Amanzimtoti Golf Course greening project is a beacon of success
Another 36 indigenous trees were planted this week
THE more than 2,000 indigenous trees which have been planted within Amanzimtoti Country Club (ACC) grew by another 36 this week.
The Beacon Masters Forest was planted as homage to the masters of confectionery who assisted Arnold Zulman to establish the sweet company as a force to be reckoned with.
When the ACC Conservancy’s Ted Holden pitched the idea of a ‘family’ forest of indigenous trees to honour Zulman’s family, Arnold took it to mean both his own as well as his extended family of staffers.
Of the some 3,000 workforce at Beacon during the Zulman years, an initial 36 were identified by him as being masters of their game, having significantly contributed to the company’s growth during the time his family owned it.
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Ted had worked with Zulman as an engineer and thus sought his buy-in on the project. Speaking at a launch function at Amanzimtoti Golf Course on Wednesday, 21 February, Arnold credited his staff as having helped take the company from number 10 in the industry in 1953, with 2% market share to number one 25 years later, with 40% of the market share.
“Beacon wasn’t an one-man show. The innovation by these people and others who worked for me allowed me immense credibility through the years,” he said.
The Mobeni-based sweet manufacturing factory subsequently passed out of the hands of the founding family and is now a subsidiary of Tiger Brands.
Wednesday’s function was a dual-edged celebration, with Zulman lauding his staff and them equally paying tribute to a hard taskmaster who was an exceedingly humane and ingenious, inventive boss.
Among those who sang their ex-employer’s praises as a progressive pioneer who was way ahead of his time were Sandy Dickson and Gary Hollins.
Arnold’s more enlightened view of how a business should be run earned him high praise from his ex- employees.
Among his progressive deeds was having a racially integrated workforce in the 70s, long before apartheid ended.
They lauded the ‘grandmaster’s’ liberal approach which saw women receive equal pay. In addition, a noteworthy policy saw the offices and canteen integrated, and the adoption of wage increases three times a year. Arnold explains the thinking behind this – it led to increased productivity.
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The politically active Arnold played a significant role in the transition years. A friend of Mangosuthu Buthelezi, he came to know Mandela well, having overseen some of their meetings in the early 1990s. “When I first met Mandela he already knew from the grapevine Beacon was an enlightened company and it gave me credibility with him.”
Sandy Dickson remembered how, despite it making a financial loss, Arnold insisted on maintaining the production of the ‘Zulu motto sweets’, because of how cherished the gesture was. ‘‘To me, Arnold was like a headmaster and rugby coach I lived for at school, the ship’s captain, a squadron leader. but in the Beacon Forest we have the perfect vehicle – in perpetuity – to which we can bring our families and share again the wonder that was Beacon under the Zulman clan,’’ said Gary Hollins.
“The work we did for Arnold was rewarded and for me, the work done here with the Beacon Forest will reward me for a long time,” said Ted at Wednesday’s launch. He oversaw the land clearing towards the end of last year, when the trees were ordered, supporting lathes purchased and hole positions pegged. A 1,000-litre water tank will irrigate the saplings when the club’s sprinkler system is not in use.
Each of the trees has a name tag bearing the name of each Beacon Master.
Arnold thanked his masters for ‘‘the part you played in making Beacon what it was.
“You were all among the key players, a bunch of super people,” he said. “We were very fortunate and could never have achieved what we did without your initiative, productivity and commitment to the cause. As a company, we set incredible standards and shared an incredible history you should all be proud of.”
At the centre of the Beacon Masters Forest is a plaque bearing the words: ‘‘This forest of 36 KZN indigenous trees is with thanks to Ted Holden for his idea and perseverance. (It) represents a dedication to the men and women who, each in their own way, made a distinctive contribution to the growth and success of Beacon Sweets and Chocolates, 1931-1998’’.
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