Mitre 10 Mega Store on way

The race to capture the lion's share of the hardware and timber market in Wairarapa is to enter a new phase with news that a huge new store is coming to Masterton.
Mitre 10 is to build a multimillion dollar Mega Store in Ngaumutawa Road, along the lines of those in Palmerston North and Petone.
It will employ around 100 people over a seven-day week and its imminent arrival finally puts to rest speculation on which of three hardware giants would declare its intention to build a super-duper store, the other two being Placemakers and Bunnings.
Directors of Masterton Mitre 10 Garry Daniell and Rex Slight will be joint shareholders in the venture that will also involve Mr Daniell's son Tim and Mr Slight's son-in-law Ejvind Frederiksen.
Known as a "new generation" store, the Mega Store will be rivalled for retail space in Masterton only by The Warehouse.
The retail floor area will cover 9000sqm, which is about double the floor area of the new Pak'n'Save supermarket in Kuripuni.
It will also have a timber yard, plants and garden section, a drive-through for building material sales, a children's play area, a cafeteria and 222 car parks.
Mr Daniell said construction would get under way as soon as "some issues" have been sorted out.
There will then be several months involved in fitting the building out and stocking it.
After this is completed plans are afoot for a grand opening.
It is likely the existing Queen Street Mitre 10 will become part of the new venture, allowing for stock consolidation, under a single management and one accounting system.
C.E. Daniell Ltd was one of the first hardware and timber outlets in New Zealand to join the Mitre 10 co-operative in 1976 and eight years later the family-owned company sold the Queen Street store to Garry Daniell, along with the hardware-dominated franchise. Mr Daniell was joined by Mr Slight and Jim Watt all colleagues from the C.E. Daniell days in opening the existing building materials business in Ngaumutawa Road.
Mr Slight said the Mega Store owners recognise staff is the business' greatest asset and training has already started to ensure all staff are properly skilled to run the new store. The arrival of the Mega Store will mean the continuation of a decade-long retail and commercial building boom in Masterton, unrivalled in the town's history.
Apart from The Warehouse, the town has also attracted Hazelwoods, Pak'n'Save, Warehouse Stationery, Number 1 Shoes, Dick Smith Electronics, ASB Bank, Coinsave, Postie Plus, Gull New Zealand Ltd, a revamped Farmers Trading Company and a whole host of smaller businesses, especially at Kuripuni and Solway.
Coupled with that have been major public building projects including Aratoi, the new Wairarapa Hospital and the Recreation Centre.
Wairarapa Chamber of Commerce treasurer Bridget Canning said the chamber supports the initiative shown by Mr Daniell and Mr "Slight.
"It shows the confidence they have in Wairarapa and it's great to see that the district is in such good heart," she said.