Business booming for flat-pack king

Arguments over flat-pack furniture can test even the strongest of relationships.

But one young entrepreneur says he’s created a million-dollar business by assembling the problematic kitsets at customers’ homes.

Jorgen Ellis says his Kitset Assembly Services business has proved so successful that he’s looking for franchisees.

The 20-year-old says he has witnessed firsthand how flat-pack stress can ‘‘bring grown men and women to tears’’.

‘‘The most common one we get is when the wife calls us after the male has tried to assemble it.’’

‘‘And then when we turn up the husband has always scooted off somewhere. They never stick around when we’re there.’’

Ellis started his business in 2014 after a man approached while he was working part-time work at Bunnings in Christchurch.

He took up the customer’s offer of $100 to assemble his new swingseat, figuring it wasn’t a bad deal for an hour’s work.

Next day, Ellis went out to buy $300 worth of tools and $10 worth of business cards.

Two years on, Ellis – having relocated to the North Island – has moved into new company headquarters on Auckland’s North Shore, from where he directs eight franchisees nationally.

He says Kitset Assembly Services is already worth ‘‘between $1.5 and $2 million’’, and growing fast.

The company offers a home service operation assembling flatpack, or kitset products from bookcases to garden sheds - their most common project - which he said usually take two weekends ‘‘or a few beers and three weeks’’.

Ellis was born and raised in Christchurch where he attended Christchurch Boys High School until Year 12.

He went on to complete two years at Canterbury University studying accounting and management.

He plans to open at least 10 more franchises by the end of the year, and to put a ‘‘master franchise’’ in Australia in the next year.

From here Ellis wants to tackle the United Kingdom, and then the United States – where the flat-pack industry is worth $24 billion.

His team was expanding to keep up with the company, with guys of varying ages being trained up to run Ellis’ franchises.

Ellis said becoming the country’s youngest franchisor had been ‘‘a bit of a goal’’.

‘‘You may as well work hard while you’re young.’’