GTS Farm Supplies owners Paige Wade and Jordan Sauter with their AIRR award.
Tongala’s GTS Farm Supplies is a decorated store with a recent national award being added to the shelf.
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GTS Farm Supplies co-owner Paige Wade was originally an accountant but bought the Mangan St store four years ago.
The GTS Farm Supplies team Jordan Sauter, Paige Wade, Georgina Hacon and Paul Cox.
Photo by
Djembe Archibald
Ms Wade was part of the Australian Independent Rural Retailer’s Young Guns program, which she joined to benefit the store.
“They put us through training to invest into the future,” Ms Wade said.
“We go down to Melbourne, do a seminar.
“We learn a whole heap of stuff and then go back into our stores and implement it and then report back to them, and it’s a good opportunity to meet other young people in the industry and collaborate and get new ideas.”
GTS Farm Supplies Tongala is an AIRR winner.
Photo by
Djembe Archibald
She received runner-up for the Young Guns award and then got news that she had been nominated for AIRR Store of the Year Victoria/Tasmania this year.
“That was a bit of a surprise to be nominated, and we took it out, which was good,” Ms Wade said.
“Pretty proud of the whole group, really.
“Our whole team’s worked hard for the last three years to continue to grow and have new initiatives and changes, so to be recognised for it was pretty cool.”
Paige Wade speaking at the AIRR Young Guns 2024-25 Conference.
The Tongala community has rallied around the store, before and after the award, Ms Wade said.
“Our community support’s been fantastic,” she said.
“We’ve done a fair few new initiatives and the support’s been really good.
“I’m so proud of our little store for punching above its weight.”
The store’s initiatives include a reward program, called DIY Rewards, and introducing Greenham’s meat in-store.
Greenham’s meat is now stocked in-store.
Photo by
Djembe Archibald
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