VIEW FROM THE TOP

“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.”  

See this advertorial on page 11 of Franchise New Zealand magazine Year 35 Issue 01

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