Show Notes
What does it take to build a business that lasts nearly 50 years? In our very first episode of The Last Makers, David Shaw shares the honest story behind one of New Zealand's longest-standing furniture manufacturers. From taking risks before he felt ready to navigating economic uncertainty, changing design trends, and an ever-evolving industry, David reflects on the decisions that shaped both the business and the person he became. This conversation is about feeling the fear and doing it anywa...
More from The Last Makers
A conversation celebrating the people, craft and manufacturing behind New Zealand-made design. For this episode of Last Makers, we go behind the new collection to explore what it means to design and manufacture in New Zealand and why keeping production here matters. We shine a spotlight on the makers behind the designs: the craftspeople, manufacturers and skilled hands who bring ideas from concept to reality. From the decisions made in the studio to the work happening on the factory floor, th...
Bill Willis — McKenzie & Willis For more than a century, McKenzie & Willis has been woven into the fabric of New Zealand interiors. What began in 1906 as a business founded by Joseph Willis and R.S. McKenzie has evolved into one of Aotearoa’s leading interiors and home furnishing brands and today, that legacy is carried forward by the next generation. Bill Willis, General Manager and family member of McKenzie & Willis, grew up surrounded by the business. As a child, the showrooms ...