Crutchers IGA, Grenfell, New South Wales
Mark Crutcher was born and raised in regional New South Wales in the small town of Grenfell, which is best known as the birth place of another great Australian talent; poet and writer Henry Lawson. Mark was an accomplished athlete at school and was head prefect in his final year. Rather than pursuing a career in sport Mark chose to join the New South Wales police and after completing training in Goulburn was stationed outside Sydney in Penrith.
Mark’s courage was recognised during his tenure in Penrith with a bravery commendation for saving the lives of three men during a flood. Mark married Kellie during his stay in Penrith and the couple later relocated with the police to Wellington in country NSW.
During this time Mark’s entrepreneurial spirit kicked in and he decided to leave the Police force to run a pub with his mother Nancy back home in Grenfell. It was here that he really learned the grounding for running a business, the work ethic required for success and the desire to challenge himself.
This is not to say the path was easy. After the lease at the pub expired he had a period of unemployment. Later he owned the local indoor cricket center and during that time purchased a removalist business and worked extremely hard. Those were tough times for him personally and his family.
This is when something clicked inside Mark and he was inspired to purchase the local supermarket. It combined his passion for community, entrepreneurial flare and thirst for knowledge. As with everything he did from that point onwards – he did with a positive “can do” attitude.
His store in Grenfell is now turning over more than seven times its original sales per week and he owns stores in Temora and Dubbo. Mark Crutcher is well respected by his peers and was nominated and appointed Chairman of the state IGA board.
