G . J . GARDNER HOMES NZ

CONSTRUCTION prefer they have a long-term focus where they will still be with us in five to ten years , rather than us making more income up front but having a franchise that ’ s not economically viable .”

“ Our people , our teams , create our success and bring the vision to reality , so we choose on heart , those with big tickers ,” Grant added . “ I call them ‘ good buggers ,’ an old New Zealand colloquialism for real , genuine , hard-working people .”

Part of this success is the focus on an old-fashioned , family orientated approach to doing business , backed by a foundation of professional standards , systems and processes . With nearly every franchise being family owned this culture works extremely well .

To ensure smooth business operation , both Ellie and Grant often travel across New Zealand , a country roughly the size of California . They check in with the different franchises and conduct quarterly business performance reviews . When they travel , singularly or together they most often don ’ t stay at a motel but rather stay with the franchisees , in their homes to get to know their families .

“ We ’ re really a business that has managed to develop a fantastic professional team culture and still have , to a degree , a family culture ,” he said . “ To give you an idea , I was just visiting franchisees up north recently . I had to stay at their homes , that was just a given , I didn ’ t want to insult them by staying at a hotel . But the eldest sons and daughters came from

– Grant Porteous www . gjgardner . co . nz / 45