Mitre 10 MEGA Te Awamutu has won Garden Centre of the Year.
Every year Mitre 10 MEGA runs a competition for the best departments within the MEGA group.
This year‘s Mitre 10 MEGA awards night was held in San Francisco, California. Nikki and Daniel Fitzgerald, who is the Mitre 10MEGA Te Awamutu managing director, collected the award.
Nikki and Daniel Fitzgerald at the Mitre 10 Mega Awards Ceremony in the USA.
Mitre 10 MEGA Te Awamutu is one of the smaller garden centres in the Mitre 10 MEGA group.
“There are loads of larger stores who do not sell as much plant life as we do because we are not afraid to buy heaps in. The real mission is fitting all that plant life into this smaller space. It is a constant juggle,” garden centre manager, Lachlan Chambers said.
“We have entered into those competitions every year since we opened in 2011. We have placed as runner-up three times for this award.
“We have customers who travel over from Tauranga, Piopio and Maniaiti/Benneydale. They come here because our garden centre always looks gorgeous.”
Flowers on display at the Mitre 10 MEGA Te Awamutu Garden Centre. Photo / Kate Durie
“That is what we try to do here, we want it to look immaculate for the customers.
“The staff here are amazing and ensure the place looks amazing, They know intuitively what to do and how to make it look appealing.”
Chambers said their staff of nine had helped keep up the high standards.
The staff are Wendy Chambers, Lachlan Chambers, Katrina Macfarlane, Shelley Sager, Kodie Redshaw, Kerry Flintoff, Kirstin George, Sam McQuilkin and Lynne Maynard.
One aspect that contributes to the Mitre 10 Mega Te Awamutu’s success was Waipā people’s love of their gardens.
“There used to be plant nurseries all over this area, and everyone has always been into their plants. Back in the days of Mitre 10, it was the second-biggest seller of seedlings in the group and country. Beating out stores across the country and in the major cities. That proves that the Waipā is a real gardening area,” says Chambers.
