Maleny IGA’s Rob Outridge remembered coming to Maleny with his wife Sam in 1995.

“We were driving in to town to take the business over and we looked at each other and we said, ‘what are we doing? We’ve got a business that has 62 employees. We’ve got no leadership experience. We’ve just come from a newsagency’. 

“And, we decided at that time, on two principles: we would treat everyone the way we would like to be treated and we would do our best. That was it.” 

Members of the Maleny community who gathered at Maleny RSL for a special farewell to the popular Maleny IGA couple would agree those founding principals paid off. 

But after 27 years of serving the locals, they have sold their supermarket to Seasons IGA group.

While the focus was on Rob and Samantha, they responded and acknowledged their hard-working staff, making particular mention of Store Manager Owen Gray and HR Manager Karen Gray.

“We were keepers of the vision. But we’ve got a hundred employees now and they, they actually do the work. They’re the people that actually make it happen on the floor for you.    And there’s been over a thousand employees have gone through IGA in our time. 

“I still remember the first night (former owner) Allison Frew introduced us to the staff and one junior put his hand up and said, ‘do we call you Rob and Sam or Mr and Mrs Outridge?’. And I said, ‘you call us Rob and Sam, your children can call us Mr and Mrs Outridge’. And now, 26 years later we’ve got to that stage! We’re employing the children of our former juniors.” 

“It’s so important that small communities need to stick together,” said Rob. 

“Thank you for supporting us, so we could support you. It’s that simple. Now our time has come and Samantha and I are very comfortable to be handing over to Seasons IGA because we know that they run great businesses. They look after their people, and they look after their communities. 

Chief Executive Officer Seasons IGA Supermarkets Dustin Pereira was also on hand to congratulate the Outridge’s and ensure the community that his company would continue the Outridge tradition of service to the community.

“Rob and his team have done an amazing job,” he said. “We are so inspired by the connection that they have with the community and with their staff. 

“It’s really unmatched compared to anything that I’ve really ever seen. 

“Rob and Sam will forever be a part of Maleny and would always be a welcomed mentor and guiding light for us in the Maleny business, from the culture you’ve created with your team, just to the love that you have your local community, we congratulate you for what you’ve achieved, and we’re honoured to continue your legacy here in Maleny.” 

The event was hosted by the Rotary Club of Maleny who invited community group’s representatives to attend.

The Rotary Club of Maleny acknowledged Rob and Samantha’s hard work in the community with the presentation of a Paul Harris Fellowship award, the highest Rotary award, in recognition of their substantial contribution to making life better for many more vulnerable members of the community.

Councillor Winston Johnston - Division 5 Sunshine Coast Council presented them with the “keys to the township”, in the form of a beautiful handcrafted key by one of our resident master woodcarvers, Dave Southern.

Lisa Plucknet, who, with keen observations in an ingenious ballad, wittily captured many events that have occurred to Rob and Samantha over the past 27 years and their contributions of around $2million to the community through the renowned Community Benefits Club.