Business South November 2021

76 | A perfect opportunity Solid project management is critical T Russell Fredric Smith & Son’s Blenheim has the resources and experience to see a project through the design, planning and construction stages. Tasman: Smith & Son’s Blenhiem BUILDING A change of business model is helping the award-winning Smith & Son Blenheim franchise to customise its building opera- tions to the needs of individual projects. The franchise has been owned and run by husband and wife team Daniel and Jessi- ca Francis for the past seven years. The company specialises in renovations and extensions for all types of properties including steep and difficult access projects, villa restoration and modernisation, com- mercial units and investment properties. Smith & Sons Blenheim has won Fran- chise of the Year South Island every year 2015 to 2018, including NZ Renovation of the Year 2015, Best Customer Service 2015, NZ Design Centre of the Year 2015 and Best Admin Team 2016. These awards place the franchise well within the top ten in Australasia. Each Smith & Sons franchise offers a comprehensive in-house design, plan and construct process, which ensures full con- trol of each project from start to finish. This means clients go into a renovation fully empowered with information, especial- ly about the total cost of a project, and the ability to make decisions in a collaborative process. The Blenheim franchise has moved from having in-house builders to having contract- ing builders with a wide variety of skills and matching these to specific projects. “We can find the right people to do the right job. We’ve got the ability to be a lot more flexible around the work that we do. “The reality is that we do such a wide variety. For example, choosing a carpenter whose got good joinery experience to be involve in a kitchen renovation is a smart move. We have been building a really good pool of contractors and it gives us a lot more flexibility.” Nationally, Smith & Sons has been under- going a transition; the company previously had separate North and South Island oper- ations, but the business is now operating under one umbrella. I n the present post-covid environment, the expertise of renovation specialist Smith & Son’s Blenheim is proving more important than ever. Franchise co-owner Daniel Francis says business continues to be buoyant, but product procurement and lead times have been cre- ating challenges and people wanting renova- tions need to allow extra time for a project to be completed. This especially highlights the need to engage a company with the resources and ex- perience to see a project through the design, planning and construction stages, Daniel says. Even in a routine renovation there is the potential for the unforeseen, but in the cur- rent environment, project management has become especially critical, he says. “We are having to solve problems that we didn’t have to solve before. We are starting to get a handle on it, but it’s been about re-edu- cating the public.” The supply of products needed for a reno- vation or new house build, not the availabil- ity of contractors has now become the key decider for when a project can be started and completed. Combined with the added demand created by people spending their travel dollars on home projects, the supply delays have created a perfect storm, Daniel says. “We’ve had time when we haven’t even been able to get paint. It’s like a perfect storm. We’ve got a huge amount of people wanting to do projects so there’s already a shortage based on supply and demand.” Daniel says utilising Smith & Son’s project management expertise can save people a lot of pain and frustration, while it is also impor- tant for homeowner’s to have sound guidance on what can be achieved within their budget, especially in the face of steadily rising material costs. Being well-resourced means the Blenheim team can commit to good communication and collaboration with their clients, which is also especially important when there are many decisions involved from design and consent- ing to completion. Guidance can also be provided on specific areas of a renovation, such as creating an energy-efficient house and avoiding over-cap- italisation. For an energy efficient renovation, consid- erations include designing the floor plan and orientation to allow the winter sun to warm the house, while inviting cooling breezes during summer can have a large impact on energy consumption. This, along with adding insulation and double glazing often provide the greatest immediate benefits, while solar panels, LED lights and eco-friendly products can provide longer term benefits. • Commercial Glazing • Interior Glazing • Balustrades • Glass Pool Fences • Glass Showers & Mirrors • Glass Windows & Doors PH 03 578 0850 | 47 Grove Road, Blenheim | www.viridianglass.co.nz The complete window and door solution - Installation option available Burleigh Industrial Estate New Renwick Road, Blenheim W: www.dawsonaluminium.co.nz E: info@dawsonaluminium.co.nz Call today! 03 579 1000 DAWSON ALUMINIUM LTD