2026 NZ Franchise Awards
DREAMS COME TRUE

Finalists and the winners at the 31st New Zealand Franchise Awards were acclaimed by a large gathering of peers and supporters at a glamourous Gala Dinner held on November 14th at the Grand Millennium hotel in Auckland.

Eleven of New Zealand’s top franchise brands and one standout advisor were represented on the podium, with the much-coveted Supreme awards secured by Dream Doors NZ and Quest Mt Maunganui Apartment Hotel. In addition, there were new inductees to the Hall of Fame and Life Membership of the Franchise Association of New Zealand (FANZ), and 19 franchisees were recognised for their long tenure as franchise business owners.

The wonderful Wendy Petrie returned for her regular annual gig as MC and entertainment was provided by the accomplished City of Sails Jazz Collective.

FANZ Board Chair Greg Paget spoke to the hearts of all present when he recognised that franchisors, master franchisees, franchisees, support teams, advisors and suppliers each play an important role in the success of franchising in New Zealand. “Together,” he said, “they create a vibrant, collaborative and resilient sector that continues to make a significant contribution to our economy and communities.”

Greg applauded all finalists and winners and offered the Board’s thanks to the panel of experienced volunteer judges and independent convenor, who work tirelessly to ensure a credible and successful Awards programme.

Supreme Franchise System of the Year
Winner: Dream Doors NZ

No strangers to the podium at the New Zealand Franchise Awards, and twice winners of the Home & Lifestyle Franchise System of the Year award, this is the first time Dream Doors have taken out the Supreme award. Founding franchisor Derek Lilly was typically full of energy as he and co-founder Richard Prout accepted the award from Greg Paget, and brought many of their team on stage with them.

The judging panel commented on Dream Doors NZ’s extremely impressive, strong and well supported franchise system, operating with clear and well executed strategies. They also found that Dream Doors demonstrated a clear and admirable commitment to helping franchisees, continuously investing in technology and innovation to ensure sustainability and outstanding success for their network.

Dream Doors specialises in kitchen refurbishment, replacing doors, drawer fronts and work surfaces to provide a brand-new kitchen for a fraction of the cost of full cabinet replacement. The company’s proprietary Franchise Management System tracks leads and revenues, measures advertising effectiveness, collects and monitors customer feedback and can identify potential issues, as well as enabling the franchise support team to keep a finger on the health of each franchisee’s business.

Supreme Franchisee of the Year
Winner: Tere & Avelien Strickland, Quest Mt Maunganui Apartment Hotel

Last year, when they won the Franchisee Excellence in Customer Service award, Tez Strickland promised we had not seen the last of the powerhouse team behind the Quest Apartment Hotel Mt Maunganui – and he was right! 

The judges considered Quest Mt Maunganui’s entry to be outstanding. They praised Avalien and Tere’s considered and thoughtful submission, “which clearly provided evidence that their success has been achieved through exceptional forward thinking and attention to detail.”

This is the second time a Quest franchisee has won the Supreme Award, but it is also one of many awards for Quest Mt Maunganui Apartment Hotel, as they add this trophy to their collection. In 2025 they were crowned Quest Franchise of the Year and earlier this year they received a Deloitte Fast50 award for the Fastest Growing Māori or Pasifika Owned Business in the Hamilton & Central North Island region.

Tere and Avelien are always quick to praise their team, acknowledging with genuine warmth that the achievement belongs to them, too. Tere said of his team, seen here together at the Tauranga Business Awards earlier this year, “Their hard work, professionalism, commitment and care for our guests and each other are at the heart of everything we do.”

CATEGORY AWARDS AND FINALISTS

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

• Retail & Hospitality
• Home & Lifestyle
• Business to Business

The Supreme Awards winners were selected from these categories. There were no finalists this year for the Business to Business Franchise System of the Year award.

Retail & Hospitality

Retail & Hospitality Franchisee of the Year
Winner: Tere & Avelien Strickland, Quest Mt Maunganui Apartment Hotel 

Before the Stricklands relocated to the Bay of Plenty to take up this franchise opportunity, Avalien had worked in Quest’s corporate office for a number of years. Avelien and Tere pride themselves on providing exceptional service to guests – in fact a number of people attending the Awards, including the team at Franchise New Zealand, can endorse that excellence, having stayed with Quest Mt Maunganui during the 2024 FANZ National Conference.

The judges said, “This exceptional submission clearly and robustly presented evidence in every question to substantiate their success. Their business efficiencies and results, highly engaged staff and excellent customer satisfaction are all testament to their winning formula.”

Finalists

Nilupa & Darshana Weerakoon – Bakers Delight Hamilton East
Navjot Buttar – Bakers Delight Howick
Sushant Chawla – LJ’s Fish & Chips Rotorua

Retail & Hospitality Franchise System of the Year
Winner: Top 10 Holiday Parks Group

The Top 10 Holiday Parks Group is dedicated to providing an unmatched experience in the midst of New Zealand's awe-inspiring landscapes. With 53 locations, the franchise’s holiday parks are strategically located throughout the country, offering a quality camping experience and easy access to the most iconic attractions and natural wonders.

The judges commented on an impressive culture of teamwork and shared ownership underpinning the excellent performance of the Top 10 Holiday Park system. They found clear evidence of excellent customer service, strong network support and the ability to apply learning and insight to ensure consistent business growth.

Category sponsored by Franchise Matcha

Home & Lifestyle

Home & Lifestyle Franchisee of the Year
Winner: Wade Smith – Exceed Auckland (Penrose, Auckland Central and Albany) 

Born and bred on the North Shore of Auckland, Wade Smith spent time travelling the world and working in landscaping, recruitment and management. Wade joined Exceed in 2014 looking for a change of direction and the chance to control his own destiny with the New Zealand-founded franchise renowned for fixing windows and doors. 

The franchisor team at Exceed commented that Wade's nomination reflects his consistently strong performance across all areas of the business, including leadership, operations, customer service, team development and financial performance.

The judges found Wade to have a strong understanding about what is required to be a successful franchisee, running a sustainable business delivering excellent service. “He demonstrated a clear strategy, depth of understanding and the discipline to achieve ongoing success.”

Finalists

Adrian Kay – Dream Doors Christchurch
Kelly and Brendon Woodhouse – Poolwerx Bay of Plenty

Award sponsored by LINK Business Brokers 

Home & Lifestyle Franchise System of the Year 
Winner: Dream Doors NZ 

Dream Doors is a regular entrant to the Awards, using the rigorous entry process to help drive improvement and measure progress within the franchise. The kitchen renovation business was brought to New Zealand in 2007 by Derek Lilly, one of the co-founders of the original UK franchise, and has achieved great success through its process of refacing and refurbishing kitchens rather than replacing them completely, thereby reducing costs and minimising waste.

The judges said, “Dream Doors presented an outstanding, robust submission. They understand what drives their business and show impressive levels of investment, with an appreciation of what that investment delivers for their franchise network. Their entry evidenced a very well run and successful franchise business.”

Finalists

Red LBP

Award sponsored by Xero 

Business to Business

Business to Business Franchisee of the Year
Winner: Puneet Sharma – Clean Planet Wellington 

Clean Planet’s individual focus is what drew Puneet Sharma, a commercial cleaning franchisee in Wellington, to Clean Planet nine years ago. Puneet and his team have been praised by Clean Planet’s CEO Tony Pattison for consistently delivering outstanding service and gaining excellent feedback from longstanding valuable customers.

In return, Puneet expressed gratitude for the opportunities and trust given to him by the Clean Planet team. He said, “They have been really good to me, helping with business support from Auckland Head Office, and providing me with good clients. They recognise the potential to grow.”

The judges also were impressed with the dedicated, consistent effort to deliver provided by this successful business. In a very competitive industry, their excellent service drives a high rate of customer retention and underpins their strong growth and performance.”

Award sponsored by Bunnings Trade

Small Business

Two further awards recognise smaller businesses also demonstrating excellence, whether that’s a franchise system just getting established or with limited franchisee numbers (10 or fewer franchisees), or a franchisee with no more than four full-time equivalent employees including the owner. The winners of these awards are not eligible for the Supreme Awards.

Small Business Franchise System of the Year
Winner: Pets in the City 

Laura and Layamon Bakewell both had long naval careers and looked at hundreds of business opportunities before eventually buying a Pets in the City franchise in the north Auckland suburb of Silverdale in 2020. Barely two years later the opportunity came up to buy the whole Pets in the City franchise system. At the time Layamon said, “Although we knew how good the business was, we had a few cold sweats over it.”

Since then, they have pursued a very clear goal of slow and steady expansion of their one stop pet care business providing luxurious Pet Hotel and Doggie Day care facilities. With six locations and three franchisees currently, Pets in the City is still a small franchise system, but we won’t be surprised to see it moving into the larger system categories in the years to come.

The judging panel commented, “In this standout submission, Pets in the City demonstrated a clear focus on developing leadership, strong systems, and investment in technology, while keeping customers at the front and centre of everything. Their impressive business results show a franchise that is poised for future growth.”

Finalists

BiForm
Dream Bathrooms Solutions
LJ’s Fish & Chips

Award sponsored by Franchise New Zealand media

Small Business Franchisee of the Year
Winner: Reece & Rachel Trotter – BiForm Canterbury South 

Winners of the 2026 Small Business of the Year, BiForm Canterbury South franchisees Reece and Rachel Trotter say they love the solid composite decking product and the fact that they are able to easily blend their practical installation skills alongside their sales expertise.

“We looked at several businesses but kept coming back to BiForm,” Reece says. “The franchise gives us the ability to control our own destiny and build a retirement asset to pass on to our children.”

The judges said, “BiForm Canterbury demonstrated clear strategy and focus on what is needed to create a profitable, sustainable business. Their excellent performance and business growth is evidence that their commitment to establishing relationships and building their sales pipeline has proved successful.”

Finalist

Richie Mudaliar – Aramex Tauranga

Award sponsored by The Coffee Club

SPECIAL AWARDS

Awards were also made in a number of specialist categories, as follows:

Franchisees

Excellence in Community Contribution
Excellence in Customer Service

Franchise System

Excellence in Community Contribution
Excellence in Franchise System Innovation
Franchise Support Manager of the Year
Franchise System Champion of the Year
Marketing Campaign of the Year

Advisor/Supplier of the Year

FRANCHISEE AWARDS

Excellence in Community Contribution – Franchisee
Winner: Michael Faulkner – Bakers Delight Pukekohe 

Bakers Delight Pukekohe won the Excellence in Community Contribution award two years ago and now they are back, with a second trophy for the team lead by franchisee baker Michael Faulker.

Michael has been a member of the Pukekohe community since childhood and worked in the Bakers Delight store for 10 years before taking on the franchise 13 years ago. He and his team are dedicated to making a real difference in their community, whether by sponsoring sports clubs, donating bakery items to family support services, or fundraising for local charities.

The judges said, “Bakers Delight Pukekohe's exceptional submission presents a genuine, passionate, franchisee, who clearly lives for the good that his business can do for others, and involves his family and team in the process. The entry provided clear detail, supported with metrics, and strong evidence. Their commitment is hugely impressive.”

Finalists

Timothy and Elaine Belcher – Just Cuts Whangārei
Jeremy Millichamp – Red LBP Auckland Central West

Award sponsored by Westpac

Excellence in Customer Service - Franchisee
Winner: Adrian Kay – Dream Doors Christchurch 

With Dream Doors taking out the Supreme Franchise System and Home & Lifestyle Franchise System of the Year awards this year, it’s a hat trick of awards for the brand in 2026.

Adrian Kay has been operating the Dream Doors Christchurch franchise since 2012 and is now also the franchisor of another Dream Franchising Group company – Dream Bathrooms Solutions. “I gave up a six-figure salary with a global electronics company to join the Dream Doors franchise,” says Adrian, “and I’ve been in constant growth mode ever since. Renovations are booming because more people are realising they don’t need to move house – they can refurbish the home they have loved and end up with something much better.”

The judges commented that Adrian was an entrant who exemplifies the notion of customer service being at the heart of everything he does, with proactive communication and clear expectations management. “Dream Doors Christchurch has a clear service philosophy and understands the importance of doing even small things well.”

Finalist

Jeremy Millichamp – Red LBP Auckland Central West 

Award sponsored by Tranxactor

FRANCHISE SYSTEM AWARDS

Excellence in Community Contribution – Franchise System 
Winner: Bakers Delight NZ 

This award recognises a franchise system whose business makes a demonstrable positive impact through its contribution to the community.

The Bakers Delight NZ team raised over $50k for the Prostate Cancer Foundation – one of the initiatives that has earned them the 2026 titles of Excellence in Community Contribution for both the franchise system and franchisee awards!

The judges noted that Bakers Delight demonstrates an outstanding and clear understanding of community needs. “They provided evidence of their commitment and the real difference they make though ongoing local franchisee involvement.”

The judges were also impressed with the culture of caring and giving nurtured by the franchise system in their franchisees.

Finalists

CrestClean
Laser Plumbing & Electrical
Red LBP

Award sponsored by MyHR

Excellence in Franchise System Innovation
Winner: Aramex New Zealand 

The system innovation award recognises innovation and forward-thinking ideas, products, services or processes that enhance franchise operations, customer experience, or business performance.

“We have developed a safety-first culture,” says Aramex New Zealand CEO Mark Little. “A key element is the Everyone Home Safe Every Day programme, which we launched in 2023. This initiative simplifies health and safety compliance, offering regional franchisees clear guidelines and practical tools and resources to ensure their courier franchisees and teams are safe, allowing them to focus on delivering great service.

“Everyone Home Safe Every Day is more than just a set of rules – it’s about creating a culture where safety is a priority. By taking a ‘hearts and minds’ approach, Aramex encourages franchisees to put safety at the core of their operations.”

In awarding the 2026 Franchise System Excellence in Innovation award to Aramex New Zealand, the judges said, “The Aramex submission demonstrated that strong leadership, aligned with a clear, practical innovative initiative, can deliver significant benefit to franchisees. Their innovation has taken a complex health and safety requirement and made it practical and easy to use.”

Award sponsored by Geotech Information Services

Franchise Support Manager of the Year   
Winner: Sam Lewis – CrestClean 

This award recognises a person in the franchise system who demonstrates excellence in supporting franchisees, managing franchisee relationships, and contributes clear value to both franchisor and franchisee.

Sam Lewis has been a General Manager with the CrestClean Commercial Cleaning franchise system for over 16 years, with a core part of his role being the support offered to franchisees. His colleagues said that Sam was surprised and humbled to learn he was a finalist for the Franchise Support Manager of the Year award, but they felt it was a well-deserved recognition of his dedication to the role. “Helping franchisees succeed and supporting the wider network are all in a day’s work for Sam!”

The judges were impressed by the achievements outlined in Sam’s exceptional entry, saying, “The comprehensive, evidence-based responses in this submission showed clear, robust strategies, commitment, and genuine passion in delivering positive change in the business model.”

Award sponsored by Westpac

Franchise System Champion of the Year   
Winner: Keith Kaimoana – Aramex New Zealand 

This new award celebrates an individual in the franchise system head office team or support team who capably and calmly champions and embodies the values of the franchise and consistently delivers value.

The inaugural winner of the Franchise System Champion of the Year award is Keith Kaimoana, the National Customer Service Manager at Aramex New Zealand, where he has worked for over 25 years. Described as a true cornerstone of the Aramex family and the ultimate problem solver, Keith is praised by his colleagues for having an unmatched ability to navigate complex challenges and deliver seamless solutions.

Known for staying exceptionally calm under pressure, Keith is described as leading with a hands-on, people-first approach and personally mentoring many of his customer service team members into long-term careers across various divisions of Aramex.

The judges commented, “This exceptional submission clearly demonstrated Keith’s deep operational knowledge, calm leadership and long‑standing commitment to the Aramex network. His influence on people, processes and culture is evident throughout, and the measurable improvements achieved under his guidance reinforce his standing as a true system champion.”

Finalist

Rose Hibbert – Rodney Wayne

Award sponsored by Waipuna Hotel & Conference Centre 

Marketing Campaign of the Year 
Winner: Laser Plumbing & Electrical  

The most hotly contested award this year with five strong finalists, the Marketing Campaign of the Year award recognises robust marketing practices, market engagement and outstanding results in a campaign promoting a franchise system’s business, product or service.

Laser Plumbing & Electrical’s winning campaign was based around its Property Manager CPD Programme – a short course delivered by franchisees and designed specifically for property and facilities managers who need to complete regular, annual CPD hours.

The judges agreed that Laser Plumbing & Electrical’s entry was a highly successful campaign, presented extremely well. “Laser's campaign had clear drivers and intentions. It was exceptionally inventive and well executed with impressive results from a relatively small investment. The campaign delivered strong value for franchisees.”

Finalists

Bakers Delight
CrestClean
Dream Doors NZ
Pets in the City

Award sponsored by Mighty 

ADVISOR/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Advisor/Supplier of the Year
Winner: Wynn Williams 

This award, previously known as Service Provider of the Year, recognises an advisor or supplier’s business that demonstrates a strong contribution to the franchising community and adds value to the sector. 

This is the second time Wynn Williams have won the award, thanks to the specialist franchise expertise of Partner Katrina Hammon who is well known across Australia and New Zealand as a leading consumer markets and franchise lawyer. Katrina advises businesses in a broad range of sectors and is a particular expert in taking franchises trans-Tasman – in both directions.

The judges said, “This submission presented strong detail on the clients that Katrina has helped and supported. Her contribution as a supplier and advisor to franchising is highly commendable, and she clearly offers a wealth of legal knowledge and expertise to the sector.”

Award sponsored by Paramount Services 

OTHER IMPORTANT RECOGNITIONS

Night ‘n Day founders Andrew and Denise Lane were welcomed into the FANZ Hall of Fame and Ian Robertson was inducted as a new Life Member.

Dunedin’s first dedicated convenience store was founded in 1983 when Andrew and Denise Lane identified that they would need a point of difference to develop their grocery store business in an environment where petrol stations were taking over from the corner dairy. Initially South Island-based, the Night ‘n Day network expanded via company-owned stores, appointed its first franchisee in 1991 and has since gone on to become a national icon.

Ian Robertson has had a strong and varied career in franchising. He is currently General Manager of Ecomist Group, having previously been a franchisee for Bedpost, held franchisor roles in six different franchises, and is a past Chair of FANZ.

Introduced to general acclaim last year, FANZ member franchise systems were encouraged again in 2026 to nominate franchisees for special Long Tenure Recognition. This year the nominations included a separate 10-14 years’ section, as well as 15+ years, acknowledging the significant commitment and contribution of franchisees who build long-standing relationships within their franchise systems. As FANZ CEO Katrina King said, “With average franchisee tenure typically sitting around 7-9 years, we want to recognise those who continue to build on that milestone and reach 10 years and beyond.”

19 franchisees received plaques and certificates in recognition of their long tenure, representing eight franchise brands: Clean Planet, CrestClean, Cutshop, Dream Doors, Just Cabins, Just Cuts, Night ‘n Day, Snap-on Tools. Alan Garrick of Night ‘n Day, who co-owns multiple stores in the Whakatipu region with his son Hamish, was recognised for an impressive 35 years with the franchise system.

The Long Tenure Franchisee sponsor was Dream Franchising Group, and the Gala Dinner event was sponsored by CFI Finance, Livewire Audio Visual, Mister Minit, Origami, Smokeylemon and The Coffee Club.