CAM April 2020 | Page 69

INDUSTRY PEOPLE client, I don’t have to ask my superior for permission to do something, as I don’t have one. I’ve only had two jobs “New Zealand isn’t a wealthy country and “There is that saying where I’ve worked for someone else, otherwise the mentality here is that they look very though that ‘the bitterness I’ve been fairly independent my whole life.” much at the dollars they are spending, not of a poor-quality product Back to the winches. The showroom necessarily the product they are buying. remains long after the downstairs has a suite of winch types. Paul So they’ll end up going out and buying a sweetness of low price is explains that the applications for winches are forgotten’”. pretty exhaustive, and some are surprising. cheap product, and once they have made For example, winches are big with beekeepers who have that decision, they’ll want to stand behind it as nobody to work pretty remotely, and go off-road. They’re attached wants to admit a mistake.They are not going to admit it to all sorts of equipment and machinery. Now, Traxion and certainly not to their mates and instead of actually primarily assists civil projects, but there’s no odd one-off blaming the product which is likely at fault, they’ll job they can’t handle. even end up defending the product because they are, in essence, defending their decision to buy that All of this has been made much easier in the transfer to the product. new site—adjacent to the big Mighty Ape in Millwater, north That we are constantly trying to save a dollar here or there. of Auckland, a new subdivision has sprung up. “One advantage of being With pleasant views and pukekos for company a small business is that for the moment, the older site in Rosedale was you can react quickly, big businesses can’t react as outgrown and Paul looks forward to a fresh, fast. The buck stops with regenerated look for the company. Paul concludes that it’s hard work that has “Kiwis will try to save a buck where they can, me.” got him to where he wants to be. It’s an but what they do expect is service, and they intangible quality, that a person either has or doesn’t, like a level of backup. When they don’t get that they’re not and some of the most successful people in business happy. So while it’s a cliche, we do back our clients and know that the long game is where it’s at. from there is where you get the reputation.” “There is that saying though that ‘the bitterness of a poor-quality product remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten’ and never had a truer word been said. “I always had an eye for business, but it was about the Traxion is a small-medium sized business. There are two hard work and knowing that it would pay off in current staff, Paul as director and Roz in “I always had an eye for the long run. You have to be prepared to work administration. business, but it was about for it though, you can’t expect to be paid first, “One advantage of being a small business the hard work and knowing is that you can react quickly, big businesses that it would pay off in the then work hard later. “I don’t think that ethic is something that can can’t react as fast. The buck stops with me; I long run.” be taught all that easily. You either want to get a call from a client, I can decide the best work hard or you don’t. The first option always reaps you piece of equipment for them, I can decide to offer them the rewards though, in my experience. a warranty, there’s no big structure to go through for the In the Pilot Gear range, Traxion offer a comprehensive range of high performance heavy haulage products in the market place. w w w. c a m m a g a z i n e . c o . n z CAM April 2020  67