56 | CONTRACTING May Plumbing & Gas T T Alexia Anderson Building Central Otago’s infrastructure Growth has included technically demanding work across residential, commercial and industrial projects. From retirement villages and schools to wineries and homes, May Plumbing has spent the past three decades specialising in Central Otago’s modern infrastructure. Today, the family-owned business is busier than ever. Mike May is proud of what his team has achieved, but believes the industry’s biggest challenge isn’t finding work, it’s finding the skilled people to do it. Established 30 years ago, the company has grown into a team of 14, alongside his wife Andrea who helps guide the business behind the scenes, while Mike oversees operations. Growth has included technically demanding work across residential, commercial and industrial projects. Mike believes the company’s longevity comes down to a simple philosophy. “Quality and expertise, a good solid reputation and straight-shooting honesty and integrity, these are very important values to me.” The same philosophy has helped May Plumbing secure work on some of the region’s larger developments. “Because we don’t shy away from anything including new and challenging projects or innovative systems, we have a reputation for being the go-to firm who will deliver. We also have a very wide skill set and this gets instilled in our staff and apprentices, so we are all highly skilled across many disciplines.” The company is three years into delivering the plumbing and drainage for a 127-dwelling retirement village in Clyde, after previously completing the plumbing and drainage for Golden View Villas in Cromwell and the adjoining 75-bed care hospital. In addition, the team has completed the plumbing and drainage for Cromwell College’s new technology block. It has also worked on a new BestStart early learning centre, and delivered plumbing, hydronic heating and drainage for a new wine trail cellar door experience in Bannockburn. Alongside traditional work, May Plumbing also designs and installs large-scale wastewater treatment systems, including projects servicing tourism developments in Bannockburn and Gibbston. Projects have also included an 18,000sqm wastewater disposal field on the side of the Bendigo hills. Despite its involvement in major commercial developments, Mike says maintaining strong relationships with residential customers remains just as important. May Plumbing has seen an increase in demand for energy-efficient heating upgrades, with diesel and gas boilers being replaced with modern heat pump systems, saving people 50 to 80 per cent of their energy use. Mike says strong relationships contribute to the company’s success, which allows it to build quality connections. He is equally proud of the people who have helped shape the business. “My team is amazing, I have some of the best staff in the industry, we have a few old hands with huge amounts of skill and then a good team in their early to mid-life now hitting their strides in this career, then we have a few younger apprentices in training.” As May Plumbing plans for the future, Mike says the wider industry faces an uncertain road ahead. “I do worry about the future of our industry; there is a large void behind my genre and there simply will not be enough people to fill it. Of course we need to keep training apprentices; however, there will still be a drastic shortage.” After building the business over the past 30 years, Mike believes investing in the next generation will be just as important as the projects. “We are looking at succession planning to keep the firm going strong into the future and capitalise on our foundations from the last 30 years,” he says of how the business could look in the years ahead. supporting the locals We’re proud to support MAY PLUMBING AND GAS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=