Right from an early age Mark Jones knew about hard work. At school Mark spent more time doing a Herald run, mowing lawns, working in a grocery shop and playing sport rather than studying. In fact, he left school at 15 and his first job was a truck driver, delivering Coca-Cola to dairies and factories. A successful career from trundler boy to boss in Foodtown helped build the foundation for becoming a strong, visionary leader. Mark believes to be successful you have to make mistakes and in the early days there was a lot of trial and error and hard years put in to build the business to what it is today. Mark’s inspiration to create a business that can pass from generation to generation came from the Bertazzoni family that created Smeg all those years ago and is thrilled that he is joined in the business by his daughter Rachel Louie, who has been managing the importing business for the last 13 years.
With a degree in management studies majoring in marketing and international management, Rachel was determined to earn some credibility before joining the family business. While she worked at the microwave shop in the early days and helped deliver microwaves on Christmas day, Rachel knew it could be hard being the “boss’s daughter” so gained her greatest experience through a management trainee programme with Air New Zealand which incorporated time in HR, national account management, and sales and marketing, including a year and a half as the first kiwi to work in the Tokyo office. Rachel says, “Working with my father is a privilege. I have learnt so many visionary skills from him and have been fortunate to have travelled the world searching for new and innovative products and solutions to ensure we retain our position as an innovative business.”
Looking after you at every step
At the heart of our business we believe that putting our customers’ needs first is the most important thing we can do. We want your entire experience with our business to be as effortless and enjoyable as possible.
We want you to have confidence that our business has been a pioneer and is committed to be here for the long term.
We want our relationship to be one that is built on respect and are committed to investing in our people, our products, our brands and our service to ensure that you can trust dealing with us.
We want you to know that we have a very high quality control process throughout our business and travel the world to ensure that we are selecting the right products and service for you.
We know that you are making a very considered decision and we want to give you all the support you need to ensure you get the most out of your purchases. We are committed to supporting you throughout the life cycle of your product and with any future needs.
We want you to enjoy dealing with our business, and to know that you are buying from a New Zealand, family business, that is committed to being a leader in its field.
Thank you, from our family to yours.
Many years ago, our Chairman, Mark Jones, had a vision to create an appliance company based on European appliances that could pass from generation to generation.
Mark began his working life as a trundler hop at Food Town and learnt many lessons working on the shop floor about New Zealand consumers and why it is important to put their needs at the centre of our business.
Today, The Jones Family Business is a company that is modelled on successful family businesses around the world, centred around family and with family values at its heart. Mark is joined by his family, Rachel Louie, Executive Director of Jones Family Business and Melissa Burnett who sits on the company board and is looking forward to his grandchildren joining the business in the years to come.
As well as Mark’s immediate family, The Jones Family Business employees are the wider family in the business and we believe in looking after our employee’s and our customers as we would our family.