Family business dealer of the year

Tyrepower New Zealand operations manager Christine Johnstone (left), store owner Shane Fraser, CEO David Wilson, Harena Fraser and board member Craig Johnstone.

What better way to celebrate 12 years in the tyre business than to receive a national retail accolade, which is just what Tyrepower Whangarei has managed to do.

No sooner had the birthday candles been blown out than the party poppers resurfaced to celebrate the retailing honour of being Tyrepower's New Zealand Dealer of the Year 2015.

The store, owned by Shane and Harena Fraser, was started by Shane and his aunt and uncle when he was just 18.

Store owners Shane and Harena Fraser.

Mr Fraser has been chairman of Tyrepower New Zealand for three years, having served on the board for six years.

Harena came to the business almost nine years ago.

The Northland team will now go head-to-head against four Australian regions when they compete for the International Dealer of the Year title at the next international conference in Fiji in April 2016, where the winner will be announced.

"We have worked extremely hard to get the business where it is today. We have seven children so, as you can imagine, family-work balance has always been a struggle," Ms Fraser said.

"We are extremely blessed to have amazing family support. Without them we would not be where we are today."

She said the Whangarei team was "fantastic" and "knowledgeable" and also mainly consisted of family members.

In an industry that is often perceived to be male-dominated, the Whangarei crew is also balancing its gender scales.

"We are lucky to have three females in our team and this is a great point of difference. We are in a predominantly male-dominated trade and our customers love the fact that our girls are in the workshop."

The company supports the Gateway Programme for high school students and this year it also supported Ronald McDonald House Charities with $5000 by donating all profits from car punctures to the charity. The company also upgraded its waiting room this year, offering free coffee to customers as they wait.

"We are constantly training or upskilling our staff. We attend every training session offered to us. We have a fantastic team here: our staff have an awesome attitude and always go the extra mile. We could not have won this award without them," Ms Fraser said.