While working at Burns & Ferrall six years ago, Richie Gray established himself as the company’s top-performing account manager. Driven to inspire others and lead from the front, Gray has since returned to Burns & Ferrall as Auckland regional manager, where he’s now leading his own team.
“The opportunity to come back and be part of the management team has always been my dream,” Gray said. “Burns & Ferrall is the only company of its calibre in New Zealand; a one-stop-shop where hospitality, food service and bakery operators can source everything from turnkey solutions to one-off pieces of equipment.”
Coming from key account and business development roles at Washtech, Gray also has experience as a successful chef and hospitality operator in New Zealand and in Australia.
“We’re not trying to win every deal at all costs and we’re not in this just to make money,” he said. “We want to make a difference too, and our non-negotiable values – being ethical, trusted and passionate, keep us on track. We have iconic brands including RATIONAL and Garland and both have recently released game-changing equipment.”
With Auckland alone boasting 3800 cafés and counting, Gray is excited about the opportunities. His team’s already strengthening current industry relationships and liaising with significant players, and the shift for the company into fitouts for schools and maraes has been significant.
“We’re growing our momentum with a great team focused on the job at hand. We’ll stick to our values and benefits, keep our pricing in line and support our clients every step of the way.
“The end goals for our customers are always ‘more bums on seats’ and ‘more going through the till’. Our customers are trusting we’ll guide them in the right direction, that we’ll give them the right solutions, and we’re proud to say that’s where we excel.”
