FEATURES
“I was traveling, visiting, learning, and meeting peers from all over
the world. It fully afforded me the opportunity to visit large service
companies over the years in San Diego, Atlanta, Washington, and
London, to understand what was being done differently and to
share ideas,” he explains.
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Team
The real strength, however, lies in Burgess’s ability to find and,
importantly, retain the right staff. The partnership model allows each
plumber to feel invested in the company; fully aware that their efforts
benefit not only the company as a whole, but themselves, and even
others who are not yet part of the Burgess and Partners team.
“They train us, not only in plumbing but also in how business
works, and they motivate us by showing us that the work we do
can benefit those who do not have jobs. If the company grows,
then we can hire more hungry people, help more people,” explains
Burgess and Partners plumber Samuel Kololo.
The attitude of helping others and one another pervades the
company, with each and every employee one speaks to mentioning
the family feel at Burgess and Partners. “The bosses genuinely
care about us,” says control centre supervisor, Pogiso Letlonkane.
“It feels like you matter here.”
And the words are clearly not just lip service. Nxumalo explains
that when he became weak with TB, the company did not simply
shrug and start deducting sick leave. “I was so sick I couldn’t
work, so Chris decided to bring me into the yard to supervise until
I was strong enough to go out again. Then, because of the way
I was doing the job, they were happy and said, ‘No, you should
supervise the yard full time’,” he says.
Now, at 40 years old, one would expect Burgess and Partners to
be settled into a groove and happy to be running smoothly — after
all, Burgess himself describes this very moment as being one of
the real highlights of his tenure at the company. “If I think about
when I was happiest, I would have to say right now. We have spent
so many years building and building, and if I look at everything, I
think we have done well. It’s all very satisfying,” he says.
When asked what the difference was, and why Burgess and
Partners is still here so many years after it was founded, Burgess
is quietly contemplative before saying, “We believe in the value of
all our stakeholders. Apart from our customers, we constantly work
on our relationships with our employees, associates, suppliers,
manufacturers, and subcontractors. It has served us well for many
years in many ways. People go out of their way for you if you treat
them all with honour and respect. People deal with people.”
The most important relationship for Burgess personally, and
something that brings him the happiest memories, is the one he
has cultivated with his co-directors and shareholders — Preston,
Darryl Brainin, and Jason Beyers — all of whom, “have been
instrumental in achieving the goals we have set for ourselves and
where we are today”.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
November 2018 Volume 24 I Number 9