They do say start the way you mean to carry on, and winning an award early in your career is a pretty good start. After many years in tourism, a move to New Zealand gave Wim the opportunity to embrace the kiwi DIY mentality where he discovered his love for anything practical. Swapping the desk for the tools, Wim began his plumbing career by completing the Plumbing Pre-Trade course at Christchurch Polytechnic in 2008.
The course enabled him to fast track his training and also resulted in him securing work at the end with Laser Plumbing West. On completion of his apprenticeship in 2010, Wim was awarded the Most Inspiring South Island Apprentice title, beating dozens of other South Island apprentices. Wim accepted the award at the annual industry awards which celebrate the success of South Island Apprentices who completed their apprenticeship through the Apprenticeship Training Trust.
Starting his own plumbing business was always a dream, so from there Wim focused on upskilling and achieving what was necessary to sit the exam to be a Certifying Plumber. Passing with flying colours, Custom Plumbing Services became a reality in late 2013. And the rest, as they say, is history.
