Kati Kasza with Rod McDermott, CEO of Farmers, at their centenary function
Farmers, or as it is officially called, Farmers Trading Company Limited, is a household name in New Zealand. The company is one of this country’s most established and respected retail brands, and recently they invited their suppliers to share a celebration of their 100th anniversary.
We really enjoyed the event, which was held in a huge marquee at their headquarters here in Auckland. With so many suppliers, it was a big occasion, and considering there are so few businesses, let alone retailers, who’ve been operating for a century or more in New Zealand, worth throwing a party for!
But what was really noticeable, and meaningful, to us here at evolu (a family business), is that Farmers is now a family-owned company, with a very strong culture, and clearly thriving because of it. Many of the speakers at the event, including Ian Hunter, who authored the official history of Farmers, commented on the same theme.
It goes to show that it is possible for the values and philosophy of the ‘parents’ of a business to be reflected right across a company’s operations, even a large one like Farmers. Our ambition is that before long people will be saying the same about evolu!