Top award hoisted by forklift painter

Nick Grace has his sights on replicating the success of his Manukau business in Sydney. Picture / Paul Estcourt

Sometimes the best business ideas are lying right under your nose.

Or so says Nick Grace, whose company Grace Painters won the small business award at the Manukau Business Excellence Awards last night.

The idea for the company, which focuses exclusively on painting forklifts, came while he worked away in a corner of the factory of New Zealand's largest forklift distributor, Crown, spraypainting its vehicles.

After five years, Grace felt he had gone as far as he could with the company and, having been through a few small business courses, was looking to start his own venture.

When a private customer said they had a forklift that needed painting, he spotted the potential.

Grace struck a deal with Crown to contract its paint work to him and set up shop across the driveway in East Tamaki, naming the business after himself and his co-director, Frances Painter.

Business is trucking along nicely and on the verge of doubling after taking on other forklift companies and private owners this month. Staff numbers are also set to increase from the present eight. Grace also has his sights on replicating the company in Sydney, where Crown is also the largest forklift supplier.

There, like here, he is aware of no other company specialising in painting forklifts - a job that averages four hours a vehicle.

The company paints about 50 a month - with a record of 74 - and plans to operate 24 hours a day from next month.

In June, Grace took a punt and expanded the workspace into the factory next door, more than doubling the floorspace.

Being able to do this was a far cry from the first few months when Grace recalls being penniless, unable to get funding assistance and struggling with the banks, who did not want to know him because of his credit rating.

He hated the stress and recalls wanting to "chuck it all in", but dug deep and stuck it out, something that was made easier because of the work from Crown.

Those days are history for Grace, a former truck-driver and carving tutor, with no previous practical experience in managing a business.

The two directors have sought out a business mentor through Enterprising Manukau and, although initially far from their comfort zones, they are gradually finding the work easier and are starting to enjoy running the business.

Grace said it had changed his personal and social life - "there ain't one" - but the rewards had been tremendous.

The awards process was also valuable as the pair had to fine-tune their business plans and processes, evaluate progress and outline their vision - information Grace said was previously kept in his head.

There are no plans to broaden services to trucks or cars, with Grace confident that there is still plenty of scope within the forklift industry to "hammer" the annual turnover of $245,000.

He thinks there is a market in customising and branding forklifts for private companies, and plans to tie this in with onsite work.

The company is also busy researching the Sydney market in preparation for opening there.