High Achievers: Brian & Sue Williams

Winning the Ideal Garages' 2011 Distributor of the Year award, 23 years after they first won it, has been a rewarding experience for Brian and Sue Williams.

The couple have been the Rotorua distributors for Ideal Garages for the past 34 years and wouldn't have it any other way.

"It's the best job I've ever had and I still look forward to going to work each day," says Sue.

She started out her career in the banking industry, which she describes as an excellent training ground for her future business ownership. She handles all the office and administration duties - including advice, quotes, sales and uplifting building consents - and says she has developed a "profound" knowledge of the Rotorua District Council requirements for siting garages.

Those requirements are one of the biggest changes the Williams' have seen during more than three decades in the industry.

"The main change we have seen is the documentation required for compliance with the building code. From two pages of information supplied for a basic garage in the 1970s, it has grown to 50 pages for the same building today."

Sue is looking forward to changes to this that may be in the pipeline.

Another change has been the range of building work they are involved in. From starting out with garages, the couple now build more structures that also incorporate accommodation and have progressed into minor dwellings.

They also took on the Dominator Garage Door distributorship in 1996, saying it fitted extremely well with their main Ideal Buildings and Garages business.

Brian's role in the business is as the on-site manager, applying the knowledge and expertise gained in his early career in joinery. After completing a trade certificate in cabinet making and joinery, he worked in and managed a number of joinery factories until he and Sue took over the Ideal Garages distributorship in 1977.

Since then, they have won the title of Distributor of the Year three times - in 1988, 1998 and now in 2011. They were also runner-up in 2005, before the awards took a break from 2007 to 2010.

Brian said winning the award in three different decades was a real thrill.

"It is an endorsement of our continued commitment to our customers and our business."

The longevity of the company means the Williams are now doing building for a second generation of customers - something they both get great satisfaction from.

"What do we enjoy most about our jobs? Meeting people and the satisfaction of completing a project for a happy customer," says Brian.

High Achiever

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Are leaders in their industry or the local business community

Have recently received an award or qualification

Have been promoted within the company or taken on a new post at national or regional level

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Contact business editor Julie Taylor on (07) 348 6199 ext 57015 or at business@dailypost.co.nz