78 | DEVELOPMENT Tuatara Structures - Elements Hardware Virginia Wright New premises for hardware leaders The new purpose-built warehouse in Invercargill’s Industrial Park on 21 Bill Richardson Drive . After close to 20 years working for Windsor Hardware Tom Harrison, together with his wife Annie, decided to set up a new business and established Elements Hardware, with a specific focus on hardware for the outdoors. Based in Invercargill Elements Hardware is now a well-established wholesale company distributing outdoor hardware New Zealand wide, as well as a limited amount to Australia. They supply hardware merchants such as Mitre 10 and Placemakers as well as locksmiths and aluminium fabricators with what falls under the general umbrella of architectural hardware. When they move into their purpose-built warehouse in Invercargill’s Industrial Park on 21 Bill Richardson Drive in October it will be four years almost to the day since they first set up shop. They started with letterbox numbers and letterbox hardware as well as the lockboxes so in favour with Air BnB’s, otherwise known as keysafes, but it’s what they came up with a year or so later that has really taken off. “We got into a range of products which we call E-LOK which is a range of smartlocks for entrance doors. We created the brand and sourced the product which we then had adapted for the New Zealand market,” says Tom. By which he means that they adapted the electronic locks so that they can easily fit onto the standard 50mm wide aluminium door frame typically used in New Zealand houses. The idea for these electronic smartlocks came from Tom and Annie’s wish for something robust that they could use on an exterior aluminium door in their own house, that wouldn’t need a key, while allowing their three boys to easily come in and out using just a pin code. “I had exactly that sort of sliding door at home, and I always wanted a smartlock for it, so we tried one out. It needed a few components to make it easy to fit, plus it wasn’t undercover like a front door usually is, and obviously we’re in Invercargill so it was exposed to wind and rain but it lasted well. So we decided there could be a market, got some feedback, and went from there,” explains Tom. It was the first of its kind in New Zealand adapted to fit that narrow door, complete with Bluetooth, an app, and whatever else modern technology can provide. “That’s where a lot of our growth has been in the last couple of years, we’d be doing several thousand of them a year now. You can have someone that gets a code that will only get them in on Tuesday afternoon at 3 o’clock for instance if they’re a cleaner, and you can control the E-LOK remotely from your cell phone. You can do all sorts of fancy stuff with them,” says Tom. That initial prototype has led to Shipments of E-LOKs regularly arriving to be unpacked and distributed, and the need for new premises that has led to the soon to be completed new warehouse. They worked closely on their building concept with a Christchurch based design and build company, Tuatara Structures, who are the lead contractor. One of the key things that attracted them to Tuatara was that once the design was signed off using their in-house expertise, Tuatara then also work with local builders and tradespeople to make the building a reality. Supporting their local community and its businesses is an integral part of the way Tom and Annie run their family-owned and run business, along with integrity and the value of long-term relationships. They anticipate an interesting couple of years given what’s happening in the building industry but they’re still focusing on growth, as well as looking after existing clients. “Then we’ll be looking to further innovate on the product-side of things,” says Tom. “Technology moves quite quickly and we’re looking forward to coming up with new ways to make it work for our customers.” Given that they’re about to move into their new bespoke premises they’ll soon have the space to achieve all of that and more. Contact Ethan - 020 4098 4483 resolutionroofingsouthland@gmail.com 0800 252 002 www.pbinz.com info@pbinz.com YOUR DESIGN BUILD SPECIALISTS Family operated business Competitive pricing Free onsite consultations Excellence in Electrical Contracting for New Commercial & Residential 0800 252 002 www.pbinz.com info@pbinz.com WANAKA SHED OTS RENTALS RED OAKS Excellence in Electrical Contracting for New Commercial & Residential YOUR DESIGN BUILD SPECIALISTS. Family operated business • Competitive pricing • Free onsite consultations FREIGHT WAREHOUSE STORAGE UNIT FACILITY KAIKOURA AQUATIC CENTRE Phone: 03 983 5500 waterfordpress.co.nz Your Business, Your Industry, Your News. DO OUR READERS KNOW YOU EXIST?
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