Chandaria Industries
Wiping away the competition Chandaria Industries celebrate 50 years of manufacturing products for Kenya, East and Central Africa Writer Emily Jarvis Project manager Tom Cullum Established in 1964, Chandaria industries Ltd are the largest manufacturer and distributor of tissue, paper and hygiene products in Kenya, East and Central Africa. Their sister company, Tanpack Tissues Ltd, is also the largest manufacturer and distributor of tissue, paper and hygiene products in Tanzania. The group also has an extensive interest in property and other investments. Darshan Chandaria, Director of Chandaria Industries Ltd, offers a bird's eye view of his family-owned company, as the company celebrates its 50 Years anniversary. As the only manufacturer of tissue materials in Kenya, Chandaria Industries pride themselves on delivering excellent products, many of them from recycled raw materials. "By being the only company in Kenya that does this, we have control on the quality of our products right from the beginning to the end of the manufacturing process. From receiving the raw materials, to getting our products on the supermarket shelves, this end-to-end process has secured our leading position in the market," Darshan explains. MacCoffee Over the years, Chandaria Industries have diversified the range of products they offer, in addition to their existing tissue and hygiene line. Since Darshan joined the company, he expressed a fascination in exploring the food and beverage sector. In the year 2010/11, the coffee brand MacCoffee was born. "I had always wanted to enter the food and beverage sector. I wanted to explore what I felt was a niche…
Shaw River Manganese
Managing Manganese Mining Shaw River Ltd. have recently pushed forward with their flagship Otjozondu project in Namibia, where excellent logistics means a competitive investment environment Writer Emily Jarvis Project manager James Mitchell Shaw River Manganese Limited is an Australian based mineral exploration and development company focussing on manganese project opportunities internationally. Its flagship project is located in Namibia, in the south west of Africa. With a current focus on exploration, defining and increasing their mineral resource base and project studies, the company have recently developed an open-cut mining operation at its Otjozondu (Otjo) Project in Namibia. From its appearance on the stock exchange in late 2006, initially with all assets held in Western Australia, Shaw River now have a shareholder relationship with Atlas Iron, who have a 53.45 per cent interest share in Shaw River Manganese Limited. Peter Benjamin, Managing Director of Shaw River, talked to Africa Outlook about their flagship "Otjozondu Project" and his understanding of the mining and manganese industry. Why Africa? With a complex Government approvals process in Australia, projects can be expensive and take years to complete. Benjamin says that investment is only coming into the industry for very large projects: "Those with an excellent return on investment and a good margin, often in excess of 100 per cent, are the projects that attract attention and investment in the current investment environment." There are sometimes very good resource investment opportunities in Africa because of a combination of Greenfields (new), better availability of capital, lower labour and operating costs and relatively quick timetables…
Ergosystem
Wall to wall innovation Ergosystem bring their brand of passion and bespoke services to Southern Africa Writer Matt Bone Project manager Arron Rampling Ergosystem and its subsidiary companies, translucent and acoustic, are creative and innovative solutions-driven companies based in South Africa operating in the commercial, hospitality, retail and domestic interiors markets. Together or in isolation, they are able to transform ordinary or proposed walls, dividers, screens into practical solutions that are clad decoratively, walls that are demountable, single-sided, double sided, illuminated or non-illuminated. Many of these applications have also transgressed their boundaries and become floor and ceiling treatments. Dean Armstrong, Managing Director of Ergosystem is quick to point out what makes them so unique: "We don't believe that we are a small company operating in a third world country. We know we are a competitive, structured company with integrity and values, differentiating ourselves by adopting a first world mindset where quality and service are an essential part of our core business." Ergosystem offer a truly unique and bespoke service that is always tailored to the client's specifications. No two projects Armstrong has overseen have been the same and it will continue to be so: "I do not like doing the same style again and again, I want each one to be fresh and commissioned exactly as the client envisaged." "Passion for what we do" Having overseen impressive and constant growth over the last 9 years, Armstrong is convinced that there is one main reason why they have seen such a period of growth in a recession:…
Hyspec Mining Services
High expectations below ground Hyspec Mining Services have been rolling out an intensive training programme, to further improve their team of dedicated professionals Writer Emily Jarvis Project manager James Mitchell Hyspec Mining Services have been serving the mining community for over eighteen years from seven African countries. The business was founded in 1996 as a hydraulic services provider in Ghana, where they were pioneers in the mining industry, being the first company to offer fully managed on-site workshops at individual mine locations. The Hyspec Mining Services are now head quartered in Australia, and have a focus on providing hydraulic, fuelling and lubrication equipment and services to the mining and exploration industry across Africa. Hyspec has a large purchasing and logistics centre in Perth, Western Australia, with operational central warehouses in Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Tanzania and Zambia. All regional offices are registered under the Hyspec name and are fully registered local companies each with its own Operations Manager. The company further operates a "Managed Workshop" model in four other countries. Hyspec provides services from over fifty wholly owned mine-site based workshops across their countries of operation, and gives around the clock services to mining contractors, drilling companies and mine support businesses operating at the mine sites. Hyspec are the market leader in its field and is an integral partner to the mining companies and their contractors, assisting in their constant struggle to reduce the downtime of mining production equipment. The company provides replacement hydraulic hose assemblies and associated parts 24/7 from over 50…
Saint Gobain Pipelines
New technology in the pipeline Saint-Gobain Pipelines SA has done the groundwork to secure future business by upgrading their industrial technologies Writer Emily Jarvis Project manager Tom Cullum Saint-Gobain Pipelines SA, previously known as Besaans-du Plessis, manufactures grey and ductile iron castings for use in various sectors. These include industrial and general engineering applications, cast iron cookware (Potjie Pots), access covers, and soil and drain systems. They are a second tier supplier to the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) in the industrial and engineering sector who, in turn, supplies mainly into the railway, mining and construction markets. The cookware products have various routes to market, while all access covers and soil and drain products are manufactured for their sister company, Saint-Gobain PAM. Manufacturing is done in Pretoria West, Gauteng province. "Saint- Gobain purchased the company in 1998 as it provided a platform for entering the Southern African market. Besaans-du Plessis was an established manufacturing company with commercial presence in all the major cities and was well-known in the market," explains Stefan Du Toit, General Manager of Saint-Gobain Pipelines. "This investment fitted well with our global strategy of being present in all of the markets we serve in over 60 countries." Supply chain and supplier partnerships are extremely important for Saint-Gobain. With long-standing partnerships with suppliers that understand their business, very few of their materials and components are imported. "We do import some components through our international Saint-Gobain sourcing teams and offices. By using these structures, we know that we are getting the best prices and service. It…
African Energy Resources
Calculated coal mining African Energy Resources (AFR) Director Dave Edwards believes that this year will be a positive one for the company Writer Matt Bone Project manager James Mitchell African Energy Resources Ltd (AFR) is a mining and energy development company based in Perth, Australia, who began life as a company in Zambia looking for Uranium. They also have main offices in Gaborone (Botswana), Lusaka (Zambia) and a registered office in Guernsey. The Company own three large coal projects in Botswana which collectively contain over 6 billion tonnes of thermal coal. Dave Edwards, Director at African Energy Resources Botswana explains how uniquely positioned AFR is in the Botswana Coal and Energy industry: "The company is fairly unique in Botswana as the other companies in the coal market have not fully investigated the transport and power generation options. We have developed a close relationship with the authorities to attempt to fulfil a need for power in the Southern African context." A Gap in the Market Southern Africa is currently experiencing a severe power shortage and this problem is not being addressed fast enough, and Edwards is very much aware that AFR is in a strong position to offer a power solution: "We have been approached by various parties to develop a power station for the region, and we are looking at that now as a very urgent project. Interest was high last year and we expect to go to tender very soon." Botswana is geographically very well placed to service Southern Africa's coal power market needs. The…
Rank Zimbabwe
Top of the rank in Zimbabwe Rank Zimbabwe are the number one stationery and paper distributors in Zimbabwe, who aspire to be the trusted one-stop shop for local schools, offices and print companies Writer Emily Jarvis Project manager Tom Cullum Lotus Stationery manufacturers, trading as Rank Zimbabwe, were initially started in 1981 as a manufacturer and general wholesale company focussed on the grocery market in Zimbabwe. In 1995, Rank decided to increase capacity and focus on the stationery and plastic markets in line with its key competitive advantages: Being a local company, trusted brand name and having quality products. In the last five years, the company has expanded further, increasing their workforce and implementing a paper trading arm. Rank is proud to be a 100 per cent indigenous with 134 members of staff. We were fortunate to speak to Ketan Naik, Finance Director of Rank Zimbabwe. The decision to focus on stationery was based on a drive to develop the education sector in Zimbabwe, and Rank have long-standing relationships with nearly all primary and secondary educational institutions in Zimbabwe, as well as the ministry of Education. They produce scholastic products including stationery and books and some plastics for home use. Trading Rank is now the leading stationery supplier in Zimbabwe, distributing directly to businesses as well as the leading chain stores such as OK Zimbabwe and FoodWorld. Rank also distributes a wide range of paper and board products to the printing industry. Rank shares a logistics partnership with Vision Freight Services, who offer a complete solution…
Diesel Electric Services
Generation leaders in critical power solutions DES specialises in the design and manufacture of diesel and gas fuelled generating sets that are helping power South Africa Writer Matt Bone Project manager Nick Norris Diesel Electric Services (DES) have gone from strength to strength since its humble beginnings in 1993 and the company has built on a legacy of excellence, experience and commitment. This wealth of expertise has enabled DES to become the market leader in the critical power industry in South Africa. DES offers customers a complete solutions package. DES specialises in the design and manufacture of diesel and gas fuelled generating sets, LV distribution boards, static and rotary UPS's, Data centre racks and cooling, MV switchgear, solar and hybrid technologies, and associated products and services to suit the needs of practically any organisation. Richard Baxter, Sales Manager of DES is quick to point out that it is the solutions they offer to customers that have really propelled DES to the forefront of the industry: "By offering a customer a solution to their critical power requirement and not just a piece of kit or a product, we are able to establish a long term, mutually beneficial partnership with them. Our customer relationships are so important to us and that's why we've invested so heavily in establishing undoubtedly one of the best service organisations around." The company relies on a strong set of values at the centre of all its operating procedures. "The ingredients contributing to the making of the finest products include affordable business solutions, industry…
PCM Nigeria : Painting a Brighter Picture
PCM Nigeria are well placed to not only consolidate their position as market leaders, but continue to grow into a truly international company.
Nestoil
Nestoil deliver results not reasons Nestoil has demonstrated project excellence in all of its ventures, employing a team of highly skilled and goal-driven professionals to deliver first class solutions to industry problems Writer Emily Jarvis Project manager Sheridan Halls Nestoil Plc was incorporated in Nigeria in 1991 for the provision of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services to the energy and oil and gas industry. Since then, Nestoil has grown to become the leading indigenous EPC provider for major IOCs (International Oil Companies) in Sub-Saharan Africa for National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Shell, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Total. Employing highly dedicated, skilled and goal-driven professionals and using unique and innovative technology, Nestoil Plc delivers excellent, first class and cost effective solutions to industry problems. Nestoil's policy is to use the best resources, with stringent supervision that assures safe working conditions and excellent quality. The company are also committed to the optimisation of local content in all aspects of their business and the growth of their workforce and host communities. Nestoil offer onshore and offshore services including Civil Works, Dredging, Manifold and Flowstation, River Crossing, Pipeline Construction. Indeed, Nestoil has earned its reputation as a company with world class project execution capacity during the past 23 years of operation in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry. Nestoil has invested heavily in the development of its human and material capacity. In terms of equipment and facilities, Nestoil is second to none. Sitting on several hectares of land, their fabrication yard in the Industrial Area at Abuloma Port Harcourt is…
