertook roofing work before going travelling. He then returned home to lead a construction team building out of Totalspan Buildings. Since then, he has moved to project management and sales in the business. “With Demi working full-time as administration manager and in sales, and Jake being fulltime in project management and sales, we’re just beginning to step back. They’ve grown up around Totalspan and are committed to continuing what we’ve built up through the years,” Diane says. The flourishing family franchise also employs a small team of well-trained builders, along with a pricing/marketing assistant. Not that it’s about awards, but Totalspan East Waikato shone at the 2024 Totalspan franchise awards, winning Rural Building of the Year and runner-up Building of the Year for a striking multi-coloured implement shed on a farm property. T T Kim Newth Continuing commitment to service Totalspan is New Zealand’s leading choice for sheds, garages and other customised steel buildings. “It was really pleasing to tell the farmer on the day he opened the building to neighbours for the first time, that it had won these awards,” says Diane. In addition, Totalspan East Waikato won a 2024 award for Strategic Excellence, reflecting strong business practice. “That award also reflects the positive feedback we get from clients – Jake is very fussy, and all our builders have high standards.” Totalspan provides flexible options – from DIY with a kitset through to full-service delivery from concept to completion. Their buildings come with both a 25-year structural guarantee and a five-year workmanship guarantee. Diane says the local market is starting to slowly improve, but is still fairly subdued. While they are getting lots of enquiries, many people are not making decisions as quickly as they might have done in past years. Diane says lifestyle buildings, such as art studios, games rooms and sleepouts are still popular choices, as are small commercial building for home-based rural businesses. Fieldays in June presented a great opportunity for Totalspan franchises from across the wider region to come together and showcase their capabilities. “It was a really busy time and we enjoyed catching up with some of our past clients too, who called in to say hi,” Diane says. admin@kaimaism.co.nz 07 880 9066 FOR ALL YOUR CUSTOM MADE FLASHINGS Servicing the greater waikato WAIKATO MASTER PLUMBER OF THE YEAR 2021
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