Relationships is one of Robinson Asphalts\u2019 key values, alongside integrity, commitment, attitude and excellence, and most customers are repeat, she said.<\/p>\n
The company has helped deliver key projects for Whang\u0101rei from Whau Valley Dam to the Town Basin\u2019s new P\u016btahi Park<\/a>, along with plenty of school playgrounds and smaller parks.<\/p>\n The company recently donated its time to help build the Tutuk\u0101k\u0101 playground, and also sponsors Sport Northland, Northland Rescue Helicopter<\/a>, LegaSea, Northland Rugby, North Coast Boardriders<\/a> and many other smaller groups.<\/p>\n At Greenfingers, the Robinsons\u2019 daughter Sharon Cole has been involved virtually from the start, learning how to drive the loaders and run the bark mill on weekends while still at school.<\/p>\n She also helped manage a garden centre, The Brick Works, which operated for some time at Greenfingers\u2019 Te Kamo site.<\/p>\n Now Sharon and her husband Murray Cole own and run Greenfingers, with their son Max also working at and part-owning the business.<\/p>\n The family ties do not stop there, with the 20 staff including daughter Jacqui Cole, brother-in-law Paul Erceg and his son Dallas, plus many other non-related staff who have repeatedly come back, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWith family comes trust and we\u2019re a very trustworthy bunch,\u201d Sharon said.<\/p>\n Greenfingers specialises in crushing and grading bark into a landscaping product, plus creating growing media for everyone from large orchards to family gardeners.<\/p>\n Sharon said the company has 15,000 loyal customers, some going back all the way to when she first started there aged 18.<\/p>\n Like Robinson Asphalts, Greenfingers has helped sponsor many school and kindergarten playgrounds, alongside many other charities like Kamo Rugby and Kidney Kids.<\/p>\n Family ownership was always the aim, head says<\/p>\n Peter Robinson said he always envisaged his family getting involved in his businesses in some form but had no idea it would work out quite the way it has.<\/p>\n Despite being 87, it is clear the words \u201cslowing down\u201d aren\u2019t part of his vocabulary and he continues to be driven by a desire to achieve and stay busy.<\/p>\n Peter and Joan Robinson own and run self-storage business Robinsons Storage in Te Kamo.<\/p>\n While running Robinson Asphalt and Greenfingers Growing Mixes, the couple also renovated a historic villa, Playstead Homestead, which they moved from the site of Forum North to their Mangatapere block in 1974.<\/p>\n They also ran persimmon and avocado orchards from the block, plus a Romney sheep stud, alongside raising their family and nine horses.<\/p>\n After selling Robinson Asphalt, Peter started a new company, Turfcare Services, which took him and Joan as far as Pitcairn Island<\/a>, to help build its prison in the early 2000s.<\/p>\n But while overseas adventures were more alluring in later life, he always intended for Robinson Asphalt to be a Northland-focused company.<\/p>\n \u201cI did a few jobs in \u014crewa and Wellsford but those places were services by other contractors. But nobody was doing hot-mix by hand in Whang\u0101rei.\u201d<\/p>\n Peter said the Northern Advocate Hall of Fame induction is a huge honour for the family, with the nomination calling them a \u201ctruly legendary Northland business family\u201d.<\/p>\n Family occasions mix of business and pleasure<\/p>\n With so many Robinson family members involved in the family\u2019s businesses, are family social occasions dominated by work chat?<\/p>\n Annie said family members do try to have \u201cno work talk\u201d zones, but it isn\u2019t always easy to uphold that.<\/p>\n She recalled growing up in a home where there was plenty of business done after-hours on the family phone and lots of business talk at the dinner table.<\/p>\n Cole Johnston admitted many strategic decisions are made after-hours: \u201cThat\u2019s when you have time to think about the big picture.\u201d<\/p>\n Sharon also agreed that sometimes a family dinner is the best chance to catch up on things, with everyone passionate about what they do, especially her father Peter.<\/p>\n \u201cNo work talk is a fabulous rule but in 87 years my father has never learnt it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Northern Advocate Business Hall of Fame past inductees:<\/p>\n 2024: Clare and Tony Davies-Colley<\/a><\/p>\n 2023: Barry Trass<\/a><\/p>\n 2022: Lindsay Faithfull<\/a><\/p>\n 2021: Raewyn Tipene<\/a><\/p>\n 2020: Sandra McKersey<\/a><\/p>\n 2019: Kaka Porowini<\/a><\/p>\n 2018: Stan Semenoff<\/a><\/p>\n 2017: The Hundertwasser Art Centre project team<\/a><\/p>\n 2016: Jack Guy<\/a><\/p>\n 2015: Jeroen Jongejans<\/a><\/p>\n 2014: Wayne Cowley<\/a><\/p>\n 2013: Michael Springford<\/a><\/p>\n 2012: Mike Simm<\/a><\/p>\n 2011: Dave Culham<\/a><\/p>\n 2010: Monty Knight<\/a><\/p>\nP\u016btahi Park in Whang\u0101rei’s Town Basin is one of the recent major projects by Robinson Asphalts. Photo \/ NZME<\/p>\n
Murray (left), Sharon and Max Cole say family values are at the heart of Greenfingers Growing Mixes, meaning many repeat customers and repeat staff too. Photo \/ Denise Piper<\/p>\n
Joan and Peter Robinson like to keep busy and juggled several businesses alongside raising their family. Now, they enjoy travelling and still own a self-storage business. Photo \/ Denise Piper<\/p>\n