Erkkila wins Hall of Fame Award

Posted September 28, 2010 | By Coleby Nicholson

Prominent New Zealand jewellery industry figure Doug Erkkila has won the inaugural JANZ Hall of Fame Award.

The 83-year-old jeweller has seen and done just about everything when it comes to the Australasian jewellery trade, and it’s no wonder given that his involvement in the industry spans five decades.

When accepting the Jewellers Association of New Zealand’s (JANZ) inaugural Hall of Fame and Lifetime Member Award, the jovial and popular Erkkila was, unusually, lost for words saying only “I really don’t know what to say. For me to have won such an award is such an honour, especially when you look at the calibre of the other four nominees. The list is a Who’s Who of the jewellery trade”.

He was clearly taken aback when the award was announced on Saturday at the second annual New Zealand Jewellery Fair, as he was up against four other leading jewellery names - Michael Hill, Peter Minturn and Anne Norman of James Pascoe and John Franich.

JANZ members were asked to vote for their preferred winner of The Hall of Fame and in announcing the award Russell Sinclair, JANZ Regional Manager said, “In New Zealand we are most fortunate to have world class people in the jewellery industry, many who are not only recognized locally but internationally. We felt it was important to recognise those people who have made major contributions over time and be recognised and celebrated for their work.”

Perhaps no better recognition could be given to Erkkila than that coming from other nominee Peter Minturn when he said, pointing to Erkkila,“It could not have gone to a nicer guy.”

Erkkila first entered the jewellery industry in 1949 as a representative of watch supplier Mitchell & Co. He started his own jewellery wholesaling business, Jennings Enterprises.

In 1968, he purchased the Dominion Jewellers shop on Queen Street in Auckland but when the building it was in was sold in 1978, Erkkila closed the store and joined Seiko as a sales manager. He retired in 1990 but in 1991 Pascoes Group asked him to take charge of its watch department.

In 1993, Erkkila joined Nationwide and was instrumental in procuring 65 members in his first few months there.

He was on the executive board of Jewellers & Watchmakers of New Zealand (JWNZ) from the mid 1980s and was the President of JWNZ from 1992 to 1994.

Erkkila was also the chair of the trade fair committee for 25 years and on the board of the Jewellery Association of New Zealand (JANZ) as well.