Kevan and Wendy Old with just some of the awards their business has won over the years.
Kevan and Wendy Old with just some of the awards their business has won over the years.
If they keep on going as they are, the team at Central Taranaki Automotive will need to build an extension to house all the awards they have won.
The reception area at the Broadway South business is already jam packed with awards they have won over the years, and there are now three more shiny trophies to find a place for.
The business, owned by Wendy and Kevan Old, won three awards at the TSB Taranaki Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards on Saturday night.
It was the only business to win so many awards on the night, and Kevan says he and Wendy are delighted with the wins.
"It's such a great feeling, and we are really proud of the team here and the work we have put in over the years. To be recognised like this, it really is great and not just for us. It's good for Stratford and it is good for the auto business as well. We have had a couple of calls from other auto businesses this morning congratulating us on the awards."
The latest three awards, for Small Business Excellence, Health and Safety Excellence and Trades Excellence, make for a total of 16 Chamber of Commerce awards over the years, as well as two Romeo Awards.
The business has also received nine Chamber of Commerce Top Shop awards over the past seven years, something Kevan says is thanks to their customers.
"Customers have to nominate businesses for the Top Shop awards."
The Business Excellence awards are very tough, says Kevan.
"There is a lot of work to put in, you don't just enter and forget about it."
Kevan and Wendy Old on stage to receive on of the awards at Saturday night's event.
Speaking at Saturday's award evening, Kevan said he and Wendy wouldn't be receiving the 2019 awards if they hadn't entered them back in 2015.
"Entering the awards makes you really think about your business and strategic plans. It makes you set goals and look at how to get there. Some of the goals we set back in 2015 as part of entering the awards then we have since been able to achieve, putting us in a good position this year to win the categories we entered."
One of the goals they had set, says Wendy, was to own and extend the building the business is in.
"We have now achieved that goal. That has given us the ability to make some of the changes we did for health and safety among other things."
Kevan says winning the health and safety award this year is something he is particularly pleased about.
"It is so important to get health and safety right. Some of the businesses we were up against in that category have over 200 staff and have whole departments dedicated to health and safety. We are a team of five, including Wendy and I, so we are doing it all ourselves."
Despite being a small team, Kevan and Wendy have also helped other businesses with health and safety plans, something the judges acknowledged in their assessment as a positive factor.
Wendy says she and Kevan are grateful to the family and business colleagues who helped and supported them through the awards judging.
Kevan says while the awards are a lot of work, he and Wendy recommend entering them to any business looking to grow.
"It gives you great feedback on what you are getting right, and what you need to work on, and it makes you really think about your business and where it is going. It is a really positive experience."
