Marcos Mink of Jim’s Mowing had the honour of being the first customer at the Waitomo fuel station in Tinwald on Tuesday. 

Mink who wasn’t aware of the official opening, was further surprised when Waitomo South Island manager Shane Constable told him his fill-up was on the house. 

"Every first customer at a new station gets a free tank of gas,” Constable said.

The Tinwald station on Archibald St brings the number Waitomo stations in the South Island to 13. 

Opening the celebrations, Tewera King of Te Runanga o Arowhenua lead a mihi whakatau followed by karakia and a waiata.

Waitomo Group chief executive officer Simon Parham welcomed Ashburton Mayor Liz McMillan, Deputy Mayor Richard Wilson, Councillors Russell Ellis and Phill Hooper, invited guests and Waitomo staff on to the site.

He thanked all those involved in “getting it done”. 

"Now is the time to forget global tension in the Gulf States and look forward to the best fuel prices in Ashburton.” 

Waitomo Group owner Jimmy Ormsby said the company was constantly looking for new opportunities to “grow their network and increase competition.”

McMillan then cut the ribbon and at 10am the Waitomo fuel prices board lit up for the first time. 

Ormsby said their no-frills roof-free style of fuel stations was a deliberate cost saving measure. 

"A roof would need branding, lighting and regular maintenance. Those costs would then have to be passed on to the consumer and we don’t want that.” 

The unmanned 24-hour fuel stop has easy-to-access high-flow diesel lanes for heavy commercial fleets.

And as with all new Waitomo fuel stops, pumps are fitted with vapour recovery technology, a system not widely used in New Zealand.

The system sucks petrol vapour that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere, back into the pump.

Established in Te Kuiti in 1947 by Desmond Ormsby, the 100 per cent Kiwi, family-owned and operated company now has more than 110 fuel stops across New Zealand.