Louis Devine, of Thompson Plumbing & Gas Limited, Whanganui, is excited to have finished in first place at the lower North Island final of the Young Plumber of the Year 2024 competition and will now be proceeding to the national final, which will take place on Wednesday, October 23, in Hamilton.
The regional final was held at Awapuni Racecourse in Palmerston North. Devine competed against eight other plumbers from Masterton, Hawke’s Bay, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Levin and Kāpiti Coast, with Wellington being excluded.
“It was quite exciting, being my third time entering,” said Devine. “I had an advantage because I had done it before. When they told me I had won, I was pretty happy — there was a close score between first and second.
“My wife and employer Jed Thompson were both there cheering me on, it was quite fun,” he said. He walked away with a drill set and tools as his prize.
Thompson is the owner-director of Thompson Plumbing, a plumbing, drainage and gas fitting business working for builders, homeowners and on large-scale jobs. It started in April 2019 and now has 13 plumbers and two office staff.