Havelock North’s James Wattie Retirement Village officially opens

As the Havelock North James Wattie Village officially opens, one of its very first residents to move in carved out a career with its namesake at Wattie’s.

Almost 200 village residents joined Wattie family members, representatives of Ngāti Kahungunu, Ryman Healthcare team members and special guests at a celebration to officially open James Wattie Retirement Village in Havelock North last Wednesday.

Barry Jones worked for Wattie’s for over 30 years and started as an office junior at 20, before he worked up through the ranks to group product manager.

He was one of dozens of people who suggested James Wattie as a name for the village when Ryman first announced it was building.

“My wife Mary and I were tickled pink when we found out James Wattie was going to be the name of the village,” Jones said.

“I was hoping they would pick him. He was a hell of a nice guy, he really went out of his way to make sure you felt part of the team.

“Now, living here at the James Wattie Village means life really has turned full circle for me.”

Grandson Bruce Wattie said he was thankful his grandfather, who was universally loved and respected in Hawke’s Bay and a household name in New Zealand and beyond, was being honoured in this way.

“All too often the memory of those who shaped the world we live in fades and it can fade quite quickly, but as time goes by, it is important that we do recognise the contributions that people made.”

Ryman Healthcare chief executive Naomi James said the village, which includes a 90-bed care centre on site offering rest home, hospital and specialist dementia care, was already living up to the benchmark set by co-founder Kevin Hickman, that “everything we do must be ”good enough for Mum – and Dad".

Almost a million hours of work were dedicated to building the village with its many amenities, including a swimming pool, gym, movie theatre, bowling green and cafe; plus the operations, clinical and sales teams who ensure the village continues to thrive.

The village’s journey, since construction began in 2019, had been a rollercoaster with Covid-19 lockdowns and cyclones posing particular challenges.