Filtration and separation technology specialist Roymec Technologies continues to supply its clients “best service and equipment to be found anywhere.”
THE BEST TOOLS FOR THE JOB
Roymec Technologies is a company boasting impeccable credentials in the area of filtration and separation solutions. Its sound mechanical, process and project experience combined with its engineers’ full complement of in-house design and engineering expertise have made it a leader in the industry since it was established in the year 2000.
The company has built itself a recognised name that has partnered with leading global companies, offering cutting edge solutions and the latest designs to its client base. It is actually a relatively small operation, and yet with its small size the company has advantages often not found with larger firms.
As Mark Langton, the company’s Process Director explains, “Roymec Technologies is a separation technology supplier, particularly of liquid solid separation, coalescing filters and iron exchange. We’ve made a unique selling point of the fact that we tend to be a niche product supplier and being a small, flexible company we can adapt our approach to suit the client’s needs. We don’t supply off the shelf equipment; everything we supply is custom designed for each application. We invest significant time and resources in process development, aiming to become the industry leaders in the technology we provide.”
However, being a small company in a resource-led industry sector brings certain risks with it, and
Roymec Technologies has faced some serious challenges in recent years. “We certainly felt the pinch in the recent downturn in the economy,” Langton admits. “We’ve been quite focused on base metals where the impact of the downturn has been significant. However, the application of our technologies in other industries has cushioned the impact on our company. One of the major challenges the company is currently facing is the threat of Chinese supplied equipment entering our markets. We’re seeing Chinese multinationals buying mineral deposits in places like Zambia and the DRC, and then using their own engineering and expertise.
“I think becoming world leaders in our specific range of technologies is the best approach to overcoming this threat. We’re also looking at the potential of joint ventures with Chinese companies. We want to partner with Chinese companies on their own projects when possible. Roymec Technologies also has the advantage of being able to offer local post project support to those clients.” As a small but flexible company, the challenges of the market are only pushing Roymec Technologies to find new and more innovative approaches to their work.
Warrin Rautenbach, the company’s COO, adds, “We have a broad customer base and wide market. We are now enhancing our efforts in providing post project support and maintenance contracts for our equipment. the traditional mining industry is very quiet, so we’re looking at other growth markets, such as Russia. Yet again, it all comes back to having the best product to offer.” “We believe we’re becoming industry leaders in a number of the technologies we provide,” Langton agrees. “So rather than just focusing on Africa we’re offering these products to projects worldwide.”
Of course, to be able to provide the best custom-designed technology you need to have a team of competent personnel on your side, and this is why recruitment is an issue that Roymec Technologies takes very seriously.
As Rautenbach tells us, “We look to employ the most qualified and motivated individuals we can find. Their experience in this line is critical to us. We want people suitably qualified, highly motivated with the best experience. To this end we use qualified, market leading recruitment companies to source those people. When they get here we have a focused approach on their training, either one on one or giving them the opportunity to attend conferences and industry shows anywhere in the world to get training specific to our industry.”
Once they have the talent they need, Roymec is a company that’s determined to keep it, and they invest heavily in the professional development and working environment of their staff.
“We have very low staff turnover,” Rautenbach says. “In fact since I’ve been here we’ve had only one person leave us. It’s a harmonious working environment, with a motivated group of people in an open plan office environment, so the connection between our staff is very close.”
Every member of that staff is dedicated to ensuring that the technology Roymec has to offer is the very latest and best available in the industry and R&D is a crucial part of everything the firm does. “We have two spheres of approach in that regard,” Langton explains. “In the process environment we’re constantly visiting our customers to see how their technology is functioning and what issues it is facing or pitfalls it may have come across. And we test it in a lab environment to fix issues clients have on site.
“Secondly our R&D department has highly qualified engineers that experiment with unique ways of testing theories to improve the workings of existing equipment. We spend a lot of our turnover on R&D, typically over $1 million on an annual basis.”
By having the best tools for the job, Roymec Technologies aims to provide the best solutions possible to its market and customers. It’s a simple but effective philosophy.
To learn more visit www.roytecsa.com.
