Hiremaster was often used to supply furniture and decor to weddings. (File photo) Photo: bondvit/123RF
The liquidation of Wellington event equipment hire company Hiremaster has sparked concerns for event planners.
Hiremaster went into liquidation on August 14 after more than 70 years in business.
David Ruscoe and Adele Hicks of Grant Thornton were appointed as liquidators and were understood to be looking for a buyer for the company.
Hiremaster was established in 1948 as "Tea Services Limited" supplying catering services, tea merchant and servicing industrial cafeterias. The company eventually transitioned away from the catering and industrial cafeteria work and had been operating as Hiremaster for the past 30 years.
Britt from the Wedding Coach said she used Hiremaster for about 60-70 percent of the weddings she did.
She said although she used a number of providers in the Wellington region, Hiremaster was somewhat of a "one-stop-shop"
Britt said there was a limited amount of suppliers in Wellington that could provide things like decor, furniture, props, and large amounts of glassware and plates.
"I think losing Hiremaster in Wellington would really [have] an impact on the industry in terms of what's available," she said. "It might even impact how many people are able to get married down here."
Britt said Auckland in contrast to Wellington seemed to have a lot more variety and options to choose from, and she did hire some things herself from the northern region.
Alex, an event planner in Wellington, said she was both surprised and saddened to hear Hiremaster had gone into liquidation.
She said they seemed to be one of the only hire companies in the Wellington region with the resources to handle some larger scale projects such as big marquee builds.
"I don't think there's much competition for a lot of what they do."
Alex predicted she used Hiremaster for about half the events she did.
She suspected the event industry would see cost hikes in some areas if Hiremaster exited the market with outsourced products and services likely to cost more, and some options no longer available at all.
Hiremaster and Grant Thornton have been approached for comment.
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