MBE EP 41 David Kelly reflects on 2020 and priorities going forward

In this week's episode, Ryan talks with David Kelly, Chief Executive of Registered Master Builders, about the year that 2020 has been, what we can learn from the past, and the priorities for the construction sector going forward.This year has been a tough year, but it is coming to a close. It's important to reflect on what effects the pandemic has had on New Zealand's construction sector, learnings from the past and the priorities going forward. Many economists suggested the building sector wouldn't be successful once the pandemic hit, however, the building industry has been strong and resilient. David speaks on how the residential sector is booming to the point that materials and labour are in low supply, and how a positive government response to school and hospital projects being pushed forward has helped the commercial sector immensely. With this interesting economic time right now, everyone in the construction industry needs to be mindful of their time and money and have a contingency plan. David points out that many business go broke in an upswing rather than a downswing, so he reminds members to stay vigilant when it comes to too much work. It's been observed that the building consenting system has many flaws. David shares his views on this issue and how Master Builders is advocating to the new Minister for Building and Construction on how they can improve this system to make it more fair.The main message David wants to get across to all Registered Master Builder Members is to stay positive, do what you need to do to help your mental wellness and communicate to your customers. Christmas deadlines are stressful, even without the ongoing uncertainty of COVID-19, for both parties. The best thing you can do for yourself and your customers is communicate any deadline changes and do it honestly, with empathy, and as soon as possible. Find out more about the building or renovating with a Master Builder and the Master Build Guarantee.Where else you can find usWebsite: https://www.masterbuilder.org.nz/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masterbuildernz/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/registeredmasterbuildersYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmh_9vl0pFf0zSB6N7RrVegTwitter: https://twitter.com/MasterBuilderNZ