R&S Plumbers: home-grown...
Plumbers who learnt their trade in the 80s and 90s are now training their sons to work as plumbers in homegrown Grahamstown business R&S Plumbers. In fact, R&S couldn’t be more of a family business if it tried. It came from very small beginnings, though. “When I started here in Grahamstown, I had a onebedroom flat and a tool box,” recalls owner Bud Hare.
When Bud and his wife Shirley opened up shop in 1984, they employed two people.
For the past four years, Bud has been training his own sons, Dale and Clinton, to take over the business, which now consists of six distinct operations, in addition to plumbing.
Today, the business employs 30 people, extends to Port Alfred, Kenton and the farming areas around Grahamstown as well as Grahamstown itself, and covers every aspect of the building industry except electrical work.
“Because Grahamstown is what it is,” explains Bud, “business is not always brisk, and you have to adapt.”
There were gaps in the market, Bud says, and he took them.
Products R&S makes up include ducting, flashing and box gutters.
Burglar bars, sliding gates and braais.
Concrete mixers, scaffolding, generators, compressors and compactors.
R&S Plumbing works out a cutting list on a computer programme, the boards are then delivered and cut to size on a panel saw as per cutting list. Edging and holes can be done on request.
Cabinets are made in the workshops and installed. Full kitchen cupboards, built-in cupboards, bedroom cupboards as well as loose units such as desks can be made.
Add-on bathrooms, retiling and remodelling bathrooms. R&S makes up and supplies these.