5 minute read
Running in the family
The McBeth Plumbing & Gas team with their clutch of awards. From left, Scott McBeth, Emma de Salis, Olaf Reinders, Chris Davis, Rae and Ralph McBeth, Robert Brull, Lisa McBeth, Nina Andrews and Shem Brown.
The McBeth Plumbing & Gas family business took home no fewer than four trophies from the recent Volcanic Plateau Master Plumbers Awards—a sign of the success of their people-focused approach. NZ Plumber talks to Scott McBeth about his journey from apprentice to General Manager, and the dedicated team he works alongside.
AMaster Plumbers’ tie pin has been passed through the generations at McBeth Plumbing & Gas since the 1960s. Ralph McBeth says it’s a tangible reminder of when McBeth’s relationship with the organisation began.
McBeth’s is a multigenerational family business in Taupō. The business took home four big awards at the recent Volcanic Plateau Master Plumbers Awards night, including the prestigious overall Volcanic Plateau Tradesman of the Year Award.
Ralph’s son and General Manager Scott won Training Leader of the Year, daughter Lisa won the Women in Plumbing Award, and Ralph was honoured with a Contribution to the Industry Award.
“That was totally unexpected,” Ralph says. “To receive an award like that is pretty big. It’s an amazing result after just working all those years and doing your job; what needed to be done.”
It’s the perfect bookend to a 56-year career that started at just 14 years old. Ralph recalls many significant changes in the industry over this time, such as moving from copper to PVC, having a specialist welder and creating most fittings from scratch on site.
“Our skillset was completely different back then,” he reflects.
From father to son
Ralph took over the business from his dad, and was proud to hand it on in the same fashion to Scott when he retired last year.
“I’m totally at ease with the crew we have there, from the office to the tools. They’re totally dedicated to their jobs, and we’ve stepped back with a great feeling knowing the company is in good hands.”
Not that he’s always seen his son that way. Scott’s career got off to a rocky start, to the point where Ralph even fired him from his apprenticeship.
“As a young 18 year old, I took advantage of the fact that it was my dad’s business, and there were a few times where I didn’t show up because I just didn’t feel like it,” Scott recalls. “It wasn’t until he fired me that it all set in. I went off and worked in a few other areas and grew up a bit, and eventually Dad asked me if I wanted to come back. Now, I can’t see myself doing anything else.”
“We get all the tradespeople in for a beer and pizza or something and disassemble valves, go over codes etc, just to keep all their skills alive. It was initially for apprentices but I thought, why not involve everyone? We’ve got staff from all over the world, so we have a wide range of expertise, and they can all teach each other something.
“I’ve learned the importance of growing your staff and keeping in touch with them both professionally and personally. Things get easier in life and work if you surround yourself with great people that want to strive for better for themselves.”
SCOTT MCBETH General Manager, McBeth Plumbing & Gas
Scott believes Ralph was one of the best teachers in New Zealand, and perhaps his own sharp lesson is indicative of that. That also makes his own training award all the more meaningful. In part, the award recognised Scott’s fortnightly training nights that are designed to proactively develop and maintain core competencies.
Master Plumbers CEO Greg Wallace attended the 2021 Volcanic Master Plumbers Awards night, joining Ralph and Scott McBeth on stage with Volcanic Master Plumbers President Aaron Jamieson to present them with their Tradesman of the Year Award.
This approach illustrates the peoplefocused aspect of the company. Scott says working predominantly in maintenance makes customer service and communication vital.
“We’re pretty well known with our customers for having a great team of people that are honest and reliable. Our scheduling is a key part of it—we don’t work out of a diary and just say, ‘Yeah we’ll be there tomorrow.’ If we say we’re going to be there, we’ll be there, and if anything changes we’ll let the customer know; we won’t leave them hanging.”
He gives a lot of the credit for that to his sister Lisa, the company’s Office Manager. Her award credited her management skills and understanding of the industry, which helps the entire business run smoothly.
“For her it was pretty cool. She’s never been recognised like that before, so she was pretty blown away. It’s really validating for all the great work she does.”
Managerial skills
If anything, the learning curve Scott experienced as an apprentice has been just as steep in the past year. Since taking over from Ralph in March, he’s cut his teeth as a manager and dealt with the many challenges of the Covid environment.
“I’ve gone from being a tradesman to stepping into management, and that required a big shift in mindset. I’ve had to learn a lot of different skills, particularly around people, and change from being mates with the guys to still being mates but stepping up to be their manager too.
“It’s really rewarding though—we’ve had a lot of good times and some great achievements along the way. Anyone working in our industry should be proud of what they contribute to society. We really do play a vital role in the health and wellbeing of the people.”
