Painting a bright future

Tasman-raised Kahu Carleton-Heta is making waves in the painting and decorating industry.

This month, Kahu will travel to Fiji to find out if he will be the Master Painters Apprentice of the year after a competition where Master Painters NZ chose apprentices from four regions in New Zealand - Upper North, Lower North, Upper South and Lower South.

Tapawera-based Kahu, 21, was selected as one of four finalists of 32 New Zealand apprentices competing for the award which recognises excellence in the specialised trade of Painting and Decorating.

Kahu, who is of Ngāti Tūwharetoa Iwi, is one of nine siblings and believes that coming from a large family has taught him to work well with others.

Introduced to painting at 17, painting a house with family in the weekends, Kahu took to the work quickly and was exceptionally good at it.

“It was a great feeling to be able to walk away from the project, with it looking brand-new”.

It was three years later that he commenced working for Steve Mckenzie at ProColour Painting, where he says he seized Steve’s opportunity and has “never looked back”.

While relatively young in comparison to his colleagues, Kahu has run complex jobs with a multitude of different paints, coatings and finishes.

“It is weird leading teammates that are older than me, but I just work with everyone’s strengths to get the job done to a high quality,” Kahu says.

“I would love to be heading the specialised coating division at ProColour and looking after my own team,” Kahu says of his five-year plan.

“I have worked hard for this and feel I am a standout candidate for the Apprentice of the Year Award.”

ProColour owner Steve says Kahu has “a unique strength in his ability to learn and excel in complicated technical tasks such as specialised coatings and high-level finishes”.

“He always shows initiative by bringing solutions to any issues on the job. His leadership skills are invaluable, and he has been managing and leading jobs since year two of his apprenticeship.”

Kahu’s dedication, leadership, and skill make him a noteworthy contender, and his story is one of exceptional talent and ambition in the trade.

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