A 'Hawke's Bay girl through and through', Melanie Harper and her husband Jack Harper said the Driving Miss Daisy headquarters would always be in Havelock North. Photo / Warren Buckland
A 'Hawke's Bay girl through and through', Melanie Harper and her husband Jack Harper said the Driving Miss Daisy headquarters would always be in Havelock North. Photo / Warren Buckland
Did you know Hawke's Bay is the headquarters of two homegrown transport companies which have now gone global?
What started as Melanie Harper driving her aunt Trish around Havelock North to run errands, has grown into an international franchise business, spanning three countries, and the birth of the Driving Miss Daisy service.
"When [aunt Trish] stopped asking me because she felt indebted to me, I realised there was a need for a service like this where people got paid," she explained.
Her aunt had tried taxis at the time, but they were often late and could not help with important tasks like getting her in and out of the car or at appointments.
Melanie imagined she could be the "Morgan Freeman of Havelock North", visualising a role similar to the one played by the actor in the Driving Miss Daisy film that came out in 1989.
The companion driving service was a "brand new industry" when she started it 2009 with just one car.
One soon turned to three, and then husband Jack suggested they franchise the business internationally.
What started as a Havelock North woman driving her aunt and grew into the Driving Miss Daisy service, with about 150 franchises across three countries. Photo / Warren Buckland
"I thought there must be a million more Trish's around," he said.
"It was just a recognition that what Melanie had created locally needed to be way bigger than us.
"What we saw was a massive gap in the market."
It's grown to about 150 franchises across New Zealand, the UK and now Australia.
They have about 15,000 regular clients in New Zealand alone.
With Melanie a "Hawke's Bay girl through and through", the couple have no plans to move their main headquarters from Havelock North.
"It's such a rewarding business for us and our franchisees, particularly seeing the smiles on our clients' faces because our service has given them back their independence and provided them with companionship at the same time."
Like the Harpers, Scott Jenyns of international courier service Aramex says there are no plans to relocate from the company's Napier offices.
"This is where it started and where it will stay."
Despite massive growth, Aramex chief executive Scott Jenyns said there have never been any plans to move headquarters from Hawke's Bay. Photo / Supplied
Originally called Fastway, it was launched by Bill McGowan in 1983 when he had one van moving goods between Napier and Hastings, Jenyns said.
In 2016 the company was purchased by Dubai-based express mail delivery company, Aramex.
"Even though it expanded nationally and then into Australia, South Africa and Ireland with a total of 1700 franchisees, there has never been any plan to move headquarters from Hawke's Bay.
"The beauty of this means that the company remains exactly the same as it always has, but now offers customers even more services and worldwide locations."
The two companies offer their secrets to franchising success in Pete Burdon's new book, New Zealand's Top Franchise Leaders, Secrets Revealed, which offers insights into 10 other businesses which started in New Zealand.
