True confessions from a legend

If anyone in Kaitaia's retail sector deserves to be regarded as a legend it is probably David Panther. He officially called it a day at McCarthny Mitre 10 on Saturday after a temporary contribution that finally stretched to 31 years, a milestone that prompted one or two candid confessions.

He hadn't always been the employee of the month, he said. Such as on the occasion that he inadvertently locked a customer in the garden centre. Fortunately workers nearby heard her and contacted him.

"She was in there for half an hour but she took it very well actually," he said. He wasn't sure if the statute of limitations for kidnapping had expired.

Then there was the time he left the bank bag on the counter after he had totted up the day's takings.

"I was busy serving a customer and somebody came along and took off with it," he said. "Perhaps I should have had a kick up the backside at times."

His then boss, Rob McCarthny, wasn't one to kick backsides though, and in David Panther the company had clearly enjoyed the services of an asset rather than a liability.

David arrived at Mitre 10 Kaitaia in 1983, when the Commerce Street store was being built. He had been running the family farm at Victoria Valley, before owning a dairy, and had not intended to stay.

He helped the owners, the Watts brothers, from Kerikeri, with what was intended to be a short-term building job.

"It was sort of meant to be temporary, something to do while I figured out what to do next," he said, but when the Watts brothers sold the store to Rob McCarthny he was asked to stay.

"I figured it was easier to work for somebody else than to go back into small business for myself again," he added, and Rob had been very easy to work for, a great boss.

In time he became the 'unofficial' assistant manager; "Whenever Rob went away on holiday or whatever, I would be left in charge."

Joel and Rochelle McCarthny took over the business from Joel's parents in 2002, the store later moving to the new, vastly bigger and much improved premises they built in North Park Drive. David went with them.

"People often think he owns the place, he's been here that long," Rochelle said. "David is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. He's one of the old gentlemen," she added.

"There'll be a bit of a hole left. It's hard to imagine him not being here. It will be difficult to replace someone with such a wealth of experience. If you ask him a question about something, David knows the answer."

Fellow employee Jessie Fleet agreed.

"He's one of the most commonly asked for staff members in the store. So many customers are going to miss him being here. He knows his stuff," she said.

Rochelle noted that a certain niche clientele would be especially sorry to see him go, however.

"He's got his group of little old ladies he delivers gardening items to in town. They are definitely going to miss him," she said.

Meanwhile the man himself credited the "fantastic management and staff" as one of the reasons he had lasted so long, as well as the customers.

"I will miss meeting the people, and working with the staff. The McCarthny family have been fantastic to me, very supportive. I never thought I'd have lasted so long," he said.

"I'm 70 now though, so I think it's time to call it a day."

He intended to spend his new-found freedom indulging in his favourite pastime, gardening (he and wife Patti show some promise as rose exhibitors, but it's early days yet), and travelling to Europe.

David's McCarthny Mitre 10 workmates farewelled him on Saturday with a dinner and a very appropriate gift, a glasshouse.