Archie is king of diamonds

There are two ways, apparently, of winning a Mitsubishi Motors NZ Diamond Dealer award. One is to spend a king's ransom on a new showroom with all the whistles and bells; the other is to do what Kaitaia dealership Archibalds has been doing for years - punching above its weight.

Proprietors Brian and Rosemary Archibald were in Wellington to collect their fourth Diamond award (the first came in 1996, followed by 2008 and 2009). And to get into that league, Mrs Archibald said, every one of numerous boxes had to be ticked.

"First you have to run at a profit, but there's more to it than that," she said.

"There are sales targets, all sorts of standards that have to be met from one end of the building to the other, knowing how to present vehicles - it is very comprehensive."

The process also included the number of sales made by individuals - "Easily achieved by the bigger dealerships" - product knowledge surveys and mystery shopping.

Mike Burgoyne excelled there for the Kaitaia firm, winning both mystery shopping surveys and topping the country.

There had been no shortcuts, and no overnight success, however.

"We've just chipped away, and the results are testimony to the dedication and hard work of our staff and the support we get from our community," she said.

"This is the pinnacle really, and we've all worked very hard to get here."

Meanwhile, with the award came a travel prize, this time a week in Dubai, a step up from Ayer's Rock in 1996 and a weekend in Queenstown, when times were not easy.

But while they were on something of a roll, change was in the air with son Andrew being welcomed back to the fold (after selling Nissans in London and glue in Australia). He and his mate from Taipa David McDiarmid spend much of their free time sailing skiffs (they are the current New Zealand champions), but his role within the business will grow.

"It's all about new blood and new ideas, and hopefully more success in the future," Mrs Archibald added.