01 Aug Kincrome’s secret to business success
Plumbing supply giant Tradelink have edited this article written by Matt Reynolds for their industry magazine “Unplugged”. Kincrome’s secret to business success is approximately a 2 minute read on the business journey of Kincrome Director Justin Burgoine. You can read the full article below or here, Enjoy!
This article came from the Trench Talk Podcast, you can hear the full 1-hour interview with Justin here.
Our ‘plumber from the trenches’ Matt Reynolds recently caught up with Kincrome Director, Justin Burgoine to get the inside story on how he’s lead the business to success.
Matt Reynolds: You purchased Kincrome 30 years ago and have since grown the business to over 200 employees, 4000 active accounts, 3500 item lines and seven warehouses around the globe. Did you ever imagine Kincrome could grow like it has?
Justin Burgoine: When my father first bought the business there was just four of us. I always thought there was something special about the brand and the quality of the product which still stands today.
Matt Reynolds: Where does this thirst for growth come from?
Justin Burgoine: Probably from my father. We both strive to be better and do better things. We’ve always re-invested heavily into the business and see it as a great opportunity. We work very closely with our customers and pride ourselves on being an Australian-owned business. We also work with many of our end-users including tradies to test our tools and give us honest feedback.
Matt Reynolds: Tell us about your new plumbing range.
Justin Burgoine: We see a lot of our future growth coming from plumbing and other new categories where we work with our customers to meet their exact requirements. We collaborate, design and manufacture tools that are trade and industry specific. With the world opening up through technology, we feel we need to be much more innovative going forward.
Matt Reynolds: How do you recruit to ensure you maintain this culture of growth and innovation?
Justin Burgoine: We have many people who have been with us for a long time. You’ve got to do an apprenticeship here, not in the formal sense like plumbers do but you’ve got to prove you have the right attitude. We invest a lot in training our people, in the induction process and set very clear expectations. You look for enthusiasm, at how people get involved and how they ask questions. That’s the big thing for us, are they asking good questions.
Matt Reynolds: Do you generally promote from within?
Justin Burgoine: We do. We went through a phase where we felt we needed people from outside but it hasn’t always proved as successful as promoting from within. I love seeing people develop and grow in the business. Our Head of Merchandise, Chris Collins, came from the floor, assembling tool kits.
Matt Reynolds: What’s your advice to someone who wants to grow their business or career?
Justin Burgoine: We need to continually get better and do things better. I don’t mind making mistakes. You learn from your mistakes – they have probably been my best mentor. You’ve got to have a go at things, trust your judgement and if it doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world.
Matt Reynolds: How did your father Ron go about teaching you to run a 200 plus person business?
Justin Burgoine: My father has been fantastic. I respect and admire him deeply and his passion rubs off on all of us. He’s been wise enough to surround me with great mentors – good people I’ve been able to learn from and exchange ideas with. That’s so important, to talk to people and learn to ask good questions. Ask what their successes and experiences are, not to replicate them but to learn from and adapt to what you can do yourself.
Matt Reynolds is an award winning plumber who writes about the game as an industry insider. You can connect with him on Twitter @MrMattReynolds or find him as the Director of XRM Plumbing Services on LinkedIn.