From fairways and fields to fences.
When a husband and wife team fresh from their respective careers in top-level sport start a business, one thing is for certain: they don’t do things by halves.
Meet Luke Brown and Jan Rowsell. He’s an ex pro golfer and she’s a 29 test veteran of the NZ Black Sticks hockey team.
Together they own and run Mako Solutions, bringing premium aluminium fencing at lower prices to business, developers and homeowners - and building a stellar reputation for outstanding products and exceptional service.
When you call Mako, you speak directly to Luke and Jan. And when they’re on the job, everybody wins. For Jan, being owner/operators of a business also comes with a certain feeling of destiny.
“I always dreamed of running my own business. My parents did it and Luke and I wanted the same flexibility and opportunities for our family – to join forces and build Mako has been a dream.” - Jan.
And even though you don’t find Luke hitting the fairways quite so often these days, he is constantly surprised at how echoes of the golf life find their way into his work Mako.
“It’s great working with people to come up with the best solutions, then seeing them come to life. Much like golf, I thrive on the challenge of trying to make things better every day - and celebrating the wins.” - Luke
Both Luke and Jan have a wealth of experience in other fields, too. Luke also owns a landscape construction business and Jan is a seasoned expert in business management and marketing, including her role as a driving force behind the wildly successful LOVE GOLF campaign for NZ Golf.
But perhaps the greatest part about having Mako for both Luke and Jan is how well it works for family life compared to their sporting days.
“Golf was a lot of travel and time away, I’m really grateful Mako gives me the opportunity to have balance with our family.” - Luke.
In fact, the further they get into their journey, the more both Luke and Jan realise that as much as Mako Solutions is about superior fencing products, it is just as much about relationships and people. So many of their early clients came through their sporting ties, and they are determined to repay their faith.
“I would love Mako to be a space for people to grow their careers in a people-and-family-first environment with opportunities to give back to the many communities that support Luke and I and our girls.” - Jan
For anyone lucky enough to meet or work with Luke and Jan, it’s clear that these are two people who love what they do, value the people they do it with and are determined to be the best.
No half measures here.