••• TRADE NEWS
Ben Burger will keep your wallet in safekeeping as relationship manager in Bultfontein .
Boeta du Toit ( CEO , Agri NW ), Pierre Vercueil ( President , Agri NW ), John Griffiths ( Agri NW Young Farmer of the Year ), Callie Buitendag ( Santam Agriculture ), Magnus Theunissen ( Outgoing Young Farmer Chairman , Agri NW ) and Gideon van Zyl ( Newly Appointed Young Farmer Association Chairman , Agri NW ).
Senwes sponsors Agri NW Young Farmer Association
SENWES WAS once again a sponsor of the Agri NW Young Farmer Association held on 22 April at the NWK Training centre in Lichtenburg .
The event was well-attended by young farmers from the Northwest area as well as by local media representatives .
Various expert speakers addressed the conference on issues pertaining to farming and the farming value chain .
Certisure ’ s MD Daan Hugo shared Certisure ’ s model on risk management , which was in-line with the conference theme of “ Management of Critical Agricultural Risks ”.
The conference was preceded by a gala dinner the night before where Mr John Griffiths was announced as the Agri NW Young Farmer of the Year .
Other highlights of the conference included presentations on the future of Agriculture by Mr Jerome Yazbek , Director of AgriSig , supported by a panel from AgriSig consisting of Mr Danie Bruwe , Head of Marketing , Mr Marinus le Roux , Agronomic Product Development and Miss Chantel Yazbek , CEO . Mr Jacques van Wyk , silo manager at NWK Silo Services , tackled how to “ Manage your farming business with ease ”, while Mr Claude Peters , MD RenEnergy Africa shed some interesting light on solar energy in a presentation entitled “ Take control of your energy .”
Ben Burger will carry your wallet
R elationship Manager Ben Burger at Hoopstad will think nothing of managing your business on your behalf . This is how Ben sees his job and he mentions that he would like to carry customers ' wallets for them .
Ben was born in Bultfontein and started as sales representative at Senwes in 1980 , selling tractors and implements . He was transferred to the Retail Division in 1993 as assistant branch manager at Bultfontein and was branch manager at Luckhoff from 1996 to 1998 . He was also the mechanisation manager in Bloemfontein in 1999 .
After a short period as manager at Afgri , Hoopstad , he returned to Senwes Bultfontein in 2005 as input marketer and then became the relationship manager . “ The guys around here know me and by God ’ s grace I managed to find my way again ”. The trust relationship he had with them survived and he could immediately focus on supplier relationships .
His philosophy is to carry the customer ' s wallet , which he has been pursuing since the early years . With his product knowledge in respect of direct input products , such as fertiliser and seed , as well as his mechnisation background and 36 years of experience , Ben is the right man for both employer and customer .
Ben really achieved success when he increased the turnover at Bultfontein from R26 million to more than R200 million in one year . His focus was to bring customers back to Senwes . “ I have a good relationship with my customers and , moreover , Senwes has a good product ”.
The 67-year old Ben enjoys his work so much that his contract has been renewed for the eighth time . He will continue building relationships as debtors clerk in future .
Ben has been married to Estelle for the past 38 years and they have three children . Tommy follows in his father ' s footsteps and does a similar job at FNB , Bennie manages property and Riané is married to a young farmer from the area , Theuns du Bruyn .
16 JUN / JUL 2016 • SENWES Scenario