Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ Inc has elected director and Wellington businessman Graeme Mander as a Life Member of the organisation.
In conferring life membership the industry recognised a lifelong contribution to training and the development of high
standards within the plumbing and gasfitting industry. During a long period as Chairman of the Industry Training
Organisation Graeme demonstrated his interest in this area in a practical way, by training a large number of apprentices
to craftsman status, and in the assessment and moderation of examinations. He has also represented the Society on New
Zealand Standards committees for several years.
Another important focus has been the promotion of business and trade skills among members of the Society, and Graeme was
a strong supporter of the inaugural Master Plumber of the Year award presented at the Society’s annual conference in
March.
Graeme is the first person to be accorded the honour in the past decade and only the eighteenth in the history of Master
Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ Inc which is celebrating its centenary this year.
Accepting the life membership, Graeme underlined the importance of the increasing levels of professionalism which are
required by the plumbing industry today. Although the fundamental role of the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying
industries is the protection of the health of the nation, Graeme said that customers quite clearly expect increasingly
high standards in both trade and business skills and emphasis on this area endorsed Master Plumbers as preferred
suppliers of services.
Outside his involvement with Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers NZ Inc and his own plumbing business, Graeme is a director of a number of companies and organisations
involved in the plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industries. These include NZ Plumbers Merchants Ltd group of
companies - incorporating major operating company Plumber World Limited, the e-gas group, the Argus Fire Protection
Group and New Zealand Plumbers Journal Ltd. He also represents New Zealand on the World Plumbing Council, as well as a
keen involvement in Rotary and thoroughbred racing and breeding in New Zealand and Australia.
ENDS