The Hawke's Bay Health 2000 team.
When a local couple spotted an email about a business for sale, they were instantly drawn to it.
They had no idea what it was but the words “exciting opportunity” piqued their interest.
So Carl Leipst and his partner Lisa Hooper decided to have a closer look.
“I thought ‘oh yeah, sounds good I’ll have another look at this’,” Carl said.
“When we found out it was Health 2000, we were quite excited. We are both gym-goers and interested in health. We pay attention to what is going into our body.
“So we decided to do our due diligence and went to head office in Hamilton.
“Health 2000 has approximately 47 stores nationwide, with about 35 of them being run by owner-operators and supported by the Hamilton warehouse and distribution centre,” Carl said.
There were four sites in Hawke’s Bay for sale separately, one in Hastings, Napier, Taradale and Havelock North.
“Lisa and I are both Health 2000 shoppers so we had some knowledge about the stores and their incredible staff. So we discussed buying the stores as a group. That way we would have more control of the direction of the business,” Carl said.
Last month they took ownership of all four stores.
“It’s been an exciting journey, which hasn’t been without its challenges, most of them around technology,” Carl laughed.
“We have a fantastic team at all our stores with 10 to 20 years of experience. They have a wealth of knowledge. Every staff member was offered a contract. A couple decided to embark on new journeys.
“I think the team has been invigorated by the change of ownership into local hands. They enjoy us popping in and supporting them.
“Head office is great but it’s so much easier to manage stores if you live in the region.”
Carl and Lisa hope to extend some of the exclusive Health 2000 ranges already available in store, offer more wellbeing ranges and also hair follicle testing.
“We want to help our customers with their health and wellbeing. We are in this boots and all and feeling good about it.
“As I said, the staff are fantastic and I love being in-store. I find it really relaxing. It is so good watching and hearing the ladies help customers. They know their stuff, that’s for sure.
”In these trying times, our goal is to help people look after themselves more naturally in a good, positive way.”
“Moana, in the Hastings store, Sue, in Napier and Taradale, and Renee, in Havelock North, offer knowledge and wraparound support to all customers. So come on in and see us.”
