Business South June 2021

58 | CONTRACTING Think Water - Tasman Bay “Belonging to the Think Water family is hugely beneficial.” Think Water - ‘for all things water’ Richard Loader Think Water – Tasman Bay’s showroom consistently carries a comprehensive range of products. ,17(//,*(17 ,55,*$7,21 0$.(6 (9(5< '$7$ '523 &2817 Futureflow are proud to be New Zealand’s largest distributor of established global brand, Rain Bird. Rain Bird continually develop smarter ways to interconnect irrigation systems components and to connect the irrigation system to external systems and data. Now we’re ready to apply our expertise to your future irrigation plans. Visit futureflow.co.nz to find out more. I n the three years Motueka couple Phil Col- lins and Tracy Spark have been at the helm of Think Water – Tasman Bay the business’s customer base has more than doubled. The couple’s success in growing the busi- ness has come about through hard work, aligning the team culture with building strong customer relationships and making operation- al changes to meet a changing market. Part of the Australasian Think Water group, Think Water – Tasman Bay specialises in a diverse range of water storage, reticulation, pump and filtrations solutions for residential, commercial and agricultural customers. The company’s services include plumbing, drainlaying and heat pump systems. Phil and Tracy bought into the Think Water – Tasman Bay franchise in 2018, and worked along side the business’s original owner, before buying 100% of the business in April 2020. While neither Phil nor Tracy had previously worked within the industry, they brought with them past experience in business ownership and a passion for looking after their customers. Phil says satisfied customers have meant repeat business and referrals. “We’re certainly seeing rewards for cus- tomer satisfaction, and creating the perfect environment for both customers and staff. Customer service is a key part of that. “It’s also about having a well-stocked shop, providing for the customers needs at a good price and satisfying the customer.” Based in Motueaka, Think Water – Tasman Bay’s showroom consistently carries between $350,000 and $400,000 worth of product including new pumps, filtration and plumb- ing fittings, pipes and tanks and everything required for installation. “Belonging to the Think Water family is hugely beneficial. “Any issues or concerns we may face are just a phone call or email away and the buying power through Think Water’s preferred suppli- er is also hugely beneficial.” When the couple first invested in the busi- ness they studied the Tasman region’s water requirements, highlighting critical areas where the business could evolve. Water storage and reticulation, particularly given the region’s high volume of lifestyle blocks that are being developed, has been one of the key growth areas for Think Water – Tasman Bay. “The volume of fire fighting water that lifestyle block owners are required to store on their properties has increased over the years and is now 45,000 litres,” says Phil. Noticing a high volume of quote enquiries coming through for water storage tanks Think Water – Tasman Bay entered into an agree- ment with manufacturer Bailey Tanks and now stocks a large number of tanks on site. Previously, customers had a four to seven week wait from the time the order was made to the time it was manufactured and delivered to the customer. Using the example of a lifestyle block own- er, Phil says he and his team offer a one-stop- shop service. “We can help them with a wide range of needs including septic systems, water storage, pumps, irrigation, plumbing and drainlaying, stock water — anything to do with water on that property we can do it all.” With eleven staff on board with skills ranging from engineers, pump technicians, plumbers and drainlayers and a filtration ex- pert Phil says one of the biggest challenges he and Tracy initially faced was getting to know each of the team members and their varying personalities. “Every person is an individual and what drives each person is different too. Learning the skill required to encourage the best from each staff member is challenging but also very rewarding when you get it right. “The major thing that we are succeeding with is that we work very well as a team.” Polishing a staff culture that is professional, and customer focused has been paramount for the couple “We want our customers to be able to relate to all our team and to feel confident they will always get a high standard of work from our skilled team. If we can satisfy the customer the customer will always come back.”