Smit started his career freelancing as an audio technician at Gearhouse 20 years ago, has worked in sales and projects and has managed both the Cape Town and Johannesburg branches of Gearhouse, so he is very familiar with the ins and outs of the business from the bottom up.
“My mandate is to ensure that our standards around the country are exactly in synch,” he explains. “At times, our equipment utilisation and practices have been influenced by regional conditions, and we are now selecting the most effective methodologies from around the Group to adopt countrywide, with the aim of rationalising our processes and eradicating unnecessary wastage.”
The company has recently invested in an extensive IT infrastructure and software upgrade, as well as staff training. “Our people are being trained to multi-task from the top down,” he says. “For example, our departmental heads will have the ability to enter their own data directly – which will enable us to get a very accurate quote out to our clients in a matter of hours. The fact that there is involvement across all operational tiers from the outset also means that by the time we have completed the quote, much of the pre-event planning will already have been done and all parties involved will know exactly what is expected of them.
“Thanks to technology we can meet via Skype remotely at any time of the day, and the current update of the Gearhouse IT infrastructure allows me to easily attend internal and external meetings around the country from wherever I am stationed. Our brand comes first, and we are passionate about that.”
A strong advocate for empowerment and transformation through training, Smit is also passionate about the success of the Gearhouse Kentse Mpahlwa Academy. “One of the company’s greatest attributes is that there is no ceiling at Gearhouse. It is up to the individual to grow as fast as they want, as long as they have the right attitude and mindset. We empower wherever we can to promote passionate people and transform our industry with a new generation of technical experts,” he concludes.
