CHH enters 3D software business

By RICHARD WOOD

Carter Holt Harvey has set up a software business to sell a 3D modelling, costing and manufacturing system for the joinery and building industry.

The first software product, Cubit Cabinet, is for the design and making of kitchens, and will sell for $13,900 including training.

It will be followed by a system for housing.

CHH is already involved in a kitchen design presentation system called Virtual World which it distributes internationally to retail hardware stores through its Straightedge business unit.

The new Cubit software has came out of its Ecopine division, and is aimed at joineries.

Cubit has been developed at a cost of $2 million over two years by a team of 20 people, and a patent is being sought for aspects of its costing software.

CHH project manager Nick Clements said the system was unique because of the way its costing worked.

Cubit could adjust costs and materials as the 3D design was changed, and could operate in a multiuser mode.

MasterCraft Kitchens has tested the drawing component of the product in Hamilton for the past six months and is awaiting implementation of the other components. National franchise manager Kevin Belz said it was difficult to calculate the return on investment in the system, but he thought it would pay for itself in a year "no problem".

"It will mean we can draw on it, price and quote from it, send it through to our factory Machinery and send the data to our accounting system to invoice. It's an A to Z of cabinet manufacturing."

Clements said the aim would be to sell the product first in New Zealand to a market of 2500 joiners, then go to Australia where there are 12,500, and ultimately to other countries.

Local software developer CAD Image Solutions have been involved in the computer-aided design side and another local firm, Computerised Alternatives, has worked on the database and optimisation.

The joinery product database of CHH's Carters business will be included, and will be able to be updated online.

But Clements said Cubit allowed other suppliers' costing data to be loaded because CHH didn't want customers to feel locked in.

CHH has used the 3D graphic engine of Hungarian computer-aided design vendor Graphisoft ArchiCAD and is seeking to tap into ArchiCAD's international distribution network.

Clements said ArchiCAD had 30 per cent of the New Zealand market and its products were used around the world.

The story so far

Carter Holt Harvey started its New Ventures project three years ago to turn good business ideas into reality.

Since then, employees have put forward around 3000 suggestions, of which 30 or 40 have been selected for further investigation.

Several ventures, owned by CHH or jointly owned by the company and outside investors, are now at various stages of development.

Straightedge, its building software provider, was to have been the first to have shares offered to the public but the capital raising failed.