NP franchise is best in New Zealand
When you are a busy Think Water franchise working all hours and confidently doing what you do best, getting recognised as New Zealand Franchise of the Year 2017 by the Think Water Group comes as a very nice reward.
Steve and Angela Bevan own the New Plymouth Think Water franchise. They started working out of their own garage, quietly building a business devoted to servicing and installing milking, water and effluent systems in Taranaki. It’s certainly a subject Steve knows very well.
Steve’s dedication to his trade, his experience and their commitment to customer service made them prime candidates for joining the Think Water professional franchise operation. They agreed to join the franchise five years ago and head office has been amazed and delighted at just how well they’ve done under the international Think Water banner.
National Think Water operations manager Trevor Shadbolt says they’ve been a model member of the group since day one. “They’ve gone out of their way to adopt all our processes and have totally embraced the whole concept.”
Think Water has been steadily building its professional profile in New Zealand for seven years. An Australian-based company, Trevor thinks they’re probably the only franchised water and irrigation company in New Zealand and they’ve had amazing people like Steve and Angela join as one of 14 Think Water stores in New Zealand, with two more stores about to join.
“We’re recognised as one of the three major brands now and our business is growing exponentially through positive referrals,” Trevor says.
Think Water New Plymouth has been quietly connecting pipes, creating irrigation and water treatment and UV systems up and down the Taranaki coastline. It’s a mostly invisible investment of their time but it keeps their grateful clients working.
“Having a breakdown in a milking shed or on a chicken farm requires our immediate attention and that’s why we currently have four Think Water vans on the road,” says Steve. “When we can find another apprentice or pump technician, we will have five vans servicing this area.”
Angela is kept busy in the office as office manager, working alongside Sandy Jordan as office administrator. James Cunniffe is head technician and Vaughn Prosser a supporting technician. They call on other contractors as work demands.
“No two days are the same and we never know what the next phone call may instigate,” says Steve.
Having the support of the Think Water brand has helped them streamline their business and improve customer service. “We can design, plan, install and service systems from start to finish and that includes installing and servicing milking machines, pumps, irrigation and effluent systems. They also provide household filters, water systems and products.
Think Water offers a new range of water storage systems and its leading supplier for pumps is Grundfos because, as Steve insists, “We want to service topquality equipment, so consequently we only sell the best.”
Angela agrees; selling top-line machinery and fittings and providing the best on offer means fewer call-outs and fewer repairs. “But we still carry a good supply of spare parts because anything can happen at the most inconvenient time.”
Steve and his dedicated team work long hours making sure farmers, chicken farms and many other associated industries along with domestic and lifestyle properties can continue to work without interruption.
Steve has designed his own service and repair kits to meet the needs of their clients. He says his innovation is like a first-aid kit at the ready and has helped streamline their operation.
In the Think Water showroom, there’s a good supply of PVC, stainless-steel and galvanised fittings. The business also provides sales and service on Karcher water blasters and follow-up with the associated water testing. On any one day, Think Water will be servicing
domestic filters, lifestyle blocks, farms and local industry.
Most recently, Think Water New Plymouth completed the installation of a 50-bail Waikato Milking System at Greenhills Farms, a complex and involved installation and the first one in NZ based on the secondgeneration Centrus platform. Steve’s skilled teams’ involvement in the project was the installation of the milking system, shed water, in-shed feed and dairy effluent system, the whole team is very proud of the finished result and really enjoyed working with farmer Bill Honeyfield during the project.
‘‘Steve has been in the business so long and done so many installations and repairs, he’s a real expert,’’ says Angela, confident Steve and his support crew will deliver to their wide customer base. They offer a 24/7 repair service and, regardless if it’s 5 am or 7pm, a Think Water van is on the road to solve an urgent problem.
They’ve recently taken over the customer base of Adim Pumping, boosting their wide and varied customer base and extending their excellent service.
‘‘Joining the Think Water franchise has seen us gain knowledge, confidence and build better relationships with our suppliers,’’ says Angela. ‘‘The huge amount of help from the franchisors has been invaluable.’’ She adds they’re not just about products but solutions.