MRE S O U T H AF R I C A
Cool, calm and collected growth continues in 2015 www.mre.co.za
ame M R E
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Tip of the
Iceberg
Improving upon the comprehensive success of 2014 seemed a daunting task for MRE, but the specialist industrial refrigeration Company’s new plant and yearly turnover increase has cooled any concerns over mere consolidation
a largely unrivalled reputation for its bespoke capabilities, designing customised products through the leveraging of its experienced and highly qualified local workforce. “We have excellent installation and service crews who are based locally,” said Managing Director, Dennis van der Westhuizen. “Additionally we manufacture and assemble locally as well so that we can make our products as affordable as possible. “The Company has gone to great Writer: Matthew Staff lengths to ensure it adopts the very latest technologies and control Project Manager: Tom Cullum systems to achieve efficient operation RE has remained loyal to of refrigeration plants.” a continuous Since beginning operations in improvement strategy Cape Town all those years ago that has proven complemented by additional offices successful for two opened in Johannesburg and Durban decades in 2015, as a new branch, new - the business has gone from strength personnel, extensive capital to strength as a consequence of this investments and strong turnover local focus; leading to one of the most growth sets the Company up perfectly successful years in MRE’s history in for the next phase of its growth. 2013-2014, where clients’ expectations The specialist industrial refrigeration were consistently exceeded. Company has been a market Now, with an even more successful leader across both design and 2015 being enjoyed, and a fourth plant installation since its inception in unveiled in Port Elizabeth, the scope 1995, complemented by its service and capacity for the Company to scale and maintenance arm catering for even higher heights in the future looks industrial plants, and remaining flexible an inevitability rather than a possibility. enough to serve a range of customer needs. Becoming the future of MRE As the second largest refrigeration With a 35 percent market share, the contracting and compressor packager room for growth was seemingly across South Africa, MRE has built narrow moving from 2014 into this
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DANFOSS
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anfoss engineers technologies that enable the world of tomorrow do more with less. We meet the growing need for infrastructure, food supply, energy efficiency and climate-friendly solutions. Our products and services are used in areas such as refrigeration, air conditioning, heating, motor control and mobile machinery. We are also active in the field of renewable energy as well as district heating infrastructure for cities and urban communities. Our innovative engineering dates back to 1933 and today Danfoss is a worldleader, with 22,500 employees and serving customers in more than 100 countries. We are still privately held by the founding family. Read more about us at
www.danfoss.com/South_Africa Industrial refrigeration station
year, but MRE has already recorded a R20 million improvement on last year’s figures, raising turnover from R200 million to R220 million in its year-onyear unveilings. This has all been achieved despite the ongoing difficulties in attaining the necessary skills in the region; a problem that persists in wider industry, but one that makes MRE’s positive market standing all the more important in becoming an employer of choice. “A lack of qualified artisans has forced us to implement our own in-house training in order to up-skill the industry,” van der Westhuizen noted. “We see our training as a way of making a positive impact to the local workforce in South Africa, and consequently offer free education and training to any applicants that require financial assistance. “Currently, we have trainee technicians and welders in a series of continual programmes of skills
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We see our training as a way of making a positive impact to the local workforce in South Africa, and consequently offer free education and training to any applicants that require financial assistance
improvement, while MRE is also employing young engineers to train and become the future of MRE.” Adhering to the mantra, “people make MRE strong and are the future of its existence” the MD has subsequently made the philosophy a central pillar of the Company’s overall approach to continuous improvement, complemented by continuous capital expenditures to balance out the human-automation influence within the manufacturing process. “MRE not only strives to keep up with the latest technologies in automation, but also focuses on upskilling the industry, using a balance of automated and manually operated lines,” van der Westhuizen continues. “We also strive to be energy efficient in all our plants wherever we can, and use heat recovery ventilation in order to not only provide fresh air and improved climate control in the plants, but to also save energy by reducing the heating and cooling requirements.”
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Electric Assemblies is proud to supply motor control and distribution solutions to MRE and has been associated with the industrial refrigeration industry for over 20 years. Electric Assemblies also supply Power Factor Correction equipment and energy management solutions which include intelligent power monitoring and variable speed control to optimise kW consumption of the large inductive loads normally associated with the refrigeration industry. Other services available include: • Infra-red scanning and reports • Data logging and electrical audits • Power Factor surveys and reports • PV Solar Systems for Industrial loads
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www.puregas.co.za • info@puregas.co.za
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Constant improvement
Equally improving efficiencies internally as well as for its clients, MRE went into the latter part of 2014, and the beginning of 2015, knowing that resting on the Company’s laurels was not an option. Van der Westhuizen emphasised: “Our entire team have been assisting in ensuring our success. Due to the hard work across the board, it is difficult to put our success down to one area alone. However, in order to maintain this growth status, it is important for MRE to constantly monitor their training, internal policies and capabilities. “Constant improvement is a must in our business. Therefore, we are concentrating hard on improving our service department nationwide. By
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Constant improvement is a must in our business. Therefore, we are concentrating hard on improving our service department nationwide
focusing on our customers, we hope to increase partnerships and those who consider us for their patronage.” Not only working for significant market players in terms of its customer base, much of MRE’s success stems from its ongoing work alongside significant industry operators in relation to its supply chain and the formulation of mutually-beneficial business partnerships. The MD continued: “MRE works
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with highly-reputable associate companies, both international and local in origin, and all of them are vital to our operations. “With the majority of MRE’s refrigeration equipment being imported from abroad, the Company encourages local partnerships wherever possible to try and instil as much local content and job creation as possible throughout all our systems and packages.” Many of these relationships have evolved over the majority of MRE’s 20-year tenure, and incorporate everything from the provision of technological expertise from the likes of Danfoss, to areas of green energy optimisation alongside operators including Puregas, HC Group and Electric Assemblies, and more industry-specific equipment upgrade relationships alongside Baltimore Aircoil Company; all contributing to the MRE success story over the past decade or more.
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PROUD SUPPLIERS TO M.R.E. CONTACT US Ken Martin Koeberg Service Road Milnerton, Cape Town 0027 21 551 7873 hccape@mweb.co.za
Andre van der Merwe 18 Quality Road Isando, Kempton Park 0027 11 392 6630 evapco@evapco.co.za
Tip of the iceberg
The extensive growth enjoyed by MRE over the years is a testament to all aforementioned areas of internal growth and strategic relationships, and has culminated in the natural decision to look further afield in the future. Remaining flexible and entrepreneurial enough to involve itself in new projects quickly and agilely, contracts are consequently being awarded to the Company on an increasingly frequent basis, with van der Westhuizen understandably now earmarking international expansion as a more than reasonable aim for the future evolution of MRE. The MD concludes: “MRE sees South Africa as the foundation for an even further reach across Africa. The continent is a growth point and we are looking forward to using South Africa as a springboard to reach other countries. “There really is significant potential and this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
The reliable partner and technical expert with more than 75 years experience that offers you high quality products for refrigeration applications
Baltimore Aircoil Company Cape Town, Head Office Tel. +27 21 371 7121 Cape Town, Baltimo Engineering Tel. +27 21 447 0070 Johannesburg, Sales Office Tel. +27 11 397 8614
KwaZulu-Natal, Sales Office Tel. +27 82 821 0738 Port Elizabeth, Sales Office Tel. +27 41 453 3554
info@BaltimoreAircoil.co.za www.BaltimoreAircoil.co.za
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MRE SOUTH AFRICA Unit 1, Trio Park Prime Park, Printers Way Montague Gardens South Africa T: +27 21 551 0575 E: dennis@mre.co.za
www.mre.co.za