Cricks Nambour celebrates lasting local connections

Cricks Nambour Dealer Principal, Dan Hunt, with staff and trainees from the Compass Connections Cafe.

Business Writeup: Cricks Nambour

This year marks the 10th anniversary of what has been a rewarding and mutually beneficial partnership between Cricks Nambour dealership and The Compass Institute.

“We were first introduced to Compass via one of our staff’s wives at Nambour, who worked for the Bendigo Bank,” said Nambour Dealer Principal Dan Hunt.

“At the time, the Bendigo Bank was the original sponsor of the Compass Charity Golf Day. We met Compass CEO, David Dangerfield and were so impressed by the concept of The Compass Institute in general that we sponsored a hole on the golf day, as a minor sponsor,” Mr Hunt said.

“The following year David approached us to offer us major sponsorship rights and we did not hesitate. That was nine years ago and we haven’t looked back.

“As we got to know David and were fortunate enough to hear more about his evolving plans for The Compass Institute, we wanted our business to become involved in any way we could,” said Mr Hunt.

“We loved what they were doing, and the passion and integrity with which they did it.”

Cricks had acquired the old shell service station next door to the dealership at 952 Nambour Connection Rd and through a casual conversation with David Dangerfield, a plan was hatched to expand the operations of Compass and offer a greater diversity of experience to its trainees.

“One day David mentioned to us that he wanted to open a cafe in Nambour in order to give Compass trainees the opportunity to work in hospitality,” said Mr Hunt. 

“It occurred to us that we had the perfect block right next door. We had a discussion about it with Garry Crick and he agreed that we should offer the space to The Compass Institute for the cafe. The building on the block needed quite a bit of work, but in true Compass form, the team made it happen.”

Having a Compass business right next door allowed the team at Cricks to see personally how their association has helped to enrich the lives of Compass trainees.

“It has been an entirely mutually beneficial arrangement, on every level,” said Mr Hunt.

“When the cafe first opened its doors, we pulled the coffee machine out of our showroom and moved it into the cafe. Our staff were all given coffee vouchers and went next door to buy their coffee. When the project first kicked off, I don’t think we were really prepared for how wonderful it would be. It was a totally new environment for the trainees but they took to it very quickly. Getting to know the trainees at the cafe has been something that all of our staff cherish.”

A business the size of Cricks Nambour inevitably attracts a lot of requests from charitable and community organisations for financial support.

“There are so many worthy causes and wonderful people serving our community in all kinds of ways, but something that stood out to me about Compass from the beginning was that they were the first organisation to call us and ask how we were going, and if there was anything they could do to help our business,” said Mr Hunt.

“They approached us in a truly collaborative spirit and I guess we feel that now, we are a part of their business and they are a part of ours. Through our association with Compass we have pulled together our staff and the community in a way that is creative, heartfelt and mutually beneficial. The impact of engaging with the trainees has given our business a different focus.”

Along with The Compass Institute, Cricks also proudly supports IFYS, Bloomhill Cancer Care and Bin the Blade for Balin (a Sunshine Coast based charitable organisation). 

“Ideally we like our relationships with organisations to be long term because we think it allows for true collaboration and growth over time,” Mr Hunt explained. 

“Every quarter, we get together with the team at Compass and have lunch at the Palmwoods Hotel. There is never a particular agenda but as we sit together we find that the ideas just start to flow. 

“We also find that our association with Compass attracts great people to us. We have recently entered into a sponsorship with local Wallabies rugby union scrum half, Tate McDermott,” said Mr Hunt. 

“Tate is our ambassador and when he was last on the coast he spent time at the Compass Cafe in our Caloundra showroom, meeting the trainees and making coffee. He is an incredible talent and such a down to earth guy. We were blown away that he so happily spent time at the cafe.”

Anyone who has purchased a car from the Cricks will have had the opportunity to sample some of the handiwork of the trainees of the Compass farm in Palmwoods.

“Every car that goes out has a beautiful little handmade timber box with jams, pickles and honey from the Compass farm,” Mr Hunt said. 

“We are proud to be able to use our business to tell a little of the Compass story in our own way. It is impossible not to be touched by it. It is business from the heart and the synchronous experiences and opportunities we have been blessed with along the way have been priceless.”