David Steans
We were delighted to catch up with David, as he is someone who seems to be on a fast-moving journey. As always, we wanted to learn more about his background and the path that led him here—a story that, like many, started without a clear direction.
Growing up on a high-country farm, David attended boarding school at Boys’ High School before moving to Lincoln University to study Commerce. After his first year, he switched to Canterbury University, changing his focus to Law and Economics. David admits he needs constant stimulation to keep up with his fast-paced mind.
He laughs now about his fascination with the image of being a lawyer—the suits, the cars, the whiskey. The reality, however, was far from glamorous, and he eventually dropped out, deciding instead to step up his part-time role at Indigo Brands becoming the manager of the Brave store in Dressmart. David credits Indigo’s owner, Gary Wright, as a strong guiding force in those early days. ‘I was a little loose and needed some strong guidance, which Gary provided,’ he says with a grin, reflecting on the mentorship that helped shape his early career. “Gary’s one clear motto… the key to success is all about great service and good brands.”
David went on to double the store's turnover in the first year, so Gary provided another opportunity for him to go out on the road selling for Indigo Brands. It was here that David developed a passion for business-to-business traveling the length of the country wholesale selling.
We discovered that David’s passion and talent for sales run in the family; his mother worked at Chillis, a fashion store in Timaru, where she became known for selling the most Diesel Jeans per capita worldwide. This connection helped open doors for David as he began his journey in the fashion industry.
However, the Canterbury Earthquakes struck, destroying the building where he worked. After a short stint working from his family home in Timaru, David relocated to Auckland, accepting a role from Nic Floyd at Federated Pacific, a clothing manufacturer. When Nic moved on, David stepped up to the role of National Sales Manager, a position he held for four years until Nic, now General Manager at Nevada Sport, reached out again. David joined Nevada Sport as a sales representative but saw an opportunity for growth, noting that Nic was always progressing with his career and liked to move forward.
After a year, David was promoted to Sales Manager, and it was during this time that he met his now-wife, Elle, who also worked at Nevada. Elle is one of two daughters of Hamish and Jenny Cochran, who founded Nevada Sport in 1978. As their relationship blossomed, David and Elle had to come clean with the family, and, true to David’s nature, things moved quickly: married within two years, kids within three, and during this time, David scaled up the business and set it on a new trajectory. Hamish says it’s exciting to be a family business and to now step back while the next generation takes the reins. With financial support from his family, David has now bought into the company and assumed the role of Managing Director.
Driven by the need to expand, the business recently secured a lease in Rolleston’s iZone through MON, a building group that delivers tailored building solutions for its clients. This connection provided David the opportunity to deliver a future-focused solution that will take their business to the next level and prepare it for the next era. Their building includes a purpose-built, Koru-style lounge for their wholesale customers, which top-tier clients have praised as one of the best wholesale showrooms in the country.
David tells us their new distribution centre and showroom also provided confidence for the acquisition of the Sweaty Betty distribution rights to New Zealand and Australia. The negotiations took over a year, and before moving to their new location, Sweaty Betty jokingly referred to the business as “The Last of the Mohicans,” given its previous headquarters was a converted woolshed.
The family business recently secured a lease in the new Carter development on the corner of Cashel & Manchester Streets, where they’ve just opened their first Sweaty Betty flagship store. But there’s more—David reveals they’ll also be opening the first Denham store next to Sweaty Betty in mid-November. The Denham brand is rooted in the West but influenced by the East and brings a distinct Asian spirit to its designs. We can’t wait to check this out when it opens.
David’s fast and wide-ranging thinking seems perfectly suited to the pace of his business. This mindset is a common theme among entrepreneurs, and we’re grateful for their investment in our City Centre.
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