Award judges praise store's impact

Darren Huston, who co-owns the Edmund Road Four Square with his wife Karen, won two awards at the Westpac Rotorua Business Awards earlier this month.Photo / File

The Edmund Road Four Square's success with two category wins at the recent Westpac Rotorua Business Awards reflected the Four Square operation's remarkable growth in the two years since it opened.

It also reflected the store's positive impact on its local Western Heights community, said one of the judges.

Darren Huston, who co-owns the superette with his wife Karen, said the business had experienced 39 per cent growth in its first year and was tracking at about 25 per cent growth per annum.

"The shop's just gone crazy since we began," he said. "I think to go from zero to what we've achieved in two years has been phenomenal."

For Mr Huston, opening the superette was a return to Western Heights, an area where he grew up and where his parents still live. After earning a forestry degree and working in the forestry sector, he got into IT and became an SAP software consultant for 12 years, including seven years in the UK. He has taken the corporate experience of a successful career in IT and transferred it to create a business that he emphasised was not a "cookie cutter" operation.

Four Square is a co-operative, with profits being shared amongst shareholders, and is part of the Foodstuffs Group. Unlike a franchise, individual owners have a lot of autonomy to put their own stamp on their business. In the superette's case, that has included providing fresh cut meats and on-site baking. Mr Huston has also drawn on his corporate experience to develop his own business systems.

The Hustons returned to Rotorua looking for a lifestyle and career change. He worked at a Pak'n'Save, and began seeking a Four Square to buy. In the end, they approached Habitat in Edmund Rd, which occupied a former New World Supermarket, and ended up subdividing and buying part of the building to open the store.

Harry van der Merwe of Advance Financial Group, who helped judge the emerging business category, said the business had performed well and had made a positive impact on the Western Heights community.

"From the beginning, Darren reached out to young people in the area, and offered them an opportunity to work and learn skills," said Mr van der Merwe.

Mr Huston said the superette's staff had grown from four to 18, all locals, drawing on people with the right personality, and training them up. One of the reasons for entering the awards had been to make sure the staff's contribution was recognised, he said.

"It was good for the staff to understand what they've achieved here and be proud of it.

"We are from Western Heights, which isn't the best part of Rotorua, and we stood up and competed against a lot of businesses. To win one category was great, but to win two was just fantastic."

Double success

At the Westpac Rotorua Business Excellence Awards, the Edmund Rd Four Square won:

Pukeroa Oruawhata Holdings Limited Retail Business Award

Rotorua Lakes Council Emerging Business Award