40 years in business: Rotorua's Davidsons keeps it in the family

Shaun O'Donnell says every day is a highlight because he loves going to work. Photo / Andrew Warner

"Keeping it in the family" has been one of the keys to success for long-standing Rotorua business Davidsons, which has survived four decades of peaks and troughs.

And staying true to that philosophy, owner Shaun O'Donnell is in the process of handing the business over to the third generation in his family, his son, Ryan.

Speaking with the Rotorua Daily Post for Davidsons' 40th anniversary, O'Donnell said he never imagined he would still be working at the company his parents-in-law, Mac and Marlene Davidson, started in 1980.

O'Donnell came on board in 1986, leaving his background in engineering for the world of self-employment.

"You have to be able to motivate yourself, be a self-starter but I would definitely encourage [self-employment].

"I didn't see myself in those days still being here now but the journey has gotten better and better.

"Running a business helps a person to develop character, resolve, problem-solving. There are a lot of benefits."

For most people, Davidsons is a Rotorua staple. If you haven't dealt with the business, you've definitely heard their tagline over the radio - "doors and more".

O'Donnell said the company's consistency helped establish its permanence in the Rotorua business sector.

"Our jingle 'doors and more' has been on the radio since the 80s. The ads have been updated but the tagline stays the same - it's part of building that brand people come to recognise.

"It's the same reason I think the business has benefited from staying in the same family because people know who they're dealing with. Even now, I am dealing with the children of the people I used to deal with in the 80s.

"You're leaving a legacy people can trust and know what they're getting."

Davidsons has a range of Homeplus and Garador products, specialising in interior and exterior products such as security doors and screens, awnings, balustrades, blinds, mirrors and wardrobe doors.

"In the past 40 years we've diversified, tweaking our business to reflect market needs. Some of the biggest changes to the way we do business have come as technology has evolved.

Shaun O'Donnell has been running Davidson's since 1986. Photo / Andrew Warner

"When I first started out we used to do everything by phone or in person. Now we have cellphones and email. When business was once a handshake and a person's word, it is now all documented in triplicate.

"The positive to that is there is less of a risk of not being paid than there was before, also because non-payment is not tolerated today."

When asked about the peaks of his time in the business, O'Donnell said every day was a highlight because he loved going to work.

"I wouldn't still be here if I hadn't enjoyed the journey. This job allows you to see the city, you're not stuck in an office all day; you're out meeting different people.

"It was through this job that I met my aunty. My father had a brother who was killed in the war and it was his widow. One day I was called out to a job and when I showed up she said 'I'm you're aunty'.

"The customers are everything. Without them, you don't have a business and it is the customers who make this job so great."

On the other side of the coin, the lows the company experienced were usually tied up with the financial climate of the time, O'Donnell said.

"Being aligned with the construction industry, there's a lot of rises and falls. The introduction of GST in 1986 was a hit too."

O'Donnell said Covid-19 and the nationwide lockdown had not had as much impact on the company as the 2007/2008 Global Financial Crisis.

"The GFC was the hardest, biggest hiding we had but we managed to retain our staff and have been able to build back.

"Covid-19 has cost us money but before the lockdown we were so busy that when we were forced to close and have a bit of a break it was magic. We were able to get back to those old family values, the tension came out of things."

Looking forward, O'Donnell hopes with his son taking over the business, it will encourage more young people to enter the industry.

"There is work being done to create a certificate so young people can come to us through an apprenticeship and gain a qualification. There is so much to learn in this business, especially for young people who have the inclination.

"We need new blood in the game. It's a bloody good game to be in."