‘Shoe meri, gas meri’ Agnes making it big

By PETER ESILA
AGNES Piel’s business acumen was born when she sold ice-block at the Gordon market in Port Moresby more than 20 years ago.
Today, Agnes, 49, is one of the leading distributors of Puma gas in the country.
And the secret to her success? Well, it is not really a secret. It’s simple: Hard work, and putting God before everything else.
Agnes is married to John Piel also from Western Highlands. Her company is called Six Crowns Ltd in dedication to their six children.
Eldest Joel, 26, has completed his pilot training at the Australian Wings Academy in Gold Coast. He is waiting for his Australian licence to be converted to a PNG license.
Joan, 24, is a final year student in business studies at Bob Jones University in South Carolina, United States. Melannie, 19, is a first year law student also at the Bob Jones University.
Jonitha, 16, is in Grade 10, Jordan, 13, is in Grade 5, and Jodie, 10, is in Grade 4 all at Pom Grammar.
From 1995 to 1997 as a leader of a women’s group in the Assembly of God church, Agnes sold ice block to raise funds for a church building – today called the Corner Stone church at Gordon.
She worked for a company from Monday to Friday then spent her weekends selling ice blocks and other food items.
“I made ice block, donuts and muffins and gave them to 10 ladies to sell. I made sandwiches to sell at the office. In six months, I made K6000 which I gave to the church, plus other contributions just from my group.”
She also realisedthat she was earning more selling ice block than her fortnightly wages.
“So I said to myself I am not going to work. I can sell ice block, donuts, muffins and cakes and I can sell from office to office.”
That was what she started doing.
Then in 2000, she ventured into sewing. She was one of the pioneers of the now Small to Medium Enterprises Corporation textile and garment training center at Gordon.
She sew uniforms for schools and companies.
“I built a small factory at the back of my house and employed people. I then rented a shop in Boroko and sold clothes and uniforms for city schools.”
She got sick in 2008 and decided to leave the tailoring business.
She ventured into the rental car business but gave that up in 2011.
She tried buying and selling shoes and bags from Australia and reselling them here. She timed her trips to coincide with her children’s school holidays, and when items were cheap such as during holidays.
“I decide to sell shoes because of the PNG LNG. It was easy to sell as there was a lot of ash floating around. Everyone used to call me shoe meri.”

In 2017, she went to Puma Gas and saw that cooking gas was a family need.
There was a lot of cash flow during the PNG LNG days.
She then switched to selling gas. But first she had to convince people to buy cooking gas only from Puma Energy.

“ That is why I am blessed.”

“It was very hard. But I told them this is PNG gas. Our own gas. PNG made. And it is cheaper. I connected with the mothers. Now all my friends call me gas meri.”
Agnes is the director of Six Crowns Ltd trading as Taurama Gas Distributors operating on her land at Taurama.
She has around 150 resellers in Port Moresby and Central. She employs 10 workers and has three trucks to do the distribution.
Her next project is to have a cooking area for women at the Gordon Market.
She is also planning on other things too. And Agnes loves to pass on business ideas to other women.
Agnes believes that God gave her ideas which she should share with others.
“That is why I am blessed.”