When he was a boy, Yasa Panagoda dreamed of becoming a pilot.
He achieved that goal and then he went on to set and achieve new goals — with CrestClean.
It has been 10 years since Yasa joined the company as the Regional Manager for Christchurch North, in which time he has grown the region exponentially, with no plans to slow down.
Below, he reflects on the last 10 years:
How much has CrestClean grown in the region over the past 10 years?
When I started, there were 18 franchise teams and now there are 40. The turnover was around $1 million and now it’s almost $5 million.
When you started, did you think you would stay at CrestClean this long?
Yes, I wanted to make sure that I did my job to CrestClean’s satisfaction as well. It works both ways.
What do you consider to be your biggest achievement with CrestClean?
Reaching $4 million was something that always stays in my mind. One of the comments made by one of my best friends Rob Glenie was: “Starting a business, surviving through Covid, earthquakes and the mosque attacks makes it a successful business. How many other businesses do you think would have done that?”
What do you like most about your job?
Seeing our franchisees being successful — buying their first home, going on overseas holidays, getting a higher education — and seeing and meeting with happy customers. I love working with people, and I like the customer care part of it.
Over the years I have met so many wonderful people inside and outside of CrestClean.
Some of them have become really good friends, which I’m really grateful for. The working hours are flexible, so I manage to get lots of family time to spend with my kids, and time to go for a game of golf or take a day off to head out back country on 4×4 trips with the boys.
What do you like about CrestClean as a company?
After my first meeting with Grant, the Managing Director, I knew I wanted to be a part of CrestClean. The support from head office, the marketing team and all the other regional managers makes your job a lot easier. It is not what an individual person can achieve, it’s what we all achieve at CrestClean. It’s a team effort. I enjoy it very much.
What are your career goals for the next 10 years?
I want to build a stronger CrestClean team in Christchurch North, so we can provide even better customer care in the region, and to at least double the turnover and number of franchise teams.
What about personal goals?
I am looking forward to getting my paragliding license soon. I’m just waiting for my kit to arrive, and I hope to start training in spring. I love being up in the air because when you’re concentrating on flying you forget everything else, you feel free.
