Panel and paint shop win
The Matamata Panelworks and Matamata Paintworks team culminated a year of hard work last Saturday at the second annual Aftermarket Industry Awards.
They took home V8 Panel/ Paint Shop of the Year, edging out five other shops from around New Zealand.
Owner Malcolm Sankey said it was a huge honour to be nominated for the award, let alone to win it. ‘‘It was absolutely awesome. ‘‘The guys work pretty hard so to come out and to win something like that, we’re all pretty chuffed. It’s not an award for fixing a crashed car, it’s for restoration, which is what we’ve got a passion for. ‘‘I’m very proud of the boys.’’ The awards are a collaboration between NZV8 Magazine, Performance Magazine and 4&Rotary Promotions.
NZV8 editor Todd Wylie said the panel/ paint shop award was based on solid reputation, innovation, customer service, standard of workmanship, promotion and scene involvement.
‘‘[ The Matamata Panelworks and Matamata Paintworks] guys are well known for having a really high quality of workmanship. They have put out a lot of high-end cars.
‘‘The shop itself is always immaculately presented, they have great customer service and a good customer base,’’ he said.
‘‘They also give back to the community with their open days each year and they give all the money they make from that to one of the local primary schools.’’
Award winners were decided by combing scores from online votes with those from a panel of industry professionals, with each component contributing up to 50 per cent of the total score.
The team from Matamata received the highest number of online votes.
The awards night was a black tie event at the Logan Campbell Centre in Auckland.
‘‘I don’t think there’s many mothers who have seen those guys in suits and ties in their lives,’’ Mr Sankey said.
The Matamata business employs nine people and has taken five or six workers through apprenticeships.
Restoration car painter Greig Miller has worked for Paintworks for four and a half years and said the night was a massive high.
‘‘ It’s awesome, a big achievement. It makes all the hard work worthwhile, well even more worthwhile.
‘‘Malcolm is a good leader, he looks after us. It’s a pretty cool place to work.’’