The name Rooney’s has been synonymous with events hire for over 70 years. The company is now run by the third generation of the Rooney family. How did this business start? How did it transition through the generations? What were the lessons? We publish here excerpts from Tim Rooney, in which he wrote about the family business, and what set it apart through the generations.
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My dad, Daniel Joseph Rooney, was affectionally called “Mickey” by some, and simply “D.J.” by others. Back then, he would have best been described as adventurous, hard-working, short tempered, entrepreneurial, and a “heavy drinker,” a not-uncommon trait among folks in those hard-driving pioneering days. He had a kind heart for the people he liked and was said to be someone who would “give you the shirt off his back.”
He came to southern Africa by a circuitous route from his home in Northern Ireland, where his father worked as a blacksmith. Dad first moved to Australia, where he tried his hand at sheep and cattle farming. He then moved onto Kenya to work at Lord Delamere’s farm.
After moving to what is now Zimbabwe, Dad initially worked as a self-employed accountant as well as a small part-time property developer before getting into the second-hand furniture business. One time, Dad transformed our backyard into something of a fridge factory, dozens of secondhand fridges patiently sitting out, waiting for refurbishment and resale.
One Christmas, we knew dad’s second-hand furniture business was in serious trouble when Mum warned us not to expect any Christmas presents. With the economy tanking, customers could not afford to pay us in cash, even though the furniture was second-hand.
The pivot and the transition
At this juncture, Dad proved his mettle and made the decision to pivot, turning the struggling second-hand furniture business into a thriving hire service. Dad’s slogan at that time was “We hire anything and everything!” With time, he carved out a much more focused and lucrative niche, supplying anything needed for any event, from a simple punch bowl for a wedding to a collection of massive marquees for a presidential inauguration. That business is still going strong to this day, three generations later.
The first transition to the next generation started when my dad—who was extremely hard-working but also a functioning alcoholic by this time—needed help to manage a massive order for Malawi’s Independence Day celebrations. As Dad’s health deteriorated, my older brother Pat, who already had a full-time job as a chartered accountant, was brought in to help manage the event. From then on, Pat helped on a part-time basis to keep things stable.
When Dad unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack at the relatively youthful age of 56, I was still at senior school. Pat continued to help navigate the business with the existing staff through some choppy waters for the next three years. At that time, he was an accountant working for Turner Williams. The firm was located in Linquenda House, then the tallest building in Salisbury, adjacent to the Rooney’s office, which itself was situated in a modest property with an old house serving as the front office. During lunch, Pat would come downstairs to keep an eye on Rooney’s.
Another transition
Not long after that, brother Rory—two years my senior, and a teacher at the time—joined the family business as manager under Pat’s supervision. He was a breath of fresh air, using his charm, excellent people skills, common sense, and relentless work ethic to consistently grow the business over the next 35 years. He also initiated the opening of a subsidiary in Zambia.
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The third generation
Rory’s sons, Niall and Michael (Niall’s older brother), then joined the business. Later, Michael took the opportunity to run a newly acquired car hire franchise representing Europcar for Zimbabwe. Michael has very successfully grown this complementary business over the past 10 years. Niall and his wife, Belinda—an expert in event planning—have brought another layer of creativity and sophistication to events at Rooney’s Hire Service.
Today, the company continues to enjoy solid revenues, despite Zimbabwe’s running into some very tough economic times in recent years, with further pressure caused by COVID-19.
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Niall Rooney: Leadership lessons
Niall Rooney, who today has taken over the running of Rooney’s from his father, Rory, puts it well when he says:
“Dad had full confidence in the next generation and did not interfere or try to micromanage daily operations. He has always been there for advice and as a sounding board, but also gave us all the space we needed to run the business and change aspects that required changing due to an ever-evolving environment.
My father never applied pressure on any of us to take over the business—he allowed us to decide if we wanted to move into the family business. It is so important that the next generations want to be involved voluntarily in the business and not pressured.
Over the years, my father taught me so much more about running a business. In my early years at Rooney’s, he taught me it was much more than tents—to him, it was about relationships with family, employees, our customers, and the community in general. With this understanding, taking over the business was a lot less intimidating for me, and it gave me the confidence, support, and trust that I needed from everyone around me.”
Credit: WontMakeButcher
