By Mike May
When it comes to finding domestic assistance, look no further than the Wellington Agency, which is based here in Wellington but serves households across South Florida and beyond.
Whether you need a maid, driver, housekeeper, house manager, laundress, baby nurse, nanny, governess, butler, private chef or a private security detail, the Wellington Agency can meet your needs. The firm is currently providing professional assistance to clients who own homes not only in Wellington, but in Miami, Palm Beach, Jupiter, Boca Raton, New York City, the Hamptons and even across the pond in London.
The roots of the Wellington Agency, operated by Founder/President April Berube, can be traced back to her small business in New England in the mid-1990s, and to Berube’s positive childhood memories of visits to Palm Beach County to see her grandparents back in the 1970s and 1980s.
“I started my own childcare business in 1995 when I was 23 and a new, young mother,” Berube recalled. “It was called Nanny Poppins.”
After a series of long, cold winters in Boston, Berube and her husband Mark wanted to live somewhere warmer in the winter. They discovered Wellington.
“We looked for somewhere that was warm and beautiful,” Berube recalled. “I remember visiting my grandparents when I was a child, and they lived in Palm Beach County. It was always beautiful down here. In our search for a place, Wellington kept popping up, so we moved here in 2004. In 2006, we started Wellington Nannies, which provided childcare services for families of young children. My husband and I wanted to contribute and make a difference in the community.”
The family did contribute to the community and continues to do so. According to Berube, the evolution of the Wellington Agency from Wellington Nannies was a natural one.
“Many of my clients started asking about my ability to provide staffing for their yachts and private planes, as well as looking after their children,” she recalled.
Clearly, there was a professional staffing niche that needed to be filled. So, Berube filled it. The Wellington Agency was founded in 2009. Based on one referral after another, her business has skyrocketed and continues to soar.
“The business community in Wellington has been very good to us,” Berube said. “Companies and residents of Wellington are good about doing business with one another.”
Just as the business has grown, her family has expanded, as well. She and her husband are now the proud parents of three grown children — Jordan, Joelle and Lily.
As for the rise of the Wellington Agency, its success is all based on integrity and a commitment to excellence.
“At the Wellington Agency, your satisfaction is so important to us that we guarantee all placements for the length of the commitment,” Berube said. “This is almost unheard of in a domestic staffing agency. We are also very thorough with our background and reference checks. When we are contacted, we provide staff for all the homes of any particular family. Many of them have multiple homes in Los Angeles, New York City or in Europe.”
Berube and her staff provide first-class individuals to clients because her clients require it.
“The domestic staff you’ll have access to at the Wellington Agency are the best in the industry because of our advanced training and previous experience requirements,” Berube said. “All candidates represented by our agency must have a solid background in the field they are applying for, along with excellent references from previous families. This ensures their competency and trustworthiness. All of our candidates have completed long-term assignments and are looking for families who recognize and appreciate their level of experience.”
The Wellington Agency only fills vacancies for full-time/long-term roles or seasonal work. There are no weekly or weekend assignments.
Berube values her relationships with her clients and works hard to help them develop long-lasting relationships with their domestic help. She also wants those employees to have a positive, long-lasting relationship with their employers, too.
The Wellington Agency provides continued support, placement counseling and even household mediation services, if necessary, to its clients throughout the hiring and employment process. The agency hires the best and most qualified domestic help and staff for clients. Currently, the four most commonly requested categories of help are for full-time housekeepers, private chefs, house/estate managers and drivers.
According to Berube, a housekeeper is much more than just a house cleaner or maid; talented and creative private chefs are in high demand; house/estate managers are becoming a common request; and many people who come from big cities, such as New York, don’t drive because they lived in a city where they either walked or used public or private transportation.
The role of the house manager is particularly popular for families who are always on the go and require help with daily demands in their multiple homes.
“The house manager runs the house and all domestic staff report to the house manager, not the owner of the home,” Berube explained. “The house manager makes sure outside vendors, such as lawn care professionals or pool companies, get access to the homes, get their jobs done and everything is in perfect running order for the owners when they arrive.”
If you need domestic help at your home in Wellington or elsewhere, call (561) 713-2663 or contact April Berube at april@thewellingtonagency.com. Learn more about the firm at www.thewellingtonagency.com. The office is located in the Chancellor Building at 12008 South Shore Blvd. in Wellington.
