franchise.co.nz – PUTTING PEOPLE IN BUSINESS
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“If there’s one thing that makes us stand out, it’s our unique 12-week build
programme,” says CEO of Summit Homes, Tony Clark. “From ground works
to completion, Summit Homes guarantees a top-quality new home in ten to
twelve weeks … that’s everything from the clothes line to the letter box to the
landscaping. We’ll be on site with a cup of tea and a Code of Compliance
for you when you arrive. Just before Christmas we did two homes, both in 35
days flat – a record even by our standards.”
Tony and Melissa Clark have been building houses for forty years and
invited Franchise New Zealand to visit their Pukekohe-based headquarters
to see what makes Summit Homes so special. There was only one word for
the expansive materials warehouse – immaculate. But the Summit Homes
team takes pride in more than the appearance, because the end result is an
unparalleled efficiency.
“We have all we need here on site to complete dozens of homes,” Tony
emphasises. “Plasterboard, flooring, bathrooms, cement, everything to
complete a home from top to bottom. It’s taken us many years to work it all
out, but we are now so good at what we do we know we can duplicate the
whole system and revolutionise home construction in New Zealand. And
for the last seven years we’ve been working towards franchising this
system for the benefit of future Kiwi home owners and a few savvy new
business owners.”
Speed was a natural evolution
There is no one simple key to the success of Summit Homes, established
in 2001 and now operating across the South Auckland and North Waikato
regions. It is a tried and tested build programme that has concentrated on
quality and efficiency – from which speed has naturally evolved.
“We do everything ourselves,” Tony states. “All our sub-contractors have
worked for us for years and are on and off site like clockwork. We have
our own trucks, machinery, materials and anything required to put up a
client’s house inside 12 weeks, from breaking ground to landscaping. Most
importantly, we are saving our clients between $17-30,000 in interest charges.
Why? Because while a house is being constructed, it is on a floating rate until
it is finished. Under most New Zealand building schedules, new home owners
suffer a much higher rate of interest over weeks and weeks of delays
and inefficiencies.”
Solutions not problems
Tony and Melissa have worked out that to achieve the best possible savings
for Summit Homes franchisees and their clients, as much as possible has to
be done ‘in-house’. As well as offering house and land packages, standardised
plans and Summit Homes’ unique pricing calculator software, this includes
safeguarding a proprietary supply chain of building materials.
“In the past few years, continuity of supply has been a real problem for the
construction sector in New Zealand,” continues Tony. “When something as
basic as plasterboard became impossible to buy, we said enough is enough
and Melissa and I set off overseas to find our own supplier.
“We spent a week overseas working directly with a factory to develop and
test plasterboard to our specifications. After refining the formula, we now
stock in our warehouse plasterboard that has been independently tested to
meet recognised Australasian standards. Much of our material is sourced
through carefully selected international manufacturers, and we work
closely with every supplier to ensure each product is made to our own high
specifications – from tapware to garage doors, vanities to baths.”
No corners cut
Summit Homes have developed
a working formula for high-
speed home construction
that cuts no corners, and after
many years of proving systems,
the same care and attention
to detail has been put into
franchising the business. Tony
and Melissa have worked with
Stewart Germann Law and The
Franchise Coach to prepare
top-notch support systems and
documentation, and Summit
Homes is an accredited member
of the Franchise Association of
New Zealand.
“We’re looking for people capable of managing sales and marketing for
their own business, managing teams and overseeing construction projects,
maintaining high brand and customer service standards, and running a
financially tight ship,” explains Tony. “Whether you are a builder by trade or
from the corporate world with adaptable organisational skills, ideally, you’ll
have a supportive partner to work alongside you. Melissa and I know just how
hard you have to work together to reap the benefits and grow a successful
business, but having the support of a franchise system makes things much
easier and we’ve done a lot of the heavy lifting for you.”
“Summit Homes has built over 2,000 homes to date, and thanks to our
commitment to best practice in every aspect of the business, we have a very
strong customer satisfaction score,”
says Tony. “There are franchise areas
available across the North and South
Islands. If you think you could be a part
of this system, you will be buying into a
highly profitable franchise that has four
decades of experience coupled to the
best materials you can obtain. Download
our information pack, give me a call,
then come and see us in action to get
the proof.”
A highly systemised operation has
massively reduced the time and costs of
construction at Summit Homes
VIEW FROM
Opportunity: Home & Building
Summit Homes
www.summithomes.co.nz/
franchises
Contact
Tony Clark
09 238 8900
tony@summithomes.co.nz
Advertiser Info
THE TOP
Tony Clark: ‘Summit Homes
is revolutionising home
construction in New Zealand’
Summit Homes guarantees a top-quality
new home in ten to twelve weeks