Advanced Micro ProfessionalsManaging Director
Sep. 1989 - Nov. 1993GisborneIn September of 1989 I started a company in league with my younger brother and a personal friend. AMPS operated as a computer retailer supplying and installing small to medium business computer solutions. The business grew to encompass several large third party service contracts including Trilogy Business Systems, Bull Information Systems, Olivetti Network Services, Honeywell, Hermes Precia, Mischa Coin Scan and Computerland. The above contracts saw me working with clients such as Inland Revenue, Social Welfare, Travel Agents, Legal offices, factories, medical offices and other “mission critical” applications. My forte was Novell but I also gained experience with Lantastic, OS/2 and Lan Manager network operating systems. Having to also manage and service Unix and Xenix sites as well as other proprietary operating systems allowed me to gain a broad understanding of multiuser operating systems. Business-wise, during this time I secured for our company the first Dick Smith franchise in New Zealand. I was successful over 8 other applicants. This saw our customer base for PCs and home computing products increase by over 500%. We also secured another business, a television and aerial repair company that we ran to secure larger service facilities. As well as this I opened another premise in Rotorua retailing consumer electronics products. All told our total staff was 11 people operating out of three premises. Total sales for the business during this period was over 3 million dollars.