The new Mitre 10 Mega store is officially open, providing jobs to 70 Rotorua people.
A powhiri was held at the store last night attended by the store's new employees, representatives from Pukeroa Oruawhata, Rotorua District Council chief executive Peter Guerin and contractors involved in the construction of the
new building.
Mitre 10 Mega chief executive John Hartman said the company had been working together with local iwi on the development for the past three years.
"It's a great sign of how Mitre 10 and the community work together, we've had great support from the Rotorua community. We've had a long standing presence in Rotorua with a smaller store, now we've got a bigger offering with a whole lot of new jobs _ it's a fantastic way for us to support the community.''
Local iwi blessed the building yesterday morning, a move Mr Hartman said was "really important''. Iwi members also came along for the celebration of the opening.
The Rotorua store was the 15th new Mitre 10 Mega in 24 months, something Mr Hartman said showed the company's growth was continuing across the country, in big centres and regional towns. Mr Guerin said attracting a franchise of the size of Mitre 10 Mega was a sign Rotorua's economy was starting to lift.
