On Monday the 19th of September, Cutshop® Waikato opened its doors. We caught up with franchisee Keith Hofer to find out more.

A new challenge

Keith has spent much of his career in the corporate world of IT. Feeling ready for a new challenge, he decided to move his family to Hamilton and take on a Cutshop® franchise — the first in the Waikato.

“I’ve always liked the idea of running a business, and I saw purchasing a Cutshop® franchise as an opportunity to use my business skills and make it happen,” says Keith.

From Cutshop® perspective, Keith’s IT experience makes him an ideal fit to make the most of the sophisticated software that drives machinery in every franchise to take projects from paper designs to a 3D reality.

The team

Keith acknowledges there is no substitute for industry experience, which is why he recruited Anthony, who has eight years as a cabinetmaker under his belt.

For Keith, one of the great advantages of being a Cutshop® franchisee is the wealth of experience and support available.

Filling a gap

Up until now, says Keith, there hasn’t been anyone in the Waikato specialising in contract cutting.

“There are some businesses that do a bit, but they measure up and install as well, which makes them more expensive.

Keith also points out that because Cutshop® are specialist contract cutters, they don’t compete against their customers for work.

“We focus on cutting, drilling and edging; we don’t get involved in selling completed cabinetry.”

Make more for less

Using the latest machinery imported from the United States and Europe, respectively the CNC and Edgebander, Cutshop® can cut and finish just about anything — including MDF sheeting, solid wood, veneers, acrylic panels and aluminum.

An astute businessman, Keith likes the idea that Cutshop® enables tradies to increase their output without a large capital investment and reduce costs at the same time. For DIYers, projects are possible that otherwise wouldn’t be due to a lack of machinery and expertise.

“Placing an order is easy. Customers just send us a drawing with the cabinet measurements, and we then create a cut list. Once the cut list is approved, we start the job. We can source the material, or customers are also welcome to use own suppliers.”

— Keith

Find out more

To celebrate Cutshop® arrival in the Waikato, there will be a barbecue for customers on October 29th. However, you don’t need to wait till then to find out what Cutshop® is all about — just give Keith a call on (07) 444 5545 or drop in and check out the new branch at 47 Northway Street, Te Rapa, Hamilton.