No one stands prouder at the vanguard of supermarket ownership than Jason Witehira, whose rise to the top of the Foodstuffs ladder is truly inspirational.
Growing up in Rotorua, he left school at 16 in 1984 and literally worked his way up from the produce department of his local supermarket to owning and operating one of the biggest and wealthiest New Worlds in the country.
One of about 10 Maori to own Foodstuffs supermarkets, Witehira worked for as many as 18 different stores across the North Island, pushing trolleys and stacking shelves as he rose through the system.
In 1997 he became the first Maori retailer to receive a Foodstuffs scholarship, earning him the right to be funded into buying his first store.
A year later he acquired New World Taumarunui before moving north in 2001 with his wife, Kimiora, and buying the New World at Botany Town Centre in Auckland.
In 2010 he took ownership of New World Victoria Park in the wealthy Auckland suburb of Freemans Bay.
Nestled between the city centre and the Ponsonby, Herne Bay crowd, the supermarket is one of Foodstuffs’ flagship stores.
Witehira’s success here didn’t go unnoticed by rival Progressive Foods, which set up a new Countdown in Ponsonby recently.
But even that competitive pressure wouldn’t have dented the profits at New World Vic Park much.
Witehira’s tenacity was recognised in 2016 when he was named outstanding Maori business leader of the year by the University of Auckland.
In an emotional speech he attributed his success to personal attitude, hard work and family values.
“It’s not about who you are. It’s about what you are,” he reportedly told the audience.
“It’s about your attitude. It’s about being an individual and believing in yourself.
“To actually succeed in life is not about money, it’s actually about your whanau.”
“My wife and business partner, Kimiora, is my greatest mentor, having helped build all three stores, so this award is half hers.”
The couple have four children and his eldest son now works for him in the supermarket.
A member of the Ngapuhi tribe, Witehira has become increasingly involved in iwi politics and he sits on Ngapuhi’s asset holding company board.
Personal assets include a $6.1m Freemans Bay apartment, a small lifestyle block in Northland and interests in horticulture through the Miro Limited Partnership.
“I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved but I ain’t special,” he told retail magazine The Register in 2016.
“There are other people who have done it as well. Sometimes you get highlighted because you’re a Maori and I’m very proud of that but I’m still not special. You’ve got to try and get that balance.”