Award icing on the cake for First Mortgage Trust
New Zealand-owned First Mortgage Trust is celebrating its 25th anniversary with the announcement it has been judged the best New Zealand Nonbank of the Year.
The award follows last year’s achievement, when the trust reported more than $1 billion of investor funds under management, a figure that cemented it as the largest non-bank first mortgage provider.
Chief executive Tony Kinzett said he was delighted with the February announcement from NZ Advisor, giving particular credit for the award to his hard-working team based around the country.
“We have had a stellar year of continued growth in investor numbers and quality borrower enquiry, and it seems very fitting to receive silverware in our silver anniversary year.
“Crossing into the $1 billion category late last year was big news in itself, but to be recognised by our peers with this award is very satisfying, and I have no doubt that it will give our investors and borrowers further confidence that they are dealing with the best of the best.”
Headquartered in Tauranga, and established in 1996, the company has maintained a resolute focus on its business fundamentals, prudent risk management and unwavering customer service.
“The trust has consistently delivered solid better-than-bank returns based on well-considered commercial, industrial, residential and rural property loans, secured by first mortgages, primarily located in the economic strongholds of New Zealand,” Kinzett said.
First Mortgage Managers chairman (the manager of the trust), Michael Smith, said achieving the award and surpassing $1 billion in funds ‘back to back’ marks the trust as a success story for Tauranga and the region.
“Year after year, First Mortgage Trust has gone from strength to strength, both in terms of serving our investors and in meeting the needs and aspirations of borrowers and I’m delighted to see that recognised.”
Looking to the future, Kinzett said First Mortgage Trust aims to keep making good decisions, and to ensure the organisation is optimally structured to look after its nearly 5000 investors and its nationwide network of advisers and borrowers.
“That means working smarter to ensure our client engagement and business performance are second-tonone. We want our investors and borrowers to continue to stay loyal and to tell our good news stories to others.”
Pandemic changes domestic travel habits
The pandemic has changed travel habits and Kiwis are loving holidaying at home, new research shows.
The Tourism Industry Aotearoa’s latest Domestic Visitor Satisfaction survey, carried out by Angus & Associates, found in the second half of 2020, half of New Zealanders who travelled domestically for leisure enjoyed a holiday or short break.
This was despite alert level restrictions during some of that period and was up from 42 per cent in July to December 2019.
Other reasons for leisure travel were to visit family and friends, or to attend an event.
More Kiwis visited Queenstown, Bay of Plenty and Central Otago compared to the same period in 2019, although a smaller proportion visited Northland and
Wellington.
And people are more satisfied with our domestic travel, with 63 per cent of us rating our trip a 9 or 10 out of 10 (up from 58 per cent).
The survey questioned 2196 New Zealanders on their perceptions of regional travel. It complements other domestic market research carried out by Tourism NZ.
“It’s great that New Zealanders are heeding the call to get out and enjoy their own backyard. Not only are they helping to support thousands of jobs and businesses around the country, they are discovering why we have long been one of the world’s most desirable destinations,” TIA chief executive Chris Roberts said.
In 2020, 75 per cent of Kiwis took at least one overnight domestic leisure trip. Almost half of these trips were for a holiday or short break.
The average trip was for three nights, but almost a fifth of New Zealanders travelled for seven nights or more.
Because of the national lockdown that occurred during March and April 2020, the proportion of autumn trips dropped to 17 per cent (from 31 per cent in 2019) but we got moving again in the second half of the year.
Almost half of New Zealanders had their expectations exceeded on their most-recent trip. Those who travelled to Canterbury, the Coromandel or Northland showed the highest levels of satisfaction with their trip. Older travellers and those on longer trips tended to be the most satisfied.
With border restrictions remaining in place for the foreseeable future, New Zealand’s tourism operators will be focused on continuing to deliver memorable experiences for Kiwis.
Heels and steels
The National Association of Women in Construction’s Bay of Plenty branch ran a Heels and Steels event simultaneously with their nationwide organisations last month.
Nearly 30 people, both members and non-members, attended the February 24 event at Plumbing World in Judea.
Events were also held in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown.
NAWIC Bay of Plenty chapter chairwoman Lynette Oxford said the purpose of the events was to launch NAWIC’S 2021 Belonging Strategy with a focus on making women in both office-based and site-based work feel like they belong in the construction industry. Attendees got to know each other via a speed networking forum.
Portable sawmill demonstrations delayed
Rotorua-based Peterson Portable Sawmills have made the difficult decision to postpone their digital and factory demonstration days due to raised nationwide Covid-19 alert levels.
The company was due to host demonstrations from March 11 to 13 and was expecting visitors from across the country, including Auckland, which is currently in alert level 3, meaning Aucklanders cannot currently leave their region.
With the restrictions on events held in alert level 2, and the possibility of Auckland visitors being unable to attend, chief executive Kerris Browne made the call to postpone for a month.
“When we hold a demonstration day, we go all out.”
When asked if cancelling the demonstrations was ever an option, Browne said she never considered it.
“Our demonstrations are an indepth look at our products and how to operate them effectively.
“They’re invaluable to our local and international customers, so the show will go on, just not this month.”
Since the effects of Covid-19 took hold in 2020, Peterson Portable Sawmills has seen a huge upturn in business with more interest and sales than seen in years.
Sales manager Aaron Kalan put it down to timber prices and availability, as well as people simply wanting to become more selfsufficient.
“Many of our customers either have their own land and trees, or have access to logs.
“They want to be able to cut their timber and build their own structures, or provide custom sawmilling services to others to help them do the same.”
Covid-19 guidelines state those living at alert level 2 can travel any region at alert level 1 or 2, but that they consider avoiding large gatherings.
Kalan agreed that while he was looking forward to the demonstration days, postponing was a good call to make.
“Our team agreed that we’d rather delay our demos and hope that things will have improved again in a month’s time so that everyone can attend.”
Peterson Portable Sawmills digital demonstration day will now take place April 15, with Factory
Demonstration Days on April 16 and 17 at their premises at 15 Hyland Cres, Rotorua.
Speaker Series celebrates businesswomen
What do a fashion designer, microbiologist and eco-conscious beauty product pioneer all have in common?
They are Kiwi businesswomen at the forefront of change – and the keynote speakers at a brand new event happening in Tauranga.
Hosted by Business Women’s Network (BWN), the inaugural BWN Speaker Series brings together inspirational, influential and innovative women from around New Zealand to share their insights into the new ways of doing business.
BWN is a networking group formed by women, for women, as part of the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce, with a goal to connect local women to exciting and engaging opportunities.
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce event organiser Anne Pankhurst says the Speaker Series theme, The Changing Face of Business, addresses the fact that in today’s world doing good businesses isn’t just about financial profit – it’s about how you look after your people and your place in the world.
Speakers include Kiwi fashion designer Karen Walker, Associate Professor at The University of Auckland Dr Siouxsie Wiles, and New Zealand eco-beauty entrepreneur and founder of Ethique Brianne West.