Shop wins Paper Plus Store of the Year

Paper Plus in Masterton has beaten out more than 100 associate franchises to win the 2009 Paper Plus Store of the Year Award.
Owners Russell and Dara Carthew said the award was presented at a gala dinner in Auckland and is a testament to the work of their 12-strong Paper Plus team, of whom the whole community can be proud.
"We hear our customers refer to our store as their own and are proud to say that their community is home to one of the largest Paper Plus stores in the country," Mr Carthew said.
He said receiving the award at the grand awards dinner was an occasion to remember and cherish. "It's the closest I'll ever get to an Academy Award," he said.
Mr Carthew has been with the company since its inception and was one of the five founding directors who established Paper Plus in 1993.
Six years later, Mr Carthew shifted to Masterton, opening Books and More - rebranded Paper Plus in 2006 - in the former Post Office building on the corner of Lincoln Road and Queen Street.
In December the business shifted south on Queen Street and opened as the largest Paper Plus store in New Zealand with twice the floor space, at 1000sqm, of the original Masterton site.
The new store also incorporates Kiwi Bank, NZ Post Shop and the post office private boxes with an overall staff of 18 working out of the Queen Street site, former home to the Outlet Shop and The Warehouse.
"I am really proud of my team, some of whom have been with me for nearly 10 years," Mr Carthew said. "My strong and loyal team consistently provides great customer service and go the extra mile, which has been fundamental to our success."
Mr Carthew said the Masterton franchise, which retails stationery, books, magazines, cards and gifts and also features an in-store cafe, has proved resistant to recession woes striking retailers of big-ticket items as well as other industry sectors.
"My father always said we were not in the boom-bust type of industry and so far he's been right - we're just going along nicely with stationery and cards, which are everyday things."
Paper Plus Group marketing manager Lyle Hastings said the Masterton team and Mr Carthew are deserving award winners.
"Their commitment to the Paper Plus Group over the years, and their willingness to present a great store to their customers and be the very best in their business are just a few factors that won them the award."
The Paper Plus Group began 26 years ago and is today the largest stationery and bookseller in New Zealand.
The group incorporates three separate retail brands: Paper Plus, which has 106 stores; Take Note with 63 stores; and Office Spot with three stores, Mr Hastings said.
Mr Carthew said one of the key benefits of working for Paper Plus is the support and encouragement received through the group.
"I am truly passionate about what I do and if that wasn't true, I wouldn't have been in the business for more than two decades."