Q & A: Gilmours Rotorua owner Ricky Bowen

LOCAL PRIDE: Ricky Bowen believes being locally-based is what sets Gilmours Rotorua apart. PHOTO/BEN FRASER 050814BF1

What did it mean to you to win Outstanding Supplier at the 2014 Rotorua Hospitality Awards?

It confirmed the reason why we all do what we do. We are a hard-working team that goes out of the way to supply our customers what they need. I like to call our customers "business partners" because when they are doing well we do well. Hospitality is the life blood of our town and we all need to take responsibility that visitors to the area get outstanding and amazing experiences. If Gilmours can make the supply of food and beverage easy for our business partners it becomes one thing that they don't have to worry about, they can get on and concentrate on the hospitality experience they provide.

Vanessa, Sharon, Richard and the team who made these awards happen did an outstanding job. These awards are having an effect on the industry as we all lift our game and push each other to get better.

What do you think sets you apart from your competitors?

We are a local business, we are not an out-of-town or out-of- country corporate business run by a manager that has no real "skin in the game". This really sets us apart.

It's also the small things from getting phone calls on a Sunday from a restaurant owner saying "can you help me I had a really busy night last night and we have run out of something any chance you could open up so I can replenish my stock for tonight's service?" The answer is always yes!

I have a great team that are always willing to help, good people make all the difference, good people with good attitudes.

What do you see as the biggest opportunity for your business in the year ahead?

Further development of the talented team we have. As I write this I have 10 of my team members away on a customer service training course. We are developing what I like to call "The Gilmours way". So far we have had 11 people through the course and with today's lot we will really see alignment within the team. It's great to get comments back about how well one of the team has done in exceeding someone's expectations.

Do you think businesses should "give back" to their community?

I do, we are doing that in a number of ways, I think what sets us apart is that we are truly local and with 32 team members who all live locally, we recycle our pay back into the community regularly.

If you could do any other job for a day, what would that be?

Sure there's the dream ones like being prime minister or being an All Black - "every boy's dream" - but I know I don't have the skills for either of those jobs. Also I'd be the All Black that missed a tackle that let in a winning try and be remembered for that for the rest of my life.

They say Alaskan crab fishing is the hardest and most dangerous job in the world, so I'd like to see if I could do that.

How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?

I have a great team and a great wife. Between the two I have a list of things to be done at work and another list to be done at home, that's balanced isn't it?

What's the best thing about being in business in Rotorua?

The people - some of my "business partners" have become great friends and I only wish I'd come to Rotorua sooner.

Rotorua is big enough to be a world powerhouse in tourism and hospitality but is still just a small town in rural New Zealand. For that I love it.

Rotorua is an awesome place that has much to offer, we are all faced with the similar challenges and being the small town we are it's great to be able to help each other out.