Member Spotlight – Horoia Cleaning

He Hokinga Ki Te Kāinga, He Pakihi Nā Te Whānau

How Joe and Aroha Thompson built Horoia Cleaning through manaakitanga, resilience and whānau values
Dedicated to the memory of Cherie Bidois

For Joe Thompson (Te Atiawa, Ngāti Mutunga) and Aroha Thompson (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Awa, Te Arawa) the journey home to Taranaki was never part of the plan. It was shaped by loss, whānau, responsibility and the pull of kāinga.

The couple, who have shared more than 40 years together, spent decades building careers across Aotearoa and Australia. Their work in hospitality, tourism and emergency services took them throughout Australia — from Hobart, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin to Melbourne, the Whitsundays and the Gold Coast — as well as across Aotearoa, including Waitangi, Auckland and Queenstown.

But in 2017, everything changed. Within weeks, Joe lost his brother Andrew, Aroha lost her sister Moana, and then Joe’s sister Cherie Bidois was tragically killed in a car accident near Gore. “When we brought Cherie home to Waitara, our whānau told us it was time to come home for good,” Aroha says. “Our dad was nearly 90, and there were responsibilities that needed us here.”

Soon after, Joe was offered his old role back with Hato Hone St John in Auckland, but it would have meant living apart again. “We didn’t come home to live separate lives,” Aroha says. “So, we decided to build something together instead.”  
That decision became Paramount Cleaning Services, trading as Horoia Cleaning Ltd.“We liked the franchise model because we could see it worked,” Joe says. “We wanted something stable that we could grow.”  When the couple met with Paramount directors in Auckland, they were handed the opportunity almost immediately.“We walked into the boardroom thinking we’d just have a conversation,” Aroha laughs. “Next minute they were offering us the business and handing us the keys to a car parked outside.” Although they had never owned a business the pair brought years of leadership, customer service and people management experience to the table.

Through her hospitality career, Aroha cared for a long list of high-profile guests including Prince Charles (now King Charles III), the Māori Queen, the Governor-General, Prime Ministers, Jonah Lomu, the All Blacks, international league teams, billionaires, Mariah Carey, Katy Perry and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. “Manaakitanga was always at the centre of what we did,” she says. “I’ve always believed hospitality is about manaakitanga,” she says. “No matter who people are, you look after them properly.”

Starting with just 12 clients across Taranaki, the couple quickly built a reputation through hard work, consistency and relationships.  Within eight months, the business had grown significantly and was nominated for the 2018 Westpac Franchise Awards.

Over the years, Horoia Cleaning grew to nearly 200 commercial and residential clients across Taranaki and Whakatāne. At its peak, the business employed more than 25 staff and has provided opportunities to more than 50 people over the years.  Today, the couple intentionally keep the team at 15, a size that allows balance, sustainability and connection with their people.

For Joe and Aroha, success has never been measured purely by profit.  “It’s always been about people,” Joe says. That whakaaro has shaped every part of the business.“If the fit isn’t right, it’s not worth it,” Joe says.

Both say their values were grounded long before business ownership.  Joe grew up on Ōwae surrounded by kaumātua and kuia passing down knowledge and tikanga. Aroha’s whakapapa connects to Kaipara, Whakarewarewa, and Whakatāne.  “We learned from our parents and tūpuna,” Aroha says. “Manaakitanga wasn’t something you switched on for business. It was already part of who we were.”

The couple say one of the biggest lessons in business has been understanding the importance of support.  “There’s a big difference between working in high-pressure management roles and suddenly being responsible for payroll, staff and every business decision,” Aroha says.

Reflecting on their journey, there are three things they wish they had from the beginning:
A good accountant who understood them and could communicate clearly:
A business mentor to help guide them through challenges.
Māori business support networks like He Toronga Pakihi.

Looking back, they wish they had connected earlier with Māori business networks like He Toronga Pakihi ki Taranaki, alongside having strong mentors and advisors around them.
“In business, relationships matter,” Joe says. “With your clients, your staff, your community — that’s everything.”  In those early years, much of their support came from whānau, especially Joe’s teina Damon.  “He is always there for us it goes both ways since we were young,” Joe says.  That whānau mindset continues to shape the business today. “We’re not the only ones who benefit from our business — our whole whānau does,” Aroha says.

Outside of work, the pair have also focused on their own hauora, recently joining Taranaki Toa and completing their first triathlons together in Napier and Okahu Bay.  After years of putting work first, it became another reminder of what can happen when people back themselves.  “You can do anything you want to do,” Aroha says. “You just have to believe in yourself.”  Even now, after years in business, the couple continue adapting to changing economic conditions while staying grounded in their kaupapa.  “You’ve just got to roll with the punches,” Joe says. “Adapt, work hard and stick to your values.”

Today, Joe and Aroha continue building Horoia Cleaning the same way they built their lives together — through resilience, hard work, manaakitanga and whānau. 

Aroha Mobile: +64 21 052 4194
Joe Mobile:+64 21 114 3776