From nets to lounge suites

COMFY: Furniture Zone Kerikeri/Waipapa manager Matt Sheliag tries one of the home furnishing displays in the new store, which officially opens on Friday in Waipapa. PHOTO/SANDY MYHRE

Two years ago, Matt Sheliag was a commercial fisherman working out of Houhora in the Far North.

Fast forward to 2016 and Mr Sheliag is the manager of Furniture Zone's latest Northland store in Waipapa, near Kerikeri.

It all started when Mr Sheliag and his partner, Malinda, decided to buy a new lounge suite.

"She was sick of me being away from her and my two young children for weeks at a time. At some stage Malinda had seen an advertisement in the paper looking for staff at the new Furniture Zone in Kaitaia so she decided to drop in my CV," Mr Sheliag said.

"Unexpectedly, I was short-listed and had a job interview when I got back on land with the store manager in Kaitaia - soon after I was offered the job.

"With no arguments [from Mr Sheliag] Malinda said I was leaving fishing, which I could understand.

"Eighteen months later I was offered the position of store manager at a new [Furniture Zone] store in Waipapa which, of course, I accepted."

The store officially opens on Friday.

The retail world is not completely unfamiliar to Mr Sheliag, whose grandfather owned a local exhaust company for 25 years, and his mother worked for and then bought a clothing retail shop in central Kaitaia which she ran for many years until she sold it and entered real estate.

Mr Sheliag, who lives in Hihi/Mangonui with his family, credits a strong work ethic for getting him to where he is today.

"I got here through striving hard, working hard, getting good results, helping people find what they need and making it happen."

The new store employs one other person but Mr Sheliag is looking for one more to join the team.

"This is a New Zealand-owned and operated company which I love, it has awesome people," he said.

Mr Sheliag says he has noticed the trend of people moving north.

With the new store located in the Waipapa/Kerikeri area, the business is well positioned to capitalise on this growth offering people competitive pricing and also excellent customer service, he says.

In his spare time Mr Sheliag loves to fish and hunt. He loves animals and has started his own little farm in Hihi.