Masterton tradies welcome new store

Tradies in the Wairarapa and Masterton could be forgiven for thinking Christmas has come early, after PlaceMakers opened the doors on its new Wairarapa trade depot

Joint Venture Operator Garth McInnes, who also operates the Hutt City branch, says that customers’ reactions to the store’s August 16 opening were akin to kids at Christmas.

“There has been a lot of demand for a store in the area for a while now and the response has been fantastic – people are so excited to have us here!” says Garth.

“Previously we were making deliveries to customers from the Hutt Valley – now they get all the benefits of having a PlaceMakers store on their doorstep, which improves delivery times and demonstrates our commitment to upholding PlaceMakers Service Promises.”

With a 249m2 trade hall, the depot has been specifically designed for tradies.

“There are no retail categories – such as kitchens, bathrooms or gardening – at all. It’s completely trade-focused and we hold a core range of building products targeted specifically at working tradesmen,” says Garth.

“Customers have been really impressed at how extensive our stock range is, particularly in fastenings and hardware. It’s comparable to what we have at the Hutt City store.”

Just as impressive as the depot’s product range is the A-team that Garth has assembled to man it.

Manager Andrew Paul has more than ten years of experience working at the Hutt City store, while Account Manager Chris Prenter, who previously worked as a builder in Auckland, has also spent a number of years working in the building supplies industry.

The site has plenty of room available to expand
in the future

Yard Manager Garry Burton brings a wealth of experience from his time at the Porirua store, and Kate Ryan, who joined Andrew from the Hutt City store to work in a Trade Support role, rounds out the crew.

“It’s a very experienced team and we’re lucky to have them all. I have no doubt they’ll provide great value to our growing customer base,” says Garth.

The store also features a large yard with outside storage and a covered drive-thru that is home to dry frame timber, GIB board, ply and Hardies weatherboards. With a 2,000m2 plus yard, Garth says that there is also plenty of room available to expand the store as customer’s needs evolve in the future.