Dunedin tradesmen won a flush of prizes in the New Zealand Plumbing Awards. More than 250 people attended the award ceremony in Hamilton on March 23.
Roger Herd won the award for outstanding services to the industry.
‘‘You do the job with a passion and you enjoy doing it but it’s nice to get rewarded,’’ Mr Herd said, speaking to The Star.
Mr Herd, of Fairfield, became an A&T Burt apprentice plumber in Dunedin about 50 years ago.
He worked for the company, which had several name changes, for more than 40 years.
During his career he has been the president of Otago Master Plumbers Association and the Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board. He now works as the Masterlink South Island manager and gets young people into plumbing apprenticeships.
During his time with Masterlink, he has mentored more than 180 apprentices. Four of the apprentices he has mentored have won the James Douglas Medallion in the awards.
‘‘It’s a special award — it’s the top award for a tradesperson,’’ Mr Herd said.
Kelly Adam, of Calton Hill, won the medallion this year. It is awarded to an outstanding newly qualified and registered plumber, gasfitter or drainlayer.
Mr Adam, of Impact Roofing and Plumbing in Dunedin, runs his own contracts and trains young plumbers and gasfitters.
Leon Watson, of Waitati, won one of the six Plumbing World scholarships given to Masterlink apprentices.
Mr Watson, of Adams Plumbing & Drainage in Mosgiel, is mentored by Mr Herd and is about to finish his apprenticeship. Mr Herd said he was mentoring 44 apprentices and they all enjoyed their work.
‘‘You’re never in the same place for too long and you have a great variation of work.’’
