After finishing his schooling career at Dawnview High School in Edenvale, Matthew Jenkins (28) was a personal trainer and dabbled in construction before finding his passion, the plumbing industry, eight years ago.
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Matthew Jenkins, junior partner of Burgess Plumbing Services in Edenvale, believes that the South African plumbing industry has a bright future to look forward to. |
He has never looked back and is now a junior partner at Burgess and Partners Plumbing Services in Edenvale, one of the largest plumbing companies in Gauteng.
“There is something about being outside of the office that just makes this business great to me. I have been doing it for eight years and will be doing it for a long time to come,” he says.
Although Matthew believes that the South African pluming industry is heading in a very positive direction, he does feel that there is still much to be done on the current state of the industry.
“The standard of workmanship can do with improvement on some levels. From what I have seen on call-back jobs, many guys are not doing the job properly, probably to save on expenses. The future is looking good, though.”
“The importance of decent training is being realised throughout the industry and becoming a major factor. Plumbing is a skilled trade. If a plumber does not know how to do the job correctly, it gives a bad name to those of us who take pride in our work.”
Matthew feels that using certified parts to do the job goes hand in hand with training. “Accreditation, like SABS for example, is very important. Using non-certified parts puts your name as a professional on the line.”
When asked about the importance of official bodies and associations, such as IOPSA, Matthew replies: “They are starting to come into their own right and showing a huge interest in the industry. Everything needs a governing body.”
Matthew’s career goal is to grow his business to be ‘the recognised’ plumbing company in South Africa. In his free time, he plays poker, concentrates on his fitness and loves spending time with family and friends.
