b'in the cantop tip Remember most wallpapers are only available for sale for 2-3 years, so if you are planning to use the same Passionate family and staffwallpaper in multiple places or on multiple projects, always make sure you have enough when you start the pull wallcovering supplier andproject. It often pays to buy an extra roll or two in case manufacturer through its darkestyou or your client need a little more later.hour and into a brighter future.Inthesubsequentmonths,Neil,Tanyaandtheir I t was 7 May 2020 when staff at Pacific Wallcoveringstenacious team flipped the tragic narrative on its head. received the devastating call. The whole of NewThey re-founded as Aspiring Walls in September 2020 Zealand had been stuck in its first Level 4 lockdownand turned it into a family business that was able to for six weeks and the standstill was enough to put theretain much of the talent and expertise from Pacific nearly60-year-oldcompanyintoliquidation.NeilWallcoverings. Macdonald, who had dedicated four decades of hisIt may not have originally been my dream to run life to the business, rang up the liquidator to ask whata wallpaper company, but Im very passionate about they should do. this business and very passionate about the people who The liquidator was locked down in Auckland at thehelped pull our way through, says Neil, who now serves time and couldnt get down here to Porirua, so I toldas the companys General Manager. him we could either look after getting the place allBetween the 29 people who work here, there is locked up or we could keep it running and then he couldmore than 225 years of experience. The credibility of see what he wanted to do, recalls Neil. He said that ifbeing an expert in the field is what makes us special. I could get the team together to do that, then do it. So,Our mission is to inspire and support customers on I made some phone calls. their journey to creating beautiful walls that they can One of the calls he made was to his wife, Tanya.be proud of, and we can only deliver that mission with She had worked at Pacific Wallcoverings from 1991above and right: Ian Wartonpeople that care.to 1997, starting as a receptionist then moved into anand Joshua Whiu surveyIts a family business, but actually, were all in the accounts role before working as a personal assistant forproduction on the factoryfamilyeven if were not related by blood, says Sales the management team. It was where she and Neil met.floor. Neil says AspiringManagerAntheaDove.Neilsgotarealheartfor Like the current staff, she was shocked by the newsWalls manufactured overpeople and he took the business on because he wanted and shared in her husbands resolution that something340,000 square metres ofto look after the people. He wants to grow this business wallcoverings in 2021 withwith that same level of integrity.must be done. an international-specialised Ithought,ifthatdoorsgoingtoclose,thenteam, against all the oddsOriginally, Neil started his career as an electrician, another door is going to openand theres going to beof Covid-related materialbut his path evolved when he began rising through the something really cool behind there, says Tanya. shortages and freight delays.ranks at Ashley Wallcoveringsthe precursor to Pacific While their aim is to continueWallcoverings. I was only ever interested in being an growing the manufacturingelectrician, he says, but when the opportunity came team in a sustainableabout to move up, I took it. At Ashley Wallcoverings, left: Neil Macdonald, General Manager (left), and Terry Isaako,way, the potential of theirIwasanElectrician,thenChargehandElectrician, Marketing & Design Manager, in the Aspiring Walls showroom.manufacturing equipment Behind are current designs included in the Resene Wallpaperexceeds 50,000 squarethen Electrical Technician, Plant Engineer, Production Collection (from left to right): 36498-4, E386541 and E386503.metres per week.ManagerandfinallyManufacturingManager.When 68 blackwhitemag.com blackwhitemag.com 69'