Have a crack and I’ll back you
More than 30 years after someone gave Brent (Red) and Libby Cunningham the backing they needed to have a crack at owning a plumbing business, they're now helping another couple take that next step.
Cunningham’s Red, Libby, Jaime and Theo.
They've spent three decades growing Cunningham Plumbing and Drainlaying (Cunningham’s) alongside a changing district and a booming dairy industry. Along the way they've taken on some of the district's biggest jobs, had plenty of laughs and built a team Libby describes as “like a family”.
Now former apprentice Theo Davidson and fiancée Jaime are progressively buying into the business beginning the next stage for the successful Waimate business.
Have a crack and I'll back you
Red grew up at Makikihi and completed his plumbing apprenticeship at the Pareora freezing works before spending nearly three years overseas, including driving Topdeck tour buses through Europe. He returned to a plumbing job in Christchurch, but continued playing rugby for Waimate.
Alan Horler, then president of the Waimate Rugby Club, owned Horler Plumbing with his wife June.
“Over a few beers he asked if I wanted to buy his plumbing business,” Red recalls.
The only problem was Red hadn't been home long and didn't have the money after his years travelling. Red's father and Jack Bleeker were also there.
“Jack said, ‘Have a crack and I’ll back you.’”
A meeting followed with Jack and then-ANZ bank manager Robbie Crawford. The finance was approved and Red took over the business on April 1, 1994.
The loan was repaid in half the expected time.
Learning as they went
Cunningham’s began at 12 Shearman Street, on the site now occupied by PGG Wrightson, with Red on the tools and Libby managing the business.
Libby remembers paying bills by cheque, keeping a handwritten journal and later attending night classes at Waimate High School to learn computing.
“And then I had to teach Red. That was a nightmare,” she laughs.
When the Shearman Street site was bought by Debonnaire following its major fire, the business moved to a shed at Red and Libby's home. They outgrew that and jumped at the opportunity to buy the current premises at 3 Shearman Street.
With a new office person and their children older, Libby took the opportunity to shift focus to her own career with St John.
“Red tells people he fired me,” she jokes. “But I say it was either that or divorce.”
Business grows alongside district growth
There were only three businesses operating locally when they started.
“First there was Horlers and Doug Bailey's, then Ken Wilce started.”
Then dairy farming began expanding rapidly through the district in the mid-1990s.
“Dairy was a big game changer. You’d do the shed and then come back and do three or four houses.”
Cunningham’s worked on the Studholme food processing site and its later conversion to a Fonterra factory, at one point having about 40 people on the project, including subcontractors.
Following the Christchurch earthquakes, two Cunningham’s trucks spent about 18-months helping with the recovery as part of a joint crew with Hadlee & Brunton.
That ability to work alongside other trades remains important to Red, who says local companies often collaborate where their different skills and services complement each other.
Over the years Cunningham’s has also trained the next generation, taking on 12 apprentices, 10 of whom have completed their apprenticeships.
One of them was Theo Davidson.
A tap on the shoulder
Theo wanted to become a painter and spent school holidays working for local painter and family friend Barry Caird before moving to Christchurch.
After the earthquakes he returned to Waimate and went back to work for Barry. Then, once again, the Waimate Rugby Club played a part in Cunninghams' story.
Through the rugby club, Red sounded Theo out about whether he might be interested in giving plumbing a go. Barry had also offered him a painting apprenticeship, but gave Theo some advice.
“He said, ‘If I was you I would give plumbing a go
So Theo took an apprenticeship with Red.
Over 15 years, he completed his qualifications and topped New Zealand in his gasfitting certification exam, with Red travelling to Wellington with him for the presentation.
“I’d done all the qualifications and was wondering what was next.”
He went to Red's house to talk about it.
“I thought, ‘Oh no, he’s handing in his notice,’” Red says.
Theo hadn't gone there intending to buy into the company, but by the end of the conversation, the beginnings of a succession plan had emerged. Rather than a sudden sale, Theo and Jaime would progressively buy into Cunningham Plumbing over 10 years.
For Theo, it offered a pathway into business ownership without having to start again from scratch.
“It’s 100 percent a great way to do it. I’m not thrown in at the deep end on my own. We have clients and processes in place.”
Asked what's changed since starting the transition to ownership, Theo laughs.
“Less sleep and more stress.”
The next chapter
Jaime took over the business manager role just over a year ago. The flexibility allows her to work around their children, while giving both her and Theo an understanding of all sides of the business.
“I’m trying to get as much out of Red’s head and get it into systems for when he’s not here,” Theo says.
“The main short-term goal is to upgrade our software systems to streamline our administration process”
Red and Theo recently shared their succession experience at a Master Plumbers conference in Hamilton.
“I hate that sort of stuff,” Theo admits. “But it was actually really good.”
Plenty of business owners approached them afterwards to find out more and learn how to start those conversations.
The operational team - photo supplied.
Still part of the team
Red remains involved, although these days there is less time on the tools and more spent on administration and helping with the business.
A recent health scare has also changed his perspective.
“Something like that definitely makes you re-evaluate what’s important in life.”
Cunningham’s currently has nine plumbers and Red, which gives the company the ability to respond when urgent jobs arise and spreads the after-hours roster so staff are only on call about once every nine weeks.
“We’re like a family really,” Libby says. “We look out for each other.”
Staff know they can approach Red or Theo about something happening at work - or outside it.
“We have a lot of laughs.”
There was the time Libby and George were collecting the portaloos after the March Hare. They had cleaned and locked them and were loading them onto the trailer when they noticed one seemed particularly heavy.
Then a man stepped out.
“He got as much of a fright as we did,” Libby recalls.
Red has had his own occupational hazards.
While cleaning the septic tank at Donald Butler's property, he was standing on top giving Donald “a bit of shit” when the lid collapsed.
Red went straight down into the tank.
“Up to my shoulders.”
A trade worth learning
Red remains a strong advocate for young people learning a trade.
“Trades are a great industry to be in. You’ve always got something to fall back on.”
And, he points out, there are some jobs artificial intelligence still can't do.
“And work ethic is a big thing for young people too. You’ve got to have it.”
Red gives an example of recently coming into work on a Sunday to get things organised for the week ahead. Theo turned up independently, for exactly the same reason.
“It’s that sort of thing,” he says.
They're now halfway through the 10-year transition.
“I could keep going, but it’s great to bring a young guy in and I don’t want to get in his way,” Red says.
After more than three decades building Cunningham Plumbing together, Libby admits letting go “can be a bit of a hard one”.
But they're confident the business they've built is ready for its next generation and that they've picked the right couple.
