Multiple ch ice

team culture is not easy but it does pay off. We have a lot of staff who have been here for more than 10 years – Jarrod, the manager on our commercial side, has been with us for in excess of 20 years! At the same time, we have a couple of young painters who have just completed their apprenticeship so we are celebrating that milestone and hoping they will be with us long into the future. Out on the workshop floor, we also try to match the production schedule to the different team members. For example, some of the lads like doing three or four smaller jobs in a day, while others prefer bigger jobs that will occupy them for four or five days. Because we are trying to allocate them work they like, I believe they are more productive.”

From the early days of taking over at Bridgman St, Brent says he has been on the lookout for ways to help his team work smarter, rather than harder. A key part of that has been getting heavily involved in PPG’s MVP Business Solutions program which is available to customers as part of their support package.

“We are now working with Nigel Hamilton (MVP Business Solutions Manager NZ) and that side is super important to me – it’s one of the reasons I have stayed with PPG over the years. The key message for me is to measure everything – if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. We measure the materials and the labour we use for every job. If we measure properly now, it will help make for more accurate estimates on future jobs. One area I have been on a bit of crusade recently is making sure we are using the most efficient processes. Thanks to the PPG team, I was able to tour one of the Repairhub facilities in Christchurch. If we can utilise some of the ideas and procedures that Repairhub do, it will make us a better organisation right across the board. Our PPG Territory Manager, Morgan Boyd, is also planning to take some of our shopfloor team for a Repairhub tour so they can brainstorm even more ideas.”

At 66 years of age, Brent says he still enjoys the buzz of dealing with customers and delivering a great job. Despite having no real desire to retire, that doesn’t mean he can’t take things a little easier.

“My form of retirement is to maybe only do a two-day week or perhaps just take opportunities when they come up. For example, if a mate suggests a fishing trip to the west coast at short notice, I can say yes. I have a great 2IC, in Chris O’Leary, behind me and a skilled team who I can trust to consistently get the job done, even if I am not there. It’s something I really cherish because without good people you don’t have a business.” R