Long-serving ex-Farmers boss killed in car crash

The man responsible for building one of New Zealand’s most iconic brands has died in a car crash.

Former Farmers chief executive Rod McDermott, 61, died on Wednesday in a head-on collision between a car and a truck.

Emergency services were called to the scene on Welcome Bay Rd in Kairua, near Tauranga, at about 2.30pm. McDermott died at the scene.

He had been living in Welcome Bay with his wife, Irma.

McDermott stood down from his position with Farmers in October 2016 after 25 years with the company.

Farmers’ staff were notified of his death on Thursday.

David Norman, co-owner of James Pascoe group which owns Farmers, said McDermott ‘‘very talented’’.

‘‘His understanding of merchandise and, just as importantly, supplier relationships was exceptional,’’ Norman said.

‘‘His love of the Farmers department stores business was immense and his input in the look and the feel of the business over the past decade is evident when you walk in the store.’’

First Retail Group managing director Chris Wilkinson said McDermott was one of the country’s most influential retailers.

He said Farmers was a quiet achiever in the market, and that McDermott had led the company through a period of significant change for the retail industry.

‘‘If you look at department stores globally, Farmers was the Sears of New Zealand. If you look at where Sears is now, it’s a shadow of its former self. But was under Rod McDermott’s captaincy Farmers changed seismically and became much more confident.’’

He said the Farmers Club was one of its big successes, and was one of the best-performing loyalty programmes in Australasia.

Farmers had also succeeded by cornering the cosmetics and perfume market and bringing in wellknown overseas labels in its fashion department.

Farmers was a key part of the commercial life of many provinces, Wilkinson said, and that was a strategy that had been driven from Farmers’ leadership.

The James Pascoe Group operated under the radar, but was a ‘‘retail juggernaut’’ and included Whitcoulls and jewellers Pascoe and Stewart Dawson.

A spokesman for Retail NZ said: ‘‘Rod had a significant role in New Zealand retail and we are sad to hear of his tragic passing.’’