Afroteq FM Solutions
Specialist in the built environment Companies become successful when they focus on their core revenue generating activities. However they can become even more successful by minimising costs of non-core activities. In order to manage these functions efficiently to maximise profits requires specialist intervention and know-how. Writer Susan Miller Project manager Stuart Shirra Mention FM to most people and they will probably think of their favourite radio station but to Lydia Hendricks, Director of South African based Afroteq FM Solutions, it means "Facilities Management", something she's passionate about. As a Director of Afroteq FM Solutions, a company specialising in full turnkey facilities management solutions, she has been active in the industry for close on 20 years and is determined to see the industry increase its professional recognition in South Africa. She claims that currently the facilities management function is often perceived as an "in-the basement" function when it should in fact be brought in at senior executive level as it is a key integrator and enabler of the core business strategy and if ignored could have a significant impact on cost and business effectiveness. To this end, Facilities Management is still undervalued in SA. Hendricks explains that Facilities Management services include approximately 80 different services and if put under one umbrella contribute to one of the highest operational spend for most businesses, and in most cases hidden and in some cases replicated, because the service often reside in each respective department to serve their specific need or the management of the essential services are passed on to…
Drake & Scull
Best in FM Facilities management is the cornerstone of operations of Drake & Scull, a Tsebo Outsourcing Group company with aspirations to conquer Africa. CEO John Wentzel tells us more about the challenges facing the FM industry. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Stuart Shirra Drake & Scull is one of the leading facilities management providers in Southern Africa and there are few that know more about the industry than its CEO Dr John Wentzel. He believes that the challenges facing the industry are huge and has identified areas such as energy management, environment sustainability, technology and complexity as amongst those that FM providers must tackle. "You have to ensure you are equipped for the future; make the most of the opportunities," he says. The first challenge? "I think in South Africa the challenges are not dissimilar to what we have seen internationally: globally clients are under financial pressure and companies in the FM industry are being asked to do more for less," Wentzel says. That is a constant. It will always be a challenge. "Cost pressures and the ability to do more for less. That is a big challenge," he stresses. The ramifications are huge. "It does have a knockon effect," Wentzel says. "If you think cost, one way of making big savings is energy management, which is one of the big challenges. There is heightened interest in energy savings and for any company it is a major value-add if you know what you are doing when it comes to energy management. You have to understand…
Superclean
We're cleaning up! With over 650 clients in KwaZulu-Natal, SuperClean is one of the most successful privately owned commercial cleaning companies in South Africa. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Eddie Clinton There are those companies that simply ride the wave of growth of their particular market or industry. When the industry grows, they grow, and when the industry declines, they decline. Others don't want to be constantly tied into the success or failure of the market they sell into. They diversify. They want to avoid the catastrophic consequences of a decline in their industry. But it can be a risky strategy. Business owners must be able to focus on their new ventures without neglecting their core business, yet in trying to control everything, they risk spreading things too thinly. Some firms however have been remarkably successful in the diversification stakes, spotting and exploiting new market opportunities for their products, using their skills to offer services that complement their core business or simply taking their brands into uncharted territory. One such firm is KZN-based SuperClean. It is one of the most successful privately owned commercial cleaning companies in South Africa and since inception in 1988 has grown to employ 3,800 people who service a large amount of KZN's leading companies and organisations. "It has been a very successful last 12 months," explains Joel Berger, the firm's financial manager, when asked how the business is performing in this, its 25th year. "We have grown at a rate higher than 10 percent throughout the recession and have taken on…
Secequip
Secequip: Trustworthy & Reliable South Africa's notoriously high crime rate is recognised across the world and it presents huge opportunities for firms like Secequip. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Donovan Smith From April 2011 to March 2012 there were 15,609 murders in South Africa, as well as 101,203 cases of aggravated robbery. According to the country's latest victims of crime survey 57 percent of respondents felt that housebreaking/burglary was the crime most feared in their area of residence. This has fuelled a boom in the country's private security industry – the largest private security industry in the world with nearly 9,000 registered companies. "There's certainly opportunity for people like us," says John Rogers, Managing Director of Secequip, and expert in the South African security industry. "Secequip is an exclusive importer and distributor of leading security products, including award winning Pyronix and Texecom alarm panels. In addition to Secequip's extensive intrusion range, the Group also supply CCTV equipment, video surveillance, motion detectors, perimeter detection and heat and smoke detectors." The firm's headquarters are based in Johannesburg and it has a national network of 12 branches across South Africa. "In South Africa crime is a fact of life – and, in my view, homeowners need to make provision for the installation of security systems that will offer protection when they are most in need," says Rogers. "Modern, state-of-the-art security systems, such as the ones Secequip provide, focus on providing reliable security, while at the same time placing an emphasis on being user-friendly, and providing a range of additional…
Zimpost
First past the post As Zimbabwe postal company Zimpost continues to evolve we speak to Managing Director Douglas Zimbango about a $5 million upgrading project aimed at modernising its business methods. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Eleanor Watson Things change. It is a fact of life. And with the decline of the letter – with people opting for faster means of communication like cell phones and the internet – Zimbabwe's postal company Zimpost has had to evolve. The letter has never been less popular and the number being posted continues to fall. Zimpost has responded. "We have experienced an 85 percent decline in mail volumes. The reduction in postal output and the advent of quicker online methods of communication have forced us to move into new revenue streams," Zimpost Managing Director Douglas Zimbango says. "The postal service has suffered from electronic substitution. Today mobile devices provide SMS and social media services so people have shifted away from letters. Fewer people are writing them, send bills or even pay bills via postal mail." According to Zimbango the decline started in 2003. Back then Zimpost handled 100 million pieces of mail. In 2004 it was half that. Today it has dropped down to around 15 million pieces of mail. Cutting costs and surviving have had to become a priority for Zimpost, along with changing the way it does business. "It is not just a case of saying the letter is dead and us shutting up shop - our postal service plays a pivotal role in the country in…
Wasteman Holdings
Wasteman sets aggressive growth target Wasteman Group offers specialist waste removal and disposal services to all sectors of the South African market and is looking to grow this year. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Donovan Smith South African waste management company Wasteman provides total waste management solutions to clients in the industrial, commercial and municipal sectors across South Africa. Its blend of technical expertise, environmentally friendly methods, and state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, means it can offer tailormade and unique packages of services to meet individual client's needs. Wasteman handles over one million tons of waste and services approximately 15,000 customers nationwide. "We're a diversified waste management company with specialised vehicles, auxiliary equipment and landfill sites as well as a whole spectrum of other services. Our goal is sustainable solutions for a greener future," says Wasteman's Dave Marock. Wasteman has come a long way since being founded some 30 years ago by one man with a van, and is now one of South Africa's leading waste management and environmental services companies. "Our achievements are due largely to the loyalty of our customer partners and the absolute dedication and contribution of all our employees," Marock says. And now the company is looking to grow. "As we all know, the last four to five years - due to the worldwide recession - has been tough," Marock says. "But Wasteman has restructured and adapted to the new environment. Wasteman is focusing on cashflow, costs, and margins, even if the turnover is lower, to have a sound stable business and we…
