Aaron & Carolyn Rawson – Ngāpuhi
Back in 2010 in the depths of global financial recession, Aaron and Carolyn Rawson saw a business for sale which appealed to them. Aaron had been honing his skills as a cabinetmaker since leaving school and decided it was time he was in control of his own destiny.
Although it may not have been the ideal time to step into the business world they decided to investigate the option. However, not having the faintest idea of how to go about deciding on the feasibility of getting into business they were lucky enough to stumble across Tautoko Maori Enterprise Support and Poutama Trust.
Both organisations helped by providing invaluable guidance and expertise to determine feasibility and to navigate the purchase process.
Following the purchase, the business has not only maintained and enhanced the excellent reputation achieved by the original owner but also increased in size and production.
The new extractor unit
The business growth has been achieved with the help of Poutama by way of investments in helping staff to gain industry qualifications and the upgrade of technology & machinery. These investments mean better sales tools and a more efficient and automated factory. This automation has led to an increase in production output. Equally important it has also enhanced the working environment for staff and they have seen a dramatic reduction of materials used and waste produced.
Aaron & Carolyn have found the solid relationships they have built up with clients and suppliers have been an extremely satisfying part of having their own business – something they didn’t necessarily consider at the outset.
The relationships with clients means repeat work and jobs obtained through word of mouth. The icing on the cake of these relationships with suppliers was a sponsored trip to the EuroCucina trade show in Italy. The route to Italy was via supplier’s factories in Germany & Austria. Visiting the factories in Europe cemented their belief in using high end quality products in the industry. They were very impressed with the quality control and longevity tests that products were put through as well as the environmental standards the European factories are required to operate to.
The Danska showroom
In 2017 the business moved into a new purpose designed factory in a growing area of Whangarei. The new premises have long term lease advantages over the previous one and have allowed an upgrade to be made to the extraction systems to get a cleaner working environment.
Both Aaron & Carolyn have strong Northland roots and while the area provides the lifestyle they are after for their family; career prospects can be limited in Aaron’s industry – so the natural next step for him was his own business. They believe the help they have received towards achieving this by Poutama has been invaluable.
For further information check out the Danska Cabinetmaking website.
