Got any questions? Call your broker or visit.nzi.co.nz ADVERTISING FEATURE Chocolate factory buttons up business success When the February earthquake struck, Richfields Chocolate found itself with a factory full of liquefaction and extensive damage, right in the middle of peak seasonal production – Easter egg time! SWEET DEAL Richfields’ broker Dennis Sanders says he was delighted with the outcome Dennis, a senior broker at FMR Risk, has worked with Richfields Chocolate for more than 10 years, providing insurance advice and policies underwritten by NZI. Seeing his client happy with the repairs and stock losses paid for by Richfields’ NZI cover is what it’s all about for Dennis, who is loathe to take any of the credit for the deal himself. “It’s a two-way street, a consultative process. The personal relationships are very important too,” says Dennis. “Richfields is a proactive business and they’re a pleasure to work with”. You would be forgiven for thinking that the shake sent liquid chocolate everywhere to form exotic choc-tops on the equipment. On the contrary, the power was cut and chocolate set rock-solid in the huge vats requiring jack-hammers to remove it. All the equipment had to be steam cleaned, and add to that six electricians working non-stop for a week to repair electrical damage to blown motors and fuse boxes, the scale of the clean up becomes clear. Richfields Chocolate’s Chief Executive Richard Simpson and his team faced these tasks and many more once the factory was declared safe by structural engineers. This is when NZI got involved. According to Richard their swiftness and attention to detail in settling issues for Richfields was outstanding. From the moment Richfields’ broker Dennis Sanders of FMR Risk handed the company’s file to Hawkins (NZI’s project manager) the job ran like clockwork. The physical repair moved quickly with RNP Homes expertly managing the multiple contractors required. “It was vitally important for our business to get up and running again as quickly as possible – so we all banded together, immediately cleaned up the liquefaction, fixed the place up, worked around it and just got the job done,” says Richard. “Despite being closed for three weeks, 100% of our Easter orders were delivered, 99% on time, thanks to everyone at Richfields and the efforts of NZI, Hawkins and RNP Homes.” The factory is now operating as normal after a full repair and Richard speaks highly of NZI’s process and people involved. “NZI’s comprehensive policy cover allowed us the freedom and reassurance we needed to complete the repair of the factory as swiftly and as efficiently as we did. “In fact, our company has just had its best month trading in over two years. I think that speaks for itself...” NZ5649 NZI Avenues_Dec/Jan_4pg.indd 1 11/11/11 2:24 PM
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A DV E RT I S I N G F E AT U R E
Chocolate factory buttons up business success
When the February earthquake struck, Richfields Chocolate found itself with a factory full of liquefaction and extensive damage, right in the middle of peak seasonal production – Easter egg time!
Sw e e t d e a lRichfields’ broker Dennis Sanders says he was delighted with the outcome
Dennis, a senior broker at FMR Risk, has worked with Richfields Chocolate for more than 10 years, providing insurance advice and policies underwritten by NZI.
Seeing his client happy with the repairs and stock losses paid for by Richfields’ NZI cover is what it’s all about for Dennis, who is loathe to take any of the credit for the deal himself. “It’s a two-way street, a consultative process. The personal relationships are very important too,” says Dennis. “Richfields is a proactive business and they’re a pleasure to work with”.
Contained styleWhat do you do when a natural disaster devastates your family business? If you’re Pat and Margaret Quinn, you think inside the box – stylishly of course!
NZI customers, Pat and Margaret Quinn, know all about challenges. After all, you don’t develop an iconic business like Quinns without a lot of hard work.
Unfortunately, as the couple found out, even iconic business status doesn’t protect you from Mother Nature, when on February 22 this year, their store in Merivale fell victim to the devastating Canterbury earthquake. The familiar store frontage that had stood on Papanui Rd for nearly four decades crumbled, and Quinns was laid bare for all to see.
Although heartbroken, the Quinns weren’t about to cave in. While others may have opted for easier ways out of such a mess, they knew the only way was forward and with their insurer NZI acting quickly, they were soon making plans for the future.
Says Pat, “We never considered anything other than starting over, maybe it’s the St Bede’s boy in me, you just keep going...and thank heavens for our NZI policy; it gave us the freedom to do just that.”
Performing the stocktake to settle the claim was a mission in itself. “It was pretty much a process of elimination. We knew what stock we had, and the physical stocktakes revealed a quantity and value of stock in the dangerous, inaccessible areas of the building,” says Pat.
“It took time to get it all sorted, but we persevered and NZI never wavered in their support,” he adds.
“They quickly settled the stock claim in full, and our plant and equipment claim is already partially paid too. I can’t say enough good things about them.”
Like NZI, the loyalty and dedication of Quinns’ staff to get back on track was just as enthusiastic.
For them, the events of February 22 had been a terrifying ordeal. Their store tumbled about them and the
A DV E RT I S I N G F E AT U R E
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noise and resulting chaos will live long in their memories.
But they’re a resilient bunch and progressively all were focused on getting this legendary business up and running to a point where they’d be set to go on that March 7 target date.
And who was behind the inspired genius of using glass-fronted shipping containers as a storefront?
Pat is the first to acknowledge that all the credit belongs with Margaret.
A canny buyer with a sharp eye for a trend, it comes as no surprise that Margaret was behind the idea of using the shipping containers as temporary showroom windows and in doing so creating a very novel main road frontage!
So Quinns of Merivale, while bowed a little initially, has not been beaten.
Builders and contractors completed remedial work and Quinns opened again with Merivale Mall on March 7, only two weeks after the earthquake.
Quinns has ridden the rollercoaster and surged out the other end with NZI playing a big part in that. Having been with NZI for around 40 years Pat and Margaret would be the first to agree, it’s a relationship easily worth its weight in gold.
“We never considered anything other than starting over, maybe it’s the St Bede’s boy in me, you just keep going...”
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The historic home Nesslea, in the Greendale district and handy to that September fault line, was built in 1922.
A timber structure with a pebbled roughcast finish, it was a local landmark with its three huge chimneys dominating its near 30-degree roofline.
Nesslea is owned by long-time NZI customers, Leonore and Errol Ashby who were inside in September when the chimneys toppled through the house causing massive damage.
“Given their weight and size, they just fell
through the floor and pulled everything
down with them. We just clung to each
other as a chimney came smashing
through the wall towards us,” says Errol.
“Our home was destroyed, but we weren’t
about to cry over spilt milk,” says Leonore.
“We got in touch with our broker,
Graham McStay (PGG Wrightson – Aon),
and with NZI we started working out our
next steps.”
From the beginning, Leonore and Errol
have been determined to salvage as much
of Nesslea’s history as possible.
In keeping with its age, Nesslea brimmed
with timber panelling, leadlight windows
and grand staircases. In addition, the
Ashbys had amassed a collection of local
historical items into a personal museum
that overseas tourists could view during
their farm show visit.
Most Cantabrians associate the 22 February quake with the largest devastation, but for the Greendale community the forerunner was the magnitude 7.1 in September the previous year.
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Backing Canterbury’s recoveryAs a company, NZI is 100 per cent committed to the Canterbury region. We are aware there has been some frustration over ongoing insurance and we are doing all we can to provide innovative solutions to any issues that may hold up the rebuilding process.
NZI can offer contents insurance policies to those tradespeople employed or contracted by member organisations of the BusinessNZ Building and Infrastructure Committee who are moving to Canterbury to help with the rebuild.
We are also prepared to consider writing new business for both new and existing customers with tools and mobile plant (portable business assets), who are working in the area as part of the rebuild programme.
A D Ay- i n -t h e - l i f e : n Z i c l A i m s h A n D l e rOliver Kreis works for NZI helping customers settle their personal and business-related insurance claims. Most people would assume that Oliver’s job consists of receiving documents and then arranging payment, but in fact he coordinates a wide range of internal and external experts to get the best outcome for his customers.
Here’s what Oliver achieves in a typical day at work:
NZI recognised as ‘Insurer of the Year’NZI was awarded the title of ‘Insurer of the Year’ at the recent IBANZ General Insurance Industry Awards. This award recognises excellence in three broad areas: image and reputation; products, services and business support; and prices and costs.
Executive General Manager, Karl Armstrong says: “To be recognised for our contribution in what’s been the most challenging year the industry and our customers have experienced, is truly humbling.”
As well as this, NZI Claims was awarded ‘Claims Team of the Year’ for its Canterbury earthquake claims response.
Thank you to our broker partners and customers – it’s great to be part of a winning team.
t i m e A c t i V i t y
0830 - 0900 Sort through emails and arrange priority tasks for the day
0900 - 1000 Work through the engineer’s report received for the Johnson’s* claim. Send onto loss adjuster to price repairs
1000 - 1015 Talk with lawyer acting on behalf of overseas-based customer. Identify what needs to be done by customer and NZI. Add action points to list
1015 - 1100 Start on the Smith’s* claim. Quickly realise that their policy requires a non-standard approach. Arrange independent valuation and contact the Smiths to explain next steps
1100 - 1145 Meet with a technical expert to discuss a case where the proposed settlement needs expert policy interpretation
1145 – 1200 Mrs Jones* calls and wants to know if she can arrange work on her house. Chat with her about what her policy covers and what NZI could authorise for her
1200 – 1300 Lunch
1300 – 1400 Action demolition orders
1400 – 1600 Settle business interruption claims; update other customers on the status of their business interruption payments
1600 – 1715 Work through claims on desk, and contact their brokers to let them know what is happening
1715 – 1730 Update action list, ready for tomorrow
* The customer names in this article are fictitious. Any similarity to any current claimant or claims is coincidental.
Not wanting to brag, but we won our trophy without Henry’s help.Being voted ‘Insurer of the Year’ at the IBANZ General Insurance Industry Awards is very humbling. Not just because the recognition comes from our valued broker partners. Or that it acknowledges excellence across the board. But because it comes in the midst of perhaps the most challenging year the industry and our customers have ever experienced. So thank you. It’s great to be part of a winning team.