Focus on ProQS founder Eugene Schoombie

This column introduces exceptional Kingswood residents, who run businesses that do the estate proud and prove a boon to the Garden Route and beyond. As the name implies, ProQS specialises in quantity surveying, but also offers many other building-related services, having been intimately involved in the Southern Cape construction industry for a quarter century-plus.

A native of the Free State, Eugene Schoombie matriculated from Grey College in Bloemfontein in 1975 and went on to attain his BSc in Quantity Surveying from Kovsies, before furthering his qualifications by specialising in Project Management.

But more than for gaining degrees, the University of the Free State campus is also where Eugene lucked into the love of his life: He met Karen van Zijl at varsity and, not too many moons after, the fellow ‘Vrystater’ became his wife.

From corporal to corporate

Like most young men of his generation, Eugene had a compulsory two years of military service to complete before he could start pursuing his professional career.

He was employed by Eskom as quantity surveyor during the halcyon days when several power stations were being built simultaneously across the length and breadth of the land. This was followed by a protracted professional stint at Schoombie & Hartmann Quantity Surveyors – a company founded by his father in 1957. ‘Quantity surveying runs in the family, and I worked for Dad’s company for years, but at some stage it all became a bit too corporate. I bumped into an old varsity pal in 1996, and this chance meeting contributed to our move to George,’ he recounts.

Holiday breakaways to Wilderness, where the family had a holiday cottage, further impacted the Schoombies’ decision-making at a time when their kids were of preschool age.

Says Karen: ‘We decided to uproot and so moved from Pretoria to George, where Eugene invested in a small Southern Cape-based recycling business.’

This enterprise was soon expanded into multi-waste handling entities, covering the vast area between Plettenberg Bay, Riversdale and Beaufort West, and handling all kinds of recycling from medical waste to normal recyclables such as glass, paper and plastic. At the same time, he was roped back into quantity surveying by the above-mentioned varsity buddy. The duo was eventually assisted by Eugene’s father, who had relocated to George.

If at first handling maintenance projects at schools, their commissions quickly scaled up to include larger buildings and renovations. These humble beginnings gradually gained momentum, growing ProQS into a fully fledged quantity surveying enterprise.

Partner Fourie du Preez – a highly qualified and respected quantity surveyor – as well as admin and technical staff are active in George, with similar-sized offices established in Harrismith, Vryheid, Piet Retief and Kimberley.

Professional services on tap

ProQS was founded in January 1997 and, having accumulated much experience in the construction industry up north, Eugene could branch out and use his many skills to the benefit of the Southern Cape building fraternity.

Apart from quantity surveying and project management, today’s ProQS team is well versed in contractual matters, estimating, budgeting, and value engineering. Eugene is also a skilled negotiator and, with his bent for entrepreneurship, in a perfect position to advise those entering this challenging industry. Among some of ProQS’s bigger projects counts the beautiful Views Hotel in Wilderness. Another local involvement was the OCGT – a project where fuel-driven generators were established at PetroSA in response to a faltering national electricity provider.

Among Eugene’s many projects over the past two decades count the York Park building (a modernisation of the Western Cape Provincial Government bastion in York Street), the impressive Summer Heights in Mossel Bay, and a new high school and clinic in the sprawling George township of Thembalethu.

Eugene and ProQS have been instrumental in the successful completion of more than 100 luxury homes in various estates around the Southern Cape.

From Heatherpark to ultimate abode

The Schoombies have two children, a now grown-up son and daughter, the former married and thriving in the Cape, the latter having recently acquired property in George after a decade of living out her wanderlust in exotic locations around the globe.

Karen and Eugene spent many happy years in the tree-lined suburb of Heatherpark before moving to Kingswood Golf Estate three years ago. And no, they’ve never looked back.

Explains Karen: ‘When our kids had finished school, flown the coop and completed their varsity careers, it was the perfect time for us to start planning details of our ultimate home.

‘Having been involved with so many new-house projects over the years, it was easy for us to make informed decisions on selling up and building our own property, at a size just right for our current requirements.

‘We both believe that Kingswood Golf Estate currently offers the best-value property investment option in the country. Apart from this significant advantage, we decided on settling here because of the spectacular views, easy access to amenities, and excellent security.’ Of course, the well-maintained golf course on their very doorstep didn’t hurt, either …

Work and play

Eugene says Covid lockdowns necessitated his installation of a home workstation and that these days, although the ProQS office remains active in town with staff operating from there, he’s very comfortable steering the ship from his home office.

Good thing, too, since his involvement in the Kingswood Golf Estate’s new clubhouse project is requiring his undivided attention, and the facility’s development site is literally within walking distance from the Schoombies’ stylish home.

Bird-watching enthusiasts at Kingswood will be well acquainted with Karen through their shared passion for the appreciation of feathered friends found in and around the estate – a love shared by Eugene, when time allows.

Karen is also a competitive golfer, who makes time for a round two to three times per week. Her husband, on the other hand, has a history of swimming prowess, having raked in many medals in this sport discipline over the years.

‘I’m loving the golf at Kingswood and playing with friends at other courses in the district, and am hoping to get Eugene to play more regularly … once he retires! But with Kingswood’s new clubhouse project now his first priority, I suspect golf will be on the back burner for another while yet.’

The joys of Kingswood and Kruger

The Schoombies say that in the three years since their Kingswood landing, they’ve made a bunch of friends. ‘There are so many good people that live on the estate, and we love taking our golf cart and visiting them – you don’t even have to drive very far, which is a wonderful advantage.’

When not working or birding or golfing in their home town, the couple love going to the bush, with Kruger National Park a home away from home.

‘We have a house on the Sabie River, and we try to get there as often as practically possible. Since we’re both keen bird-watchers, we love being out in nature, whether in the bush or on beach walks.’

Karen adds that another favourite destination is the family farm in Umbria, Italy. ‘Whether discovering new areas in South Africa or abroad, we try travelling around as much as Eugene’s work allows.’

But it’s always a joy to return to their Kingswood home, no matter where in the world their adventures take them. See the story on KGE’s new clubhouse project elsewhere in this edition.