| 127 T T Sue Russell Mobile beginnings to major franchise success Harrisons was one of the first four franchise businesses to be established in New Zealand. BUSINESS Harrisons From humble beginnings operating a furnishing and flooring shop in Whangarei in the 1960s, Des Harrison began taking samples of products to customers in an old Morris A30. Little did Des know then, that this rather revolutionary way of bringing product to the customers’ door-step would grow into one of New Zealand’s most successful businesses. “By essentially taking the product to the customer, Des offered a service model that hadn’t been heard of before. For him, it just made absolute sense to be mobile and get out there, and word quickly spread given the convenience this offered. It was a very effective way to engage customers and make a sale,” says Mitchell Grant, Harrison Group’s head of marketing NZ and Australia. This was the starting point of what would in the ensuing 60 years grow into one of this country’s major franchise-based group of companies within the Harrison Group brand, Harrisons Flooring, Harrisons Solar and Harrisons Curtains & Blinds. In fact, Harrisons was one of the first four franchise businesses to be established in the country and today 130 franchises, three of which are in Australia, have mushroomed — a growth that Mitchell says doesn’t surprise him. “When you think about taking product to the customer and being part of a franchise structure where the admin, the marketing and branding responsibilities are all managed by the franchiser, it’s a very strong model and one that’s extremely appealing for others to consider taking up. This is essentially what has happened, bringing many benefits to franchisees and customers alike.” Driving interest by others to take up a franchise was the fact that owning one came with limited overheads, with franchisees being able to focus on delivering nimble, responsive high-quality service to customers and in the process experiencing a very high volume of sales success as a result. Twelve years ago, solar energy was identified by Harrisons as being the next big thing in energy sources and they quickly evolved that division, again with the model of the product coming to the customer in their home. “It was the perfect fit really. We knew that demand from consumers to find much more cost-effective power sources was growing. Rising costs in traditional energy forms created almost the perfect-storm for Harrisons Solar to establish. “Today we’re New Zealand’s number 1 solar business, number 1 custom curtains and in the top 3 for flooring. Mitchell can’t over-emphasis the benefits that both franchisees and consumers experience. The brand, he says, speaks for itself and the level of support provided to franchisees is second-to-none. “We’re careful when approached by someone about becoming a franchisee to make sure they are the right fit for our brand. We’ve developed very robust processes to ensure at all times, the brand’s name carries an integrity and value that never deviates from one franchisee to the next.” The strong business model and history was again recognised at this year’s Westpac Franchise Awards where Harrisons Flooring took out the Supreme Franchise System of the Year award. The company actually entered in 11 categories for the event and, Mitchell says, the evening’s event was a mix of excitement and trepidation. “We took out the Franchise Manager of the Year in the curtain space and then there was this massive lull before we were announced as flooring franchise in the home category, so to then be announced Supreme Franchise System of the Year winner was this amazing moment for us all,” says Mitchell. Harrisons Group is extremely proud of their track record in retaining franchisees for long periods of time, with 16 businesses operating by the same owner for more than 10 years. Benefits also flow to the wider community, with Harrisons donating significant sums to the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ (BCFNZ), as Mitchell explains. “That goes back a long long way in our history. We donate $100,000 each year to BCFNZ — a cause we’ve been associated with since 2008. We offer a pink underlay to customers and $1 per metre is given directly to the charity. It’s really wonderful to think that a product customers are walking on has benefitted such a worthy cause. We’ll soon be reaching the $1million mark in donations.” Purchases of products from Harrisons Solar, AIKO Solar panels and Tesla Powerwall 3, along with Harrisons Curtains and Blinds Urban and Soul range of fabric, also donate to BCFNZ. Today, the company is led by the founders’ sons, CEO Patrick Harrison and his brothers, John and Phil, who joined the business in 1983, retaining a strong family feel and values into the next generation. www.robertmalcolm.co.nz
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