There’s something truly special about
steering the same ship that was
steered by my father and grandfather,
and that will be steered by futuregenerations of Hanekoms after me
Jurie Hanekom, 52, is the chairman of Swartland Investments
(Pty) Ltd based in Moorreesburg in the Western Cape. Jurie
and his brothers, James and Hans, are the third generation of
Hanekom men to take pride in this successful family business.
The Swartland story began with Oupa Hanekom in 1951 in the
small town of Moorreesburg just outside Cape Town. He began
supplying the locals with hardware and electrical goods, but
being a man of great ambition he soon began specialising in
joinery. When his son, Jurgens, stepped in with fresh business
ideas, Swartland made the defining move into the manufacture
and distribution of windows and doors from their impressive
factory in Atlantis. Their range of timber windows and doors
became more and more popular, and the 80s saw further
growth as they began exporting.Today, under the leadership of the third generation of
Hanekoms, Swartland remains a leading local manufacturer
and supplier of wooden and aluminium windows and doors,
and timber mouldings. ‘The biggest challenge has been to
ensure that our strong family values remain firmly entrenched
in the business while Swartland grows from strength to strength
and remains current,’ says Jurie. ‘This isn’t always easy with
40 yourfamily.co.za
downturns in the economy or when the
market is in flux, and unfortunately that’s
happened many times within the South
African building industry.’
Hans Hanekom, Jurie’s brother and the
company CEO, is responsible for day-
to-day management. He says, ‘Although
we’re family owned, our first priority is
that the company is professionally run.
Maintaining this balance is critical to overall
performance and to ensure sustainability.’
He says while working with family can
be challenging, it can also be extremely
rewarding. ‘In my experience, family
members work twice as hard as non-family
because they want to set a good example
and earn the respect of colleagues.’
Jurie continues, ‘Consumers often
attach some kind of mysticism to family
owned businesses based on the perception
that they’re friendlier and more caring, and better employers,
and therefore must produce a better end product.’ He believes
it’s so much more than mysticism or perception: family
businesses have access to certain advantages that help them
stay ahead of the game.
‘For instance, if James, Hans, and myself think of an idea in
the morning, we can start working on it in the afternoon and
make it a reality within a few days. By not having a “politicised”
process of getting things done, we have less issues with
competing agendas, saving us a lot of time and resources.’
There’s also the fact that family members see the business as
more than a way to make a profit; it’s about heritage and legacy.
‘There’s something truly special about steering the same
ship that was steered by my father and grandfather, and that
will hopefully be steered by future generations of Hanekoms
after me,’ adds Jurie. ‘I began working in the family business as
a boy, and as the owner’s son I got to know and understand the
business intimately. The business became part of who I am.’
Jurie notes that businesses can often lose their competitive
edge when their leaders lose touch with what’s new. ‘A smart
family business maintains its edge naturally by bringing in the
next generation,’ he says. ‘They have fresh new eyes and a finger
that’s on the pulse of new and current trends.’
Jurie’s four children haven’t joined the family business yet,
but he’s confident they will when the time’s right. ‘I’ve always
encouraged them to pursue careers outside of the family
business to gain meaningful experience before joining us.
Working is one thing, but working towards building a legacy is
something completely different! I hope they’ll experience that
one day and ensure that the strong traditional values that exist in
our business today continue to exist in the business in the future.’From left: Hans, James, Jurie and Jurgens Hanekom