HAVING held together for 40 years through ups and down, what does the future hold for Weston and Weston?

Brothers George and Lionel Weston have had the support of each other and then a dedicated staff over that time, but has that set up the business for its next stage?

“Because there’s two of us, there’s always been someone to back you up,” George said.

“If there’s a problem we always try and nut it out.”

Weston and Weston is in the enviable position of having a next generation - George’s son Murray and Lionel’s son Deane - coming through.

“They wanted to join us,” George said. “I said to Murray ‘go and see the world, do something else’. The same with Lionel’s boys. But they wanted to join us.”

“I think it was a little bit because we’re Weston and Weston, and they’re the sons of Weston and Weston,” Lionel said.

“They’re doing quoting and taking over. We have a situation where we can pull back and watch and not have to do all the stuff they’re doing.”

Lionel felt the company would continue to expand where it could, particularly corporate contract work.

“Now the boys are on board, really, in a sense, it’s where they take it,” he said.

“I’m pulling back, so we’ll just be links in the chain. It’s where they take it, but I see it in Albury and Canberra.

“They’ll just keep it going. It’s more what the boys want. The whole idea is we’re pulling back now and let the young fellas do their thing, keep an eye on them.

“We won’t actually retire. I actually enjoy teaching the guys. It’s hard to believe we’re here. I did think I was going to retire at 35. I was 30 years out!”

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FORTY years ago, Weston and Weston started with four staff members – two ambitious brothers and their wives.

Within six months, that had expanded by two as more work started coming in and the business’ reputation grew.

Over the space of four decades, Weston and Weston has had about 200 employees through its books, including at least 40 apprentices over that period.

Today, Weston and Weston is at its biggest with about 30 staff - over three locations - employed as apprentices, technicians, trades assistants, a storeman and in clerical/administration roles.

Weston and Weston is still run as a family company, with directors George and Lionel overseeing sons Murray and Deane.

“We come in every day,” George said.

“We might do quotes, work out a price, go an see a customer. 

“We’re not hard hands-on, but we’ve still got contacts.”

Lionel said both are happy to pick up the tools if there’s a problem they can help with.

“What we’re more doing is teaching, or training,” he said. “We’re hands-on in the sense that we can go up to a piece of equipment, have a look, check out what’s going on.

“We’re the knowledge up here. When the boys ask a question about a situation it is generally something we’ve seen. Refrigeration hasn’t changed in how it works.”

Deane leads the Wagga technicians and Murray the Leeton technicians, with Albury currently working under remote direction.

Kym Webb, the longest-serving non-Weston at the company, leads the admin/clerical staff.

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