Pa June2013 Burgess

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www.plumbingafrica.co.zaJune 2013 Volume 19 I Number 4

Honesty, integrity and trust. Three very important

values that no company can do without. Burgess

and Partners Plumbing Services is one o

the most recognisable plumbing companies

servicing Gauteng today and this year celebrate

35 years o plumbing excellence. Founded in

1978, frst as Chris Burgess and Company,

the companys excellent reputation across

residential, commercial and industrial customers

bears testimony to its active commitment to

providing quality, value and great service.

IN THE BEGINNING

Chris Burgess, CEO o Burgess and Partners,

began his long career in plumbing as an apprentice

working at the Carlton Centre in Johannesburgs

CBD. Starting out in 1971, Burgess remembers his

days as an apprentice as both intensive and highly

rewarding. Concluding his training in 1976, Burgess

spent a year travelling across Europe and the United

States o America, and returned to South Arica in

1978. Armed with his qualications and experience,

Burgesss entrepreneurial spirit compelled him to

open his own plumbing business, despite a serious

lack o unds. Working rom his parents garage, he

brought a riend on board who happened to own a

truck and with little else but determination and grit,

Burgess and Co had a truly humble beginning.

GOOD COMPANY

For over a decade, Burgess and Company developed

a sterling reputation and continued to grow. This

reputation didnt just bring in a stable and satised

client base, it also attracted top tier sta in various

categories, allowing the company to broaden its

activities and geographic ootprint. The companysmain ocus was plumbing contracting, specialising

in housing, developments, oce blocks and new

actories.

NEW HORIZONS

In 1992 Burgess introduced a name change and

shited the companys ocus to the more specialised

service industry, though still incorporating

contracting. Refecting his vision, Burgess and

Partners Plumbing Services sought to grow the

business by using the strengths o its employees.

Using his insight, experience and leadership,

BURGESS AND PARTNERSYEARS OF PLUMBING35excellence

By: Nicholas McDiarmid publisher


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Burgess has ormed key partnerships, enabling the

company to provide a rapid response, 24 hours a day.

Each relationship is uniquely structured based on eachperson's area o expertise and personality. Burgess

and Partners head oce is based in Edenvale, with

all partners working rom home or local plumbing

suppliers, sharing a commitment to the values and

service standards o the company.

PEOPLE, PRINCIPLES AND PASSION

Burgess and Partners has more than 180 years o

shared management level experience and skills, with

specialised teams positioned to take on almost any

challenge. As a ull service company, the coordination

o teams and skills is a highly specialised unction, and

refects a level o institutional competencies that can

neither be taught, nor bought but rather are earned

over time.

BURGESS AND PARTNERS GOALS:

To ensure total customer satisaction in both

technical and service areas

To continually review and improve our service

with the aim o widening our clientele base

ensuring client loyalty and increase

market share

To ensure that our ees are comparable with

the service we provide

To maintain a business renowned or its

innovative and passionate approach to

customer satisaction

To encourage growth, loyalty and commitment

with all our employees.

Burgess and Partners has a well-deserved reputation

or integrity, and within the plumbing industry itsel, is

highly regarded or improving the reputation o plumbingas a whole. Chris Burgess is passionate about training

and standards and requently takes time out to share the

knowledge and experience gained as CEO o Burgess

and Partners, passing on valuable business principles

and ethics.

CELEBRATING THE FUTURE

As a company that looks orward with a commitment

to ongoing innovation, Burgess and Partners is grateul

to be celebrating 35 years in the industry with all its

stakeholders. Having built so much o its success on

partnerships, Burgess and Partners knows its true

value lies in the people who continue to champion the

companys principles.

THE TEAM - CRAIG PRESTON:

"Born in Joburg 1969 and grew up in the Edenvale

area, attended school at Edenglen High. Ater school,

I completed my N1 and N2 over a year at Joburg

Technical college and then the army called me up as

a Sapper, perorming duties rom water purication,

bridge building, mine sweeping, demolitions etc., on

the Mozambique border. Towards the end o my mili taryservice my dad got me an interview with Chris and in

January 1989 I started with Burgess Plumbing,"

says Preston.

Burgess sent Preston to the Building Industry Federation

o SA (Bisa) or training, but it took our years beore

I was t and ready to write the trade test. The syllabus

was then and still remains anachronistic. I learnt

more through popping into a van with one o

Burgess plumbers.Continued overleaf 59 >>


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The talent pool nowadays is tiny, Preston says. We bring

in totally untrained guys and drop them in the deep end.

Their training is sharing our collective knowledge and

lots o dialogue.

Communication is vital as is passion, says Preston. We

agree to disagree. Together we make better decisions.

We have our dierent strengths and opinions, but it

is always all or one, and one or all. One way I think

o our style o communication is actually as over-

communication. We work with such a broad array o

people rom dierent cultures and languages, we sustain

our messages over time. I think, regardless o the type

o business, a large part o ensuring your sta have the

right ideas, ethics, protocols, systems o understanding

is repetition, clarication, refection, questioning and then

starting all over again. You build this kind o company one

day at a time.

Burgess doesnt really have a boss, just responsible

people who need to take care o business. Everyone who

works here have honesty and integrity. Just this ethos

alone has changed my lie; I was used to very regimented

style, but the ocus on values and integrity has really

allowed me to soten somewhat. It has allowed me to

develop a more humane approach to our sta. I believe

in the people I work with. Were a amily. Everyone eels

wanted. I know I have been blessed in being part o a

team o great people and partners that compliment my

shortcomings in Chris, Darryl, Jason and the rest o the

management team.

DARRYL BRAININ

Water conservation and the proper use o water is the

way o the uture and plays a major role in the uture o

plumbing, says Brainin and he should know: hes been

in the plumbing business or 24 years, ater leaving the

army and started as an apprentice in the amily culture

o Burgess.

Having people believe and trust in you gives you the

tools and motivation to want to achieve excellence. Chris

Burgess has been a mentor and role model in my lie and

his approach to people and business has been a lielong

learning experience or me. Burgess and Partners isone big amily with the same vision and a clear goal: we

believe in creating a winning atmosphere amongst our

plumbers and sta.

Our morals values and intergrity have always been

the oundation between ourselves, our sta and our

clients. We constantly strive to have that 'amily' type

environment when coming to work. This means that

there is someone who cares and is prepared to listen

and help.

With all our individual qualities as partners, sharing

a common vision, the company has been able to

emerge as a leader in the plumbing industry and I

believe that collectively with the Burgess culture a

solution can be ound or any challenge, says Brainin.

Our sta ethos will stand us in good stead to help us

continue our growth.

JASON BEYERS

A riend led Jason Beyers to Burgess and Partners

in 2002. Fresh out o school and armed with some

experience in industrial rerigeration and a love o

working with his hands, Jason joined his riend at the

company as an apprentice.

That apprenticeship lasted our years. I qualifed through

a trade school the trade tests were antiquated then

and i I am not mistaken, are antiquated still. The skills

I gained working here were ar superior to anything I

learned at least in my opinion.

Most plumbers out there are an island. At Burgess,

however, we have each other to brainstorm, share

years35

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June 2013 Volume 19 I Number 4

knowledge and come to decisions collectively rom a range odisciplines, says Jason. We orm relationships with our clients.

The company nurtures its clients. We dont just sell a product; we

orm long term relationships with our customers because o the

stas strong sense o amily. You must be passionate about your

job and take time to identiy particular talents and strengths all

to benet the company. The result is that it promotes business and

personal success.

We are always encouraged to question; to suggest new ways. Its

all about dialogue.

STEPHEN TOBIAS

Tobias started his apprenticeship through Burgess Plumbing in

1986 and remembers the early days o his 27 years at the

company ondly: The company was still a small business and

working with Chris taught me good values and integrity in the

business place.

The company allowed him to grow within the plumbing industry,

empowering him with a wide knowledge o all plumbing applications,

whether construction or maintenance. The company continuously

works at oering better service and better quality technicians servingour clients as proven with plumbers weve trained, who have now

established themselves in the industry and contribute towards the

continued growth o plumbing in South Arica.

BURGESS AND PARTNERS:

As a company that looks forward with a commitment to ongoing innovation, Burgess and

Partners is grateful to be celebrating 35 years in the industry with all its stakeholders.

1 2 3

1. Chris Burgess,

Ceo.

2. Craig Preston,

managing director.

3. Darryl Brainin,

director.


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yearsBURGESS AND PARTNERS35

1 2 3 4

5

1. Jason Beyers, director

2. Belinda White, Financial

manager.

3. Mike Atken, external

operations manager.

4. Deon Barnard, control

centre manager.

5. Steve Tobias, internal

operations manager.

BURGESS AND PARTNERS:

Have been a member o IOPSA since inception

Chris is currently president o IOPSA

Craig currently serves on the IOP-Gauteng

executive

All directors are PIRB licensed plumbers

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Continued overleaf 63 >>


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Burgess and Partners is like one big amily with

everyone rom the oce sta to plumbers contributing to

the success o the company, says Tobias.

ROBBIE LETSHOLA:

A phone call rom a riend in 1989 changed Robbie

Letsholas lie or ever. Burgess and Partners was

working on a project in Kagiso and my riend suggested

I look or casual work there. But I had bigger plans: I was

28 and wanted to know everything about plumbing, says

Letshola.

Burgess gave him the gap but he had to start at

the bottom. I paid or my training by making tea andcleaning. Training became more ocused on ling; then

stocktaking and then Letshola moved behind a desk:

When I became more ocused on admin, my career

changed direction. I documented the days progress

and had to keep abreast o everyones input. I was

excited. They recognised my abilities but I still made

tea, he laughs.

I have been exposed to plumbing on-site and was

used to wearing dirty overalls and coming home dirty.

Now it elt like opportunity was knocking or a more

skilled position; one in which I could work in a ormal

environment. This appealed to me as did my title as

Creditors Clerk. I had to do invoices, compare them with

statements, track payment and terms, and know the

inventory, gures and installation costs. It was a steep

learning curve, but I always asked questions.

Going beyond his title as credit controller, Letshola also

sells, ollows up on creditors, gives quotes and prices. I

am independent in terms o what I choose to ocus on. I

am trusted. I am empowered and I know that my ownlimitations are the only things holding me back. This is

more than just an opportunity; it is what I expect a amily

to be, says Letshola.

The company also keeps growing. That means job creation

or the community at large, which is the most important

contribution any company can make, socially PA

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Pa June2013 Burgess

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