Joanne McKinlay, Shakayla Bennett, Bryce and Judith Esquilant, Paul Glentworth and Jamiee Lovegrove celebrate the Esquilants retiring. Photo / Bevan Conley
Joanne McKinlay, Shakayla Bennett, Bryce and Judith Esquilant, Paul Glentworth and Jamiee Lovegrove celebrate the Esquilants retiring. Photo / Bevan Conley
It will be second time lucky for one soon-to-be-retired Whanganui couple who have served the community for close to 30 years.
They have been familiar faces as customers walk through the door of Pharmacy 145 in Victoria Ave but come the beginning of December, Bryce and Judith Esquilant will nolonger own the business.
The Esquilants have decided to give retirement another go.
"We have an opportunity to sell and we have to grab it really," Judith said.
Bryce, a pharmacist of 50 years, was first in partnership with John Morrison and together, from 1981, they operated Morrison and Esquilant pharmacy.
Looking to retire, the first time around, Bryce sold the business in 2007.
However, he still kept in touch with the pharmacy scene by doing locum work in every pharmacy in Whanganui.
Seven-and-a-half years later, the then tenant of 145 Victoria Ave, pharmacist Trevor Hawkins, decided to buy Kaveney and Orchard Pharmacy in Whanganui East. The Esquilants still owned the building and Judith said they did not like to think about walking past an empty building.
"At the end of the day the building came free so we jumped in there and took vacant position as an independent pharmacy."
The idea was to have a manager run the pharmacy and the couple would be more of a helping hand rather than it being a full-time, hands-on job.
"It has become full-time, big time," Bryce said.
And a lot has changed in the way pharmacies are run.
"There's a lot of consultation work now. The new health plan involves pharmacy theory into vaccinations - I never learnt vaccinations in pharmacy school so that's all the new generation," Bryce said.
He said the old days of making creams and dispensaries and mixtures, one of the reasons he became a pharmacist, are all gone.
The Esquilants said they have always had a loyal client base who they will miss dearly.
It has been a different interaction for them second time around as they used a different model and brought the dispensary right down onto the shop floor.
"We're right in their faces and so it's accessibility for people and that's what we wanted to achieve and I think we have."
The couple, who have been married for 50 years, can now leave knowing they have overcome the challenge of starting an independent business from the ground up.
They said their retirement will be spent living in Whanganui and with their children, grandchildren and friends.
The Esquilants have been restoring the exterior of the building at 145 Victoria Ave to reflect its original facade. Photo / Abe Leach
While they still own the building itself, the pharmacy will change hands to newcomer Evan Lee, a pharmacist from Tauranga with 10 years' experience.
Bryce said Lee wanted a challenge and was ready for it.
"We're very thankful we've got a good staff to follow on, a good person buying and we've got a very loyal customer base who we're very thankful for following us."
The couple thanked all their staff, including pharmacy technician Paul Glentworth, pharmacist Jamiee Lovegrove and shop assistants Joanne McKinlay and Shakayla Bennett.
All staff except Lovegrove will carry on with their positions in the pharmacy.
