Devoted carpet merchant loses cancer fight

Willi Hill. Photo / Supplied

Auckland businessman Willi Hill, the man who coined the phrase "we've got fluff in our veins" about his family-run carpet company, has lost his year-long battle with cancer.

Hill, 65, died early on Wednesday at Auckland City Hospital.

He was the managing director of Hills Flooring for 30 years.

On Monday, his young brother George replaced him as the new managing director.

George Hill said his brother handled most of the company's commercial dealings for "a long, long time" and was a mentor to the company's 100 or so staff.

"Loved and liked is probably not quite enough ... He was a mentor to a lot of our staff, he was always there for them. He was like a second dad to a lot of the young lads."

Hill's other brother, David, said apart from a short stint at a bank, Hill had dedicated his life to working for Hills Flooring and making the company into a successful New Zealand-owned business.

David Hill said the company had managed to stay buoyant through the recession despite "a few hard years" because the company had a strong team spirit.

"We just had our 50th birthday celebrations about three weeks ago. I'm so pleased Willi was around for it. He was in great form that night. We had over 300 people at the celebration. Some came over from Australia, ex-employees, it was the best thing for Willi that I could ever imagine. On a really nice note, he probably had the best send-off.

"Other than having a very strong [interest in] opera and the arts, and collecting art, his whole life was Hills Flooring. There were not many guys in their 60s that came to work at 5.30 in the morning.

"One of the things he came up with was 'we've got fluff in our veins'; it's become an icon for the company for the future," David Hill said.

Hill was mentoring his nephew Caleb (David's son), who started working for the company this year. George's daughter also works there.

"We're going to be a family business for another 50 years."

"It was unique that three brothers could work together for that long [some 40 years] and not murder each other. We have built a really strong family. I will miss him."

Hill is survived by his wife, Coral, and son, Kennedy.