QUEENSLAND'S GERMAN CONNECTIONS - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Riding the crest

It’s possible to be homesick for both Germany and Queensland and build a business success story the envy of its peers, as Matthew Tesch discovered when he visited the man behind the name. “Hello, Wolfgang!” … “Hi” … “G’day, Wolfgang” … the cheery calls mark our progress through the offices on Brisbane’s northside, and Wolfgang Olbertz acknowledges each person’s greeting with a “How do you do?” asked in a way which makes it clear he means those words as a literal and genuine enquiry every time. Wolfgang retired in 2007 from the daily demands of running Crest Electronics, handing the reins to sons Dirk and Ralph and a full-time CEO, but it’s clear that his stewardship at the state-of-the-art $12 million facility at Brendale remains warmly welcomed, active and engaged.

When Wolfgang was 19, the family emigrated from Solingen (Nordrhein-Westfalen) but returned after six years because his dad was homesick. Before they left, Wolfgang met his future wife Kay, and she followed him to Germany where they married, began working in retail, selling appliances and entertainment electronics, and produced two sons. With the boys barely a couple of years old, it was Kay’s turn to be homesick, for her parents and Brisbane, but the return was to be a much braver and hurried one. “I applied to emigrate,” Wolfgang recalls, “and was surprised when I received my visa in a fortnight, and had to sell my business in a hurry; I received an offer for it but never saw the money, so I arrived here with pretty much empty pockets. Looking back now, it is hard to believe that we ‘busted the seams’ every few years as the business expanded.”

For a distribution business which began in his home garage in 1977, and which has outgrown its premises five times since (on average, every four years), it’s an amazing story for someone who started with a private loan after the banks refused to provide capital despite evidence of paid orders. Another thing to impress discerning visitors is both the number of years and number of names on the staff length-of-service plaques on the walls of the reception area – it’s not often these days one sees 10, 15, even 20, year lists, let alone populated with names, many still on the payroll! “I remember our first sales rep – Tim Welling,” says Wolfgang, “he was with us for 23 years, and then he retired.” The eyes of this courtly gentleman, with his piercing gaze, gleaming tie-clip and cufflinks and impeccable attire, flash when I place the old-fashioned cassette dictaphone on the table – “that’s almost where the business started!” Above: Wolfgang receives a framed commemoration on Crest’s 30th birthday from sons Dirk (left) and Ralph.

The secret to that almost-literally rags-to-riches tale lies in some fundamental business – “whatever money we made went straight back in” – and life principles – “what you put in, you get out” – and Wolfgang and his family have built something substantial, lasting, and extremely efficient. “At Geebung [the previous, outgrown, site] we had 45 people working to handle half the volume of trade we do today with only 15.” By the same token, Crest today employs 70 people nationally, supplying more than 4,000 retail outlets with over 700 product lines, including its own brand. Another clue to Crest’s longevity lies in its well supported staff (on-site gym, ‘chill zone’ room and barbecue area) and strong sense of corporate social responsibility: ranging from assisting schools and nonprofit groups to currently sponsoring a litter of puppies being raised for Guide Dogs Queensland. Premier Peter Beattie with Wolfgang, Kay, Ralph and Dirk, when Crest received the Queensland Small Business Award in 2002.

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