WORDS BY ANITA BODY, IMAGES BY INDIANA ROBERTS
Ruralco’s Methven store came to fruition thanks to the confidence being experienced by the agricultural sector in the early 2000s.
It was a time of growth and development for the co-operative which had just launched its call centre, the retail arm of the business had celebrated its 25th birthday, field representatives were introduced, and Saturday trading had commenced at the Ashburton store. By 2002, the co-op had secured its 2,500th Shareholder and the following year saw the opening of the Methven store.
Former ATS Board Chairman and Director, Phil McKendry says the Board could see there was a lot of opportunity for growth in the local community, largely due to irrigation development taking place, especially with the prospect of BCI (Barhill Chertsey Irrigation) becoming a reality.
“We had a lot of confidence. We had already opened the Rakaia store, it was operating very successfully from day one, and that also gave us the confidence to do the job in Methven too.”
He recalls there was a lot of amalgamation and consolidation going on within the farm supplies sector and the Methven store added a further layer of competition in the district. “We managed to secure a great site on the main street. It was a council owned empty section which was being used by the (Mt Hutt) ski field for parking. When we learned it was available, we were pretty quick to put down a deposit.”
It has proved to be a successful decision, allowing a purpose built premises to be developed with ample parking, great storage for large items, and the potential for growth if ever needed.
Phil says it’s been important for the area. “As a local farmer there’s a lot of choice and competition. Ruralco has to have a market leading offering to ensure it stays competitive in that environment and sustains farmer-owned competition in the farm supplies sector.”
Part of the store’s ongoing success has been its staff. He says having a team who are well known in the community and provide great service is important. “The store has always had good leadership and good staff and service. It’s easy to shop there.”
Since its opening in June 2003, the store has had three managers—Jill Houston, Hannah Bramley and most recently, Mel Sowden who has been with Ruralco for 13 years, and manager of the store for 10.
She lives at Surrey Hills Station and has spent 23 years on the sheep and beef property with her family. She lives and breathes farming every day and it’s that connection to the land and the community which is so important to the Methven store team.
“The store has always had good leadership and good staff and service. It’s easy to shop there.”
Both Nikki Taylor and Emma Hussey also share those connections. Nikki has had years of farming experience, especially around dairy farming and calf rearing, while Emma has a sheep and beef background, both here in New Zealand and in Australia. With a Bachelor in Agriculture and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Science, Emma also recently won a scholarship to attend the GenAngus Future Leaders Programme—an intensive three-day event led by experts, providing valuable industry insights.
In addition to the retail staff, members of Ruralco’s On-Farm team can often be found in store, especially Jelle Hendriksen, who has extensive dairy knowledge, and local agronomy expert, Ricky Brown. Mel says it’s an added bonus to have them regularly available to share their knowledge and connect with locals.
Those connections are important to the team. “We love our customers. They are like family to us; we learn what’s going on their lives and we are there to help where we can,” says Mel.
While there’s real benefit to being convenient for locals, meaning they can shop closer to home, Mel says it’s also about the support Ruralco shows the locals. “You’ll find the team supporting local events like the Methven A&P Show or the local scarecrow trail. We even hosted Ruralco’s first Ladies Night back in 2016 with TV personality and cook, Jax Hamilton,” she says.
While having a great product range is obviously vital to the store’s continued success, Mel says the gift and homeware section is a real point of difference. “It really is one-stop shopping, with something for everyone.”
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