NZ Franchise Awards 2022 Results:
YOU BEAUTY!

The 2022 Franchise Awards were presented at a glittering Gala Dinner after an online event in 2021 –­ and style and beauty were the theme for the winners, too. Krista Coningham of Caci Blenheim was named the 2022 Westpac Supreme Franchisee of the Year, while Rodney Wayne won the prestigious Westpac Supreme Franchise System of the Year title.

Other winners this year came from industries as diverse as hospitality, maintenance, retail and business services, with finalists representing an even wider range. You couldn’t have a better demonstration of the sheer variety of franchising.

In addition, the national reach of franchises was demonstrated by the fact that all of the winning franchisees came from the regions, from Moerewa in Northland to Christchurch, Blenheim and Rotorua. You don’t need to be in the big city to own a world-class business.

And we’re proud to say that Franchise New Zealand media was named Service Provider of the Year for the second year in a row.

We have photos of all the winners in this report - for more photos, scroll down to see the slideshow of how everyone looked on the night.

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Westpac Supreme Franchisee Of The Year

Winner: Krista Coningham, Caci Blenheim

For over 20 years, Krista dreamed of having her own business. She often read stories about women just like her who went from corporate management to business owner, and she wanted to make that her story, too. Now the dream has come true – and she’s not just the proud owner of Caci Blenheim, she is the 2022 Westpac Supreme Franchisee of the Year in the $36.8 billion franchise sector.

‘The Awards are taking pride of place in our clinic, we’ve had flowers from clients, champagne from our accountants, a full page article about us in the local newspaper and all sorts of stuff online. The whole team is thrilled!’  

Along with her husband Richard and two young boys, Krista moved to Blenheim from Auckland in 2016 for a better lifestyle. ‘We were both in corporate finance with big paying jobs we needed to pay big mortgages and expensive childcare. That wasn’t how we wanted to raise our children so we moved to Marlborough and reinvented our lives.’

Caci is New Zealand’s leading skincare and cosmetic medicine chain with almost 80 clinics around the country. ‘I’m an “all or nothing” kind of person and I had always liked Caci,’ says Krista. ‘I used to live upstairs from Caci Ponsonby and found it alluring, so when I saw that Caci was opening in Blenheim I got a job there as Treatment Co-ordinator. Since then, I have never enjoyed going to “work” so much, working alongside a team who are the best in the industry and so passionate about results and the sparkly eyes and warm smiles in the clinic.

‘Most rewarding of all is getting to know our members, seeing their results and their confidence grow. I had found my happy place!’ And in 2021, it did become ‘MY’ happy place when Krista bought the clinic herself. Since then, her business has grown substantially. ‘I am quite goal-oriented, and we are backed up by very good systems from the franchise. Every member of the franchisor team is as passionate and caring as the franchisees, and they give us a huge sense of confidence. They never rest on their laurels and are always researching and developing new ideas.’

As the judges said, ‘Krista is developing a successful business founded on good knowledge, experience and lots of energy. Her entry shows a strong commitment to business, culture and the people who work there – eg. having a process around staff treatment rights and training them to deliver the services respectfully and professionally. Well done on your outstanding achievements to date.’

Penny Chapman, Caci General Manager, says proudly, ‘Krista receiving this award really is an amazing acknowledgement of her desire to deliver the very best Caci experience. It is a result of her hard work and a constant focus on performance in all areas of her business. We love the passion Krista and our Caci franchisees have for each of their businesses and what we do for New Zealanders and their skin confidence.’

 

Westpac Supreme Franchise System of the Year

Winner: Rodney Wayne

Rodney Wayne is the most-awarded hair salon in New Zealand –­ and now it’s won the Westpac Supreme Franchise System of the Year Award, too. It’s fitting reward for the way the franchise has constantly re-invented itself over the years, adopting new systems and technologies behind the scenes to support its franchisees. As you’d expect from a franchise steeped in fashion, there’s also been a strong focus on training to ensure that Rodney Wayne salons are always up with the latest trends.

Founded by Rodney Wayne himself in the 1980s, the chain grew to six salons before appointing its first franchisee (Rodney’s sister Adele) in 1990. Today, there are over 50 franchised salons and Shampoo ’n’ Things retail outlets around the country.

The brand has thrived throughout the ups and downs of the New Zealand economy over the last 40 years, but Covid brought a new set of challenges with salons either closed completely or operating under severe restriction and vaccine mandates for many months. Led by CEO Julie Evans, the company took the opportunity to accelerate its online training programmes for staff, managers and franchisees to keep them engaged and ready for the massive demand when clients flocked back to the salons to lose their lockdown looks.

Julie, who was sadly unable to be at the Awards last night, likens each Rodney Wayne salon to a theatre: the team training room is back-stage, while the salon is the stage where the focus is all about client experience. ‘That’s where the magic happens,’ she explains. ‘It’s all about attention to detail, and making each client feel like they are special. That experience is the very essence of what makes our brand stand out from its competitors – and what makes it such a good investment for franchisees.’

The Awards judges were clearly impressed, commenting that Rodney Wayne’s entry was very strong and robust, with detail about the franchise system and its performance backed up by good substantiating data and examples. They concluded, ‘Well done, and keep up the good work!’

Accepting the Award, Rodney Wayne brought his team up on stage and thanked them in person for their huge achievement and contribution to the franchise.

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CATEGORY AWARDS & FINALISTS

Awards were presented for Franchisee of the Year and Franchise System of the Year in each of four categories:

- Home & Lifestyle
- Business to Business
- Retail & Hospitality
- Small Business

The Supreme Awards winners were selected from these categories.

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HOME & LIFESTYLE

 

Home & Lifestyle Franchisee of the Year
Winner: Adrian Kay, Dream Doors Christchurch

Adrian Kay was one of the earliest Dream Doors franchisees in New Zealand when he started his Christchurch kitchen renovation business back in 2012, and he’s been setting records ever since. He was the first Dream Doors franchisee to break the $1 million turnover mark and saw even greater growth during Covid, when home renovation enjoyed a surge as people spent money within our closed borders rather than on overseas travel.

Adrian is no stranger to the Franchise Awards. He won the Home Services category in 2017, and the Award for Excellence in Customer Engagement in both 2021 and 2022 (see below). As well as being a top-performing franchisee, he has also been managing director of the Dream Doors franchise since 2019.

The judges commented: ‘They have done very well over the last 12-18 months: although home renovations were on the increase overall during that time, if you couldn't pivot with the supply demands (eg. shipping and staffing issues) then you wouldn't see the results they have seen. Well done to them.’

Finalists

Alison England & Chelsea Lyons, NumberWorks'nWords NorthWest
Neel & Anne-Marie Thompson, Exceed Manawatu/Whanganui

 

Home & Lifestyle Franchise System of the Year
Winner: Carpet Court

Another well-known New Zealand brand, Carpet Court is the country’s largest flooring retailer with 65 franchised stores around the country. This gives it big advantages of scale over all aspects of business from buying power to marketing, product range to accounting packages. 

Founded as a buying group in the 1960s and later franchised, Carpet Court are leaders in both the retail residential market and the commercial office market. They have national relationships with insurance companies, group builders, retirement village operators and most other large commercial organisations, which means a ready market for franchisees, who also build relationships locally with trade customers and householders. 

The brand enjoys a strong reputation, having won gold for flooring stores in the Reader’s Digest Quality Service Awards every year for the past five years. The Franchise Awards judges said, ‘Carpet Court demonstrated a good understanding about the impact of decisions on all stakeholders. The judges were impressed at the strong focus on supporting franchisees and helping ensure they are successful. Well done on a strong and well-run business.’

Finalists:
NumberWorks'nWords
Altitude Pole & Fitness
Dream Doors
Driving Miss Daisy
Exceed

Category sponsored by Ecomist

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BUSINESS TO BUSINESS

 

Business to Business Franchisee of the Year
Winner: Gary & Kirsten Camoin, Paramount Services Christchurch

Gary and Kirsten Camoin of Paramount Services Christchurch repeated their success in this category in 2022, having previously won both the Business to Business and the Supreme Franchisee titles in 2021. They were also finalists in 2017.

The South African immigrants had no experience of the commercial cleaning business before buying their Paramount Services franchise seven years ago, but they learned fast. Today, the couple have eighteen staff servicing fifteen sites including bank branches, shopping malls and Government offices. Gary does the day-to-day management, while ex-teacher Kirsten manages the admin and payroll.

‘We love to be involved in the Awards – it’s good for our team and our clients,’ Gary says. ‘You have to dig deep into how your business really operates – some of the questions in the entry process really force that.’

And the judges found the questions well-answered, saying: ‘The sections on sustainably building the business and engagement of customers and team were answered with the detail required to achieve at a high level. Their success seems largely the result of careful analysis of what makes a good business as well as a focus on further improvement, better practices and development. They show they are thinking of staff needs, client needs and growing at the same time.’

Finalists:

Emmel Yap, Clean Planet North Shore
Pieter Baars, Aramex Tauranga
Bernie & Peter Campbell & Feona Sheard, Paramount Services Wellington
James & Sarita Rao, Paramount Services Auckland

 

Business to Business Franchise System of the Year
Winner: Cleantastic

It’s notable that the winners of the Franchise System Awards this year have all been well-established brands – perhaps showing the value of experienced leadership and well-developed systems during the turbulent times of the Covid era.

Cleantastic is another example. Founded in the 1990s, it is now owned in New Zealand by Greg Paget, who has been with the company since buying the Auckland regional master franchise in 2005. ‘With 280 franchisees already, our mission is to develop motivated individuals to become successful business owners,’ says Greg. 

‘Our standards, motivation and commitment to cleaning are reflected in how we work with our clients, our franchisees and our support team. This includes great systems, performance expectations and genuine support. We want to be judged by the business and wider community as being fair, honest and trustworthy in everything we say and do.’

And the Awards judges’ feedback reflected this, saying: ‘A strong entry from a large and well-run business, reflecting the maturity of the brand. They demonstrate an excellent focus on people, culture and franchisee performance and are seeking ways to continually improve this.’

Finalists:
Propertyscouts

Category sponsored by Duncan Cotterill

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RETAIL & HOSPITALITY

 

Retail & Hospitality Franchisee of the Year
Winner: Krista Coningham, Caci Blenheim

Krista Coningham was clearly thrilled to receive the Retail & Hospitality Franchisee of the Year Award for her Blenheim business, and even more emotional when she was later named Westpac Supreme Franchisee of the Year. ‘I was so blown away I didn’t say all the things I wanted to,’ she says. ‘This really is all about my wonderful team of seven in Caci Blenheim. Our culture is based upon a deep sense of purpose and caring for each other.

‘In my previous career I did all sorts of leadership courses, but having my own business and my own team I’ve realised that what matters most is to be authentic, kind, generous and have fun. Select people with the right qualifications and skills, then trust and empower them.

‘The franchise allows us the flexibility to use our own ideas to improve the customer experience, so we’re always asking ourselves, “What do we need to do more of, or stop doing?” My wonderful team are always coming up with new ideas to improve the customer experience. Honestly, it doesn’t feel like work!’

Finalists:
Sanjesh Ram, Mister Minit Bayfair & Papamoa
Simarpreet Singh, Mister Minit Upper Hutt & Queensgate
Rajnesh Ram, Mister Minit Glenfield

 

Retail & Hospitality Franchise System of the Year
Winner: Rodney Wayne

After all the challenges of the last few years, quality shone through as Rodney Wayne won its first Retail & Hospitality Franchise System of the Year Award. 

At a time when many bricks and mortar businesses are struggling with online competition, changing consumer habits, working-from-home and staff shortages, Rodney Wayne has been reinvesting in training and systems to ensure continued success for its franchisees. That was clear in this entry – and that was only the start. By the end of the evening, the much-loved brand had taken the top trophy home, too – and a third for Marketing Campaign of the Year (see below).

Finalists:
Mister Minit

Category sponsored by Franchise Accountants

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SPECIAL AWARDS

Further Awards were made in a number of specialist categories. These winners were not eligible for the Supreme Awards. The categories were:

Franchisees
Regional Master Franchisee of the Year
Excellence in Customer Engagement

Field Managers
Field Manager of the Year – under $500,000
Field Manager of the Year – over $500,000

Franchise System
Marketing Campaign of the Year
Excellence in Community Contribution
Excellence in Sustainability

Service Provider of the Year

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FRANCHISEE AWARDS

 

Regional Master Franchisee of the Year
Winner: Praneel Nair, Clean Planet Rotorua

This Award recognises the achievements of Regional Master Franchisees, who are responsible for the recruitment, training and development of individual franchisees within their own areas. 

Praneel Nair has found his niche at Clean Planet. Having moved to New Zealand in 2003 to advance his career as a pastry chef, he worked in major hotels before striking out on a business of his own. That wasn’t as profitable as he had hoped, so he looked into franchising. After owning a courier franchise for a few years, he decided he wanted something stable and less stressful, so he joined Clean Planet. As Master Franchisee for his adopted home town of Rotorua, he brought a wealth of experience and attention to detail to the role which has helped the brand grow fast. 

‘Hats off to Praneel,’ say franchisees Sheetal and Kritesh Kumar. ‘He’s always there for us. He’s helped us establish a customer base in Rotorua and expand to Taupo and Tokoroa, guiding us throughout our journey and still supporting us.’

Finalists:
Ramandeep Maan, Clean Planet Hamilton
Tony & Nicky Kramers, CrestClean Dunedin

Award sponsored by Gaze Burt

 

Small Business Franchisee of the Year
Winner: Ben Coates, Green Acres Northland

This Award recognises a small franchisee business with no more than 2 full-time employees, including the owner. 

It’s second year running for Ben Coates of Moerewa, who was also Small Business Franchisee of the Year in 2021. This year he got to collect his Award in person, which was probably less nerve-wracking than being interviewed by John Campbell on TVNZ’s Breakfast show. John was particularly impressed by the careful placement of Green Acres logos on Ben’s prosthetic leg, which he has had since a motorbike accident 30 years ago.

A former dairy farmer, Ben bought his franchise five years ago, wanting a lifestyle business that would provide not just a good income but also allow him time off for his volunteer work with Bay of Islands Animal Rescue. 

‘The goal to work only a few days a week in no way represents a slowing-down process,’ said the judges. ‘The information provided shows a continual scrutiny of processes in order to reach the financial return goal within the desired time.  

‘ This franchisee exemplifies a small franchise – looking after his customers, adhering to compliance, doing what the franchisor asks and, importantly, building a professionally-run small business that suits the franchisee and his lifestyle.’

Finalists:
Craig Hausman, Aramex Northland
Ken and Ling Xu, Epiphany Café Chartwell

Award sponsored by Iridium Partners

 

Excellence in Customer Engagement – Franchisee
Winner: Adrian Kay, Dream Doors Christchurch

Adrian Kay was a double winner on the night, picking up the Customer Engagement Award as well as being named Home & Lifestyle Franchisee of the Year (see above).

The judges noted: ‘Well done to them. They have a good focus on repeat business and referrals, with exceptional customer monitoring, staff engagement and retention.’ 

Adrian’s team also make good use of the Dream Doors Franchise Management System, which brings together information from multiple sources to maintain constant contact with customers and collect feedback at every stage of the often stressful process of renovation. 

Award sponsored by Franchize Consultants

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FIELD MANAGER AWARDS

 

The Field Manager of the Year Awards recognise the work of those individuals who are the first point of contact for franchisees, helping them set goals and develop their businesses, and enforcing standards when required. Entries were divided into two categories by franchisee turnover.

Field Manager of the Year - under $500,000
Winner: Brett Dennis, Green Acres Northland

There’s something about the grass in Northland. Not only did Ben Coates do the double in the Small Business Franchisee category – Northland Green Acres Business Manager, Brett Dennis, was named Field Manager of the Year for the second time. 

Brett won the Under $500,000 category for the first time in 2019, and after almost five years in his role still loves feeling that he has made a difference to the franchisees that he supports. He enjoys the chance to help others using his skills in coaching, management, marketing, customer relationship management, health and safety, accountancy, business development and problem-solving.

A few months ago he took on a new challenge, moving across from Green Acres to sister franchise Hire A Hubby to share his experience there.

The judges appreciated his approach, saying: ‘There seems to be an excellent understanding of clients and strong evidence of structured planning and well-run visits. No doubt stimulated by his accountancy knowledge, there was a healthy emphasis on business plans backed up by a well-structured process including good documentation. There was considerable evidence of success amongst his franchisees.’

Finalists:
Eddie Work, Clean Planet 
Chris Montgomery, Mister Minit South Island

 

Field Manager of the Year - over $500,000
Winner: Brent Malone, Aramex Napier

With the massive growth in online shopping and home delivery in recent years, companies like Aramex (formerly Fastway Couriers) have seen a huge increase in both parcels and pressures. Brent’s role is supporting the Regional Franchisees and Courier Franchisees around the country, as well as providing support for product and operation protocols.

According to the judges, Brent ‘demonstrated very good practices. Every visit has a structure to it and covers key areas based on a new service and/or a new release. He works to suit the needs and meeting times that are best for his couriers; and provides training to support their success.’

Finalists:
Callum Bircher, Aramex Northland
Tony Burnette, Exceed

Awards sponsored by Franchise New Zealand media

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FRANCHISE SYSTEM AWARDS

 

Marketing Campaign of the Year – Franchise System
Winner: Rodney Wayne

As we all realised during lockdown, good hair is important to maintain self-esteem. If their hair is right, people feel better and feel more confident. And if you want to change the way you feel, changing the way you look is a great way to start.

That was the thinking behind Rodney Wayne's nationwide multimedia campaign inviting New Zealanders to feel the excitement and confidence that comes with fresh hair colour. The ‘Change the story’ campaign invited Kiwis to embrace the new and feel the confidence that comes when they reveal their beautiful best. They even applied it to franchise recruitment advertising, where ‘Change the story’ isn’t a bad message for people looking for a new business, either.

The judges called it, ‘A well thought-through campaign. It was good to note they undertook in-depth research to ensure their campaign was properly targeted. The campaign also served to remind franchisees that the franchisor was still investing. Very well executed, well done.’

Finalist:
Aramex

Award sponsored by Crank’d

 

Excellence in Community Contribution – Franchise System
Winner: Exceed

Exceed have always had a strong community focus, and this Award demonstrates that, although the franchisor company may have changed hands, the new owners share the same values.

Exceed had observed that, while there are a number of businesses these days that have Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) on their premises, a lot of these are only accessible during business hours. With franchisees being mobile, they saw an opportunity for them to be equipped with an AED on-board. The idea grew from there, and Exceed has now promoted and enabled the installation of AEDs in locations around the country.

‘Their AED programme and training is terrific, and a definite example of going above and beyond the call of duty,’ said the judges. ‘Their entry shows that the charitable contribution in all areas is a big motivator for the whole group, and they appear very passionate and committed … a great example of helping in the community and a very compelling submission.’

Award sponsored by Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre

 

Excellence in Sustainability – Franchise System
Winner: Epiphany Café

Founded in 2015, Epiphany is best known for its pillow-soft donuts, which are sold throughout the country via Epiphany’s own franchised cafés and licensed distributors. The company believes in using the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards to measure progress, having won the Best Emerging Franchise Award in 2018.

It also believes that it’s important to operate in a sustainable way with an environmental focus on freezer technology, cover packaging, premises and supply chain. The franchise takes its responsibility to be a good corporate citizen very seriously.

‘Epiphany demonstrated a strong focus on social and environmental outcomes as a basis for their business success,’ the judges said. ‘Good to see community groups benefiting, and also helping with menu development. They are clearly doing excellent work in this area.’

Award sponsored by Excel Digital

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SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR AWARD

 

Service Provider of the Year
Winner: Franchise New Zealand media

This Award recognises a Service Provider to the franchise sector who demonstrates a significant contribution to New Zealand franchising. 

Franchise New Zealand – which you are reading right now  ­– has been providing educational and promotional services for franchise buyers and the franchise sector since 1992. The company has a passion for helping people find out about franchising and make intelligent, informed decisions via its digital and print magazine, website, e-newsletter and social media. Franchise New Zealand has also supported events, conferences, surveys and collaborated with others on research to help inform franchisors and franchise buyers alike.

Having been named 2021 Service Provider of the Year in March 2022, Franchise New Zealand has celebrated 30 years in business with a double victory. The judges said, ‘This was a very strong submission presenting evidence that they are a well-run and well-managed business and that they have very strong knowledge of, and an absolute commitment to, the franchising sector. 

‘Their dedication and commitment to the sector is commendable, and they offer a wealth of knowledge … an outstanding submission.’

Finalists:
Duncan Cotterill

Award sponsored by Paramount Services

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About the Awards

Awards entrants go through a rigorous assessment by a panel of independent judges, including a detailed submission and video interviews. Entry is open to all members of the Franchise Association of New Zealand.

2022 marked the 27th edition of the Awards, which have been held annually since 1995 (except for 2020). Daniel Cloete, Westpac’s Area Manager Commercial & National Manager Franchising, said, ‘We are thrilled to be associated once again with this prestigious event as principal sponsor of the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards. Our support forms part of our long-standing partnership with the Franchise Association and commitment to driving business excellence in the franchising industry.

‘Westpac congratulates all the participants, finalists and winners tonight. The entrants had to be vulnerable and open their businesses to outside scrutiny after the Covid cycle, showing bravery and resilience. Thank you for being proud enough to stand up and seek recognition for your hard work and great ideas. Strong and prosperous businesses are the building blocks of a stronger New Zealand and we look forward to supporting our franchise customers over the years ahead as they prosper and grow.’

Judges' comments

The judges had the following message for everyone who entered this year.

‘The judging team was really impressed with your commitment and passion for your businesses. Well done on taking the time to reflect on your business and write up the awards entry. We look forward to reading about you again next year as you continue on your journey.

‘To those who weren’t finalists this year, please take on board the feedback you received and use it to help in future.  

‘To the finalists - well done on your great entries. You all deserve to feel proud. 

‘And finally, to those of you who are winners, huge congratulations – this is an outstanding achievement.’

Congratulations

FANZ CEO Robyn Pickerell echoed those words, saying, ‘Nothing gives us more pleasure than to acknowledge your hard work and dedication in aspiring to excellence in franchising. Without celebration, motivation can often wane, so congratulations to all entrants, finalists and winners, and thank you to all who have joined to celebrate with them. Thank you also to all the sponsors who make the Awards possible.’

The Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards are organised by the Franchise Association of New Zealand and are open to all FANZ members.

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