For many of us, swapping the city for a more relaxed lifestyle in Tauranga would be very tempting.

For Winstone Wallboards’ Tauranga Distribution Manager, Patariki Wilson – or Pat as he’s known by the team - the opportunity to move from Auckland to Tauranga alongside the opening of Winstone Wallboards’ new manufacturing and distribution facility felt like it was meant to be.

“Around four or five years ago my wife and I had considered relocating the family to Tauranga, but after being offered a new role at Winstone Wallboards, we decided to stay in Auckland. When the Distribution Manager opportunity in Tauranga came up, making the move was a pretty quick decision,” he says.

Pat’s role is a big one. His key priority is to ensure our product reaches our customers 'in full, on time, and in spec' which is no small task, and while the main focus is on domestic distribution, he will also coordinate our exports. In addition, Pat will oversee the arrival and dispatch of gypsum, the raw material which makes up a large majority of Winstone Wallboard products. 

Recently celebrating his 10-year anniversary at Winstone Wallboards, Patariki started at Winstone Wallboards as a dispatch operator, which involved picking and packing on the distribution floor. Since then, he has worked his way through various roles before finally landing the role of Distribution Manager.  

With all that experience there’s not much Patariki hasn’t come across when it comes to getting product to where it needs to go, so it’s fitting he’s bringing all the experience he’s gained with him to share with the team as they set up the new facility.   

The best part of setting up the new distribution centre, Pat says, is being there right from the beginning as the team blends experience and new talent to build a supportive and positive culture from the ground up.   

“I think those who have started with us in Tauranga talk a lot about the supportive environment we have here at Winstone Wallboards.  Some of the new team have been coming up to Auckland for training and are genuinely surprised the wider team know who they are and are keen to find out how they are getting on,” he says.

Patariki and his family made the move to Tauranga in January and are now based in Papamoa, with his three kids now settled in at school, Patariki says living by the beach was a big drawcard for the family. 

“My son is really involved with motorbikes and there are so many great tracks out here so that’s been a real bonus for him,” he says.

Fortunately, Pat’s wife Carmen was able to move her photography business to the Bay of Plenty relatively easily and Patariki says that the Winstone Wallboards team really supported families to move from Auckland to Tauranga.

“Winstone Wallboards initially reached out and offered to help my wife find employment and even though for us it wasn’t needed, I still really appreciated the support on offer. The move has gone as well as I could have hoped for and we’re really enjoying our new life here,” he says.