Fuelling communities first

Just days away from Cyclone Gabrielle making landfall on the North Island’s East Coast, Fonterra trucks were making extra-large deliveries to Anchor Milk Coromandel, Anchor Milk Hawkes Bay and other Anchor franchisees along the monster storm’s predicted path. Each truck was loaded with vital food for families and communities who would be impacted by what was one of New Zealand’s most damaging and costliest weather events.

Anchor Coromandel franchisees Campbell and Susan Angus had the foresight to order extra supplies after reviewing the coming weather and fearing that their access may soon be cut off.

“On February 13, 2023, the East Coast bore the brunt of Gabrielle’s fury. The cyclone’s impact on the Coromandel Peninsula caused land slips, which cut off communities for days,” recalls Campbell. “Our refrigerated truck delivered the first fresh milk and other food supplies to Tairua and Pauanui after 3-4 days of isolation.” 

Leaving retirement behind

“Active, ongoing community support and involvement is a big part of being an Anchor franchisee,” says Campbell. He explains that he and Susan became Anchor franchisees after a false start to retirement. “In 2020, I left my job as a container logistics planner at Napier Port and Susan gave up teaching, to pursue our dream of exploring New Zealand by motorhome.”

“Some dream,” laughs Susan. “The reality is the travelling lifestyle and retirement weren’t for us! Being in our late 50s/early 60s, we realised we had plenty of energy and drive to go into business for ourselves. 

“Talk turned to action when we saw the opportunity to become an Anchor franchisee. Our accountant was lukewarm about a franchise until we told him it was Fonterra-owned Anchor Milk and that Fonterra pays us for the deliveries we do to national accounts like the supermarkets. Hearing this, he simply said, ‘go for it’. We sold up in Napier, built a home in Whitianga and took over Anchor Coromandel.”

The Anchor Milk franchise model is simple and transparent. From a Fonterra-owned depot, franchisees generate income by selling and distributing Anchor products as well as, with approval from the franchise team, third party products. Refrigerated trucks are bought by the franchisee, who is also responsible for paying drivers and other staff.

Support beyond amazing

Cambell and Susan enthuse that, “Support from the Anchor franchise team is beyond amazing. Each franchisee has a dedicated business development manager and business consultant. Then there’s digital-based sales, distribution, and customer management systems with Retail Self Service (RSS). By putting the full range of 325 products at our customers’ fingertips, this has boosted profits to a point where we now employ an operations manager, allowing us more free time to visit family overseas and ease off a bit.

“This year we were honoured to be named Local Legend of the Year, but in our opinion, it is National Franchise Manager Shannon Davidson and her team who should be recognised as legends, especially for the way they have created a real culture of trust. We genuinely feel being part of Fonterra makes Anchor Milk a blue-chip franchise.

“While franchisees are obligated to support national programmes such as KickStart, we are also encouraged to get involved in local community projects. We have a great relationship with the Whitianga Community Services trust, donating product that they distribute to locals in need. We are also proud to support the Whitianga Lions Club by donating products to help with their fundraising  for a Whitianga-based mammogram facility. This is important for our area to have access to these amenities without the need to drive to Thames.”

KickStart celebrates 15 years

Susan continues, “From my teaching days, I’m very aware of the success of the KickStart Breakfast Programme in schools and the support given by Fonterra and Sanitarium, with oversight by the Ministry of Social Development. Celebrating its 15th birthday this year, with over 70 million free breakfasts eaten, Kickstart has also been proven to help build positive social interaction and attitudes, as well as encouraging leadership skills and reducing truancy.”

Further down country, in Hawkes Bay, 90 schools currently participate in the KickStart programme, and all are supplied by Anchor. Hawkes Bay Anchor franchisees Vaughan Petzer and Neil Cahill also collect empty milk bottles for remanufacturing into such products as fence posts and culverts, here in New Zealand. 

Like their counterparts in the Coromandel, Vaughan and Neil were equally up to the challenge of responding to the devastating impact Cyclone Gabrielle had on their region. Vaughan explains, “One of the first things we did was give our refrigerated trucks to the Rapid Response Team and Civil Defense to use to transport food and other necessities to the thousands whose lives and livelihoods had been impacted.

“The support we receive from the Fonterra Brands team is next level. Being part of the local community and giving back is a driver for all of us. In a time of economic challenge for small local businesses, it is good to pull together and support them as suppliers.”

Franchise Manager, Shannon Davidson says, “We would be thrilled to have more Campbells, Susans, Vaughans and Neils! If you feel you have what it takes to be an Anchor Milk franchisee, please don’t hesitate to contact me.”   

See this advertorial on page 13 of Franchise New Zealand magazine Year 33 Issue 4

Contact details for Anchor Franchise

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