Funeral director takes out top business award

Funeral director takes out top business award

A commitment to doing whatever it takes to host funerals that celebrate the life of the deceased and meet the family’s unique requirements (no matter how extraordinary) has seen Casey Martin, managing director of Eagars Funeral Services, take out the ultimate accolade in the prestigious Bloom Her Businesswoman of the Year 2010 Awards.

Casey, who has described her work as “event management specialising in grand finales”, was presented with her award at a business star-studded ceremony at the Heritage Auckland Hotel last night. Judges, who included leading Kiwi businesswomen Annah Stretton of Stretton Group and Lynn Walker of Westpac, commended Casey for the passion, tenacity and innovation she has shown since she bought the business from her late parents’ estate in 2007, and for her commitment to her staff and the wider funeral services industry. Under Casey’s leadership, Eagars - founded by her grandfather Roy in Taranaki in 1950 - has thrived, growing its annual turnover and profitability at exceptional levels while maintaining its reputation for excellence. Casey’s business prowess also earned her two other accolades on the night - the Best Micro Business and Sustainable Business awards.

Stretton said that, with every financial aspect of the business growing measurable year on year, Eagars “has as sound a business future as you could wish for”.

“To be truly sustainable, any business must continue to have strong leadership, a pattern of continued innovation and review and of course a financial transparency that allows the business owner to accentuate the positives and quickly change any negatives,” she said. “Casey Martin has a well-practised business style that uses this winning formula to achieve significant results.”

The awards ceremony, held in conjunction with the two-day Bloom Her Business Forum, was attended by about 125 guests, who included some of New Zealand’s most talented female businesswomen and their families. Now in their 12th year, the awards are designed to celebrate the achievements of the many New Zealand women who run exceptionally successful operations, inspire and support their peers and make extraordinary contributions to their communities and the environment.

Hosted by TV presenter-turned-Hamilton-City-councillor Kay Gregory and with keynote addresses from comedian extraordinaire Michele A’Court and Annah Stretton, the event proved an entertaining, inspiring and educational experience for guests.

For Casey, of course, it was particularly unforgettable. A former racehorse trainer in Japan, Casey joined the family business in 1992, expecting it to be a short-term gig. Her part-time role soon grew into a full-time one, however, and when her father John passed away suddenly in 2004, she took responsibility for managing the company. Since then, Casey has implemented numerous changes designed to enable Eagars to host a wider variety of funerals. From the extended and totally revamped funeral home through to the imported Daimler DS420 hearse, every change has been made to ensure she caters to the very special needs each family will have at a very important moment in their lives.

Other finalists for the Bloom Her Businesswoman of the Year 2010 award were Karen Fifield of Wellington Zoo Trust, Cilla Hegarty of NZ Tax Refunds and Jane Williams of The Property Store.

Presentation of the Bloom Her Businesswoman of the Year Award capped off an evening of awards for outstanding Kiwi businesswomen. Winners in other categories were:

• Best New Business: Jane Williams, The Property Store
• Best SME Business (6+ employees): Cilla Hegarty, NZ Tax Refunds Ltd
• Best Micro Business (1-5 employees): Casey Martin, Eagars Funeral Services
• Most Inspirational Role Models: Louisa Currie and Heidi Riley, Belly Beyond
• Outstanding Citizenship: Biddy Harford, Te Omanga Hospice
• Sustainable Business Award: Casey Martin, Eagars Funeral Services
• Outstanding Business Leader: Karen Fifield, Wellington Zoo Trust
Her Business Network of the Year 2010: Sally Connell, Wellington Her Business Network

ENDS

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