Faith and formula paying off

Northcity Caravans owners Peter and Wendy Dempster at their salesyard just north of Piano Hill. Photo / John Stone

Peter and Wendy Dempster see themselves as stewards of the business they run just north of Whangarei on State Highway 1.

The Hikurangi couple own Northcity Caravans and won the Excellence in Micro Business category in the Northland Business Excellence Awards 2016.

Their mission statement is to make their yard bigger and better, a place people will enjoy buying and selling from.

"We will always do our best to supply quality, clean, new and used caravans, RVs and motorhomes. To be the best stewards of our company as possible," Peter and Wendy said.

The Dempsters started out in business in July 2005 with an inactive caravan sale business.

"We were in partnership with Andrew Gurney, who owned another caravan yard at the south end of Whangarei."

Mr Gurney gave them a few caravans to get started, they took over the original name - Lifestyle Piano Hill and the phone number - and from there it became Northcity Caravans.

Within six months they took over the business completely. After three years, the lease was up for renewal so they decided to buy and move to the corner of 15 Mower Rd, Kamo.

Initially they developed a quarter of the section, and closed for a year while a resource consent was obtained from the council.

Northcity Caravans operates as a "sell on behalf" operation but they are also dealers for new Kea Karavans.

They also like to buy and sell classic Kiwi caravans and have a range of long- and short-term hire caravans.

"Most of our business has been self-taught as neither of us knew anything about caravans or motorhomes when we started," Wendy said.

"Throughout the years we have asked questions and taken wise counsel from other business owners, family and friends; not overspending and making sure assets balanced debt.

"Constant prayer is also a big part of our decision-making and walking by faith in the Lord."

This year they realised the business had grown to a point they could not do it all on their own. They had considered closing.

However, with the help of Susan Cooney from Thexton Armstrong Cowan business success programme, they developed new strategies - employing a part-time office administration person, Chris Green, and a casual cleaner/gardener, Lisa Gardyne.

The Dempsters have also incorporated new administration systems, health and safety procedures, developed a website and changed accounting processes.

Looking ahead, the couple say they are always looking for more stock. One of their goals is to spend more time out on the road buying.

Business is good and, with another dealership in the pipeline and the rental side growing rapidly, the couple are upbeat.

"Peter and I feel that we have got a great business that we can continue building up and will have something to sell in the future.

"It is in our plan to take on a full-time manager to run the yard so we can be free to buy stock and to get back to helping more in the community with different ministries."

Driven by their Christian faith, the Dempsters are heavily involved in the Hikurangi community.

Peter, along with Andrew Gurney and several others, started Tornado Youth in 2004, and this is where Peter and Wendy met.

The organisation, which runs programmes for youth and families including camps and road trips, now comes under the umbrella of Village Church, Hikurangi and also transports elderly folk to town each fortnight so they can do their shopping.

Over the years Northcity Caravans has supported many programmes to help the Hikurangi community including a weekly community dinner, family barn dance, until recently the Guy Fawkes display (now in the hands of Hikurangi Lions), Christmas in the Park, a low-cost early learning childcare centre and a foodbank.