Our Story
Our Story
Behind our Brand, you will find the Shared Vision, Expertise, and the Passion of a number of dedicated people.
Our story starts way in back in 2010 as an outlet store which developed to become Furniture Zone in 2012. March 2019 when Derin Greenslade invited life-time friends Roger Craig , Cliff and Juli Tolley an opportunity to become partners in a Furniture Zone 2019 Ltd along with his life partner Lindy Dwyer.
The sad passing of Derin in late 2019 sent a big loss to the company. A man who had a huge presence in his personality and life, in General, was sincerely missed. While we as a partnership were coming to terms with our loss came the Covid-19 Pandemic which also had difficulties of its own, By the stepping up of all the company’s great employees Furniture Zone remained committed to their valued customers while continuing the company’s dream of ‘making your house a home’.
Here’s a little about the owners /directors that work in the business.
Kristian Tabb joined Furniture Zone in 2022 and took on the position of CEO.
His career started at the famous John Lewis flagship store on Oxford Street, London, known for exceptional customer service and quality products.
With his experience in retail operations, Kristian excelled in his role at John Lewis and was chosen for their management program. He graduated with a management degree, further enhancing his skills. Kristian, originally from Wimbledon, London, went to Tauranga, New Zealand, to train as a Drive Instructor at Dive HQ. Kristian fell in love with New Zealand, settled here, and made this his home; he has two beautiful Kiwi daughters. Kristian’s dedication and leadership abilities were recognized when he became a regional manager at Noel Leeming’s group retail. He was offered, alongside one co-worker, to begin Noel Leeming for Business, establishing himself as an astute entrepreneur in the retail for business industry.
Kristian now heads up the role as CEO and brings richness to the retailing mix, and Roger and Kristian balance the load. Kristian vision and experience will further shape, grow and bring about strong leadership for the retail & commercial business.
Roger Craig joined the team back in 2019, his background is “a jack of all” starting as a butcher in the early days journeying through managing butcheries and tyre companies, from owning a landscaping company, Marina maintenance company, and water tank vacuum truck company. He spent 7 years as a Dean’ in an adult education facility along with his fingers in a number of other interesting pies. He is passionate about motor racing and power boats when he is not at the Furniture Zone. A devoted husband of two adult girls, who are big supporters of Rogers’s endeavors in business and outside.
Since joining Furniture Zone in 2019, Roger has led a dedicated team of 9 in their 4000 square meter warehouse & their drivers. Roger oversees all the nitty-gritty details, like importing, devanning containers, picking, packing, and delivering your furniture to their 21 stores.
Rogers team has its fleet of trucks & skilled drivers to ensure that your purchases reach our 21 stores safely and on time. Roger also oversees the growing commercial division deliveries, focusing on serving businesses and organizations directly from their 4000-square-meter warehouse.
The Kiwi owners are proud of their business strengths of designing and sourcing most of their products to meet the highest standards of quality and style. They ensure a smooth supply chain that allows them to offer a wide range of affordable furniture options. With our 21 stores conveniently located throughout the region, it’s easy for you to find what you need.
