Meet The Team
PROPRIETOR
Adam Blackwell
Mr Blackwell is the visionary behind Blackwell and Sons, and its commercial and creative driving force. He is a specialist in brand development and execution, and runs his own advertising agency, Stun, which services clients throughout the US and Europe.
About as politically correct as whale-hunting, Mr Blackwell loves to take on non-sensical, charge-by-the-hour bureaucracy, especially if it stands in the way of a certain theatricality he delights in bringing to all of his endeavours. He is renowned for his creative flair, decisiveness and sparkling wit, but not so much his athletic prowess.
Mr Blackwell’s litmus test for commercial and creative decision-making is whether his mother will be offended. Regular clips around the ear are the price he pays for pushing the envelope too far.
GENERAL MANAGER
Shane Kelly
Mr Kelly is the kind of person you want around following a natural disaster. While his colleagues could prepare a pretty effective press release about what was happening, Mr Kelly possesses the kind of skills that would actually help society to recover.
His practicality is put to perfect use as Blackwell and Sons’ front man, heavy lifter and all-round go-to guy. Mr Kelly assembles, sells, delivers and maintains bicycles, manages stock inventory, runs the Greytown emporium and dazzles customers with his sparkling service. He takes calls at all hours of the day and night, drives the length and breadth of the country on official business, and knows everything worth knowing about Pashley’s two-wheeled masterpieces.
If you ask nicely, he might even fillet some cod for you on his days off. Oh, but Friday is pie day. Don’t ever get in the way of that.
VP SALES AND MERCHANDISING
Michelle Brown
Michelle brings an impressive CV of retail clout to her role at Blackwell and Sons. At the innocent age of eight, Michelle entered the world of commerce by creating a charity support mechanism in the garage of her family homestead, under the disarming guise of a Brownie branded business.
Now, she welcomes and educates store guests at for Blackwell and Sons.
When she isn’t improving one of Greytown’s finest emporiums, Michelle can be found gardening or providing support to the busy schedule of the Carterton farm she now calls home. Her dogs also receive a lot of attention, and to stay in shape, Michelle heads to the gym regularly. She claims to be able to bench press Mr Blackwell’s body weight. Mr Blackwell is pursuing an eating routine to ensure that remains an aspiration, not an accomplishment.
VP SALES AND CLIENT CARE
Trish Longstaff
As well as boasting an impressive résumé of retailing achievement, which includes managing jewellery stores in New Zealand and on the Gold Coast and owning a successful café in Upper Hutt, Trish holds a PhD in Niceness from the University of Congeniality. Her niceness is so infectious that her boss, whose grouchiness is near-legendary, hasn’t used the word “humbug” in over a year.
Trish begins her day at Blackwell and Sons helping to set up the atmosphere in store, with tasteful music, exquisite fragrances and immaculately displayed merchandise. Then she pours her energy into helping clients find the perfect product or gift. That might be a Pashley bicycle with electric assist, a pair of London Socks or a postcard – it doesn’t matter. The joy of helping, she says, is equal.
Trish says she loves working with her passionate and talented colleagues, and adores her company vehicle (it’s a Pashley Britannia – in Greytown Green, of course!).
VP SALES AND CLIENT CARE
Mary Meachen
Quite the social butterfly, Mary is deeply interested in our Greytown emporium guests; their children, how their jobs are going, what the new colours look like in their kitchen and how their breakfast tasted this morning. She’s a real people person and loves getting chatty.
Mary’s pre-Greytown life includes 20 years in teaching at primary schools in New Zealand and Australia. Then with a growing obsession in cookbooks, coffee and chitty-chat, she set up Shine Café, followed by the very popular Smith the Grocer in Wellington. Both of these successful businesses were sold and now Mary is fully immersed in retail at both Blackwell & Sons and Mrs Blackwell’s Village Bookshop.
Mary is into ABBA - she is therefore a Dancing Queen; she’s also on a fitness drive at the moment with her walking and gym regime.