Colin is the regional manager for the team of 14 Crewcut operators in the Whangarei district. With the core business of lawn mowing this area is ideal to own and operate a Crewcut Franchise.

The Whangarei Team will mow your lawn, hedge trim, garden and  light tree work for residential, commercial, life style blocks and subdivision developments, with a flow of new work enquiry arriving daily via the call centre. Within the team there is a good depth of experience with several of our operators being part of the team for over ten years.

Services Offered

• Lawn Mowing

• Ride-on lawn mowing

• Weed spraying

• Tree trimming

• Tree removal

Service Areas

• Raumanga

• Maunu

• Glenbervie

• Kauri

• Hikurangi

Steve provides services in Hikurangi, Raumanga, Maunu, Glenvervie, and Kauri. He prefers Walker ride-on mowers and also has a new Club cadet mower. He offers mainly push and ride on mowing, weed spraying & tree trimming.

Before moving back to New Zealand and starting with Crewcut, Steve had been working in the Australian mines for seven years. He has a background with physical labour work; namely farming and forestry work, so he chose lawn mowing because it's similar to what he has always done. Goals for the business would be to get more growth; right now he is at 50 lawns but would like more. It’s a family business, his wife helps him out on the weekends and so do the kids during the school holidays. His wife also helps out with the bookwork as she is an accountant.  

Outside of work, Steve doesn’t have too much time for hobbies as he keeps busy with family and their beef farm. Working on the farm and doing labouring prepared him for starting his venture with Crewcut and he has some mechanical know-how that comes in handy. The most important thing he has learnt from Crewcut is to do each job as if it were your own, to make people happy.

Services Offered

• Lawn Mowing

• Gardening

• Hedge Trimming

• Weed spraying

Service Areas

• Langs Cove

• Langs Beach

• Waipu

• Waipu Cove

Stephen works mostly out on the coast of Whangarei, Waipu and Langs Beach areas. He does lawn mowing, weed spraying, gardening and hedge trimming. Stephen owns a Club Cadet ride on, and also sticks to Stihl and Husqvarna brands. He also has a pole trimmer, weed eater and two push mowers, so is well prepared for any kind of lawn.

For the last ten years Stephen was in Australia doing a similar outdoor service for a private company who also subcontracted to councils. He looked into Crewcut because it was an opportunity to come back home to NZ and be his own boss. Stephen manages to do all the bookwork himself and has a part timer who can come help him out with the outdoor work if he ever gets stuck.

Stephen doesn’t have too much free time at the moment but would like to try surfing or anything outdoors when he has the chance. Having a bit of mechanical know-how definitely helps with the business, also being hardworking and having an eye for detail. He says that working for yourself can be a challenge, but it is very rewarding. His advice to other franchisees would be to do research on brands and get advice from other guys who own a franchise nearby.

Services Offered

• Lawn Mowing

Service Areas

• Whangarei

Peter has clients all over the Whangarei area. He does only lawn mowing and uses a Stihl hedge cutter, a Walker Ride-on and a catcher mower. Before he joined Crewcut, Peter worked as a fisherman for 33 years. He’s now been with Crewcut for five years. Choosing Crewcut didn’t take too much thought, he was looking for work and was familiar with the brand from seeing the vehicles and workers around the city. Peter is happy to maintain his business as it is and hasn’t yet decided on any future goals.  

A seven day work week for Peter means he doesn’t have too much free time for hobbies. But he does have an interest in motorbikes and maybe one day get back into windsurfing which he has previously done for 11 years. He runs most of the business himself but is able to get in one guy to help part-time if he is too busy. Peter’s sister also lends a hand to the IT side of things. He tries to do the maintenance for mowers himself, as it is more affordable than a mechanic, but with a lack of time, it can be tricky. He says to new lawn mowing franchisees, you can always build a run up, so don’t let the client numbers scare you off. A challenge for him is to 'just hang in there' when you are physically tired, just take each day one at a time.

Services Offered

• Lawn Mowing

• Hedge Trimming

• Weed Eating

• Gardening

• Section Tidies

Service Areas

• Whangarei District Boundary

Nigel and Ann provide a range of lawn and gardening services in the Whangarei district. With a commitment to delivering high-quality service, they utilise top-of-the-line equipment such as John Deere 4x4, Husqvarna ride-on, Stihl weed eater and blower, Honda self-propelled catch mower, and Husqvarna mulch self-propelled mower.

Having spent seven years as operators and now a year as master’s with Crewcut, Nigel and Ann bring a wealth of experience and dedication to their work. Before embarking on their journey with Crewcut, Nigel served as a production leader at a local sawmill for over three decades. The transition to lawn mowing was driven by a desire for a change in lifestyle and the availability of a Crewcut franchise in their area.

Nigel and Ann’s primary goal is to become the number one preferred lawn mowing franchise in Whangarei within the next two years. They are focused on building a team of operators who take pride in their work and the Crewcut brand. Both work full-time on the tools and managing office responsibilities, ensuring seamless operations and customer satisfaction.

Their ability to listen to customer needs and deliver services in a fast and friendly manner is a standout skill in their business. Outside of work, family time is paramount, and they enjoy taking their boat out whenever possible. Through their journey with Crewcut, they have learned the importance of communication and advise people wanting to join Crewcut that the business can be tailored to fit their lifestyle, with growth and determination by their own ambitions.

Nigel and Ann are passionate about their community and committed to providing exceptional lawn and gardening services. Their dedication and professional approach make them a trusted choice for maintaining beautiful and well-kept lawns and gardens in the Whangarei district.

Services Offered

• Lawn Mowing

• Hedge trimming

• Gardening

• Pruning

Service Areas

• Central Whangarei

• Raumanga

• Tikipunga

• Kamo

• Hikurangi

Kylie has only been with Crewcut for a short time now but offers a wide range of services.  For central Whangarei and outer suburbs, she provides lawn mowing, hedge trimming, gardening, pruning and also re-planting. She's currently working solo but has the assistance of her daughter when needed, and her partner will be coming on board soon. No brands have been a preference as yet but currently, she has a Honda mower, a Masport and also Stihl weed eaters.

Before Crewcut, Kylie was an Agriculture tutor and a dairy farmer. So she likes the outdoors as you can tell, and says she enjoys making peoples places look lovely. She chose Crewcut as it is a well-known franchise, she had seen operators out and about and knew they were good people. Her goals for the business are to keep building it up so it has a good name and known work ethic. 

Time out of work means time with her family, a glass of wine after a long day or going for walks on Whangarei tracks. Kylie’s previous experience in agriculture means she has a good understanding of plants, seasonal growth, lawn care and treatments. This helps as she is able to provide unique services for garden conscious customers. What she has learnt from Crewcut so far is that it's all about providing good service. Knowing how to deliver expectations and understanding your client base is important. Before starting up you should understand your location, the customer needs and the seasonal requirements specific to the area.

Services Offered

• Lawn mowing

• Hedge trimming

• Light gardening

• Light tree work

Service Areas

• Kensington

Jason has been providing his services to Kensington residents of Whangarei for 14 years now. He is well known in the community and offers a range of services from lawn mowing, trimming, light gardening, pruning and tree work. At this stage, Jason does not have a ride on mower - but his new Oleo-mac push mower suits his clients needs well in central Whangarei.

Before Jason joined Crewcut he spent a few years working as a commercial fisherman. Crewcut caught Jason’s eye as he was looking for something else to do where he was able to work for himself. A franchise was for sale at the time and that was that. Jason has someone to help him out with the work when he needs and also his wife helps out doing the administration side of things.

In his spare time, Jason coaches rugby and likes to get out fishing. But doesn’t have too much spare time these days keeping up with his growing client base. He has learned how to be independent and run a business with Crewcut, having little idea how to beforehand. Living and working in the area for a long time now has made him quite well known which has definitely helped the business and his reputation grow. 

Services Offered

• Lawn mowing

• Ride-on mowing

• Hedge trimming

• Light pruning

• Weeding

Service areas

• Tikipunga

• Whangarei

• Central Whangarei

• Hikurangi

• Hukerenui

Graeme has been servicing Whangarei areas for over three years. Specifically Tikipunga, Hikurangi, central Whangarei and outer suburbs as far as Hukurenui. He has a ride on Husqvarna mower and likes Masport mowers too. With these, he offers lawn mowing, ride-on mowing, light gardening and hedge trimming.

Before joining Crewcut Graeme was a truck driver for 20 years. He chose a change of career with lawn mowing because he wanted flexible hours, something where he wasn’t having to get up in the early hours of the morning. The choice to go with a Crewcut franchise was easy as he knew someone with a franchise who spoke highly of it. Graeme has a part-timer he can bring in if he gets under stress, or one of the other Crewcut members to call on if he needs help.  

Once a month (if he’s lucky) Graeme tries to get out rock or boat fishing in the Bay of Islands, where he knows the area. He does all his books himself so that doesn’t leave too much spare time. Aside from learning the books, Graeme already had most of the skills from doing the lawns ever since he was a kid and his work in forestry made him wary of safety.

The most important things he has learnt is to simply communicate with your clients. If you get on the wrong side of someone you are always going to lose. His advice to new franchisees, try and buy in Spring when the work is all there and put something away for winter. Make sure you don’t go for cheap equipment brands, it’s worthwhile to invest in a quality brand when they will always look after you.

Services Offered

• Mowing

• Light Gardening

• Tree Pruning

• Small Hedges

Service Areas

• Central Whangarei

Bruce joined Crewcut to service central Whangarei but tends to cover the whole of Whangarei really. Always sticking to Honda mowers for easy maintenance, Bruce has also stuck to his truck for ten years now for its ease of manoeuvring. He offers mowing, tree pruning, hedge trimming and light gardening for existing clients.

Prior to joining Crewcut, Bruce worked in the printing and publishing industry, managing a medical publishing company's printing efforts for 30 years. Bruce made the move from Auckland to Whangarei with his wife, which was a big change from the corporate lifestyle. He chose lawn mowing as he thought the area had phenomenal grass growth, as it should, being the 'winterless north'. After looking at three franchise options, he chose Crewcut as it had the best offerings in support and financials.

Bruce’s wife helps him out with the books and also occasionally in the garden, but the rest is just Bruce out there on the mowers.  

In his spare time, he follows Motorsport racing and is heading to Bathurst this year. Bruce loves music, reading and gets out to their caravan on the coast whenever possible. In school, Bruce studied engineering and used those skills in his publishing work to fix the machinery. He still uses those skills these days as he is able to do most of the maintenance on his mowing equipment himself.

While at Crewcut, Bruce says he has learnt a great deal about customer relationships. His work previously was more in backroom operations. This is quite different, having to understand people and communicate with them, listen to feedback and keep them happy. Bruce says before you start up make sure you have a business plan and know how to communicate with customers. Look for a franchise where you trust the people and you will get support.

Services Offered

• Lawn Mowing

• Hedge trimming

• Pruning

Service Areas

• Central Whangarei

Roger & Christine work in central Whangarei suburbs (including Onerahi, Tikipunga, Kamo, Kensington, Maunu, Raumunga, & Morningside), no outer rural or coastal areas. He has Shindaiwer weed eater, a Testa Rossa mower for wet weather, and also a steel Masport mower. Offering services of lawn mowing, pruning, hedges and he also does weeding for a few existing clients. Christine also works on a few commercial garden contracts with her sister.

Before Crewcut, Roger was looking for work, and Christine was working for the local RD1. Roger's brother-in-law had a Crewcut franchise and was wanting to sell due to a knee injury which held him back, so they bought the franchise off him. The business is good right now so there are no goals in mind at the moment, just happy to cruise as it is. Roger likes this outdoors work, even though it can add a bit of wear and tear to your body. His wife helps him out with the gardening and bookwork.

Christine is good with customer service from her experience in call centres. However, Roger prefers old school face-to-face conversation with his clients. Roger likes to cook, play basketball and would love to get out to a Warriors or Breakers game in his spare time.

The biggest learning experience for him with this business is learning to have patience and learning to budget. He says if you are looking at getting a franchise, make sure you love the outdoors. Some people like to get out of the desk and then it can get too hard for them, so be sure you love it.