24 | Darfield ITM T T Rosa Watson Store offers much more than hardware As part of the nationwide ITM cooperative, Darfield ITM benefits from the scale of a larger network, while retaining strong local ownership and a focus on community needs. “We are able to offer a full service from concept through to design/engineering and building consent.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Being the only hardware store in a rapidly growing district has seen Darfield ITM expand and adapt to meet the increasing demand for its supplies and services. The store, which has been operating for 22 years and has a staff of 14, stocks a comprehensive range of timber, hardware, and rural fencing supplies, positioning itself as a onestop destination for residential, agricultural, and lifestyle block projects. It also has a successful in-house pole shed brand, Heartland Sheds. As part of the nationwide ITM cooperative, Darfield ITM benefits from the scale of a larger network, while retaining strong local ownership and a focus on community needs. It can meet the market with supplies, saving locals the trip to nearby Christchurch, manager Mike McCaffrey says. “We are able to get almost anything in.” They strive to keep margins as low as possible to remain competitive, he says. “We might not be able to match the price exactly, but we’ll get as close as we can.” And they have a guarantee on everything they sell. “If there’s an issue with it, we’ll sort it. Customer service is our priority.” One of its major drawcards is convenience. The store offers free delivery within Darfield, making it easier for customers to access heavy or oversized products. On top of its building supplies, it also supplies agricultural materials, mainly timber and fencing, and 15 years ago developed Heartland Sheds, which Mike says has successfully met the market. “We were doing some pole sheds, but wanted to specialise in them and decided to build a specific sheds team. This has been very successful, and we are now able to offer a variety of sheds from smaller consent exempt designs and lifestyle block sheds/garages through to large- scale wide-span industrial sheds. “We are able to offer a full service from concept through to design/engineering and building consent. We work with our building partners or the client’s own builder to supply and deliver everything that is required to site. “We’re not limited by one specific engineered design system. This allows us to select a system which suits our clients’ needs specifically, potentially providing savings for our clients on their overall build costs.” A dedicated team of four works in the Heartland Sheds side of the business. In recent years, the district has seen rapid population growth and agricultural development, and the store has responded by positioning itself as a reliable, comprehensive, and customer-focused supplier, providing both the materials and the expertise for a variety of projects. As well as supplying materials and providing advisory services, Darfield ITM provides free guides and resources on topics such as sustainable building and waste minimisation. The ITM Priority Card offers benefits for DIY customers with 10% off store-wide on most products and promotions deals. Mike says the store is a big supporter of the local community and regularly gives to local sports clubs, Lions club and primary school. “We try to engage with the local community as much as we can and support local businesses where we can.” Proudly Supporting Darfield ITM. Please contact our specialists on 03 348 9540 or visit the website unitedsteel.co.nz
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