Former Highlander Josh Hohneck (38) and his partner Sam Dolan have bought Hammer Hardware in Waikouaiti, their second business venture in the town following the establishment of Ms Dolan’s successful Garage Fit initiative a year ago, a venture which began after Ms Dolan was exercising in the couple’s garage and invited friends around to work out.
It proved popular with other mothers with young children.
As a result, while pregnant with the couple’s third daughter Darcy, now 1, Ms Dolan started doing her personal training certificate.
Now she had clients from Dunedin and throughout East Otago, many attracted by being able to bring their children who were safe in a fenced area with a trampoline and playroom while they worked out.
With two other daughters, Olive (5) and August (3), and working between about eight and 12 personal training sessions a week and four group fitness sessions, Ms Dolan felt like she had just managed her time with the gym and children.
Mr Dolan then suggested they buy the local hardware business.
The outdoors-loving, pig hunting tighthead prop was used to small town living; originally from Waiuku in the North Island, he bought a property near the beach in Waikouaiti at the end of 2015.
He had been looking to buy somewhere around Dunedin, but not in the city as he was keen for "a bit more space", and he had done a lot of hunting in the East Otago area.
After he signed a rugby-playing deal at English club Gloucester, the couple rented their house and moved to the rolling hills of the Cotswolds.
But one year in, Covid-19 hit and players were given the opportunity to come home.
So they abruptly left their new life and returned to the North Island where they bought Mr Hohneck’s grandfather’s farm and their second daughter was born. They moved south when Mr Hohneck signed a contract with the Highlanders and shifted back to Waikouaiti.
He was keen to buy a farm — they sold his grandfather’s farm in February — but he acknowledged it was a tough industry to be in at the moment. While that was still on the cards in the future, the Hammer Hardware opportunity arose and he decided he could run a hardware business.
He could see potential in the business, saying the relative isolation became a strength. Anyone wanting screws or some paint at present had to go to Dunedin or Oamaru.
The business also had "huge backing" from the local community, Ms Dolan added. "People need it, they love it ... [they] have been super excited about us taking over," she said.
While people might look on it as a small business, the Hammer Hardware network was owned by Mitre 10, with franchises throughout the country.
That meant that customers in the Waikouaiti store could buy anything in stock at Mitre 10 if they were happy to sometimes wait several days.
A challenge for the couple was how much stock they could hold — their stock had doubled over the last month — so any product that was too obscure or they could not afford to stock could be acquired.
Ms Dolan said "playing shops" was the most enjoyable part. The "back end" — or office work side of the business — was the hardest part. With her other roles as gym owner and mother, she was constantly switching hats.
She was thankful that her partner was very much a practical person and handyman so was well versed in the intricacies of home improvement.
Initially, Mr Hohneck had intended taking every Thursday off for a mid-week hunting expedition but that had not worked out so far as they focused on figuring out systems. But once that happened, there would hopefully time for hunting and family.
While Mr Hohneck said he did not want to play down the transition for other professional rugby players for their life after sport, he never thought it was going to be an issue for him.
He also had a realistic view that his rugby was only going to be for a short period and he had an "amazing career". It was now awesome to have him home with the children, Ms Dolan said.
He was coaching at the local Eastern rugby club and even played a game last week. "I’m trying to avoid playing but I do get dragged in when numbers are a bit short."
