In 2008, with encouragement and a small loan from a colleague, George Griffin set up the recruitment business CC Pacific in partnership with Cadden Crowe. Seven years and a lot of hard work later, he has a multi-million kina business on his hands.
CC Pacific’s George Griffin
‘There were many hurdles in the early days,’ Griffin tells Business Advantage PNG.
‘Working with minimal capital, just a K14,000 loan and a written agreement to provide a small monthly income, a laptop on my back, a list of targeted clients to meet in hand, I hit the road – literally, catching public transport and operating out of internet cafes.
‘I’d worked for another recruiter for seven years prior to venturing into the recruitment business for myself. In addition to this, I’d had seven years’ experience in sales and marketing, business management and the IT sectors.
‘I formed the alliance with Cadden Crowe who, at the time, were seeking to grow their presence and footprint into Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific.
Start-up challenges
‘But it was an extremely difficult, time-consuming and frustrating process for a PNG citizen with no business history to gain lines of credit for cash and/or consumables.’
The start-up hurdles ranged from simply opening a bank account and setting up credit facilities, to leasing a car and obtaining a credit card.
Griffin says if he’d not had the support of senior staff at Cadden Crowe and the people in the organisations he was trying to do business with, ‘I would have walked away many times’.
‘I wonder how many others have tried and are trying to do things the right way and just give up or find alternate ways to operate.’
Once the start-up hurdles were overcome and he began to win work, other challenges arose: cash flow, finding competent staff, staying local but meeting international expectations and adapting to the standards used by larger clients.
Perhaps the hardest challenge, he says, has been holding firm when clients are driven by ignorance, deadlines or a desire to avoid tax when they sought to bring non-national staff into PNG on inappropriate work permits or visas.
But after winning his first big contract to supply contractors, Cadden Crowe and Rubicor advanced Griffin around K140,000 to cover payroll, and related expenses.
‘I was able to pay that back in around 18 months and since then have operated within our own cash flow, with an overdraft facility available if needed.
‘As a small PNG business with limited cash reserves, winning a major contract supplying labour hire can be very stressful financially—more so when clients, usually the major multi-nationals, prefer to pay for services 60 days or later after receipt of invoices.
‘I wonder how many others have tried and are trying to do things the right way and just give up or find alternate ways to operate.’
Multi-million kina business
Griffin’s business today has five head office permanent staff, two site-based supervisors, around 50 contractors on site and in Port Moresby, made up of expatriates and nationals.
‘Employing a strong Financial Controller has been a key reason for my success to date.’
‘We maintain a low-rent office in Port Moresby and watch every toea.’
That careful eye has paid off.
In its first full year of operation in 2008, CC Pacific’s revenue was K3 million. 2013 was a bumper year, with revenues just under K12 million. Last year, it was just over K8 million.
‘Dependence on overseas labour is causing social issues, increases the costs of goods, services, accommodation and contributes to an increase in inflation that has a detrimental impact on ordinary Papua New Guineans. We also do not seem to be training enough people to replace those who are ageing and or leaving the workforce.’
‘In recent years we have been assisting clients improve the governance of landowner companies that have been engaged to service them. So we have found ourselves taking over their payroll service and ensuring the people are paid properly, that appropriate taxes and Nasfund contributions are paid and then training the land-owner company to take back this responsibility.’
‘We currently run payrolls for around 220 people in three companies.’
PNG’s skills shortage
After 14 years in the recruitment business, Griffin is critical of PNG’s education standards (‘which have fallen’) and talks of the huge need to deal with the skills shortage.
‘Our skills shortage will continue to haunt industries in PNG and abroad.
‘Dependence on overseas labour is causing social issues, increases the costs of goods, services, accommodation and contributes to an increase in inflation that has a detrimental impact on ordinary Papua New Guineans.
‘We also do not seem to be training enough people to replace those who are ageing and/or leaving the workforce. There’s a “boom and bust” mentality towards training in most companies and from the government.
‘Internationally qualified Papua New Guineans will continue to seek better opportunities overseas when they can, unless opportunities at home address their career advancement’
‘Similarly qualified professionals such as accountants and human resource practitioners appear plentiful; however, the standards vary greatly. We also need specialist people in the maritime industry, veterinarians, and a wider array of other professionals.’
Retention of qualified PNG nationals is another serious issue. Salaries vary so much and people appear to move regularly, some companies are getting smarter and offering an array of benefits, health, education, home loans, etc.
‘Internationally qualified Papua New Guineans will continue to seek better opportunities overseas when they can, unless opportunities at home address their career advancement, their aspirations for the education of their children, health needs and the law and order situation improves.’
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Great read. Love the spirit of persistence and perseverance.. Hard work and Never backing off easily pays off. Our Good Lord sees the effort put in and rewards accordingly.. Keep soaring..
Just a really motivational and happy story.
Great read Dodi!
Inspiring and motivational Testimony,Time and effort paid off,I am blessed by this story
Thank you George
Thank you sir! I am one who really want to do my own show. You have shown me the way.
Congratulations Nephew well done.
As a young aspiring Papua New Guinean, with dreams of becoming an entrepreneur myself, I find this very motivational and encouraging. Keep up the excellent work and thanks for publishing on PNG Business advantage.
Hi, this story is a life changing and very inpiring to hear. Thank you Mr. Griffin for this story, i am also a young and enthusiastic female that is willing to follow your step to success. I am a very positive minded person and i have trained myself now on how to make sacrifices to better future.
I had the privilege of meeting George Griffin at Morobe Mining Joint Venture’s (MMJV), Wafi- Golpu Project as Cadden Crowe Pacific Limited (CCPL) were offered a contract by MMJV for the recruitment of local workforce in the area’s surrounding the project. He told me of all the hardship he had to surpass to get CCPL established in the Pacific region and now I am proud of what he has achieved from his hard work.
I know his story will be an inspiration to all those who are attempting to achieve the dreams and goals. Furthermore, this story should also be an eye opener for the government to focus and concentrate on the importance of the country’s human resource in order to reduce the large number of expatriates flooding in to our country which is one of the root cause of the inflation dilemma which is currently affecting the everyday lives of ordinary Papua New Guinea’s citizens.
Lastly, business houses should consider giving contracts to recruitment companies such as Cadden Crowe as they promote local skills on global scale projects.
With that, Congratulation Brother George on your achievements and your motivation to everyone.
Denmark
Well done Champ!
Hard work and Perseverance pays off big time….
You took the first step and the rest follows through….
Very Inspirational!
Wish this story could be told through other medium….post courier, the national, etc…..
I am so encouraged by Mr Griffin’s story. Thank you for sharing his story as it tells the story of so many struggling PNG entrepreneurs who has so many obstacles to overcome to make their dreams a reality..
I once met brother George.Griffins, thru his brother Bill.Griffins. I am so happy to see and read what George as come from.Because many atimes, if you are sent away by a office which you are willing to
need their help to build start what you want when they totally turn you off and not accepting you in
their office.But today from the struggles of how life is like, he mentioned,just one laptop on his back
and maybe he caught but to work, Out of these struggles he went thru, WE ALL can see his hard work
and how dedicated and loyal he was to his office.He never gave up, he kept on doing his best in order
to become somebody! So, this is what he harvest at the end of the day.So the fruits are plenty now, and
his come out to the Public, and show and share what he has been doing all thru this years, until today.
George, my brother MADIYAWO, you really did well from the scribes and you really show most of us what life is to work hard and you can archive your AIMS and GOALS right at the end of the day.WELL DONE small bro keep it up and may GOD bless your Business and enrich it to the other parts of the world. JOB WELL DONE GEORGE.GRIFFINS. Cheers & Chao
Amazing! Love hearing stories like George Griffin’s. Inspiring for aspiring entrepreneurs!
I am encouraged to read about this and it boosts and motivates me to never give up,,no matter what the world throws at me. Its all about perservance.
Thank you so much Mr. Griffin.
As I am one of the entrepreneur like him and this is really encouraging and challenging for me personally. I love reading and challenged. Well done, think smart, continue your hard work and do better.
Thank you so much for Mr Griffin for sharing your personal & business experiences.