High achiever: Jeff Carter

Jeff Carter, owner of Southstar Shuttles and NZ Trail Solutions and national president of Mountain Bike New Zealand

What does mountain bike shuttle owner and trail builder Jeff Carter do to relax and forget about work? He goes for a ride in the forest, of course.
"It's important to make time to just go out and have fun. Riding through the forest, there is no room for worries about life and business."
The exercise and fresh air clears his head, often allowing him to see business issues and their solutions more clearly.
Jeff says spending his working and relaxation hours in the same environment is not a bind.
"The positive thing about turning your passion into a business is that you put in every ounce of energy and dedication to making it work."
And mountainbiking is a passion - he joined the Te Awamutu Mountain Bike Club while still in high school, eventually becoming president. He filled the same role in the Rotorua Mountain Bike Club in 2006/7, when more than 50km of new trails were added to the Whakarewarewa Forest network.
"This effectively doubled the network and, with the help of the World Mountain Bike Champs in 2006, catapulted Rotorua to become internationally known as a great mountainbike destination."
Jeff is now president of Mountain Bike New Zealand, encompassing all 52 of New Zealand's clubs.
His involvement in mountainbiking is entirely voluntary but, after training as an engineer and project manager, graduating with a BE (Mech) from Canterbury University, he has turned his favourite pastime into a career, setting up Southstar Shuttles, transporting mountainbikers between their start and finish points, and an international mountain bike trail building company, NZ Trail Solutions.
As the national president, Jeff has had to remain neutral throughout the bidding process for the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Cycling Centre of Excellence. But he and the organisation outlined what was needed to create a facility suitable for athletes preparing for top-level competition in cross country, downhill, 4X and mountain bike marathons.
Rotorua is the preferred location of the mountainbiking section of the centre of excellence.
"The things Rotorua needs to develop are a World Cup level 4X track - planned for Centennial Park - a technical, rocky, cross country course, improved facilities for users of Whaka Forest - sealed car parking, showers, toilets, cafe, bike shop - and a bigger focus on regular trail maintenance."
Continuing to develop trails is also essential and he hopes this will soon resume at Whaka.
"I hope trail development, which has been on hold for the past two years, can be restarted and this will encourage recreational riders and athletes who have been enticed away to fresher destinations to return."
Riders are not the only ones to benefit and he said the large commitment of funds by Rotorua District Council to develop the centre of excellence facilities provided a great opportunity for local business to provide services to the ever-increasing volume of locals and visitors using Whaka Forest, Department of Conservation areas around the lakes and the soon-to-be completed Pathway of Fire Cycleway.
"It's fantastic to see the council and iwi stepping up and recognising the massive economic returns relatively small investments in cycling facilities bring to the wider Rotorua community."
See: Jeff Carter In His Own Words
 
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Contact business editor Julie Taylor on (07) 348 6199 ext 57015 or at business@dailypost.co.nz