Hoedspruit Glass & Home
What does your company do?
Hoedspruit Glass & Home is a well-established glass & aluminium company and specialises in the supply and installation of aluminium & glass products. I have been running the company for almost 8 years. I attribute our success to the relentless commitment from myself and my dedicated staff. We make sure that all our jobs are expertly scoped, managed within traditional project parameters and signed off with customer satisfaction in mind.
What is your biggest success?
I took over the very small business after my father passed away and managed to turn it into one of the most trusted and reliable businesses in our town even though I have never worked in the construction industry myself. It sparked my ambition to become more involved in the community and I served as chairperson of the Hoedspruit Chamber/Sakekamer for 2 years, I serve as a Ward Committee member, I serve on the local Victim Support Unit and get involved with our church activities whenever I can. My biggest success is turning into a woman I would have admired when I was 13 years old, just by hard work, faith, perseverance and the most wonderful and supportive people - my friends & family. It takes a village to raise a child they say, but it takes the same village to keep and entrepreneur standing.
What has been your biggest hurdle?
During COVID I partnered with a rival business to merge our strengths and protect our employees from the potential devastating effects of the pandemic. My new partners squandered their responsibilities and I had to run the entire operation almost single handedly. During this time, my intended "husband" was in a terrible MVA and landed up in hospital with a severe traumatic brain injury. He was in a vegetative coma for 1.5 years before passing away. I was devastated. The decision was made to demerge and I had to start from what felt "scratch". This time in my life was the closest I had been to a nervous breakdown, but God had other plans for me. I worked smarter than I did before and surrounded myself with supportive friends, trustworthy employees and clients that appreciated superior service. Together we rebuilt the legacy into the even stronger company it is today.
