40 | Tasman: Design Windows Nelson - 40th Anniversary T T Karen Phelps Nelson business celebrates milestone Some of the team at Design Windows Nelson. An original nine staff 25 years ago has now blossomed to more than 150 staff today. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Design Windows Nelson is celebrating its 40th anniversary. It’s a proud moment for the entire Design Windows team, which started as a family owned and operated business by present director Jason Everett’s father, Brian Everett in 1984. “Sadly Brian passed away last year and didn’t quite make it to the 40th. But he would have been pretty happy and proud of what has been achieved,” says Jason. Brian, a builder by trade, purchased an existing building company based in Nelson called Building Shoppe, which marked the beginnings of Design Windows. Originally the business tackled everything to do with the exterior of a house but over time made the decision to specialise in manufacturing aluminium windows and doors, which was identified as a real growth area. Investment was made in machinery and equipment to support the move. Jason says that when he started working in the business around 25 years ago Design Windows already had a strong reputation in the Nelson region, which paved the way for growth into Greymouth, Cromwell, Wanaka, Dunedin and Christchurch enabling the business to service the entire South Island. “It was about making sure the builder was treated well and had the right products at the right time. As a builder himself Brian knew the importance of this to the building trade and he understood the technical detail of product installation.” An original nine staff 25 years ago has blossomed to more than 150 staff today. Jason says growth has primarily been achieved by finding the right people and the company’s core values which drive the business: excellence is a way of life, take responsibility for my work, tell it straight, love to win, put my hand up to help the team and willing to learn and change. “Our core purpose is to provide excellent window and door joinery experiences to all concerned without regret,” says Jason. “We’ve had some great staff involved in the business over the years. When Brian started he brought two of his senior builders with him. They stayed with the business for 20 years before they retired. “We currently have staff members who have been with the business for more than 20 years as well. We’re lucky to have a great team with a lot of knowledge and expertise to offer to our clients.” Other keys to success have included being locally owned and knowing the customers well, which has resulted in a lot of loyalty and repeat business. Good suppliers are the other factor and mean Design Windows can offer a wide range of products suitable for all projects from entrance doors to windows, sliders, bi-folds and louvres. Whether it’s a new build, or a renovation project, “It was about making sure the builder was treated well and had the right products at the right time. As a builder himself Brian knew the importance of this to the building trade and he understood the technical detail of product installation.” Design Windows has the product to suit. Key suppliers include APL Window Solutions based out of Hamilton, New Zealand’s largest aluminium window supplier, which allows Design Windows to manufacture one of the most respected aluminium joinery brands in the building industry, Alterm Window Systems. Architectural Glass Products (AGP) from Cambridge, which sees Design Windows, offer the most advanced glass technology to its customers. Design Windows are also the agents for Johnson and Couzins, supplying and installing louvre systems. “We see our suppliers as having allowed us to grow via their new product development. New Zealand is a unique market – we like our indoor-outdoor flow and our suppliers are always working behind the scenes to develop products to assist this including glass products to prevent homes overheating in summer and keeping homes warm in winter.” Jason says that Design Windows strives to operate its business sustainably. This includes APL recycling 99.9% of scrap aluminium at the smelter and Design Windows factories recycling all scrap aluminium at local recyclers. Where possible broken glass is returned for recycling into insulation, which is made up from more than 80% recycled glass or used in civil construction projects. Off-cuts of uPVC created during the manufacturing process are recycled in New Zealand by Marley. Design Windows also incorporates energy efficiencies into all plant and equipment when upgrading or replacing. “We use LED lighting where possible throughout our factories. The Design Windows fleet is maintained to a high level and where possible modernised to increase fuel efficiency,” says Jason. Design Windows’ reputation for excellence within the building industry has enabled it to build strong relationships that have seen it involved in residential and commercial projects, including many award winning projects that set the benchmark for New Zealand Architecture. Key projects over the years include the Nelson Classic Car Museum, The Suter Art Gallery also in Nelson, Te Ara Pounamu on the West Coast and numerous architectural houses. “We’ve got to 40 years because of the good staff involved and loyal long term customers and suppliers that keep us at the forefront. “We are looking forward to the future as products change and evolve and continue to deliver state of the art solutions to our customers.” You need technology without limits, IT that empowers your success. CNX has created secure and streamlined IT solutions that help your business to grow. IT that scales with your business 03 365 7028 | info@cnx.co.nz | www.cnx.co.nz
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