Community
1 July, 2026
New era
JOHN ‘Snoopy’ Verhoeven knew he wouldn’t step back from his business until he was confident services in town would not be impacted – but from this week, he’s found the right couple for the job in Amy and Rick Bailey.
Mr Verhoeven will today (July 1) wrap up operations at Cobden’s K.C Errey Engineering after 54 years.
It is a move he was only comfortable making after Rick and Amy Bailey signed the lease to take over the machinery and premises, where they will operate as Bailey Welding and Repairs.
Mr Verhoeven first started in 1972 before getting the opportunity to go full time in 1979, rolling up his sleeves “when Billy McMahon was still Prime Minister, before Gough Whitlam was on the scene”.
“I have worked here ever since,” he said.
“I rarely took holidays because when we had a lot of people it took a lot of looking after, and when we didn’t have a lot of people it took a lot of money to go on holiday.”
Mr Verhoeven said one of the reasons he had continued to work was to ensure Cobden and surrounds had continued access to skilled labour.
“I felt an obligation to people who have been loyal to me over the past 50 years,” he said.
“I could have retired 10 years ago but there was nobody around doing this sort of work.
“I thought I was still fit and able to do a full day’s work so I kept going.”
It was around eight months ago when Rick Bailey had approached him with the concept of sharing the workspace, but within their discussions Mr Verhoeven felt he found the right man to take over as the boss.
“Rick came to me and asked if, since I had a great big shed, would I be interested in sharing the space,” he said.
“I knew Rick had been looking at broadening his enterprise, getting into a few new things, but I said I only had a little while left and suggested he buy the machinery and equipment, take over the lease and do his own thing.
“It means now I can go and know there is somewhere local for people to go and get their work done.”
Mr Bailey said he had opened his business around six years ago, where he had been working from home before feeling it was “now or never” to make a bigger move.
“It was a no brainer to come in, talk to Snoop and get a feel of things,” he said.
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“We want to broaden our wings and take on new work after six-to-eight months of planning.
“We’ve been working out of the shed for three weeks now and it has been a real smooth transition, but it’s real smooth when there’s someone here who knows what they’re on about.
“Snoop has almost 60 years of knowledge, which I’ll never get all of, but between myself and the workers we hope to get some of it.”
Mr Bailey has taken on a fully qualified worker and an apprentice, and is already eyeing the possibility of further adding to the roster with additional workers.
“I’m 45 so it was sort of a do-or-don’t situation,” he said.
“But if I can get to 60 and slow down a little bit, then maybe someone else like me will come through the process and one day I’ll be sitting where John is sitting.”
Mr Verhoeven isn’t planning on taking a step back any time soon, and will instead remain on with Bailey Welding and Repairs to assist Rick and Amy in making sure the next generation have as much training as possible.
He has spent 25 years on the South West TAFE board and was involved with the Cobden Technical School council for 19 years, and strongly believes not enough youngsters are putting their hand up to join the trades.
Mr Verhoeven hopes better training practices and systemic support for employers taking on young staff could lead to a better future.
“The education of kids is something I’ve always been very interested in,” he said.
“I’m one of those people who, if I’ve got a skill, I don’t want to leave without passing that on to someone else.
“When I took over there would have been 20 or 30 apprentices in Cobden but today there is probably half a dozen at most.
“If we as a country are to survive, we need those basic skills – that’s one of the reasons my plan is to help get Rick and Amy’s workers trained up.
“There’s a million and one tricks of the trade that I’ve learned over my time which I want to pass on.”
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