Johnny Calley says it’s an absolute privilege to be voted in as national president of the RMBA, an organisation he says has helped shape the industry and raised standards over the past 100 years.
Being part of an association that has guided New Zealand’s building industry for more than 100 years is truly humbling, and it’s an absolute privilege to be voted in as national president of the Registered Master Builders Association.
Before I let you know a bit about me, I would like to thank Kerry Archer for the contribution he has made to the association as national president over the past two years.
I also want to acknowledge the time he has given and been away from his family and business, during what is, essentially, a four-year term as vice-president and president.
Kerry’s time as president was continually disrupted by Covid-19 restrictions, but through a combination of Zoom meetingsand physical appearances he did a fantastic job, and showed real leadership during a very challenging period.
My journey towards the national president’s role commenced when I left school prematurely at the age of 16 and entered the building industry as an apprentice builder.
At the time, I was oblivious to the unique and diverse range of opportunities that lay ahead, and that my chosen career would lead into extensive overseas travel and business ownership within a short number of years.
Today I run my building company, Calley Homes, out of Tauranga, alongside my wife Michelle, and we specialise in residential design and build of all kinds across the wider Bay of Plenty region.
Although I haven’t been on the tools for quite a few years, I am extremely proud to be a trade qualified builder and a Licensed Building Practitioner.
RMBA a game changer
I joined the RMBA in 2014 which proved to be an absolute game changer for our business, and it gave me the appetite to further involve myself in the association.
What I discovered when joining the RMBA was that the breadth and depth of resources available to members was second-to-none.
The development of these services has been primarily due to members across New Zealand contributing their knowledge and experience to shape the industry and raise standards over the past 100 years.
Initially, I was elected to the Tauranga branch executive committee in early 2015 before being promoted later that year to Tauranga branch president.
At the 2017 AGM I was elected to the national board of directors where I continue to enjoy working alongside fellow board members who are continually reaching for the best outcomes for this association.
With a strong national board and 23 accomplished branch presidents and executives around New Zealand, I don’t see my role over the next two years to reinvent or create change for change’s sake.
I am a huge fan of progression and working as a team, so I see myself playing more of a support role to our executives and members to help explore new ideas by being bold, and encouraging diversity of thought.
Core membership services
Our focus at the RMBA should remain firmly on core membership services that continue to support our members’ businesses.
But as the industry enters some potential unstable pipelines, variable market conditions, and a regulator that, at times, doesn’t understand what problems they are trying to solve, we must continue to invest in strengthening our advocacy voice, and encouraging regulatory reforms that provide effective and efficient regulation.
At the recent RMBA-led Constructive Forum in Rotorua we saw a collective maturity from nearly 350 industry leaders.
This included Building and Construction Minister Megan Woods and leader of the opposition Christopher Luxon outlining how they intend to tackle key industry topics such as climate change, mental health, government reform, and a slowing economy — all of which pose a risk to our businesses.
Key take-out
The key take-out for me from Constructive was that although we are heading towards a slightly uncertain market due to cost-of-living inflationary pressures and lending restrictions, we have been here before.
Those businesses that are prepared to make changes to their operating model and use the changing market as an opportunity to diversify will prosper.
Equally, those that are not agile, or slow to adapt, may find themselves playing catch-up.
Our Master Builders team, led by chief executive David Kelly, will continue to follow up on the outcomes from Constructive, and work with our members and political leaders to keep the conversations going.
As we head towards the final quarter of the year, and with all the Covid 19 restrictions lifted, it is pleasing to see material supply issues relaxed somewhat — so I hope you all enjoy a productive and free-flowing spring.
