If there is one thing that can be said for BUCO, it’s that it is a family. We take a closer look at some of the company’s dads, and get a little perspective from those who count – their kids!
Calie Olivier
“I am BUCO and BUCO is me.” – Calie Olivier
Calie has been involved with BUCO Nelspruit since its inception in 2011. This modern-day Father Abraham views BUCO as part of his family, and he’s seen many employees grow up, fall in love, start families, and even grow old in front of his eyes. His own beautiful children, Annelie, Antoinette and Carel, also grew up in the store that started as Laeveld Bouhandelaars in 1981. Oom Calie, as he’s affectionately known, has five grandchildren as well. There is a peaceful harmony between the BUCO and Olivier families.
We listen intently as he describes each child’s special quirks. Annelie (39) is the worker bee who has a special relationship with time. Antoinette (36) is the shopper of the family and Carel (34) is the one who kept Mom and Dad on their toes.
Each child sent us a personal note about their feelings for their father:
“My pa is my steunpilaar en my raadgewer, en hy ondersteun my altyd in my besluite wat ek moet maak. As ek onseker oor iets is of ‘n groot besluit moet neem (soos om my eie onderneming in die middel van ‘n pandemie te begin) dan kan ek altyd na my pa toe gaan vir sy raad. Hy is ‘n wonderlike oupa vir my twee kinders en ‘n goeie skoonpa vir my man. Hy hanteer almal altyd dieselfde, of jy nou vir hom werk of nie. By BUCO dink ek voel die mense dieselfde; hy is altyd bereidwillig om te luister. Dankie, Pa, lief Pa baie.” – Annelie
“The man I call my father… My dad. There are lots of words that can describe him. Honest, caring, respectful, loving and ever the optimist, he can see the positive in any situation and the challenge in any bad time. He has the ability to encourage you, no matter what is going on in your life. Whether it is a personal or business matter, he is always ready to help, support and see you through any and every situation! My dad is an awesome father and grandfather, and we love him so much.” – Antoinette
“Daar is soveel om te sê oor my pa. Hy is vir my die perfekte voorbeeld van pawees en Christenwees. Altyd daar vir ons. Almal wat hom ken, ken die persoon wat altyd sal help en raadgee. Die wysheid en ondervinding wat hy oor die jare opgebou het by Laeveld Bou, nou beter bekend as BUCO, deel hy graag…” – Carel
Pottie Potgieter
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more and become more, you are a leader and an amazing father.” – John Quincy Adams
True success is measured in many ways, and although Pottie will most likely tick most of the boxes as a man who has earned success, it is his ability to balance life and work that makes him a personal role model. Time is a challenge to most dads, but Pottie has always been adamant about making time for family.
He is also very influential in promoting family values within the BUCO Nelspruit branch. Pottie invites his employees to bring their children to work with them to experience their work environment. It helps kids understand why parents are sometimes tired or too busy to assist with certain things.
Pottie’s favourite part of fatherhood is to be involved in the lives of his children and to steer them in a direction that not only ensures a bright future, but also leads to happiness. For him, fatherhood is as much about being a friend as it is to be a mentor. He also places a lot of value on creating for his children a culture of knowing the difference between right and wrong. He sees his own children, Ané (18) and Christiaan (16), as part of the legacy that he wants to leave behind.
Ané wrote to us about her father:
“My dad is my role model, because he lives by the rule that out of everything bad comes something good. He helps wherever he can, but is stern when necessary. My dad treats his co-workers as family and gladly shares his values with love and patience. In my eyes, this makes him a shining example of a good leader.”
Christiaan said:
“My dad plays a very big role in my life and from him I learn new things every day. I agree with my sister, he is an excellent example for us. I hope and believe that I will be like him when I am working and have my own family.”
Michael Gunn-Henderson
“When my father didn’t have my hand, he had my back.” – Linda Poindexter
A proud father of one, Michael, sales manager of BUCO Nelspruit, declares his six-year-old daughter, Caitlin, to be a daddy’s girl before saying anything else about her. To ensure continuous sales in the post-Covid environment is something that doesn’t get done easily, but Michael is confident about the future; one he feels burns very brightly for his little Caitlin. He tells us of her newfound skill, reading, and how excited she is to tell them of her daily learnings at school. Michael admits he may be a little overprotective. They have come to a point where Caitlin will immediately turn to Michael and assure him she’s OK whenever she takes a tumble.
We asked this little lady a few questions about Dad’s career at BUCO. She’s very sure that he works hard, but she’s not really sure what he does. What she can tell us is that Michael helps people. When she tells us of her future plans, she’s adamant to also be part of the staff compliment at BUCO one day. She does, however, much to everyone’s surprise, nod confidently when we ask if she thinks she’ll be able to do Dad’s job better than him! We didn’t dare ask why she thinks that, but I’m sure Dad’s adoration for his princess has a lot to do with her confidence.
He’s not a man of many words, but Michael is undoubtedly smitten with his little girl. With her love of reading and her absolute enthusiasm about learning new things, we might be looking at a future leader here. Word of warning to future suitors, though: this daddy is not letting Caitlin out of his sight!
Anton Schoerie
“You don’t raise heroes, you raise sons. But if you treat them like heroes, that’s what they’ll become, even if it’s just in your own eyes.”
– Unknown
Anton spends his days ensuring that BUCO Nelspruit’s wood store is a “cut above the rest”. When the dust has settled for the day, he goes home, where an eager seven-year-old live wire waits for him to start their usual virtual car racing extravaganza. Anton admits it’s a challenge to conserve enough energy during the day to have what it takes to take on such an avid opponent. Luan will easily remind Anton that the racecars are not lawnmowers as soon as he dare loses his grip and rides off the track. A work/life balance is important to every father, and Anton applauds his employer for allowing time off to be involved in Luan’s afterschool activities. There’s an unmissable sparkle in Anton’s eye when he speaks about his treasured son.
We turn our attention to Luan to see what his understanding is of Daddy’s day job, and the response is adorable! He reckons Daddy works with planks all day. He is proud to announce that his father also “sometimes” builds cupboards for houses, but not theirs, only other people’s. Luan loves that Daddy works for BUCO. When asked if he’d want Anton to do anything else, he just replies with a definite “no”.
He, however, impressed as he is with Dad’s skills, will not be following in his footsteps, as he has already decided that he would rather be a firefighter. As he has a special love of all things water-related, this seems like an attainable dream. Luan and Anton can often be found fishing or swimming for father-son activities, and Anton supports Luan’s aspirations wholeheartedly! Wherever the dreams of this little man take him, there’s no mistaking that he will have his Dad by his side every step of the way.
Quinton Schoerie
“Blended families: woven together by choice, strengthened together by love, tested by everything but each uniquely ours.” – Unknown
Fatherhood is a challenging experience for most newcomers to the title, but choosing to be the broad shoulders that carry no fewer than five children is “next level”, as the kids say. Quinton heads up his family of seven with as much gusto as he does his day job. It comes as no surprise that he also leads one of the busiest departments at BUCO – hand and power tools. When it’s time to down tools, though, he returns home to spend time with Leander (11), Xandrich (13), Amoré (15), Danté (16), and Mari-Shaan (19). You can’t help but feel a tinge of sympathy for the man when you realise that the majority of the bambinos are teenagers! However challenging the job, he says his children are the most important thing in his life and he appreciates that BUCO supports family values.
To get the details on this undoubtedly brave man, we speak to Danté. She laughs shyly when she talks about how successful he is at what he does. Danté has big plans for her future, as she wants to travel through Europe and spend some time au pairing abroad. She admits that her stepfather works hard and long hours, but says when he returns home, he’s the same friendly man on the BUCO sales floor that clients have come to love and appreciate. Amoré agrees that he is a successful salesman because of how much he loves what he does. She says BUCO is part of who they are as a family. She, too, has big dreams for the future, as she’s an aspiring actress.
This family is proof that love is the most powerful tool of all. They are big dreamers who take their lead from the man who proudly speaks of their dynamic. It seems there really is strength in numbers.
