Still going strong 60 years on

BRENT Johnston
BRENT Johnston
BRENT Johnston, the owner of Bridgman Street Panelbeaters, was destined to take over the family business, having been given shares in the company when he was just 6 months old. This year he celebrates 60 years in the business his father started.
The Johnstons' connection with Dunedin began aboard the May Queen, an emigrant ship from the UK destined for Dunedin, in 1872. Brent's great- grandfather, Robert Johnson, from the Shetland Islands, met future wife Emily, from South England, en route.
The couple married two years later at All Saints' Church.  Robert began a successful tailoring business and the couple soon had a large family. Their youngest son, Victor Johnston, on return from serving in WW1 as part of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, began his own family. Victor's youngest son, Lerwick Johnston, on finishing high school, completed a 5-year panelbeating apprenticeship at Emslie and Flockton, before going on to establish Bridgman Street Panelbeaters with business partner Charles Cermak in 1956.
A short time later, Lerwick became sole proprietor, registering as a limited-liability company in 1957. Originally the business was operated out of four disused houses, which Lerwick had gutted and converted into workshops - concreting the floors and adding garage doors. In 1970, with the business growing, he commissioned a purpose-built workshop and expanded again onto the adjoining site in 1972, which became their spray-painting facility.
In 1972, Brent joined his father in the business by taking on a panelbeating apprenticeship, something he said he was expected to do. ``It was unsaid that I was going to someday take over the business - it was expected, so at 16 I started my apprenticeship.''
During his time as an apprentice, Brent received several apprenticeship awards. His father, recognising his skill and passion for the collision- repair industry, promoted him to foreman in 1981.
It was shortly after Brent's promotion that Lerwick, aged just 51, died of a heart attack. ``It was almost like he knew that day that he wouldn't be coming back to work the next morning,'' Brent said. ``He told me, it's your turn to lock up. I've done it long enough.'' At this point, Brent found himself in sole charge of the business, overseeing a staff of 18. Brent had to quickly equip himself with the skills required to continue running the busy panelbeaters'.
The next year proved to be particularly challenging for Brent. At just 25, he was juggling running a business, grieving the loss of his father and raising a young family, but less than a year later his mother passed away, and he became the custodian of his 12-year-old brother. Brent said he received a lot of support from staff and the insurance industry during this difficult time, for which he's extremely grateful.
``The staff were all great and the insurance companies, particularly SIMU (AMI), were very supportive and especially helpful when it came to estimating work. We didn't have a lot of expertise in that area because dad took care of that aspect of the business and they didn't take advantage of our lack of knowledge,'' Brent said.
Despite adversity, Brent prevailed and has continued to grow the business into one of the busiest in the city and most advanced in the country. 

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