We specialise in the supply and installation of high quality wooden floors.

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Crafting impeccable floors

We supply and install wooden floors – solid and engineered, new and recycled, T&G floorboards and parquet. We love parquet and have created some stunning parquet wooden floors.

We’ve been doing this for over 20 years, and we know wooden flooring inside and out.

Some products on the market that are promoted (sometimes over-promoted) as superior or luxury – we’ve been supplying reliably for years. No over-marketed fanfare, just good quality and reliable products, installed with care by our team of over 20 tradesmen and passionate wooden floor people.

We offer a one-party solution-focused contract for the supply, installation, and (for site finished options) the sanding & finishing.

We have our own workshop where we produce wooden flooring from new and recycled timber, taking a comprehensive approach to timber drying and moisture control. We import our own range of good quality engineered wooden floorboards, 20/6mm thick and with widths up to 300mm.

Our clients are typically Boomers and GenXers who are building or renovating their homes and holiday homes, and who are looking for a superior result.

We also undertake a range of commercial contracts, of recent these have included Te Papa, Wellington Town Hall, Parliament – Grand Hall and Banquet Hall, Waikato Museum, Government House, Michael Fowler Centre, and more.

Our clients are often referred by their designer, architect or builder.

I’d be pleased to hear from you, about a future project, or a project that is underway already, or just for a chat. You can complete the form on Contact Us page, send me an email, or give me a call – 021 918 384.

Regards

Chris Northmore

Owner and manager

Sustainability is one of our core values

Sustainability is one of our core values.

We salvage and recycle thousands of tonnes of beautiful centuries old timber, turning it in to wooden floorboards and wall lining our business started salvaging and recycling timber and has avoided large volumes of timber being dumped to landfill.

When we source new timbers we avoid importing from countries where the timber has a questionable back story. New NZ timbers are sourced from  recycled timbers from sustainable sources including from dead-standing trees and recovered logs, as well as from properly approved sustainable harvesting plans.

We have won awards for our sustainable practices.

Award winning work

Our business achieved first-place wins in the 2018 Wellington Region Business Excellence Awards, in both the Trade Services and Suppliers category and the Sustainability category.  This followed on from three first place awards in the 2014 Awards – the Sustainability, Innovation and Best Emerging Business categories, and a first-place award in 2016 in the Trade Services and Suppliers category.

In 2016, 2017 and 2018 we achieved first place category wins at the Australasian Timber Flooring Association’s annual awards, including for our work at Te Papa, Wellington.  In 2017 we also won the overall Supreme Award for our work at St Mary of the Angels in Boulcott Street, Wellington.

Neither the Wellington Region Business Awards nor the Australasian Timber Flooring Association’s awards were held in 2020 or 2021.

Chris Northmore – Owner and manager

I established the James Henry business in 2006.  James Henry was my grandfather, a shipwright who enjoyed working with timber.  I grew up around timber projects and have undertaken a number of comprehensive residential renovations, and built new family home in Maymorn in 2005/6 which is where my two daughters grew up.

Previously I worked for 10 years in the rural banking and finance sector, and prior to that I was commercial fishing Paua on both sides of the Cook Strait.

I am very fortunate to have a great team.  A number of our key staff started with us as apprentices and we have a very low level of staff turnover with many working with us for more than 10 years.  We have won a range of business and industry awards over the years.

James Henry Ltd is a member of the ATFA (Australasian Timber Flooring Association) which has over 1,000 members throughout NZ and Australia.  I have been a member of the ATFA Australasian Board since 2015.  I am also a licensed timber floor inspector, undertaking impartial ATFA inspections of timber floors throughout New Zealand.

In my garage there is a range of well-used mountain-biking, skiing, tramping, sailing, fishing, diving and other sporting equipment.

Stephen – Commercial Manager

Stephen is office-based and looks after much of the behind the scenes functions.  He thoroughly enjoys being in touch with our customers and is always keen to discuss customer projects and provide advice and recommendations as to the best flooring for your project.

Stephen has worked with us for over eight years and has a very useful working knowledge of timber flooring and installation practices.  Stephen and Chris worked together at Rabobank in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Outside of work Stephen spends time on his forestry block in the Wairarapa where he grows a range of forestry species.  He enjoys woodworking and has a strong interest in all things rural.  In 2009 he undertook a 7,200 km and 10-week bicycle ride from Paris to Dakar.

Adrian – Contracts Manager

Adrian is a qualified carpenter.  His career includes experience with a large construction company, concrete products, manufacturing and a period running his own building company specialising in high residential renovations and new builds.  He is well experienced across a wide range of building industry disciplines and knows construction very well.

Adrian ably leads the installation and floor sanding crews.  He manages our schedules and day-to-day works.  He won ATFA Employee of the Year in 2018.

Adrian enjoys most outdoor sports including fishing, skiing and mountain biking, having completed the Karapoti Classic a number of times.  He also enjoys weekend trips away in his restored Mustang.

Allanah – Specifications Manager

Allanah has a Bachelor of Design from Massey University.

Joshua – Workshop Manager

Melissa – Office Manager

Melissa is our Office Manager.  In her role she wears many hats and is the main contact for our sister business, Rubio Monocoat NZ.  With Melissa’s marketing background and keen interest in e-commerce she built the Rubio Monocoat website.  Prior to working at James Henry, Melissa worked in marketing/ events roles as well as Legal secretary roles.

Outside of work Melissa has two school aged children and enjoys gardening, walking, and spending time with her family.

Installation Crew

Our floor installation crews are enthusiastic, committed and hardworking individuals who are collectively highly skilled in wooden floor laying and finishing.  Their essentials skills are patience, an eye for detail and highly developed craftsmanship.  Our crews include Ben, William, Balazs and Kurt.  The team has a great mix of age and experience with supporting trade qualifications in carpentry and floor installation.

Ben
Balaz
Kurt
Daniel
Presley
Peter

Sanding and Coating Crew

Our floor sanding and coating crew are also experienced and hardworking individuals who are committed to their work.  They are comfortable using the full range of Rubio Monocoat Oils and polyurethanes.

Andris
Russ
Izzy (Israel)
Finley
Jason

Workshop Crew

Morgan
Devon
Joe
Jason
Alex

Apprenticeships

We are fully committed to developing our staff with formal trade apprenticeships through two BCITOs. Currently we have two apprentices on staff. One of our apprentices was awarded the Villars Trophy, for outstanding commitment and dedication. A previous apprentice was flooring apprentice of the year in 2013. All of our current apprentices started work in our factory and recognising their potential we encouraged them into formal apprenticeship programs.