By Emma Kakololo
WINDHOEK
The Pupkewitz Group of Companies plans to allocate shares to its long-serving employees from March next year. Employees who have served at lease five years with the company will qualify for the scheme.
The Group’s Executive Chairman, Harold Pupkewitz, made the announcement on Monday at the re-launch of Pupkewitz MegaBuild.
“Since independence, we have more than doubled the number of our employees and have been able to offer numerous career development and growth opportunities. It is especially heartening for me to tell you that previously disadvantaged Namibians in our employ are taking full advantage of our training, development and career growth,” said Pupkewitz.
“We will be allocating shares to all our employees who have five years’ service and above from March 2008,” he added.
Established in 1925 as Windhoek General Dealer, the Pupkewitz Group of Companies offers its services throughout Namibia and has developed and grown into a significant part of the Namibian economic infrastructure through its expertise in serving a wide range of primary, secondary and tertiary markets and their sub-sectors.
“Through our network of outlets countrywide – Pupkewitz MegaBuild, Pupkewitz MegaTech, Pupkewitz Motors and Pupkewitz Catering Supplies – we have provided an important part of the commercial infrastructure on a national scale, which is vital to economic development,” said the chairman.
Pupkewitz said there was need to modernise the MegaBuild premises as part of the company’s vision to “customer satisfaction through service excellence”.
“Customers know that they can trust our service from the start to finish of a project – we will deliver what is needed on time, every time – and in the building trade finishing on time determines profitability,” he said.
President Hifikepunye Pohamba, present at the event together with former President Sam Nujoma, commended Pupkewitz Group of Companies for its contribution to the country’s economic development and for empowering its previously disadvantaged employees through training.
“The shortage of skills among our youth is an area that requires urgent intervention so that they can be empowered to make informed choices about the development of their professional careers,” the President said.
Pohamba said through its nationwide distribution network, the Group was also making it possible for SMEs to grow, by buying goods from Pupkewitz MegaBuild stores for re-sale in different parts of the country.
The President called for better communication between employers and employees as a way of creating harmonious labour relations in the country.
“We must promote the values of transparency and fairness to all our citizens. Hard work is the key to success.
“The Pupkewitz Group of Companies would not be what it is today had it not been for the hard work and tenacity of the management and the employees who have dedicated themselves to building a company that can cater for the needs of their customers at all times,” Pohamba said.