His 61st Birthday is approaching and he told the National Business Review (NBR), this month “I feel like my best work is ahead of me.”
David Serville is in one way, typically Kiwi; it takes some coaxing for him to talk about himself.
But he possesses a self-confidence to willingly talk about any “weaknesses” he might need to work on.
NBR told the story for the first time, of David Serville’s 30 year journey which has built an organisation employing on any day, around 1000 Kiwis across the country.
He started his company, Crewcut lawn mowing services (now a more diversified CC Group) in 1991, with the help of a Ministry of Social Welfare loan.
Today, Serville, who would have passed in the 1960’s, as one of the country’s “long haired louts,” now owns two national franchise operations – Crewcut lawnmowing and Crewcare commercial cleaning and building maintenance – as well as independent contractor-operated services in asbestos removal operation, (Chemcare), CC Facilities Management, and a five-month-old training academy; now all combined into “CC Group.”
In numbers, CC Group has 340 franchises, a head office team of 35, franchise employees and contractors; and $20 million to $25m expected revenue for head-office in the year to March 2021. On top of that are the earnings of the franchisees.
So how did this relatively quiet spoken “agreeable” (his own description) guy build such a successful organisation?
And why, at age 60, does he speak like a 30 year-old, viewing his best performing years to be ahead of him?
“The Long View” extracted some of his comments from the NBR story which we believe give some insights into his mindset:
“I had two children to support. My contemporaries had all finished university, got good jobs and were buying their first houses. I remember the sense of urgency I felt that I’d better get my act together.
After a year, Serville quit mowing lawns himself to focus on sales and franchising. The biggest challenge was earning trust and confidence from (mostly) male franchisees who were often 20-plus years older than him, and then managing the dynamics of a franchisee relationship.
I worked 80-hour weeks, I was never at home.
I used to say that being a franchisee was a lot more profitable than being the owner of a company. I thought that building trust and brand was more important.
Serville says the biggest source of struggle and strength has been his home life.
