Aubrey Sacks celebrates 25 years in business I
We can be counted on when there are special needs
T ALL started with a passion for plumbing and a yellow Toyota Corolla. Celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, Aubrey Sacks Plumbing Supplies have built on these humble beginnings to become a trusted name in the local industry.
Today this Kempston Road outfit is known for its customer-driven service excellence and wide offering, ranging from plumbing material, sinks, and sanitary ware to geysers, piping, guttering and cement, at an affordable price.
Thinking back on the beginning days, co-owner, trustee and director Thys van der Merwe – who has been with the company since his schooldays – recalled how his father, Aubrey Sacks, started the business.
“My dad saw a gap in the market and, armed with the sound background experience he got from working for a local plumbing supplier, he rounded up a 16member core team who built up the business through blood, sweat and tears to where it is now,” Van der Merwe said.
“I remember how my mom, Virginia, worked two jobs and burnt the midnight oil seeing to the financial and admin side of things.
“In the beginning, we only did deliveries of 4m-long pipes as the Corolla’s roof racks could not carry 6m pipes,” Van der Merwe said, adding with a chuckle that the delivery service offered by the business had come a long way since then.
This hands-on approach is today still reflected in Aubrey Sacks Plumbing Supplies going the extra mile to satisfy customers’ needs.
“Our able team of specialists (all qualified plumbers) focus closely on meeting the needs of clients – many of whom we have established a familiar relationship with over the years,” Van der Merwe said.
“We can be counted on when there are special needs and are especially passionate about not just helping contractors, but also taking care of the man in the street.
“I can vouch for it that the Aubrey Sacks team will try their utmost best to source any local product in sanitary ware, plumbing and piping that we do not have in stock.”
Their on-site showroom, which stocks quality brands such as Franke sinks, Libra and Plexicor baths, Cobra, Grohe and Isca taps, as well as Vaal sanitary ware and a variety of style-line cabinets, serves as an example of the business’s dedication to product excellence.
Aubrey Sacks Plumbing Supplies also stock Kwikot and eco-friendly solar geysers.
The business’s core values of service excellence and integrity are reflected in the work ethic of the “Aubrey Sacks family” of 27 staff members, many of whom have been with the business since inception.
Aubrey, who is semi-retired, still has his finger on the pulse, helping out every now and then.
“We’ve always had a very strong contracts department run by Louis Klopper (25 years’ service) and Glen Sa-Joe. Another stand-out is our general sales department run by Clive Gustafson (25 years’ service) and Virginia’s brother, coowner Dean Mostert, and a wonderful admin team,” Van der Merwe said.
“We’ve got a big sales staff complement of 10 people to ensure that service delivery is met at our standards.”
Aubrey Sacks Plumbing Supplies services a wide area from their centrally situated premises at 326 Kempston Road in Korsten, which boasts easy access and
ample secure, off-street parking.
“We would like to extend thanks to our loyal customers, especially those who stuck with us in 2010 when access to our premises was restricted by the construction of the IPTS bus lane. In the end, we came out even stronger,” Van der Merwe said.
Aubrey Sacks Plumbing Supplies is open from Monday to Friday from 8am to 4.45pm and on Saturdays from 8 to 1pm.