Vehicle Inspection New Zealand parent JEVIC has confirmed its interim chief executive as its permanent boss.
Gordon Shaw took up the role in July from Frank Willett, who resigned for personal reasons.
CEO Shaw was a senior manager for NZTA (formerly Land Transport Safety Authority – LTSA) prior to becoming an independent consultant.
Shaw told AutoTalk today he was pleased with having the role confirmed, and was looking forward to the challenges ahead.
“From a VINZ perspective it is around looking for opportunities to expand our business,” he says. “That will particularly in the Certificate of Fitness B area, with the changes in regulation in that market.”
“That could include things such as more offsite inspection arrangements.”
Shaw will also be looking to expand their share of the inspection business, against VTNZ and AA.
“We have our competitors nibbling at our customers, and we are nibbling at their customers,” Shaw says.
Key to both is securing good inspection staff, and he is working to secure suitably experienced staff both from inside New Zealand and abroad.
He says moral internally is strengthening, following a period last year that saw a death from a workplace accident, and a manager passing away suddenly at home in quick succession.
For now, VINZ is working to keep up with the huge volume of entry certification coming through from Japan.
“The bubble will have to burst with cars from Japan eventually,” Shaw says. “But with the way forward buying works, I can’t see that happening until after the first quarter.”
Paddon support not renewed
Shaw says VINZ has decided not to renew its successful partnership with Hayden Paddon for 2014.
The company backed Paddon last year as he took in the WRC in Europe, and in local events here.
“We took a strategic review of that investment and decided for the next season that we were not going to continue,” he says. “It was a hard decision.”
Shaw says Paddon has been extremely good for the brand as it sought recognition under its new owners, but with his success, costs have risen, and it no longer adds up.
Shaw says they may look at the opportunity again for 2016 should Rally New Zealand return to the world championship.
