2013, 6:03 pm
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Karl Waeger
By Maheen Senanayake
Karl Waeger, the man who built 365 bridges, challenges me to " try to go home without crossing a bridge".
Of course, he is right, I have to cross a bridge and given that I was seated in front of this man in the Fort, an island itself, he was more than right.
Yes folks, its almost as if he had spent a year building one bridge a day, and when he realized he was building bridges he had not seen himself, he decided to enjoy retirement with his wife and allow his brother to succeed him, while of course keeping an eye on direction and new opportunities which incidentally is the second reason he is here.
"I see great potential in Sri Lanka and with the many waterways, the untouched rural atmosphere and landscape. The opportunities for a company like Waeger is immense", he says speaking over his cup of steaming coffee.
Holidaying in Sri Lanka with his wife, Bronwyn, weeks after he had transferred management of his company to his brother, he appeared visibly excited about the prospect of speaking to a construction forum the following day, Karl struck me first as a man with a penchant for bridges; rightfully so as I found out.
"Well for one thing we are a family company and with us every issue that one encounters stays resolved. Secondly it’s the drive and passion", says Karl now in Sri Lanka on a 11-day tour.
"For instance I started thinking and idolizing bridges when I was 10 years old," he says "and six years later I was building my first bridge with the same crew that I had seen. I have been fascinated by the prospects of building bridges, even though we are fundamentally a construction company", says Karl.
Somebody once asked me what’s the most important profession? I put my hand up straight away and I said bridge building. At every turn the passionate aspect of construction is obvious. Karl is particularly proud of the fact that Waeger construction is still standing where 20 other companies existed when he entered business.
We went into business in 1987 with "Waeger Construction" and built a farm access bridge at a place called the The Mill village in an area in the upper Allen River in New South Wales. Karl Waeger started Waeger Group with the help of family and friends in 1987. The company focuses primarily on large volume and repetitive precast items. It also offers a wide range of unique one-off products, such as sea wall repairs, rock fall protection fences, or the recent water play area constructed by Design Landscapes at the Commonwealth Bank Building Development in Sydney – a project Karl is particularly proud of.
Karl keeps talking about bridges. "There is great satisfaction when we build a bridge because a community that you do not know begin to appreciate the prospects that what you built offers them. On the one hand it connects them with the rest of the world and makes so much more accessible to them in their own progress. You can’t stop thinking about how you have changed the world.
In fact Waeger Construction recently won an award for the "Best project under 1 million dollars".
As a small company that is rooted in a family and based on family values, we always stand up and take responsibility. The goal is to ensure that we succeed because we believe in what we do with our hearts and we know that we are doing our best for humanity.
"We also see Sri Lanka’s landscape as a calling, from the dry zone, the rivers and the offshoots to the mountainous terrain, there is a definite need for our skills and the opportunities are obvious", he says visibly excited about the prospects and at the same time quietly confident of his ability to engage in these projects.
He also notes that, due to the current boom in the market and the associated skilled labour shortage, retaining employees can be a difficult task for smaller companies who generally can’t compete in this way. This has not been the case for Waeger Group, whose dedicated workforce has demonstrated loyalty and faith in the company.
We talk of Sri Lanka and what the opportunity is for the company over here. "For our company, Sri Lanka is a place to share our expertise with. We believe that more than ever that Sri Lanka has the need for a small and passionate company like ours. We are passionate about bridges and construction is something we take seriously. Anyone can start a construction company, but it takes people like us to ensure that we can continue to do what we do best – build bridges enhancing the lives of individuals and communities, connecting them one by one to the global village."
Looking to the future, Karl feels confident that Waeger Group will continue to flourish as it has for the last 25 years. "We’re a very strong company," he says, "and we’ll continue to grow through revenue because I see that as one of the critical things in our growth. We never have said "let’s just grow’. We’ve always had a purpose to grow, and we’ve always grown within our own means, which basically gives us a very strong foundation as a company."
``We just acquired 160 hectares of grazing farmland with cattle and I hope to develop this property in the future. That is our retirement plan,’’ says Karl as his wife Bronwyn smiles at the prospect. " It is something I can do without the fear of money".
"My brother is now in charge, and having worked for me for many years the transition was virtually unfelt. But I still give direction and Sri Lanka is definitely on our scopes now".
What about challenges? I ask Karl.
``Well I plan to trek Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest mountain, then we are off to Port Kokoda , Moresby to follow a war trail. Then we trek Mount Kilimanjaro followed by a trek to Base camp at K2, at the foot of the Himalayas.’’
"K2 for me is the more philosophical trek" adds Karl. ``Unlike treking up K1, where you would see the peak on several days during the trek, K2 is only seen on the 11th day making the journey more important that the destination."
Sri Lanka, it seems may perhaps be the greatest adventure for Waeger Construction and maybe one Karl will enjoy from the safety of his latest venture – his farm in Australia.
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