Business couple find their true north

Ondine Waddle and Peter Rogers-Jenkins, the new owners of Whangarei's Mitre 10 Mega. Photo / Michael Cunningham

IT WAS while driving to and from their rented home at Marsden Point that Auckland couple Ondine Waddle and Peter Rogers-Jenkins, the new owners of Whangarei's Mitre 10 Mega, saw exactly where the business growth for their new enterprise would come from.

A mass of commercial vehicles on the road, Peter says, reveals strong activity among tradies - activity that has encouraged the pair to invest more in the trade merchant side of the business. Having bought into the Mitre 10 co-op, the pair took over the Porowini Ave store in September. But the Mitre 10 business was already familiar to Peter, as he had been working as chief financial officer for the co-op for four years.

The proximity to Auckland was a key factor in deciding to make the move.

The couple describe themselves as "dual residents" - living in both Northland and Auckland for the time being, as many Northland business leaders with children in school in Auckland are now doing.

Since moving north, they say they have met heaps of old friends and colleagues who also took the plunge and moved north from Auckland.

"We're not the only ones," says Ondine.

"Our youngest child has just two years left in school and six months ago, our eldest son, Logan, went to uni. I found myself asking, 'what will I do with my weekends now'," Peter says. "Well, now we're in Whangarei, doing this."

His wife agrees that the family was ready for change.

"After 20 years of family life in Auckland and two big careers, it was time for a change.

When the opportunity for someone to take over the Whangarei store arose, Peter says he was surprised by Ondine's reaction when he suggested that they pack up and head north.

"I was expecting the conversation to be no longer than minutes. But she said 'yeah, let's look into it'."

As for buying a home and making Northland more permanent, Ondine says the couple will take the time to get to know the area first, before deciding when they will settle.

Business leaders

The biggest challenge they face, says Peter, is getting to know the locals.

"After all, we are new to the community but we're taking the time to get to know our customers, staff and community."

Already, the couple hosted a ladies' night in the store on their second day in charge, and raised $2500 for St John Ambulance.

"We will be investing in the business and we're going to be improving the store," Ondine said. The store had been owned by the Mitre 10 Group for the three years since it was built.

Peter has held numerous financial leadership roles, including chief financial officer at Westpac and Farmers Trading Company, and a similar role at Carter Holt Harvey, and will now serve as managing director over the 65-strong team at the Whangarei store.

Ondine has spent her career to date working as a sales and marketing specialist with companies such as Lion Breweries, Fonterra Brands and Healtheries, and will now focus her attention on business development and the Mitre 10 trade team.

"The roads in Whangarei are busy with commercial activity ... utes and vans," Ondine says. "Tradespeople are busy here."

As well as being trade merchants, the store will have another main focus - the garden centre. "It's performing well but we will make some changes in the next 12 months," she says.

There was no difference between Auckland and Northland consumers, they say.

"The Auckland market is highly competitive, but Whangarei has heaps of competition in this space and Whangarei consumers expect the same value and range of goods," Ondine says.

The couple say the move from Auckland was both a professional opportunity and the personal adventure that the couple had been waiting for.

"It's also fantastic to be in Northland. We've had many fabulous family holidays here over the years and now we're in it for the long haul," says Peter.

"We love spending time on boats and we're looking forward to getting some more fishing practice," says Peter.

"I just can't wait to walk on a beach or sit and read a book, and swim in the sea. I've always been too busy to do any of that," says Ondine.