Timber iQ February - March 2018 // Issue: 36 | Page 54
REGULARS - PERSONALITY PROFILE
Keeping it in the family
Getting exposure to all things wood from his father isn't the only
thing George Kuratle of HWZ International South Africa has learnt,
he's also found inspiration and intends to pass on the same
to his children.
By Ntsako Khosa
WHAT ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN
YOUR CURRENT POSITION?
DO YOU ENJOY
WHAT YOU DO AND
WHY? WHAT IS
YOUR FAVOURITE
PART OF YOUR JOB?
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE IN YOUR
CURRENT POSITION? WHAT HAVE YOU
ACHIEVED SO FAR?
We will continue to grow, and I hope to steer the company
further into a successful future.
In the past 25 years we were able to grow the company
from a local trader with 50 employees to an international
operating company with more than 500 employees.
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHALLENGES, IN YOUR
OPINION, THAT THE TIMBER INDUSTRY MUST
OVERCOME?
Timber is a high-tech product. It is in many ways superior
to concrete and it is one of the only 100% sustainable
building material our planet has to offer while binding CO 2
at the same time.
It is the timber industries’ job to create and transport
this value to the end consumer and investor to further
ensure sustainable supply of this great material.
EXPLAIN HOW YOU GOT STARTED IN YOUR
CAREER AND HOW YOU ENDED UP WHERE YOU
ARE TODAY.
My career started in our own home, where I worked during
my school holidays as logistic employee and became
attached to the company and the industry.
Many years later after gathering experience abroad, I
was able to buy the company from my father in 1991.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS INDUSTRY?
Our family business and my father. I was attracted to the
industry after my father went into politics. This is around
the time when I took over the business. Additionally, I was
also passionate about the industry as timber is a
high-tech product.
52 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2018 //
I am the president of the board of directors at HWZ
International South Africa, it is a division of Kuratle group,
a Swiss company which is active all over the world. The
Kuratle group and its partners intend to promote wood
construction and green building in South Africa. I am
responsible for their strategic guidance and manage the
CEOs of the companies belonging to the group.
I love my job. There is no
day as the other and the
challenges keep me going.
The company is part of our
family and so are all our
employees.
To work and achieve
goals together makes
me happy.
In my opinion having an
enterprise is also a social
responsibility which
sometimes gets forgotten
by all the press about the
George Kuratle from HWZ
International South Africa.
global multi corporations.
To be able to define
values, to create and guide a company that upholds these
responsibilities and creates working jobs for our economy
is very rewarding.
HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR FUTURE? WHAT DO YOU
STILL WANT TO ACHIEVE?
I see a successful future for our company as well as for the
timber industry.
My focus in the next few years, is to further accompany
the process to successfully hand over the responsibilities
to the next generation. My daughter, Corinne Kuratle, and
my two sons, Fabian and Roger Kuratle, will continue to
work for the company.
WHAT BIG PROJECTS HAVE YOU BEEN PART OF?
I had the opportunity to be part of many great projects.
With big clients building projects as supplier as well as
internal strategic projects such as the foundation of our
international sector some years ago.
WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY?
Work respectfully with each other, focus on your strengths
and show dedication to what you do, no matter what
you do.