Business North November 2021

30 | Demand drives expansion FD Kitchens’ owner Hailee Gentleman is looking forward to providing customers with a complete kitchen consultancy, design and manufacture base in Te Puke. FD Kitchens REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT • New and second hand kitchens • Furniture • Staining and clearing • Two-pot polyurethanes SPECIALISTS IN SPRAY PAINTING 3/15 Reynolds Place, Papamoa Matt Hardy | Owner Operator P 0278480554 E aclasskitchenspraypainters@gmail.com W aclass.co.nz O ne of the most significant steps Hailee Gentleman took, when moving to Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty, having purchased an existing joinery business was to introduce herself to well-established business people in the town. She says, that decision alone, brought many benefits to her in those formative days and weeks. “I said ‘hello’ to many business people who had been operating in the district for a num- ber of years. I felt it was really important to establish relationships with key business own- ers to become a part of Te Puke’s commercial community,” Hailee says. Before settling in Te Puke, Hailee had lived and worked in Christchurch, becoming involved in the rebuild of the city. Farquhar Design Kitchens (now FD Kitchens) was established in Te Puke in 2005 and by the time Hailee purchased the business, had built a reputation for constructing beautiful, high-end kitchens. The opportunity to buy the business in 2018, presented Hailee with fertile ground to imprint her entrepreneurial skills and move FD Kitchens forward on a new path. Hailee could also see that Te Puke had all the makings of a prosperous commercial and industrial settlement, positioned close to the hustle and bustle of greater Tauranga and the thriving horticultural sector, the district is known for. “It was the bones of the business that I was attracted to. It didn’t have in-house designer or modern computer-based design systems and this was where I could bring my own skill- set into the company. Mostly, it was serving a niche market and I could see a great deal of potential.” Surrounding herself with other skilled operatives with a combined 50 plus years’ experience was an essential part of the busi- ness plan. And through those initial business contacts, finding a new main-street premise to operate from gave Hailee the opportunity to spread her wings. “I wanted FD Kitchens to be a one-stop shop where customers could view beautifully de- signed examples of our craftsmanship, discuss with a professional team their specific vision for their kitchen and receive lots of support and advice, and leave it with us to take care of the whole project,” says Hailee. The journey to date has been one of unprecedented growth in demand, resulting with growing from one staff member and a 100m2 site to today, employing a team of 10 in a facility measuring 1000m2. Of that area, just over half is the joinery workshop, with the remainder, for display of kitchen hardware and cabinetry options. Pre-Christmas will see the whole shop fully set up and open to customers. Finding the right staff was initially challeng - ing, however Hailee says word of mouth and a reputation for being a good employer brought the right people to her door. The team consists of two designers who Hailee was recommended to, four cabinet makers on the floor, one full-time installer, a production manager, an office manager and project manager Hailee. Aspirations for the future include purchase of a CNC machine and employment of a CAD person. T T Sue Russell “I’m working hard to get us to the place where having these technologies adds to our ability to design and build wonderful kitchens in the most efficient manner possible. Having said that, my market is definitely the bespoke, higher-end project and I ensure my clients understand that the design and production process is one that takes time.” With a grand opening planned for Janu- ary or February next year Hailee says she is looking forward to providing customers with a complete kitchen consultancy, design and manufacture base in Te Puke. “I felt it was really important to establish relationships with key business owners to become a part of Te Puke’s commercial community.”