Departure Lounge caskets and the benefits of business guidance

Andy and Maggie Mitchell had not originally intended to start a business crafting personalised caskets. 

But when Andy built one for his father, the family found it a meaningful way to help with the grieving process.

“Andy’s father became very unwell and as things worked out, we had a bit of time to plan for his last wishes.  Andy offered to build him a casket out of his Kauri timber,” Maggie says. 

“Stuart was a former boat builder and he and his son together decided the casket would be made of ply with rope handles as a nod to Stuart’s days at sea. It helped him to know that was one less thing his family would have to think about after he was gone.”

When Andy’s mother passed he also hand-made her casket, painted in her favourite colour – red – and decorated with illustrated pukekos.

Andy already owned a business, MCL Packaging, providing specialised packaging solutions. It was there he developed skills with his hands and an eye for innovation and design.

Using those skills he wanted to provide personalised caskets for others, knowing how beneficial the experience had been for him.

Departure Lounge caskets were born.

“We chose to develop the business slowly initially because we wanted to develop close relationships with our customers and to create a range of beautiful caskets and urns that would give people a wide range of choice. “

Launched in 2014, Departure Lounge caskets quickly received positive feedback, not only from funeral directors, the business’s key customers, but also from media and family directly.

“People are interested in our caskets and urns because they like that they are New Zealand made, natural and perhaps most importantly that they can choose what they look like to reflect the unique life and personality of their loved ones.”

The pair were determined from the start to ensure their business was headed in the right direction along the way they discovered Soda.

It was opportunity for growth.

Soda runs customised programmes for start-ups across New Zealand, pairing them with mentors and nurturing their development. They quickly established an individualised programme to help Departure Lounge caskets on their journey.

“Andy and I graduated from the Soda Lift Programme just before launching Departure Lounge to the market in 2014. “

“It was actually a suggestion from a friend that we look at Soda, to help us launch Departure Lounge to the market. We live in the Waikato and meeting weekly onsite in Hamilton was convenient and really helped us focus our energy on successful outcomes.”

Maggie and Andy were paired with a Business Growth Advisor. He helped guide them through the process of developing a marketing plan. For Maggie, the process has emphasised how vital relationships are, both with customers and other businesses.

When Andy himself passed away in 2017 Maggie progressed onwards, and focused on continued growth for their project.

“Life can be incredibly fragile and, with the passing of Andy last year, it was bravely necessary that I completed what we’d started. I returned and finished the Soda Lift Programme in August this year, with a range of new strategic goals for the business.”

“I feel very much part of the Soda whanau,” says Maggie.

“Having been on this incredibly challenging journey, I realise the importance of relationships and having access to this incredibly talented group of people, reassures me that I’m not alone on this journey. “

“Every year we look at our relationships with our customers, assess the feedback we receive on our products and designs, and of course review revenue. We completely review the business from top to bottom, looking for opportunities for improvement and development.”

“Our key goal is to help families provide a meaningful tribute to their loved-ones so we will always stay true to that philosophy.”

Maggie will be one of the speakers at next week’s Soda Inc. Ambition Showcase in Hamilton, an event highlighting the work of some of New Zealand’s ambitious and passionate entrepreneurs, and how they’ve worked with Soda to grow and develop their businesses

To hear more inspirational stories from inspiring entrepreneurs like Maggie – click here for tickets.