Kwambo Poles & Timber has brought on Dolphin Bay as a supplier in a decision that owner Colin Lucke says is “not just about price, but about service”.
This follows extensive advice and guidance from Dolphin Bay’s Mark Duckham long before Colin bought the business, to someone he “knew little about and had never met,” Colin points out.
“As part of the due diligence on our recent acquisition of Kwambo Poles & Timber, I needed some insight into timber treatment process,” Colin says. “I got Dolphin Bay’s number in 2018, and Mark Duckham provided me with more than enough information, in a friendly and knowledgeable manner.”
“Often one forgets about the back-up service that goes along with supply.”
In February 2019, Colin phoned Mark again to let him know that he had decided to buy the business, and to thank him for the help and guidance he had given. “As we progressed and finally bought the business in March 2019, Mark continued to support us in answering various queries,” Colin says. “He continues to do so and has been extremely helpful in determining some of the legal issues surrounding whether certification of the treatment plant is required.”
Price often dictates who one chooses as a supplier, “but people tend to forget about the back-up service. My advice to other timber treaters would be to take this into account,” Colin says.
Kwambo is an established business with a very good name in the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast community of Kwambonambi. The new owners have identified the potential for an increase in productivity and revenue at the plant – especially in the local rural Ulundi tribal areas, where there is a promising market for home building and fencing for smallholdings.
Mark describes Colin as “down-to-earth, switched-on and easy to do business with. From Dolphin Bay’s side, we are thrilled about this partnership with Kwambo Poles & Timber, and the certain growth of the company.”
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