Richard Williams, GVK chief executive
The construction industry, which generally lags behind other sectors in the economic cycle, is currently in a recession, a situation which has been aggravated by the fall off in work following World Cup 2010.
As a result, many construction businesses have had to significantly downsize, and some have even closed down. One company, however, has stood the test of time: Gordon Verhoef & Krause, a specialist in the fields of building, renovation, restoration and the recycling of buildings, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
“GVK has survived three recessions and much industry upheaval and continues to chart its path in line with solid business values, coupled with continuing innovation and planned expansion, cementing the company’s reputation in the industry,” says group chief executive, Richard Williams.
“The company has evolved from what Gordon Verhoef, Earl Krause and David Maughan began and has seen an enormous amount of growth and change over the past few years. We have extended the scope of our services as well as the size and value of our contracts, created new business divisions, and embedded our company culture. We have also expanded our training programmes at all levels, upgraded business systems, stepped up CSI and community initiatives, while driving compliance and accreditation in the areas of health, safety and the environment and BBBEE.
“GVK has built its reputation on its expertise in painting, restoration and building recycling. However, to move forward and meet client demand, we added new building works to the client offering about 10 years ago. As a result, we have grown our capacity to take on increasingly larger projects, currently up to R200 – R300 million, with our bread and butter work being in the R10 to R60 million range.
“To ensure that we retain our traditional skills we have established four dedicated painting and restoration businesses in the various regions with regional managers appointed to focus solely on the retention and development of these skills.”
Williams says although traditional and specialist industry skills have been an essential part of GVK’s continued growth and success, its strong company culture has played an enormous role in continuity and service delivery. This has positioned the firm to attract and retain people who share its ideals and combine a good skills and cultural fit. Many young people who joined the company as students and who understand its values are moving up through the ranks, bringing with them contemporary thought and innovation which will set the course for the future of the business.
“Strong relationships with our clients have always been of prime importance to us. By providing them with a quality product and good service and being sensitive to their requirements, we have been able to build lasting relationships in the industry. The formation of a national business development unit headed by shareholders Dumisani Madi and Johan de la Querra has had a significant impact on our workload and the number of contacts established with a variety of clients,” he says.
“Our recent investment in an integrated IT and business system will ensure relevant, accurate information to enable up-to-date reporting of project elements such as costs and progress, and allows for quicker reaction times and more efficient management. A strong commitment to health and safety has been bolstered with the appointment of a national group health and safety manager. He has ramped up our health and safety performance, and has been instrumental in our membership of the Green Building Council of South Africa and our current OHSAS 18001 accreditation process.
“These developments have resulted in steady annual growth, with turnover reaching R700 million this past financial year. We ascribe this to our philosophy of constant improvement while safeguarding our principles of client service and healthy company culture,” says Williams.
