With the best of intentions however the obstacle to progress here can be summed up thus: “Unless installers or retailers are prepared to take on apprentices, this issue can’t be resolved,” says FloorNZ’s CEO.įor a take on this issue from the supplier perspective, Dunlop Marketing Officer at Ardex, Steven Irvine, confirms that while the company has seen consistent growth from both trade and DIY sectors, particularly with waterproof wood-look laminates, there are simply not enough builders and floorers to meet today’s opportunities.Īnd with demand set to continue in coming years, Steven Irvine is also concerned that merchants too will struggle to find qualified staff to serve an increasingly knowledgeable customer base looking for advice and technical information in a relatively specialist category. “FloorNZ is currently working with sectors of the industry on how we can attract more people into the industry and encourage more employers to take on an apprentice. We are also intending to implement a licensing programme to create professionalism in the industry and provide customer assurance around quality,” says Kari Pearcey. Regarding the skills shortages reported across the construction market, Pearcey is, unsurprisingly, very concerned at the low numbers of qualified flooring installers now operating and perhaps struggling to meet demand.Ī limited number of apprentices currently in the pipeline is doing nothing to assuage these concerns for the future of the category either, though Pearcey and members of FloorNZ are certainly doing their best to counter this worrying trend. Product areas doing well domestically include carpet and vinyl but Pearcey notes that the Auckland region in particular has seen a rise in wooden flooring products driven by “certain areas of the market, often immigrants who are used to wooden floors in their previous home environment.” Looking at a wider view of New Zealand’s flooring market at FloorNZ, the country’s flooring industry association, CEO Kari Pearcey confirms that the last 12 months have indeed been strong for the category thanks to widespread construction activity particularly in Auckland, Hamilton and Queenstown.
#Flatout flooring install
Taking care of business first and foremost, all the players I spoke to for this feature say they’re seeing more than enough demand for their products thanks to New Zealand’s well documented construction boom.Īnd, like many categories in the hardware channel, the biggest concern that these players have is finding enough people to install their products, with the shortfall in qualified installers a problem across the board.
#Flatout flooring pdf
To view a PDF of the complete feature as it appeared in NZ Hardware Journal magazine, click the download button at the bottom of this page. Consumers are more spoiled for choice then ever when it comes to flooring options but the frustration is that there still aren’t enough feet on the ground to meet demand.
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