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FCANZ members raise $15,000 for charity

Fencing industry body Fencing Contractors Association NZ (FCANZ) recently presented the Whatever With Wiggy charitable trust with a $15,000 donation from its members. The funds were raised at an impromptu charity auction held at the recent FCANZ annual Conference, with Association Partners and some members donating the items to be auctioned.

“We were astounded by the generosity of not only our members for bidding on auction items but also for the support shown for this Charity by Association Partners who continued to donate items throughout the evening.” says Phil Cornelius, President of FCANZ.

Auction items ranged from tools, augers, wire, netting and Y-posts to white water rafting trips and even the shirt from the back of auctioneer Stephen Caunter. “The willingness for people to donate and bid shows just how highly they value the work that Wiggy is doing” said Cornelius.

Whatever With Wiggy founder Craig “Wiggy” Wiggins is an advocate for rural mental and physical health and champions Lean on a Gate, Talk to a Mate. Receiving news during COVID that a friend had taken his life, lead to the creation of the lean-on-a-gate movement. Wiggins says “Taking five minutes to check in with a mate, or young worker can reduce those feelings of isolation and could save a life. You never know – you just might help someone out.”

Wiggy also works closely with the Carr Family Foundation Rural Health and Wellness Van, which provides free health checks at rural events across the country. The van attended the FCANZ National Fencing Field Day in Mosgiel this year and saw almost 60 people across the day – of which over a quarter were referred to their GP for follow-up.

Phil went on to add, “The value of the work that Wiggy and his colleagues do can’t be underestimated and we look forward to seeing what we can achieve with the Charity Auction at our August 2023 Conference in New Plymouth. It is humbling to see how big the hearts are in the fencing industry.”

Auctioneer Stephen Caunter in full flow – before he auctioned the shirt from his back!

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FCANZ to support formation of Sector Advisory Groups

FCANZ has had on its radar for a number of years diversifying the Association’s focus to include some of the other sectors that our members are involved in.  Sector Advisory Groups are one way of achieving this.

The member surveys that we have run over the past two years have helped highlight the variety of sectors that our members engage in. Over the years Board members such as Paul Fitzsimmons and Mike Renner have brought their knowledge and expertise, but more momentum and depth is required.

The Board has also recognised the need for better member engagement, with many of you having the skills to contribute to the continued growth of the Association, particularly in terms of supporting the Associations role in the industry and getting messaging through to our client base as to why use professional fencing contractors.

To get the process moving we are looking at the formation of the following Sector Advisory groups.

  1. Rural
  2. Residential
  3. Security
  4. Horticulture/Viticulture

These are the initial breakdown that we propose, and over time we can add other groups, especially if we find individuals who want to join together to advocate.

The purpose of the groups is to advocate for the sectors and grow sector representation and resources, whether it be:

  • coming up with ideas and suggestions to help promote these sectors to a range of clients.
  • adding to the partner database to include the growth of partners in these sectors.
  • specialized Best Practice Days
  • assisting in the development of industry/ best practice standards for the sector
  • contribution to training resources & events.
  • information sharing, communication, relationship building.
  • provide information and feedback to Executive Director and Board.

The Board encourages you to consider putting yourself forward to join up with one of these sector advisory groups. No matter your company size or your fencing experience (although high quality workmanship is a must!) we are looking for individuals who have good skill sets and want to contribute to our industry’s coverage and growth.

The advisory group composition is proposed as:

  • 3 – 5 volunteer representatives on each advisory group.
  • FCANZ to cover expenses if incurred
  • Online meetings (in an evening) or time to suit will be held at least 4 times a year with a minimum of 1 FCANZ Board member to attend each meeting.

Please email for further information or to express your interest.

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A fresh strong brand…

Melanie Weir interviewed members of the Board to give you the answers on the brand refresh. Read on to understand why?

So Brad why are we changing the brand?

I think this comes down to three main reasons,  we needed to strengthen and modernise the brand, we need to clarify the logo, so that it easily communicates what the Association does, much like Master Builders or Certified Builders brands. And we need to move the brand from rural centric design, to represent all sectors of the fencing trade.

And who’s idea was it to make these changes?

The 2018 Board unanimously decided that alongside the refreshed strategic direction and growth of the Association, it was time to review the messaging, value and strength of the brand.

Was a change needed?

If we want to keep expanding our reach to parts of the fencing trade other than rural, we will need to ensure our brand encompasses all areas for the trade.

And Andy who was consulted about these changes?

The Board became the panel of members, a focus group, who connected on logic, design and value of the brand and we tested designs with expert support. We have had previous feedback from the general public experiencing the brand which included points like a lack of clarity, ‘who is FCANZ’ ‘what do you do’ ‘is it New Zealand something?’, what does ‘FCANZ’ stand for?

And what’s the cost?

There will be a cost for members to add the new logo to their advertising over time, though we hope this will not be too significant. Fencing Contractors New Zealand will support members with some merchandise including signage for their vehicle.

Bronze Partner, Kerry Godinet Marketing will support members with rebranding and merchandise.

And Darryn, who pays for the rebrand?

The Association, with support from our Partners pay for the Association branding. Members will need to pay for the rebrand of items they feel appropriate for their business.

How will this benefit Fencing Contractors New Zealand

We know that increased brand recognition will support increased recognition of Fencing Contractors  as a proactive group in the fencing trade. And as a group we, Partners and Members, collectively support the trade

When you see strong brands, like New Zealand Certified Builders, you can understand how a brand can benefit  members with stronger professional recognition and increase the value clients place in their expertise.

Also as growth in membership continues, Partners are attracted to collaborate, engage and bring benefits to members – everyone wins!

And John how will this benefit a fencing business?

General and certified members (certified is the new name for accredited) will experience increased recognition by aligning with a strong national association brand.

A connection to Fencing Contractors New Zealand publicly recognised brand, which represents professionalism and expertise in fencing, will benefit your business, as consumers choose you over others due to this affiliation.

Member benefits are increasing and will continue to do so as the Association grows and more Partners come onboard.

Greg why have you dropped Association from the brand name?

We are still legally named Fencing Contractors Association New Zealand, and much like other large associations, our trading name is simplified. Most people recognised us as a group and therefore it is already implied we are a national association, and by removing this word we simplify the logo.

Greg, didn’t it get changed not that long ago? How long will this Logo last this time?

Yes the logo was updated in 2014. The current Board anticipate this logo will be well received, and maintained for many years to come by future Boards.

Stephen, why orange and not blue in the Certified Fencer logo? Is the orange going to get lost in when wearing hi vis?

Orange was chosen as a stronger colour, to stand out and highlight Certified Fencers logo visually.

There is a full style guide which outlines how to use the new logo, font and colour schemes within the brand. Included is an easy option for use on hi vis gear. We have retained the blue colour, this is included in the brand guidelines.

So Laura where did FCANZ go?

We learnt that FCANZ, was not meaningful for clients or people who were not involved with the Association now, it created an acronym that does not clearly describe what we do.

We are still legally trading as the Fencing Contractors Association New Zealand, and have refined the brand to a stronger clear logo.

Fencing Contractors New Zealand used in the logo still implies a professional industry group.

What if we have just got new clothing? Can we still wear them with the old logo? Will there be any compensation for the new logo set up at the embroiderers?

We have organised a 10% discount for members if they use Bronze Partner Kerry Godinet Marketing for ordering new gear, this is also available via the online store at fencingcontractors.co.nz.

Brad, what’s the difference between Accredited and Certified?

We have a new process for Certified Fencer status, this will be launched shortly at the 2019 Conference and AGM.

The new name for these top performing members takes advantage of the common knowledge clients and potential clients have relating to other trade recognised businesses like Certified Plumbers, or Certified Builders.

This term allows our members the advantage of immediate recognition and a stamp of high quality which provides an advantage over other practitioners.

The Association will shortly begin a campaign to promote Certified Fencer status both internally with members, and externally in industry, local government and appropriate large business who need to procure expert trade services.

If you have more questions about the new brand connect with the Board team.

 

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