Business Focus Magazine BFM 87

Issue No.87

SPECIAL FEATURE: HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

MEDARTIS AG

HEALING THROUGH INNOVATION Exclusive interview with CEO of Medartis AG, Christoph Brönnimann on growth through innovation.

Alimex | Strength in Lightness | Company Shop Group | Waste Not | JYSK | Solid Values KFC East Africa | Great Taste for More People | Terrafame | Powering the EV Revolution

FEATURE YOUR BUSINESS

With a global readership of over 290,000, Business Focus Magazine is the perfect platform to place your business in front of our Senior Executive level audience.

CONTACT SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR:

TREVOR GRETSINGER | t.gretsinger@ceomediagroup.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

PROJECT MANAGERS ANDREW BOURKE a.bourke@ceomediagroup.com DEAN BROWN d.brown@ceomediagroup.com DAVID GARNER d.garner@ceomediagroup.com TIMOTHY GARWOOD t.garwood@ceomediagroup.com JOHN HOLLIMAN j.holliman@ceomediagroup.com MAX HUTCHINGS m.hutchings@ceomediagroup.com CONNOR LOVE c.love@ceomediagroup.com LEE PHOENIX l.phoenix@ceomediagroup.com DAVID TAVERNOR d.tavernor@ceomediagroup.com HAYDEN TURNER h.turner@ceomediagroup.com RASH UDDIN r.uddin@ceomediagroup.com

DESIGN SCOTT ANDREWS design@ceomediagroup.com ADRIANA STROIA artwork@ceomediagroup.com

ACCOUNTS MIKE ASHER accounts@ceomediagroup.com

PRODUCTION KAMILA KAJTOCH production@ceomediagroup.com

EDITORIAL CHRIS FARNELL cfarnell@ceomediagroup.com JIM HUNTER editor@ceomediagroup.com

SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR TREVOR GRETSINGER t.gretsinger@ceomediagroup.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS, PRESS RELEASES AND GENERAL ENQUIRIES: info@ceomediagroup.com

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FOCUS ON HOSPITALITY Summer is finally arriving, restrictions are lifting, vaccinations are being delivered, it really does feel like the world is properly opening up again. If you are anything like me, one of the things you have missed most has been going out for a good meal - a prospect that finally seems not only possible but safe as well.

This is why our lead story in this issue looks at the newly resurgent hospitality industry, and the digital solutions that are helping it to rebuild after this crisis.

W

e have also been speaking to leaders and experts across the healthcare and hospitality sectors, with profiles of KUKU Foods- the managers of the KFC brand in Africa; the Malhotra Group, and Medartis AG. Of course, the hospitality industry is nothing without the food and drink companies that supply it, and this issue features profile of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Indonesia.

We have also taken a close look at The Company Shop, to show how the industry’s excess produce can be put to good use elsewhere, particularly when so many people and families are in need. We return to take another look at New Cold, to see how they are continuing to maintain the cold chain that ensures your food is as fresh in the shops as it is when it leaves the field.

And we have followed that supply chain all the way to the top with our article on CKL Africa, profiling their work to upgrade the Kenyan agricultural sector.

This is just part of what this issue of Business Focus Magazine has to offer. We have also been looking at

the construction industry with profiles of Tobermore and WBHO. We examine the recovering aerospace sector in our in-depth look at AMAC Aerospace. And we learn about the evolving needs of the energy sector with Red Rocket Energy.

That is on top of many other articles covering manufacturing, engineering, mining and more.

We hope you have a great summer.

ON THE COVER MEDARTIS AG Go to page 16.

Issue No.87

SPECIAL FEATURE: HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

MEDARTIS AG

HEALING THROUGH INNOVATION Exclusive interview with CEO of Medartis AG, Christoph Brönnimann on growth through innovation.

Alimex | Strength in Lightness | Company Shop Group | Waste Not | JYSK | Solid Values KFC East Africa | Great Taste for More People | Terrafame | Powering the EV Revolution

EDITOR’S NOTE | 3

IN THIS ISSUE

8

13

16

38

44

50

58

EVENT

Connected Africa 2021 Virtual Summit 28th July 2021 Africa’s Leading Telecom and Digitization Summit

NEWS

Hospitality Industry A Road to Recovery

16

LEADING ARTICLE

Medartis AG Healing Through Innovation

AGRICULTURE & FARMING CKL Africa Agriculture for Today

AUTOMOTIVE

64

GRI Tires Performance by Design

AVIATION, AEROSPACE & DEFENCE Amac Aerospace Your Partner in the Skies

64

CONGLOMERATE

78

AX Group PLC Ahead of the Curve

84

88

94

50 4 | CONTENTS

100

CONSTRUCTION

Tobermore Paving the Way with Quality WBHO Construction Africa Reaping What You’ve Sown

ENERGY & UTILITIES Red Rocket Energy Ready for Launch

ENGINEERING

Ardent Hire Solutions Outside of the Box

FINANCE & CONSULTING Indwe Risk Services Risk and Opportunity

FMCG

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Indonesia Sustainable Refreshment

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ISSUE NO. 87

154

120 106

Company Shop Group Waste Not

114

Jysk Solid Values

120 128

134 142 148

MINING

Botswana Ash Africa’s Sodium Supplier of Choice

160

Cornerstone Capital Resources For Tomorrow’s Gold & Copper Needs

166

RainStorm Dust Control Dust Suppression Specialist

172

Terrafame Ltd Powering the EV Revolution

188

Vizsla Silver Corporation Silver Lining

100

HEALTHCARE, HOTEL & LEISURE KFC East Africa Great Taste for More People Malhotra Group True Northeast

MANUFACTURING

Alimex Strenght in Lightness Hadley Group Never Let a Crisis Go to Waste Maguire Products The Spark of Invention

196

200 208

SHIPPING, PORT & MARINE

Svitzer Marine Services for a Bespoke Era

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS New Cold Linking the Cold Chain PostNord Nordic Performance

208 CONTENTS | 5

Find your way out of a complex operating model.

Let’s talk.

Operations Strategy | Digital | Cultural Engineering

Global io

- integrated operations experts.

globalio.com

EVENT OF THE MONTH

AFRICA’S LEADING TELECOM AND DIGITIZATION SUMMIT.

CONNECTED AFRICA 2021 EVENT: CONNECTED AFRICA 2021 / WHERE: ONLINE / WHEN: 28TH JULY 2021

The digital landscape in Africa and around the world has witnessed a profound impact due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The social distancing measures put in place to curb the spread of the pandemic have highlighted the value of connectivity for social and economic welfare. The pandemic has underlined the importance of a robust and inclusive digital economy, reinforced by universal access to fast, reliable connectivity and a range of digital services for individuals and businesses.

8 | EVENT OF THE MONTH

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EVENT OF THE MONTH

D

espite changes in data consumption patterns, the telecom industry in Africa has risen to the challenge of keeping businesses and individuals connected during the pandemic.

Across the telecom sector Network management, Wireless infrastructure, VoLTE & 4G LTE, Big data, BI, Cloud, Security, Analytics & the customer, NextGen opportunities, VAS, IoT & M2M is becoming ever more vital. With this as a driver, The International Center for Strategic Alliances (ICSA) presents Connected Africa.

The Summit will deliberate on, and focus on developing solutions to, critical ICT issues. The Summit is a not to be missed opportunity for experts, business people, and practitioners to discuss practical and cost-effective solutions to developing the ICT business.

Connected Africa is an ideal platform for networking with industry players; senior managers, decision-makers, and practitioners operating in the industries and making the most of Information and Communications Technology.

Email: info@intercsa.com www.connected-africa.com

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EVENT OF THE MONTH | 9

lead wıth the leader Today, Internet is in our pockets; our virtual and real worlds are coming together. LTE offers you great potential to deliver a superior mobile broadband experience to your customers, but the stakes are high. Success in LTE means getting to market quickly, with services that offer subscribers more than what they have today, as cost efficiently as possible. With 60 live commercial LTE networks on all continents and about 50% of all smartphone traffic on LTE running through our networks, we have what it takes to support you.

ericsson.com/unplug

aluminium solutions We create coils, shates & sheets for automotive trim & components, architectural & lighting, energy & insulation, cosmetic packaging, food & beverage, equipment & devices.

Aludium is a leading supplier of aluminium solutions to the distribution and industrial markets in Europe.

Our aim is to become the supplier of reference to our customers worldwide.

- People First

We create coils, shates and sheets for building and construction, industrial applications, bright and decoration, closures, and cosmetics.

- Personal Integrity

Aludium’s customers can rely on short lead time delivery programs, reliable quality, state-of-the-art supply chain and outstanding logistic capabilities.

- Passion

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Aludium Amorebieta

Aludium Alicante

Aludium Castelsarrasin

Aluminium Group cooperatief U.A.

Cindal R & D

Barrio Ibarguren s/n E-48340 Amorebieta, Vizcaya, Spain +34 944 887 500

Avda. de Elche, 109 E-03008 Alicante Spain +34 965 989 500

294 chemin de Lavalette 82100 Castelsarrasin France +33 5 63 32 80 00

Prof J.H. Bavincklaan 2-4 1183 AT Amstelveen The Netherlands +31 20 7237 218

Avda. de Elche, 109 E-03008 Alicante Spain +34 679 518 645

www.aludium.com

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

WITH VACCINATION ON THE RISE & RESTRICTIONS BEING LIFTED IN PLACES ALL OVER THE WORLD, THE DIGITAL SECTOR MAY PLAY AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN REVIVING THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.

A ROAD TO RECOVERY The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on every facet of the business world. Sometimes in expected ways, such as supply chain issues caused by travel restrictions, or lost business during the lockdown, sometimes in surprising ones. For instance, in this issue Christoph Brönnimann, CEO of Medartis AG, explains how lockdown has led to people falling less, leading to a decrease in trauma surgeries, reducing demand for its products.

O

ne area that has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic has been the hospitality sector, across restaurants, hotels and beyond.

However, as restrictions have begun to lift in some parts of the

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world, it has become immediately clear that the demand for these businesses is still there.

Even as far back as April, Patrick Hooykaas, UK Managing Director at restaurant-book app TheFork was pointing out, “We’ve seen a phenomenal increase in bookings since the government confirmed restaurants can open today.

Last week alone we saw an 88% uplift in bookings.”

But while the opportunity for recovery is there, risks still exist.

NEWS | 13

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

“A risk for restaurants right now is people simply not turning up. ‘No-shows’ will hinder post-Covid hospitality recovery,” Hooykaas said in April. “The most expensive thing to a restaurant manager is an empty table, because it costs the same amount empty as it does full. Empty tables are also unlikely to be filled at such short notice, as the industry places greater emphasis on bookings over walk-ins in its post-Covid recovery.”

The restaurant software platform, Dynamify, has also seen a record twentyfold growth in transactions thanks to rapid roll-out during the pandemic. A need for safer and more efficient operations among restaurants has driven record-breaking year-on-year growth, with Dynamify now operating across eight countries and being used by the world’s largest contract caterers. Its gross transaction value is on track to reach more than £100 million within the next year.

14 | NEWS

“WE’VE SEEN A PHENOMENAL INCREASE IN BOOKINGS SINCE THE GOVERNMENT CONFIRMED RESTAURANTS CAN OPEN TODAY. LAST WEEK ALONE WE SAW AN 88% UPLIFT IN BOOKINGS.” SAFER TRANSACTIONS

If there has been one thing the restaurant industry has learned over the last year, it is that there is a need for safer transactions and more efficient catering operations across the hospitality and food & beverage retail businesses. This is why so many in those sectors have been looking to digitise and adopt contactless order and payment solutions at breakneck speeds. Given that this is a £22 billion industry, where less than a per cent of all transactions currently occur online, there is a lot of work to do here, and

Dynamify has been positioning itself to do it by accelerating its roll-out.

The advantage of digital platforms like Dynamify is that they enable contract caterers to completely digitise their operations within 24 hours using “plug and play” technology, a suite of merchantbranded mobile, web and selfservice kiosk technologies that allow restaurants to transition to 100% digital transactions.

Maxwell Harding, Founder & CEO of Dynamify, explained, “Historically, the contract catering industry has been slow to embrace new technology due to the misconception that it’s costly, tricky to implement, and that consumer expectations for convenient and digital purchasing found on the high street are not relevant off the high street. The global pandemic resulted in an overnight urgency for contactless food ordering - and it is now an essential requirement for the industry to safely reopen without shared touchpoints, crowding or large queues. In just one year, we witnessed an uptake and implementation of digital ordering technology that we previously projected to take five years.”

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

French food services and facilities management company, Sodexo UK & Ireland has seen this platform in action. As Julie Ennis, CEO of Corporate Services for the company pointed out, “Across all of Sodexo’s core markets, COVID-19 has brought disruption in the short-term, but it has also accelerated wider trends we were seeing, particularly in F&B retail, hospitality, workplace and digital. We’re adapting and enhancing what we do at pace, to ensure we offer the best consumer experiences and the right solutions for our clients.”

Digital and delivery penetration was already building momentum before COVID-19.

However, the pandemic has acted as a catalyst, causing changes that were expected to take years to occur in just months.

As John Glass, a lead equity analyst covering the U.S. restaurant sector has pointed out, “We see total online food delivery—through online delivery platforms and restaurant self-delivery—of $45 billion in 2020, vs. our prior estimate of $41 billion

in 2021, reaching 13% of the addressable market this year and 16% by 2022, vs. 2025 in our prior estimate. That means nearly three years of consumer spend is being pulled forward, led by accelerated growth from delivery platforms.”

“While the pandemic may have been the impetus to digitise, there has been a growing trend towards contactless payments, driven by millennials and Gen Z,” Maxwell has said.

“It’s therefore important that forward-thinking businesses look beyond the need to digitise in response to the pandemic.

It’s imperative that the industry recognises that consumers now expect automated, contactless technology and that venues who aren’t able to adapt will die.”

The digital sector has been working hard to develop tools for restaurateurs that will tackle issues such as the hazards of no-show customers. Sometimes

this is simply a case of making transaction safer and easier, sometimes it is a question of better communicating to customers the consequences of their actions.

“The best tactic we have is to make the diner feel responsible for their booking, while reintroducing the human dimension in this online interaction,” Hooykaas says.

“Implementing these tools helped us take 90% of the small proportion of our customers who have been no-shows in the past to the point where they didn’t miss a booking in six months.”

With the markets only just beginning to open up to where they were pre-pandemic, it is still too early to make any sweeping generalisations about how things will go from here.

But one thing that is clear is that, as always, the companies to thrive will be those that adapt best to the new normal.

NEWS | 15

MEDARTIS AG

16 | LEADING FEATURE

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MEDARTIS AG

WE LEARN HOW MEDARTIS’S GROWTH IS FUELLED BY INNOVATION, & HOW ITS INNOVATION IS FUELLED BY GROWTH.

HEALING THROUGH INNOVATION PROJECT MANAGED BY: RASH UDDIN

Medartis is a medical device company focused on osteosynthesis solutions for the extremities and craniomaxillofacial surgery.

W

e develop tools for supporting the healing of small bone fractures, and we’re a high growth company with a dedication to innovation and technology,” says Christoph Brönnimann, CEO of Medartis AG. “We’re bringing new tech to the market and developing a comprehensive portfolio to allow the surgeon to serve all their patients with one technology and one solution.”

The company has built itself a reputation on the foundation of Swiss-engineered, high-tech innovation. But talking with Brönnimann it’s clear that he doesn’t believe it’s Medartis’s job to bring out a slightly more efficient or slightly cheaper version of what’s already out there. What he’s passionate

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about is using innovation to bring completely new ideas to the table.

THE INNOVATIONS SURGEONS NEED

“I think innovation has been the DNA of the company from the very beginning,” Brönnimann tells us. “The company built a portfolio based on the vision of restoring the quality of life of the patient. It was clear from the start that we didn’t want to have a ‘me-too’ portfolio, but really bring innovation to patients. It’s been built around close collaboration with surgeons, bringing innovation to the market, and spending somewhere between 16-20% of our budget on innovation.”

This commitment to innovation has remained a core part of Medartis’s identity- not just creating new solutions, but creating new solutions in response to the needs of its primary customers.

LEADING FEATURE | 17

PRECISION IN NEW DIMENSIONS

PRECISION ENGINEERING PRODUCTS The The core core competence competence of of Bächler Bächler Feintech Feintech AG AG is is in in the the areas areas of of lathing lathing and and milling, milling, complete complete machining machining

Today, Today, the the company company is is part part of of the the Klingel Klingel medical medical metal metal group. group. The The Klingel Klingel medical medical metal metal group group with with its its four four

medical medical instruments, instruments, implants, implants, tools tools and and components. components.

These are manufactured with the latest production These are manufactured with the latest production

innovative. innovative.

and and surface surface treatment treatment as as well well as as the the development development of of precision engineering products and precision parts, precision engineering products and precision parts,

methods methods and and the the highest highest quality quality standard. standard. The The scale scale of of services services is is highly highly diverse, diverse, and and ranges ranges from from developdevelop-

ment ment and and manufacture manufacture to to labelling labelling and and assembly, assembly, right up to measurement and packaging right up to measurement and packaging as as well well as as the the storage storage of of products. products.

At At a a glance: glance: 238 238 Employees, Employees, 171 171 CNC-controlled CNC-controlled 22 machines, Production area area machines, 12.000 12.000 m m Production

Contact Bächler Bächler Feintech Feintech AG AG Headquarters: Further Headquarters: Further production production plant: plant: Ribigasse 7 Alte Poststraße 5 Ribigasse 7 Alte Poststraße 5 4434 9548 4434 Hölstein Hölstein 9548 Matzingen Matzingen Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Tel.: Tel.: +41 +41 61 61 956 956 92 92 22 22 E-mail: E-mail: communication@baechlerfeintech.ch communication@baechlerfeintech.ch www.baechlerfeintech.ch www.baechlerfeintech.ch www.klingel-group.de www.klingel-group.de

partners partners has has made made aa name name for for itself itself internationally internationally as as aa specialist for solutions that are as high-quality as they specialist for solutions that are as high-quality as they are are The The company company alliance alliance Klingel Klingel medical medical metal metal group group has been established as a full-service-provider has been established as a full-service-provider for for

complex complex high-end high-end components, components, instruments instruments and and implants implants for for prevention, prevention, diagnosis, diagnosis, surgical surgical interventions, interventions, therapie therapie und und rehabilitation. rehabilitation. The The core core competence competence is is in in the the field field of metal precision, especially CNC-machining.

Bringing of metal precision, especially CNC-machining. Bringing

everyone everyone together together under under one one roof roof allows allows for for an an optimal optimal exchange exchange of of experience experience and and know-how. know-how.

MEDARTIS AG

“It’s strongly supported by a culture of striving towards developing solutions, bringing innovations to surgeons, listening to and understanding the clinical needs of the surgeons and responding with technology they can use,” Brönnimann says. “It’s one of our biggest levers for growth, building our portfolio and differentiating ourselves in the market. Having a company that is already built around customers, surgeons, patients, and dedicated to growth means innovation is inherently the backbone of the company.”

It’s a story that is repeated throughout the history of Medartis AG. The company was founded in 1997 by one Dr H.C. Thomas Straumann.

Straumann established the Medartis AG headquarters

BÄCHLER FEINTECH AG PRECISION ENGINEERING PRODUCTS The core competence of Bächler Feintech AG is in the areas of lathing and milling, complete machining and surface treatment as well as the development of precision engineering products and precision parts, medical instruments, implants, tools and components. These are manufactured with the latest production methods and the highest quality standard. The scale of services is highly diverse, and ranges from development and manufacture to labelling and assembly, right up to measurement and packaging as well as the storage of products.

At a glance: 238 Employees, 171 CNC-controlled machines, 12.000 m2 Production area Today, the company is part of the Klingel medical metal group. The Klingel medical metal group with its four partners has made a name for itself internationally as a specialist for solutions that are as high-quality as they are innovative.

The company alliance Klingel medical metal group has been established as a full-service-provider for complex high-end components, instruments and implants for prevention, diagnosis, surgical interventions, therapie und rehabilitation. The core competence is in the field of metal precision, especially CNC-machining. Bringing everyone together under one roof allows for an optimal exchange of experience and know-how.

Bächler Feintech AG - Headquarters: Ribigasse 7, 4434 Hölstein, Switzerland Tel.: +41 61 956 92 22 // E-mail: communication@baechlerfeintech.ch www.baechlerfeintech.ch / www.klingel-group.de

20 | LEADING FEATURE

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MEDARTIS AG

“THE COMPANY BUILT A PORTFOLIO BASED ON THE VISION OF RESTORING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PATIENT.”

Christoph Brönnimann, CEO of Medartis AG.

in Basel, Switzerland. He went on to acquire a small, independent specialist for oral and maxillofacial surgery, allowing him to start developing the Medartis portfolio.

By doing this Straumann laid the cornerstone for the strong position Medartis enjoys today.

The company specialised, and still does, in implants for craniomaxillofacial surgery and the extremities. But this was just the beginning.

Five years later the company began establishing its own sales organisation and commenced the development of the sort of next generation of osteosynthesis technologies, developed by experienced innovators, that would make Medartis’s name.

In 2004 Medartis introduced the TriLock® locking technology.

This would mark Medartis’s entry into the area of the upper extremities with hand and wrist

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LEADING FEATURE | 21

MEDARTIS AG

22 | LEADING FEATURE

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MEDARTIS AG

systems. By 2009 Medartis had brought all its capabilities together in one facility, with administration, development, sales and production all based in the company’s new headquarters in the Stücki Business Park (Basel).

In 2010 the company entered the fields of foot and elbow surgery, in 2011 Medartis introduced cannulated compression screws 2.2 and 3.0. In 2012 it introduced its new arthrodesis system. In 2013 it introduced the orthognathic system and the completion of the elbow system, then in 2016 Medartis began to focus on lower extremities with the introduction of new foot and ankle systems. It’s an impressive list of achievements.

That list is born of the fact that Medartis is passionate about developing advanced implant solutions for medical professionals. It does this with the aim of improving patients’ treatment and restoring their quality of life. The company’s pursuit of innovation has led to a strong track record of industry-first products.

“Medartis has been the first company to introduce a variable angle volar locking plate system which is the standard now in the industry, allowing for the angulation of the plate in a fracture, and to better restore the joint surface and reposition the fracture, leading into the comfort of the patient,” says Brönnimann. “We have multiple innovations with what we call the TriLock® and variable locking mechanism, the hexo-drive, the connection between screw and

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Medartis Headquarters, Basel, Switzerland.

screwdriver. Those innovations make up our portfolio with not only the locking system but also our high-quality instrumentation. Our portfolio is comprehensive with solutions for all areas in operative options for surgeons.”

The technology that Medartis has developed allows for a very lowprofile plating system which is perfectly suited for work with the extremities where there is very little soft tissue.

“Having a lowprofile system that minimises soft tissue irritation means less pain, and fewer infections,” Brönnimann points out. “We are fully dedicated to extremities.”

Medartis has a global presence, selling directly to all key markets. As important

as the company’s expert research and development team are a highly trained, well-informed salesforce with a deep knowledge of the Medartis portfolio and the clinical procedures its products are used in. Medartis’s deep reservoir of expertise is not the only knowledge base it has to draw from, however. The company closely collaborates with the International Bone Research Association, which act as a training partner to Medartis.

“That combination of innovation, our portfolio and a highly trained sales force and international network is a very strong USP,” Brönnimann explains.

THE CHALLENGE OF GROWTH

Medartis is fuelled by innovation, and that innovation inspires demand and to meet that demand the company has to grow. But with that growth comes new challenges.

LEADING FEATURE | 23

PRECISION, CONSISTENCY, THOROUGHNESS

We work with our clients every step of the way, from the first idea to the final product.

Wymed AG manufactures parts and complex mechanical assemblies according to its customers’ specifications. Part of Wymed’s special competence is the machining of high-alloyed steels to strictest specification as well as assembly operations including specialised functional testing in-house. Environmentally compatible mechanical barrel finishing as well as ultrasound cleaning are used to achieve the finish of any part.

Our ISO 13485 certification is the result of our dedication to quality in everything we do.

We exclusively supply to companies whose priority is to leave the manufacturing of their products or components to specialists. Accordingly our customers include renowned businesses from high-tech sectors such as medical technology (with a focus on implants, endoscopy and instruments), production of semi-conductors, aviation and space technology, sensor technology, biotechnology as well as process and environmental engineering. We produce for domestic as well as international clients, and the products of Wymed AG are shipped all over the world.

Wymed together with its sister company Hipp Technology Group have a combined workforce of 250+ employees and operate on 200+ modern production machines. Together they generate an annual revenue of > EUR 50m with a strong focus on medical technology.

T U R N I N G | M I L L I N G | F I N I S H I N G | B L A S T I N G | A S S E M B LY | T R O WA L I Z I N G | C L E A N I N G

Wymed AG Obstgartenweg 1, 8427 Freienstein-Teufen, Switzerland

Tel: +41 (0) 44 865 55 66 Email: info@wymed.ch www.wymed.ch

WYMED AG “You develop and sell, we do the rest”. At Wymed we live by these words and have for over 70 years. Since 1946, we have been supplying our customers, with a focus on medical technology, life science, semiconductors, watchmaking, sensor technology, diagnostics, aerospace and aerospace, with sophisticated precision parts machine manufactured. This motto has sustained us well, through economic peaks and valleys, new technologies and incredible technical innovations worldwide. Then came 2020 and the pandemic.

Global businesses have faced extraordinary circumstances over the last year. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only disrupted and taken many lives, but it has decimated many industries. We all hope that 2021 will see the economic train get back on track and society can start looking to the future once again with hope and confidence.

However, there is an industry that, although certainly affected by the pandemic, has maintained steady growth and will assuredly continue to be among the most vibrant and innovative markets worldwide. As I’m sure you have guessed, we are talking about the medical device industry.

The virus created unprecedented challenges for the medical device industry. And the demand for innovation to address COVID-19 issues combined with the growing prevalence of other chronic diseases, increases in the world’s geriatric population, growing desire for minimally-invasive procedures has created unprecedented demand for new product launches to address the worldwide healthcare demands.

For these manufacturers the pressure to rapidly ramp up manufacturing capacity and capabilities, is more critical than ever in a hyper-competitive marketplace, and these companies are looking for solutions to help meet the ever increasing demand. This is where Wymed and its sister company Hipp Technologies have excelled over the years.

Wymed was established as a “one man shop” in the Zurich, Switzerland region, and from those humble origins it has exponentially grown to its current international status one of the leading OEMs in the DACH region with over 50 Million Euro sales.

Our focus and reputation on precision manufactured parts has made us the “go to” leader for medical device manufacturers who want to a partner with a company known for its reliability, expertise, and innovation. Perfect command of all processes, the perfect execution of all our products, high flexibility and meeting delivery deadlines are our priorities. Our highly experienced and skilled staff are key components in our ability to retain current customers and recruit new ones. And this Wymed “family” consistently displays the core competences that demonstrate all the small but not less important “side processes” that our customers appreciate and value. Wymed prioritizes constant continuous improvement and investment in its employee training in order achieve top level service to our customers, owners and the environment. Today, as a one-stop solution, we support our client partners from prototypes to series production with complete component assembly, including the procurement of required C-parts. Wymed’s operational capabilities, working out of an expansive multi-building complex that houses advanced automation technologies allows us to produce a wide range of products in small, medium, and large series. Rapidly increasing and complex regulatory requirements can also be handled efficiently thanks to a healthy structure, streamlined processes and advanced digitization.

It is for these reasons and many more that we can call Wymed AG the preferred partner of its customers and as a one-stop shop is willing and capable to grow with them. So remember, at Wymed, “You develop and sell, we do the rest”. www. wymed.ch

www.tschudinheid.ch

The factory was founded in 1892 for the manufacturing of clock components.

Over the years, we also developed products such as blowing nozzles or roller cages for ZLF cylinder linear guides and developed new business fields such as supplying precision parts for medical technology.

Certification to ISO 9001:2000 was achieved in 1993 and to ISO 13485:2005 in 2005.

We regularly invest in new modern CNC-controlled turning and milling machines in order to meet today’s high demands.

Hauptstrasse 35, 4437 Waldenburg, Switzerland | +41 (0)61 965 41 00 | info@tschudinheid.ch

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MEDARTIS AG

26 | LEADING FEATURE

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MEDARTIS AG

“Growing a company at a rate of over 15% is a challenge in itself,” Brönnimann admits.

“You need to develop the organisation, making sure that the company remains flexible and agile to respond to the market need.”

As well as preserving the level of agility that has allowed Medartis to be so responsive so far, Brönnimann also points to the importance of continuing the innovation that Medartis has built its name on. Directing that innovation to where it is most needed is the real challenge.

“You also need to continue to innovate, and we need to have clear priorities because there are so many ideas you can lose focus,” Brönnimann says. “We need to remain focused on what is important, and know what segments of technology we need to devote our energies to.”

The process is ultimately about evolution.

Brönnimann tells us, “We’re growing the organisation, building new capabilities, but as you grow the processes and systems need to grow as well.”

“THE GROWTH IS WHAT HELPS YOU FINANCE THE INNOVATION. WE HAVE DIRECT MARKETS WITH HIGH MARKET SHARES, WE HAVE OTHER MARKETS WHERE WE’RE STILL BUILDING AND GROWING.” BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

LEADING FEATURE | 27

MEDARTIS AG

But while growth brings challenges with it, just as innovation fuels growth, growth fuels yet more innovation.

“The growth is what helps you finance the innovation,” says Brönnimann. “We have direct markets with high market shares, we have other markets where we’re still building and growing. We need to grow and the organisations that are incentivised for growth are also supported by an innovation pipeline with new products to introduce to the market over time.”

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From development, clean room blister production and sealing technology to a comprehensive range of packaging services:

Everything from a single source!

Development

Medical blisters

Standard blister packs

The system supplier for all your medical packaging

Heat sealing machines

Sealing lids

The result is a powerful partnership between all levels of the business, as Brönnimann explains, “Research and development are working closely to develop the product that allows the sales team to win in the market, completing portfolios, completing gap studies, and bringing in new systems and new indications that all help us grow.”

28 | LEADING FEATURE

Contract packaging

PETG film extrusion

Quality assurance system pursuant Certified to ISO 13485:2016 MEDIPACK AG Mühlentalstr. 184 – 188 l CH-8200 Schaffhausen Phone +41 52 630 36 36 info@medipack.ch l www.medipack.com

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

Adaptive Engineering As a supplier to national and international medical technology companies Inkutec specializes in the design and manufacture of storage and sterilization containers for instruments and implants.

Hand in hand with our customes The objective of Inkutec is to exceed its customers’ expectations. Competence, quality, reliable service, adherence to schedules as well as Adaptive Engineering of Inkutec offer you clear advantages.

www.inkutec.de Inkutec GmbH | Hanskampring 8, 22885 Barsbüttel, Germany | 0049-(0)-40-671021-0 | info@inkutec.de

MEDIPACK AG: SUPPLIER OF SAFE MEDICAL PACKAGING MEDIPACK AG, with around 185 highly motivated employees, offers complete solutions for high-quality medical products. From development, PETG film extrusion, sampling, clean-room production of blister packs, and sealing technology through to a complete range of packaging services: Everything from one system supplier!

Every development is based on our knowledge of exactly what customers want and then transforming these requirements into an appropriate packaging solution.

Thermoforming dies and sealing tools are manufactured on state-of-the-art CNC machines in our tool and molding department.

Our task is to thermoform medical blister packs for sophisticated uses in clean room classes 7 or 8.

To meet the ever more stringent requirements in terms of the cleanliness, production conditions, and traceability of raw materials, MEDIPACK has expanded its core business to include PETG film extrusion.

We have developed the heat sealing machine from the MEDIPACKER TS range specifically for the medical industry and for use in the cleanroom. These general-purpose compact devices enable a quick change of tools.

Tailored to your needs, we produce sealing lids made of Tyvek® under cleanroom conditions; punched, cut, printed or unprinted sealing lids in a wide range of qualities.

Entrust your high-quality-products to our contract packaging department.

From the complete incoming inspection, through to label printing, rinsing with Highly Purified Water, assembly, sealing, labeling, and packaging: your products are in the best hands.

Our process-oriented quality assurance system, under ISO 13485:2016 guarantees the high quality of our products.

www.medipack.ch

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INKUTEC GMBH As a supplier to national and international medical technology companies, Inkutec GmbH specializes in the design and manufacture of storage and sterilization containers for instruments and implants.

The principle of Inkutec “Production in Germany & Production From One Source” is thereby the guarantor for the pinpoint realization of all customer demands, our level of performance as well as consistently excellent quality.

As the leading company in this sector, we have been producing high-quality containers and trays made from resistant synthetic PPSU, from pure high-grade steel, or in a hybrid style since 1994. All of our storage containers can be ordered as complete systems or as individual components.

The variety of materials for the containers as well as for holders allows the fitting of most differently shaped and dimensioned instruments and implants in the storage containers.

We deem individual attendance to our customers very important.

Thus, in the scope of the joint projects, there will be a designated contact person for you at Inkutec who will attend to you reliably and with comprehensive know-how.

For more than 25 years the name Inkutec has been standing for the highest quality - in respect of consulting, design, workmanship as well as creativity and Service.

HAND IN HAND WITH OUR CUSTOMERS The objective of Inkutec is to exceed its customers’ expectations.

Competence, quality, reliable service, adherence to schedules as well as the Adaptive Engineering of Inkutec offer you clear advantages. www.inkutec.de

LEADING FEATURE | 29

MEDARTIS AG

This is leading to a geographic expansion for Medartis, adding new markets, and then continuing to expand its portfolio.

“RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ARE WORKING CLOSELY TO DEVELOP THE PRODUCT THAT ALLOWS THE SALES TEAM TO WIN IN THE MARKET, COMPLETING PORTFOLIOS, COMPLETING GAP STUDIES, AND BRINGING IN NEW SYSTEMS AND NEW INDICATIONS THAT ALL HELP US GROW.” 30 | LEADING FEATURE

WEATHERING THE PANDEMIC

Of course, last year Medartis’s growth was challenged by a medical issue quite different from bone fractures. COVID-19, had a deep impact on Medartis’s sales, particularly during the first lockdown. Virtually every business has felt the harsh consequences of the pandemic, but what’s perhaps surprising is how the pandemic hit Medartis’s bottom line.

“Between 30 to 40% of our market is elective, 60-70% is trauma. So obviously all the elective surgeries were postponed, but we also saw a decrease in trauma surgeries as people’s mobility was confined,” Brönnimann recalls.

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MEDARTIS AG

“To understand that you need to know that the trauma cases are mainly falls. The human instinct if you fall is to catch yourself on your hands but that means the highest incidents of fractures are in the arms during leisure activities and so on. Those are the key activities by far, it’s not the car accidents anymore.”

One of the unforeseen consequences of lockdown is that if people aren’t going out, they’re less like to fall over.

“Confinement has led to reduced trauma cases,” says Brönnimann. “Some of the medical systems moved towards postponing trauma-related surgeries, so less of the trauma that had happened was treated.

In the UK the easier fractures were treated with a cast.”

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LEADING FEATURE | 31

Purity requires Precision

KKS Wellness-Circle

KKS Medical Surface Center

Tumbling/polishing

Dry and wet blasting

Laser marking

nic so g tra Ul anin cle

Lase

r ma

rkin

Dark anodizing of titanium & titanium alloys – TioDark™

Pickling

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l

Make

Ele Pr ctro oc es che se m ica s

• Equipment engineered from a surface specialist • Complete solutions from one single source

Mec ha Proc nical esse s

Ultrasonic cleaning

Buy

Che Proce mical sses

• Quick and easy ramp up • The economic alter native to expensive in-house facilities and investments

-

Etching

Passivating

Color anodizing of titanium & titanium alloys – TioCol™ Electrolytic polishing

Tel: +41 41 833 87 87 | E: info@kks-ultraschall.ch

www.kks-ultraschall.ch

Your partner in medical technology Sphinx Tools Ltd rantees Sphinx gua ty nsive quali comprehe

015, ISO 9001 :2 certified to 6 5 :201 EN ISO 1348 . registrated A FD as l el as w

32 | LEADING FEATURE

Gewerbestrasse 1 CH-4552 Derendingen +41 32 671 21 00 info@sphinx-tools.ch sphinx-tools.ch

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KKS ULTRASCHALL AG

MEDARTIS AG

KKS develops, produces, and markets worldwide technologically leading solutions in the fields of industrial cleaning, ultrasonic & surface technology and offers cleaning and surface treatment in its Medical Surface Center as an outsourcing service provider. Since its foundation in 1982, KKS Ultraschall AG has successfully developed the business units Ultrasonic Technology, Medical Surface Center and Equipment Engineering and Realisation. Our focus is on the development and realisation of customized automation system solutions as well as outsouring services for cleaning and surface finishing processes. KKS serves a wide variety of sectors such as medical technology, watchmaking, precision mechanics, industry and electroplating. In the field of dental technology, KKS presents itself today as the market leader for automatic etching and color anodization systems. Thanks to application-oriented research and development, we are at the forefront of technology - with Swiss precision.

EQUIPMENT ENGINEERING KKS develops and realises technologically leading surface treatment solutions at its main site in Steinen, ensuring greater performance, cost-effectiveness and flexibility.

In addition to individual process development and trials up to the entire surface treatment system automation and equipment qualification - KKS offers everything from a single source.

ULTRASONIC TECHNOLOGY From its own development and production, KKS offers a complete range of ultrasonic components for individual sales as well as spare parts management. The SINGLE, DUAL or MIX Frequency technology developed by KKS in combination with cleaning solutions guarantee an efficient and at the same time environmentally friendly method for the cleaning.

MEDICAL SURFACE CENTER With its outsourcing services for surface finishing, the KKS Medical Surface Center offers many manufacturers in the Medtech sector an economical alternative to cost-intensive in-house facilities and investments. The outsourcing services such as Final Cleaning and other Surface Refinement Processes are tailored to the highest requirements in medical technology. www.kks-ultraschall.ch

SPHINX TOOLS LTD YOUR PARTNER IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY Sphinx Tools Ltd sets standards for best quality and security. Our in-depth expertise is based on longstanding partnerships with leading international medical technology companies. We see ourselves as partner of our customers and dedicate ourselves to supporting them with highest standards of quality and reliability.

As CMO manufacturer of 100% Swiss made medical devices Sphinx Tools has acquired a great expertise while working closely with leading medical providers. We collaborate openly and constructively with our customers and let you benefit from it. Our core competences are cutting rotating medical products and cannulated instruments. We specialize in the manufacture of cutting geometries such as surgical bone drills, taps and bone cutters.

Sphinx guarantees comprehensive quality throughout the whole process chain. We provide full support right from the development phase and offer comprehensive service from the prototypes to serial production.

Our quality management system is multiply certified to ISO 9001:2015, EN ISO 13485:2016 as well as FDA registered. We assure a correct manufacturing procedure thanks to validated processes and documented in-process tests; we guarantee a complete traceability of all instruments.

Sphinx Tools Ltd Gewerbestrasse 1 CH-4552 Derendingen Tel: +41 32 671 21 00 / Email: info@sphinx-tools.ch www.sphinx-tools.ch

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

The first place Medartis went to in order to prepare for the coming crisis was its relationships both up and down the supply chain.

“What happened for us is we went into mitigating our financial risk, assuring our customers, and we were able to maintain business continuity at all times,” Brönnimann says. “This was thanks to the strong partners in our supply chain, which is built on regional partnerships rather than a global supply chain aimed at buying the cheapest raw materials.”

However, a process of continuous innovation has always been a vital part of the Medartis business model, and the company couldn’t afford to bring that pipeline grinding to a halt in the face

LEADING FEATURE | 33

MEDARTIS AG

of the pandemic. To ensure that pipeline kept moving, Medartis used a time-honoured strategy for addressing medical emergencies- triage.

“WE ALMOST MANAGED TO COMPENSATE ENTIRELY FOR REVENUE LOSS IN THE SECOND QUARTER POSTING 1% GROWTH FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.” “We looked into which investments we needed to postpone,” Brönnimann explains. “We focused on all the investments that had a short-tomid-term recurrence, so we did not compromise new product introductions or investment in the market. We launched

SAMAPLAST AG – YOUR PARTNER • Implants (e.g.: vertebra prostheses, hearing implants, port catheter) • Medical parts (e.g.: dentistry, external fixation or instruments) • Technical injection moulding parts and assembling parts (e.g.: surveying technology, food industry) OUR SERVICES FOR YOU: • Development support according to MDD / MDR • Prototypes produced with our Stratasys FDM 3D printer or our rapid tooling concept from hardened steel tools in 10 days • GMP-conform mould-making inhouse • Long and deep know-how in injection moulding (parts from 0.01 - 1000g piece weight) • Many years experience with processing high temperature plastics (e.g.: PSU, PEEK, PEI, PPS) and absorbable materials • Cleanroom production (ISO class 7 and 8 in operation according to EN ISO 14644) • Additive manufacturing (e.g.: Arburg Freeforming, FDM 3D printing with PEEK) under cleanroom condition ISO 8 in operation • GMP-conform follow-up processes (e.g.: laser marking, gluing, welding, tampon printing, soldering, assembly) • Sterile final packaging according to EN ISO 11607 • Sterilisation responsibility (e.g.: EN ISO 11137) QUALITY CULTURE - WE GUARANTEE HIGHEST QUALITY: • Certification according to EN ISO 13485 / 9001 and DIN SPEC 17071 • Registration on the FDA, ANVISA and JPAL (OML) www.samaplast.ch

all the products we planned, five new systems last year. We achieved the business plans we had set out and continued to invest in our core markets in Australia, the US, Switzerland and Austria.”

Coming out of the other side of the pandemic, there are new challenges for Medartis to address as it makes up for lost time.

“Once the lockdown measures were lifted we had a very fast recovery, partly as elective procedures returned but also with the new systems we had in those markets as they opened up again,” Brönnimann points out. “We almost managed to compensate entirely for revenue loss in the second quarter posting 1% growth for the entire year. When the second wave started to hit the impact wasn’t as big, but we’re currently running at 90% of our normal caseload.”

34 | LEADING FEATURE

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

Plastic is the future ... is flexible

Plastic parts

R&D | mould making | injection moulding | additive manufacturing | medical technology

PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY

SAMAPLAST AG A perfect partnership with unlimited possibilities from the idea to market maturity.

We develop and manufacture precision parts by injection moulding and additive manufacturing and assemblies made of all types of plastics.

We are specialised in cleanroom production of medical parts and implants including final packing and sterilisation.

We are looking forward to discuss the next project with you.

CH-9430 St. Margrethen SG, Neugrütstrasse 3

SWISS MADE BY SAMAPLAST AG

Europe’s leading company in Surface Technology.

The Collini Group specializes in the finishing of base materials by coating: Galvanizing, Anodizing, Hot-Dip Galvanizing, and Powder Coating - in short, the entire range of surface coating processes.

Our broad technology portfolio includes a wide variety of system types for our main markets: Electronics, Automotive, Fittings, Medical, and Consumer Goods.

In the field of Traumatology, Collini anodizes titanium implants used in the surgical treatment of fractures and deformations.

Collini operates production sites in Austria, Germany, Italy, Russia, Mexico, and Switzerland.

Ringstrasse 9, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland | www.collini.eu

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proud to support the Medartis AG Lasercutting since 1990 www.wagnerlaser.com LEADING FEATURE | 35

MEDARTIS AG

36 | LEADING FEATURE

MEDARTIS AG

“WE HAVE A CULTURE OF LEARNING AND INNOVATING, BUT ALSO ACCEPTING FAILURE AND CORRECTING AS-NEEDED BECAUSE THAT’S PART OF LEARNING. THAT WILL BE A STRONG DIFFERENTIATOR MOVING FORWARD.”

Looking to the future, Brönnimann is planning for Medartis to continue to grow in the areas it excels at. The company will remain dedicated to upper and lower extremities and craniomaxillofacial surgery while continuing to innovate.

“We’re going to continue to add new technologies for our surgeons allowing them not only to have a comprehensive portfolio for surgery but also adding new technology to cover the continuum of care,” Brönnimann explains.

Talking with Brönnimann it’s clear that continuum of care is an area he is excited about.

“In place of screws for repairing fractures or corrective operations we’re adding systems for soft tissue management,” he tells us.

“That includes nerve tubes for nerve regeneration and we’re also going into small joint replacement, giving additional technologies and portfolio to our surgeons for addressing not only the bone implications but soft tissue management and nerve repairs.”

Throughout all these innovations, developments, and the growth and higher market share they inspire, Medartis will continue to be guided by a clear vision for the business.

But more than that, it relies on its people.

“Clarity in our strategic direction is important, but a strong culture is key for the success of the company,” Brönnimann says. “We have a culture of learning and innovating, but also accepting failure and correcting asneeded because that’s part of learning. That will be a strong differentiator moving forward.”

LEADING FEATURE | 37

CKL AFRICA

WE LEARN HOW A COMPANY WITH A LONG HISTORY IS BRINGING KENYAN AGRICULTURE INTO THE 2020S.

AGRICULTURE FOR TODAY PROJECT MANAGED BY: TREVOR GRETSINGER

CKL Africa has been present in Kenya since 1906 in one form or another. It began as a subsidiary of a British firm, Coopers, as a dealer in animal health products. Then in 1990, the company changed hands to become a locally-owned firm, expanding its remit beyond animal health to a whole range of agricultural inputs and animal nutrition.

W

e bring products to market that help farm productivity for our customers, ideally while increasing food production for Africa,” says Mucai Kunyiha, CKL Africa’s CEO. “We have a big focus on the farmer and being able to get the product to the farmer where he needs it.”

This means a focus on distribution, communication, and providing access to the farmer at their point of need.

“When and where there’s a problem, that’s when he needs the solution, not later,” Kunyiha points out.

CKL Africa’s focus is on small and medium-sized farms, businesses that are often working hand-to-mouth, without the spare capital to fund themselves or plan ahead. This makes access to CKL Africa’s products critical.

“The biggest challenges we face are technical training, ensuring customers understand new products and how to use them,” Kunyiha says. “I

38 | AGRICULTURE & FARMING

think for farmers as well as our customers, consistency in purchasing is determined by the markets so we need to develop agricultural markets in Africa.”

While people will always need to eat, the agriculture sector can exist on a knife-edge while trying to anticipate demand and ensure supply is there to meet it.

“Because there is no matching of demand and supply, farming as a business becomes high risk. Whatever a farmer grows there’s no visibility on whether they will be able to sell their produce or at what price, killing the motivation to improve productivity to meet market demand,” explains Kunyiha.

“That’s one of the broader issues in the industry and it affects the adoption of technology and new ideas.”

“Actual investment in the agricultural sector remains woefully short of what the African Union has prescribed as a minimum,” Kunyiha tells us.

CKL AFRICA

Mucai Kunyiha, CKL Africa’s CEO.

AGRICULTURE & FARMING | 39

INNOVATION IN

POST PATENT TECHNOLOGY

Rotam combines the highest technical, quality and service standards within a globalized organization that delivers added value to our customers Insecticide Imidacloprid 200g/l

Lambda-cyhalothrin 50g/l EC

Abamectin 18g/l EC

Fungicides Carbendazim 500g/l SC

Seed treatment Imidacloprid 350g/l FS

Herbicides Metribuzin 480g/l SC

Termite Control Imidacloprid 200g/l SC

Imidacloprid 700g/l WG

Distributed by:

Rotam Sub-Saharan Africa Ltd, Raphta Road, off Ring Road Westlands, , SK OFFICES Block No.B4. P.O. Box 8190-00100, Nairobi, Kenya, Office: +254-20-4442108, Fax: +254-20-4442107 , Email:contactke@rotam.com,

40 | AGRICULTURE & FARMING

“The target is around 10% of GDP and we’re not really there,” Kunyiha tells us.

“I THINK FOR FARMERS, CONSISTENCY IN PURCHASING IS DETERMINED BY THE MARKETS SO WE NEED TO DEVELOP AGRICULTURAL MARKETS IN AFRICA.” SPREADING THE WORD

To try and bring agricultural efficiencies and productivity up to the level they should be at, CKL Africa is engaged in a determined effort to demonstrate how they can benefit farmers.

“We have included some level of economic training to help farmers understand the economics of their industry; that way they can see how expensive low farm productivity actually is,” Kunyiha says. “Cattle has historically been one of our core business lines. If you have a cow producing less than ten litres a day, and our average in Kenya is below that, closer to eight-and-a-half litres a day, it is loss-making. So we’re convincing farmers that even at a subsistence level there’s a level of efficiency you need to attain to keep going.”

The trouble is, many farmers, who spend each and every day tending to and managing their own farms, might be sceptical of some “expert” swooping in from outside to tell them how to do their job. The solution, Kunyiha shows us, is to leave the teaching to other farmers.

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

CKL AFRICA

“One of the things we’ve done is demonstration farms. The interesting thing is there are still pockets of very good progressive farmers. If you go to an area you will find good farmers adopting modern technology, producing good levels of output,” Kunyiha says. “We look at these and attract other farmers in the neighbourhood to visit and understand that farmer’s rationale around the farming. We have farmers teaching each other rather than us parachuting in and showing them how to do it.”

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

“WE HAVE FARMERS TEACHING EACH OTHER RATHER THAN US PARACHUTING IN AND SHOWING THEM HOW TO DO IT.” GREENER PASTURES

At the same time as offering skills development for the farmers they serve, CKL Africa

is also looking for people whose skills it can develop as part of the CKL Africa team.

The company has a network of distributors across the country and through them, CKL Africa is able to reach approximately 8,000 small shops in the villages and market centres. This gives the company access to people who are interested in the industry. The local promoters that CKL has employed to help farmers in these communities can develop their careers and rise up through the company.

AGRICULTURE & FARMING | 41

CKL AFRICA

“We’re recruiting at the grassroots level people who are interested in the products and demonstrating the skills we need,” Kunyiha tells us.

However, reputation also plays a vital role.

“A lot of recruitment has to do with maintaining a good corporate brand. Our ESG credentials help with that,” Kunyiha says.

Part of the reason for CKL Africa’s name change was so that its brand reflected the company’s new identity. While the company has always been involved in animal health, a series of mergers and acquisitions along with organic growth had led to the company discovering it is capable of more than that.

“As we’ve grown, we’ve realised although we work in animal health our corporate goal is enabling Africa to

42 | AGRICULTURE & FARMING

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

CKL AFRICA

achieve global standards of food production,” Kunyiha says.

“Animal health is a core part of that but it is not enough, so we broadened into productivity, crop protection and crop production. We also branched into animal nutrition. So we intend to keep broadening out into other areas of agriculture.”

One area where this is particularly important is in the green revolution, which in some ways has yet to reach Africa.

While the solutions for greener farming are out there, they are tailored for large scale farming where CKL Africa is serving the small and medium-scale farmer.

“You have to be cognizant of their circumstances,” says Kunyiha. “They might not have funding for large volumes of inputs, or the husbandry systems they’re using are not what you’d find in other developed countries. So we’re finding inputs

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

from the global market that can be adopted. That is what we are looking for, scouring the market for innovations while trying to make our own innovations here.”

For CKL Africa those innovations include a brandnew facility for mineral supplements, which opened in 2019. It produces about 5,000 tons a year for dairy cattle.

“We just invested US$70 million to upgrade production facilities and become more efficient, providing farmers with different varieties and new products on the nutritional side,” Kunyiha says. “That was phase one. We’re now working on the next phase

of the same facility where we want to expand pharmaceutical production and upgrade it to the latest manufacturing standards at the same site.”

The expansion also includes a substantial effort to improve the plant’s environmental footprint.

“We have included a solar electricity plant with 540 solar panels on our roof producing about 360 MW hours to subsidise our electricity generation, providing a solution to both a cost issue and an ESG challenge,” says Kunyiha. “One thing Africa has for free is sunlight so we might as well use it for better production and pricing!”

“AS WE’VE GROWN, WE’VE REALISED ALTHOUGH WE WORK IN ANIMAL HEALTH OUR CORPORATE GOAL IS ENABLING AFRICA TO ACHIEVE GLOBAL STANDARDS OF FOOD PRODUCTION.”

AGRICULTURE & FARMING | 43

GRI TIRES

GRI, THE HIGH-GRADE SPECIALITY TYRE MANUFACTURER BASED IN SRI LANKA, HAS EMBARKED ON A MAJOR INVESTMENT TO QUADRUPLE PRODUCTION CAPACITY WHILE MAINTAINING A SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY LOOP.

PERFORMANCE

BY DESIGN PROJECT MANAGED BY: DEAN BROWN

From farms to warehouses to construction sites and ports; GRI offers high-performance speciality tyres that have always exceeded customer expectations. A Sri Lankan company with offices in 9 countries and sales in over 50 countries around the world, GRI has established a sound global footprint.

G

RI has focused its innovation on designs and compounds, developing new tread designs and advanced compounds that give a higher performance for the same cost. This has enabled GRI to serve customers better, creating demand for its products in both solid and pneumatic speciality tyres and resulting in an expansion of production capacity.

Having built a strong reputation in industrial material handling solid tyres since 2002, GRI has in recent years expanded its scope to include a range of agriculture and construction tyres. To this end, a new factory equipped with the latest technology was built in Sri Lanka, commissioned in 2018, with this being the first stage of a major capacity expansion

44 | AUTOMOTIVE

project. Since then, over 200 new speciality tyres have been launched in the new production plant.

“GRI utilizes premium-quality pure natural rubber from Sri Lanka, which ranks among the top five natural rubber product nations in the world. We also use other advanced raw material components to produce highgrade speciality tyres,” says Dr Mahesha Ranasoma, the company CEO. He points out that the tyres are all manufactured in Sri Lanka and sold in international markets, with the key territories being the United States and Europe.

“These markets are mostly serviced by our distributors but we also have our own subsidiaries to foster closer relationships with our clients.”

SUSTAINABLE AT THE CORE

GRI ensures its commitment to sustainability and environmental protection by the way the company develops new products, generates its power, builds its tyres, recycles waste, and manages its water systems.

Sustainability & environmental protection are embedded in everything we do,” says Dr Ranasoma. “GRI’s commitment to sustainability is evident at our plants. We use biomass boilers instead of traditional furnace oil boilers, and an environmentally friendly ‘dry’ production process that ensures low material wastage and no emission of gases, or liquid disposal. Green policies on water management have resulted in innovative ways to harvest rainwater and an efficient wastewater management system.”

While natural rubber is a renewable commodity, in an industry where demand is disproportionately large, sustainability in sourcing is of foremost importance. GRI sources pure natural rubber from Sri Lankan farmers and plantations around the island nation.

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GRI TIRES

Dr Mahesha Ranasoma, CEO, GRI Tires.

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

AUTOMOTIVE | 45

WE ARE THE GAME CHANGER It’s time for a new era, time for a change.

We are Marangoni Machinery and we play by different rules.

Via Enrico Fermi 29 | 38068 Rovereto (TN) – Italy marangonimachinery.com

MARANGONI MACHINERY Marangoni Machinery is the worldwide leader for innovative Machinery and Automation Systems, mostly for the OTR and AGRO tire industry. In this field we are involved in highly demanding projects, working together with the major tire manufacturers shaping our products on the customer processes.

Our R&D department covers more than 40% of the total number of employees and we base our activity on the continuous development of state-of–the-art solutions for satisfying our customers’ needs at the best, for reducing their tires Time to Market, and for improving Factories logistics and productivity.

Our solutions helps Customers to improve the efficiency and the sustainability of the entire production process.

Hereby the latest technology portfolio highlights: • Tire Assembly Machinery: Single and Multi-Stage with unique tooling devices and process to get tire higher quality and faster cycle time, moreover wide tire sizes range and automatic machine setup.

• StripWinding Machines Platform, by modular configuration enabling productivity and flexible manufacturing organization.

• Last-generation tooling, such as tire building drums (carcass and belt) with automatic radially extended capability (up to 2.5x) and axially setup by recipe, plus unmanned operations and auto-fast size change setup procedures.

• New IT Architectures Industry 4.0 and HMI solutions to enable Factory Machines and Tire Recipes local and remote management, plus Disaster Recovery and Remote Maintenance support: the whole by enhancing the Operator’s shift duties by User’s friendly command and control systems.

Our Team is available to share factory design solutions and to propose customized machinery architectures. www.marangonimachinery.com

46 | AUTOMOTIVE

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

This natural rubber, which is sourced from smallholder rubber farmers in Sri Lanka to build GRI’s high-grade agriculture tyres, which are eventually fitted on the machinery of farmers across the world, creates a unique value chain that begins and ends from one farmer to another.

“GRI UTILIZES PREMIUMQUALITY PURE NATURAL RUBBER FROM SRI LANKA, WHICH RANKS AMONG THE TOP FIVE NATURAL RUBBER PRODUCT NATIONS IN THE WORLD.”

L&T Rubber Processing Machinery (LTRPM), a business unit of Larsen & Toubro limited, cater to the machinery requirements of the tire industry.

LTRPM has over four decades of experience in manufacturing world class tire machinery with supplies to over 45 countries across the globe.

LTRPM manufacturers wide range of machines such as Tire Curing presses, Tire Building machines and other custom built machinery as per customer requirements.

Give your company the L&T Advantage in Tire Building machines and Tire Curing presses from the leader in OTR market.

This is the principle of the company’s GREENX Circle, a global farmer ecosystem connecting natural rubber farmers with crop farmers worldwide. Through this initiative connectivity and collaboration are fostered between the two farming ecosystems while placing emphasis on sustainability principles.

While enhancing the opportunities for rubber farmers in Sri Lanka, and helping to implement sustainable practices in rubber tree farming and tapping to improve productivity and yields, the value to crop farmers around the world is also significant - they get agricultural tyres produced using the finest natural rubber that minimizes soil compaction and helps produce higher yields.

“GRI’S COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY IS EVIDENT AT OUR PLANTS.” BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

AUTOMOTIVE | 47

GRI TIRES

“This unique initiative is really important to us. The GREENX Circle is conceptually a unique proposition to help farmers be environmentally sustainable, connecting natural rubber farmers and crop farmers, the two key farming communities in our supply chain,” says Dr Ranasoma. “This is also a good example for others. Hopefully, more companies will follow to include the concept of sustainability in their supply chains.”

“THE GREENX CIRCLE IS CONCEPTUALLY A UNIQUE PROPOSITION TO HELP FARMERS BE ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE, CONNECTING NATURAL RUBBER FARMERS AND CROP FARMERS, THE TWO KEY FARMING COMMUNITIES IN OUR SUPPLY CHAIN.” FOUNDATION FOR FURTHER EXPANSION

While the coronavirus pandemic has affected the company just like everybody else, it has also proved GRI’s resilience in standing up to the crisis. GRI continued its operations to fulfil its commitments to customers, demonstrating its capability as a reliable supplier.

Emerging from last year on a firm footing, GRI began 2021 on a positive note - the

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GRI TIRES

company laid the foundation stone for the second phase of a US$100 million project with a new manufacturing facility in Badalgama, Sri Lanka. The facility will expand its speciality tyre production factory inaugurated three years ago, in order to meet growing global demand for its branded products, and is expected to be completed by December 2021. GRI’s mandate to embed sustainability as a part of all its operations is reiterated in its new production facility.

“The new manufacturing facility, again equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, is set to quadruple GRI’s current production capacity, bringing it up to 750,000 tyres per year and a total capacity of 100 tonnes per day. The new factory will focus on agricultural tyres with a large share dedicated for advanced radial agriculture tyres,” explains Dr Ranasoma.

“Furthermore, GRI is the only manufacturer in Sri Lanka with radial agricultural manufacturing capability. We will also be doubling employment and will build the GRI team up to 500 employees across areas such as production, engineering, quality assurance, advanced technology, and research and development,” he continues.

“Global demand for high tech, extremely high-performing tyres is increasing. The new facility, which is planned to be completed at the end of this year, is not the end. It is only a further step in our longer-term expansion plans,” concludes Dr Ranasoma.

“GLOBAL DEMAND FOR HIGH TECH, EXTREMELY HIGH-PERFORMING TYRES IS INCREASING.

AUTOMOTIVE | 49

AMAC AEROSPACE

WE LEARN HOW AMAC IS INCREASING THEIR CAPACITY AND MAINTAINING STANDARDS WHILE SERVING THE CORPORATE AND VIP FLIGHT SECTORS.

YOUR PARTNER IN THE SKIES PROJECT MANAGED BY: TREVOR GRETSINGER

50 | AVIATION, AEROSPACE & DEFENCE

AMAC AEROSPACE

AMAC Aerospace AG was founded in 2007 to meet the demands of the corporate and VIP/VVIP sectors. The firm today consists of a group of companies that spans the width of Europe, with a presence in Turkey and Lebanon.

A

MAC Aerospace operates seven hangars for mid-sized jets, narrow and wide-body jets. These warehouses are dedicated to maintenance, complex design, modification activities and completion works over a footprint of 100,000 square metres. A team of 1,000 employees works for AMAC, specialising in a range

of aviation domains to provide a one-stop shop for aviators.

THE ONE-STOP-SHOP

That shop contains a number of affiliated sister companies.

These include AMAC Corporate Jet, AMAC’s Aircraft Management and Charter Division. This company is based in Kloten, Zurich, where

it hosts approximately twelve aircraft on portfolio with regard to direct aircraft management.

AMAC Corporate Jet helps facilitate charter requests, fuel arrangements, insurance coverage, crew selection and training to name only a few of its services.

At AMAC Aerospace Turkey, located at Atatürk International Airport, Turkey, AMAC provides MRO services on Pilatus PC-12, PC-24 and Dassault products.

This facility is equipped with all the tools necessary to service the Pilatus aircraft product

AVIATION, AEROSPACE & DEFENCE | 51

Rolls-Royce is the world’s leading engine supplier in business aviation, powering some of the largest, fastest, and longestrange business jets available. Rolls-Royce powers business jets built by Bombardier, Cessna, Embraer and Gulfstream. Our products and services include the Pearl, BR725, BR710, AE3007, Tay, Spey, MR&O, and CorporateCare® Enhanced, the leading solution for engine care. This maintenance program offers increased asset liquidity, nacelle coverage and complete engine management, from line maintenance to shop visits.

CorporateCare Enhanced, the comprehensive, fixed-cost engine maintenance management plan, provides customers with a global support infrastructure which includes: Engine Health Monitoring, a worldwide network of Authorised Service Centres and globally distributed spare parts and engines, all managed by our dedicated 24/7 Business Aircraft Availability Centre. www.rolls-royce.com

Leading the way

y in business aviation power

ROLLS-ROYCE: BUSINESS AVIATION THE ROLLS-ROYCE BRAND HAS BEEN SYNONYMOUS WITH UNPARALLELED QUALITY FOR NEARLY 120 YEARS. TODAY, ROLLSROYCE BUSINESS AVIATION FOCUSES ON DELIVERING THE BESTPERFORMING ENGINES AND PROVIDING ONGOING SUPPORT THAT EXCEEDS EACH CUSTOMER’S EXPECTATIONS. A GLOBAL SERVICE NETWORK Sixty some years after delivering the first business aviation engine, Rolls-Royce has manufactured more than 8,000 engines and is powering the most advanced business aircraft from Bombardier, Cessna, Embraer, and Gulfstream.

Although the technology behind each new generation of Rolls-Royce engine has changed, one thing hasn’t: The company’s unwavering commitment to providing the best customer support experience in the business aviation industry.

While delivering on that promise may sound easy, it never is. Unlike commercial airline operators, business aircraft owners are all unique in their individual service needs, and it’s taken considerable investments in time and resources for Rolls-Royce to stay ahead of its customers’ expectations.

“We’ve spent a lot of time talking to our aircraft manufacturing customers and to individual aircraft owners and operators to learn what is truly important to them. Why did they buy their particular aircraft? How can Rolls-Royce best serve their particular needs?” said Andrew “Andy” Robinson, Rolls-Royce’s SVP, Customers and Service, Business Aviation. “It’s clear that our customers believe that outstanding service is a major differentiator in business aviation.

“So, we’ve expanded our commitment to provide services that will meet their expectations,” he continued. “For example, we now have a brand new 24/7 Availability Center at our headquarters in Germany that looks after all of our business aviation engines worldwide. That way, we can ensure faster response times and reduce AOG downtime wherever in the world our customers are.” Rolls-Royce’s Global Service Network is composed of On-Wing Services Technicians who are supported by over 75 strategically located Authorized Support Center (ASC) facilities. Nine global parts stores and a dedicated team of Customer Managers specially trained to quickly support a customer’s scheduled and AOG maintenance needs.

The improved service package enhances the comprehensive fixed cost maintenance program for business jet customers by covering a wide range of additional service items, including troubleshooting, mobile repair team, nacelle, corrosion etc.

COMMITMENT TO ZERO EMISSIONS Rolls-Royce is uniquely positioned to play a key role in decarbonising several energy sectors. We are making sure our business can be compatible with this future, and we will use our capabilities to play a leading role in enabling the vital sectors in which we operate get to net zero emissions by 2050.

Sustainable Aviation Fuels are one important part to achieve this goal.

They can be made from many source materials, from cooking oil, to household waste and algae. They can also be produced synthetically.

We believe that SAFs need to satisfy three criteria to be viable: They need to be suitable, meeting aviation fuel specifications, scalable, with the potential to produce in large quantities, and sustainable, not competing with land use.

Currently, SAFs make up just 0.01% of global jet fuel use. But with the right policy support, this could reach a tipping point for the aviation industry, and in future make a real impact in decarbonising aviation.

Most of our aircraft engines, such as the Pearl and BR700 engine families, the Trent XWB or the Trent 7000, can already operate using blended Sustainable Aviation Fuels. But we don’t stop there. Just recently we conducted the first tests of 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in our latest business aviation engine in development, the Pearl 700. This happened just weeks after unblended SAF was successfully used for the first time in engine ground tests on a Trent 1000 engine in Derby, UK. We strongly believe that no single country or company can solve this challenge, we must work globally and together.

We all have a role to play in driving investment in this technology and making it commercially viable. This need to work with the public sector and collaborate with the oil and gas industry to drive wider availability of sustainable fuels.

PIONEERING COMPREHENSIVE AND INNOVATIVE CARE The customer-facing side of this is Rolls-Royce’s highly regarded CorporateCare service product.

By protecting customers from unforeseen costs – and providing rapid access to any needed parts, anywhere in the world – it plays a big role in assuring aircraft availability. “Since CorporateCare Enhanced, the upgraded service package that enhances our market-leading CorporateCare service, was launched in 2018, we have seen very strong demand from customers who see how much value the program provides,” says Andy.

www.rolls-royce.com/products-and-services/civil-aerospace/ business-aviation

AMAC AEROSPACE

on an exclusive basis in the Middle East region but has also been developed to cover the Dassault aircraft.

Meanwhile, at BordumMilas Airport in Turkey, AMAC Aerospace Bodrum offers the only MRO at that location.

AMAC’s strategically positioned hangar is directly next to the airport’s main taxiway offering services for both line and base maintenance. This facility is equipped with the very latest technological hardware and construction, and it is the first time this hangar facility has been used under a mixed business model. Over the winter months this hangar offers commercial line and base maintenance, while in the summer, the MRO flips over to VIP business maintenance.

Recently, in May 2016, the AMAC Group also acquired JCB Aero, a world leader in composite and carbon fibre production techniques and methods. JCB Aero carry out completion works using its DOA & POA approval status. The company also employs qualified completion specialists in VIP Helicopter work and have been working to acquire 145 approval for maintenance.

Finally, AMAC Aerospace Lebanon operates a regional sale base for the Middle East located in Solidere, Beirut.

These business strands combine to create a true powerhouse. AMAC is the largest privately-owned aircraft facility in the world. It offers private, VIP and corporate aviation services and can provide multiple completion and refurbishment requests simultaneously, with no request too ambitious. The company aims to exceed client expectations and consistently deliver on time, and within budget.

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

“AMAC IS THE LARGEST PRIVATELY-OWNED AIRCRAFT FACILITY IN THE WORLD. IT OFFERS PRIVATE, VIP AND CORPORATE AVIATION SERVICES AND CAN PROVIDE MULTIPLE COMPLETION & REFURBISHMENT REQUESTS SIMULTANEOUSLY, WITH NO REQUEST TOO AMBITIOUS.”

To provide this level of service AMAC Aerospace offers brand new, state-of-the-art workshops manned by the best craftsmen in the industry and outfitted with modern cabinet, upholstery, sheet metal, composite and electro/avionic facilities. The company has the authorisation to upholster, inspect, and install TSO tags, then ship completed seats directly to end-users or install them in the aircraft as part of its completion or refurbishment projects.

AMAC Aerospace also offers non-destructive testing services both on and offsite,

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AMAC AEROSPACE

as well as design engineering, major modifications including supplemental type certificate (STC) development, special flight mission outfitting, full completion and interior refurbishment on all aircraft types. AMAC can also provide customers with engine and component overhaul, including painting services on airframe and cabin interiors.

With its own engineering and airworthiness offices, AMAC’s team of CV Engineers and the high level of project management they provide, JCB Aero can handle the full work package. JCB Aero has already carried out a huge number of modifications, including several STCs. Meanwhile, AMAC’s hangars in Switzerland’s EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse are able to accommodate multiple narrow and wide-body aircraft, including Boeing B747s, B777s, B787s, Airbus A340s, A330s and even an A380, as well as many makes and designs of small business jets. AMAC’s hangars and workshops here are tactically interlinked to ensure superior time management and manpower allocation for inhouse projects.

HANGAR OUT

While these amenities and levers of service are undoubtedly an achievement, AMAC has already been working to build on that foundation.

AMAC Aerospace’s capacity will only increase with the addition of a brand new, state-of-theart hangar facility that recently opened its doors to housing mid-size jets. “Hangar 5” will add 4,850 square metres of floor space, as well as 30,000 square metres of new apron to the company’s four existing hangars at EuroAirport in Basel, Switzerland.

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AMAC AEROSPACE

Bernd Schramm, Group COO of AMAC Aerospace, has already sung the praises of the development, saying, “We are proud to have managed this project successfully during this demanding time.

The hangar will be dedicated to mid-size jet maintenance and can accommodate up to seven mid-size jets like the Bombardier Global or [from] the Challenger or Gulfstream series or a combination thereof. The maintenance services for these types of aircraft were always high in demand and is steadily increasing due to our highly recognised quality of work.”

Hangar 5 will see the integration of five new workshops, including a component and calibration shop, a window repair shop, a sound testing shop and two offices – the Bombardier Maintenance Supervisors Office and the Bombardier Maintenance Planning Office.

Increasing the hangar capacity is going to mean AMAC

Aerospace needs more people and talent to operate it. The company has already begun a recruitment process over the coming weeks and months to ensure that Basel’s high quality of services is maintained.

Whatever type of aircraft AMAC’s clients are flying, be it a Bombardier, a Gulfstream or the latest Pilatus PC-24, AMAC Aerospace’s skilled teams will take care of any mid-size aircraft arriving in Basel. Or if need be, the company’s AOG support teams will travel to wherever its clients are.

Those standards are more important now than ever, as AMAC Aerospace’s Director of Maintenance and Accountable Manager CAMO, Ruedi Kurz pointed out when he commented, “In times like these, business people around the world are looking for a safe way to travel. Having the perfect maintenance partner at their side is not only reassuring but also gives them much-needed flexibilities.”

“WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE MANAGED THIS PROJECT SUCCESSFULLY DURING THIS DEMANDING TIME.” AVIATION, AEROSPACE & DEFENCE | 57

AX GROUP PLC

Michael Warrington, CEO of AX Group.

AX GROUP PLC

AX GROUP IS AN AMBITIOUS, MULTI-FACETED DEVELOPMENT COMPANY WHOSE VISION IS OFTEN AHEAD OF ITS TIME.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE PROJECT MANAGED BY: HAYDEN TURNER

AX Group is a family run business with a long history.

It began as a construction firm but expanded rapidly into hospitality, the development business, the care sector and renewable energy.

W

e’ve been major contributors to the Maltese islands in terms of fielding ideas for development and launching very successful projects,” explains Michael Warrington, CEO of AX Group. “We’ve been involved in various challenging projects such as the Valletta Cruise Port, bringing almost a million tourists to Malta in 2019.”

The company has a history of ambitious proposals, but they are always grounded in quality.

“Our focus as a group is on quality. We build developments that stand out, and more and more in terms of service, the feedback we get is that we stand a cut above many businesses on the island,” Warrington says.

AX Group is built on three pillars: its property assets, its very robust finances, and its talented people.

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

“The business culture is an inclusive one with active, participative, employees. We hear their ideas and their knowledge and there is a collaborative spirit among the team,” Warrington tells us. “We seek the people closest to the operation and understand their ideas, concerns and wishes and where it makes sense we incorporate those ideas. We’re costfocused so we know how to operate in a very lean and efficient way.

That obviously has good results for the bottom line.”

AX Group benchmarks its performance against its competition on the island through independent reviews and frequently comes out as the leader.

CONGLOMERATE | 59

Leading Turnkey Contractors CE Group, 150, Triq Il-Fortizza, Mosta, Malta www.ceinstallations.com.mt info@ceinstallations.com.mt +356 2767 7822/4/6

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eshop.wuerth.com.mt

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

AX GROUP PLC

BOLD VISIONS

AX Group often brings ambitious ideas to the table, but sometimes it can be a challenge to persuade others to share its vision.

“We’re progressive in terms of our vision,” Warrington says.

“We’re looking to carry out a major investment every five years. Our biggest challenge is often in obtaining planning permits for our properties and investments.

While at the time their ideas might receive scepticism, however, history tends to be on AX Group’s side.

“WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT PEOPLE COME AROUND TO EMBRACING OUR AMBITIOUS IDEAS AND DESIGNS” BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

“Sometimes we’ve been too ambitious in our designs but with the benefit of hindsight people come around to embracing our ideas,” Warrington says. “There have been many ideas we’ve fielded which haven’t been accepted, such as mass transportation, a golf course and club and quite recently a proposal for a sea tunnel linking two harbours with a ferry connection on the island.

There are many other similar ideas where time and again we’ve been forward-looking but our society and government have taken a long to respond to those ideas.”

When AX Group is finally able to make its dreams a reality, something special happens.

“About 20 years ago we put forward a proposal for the development of a retirement village. Others had tried the concept before in Malta but failed. It took us 23 years to

get permits, but within six months of completion of Hilltop Gardens Retirement village the 133 apartments were fully taken up due to the way we sold it and structured the commercial offer to residents,” Warrington recalls. “People liked what they saw, we made it very affordable for people and put in those elements people wanted. The outcome was a quantum improvement in the quality of life for people who took up residence in the village.”

That village has proven to be a lifeline during recent events.

“Our residents are people in their 70s and 80s. They lived a very active lifestyle even during COVID-19 when most facilities had locked down. We took measures to protect our residents,” Warrington tells us.

“The combination of concept, quality of the development and the way we sold and operated

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AX GROUP PLC

it has been successful. This is just one example of how we approach things.”

THE TALENT BEHIND THE VISION

As well as persuading people to join AX Group in its vision, the company also faces challenges in finding the people to join the company and make that vision a reality.

“In Malta the biggest challenge is finding people, finding employees,” Warrington admits.

“There’s a significant labour shortage on the island and that has created challenges. We have a lot of foreign workers who come and started to work here, although the pandemic has meant unfortunately many decided to return to their home countries.”

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Addressing that labour shortfall involves a combination of a competitive offering and homegrown talent building.

“We benchmark our compensation philosophy with our peers in the industry,” explains Warrington. “We set up our own recruitment agency to source people not just locally but from abroad, and we set up our own internal academy with all the training that is needed at every level of the organisation within the business to become effective and efficient at what we do. We set the objective of being an employer of choice as we set our targets very high.”

Warrington is clear that joining AX Group is the beginning of a journey, not the end.

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

AX GROUP PLC

“We give our own people opportunities and have a very good retention rate when it comes to employees,” he says.

“That’s something we’re proud of because it shows people have joined and grown within the organisation and flourished with it with the job satisfaction and fulfilment they seek.”

Looking forward, Warrington is optimistic about AX Group’s future and believes the company has a strong foundation to build from.

“I think we will continue to build on our strengths, continue to focus on the sectors where our strengths lie,” he reflects.

We have a number of projects which we will be starting soon.

They are very big projects relative to our size.

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

We were successful in obtaining the planning permits for two major projects: the extension of the Suncrest Hotel, and the Verdala Terraces development.

The latter will be another exceptional development by the AX Group, which will see the dilapidated Grand Hotel Verdala in Rabat being demolished and redeveloped into a luxurious residential complex and a fivestar hotel.

We will be working on these over the next three years with 150 million euros of investment.

We’re raising new capital and building on the pillars we have invested in so far.”

AX Group will not just be sticking to what it knows, however.

“We wish to grow not just by owning the properties but managing properties for third parties,” Warrington tells us.

“We wish to expand outside of Malta. We’re actively looking for investment opportunities.

Finally, we are realising our dream of investing in an ongoing project in solar energy, which here in Malta is quite abundant. We launched the largest Photovoltaic farm on the island last year. We intend to continue to grow and look at our footprint and reduce waste and our impact on the environment.”

AX Group subsidiaries have been listed on the Malta Stock Exchange for over 25 years.

We believe in the local stock exchange as a means to finance new growth and investment.

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TOBERMORE

TOBERMORE, THE NORTHERN IRELAND BASED MANUFACTURER OF TOP-QUALITY PAVING AND WALLING PRODUCTS HAS EXPANDED CAPACITY TO MEET GROWING DEMAND.

PAVING THE WAY WITH QUALITY PROJECT MANAGED BY: TREVOR GRETSINGER

Tobermore is recognised in Ireland and the UK for the outstanding performance of its products and market-leading solutions, which are supported by continuous investment in the latest technologies and manufacturing practices.

F

ounded in 1942, Tobermore has evolved from a modest sand and gravel business into a world-class manufacturer of paving and walling products, supplying commercial and domestic markets throughout Ireland and the UK. The products are appreciated by customers for many aspects, including aesthetics, durability, functionality and versatility.

Under the management of Mr David Henderson, who joined the company 45 years ago and took over the family business from his father, the company has experienced a massive transformation from a basic concrete product manufacturer to a leading player in the sector, collecting numerous quality awards and still growing.

QUALITY EXCELLENCE

“When I joined the company back in the mid-1970s, it became clear that we needed to focus on higher-value products, and this has basically been my journey - taking the business

64 | CONSTRUCTION

from grey concrete to more decorative concrete products used primarily for paving and walling,” says Mr Henderson.

Under his leadership, the company invested in new machines, one of the fundamental changes that pushed the business forward and implemented production improvement processes such as lean manufacturing and kaizen.

But the key was changing the company culture.

“Only with a committed and loyal workforce is it possible to achieve top quality. Changing the business culture was one of our greatest achievements, one that has made the company what it is today - a very effective and efficient organisation, supportive of its staff and with a positive, friendly atmosphere.”

“We are driven by our determination to produce worldclass products, whilst providing an excellent customer experience.

We truly value our people and acknowledge that our successes are a result of their hard work and dedication,” he affirms.

TOBERMORE

Mr David Henderson, Managing Director, Tobermore.

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www.surefreight.co.uk

HAULAGE | STORAGE | DISTRIBUTION Leading Logistics Firm in Newry, County Down At Surefreight Ltd, we provide wide spectrum of logistic services designed to get your consignments from A-to-B stress-free. When you choose Surefreight Ltd, you can rest assured that you have a partner that is completely committed to you and the growth of your business.

EXPERT TEAM | MODERN FLEET | SECURE DEPOTS

Surefreight Ltd Unit 4, Shepherds Drive, Newry, BT35 6JQ United Kingdom

Phone: +44 (0)28 3026 4127 Email: info@surefreight.co.uk

SUREFREIGHT LTD Surefreight ltd have had a long and distinguished partnership with Tobermore Concrete in helping to service their many UK customers on a daily basis. We grew from humble beginnings, started by the two current Directors Vincent Waddell and Brian McManus with one lorry each, stretching 30 years now in the haulage industry and growing to be one of the premier haulage firms in Ireland.

We run 600 trailers and 200 tractor units along with a Rigid fleet our of our 10 acre site in Newry, County Down. This coupled with depots in Heysham, Belfast, Bradford, Cardiff, Sheffield and Manchester.

Our service includes General Haulage, Groupage, Express deliveries, hazardous consignments and container Handling.

With the introduction of the new post Brexit arrangements, we have prepared diligently and have built a tremendous customs team which gives all our customers the reassurance that their goods can be processed and cleared in a quick and efficient manor, helping to maintain supply chains across the Irish sea. The opening of our new state of the art Operations depot in Heysham has given us the foothold in GB to grow our business in line with Tobermore concrete so that we can continue to give the optimum service that their UK customers, nationwide, are accustomed to.

With the partnership between Surefreight limited and Tobermore Concrete over a decade long we jumped at the chance to support the article in which they are involved with. Testament to the hard work of their staff and a vision from the owners we have watched the growth of the company soar year on year and are privileged to play a small part in it. The continued success of local NI Business can only bode well for everyone and it is great to see such a success story in these uncertain times across the world.

Covering both full loads and groupage consignments, Surefreight Ltd, is capable of giving a bespoke service should you have a full load or 1 single pallet to move. Our experienced traffic and customer service team are there to walk you through every stage of the process from initial order to final delivery, keeping you updated regularly with progress of your goods.

Within our 10 acres site in Newry, we house a 40,000 square foot Warehouse which is used primarily for the crossdocking of groupage loads into Rigids for onward delivery throughout Ireland. We also have our own in-house mechanics who look after the upkeep of all the fleet on a daily basis out of two, six bay, purpose built, garages with one of them in our Heysham depot.

We pass on our well wishes to the Tobermore team and look forward to many more years of working together across the Irish sea.

www.surefreight.co.uk

Delivering a warm & friendly service AH Fuel Oils are pleased to be involved in the supply of Oil and Fuels to Tobermore over the past 30 years.

With our Head office in Cookstown, and regional depots in Belfast, Lisburn, Dungannon, Coleraine & Omagh we cover the province supplying fuels to the Domestic, Agricultural, and Commercial Industries.

AH Fuel Oils focus is on offering the very best customer service, we offer same-day delivery where possible and always try to meet all our customer’s requirements.

The company has gone from strength to strength and now boasts a fleet of 25 tankers fitted with the latest technology which means we can deliver the best, most flexible, and responsive service possible.

Our online ordering portals and the team of sales executives make ordering easy with our customer’s needs a priority.

Office: 9 A Clare Lane, Cookstown, Co Tyrone, BT80 8RJ, UK Tel: (028) 8676 2447

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

E-mail: sales@ahfueloils.com web: www.ahfueloils.com

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TOBERMORE

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TOBERMORE

He further points out that it is precisely the high quality of its products, as well as of the service, that is behind the company’s growth over the years. In 2005, the company won the UK Business Excellence Award, followed in 2007 by the European Business Excellence Award, where Tobermore beat the likes of Volkswagen, Siemens and other global manufacturers. “For a small company from Northern Ireland, that was an outstanding achievement.”

Achieving this level of excellence was aided by Mr Henderson’s acute awareness of the need to invest in the best manufacturing technology and innovative methods. “When we saw the level of investment that goes into the state-of-theart, sophisticated machines employed by European manufacturers, we knew that was the way we wanted to go.”

The company uses a worldclass manufacturing plant from Germany, so it can create the best quality European-style paving in the UK. The factory uses renewable energy and rainwater during manufacturing and deploys a vapour curing process referred to as EfStop to virtually eliminate efflorescence.

“WE ARE DRIVEN BY OUR DETERMINATION TO PRODUCE WORLD-CLASS PRODUCTS, WHILST PROVIDING AN EXCELLENT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.” CONSTRUCTION | 69

RH 2000-4 MVA – high PRECISION in concrete SHAPING

HESS GROUP is a worldwide leading supplier of high performance concrete block machines, dosing and mixing systems as well as the associated packaging and conveying technology. www.hessgroup.com

We put concrete into shape.

UK_TW_AZ_HG_210x146mm_2020-09-01_01.indd 1

01.09.20 16:54

World-class

VALUE-ADDING for concrete

PAVERS & SLABS SR SCHINDLER individual machines and production lines for premium-quality concrete products with custom finished surfaces. www.sr-schindler.com

Innovative. Reliable. Efficient.

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BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

TOBERMORE CONCRETE PRODUCTS AND HESS GROUP HESS GROUP is a German based world leading manufacturer of concrete block / paving plants with customers, representations and affiliates all over the world. The company started shortly after the second world war as a small family-owned business. Over the years HESS developed into the technical leader for block making machines and production plants it is today. The brand ‘Made in Germany’ always has been a sign for outstanding machine quality and technology. Our sales network together with the local representations always tries to work side by side with our customers in partnership. Our aim is to serve every customer with the right equipment so that over many years we both grow our business and relation through new equipment, aftersales service, upgrades or dedicated technical courses on the HESS GROUP Training Academy. HESS GROUP is the reliable technical partner on which a customer can built, in good times and in bad times we need to find solutions and we never turn our back and walk away. Since 2013 HESS GROUP is part of TOPWERK forming by far the biggest concrete production machine manufacturers group in the world. In combination with SR SCHINDLER, also part of TOPWERK, we have supplied production plants for high added value, landscaping products. These plants are with customers all over the world.

When Tobermore Concrete Products got their first HESS plant in 2002 it was a block plant that was dedicated, and directly connected to the automatic tumbler with packaging line. From day one the increased production volume, the outstanding product quality and Tobermore’s sales force made the investment a success. The next plant came in 2004,

a much more challenging project which has two SR SCHINDLER in-line secondary processing lines and had to be partial placed into an existing building. The Tobermore organisation did not have any problems with filling the additional production capacity and very soon the plant was fully operational. The learning curve of the two first plants led in 2007 to a completely new block plant, this plant was built with a comfortable large footprint with a view on future development. In the years that followed Tobermore Concrete Products developed their extended product programme and introduced a scheme with long production hours combined with a very strict, systematic preventive maintenance scheme. On very regular bases the plants were additionally maintained

by HESS after sale staff and retro fits were applied if necessary. The production hours were increased to 108 hours per week including everyday cleaning and maintenance. This resulted in years in which one block machine made above 1,2 million cycles. In 2020 Tobermore decided to have a fourth HESS production plant which is based on the concept of the third plant. This additional production line enables Tobermore to be more flexible towards customers demand and increase the sales volume.

The consistent high-quality products made on the HESS equipment has made the Tobermore concrete landscaping products to be the benchmark of the industry in the UK and Ireland. www.hessgroup.com

TOBERMORE CONCRETE PRODUCTS AND SR SCHINDLER SR SCHINDLER is one of the worldwide leading manufacturers of big hermetic turntable presses and finishing and packaging lines for concrete products. The headquarter is located in Regensburg/Germany. As member of the TOPWERK GROUP SR SCHINDLER benefits from TOPWERK offices in Middle East, USA/Canada, China and Russia but also works together with sales agents in Australia/New Zealand and Europe.

Originally SR SCHINDLER was an owner-operated business for 30 years and joined TOPWERK in 2013. Over these years SR SCHINDLER acquired its international reputation as an outstanding engine builder for the concrete industry with main focus on value adding lines. In close cooperation with the customers SR SCHINDLER develops, builds and commissions customized plants of highest quality for the production of concrete products with finished surfaces. The conceptual design of SR SCHINDLER plants is characterized by modularity which allows plant enhancements and thus openness to future. For quick delivery and short response time SR SCHINDLER cooperates with renowned suppliers and has built up spare part storages in the offices. For troubleshooting our programmers can easily go online and support.

In 2003 SR SCHINDLER sold the first value adding line to Tobermore Concrete Products. At those days it was a small shotblasting line for slabs and kerbstones with an automated slab on edge packaging. One year later Tobermore ordered a second value adding line for shotblasting and bushhammering of pavers with a working width of 1.200 mm. Both lines were installed in parallel and inline with the HESS block machine. A

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much bigger order Tobermore placed in 2008 with SCHINDLER. Scope of supply was a 1200 tons hermetic press, flat depositing devices for wet and dry side, a shotblasting line and an on edge packaging line. At that stage the plant was already designed for later enhancement. Due to growing market demand for high quality products with finished surfaces the planned enhancement was then realized 8 years later. The existing slab production plant got additionally a calibrating – grinding line in dry mode with chamfering bypass and a shotblasting – curling line. This value adding plant was designed for processing of hermetic slabs directly from the press as well as of pavers from outdoor storage. The processing of 2 different product types – one with spacers, the other without spacers was a challenge as far as the handling technology was concerned. The setup of the line in U-shape allows to pack the slabs in the existing on edge packing line which was already installed in 2008.

Along with the order of a fourth HESS production plant in 2020 a further SR SCHINDLER inline shotblasting line was ordered.

The Corona pandemic did not prevent Tobermore from further investments and for this reason David Henderson, President of Tobermore, placed an order in February this year for a second hermetic press plant with shotblasting and on edge packing line. The new press type UNI 1200 with its outstanding features which was introduced to the market at BAUMA 2019 has convinced David Henderson to buy this latest state-of-the art press. www.sr-schindler.com

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TOBERMORE

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TOBERMORE

Mr Henderson admits that the top quality enabled by the best machines and a dedicated workforce is also the basis of the company’s competitive advantage today, and its success in the GB market.

Many of Tobermore’s block paving and paving flag products undergo a special manufacturing process to produce products with a hard-wearing surface layer, PrimeTop, that has a dense composition using very hard sands and a higher dosage of cement and colouring. This hardened surface layer has increased resistance to wear and tear, with very strong, longlasting colours.

INVESTING IN GROWTH

Unlike many other companies, last year was a fantastic year for Tobermore in financial terms as house-bound people started to invest in home improvements.

The factory was closed for seven weeks at the beginning of the pandemic but was achieving record-breaking sales by July.

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“WE TRULY VALUE OUR PEOPLE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR SUCCESSES ARE A RESULT OF THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION.”

The company was well prepared to meet the surge in demand, affirms Mr Henderson, aided by a recent investment of nearly £11 million in the expansion of the manufacturing facilities. The new plant has a gross internal floor area of 4416 m2 and is expected to create dozens of local jobs in many departments including production, despatch and haulage, not to mention sales and administration.

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www.irwin-aggregates.com

Suppliers of Specialist Coloured Sand and Aggregates to the Pre-Cast Concrete Industry.

PROUD TO BE A SUPPLIER TO TOBERMORE FOR 30 YEARS.

55 Gortgonis Road, Coalisland, Co. Tyrone, BT71 4QG, UK | T: +44 (0)28 8774 0362 | E: sales@irwin-aggregates.com

LAFARGE AND TOBERMORE: A PARTNERSHIP TO REDUCE CARBON USAGE Lafarge Cement’s partnership with Tobermore extends back more than 40 years, and it is a relationship based on forward thinking, innovation and a shared vision and ethos.

This is demonstrated more so now than ever in the shared commitment between the two companies to achieving Net Zero.

Lafarge Cement’s parent company LafargeHolcim has outlined a roadmap to achieving Net Zero and became the first construction materials company to sign the Net Zero climate pledge.

One key factor in achieving these ambitious goals will be accelerating the use of low-carbon and carbon-neutral products to help create a greener construction industry, such as CEM II blends, which Tobermore has embraced.

While the benefits of CEM II products - both in terms of sustainability credentials and performance - are clear to see, it is apparent that some clients and customers still prefer the familiarity of CEM I blends. It is therefore the collective responsibility of the cement industry to become better at educating those businesses on the benefits of using recycled materials in cement alongside clinker.

The industry knows customers and clients are becoming more environmentally conscious in other ways, through demand for the electrification of vehicles, reduction of packaging volume, and the shift to sustainable packaging. While the impact of these changes is widely understood and appeals to the mainstream, it needs to work hard to bring understanding of CEM II to similar levels and make it the standard for all cement products. While Lafarge Cement is passionate and committed to this, having a partner like Tobermore leading the line with it is invaluable.

For more information, please contact: Telephone: 0800 838 997 Email: cookstown.sales@lafarge.com Web: lafargecement.co.uk

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IRWINS QUALITY AGGREGATES Irwins supply naturally coloured sand and stone for the Architectural Concrete (Reconstructed Stone) and Paving market. The aggregates are cast in concrete and then polished, etched, or shot blasted to expose the colour of the natural aggregate and hence re-create the look of natural stone. Concrete allows for precise architectural detail to be created at a fraction of the cost of natural stone. When used in paving it enables the depths and sizes to be uniform, which facilitates placement and regularity.

Irwins import their materials from tried and trusted sources across Europe and have a large range of stock plus an extensive library of samples to enable our clients to experiment and develop their product range to meet the demands of the specifiers.

UK and Ireland logistics and supply chain management solutions The services we offer include: •

Road Haulage Services

•

Express Pallet Distribution

• •

•

Freight Forwarding/ International Shipping

BRC Warehousing and Fulfilment

•

Customs Clearance

•

Bonded Warehousing

AEO Accreditation

•

Bulk Liquids, Gases and Powders Transportation

We specialize in supplying a large range of Granite, Quartz and Marble Sands and Aggregates. We hold extensive stocks of materials which allows for consistency of grading and moisture. These products are blended and screened on-site to ensure maximum quality, therefore, minimizing rejects and maximizing our clients’ profits.

Irwins also supply a large range of Decorative Gravels and Pebbles which are supplemented with Softpath, Self-binding gravels, and the Agrablock Gravel Stabilisation System. We supply industrial dried silica sand which is used in synthetic sports pitches and many other uses across the UK. www.irwin-aggregates.com ai16166782087_Business Focus Quarter Page - Tobermore.pdf

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For further information on our services visit www.woodsides.com or contact us on 028 9335 2255.

Pallet Excellence for 15 years C

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CM

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“ Rapid is proud to have built a number of batching plants for Tobermore through the years and wishes them continued success and growth! ”

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CMY

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MIXING TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS SINCE 1969 rapidinternational.com

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T: 028 7964 5858 | E: info@sjs-group.co.uk

Proud to Supply Tobermore

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Furthermore, the company’s growth plans involve a further £20m investment, in additional manufacturing facilities.

Mr Henderson says: “This investment will put us in a unique position to exploit multiple markets in the coming years, with UK and Ireland our main priority markets. We are excited by the next stage of our growth plans, which requires the major expansion of our current facilities and significant investment in recruitment and marketing.”

Given the substantially increased capacity, the plan is to further increase market share. “We expect demand in the homeowner sector to continue

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“WHEN WE SAW THE LEVEL OF INVESTMENT THAT GOES INTO THE STATE-OF-THEART, SOPHISTICATED MACHINES EMPLOYED

BY EUROPEAN MANUFACTURERS, WE KNEW THAT WAS THE WAY WE WANTED TO GO.”

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TOBERMORE

we answer the phone promptly with immediate answers,” Mr Henderson affirms.

The company has seen a 25% increase in output since last year, a sign that Tobermore is doing its business well, he says. “Our products are now stocked in over 380 outlets in the UK. It is most rewarding for me to see a little company from Northern Ireland doing so well in the market. Our superb product quality and exceptional customer focus will pave the way into the future for us.”

“WE ARE EXCITED BY THE NEXT STAGE OF OUR GROWTH PLANS, WHICH REQUIRES THE MAJOR EXPANSION OF OUR CURRENT FACILITIES AND SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN RECRUITMENT AND MARKETING.” for some time, and later on new demand boosted by increased activity within the commercial sector. We are ambitious and humble at the same time, focusing on what we need to do to grow our business in the longer term, making sure that customers don’t buy from us just today, but in five years as well.”

“We have maintained the exceptional quality levels for both products and services even during the difficult year of 2020. Tobermore takes great pride in their customer care focus and recently have employed several more customer-facing staff to ensure

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WBHO CONSTRUCTION AFRICA

WHEN WE LAST SPOKE TO WBHO, THEY SURVIVED THE EFFECTS OF A GLOBAL RECESSION. SINCE THEN, WBHO HAVE WEATHERED A PANDEMIC, HAVE MANAGED TO GROW AND ARE STILL SUCCEEDING WELL.

REAPING WHAT YOU’VE SOWN PROJECT MANAGED BY: JOHN HOLLIMAN

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WBHO CONSTRUCTION AFRICA

WBHO was founded in 1970 when John Wilson and Brian Holmes established Wilson-Holmes (Pty) Ltd. The company went on to grow and undergo its own mergers and acquisitions, until it became the company known today as WBHO Construction, listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange as one of the biggest construction firms in Southern Africa.

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BHO is an international, multi-disciplinary construction company with a presence in Southern, Central, West and East Africa as well as in Australia and the UK. When we spoke to Deon Robinson back in 2019, he told us that WBHO’s dedicated, handson approach to their clients still prevails. Its team players that use their decades of experience to deliver high-end quality products on time and within budget, and projects get delivered to the

expectations of WBHO’s clients even in tough market conditions.

Robinson also explained how the company had managed to survive some extremely harsh construction market conditions that were experienced across the globe.

Of course, since then, businesses all around the world have had to deal with an entirely new crisis in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic, its aftermath of new rules and regulations, and the strict lockdowns regulations.

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INNOVATIVE INTRALOGISTICS “I want us to be known for bringing the WOW factor to every project we put our hands to.” Gorden Smith Xodus31 are the first choice in Zambia for custom fit-outs, serving the Corporate, Retail & Hospitality industry from our 3500m2 Manufacturing Facility fully equipped including Latest PLC Bridge Saw Marble Cutting, CNC Router, Boring Technologies & Spray Booths. An experienced and dedicated team of Architects, Designers, Engineers, Surveyors, Project Managers, skilled joinery Artisans boasting superior skill.

We have undertaken, multiple franchise roll-outs including KFC’s, Pizza Huts, Africom; retail stores; BATA, Truworths; five and four star hotels; Taj Pamodzi, Southern Sun, Holiday Inn, Cresta Lodge and Churchill Arms; Shopping Centers like Kamloops Mall and banking halls for EcoBank, Stanbic, Nedbank and BancABC; as well as various Restaurants & the exterior cladding of Maina-Soko hospital with Trespa. We are doubly proud to have won the full fit-out of 106 Roomed Inter-Continental Hotel through WBHO and the WBHO Parklands Hotel - Kitwe.

Xodus31 offers innovative design, appropriately specified products, bespoke furniture manufacturing for offices and hospitality including seating, complete shop-fitting, marble tops, vanities, flooring & cladding. “We design, manufacture, manage and install” All the while working with our customers to bring the WOW factor. “ON TIME – TO STANDARD - WITHOUT WASTE – WITH JOY”

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“If you look at all the divisions in our company, ranging from Building, Civil engineering, Roads and & earthworks, right up to Specialised projects including EPC, a decline in revenue was experienced,” Robinson points out. “South Africa, including countries world-wide had a complete shutdown for extended periods last year, and then in some regions the entire construction industry grounded to a complete halt. In an instant, there was significantly less production, which in turn created revenue loss for all players in the various markets. Then, once some of the regulations were relaxed or even lifted, we proceeded to slowly restart and open the construction sites again. These start-ups had to take place under strict health and safety conditions and restrictions, which we had to comply with to strive to contain the pandemic, while operating a fully productive construction site.”

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WBHO CONSTRUCTION AFRICA

ADAPTING TO NEW CIRCUMSTANCES

Ultimately, WBHO depended on its staff to bring it through the crisis, and looking after its staff was WBHO’s priority.

“On-site, our staff bore the responsibility and took ownership of complying with all of the health and safety

“WE CAN CHANGE DIRECTION AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT IN TIME AND ELEVATE OURSELVES TO THE SITUATION AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES.”

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restrictions and new protocols.

Adapting very quickly to the current demands across all disciplines is what made us stand out among our competitors,” Robinson recalls.

“Looking at all the WBHO divisions locally within South Africa, we are very proud to be able to say that we have adapted very well to these conditions, and both current and future order books look promising for the WBHO Building Africa division” “It’s a question of looking and planning forward so that 2022 and 2023 will be better years than the past two years. We need to do things better, faster and smarter, thinking outside of the box, because we no longer have the budgets we had previously,” he tells us.

This ability to work in the presence, but focus on the future and quickly change course when necessary, is a core part of the WBHO identity.

“I strongly believe that our company’s culture has always been like that. We can change direction at any given moment in time, and elevate ourselves to the situation at hand and the circumstances required,” Robinson says. “With the third Covid-19 wave now evident in South Africa, which is scary not just for the economy, but for people worried about losing loved ones and friends, our main focus at this stage is to motivate our people and we do have to make sure the staff feels that the company is here for them to give support and guidance when required.”

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WBHO CONSTRUCTION AFRICA

Fortunately, WBHO can draw on its experience of having navigated through previous crises. One major learning Robinson took away from those experiences is the importance of building trust and relationships with clients and staff.

“It’s about the working relationships with all stakeholders, staff and clients included. In the building industry, we have a big private sector base, which helped us in South Africa, because the South African Government slowed down in releasing projects,” Robinson says. “If we had placed all our eggs in one basket, we would have had a bigger challenge on our hands. Fortunately, we have always maintained that we need to have a proper balance and do more work for private clients, ensuring that those positive relationships are maintained at all times even more so up in Africa.

THE NEXT PHASE

Today, Robinson is planning to expand WBHO’s building business into more African regions, mainly in the building

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WBHO CONSTRUCTION AFRICA

construction sector.

WBHO are maintaining their current relationships with clients and suppliers, while also looking to forge new networks with clients and suppliers, while remaining highly aware of all the potential challenges in all the sectors of the building construction industry.

“We have reached a point where we’re hoping to be able to put the pandemic behind us in the next few months, while accepting that in some form, Covid 19 will be part of our lives for a while, maybe even years to come. However, the market has changed, it is now different and we need to accept that and carry on. When you work for private clients up in Africa, contract conditions may be different than working for governments, but in both

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cases, you always need to know where the funding comes from,” Robinson points out. “Without long standing relationships and track records, it takes major efforts to establish those stable, trustworthy and economicallyworthwhile relationships.”

We’ve now started to implement new growth strategies, and as mentioned before, we’re planning to expand into new African countries where we haven’t been before. Based on all our plans, strategies and first feedback, we are confident that 2022 and 2023 will be better for our business than the last two years. It is also vital to focus on the years ahead if one wants to reap the fruits of one’s work.

That future is looking positive for all the WBHO divisions.

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RED ROCKET ENERGY

READY FOR LAUNCH WE LEARN HOW A UNIQUELY AFRICAN COMPANY IS HELPING TO DRIVE THE RENEWABLES REVOLUTION.

PROJECT MANAGED BY: TREVOR GRETSINGER Red Rocket Energy is a young company, born just over a year ago from the management buyout of the African platform of Building Energy, an Italian IPP.

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was originally one of the founders of Building Energy,” says Matteo Brambilla, the CEO of Red Rocket Energy, “but in the context of a global reorganisation of the business there was an opportunity last year to submit a proposal for a management buyout and now Red Rocket is a fully integrated Independent Power Producer; African by nature, where management and employees of the company are shareholders in the company, too.”

While the buyout has fundamentally changed the identity of the company, in terms of business model and structure nothing has changed. Red Rocket Energy remains a fully independent, integrated IPP on the back end of an integrated developer. The company carries out every stage of development, takes on responsive roles in setting up deals, carries out the construction, and even operates and controls its own projects once they are up and running.

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“We provide the full lifecycle for all renewable technologies, solar, wind, biomass, and hydro,” Brambilla tells us. “In total, we have a team of 166170 people. The core team of the company work in our office in Cape Town. The rest of the people are in operations and maintenance for the plants we operate. We have three assets currently in operation, including a new hydro plant launched in late March and a wind farm currently under construction.

Between assets in operation and construction, and projects ready to reach financial close, we have close to 377MW and we have a huge pipeline in projects under development mainly wind and solar.”

That new hydro plant is the perfect demonstration of Red Rocket Energy’s attitudes and capabilities.

THE KRUISVALLEI HYDROPOWER PLANT

The Kruisvallei Hydropower Plant reached commercial operations on the 25th of February this year, only two years after construction began on the project on the 26th of March 2019. Kruisvallei Hydro is the third hydropower project

to come online after being procured under South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer’s Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).

The plant’s innovative construction is a unique designfirst for South Africa. The plant has been divided into two runof-river hydropower plants which combine to supply 4MW of hydro-electric power through two turbines to generate approximately 24GWh per annum.

Fully operational, the plant will provide power to 1916 households. It is a landmark achievement for Red Rocket, which not only constructed the 4MW hydropower project but also manage, operate and maintain the plant through its Red Rocket Asset Management business unit. The project is not only a huge achievement in itself; it is also the first project in Red Rocket Energy’s greater portfolio undertaken through the company’s fully integrated business model.

Red Rocket Energy has been actively participating in the full lifecycle of the project.

The company was there at its earliest developmental stages, was there for the design and

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RED ROCKET ENERGY

Matteo Brambilla, CEO of Red Rocket Energy.

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RED ROCKET ENERGY

Lower Kruisvallei overhead view from downstream vantage point.

Founded in 2013 artINGEGNERIA is an engineering boutique, professional in the design of hydroelectric plants.

Technical and financial advisor, artINGEGNERIA works with private clients in designing, authorizing, and building plants for electricity production from renewable sources and electric mobility. artINGEGNERIA has authorized more than 600 electric vehicle charging stations throughout Italy and designed more than 1 GigaWatt of hydroelectric, photovoltaic, and wind power plants around the world.

With a specialized group of engineers and architects, it also invests outside the renewable market by financing innovative ideas and participating in IT, communication, and industrial research companies.

It also owns and is developing a patent for the production of electricity from marine sources.

DOING THINGS THAT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE. info@artingegneria.com | +39 0331 1586898 www.artingegneria.com

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construction of the plant and will remain to operate and maintain it.

R235 million in funding for the £370 million project was provided by specialised debt fund, Facility for Investments in Renewable Small Transactions (FIRST), which the German Government established to provide simple, accessible, and efficient funding for renewable energy projects in South Africa.

At the completion of the project, Greg Ansermino, Principal Fund Manager of FIRST commented, “The Kruisvallei project is a testament to the Red Rocket team who managed to deliver a successful project during uncertain times and a demonstration of the role, and potential, for renewable energy projects in South Africa.”

Red Rocket Energy is able to provide this one-stopshop, full lifecycle support for

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RED ROCKET ENERGY

the full range of renewable energy technologies thanks to its unique reservoir of technological know-how.

“We are amongst the few ones that can provide all the technological expertise necessary from the development and construction phase, through to operating and owning the assets,” explains Brambilla. “We can do any technology.”

As is often the case, necessity has been the mother of invention.

“We’ve been forced to develop our business along these lines as we’ve noticed over the years that if you aren’t integrated you can’t be competitive on tariff, making it difficult to achieve at the same time profitability,” Brambilla admits. “But controlling the projects means we can manage risks. We take development fees, margins, and our blended returns let us bid tariffs that are lower, but which let us make the projects profitable.”

NAVIGATING POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY

While Red Rocket Energy is easily able to overcome the practical and technological challenges its projects can face, building infrastructural power projects is a task that often encounters other obstacles.

“The main challenge is that in Africa there are delays, there is politics, things happen that we cannot control,” Brambilla tells us.

What you cannot control, you need to adapt to, as Brambilla explains.

“That also forces us to have a business model that will allow us to keep the ship in good shape, but the main challenges are the delays and the uncertainty,” he says. “Even when you win a project, and you’ve designed and built it

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and started selling electricity.

Political and economic factors can put pressure on development costs, making it harder to raise development capital, and so that timelines are delayed.”

Red Rocket Energy’s primary defence against such uncertainty is to build up a pipeline of projects to mitigate the impact of anything that affects any one operation.

“We have a business model that allows us to be cash positive even in the face of long delays,” Brambilla says.

“The projects we bid for in August 2014 were awarded in May 2015 and financial close ended up being in April 2018. So that’s three years of being in development with the associated costs, consultants, lawyers. It’s expensive, so we built our business model in a way that protects our core financials during development even if there are delays.”

Red Rocket Energy is able to achieve these results thanks to the strong team it has in place working on every stage of its projects.

“We invest a lot of time and money into the people in our organisation. We have a strategy whereby preferably we hire people straight from university

and show them the Red Rocket way,” Brambilla says.

This does not just mean hiring the right people in-house but also being very selective in terms of our contractors.

As Brambilla tells us, “We are very specific in how we run our business, and when we reach the regional construction stage, we hire top tier consultants, project and construction managers, site and electrical engineers specifically for the project.”

Moving forward, Red Rocket Energy has set its sights high.

“We want to establish ourselves as one of the largest independent power producers on the continent,” Brambilla insists. “We are hoping to grow and develop and set up business everywhere on the continent, but for now we’re focusing on South Africa where we have a well-developed market. We have developments in progress, especially on wind and solar, and we hope that all our efforts, strategy and financial engineering will be successful in the next round of South Africa’s renewable energy procurement programme. After that, we are already working on new developments for the following rounds in this country.

Our objective is to reach two gigawatts of projects by 2025.”

Emerging gate control panel.

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ARDENT HIRE SOLUTIONS

WE LEARN HOW INNOVATION IS POWERING ONE OF THE UK’S LEADING PLANT PROVIDERS.

OUTSIDE

OF THE BOX PROJECT MANAGED BY: CONNOR LOVE

Ardent Hire is the UK’s premier plant provider with a fleet of 5,000 machines covering the full gamut of sizes and capabilities. This includes telehandlers from 6 to 20 metres, excavators from 1.5 tons to 23 tons, dumpers from 3 tons to 9 tons, rollers from 80cm right up to 19 tons and rotating telescopic handlers from 21 to 32 metres.

T

his self-driving business has a national footprint of 11 depots and approximately 280 people working for it. In the last 18 months, it has established a name for itself as a real innovator in the field.

“At the end of the day we believe in doing things differently,” says Jeremy Fish, Ardent Hire’s CEO. “We think outside the box, challenge the status quo in everything we do. When everyone goes left we’ll go right, when everyone goes up we go down, everyone goes black we go white. We’re a disruptor.”

Making innovation a strong part of a company’s cultural identity is always a challenge, because how can you turn that lightning in a bottle into a regular fixture of the business?

For Fish, the solution is simply about giving his people the freedom and opportunity they need.

“We empower people,” Fish says. “One of our philosophies

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is that if you work for Ardent you share our three objectives.

We’re obsessed with creating raging fans from our customers.

We’re obsessed with our employees being ambassadors for the brand, and we’re obsessed with making our brand a religion. Everything we do is about empowering people to be the best they can be. Helping people reach their full potential with growth and personal development.”

With Fish, it all comes down to passion- passion for customers, for colleagues and for safety.

Another essential value is pace. Ardent believe in getting things done quickly as a service-orientated business.

It celebrates performance, achieving results collectively as a team.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE

These are values that the market has been responding to, and Ardent Hire has had to step up to meet growing demand.

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ARDENT HIRE SOLUTIONS

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Made in the UK Chosen by the World’s Contractors

OKO Sales Ltd, the UK arm of the OKO Group, is proud to supply Ardent Hire Solutions with anti-puncture tyre sealants, proven to keep tyres running and extend their life, in the World’s worst conditions.

We have a range of tailored sealant solutions for your whole vehicle fleet, offering a great payback.

Reduce your running costs and your carbon footprint.

www.okosales.co.uk | T: 0121 356 6565 | E: enquiries@okosales.com

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ARDENT HIRE SOLUTIONS

INDECO INNOVATIVE RESPONSES TO THE NEEDS OF A CONSTANTLY-CHANGING GLOBAL MARKET Indeco, an Italian manufacturer of hydraulic hammers, was founded in 1976.

Right from the outset, here at Indeco we set our sights on predicting and reacting quickly to the needs of the marketplace, setting up countrywide sales networks and after sales service facilities and relying on the skills of the planning and development team. This philosophy allowed Indeco to develop the international market, soon becoming a leading brand in the global demolition industry, competing with a group of similar-sized rivals.

Our continual product improvements, and our commitment to come up with variations to meet the different needs of our end-users, make the Indeco range the widest available anywhere on the market, with 23 models and around 50 different combinations and other products such as: ISS Hydraulic Shears, IFP and IRP Fixed and Rotating Pulverizers, IMP Multiprocessors, IHC and IHC R Hydraulic Compactors, IMG Multi Grabs, IBS Boom Systems and IMH Mulching Heads.

Indeco UK was founded in 1999 to provide assistance for the distribution network, made up of a close-knit group of dealerships specializing in rental, sales, service and consultancy in the hydraulic attachments field, and has since consolidated its market share in the UK. High quality service, support & back-up is the most critical asset the UK dealer network offers. All Indeco dealers offer specialist technical advice, and next day parts back up supported by Indeco UK’s parts warehouse. www.indeco.it

“Certainly since the end of Covid we’ve seen an acceleration in demand for our services. Some of that is bounce-back, the rest I put down to our innovation and the different approach we bring with outstanding customer service,” Fish tells us. “Our biggest challenge is growing our fleet in line with demand. The other challenge is obviously being able to recruit the best people in the industry. We have very high standards. We train people and we’ve got several initiatives but the challenge is getting the very best people in the industry to help us grow the business” To do this, Fish makes it clear the company doesn’t just have to ensure it can meet its clients’ current needs, it needs to be ready to meet the needs they don’t have yet.

“There are no short cuts.

We try to invest ahead of the curve,” Fish says. “We’ve just placed an order for £26 million in handlers from JCB, and there

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is more equipment that we’ll be ordering over the course of the year to stay one step ahead.”

When it comes to finding talent, Ardent Hire isn’t cutting any corners either. The company doesn’t simply put out an advert when an opening appears, it nurtures relationships with potential hires over the long term.

“AT THE END OF THE DAY WE BELIEVE IN DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY. WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO IN EVERYTHING WE DO.”

Jeremy Fish, Ardent Hire’s CEO.

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ARDENT HIRE SOLUTIONS

“A lot of it is done by word-of-mouth and personal recommendation. We establish relationships with people in advance and invariably have a queue of people who want to join up,” Fish tells us. “We try to always have a healthy substitutions bench, but first and foremost we employ for the right attitude. We want people who haven’t changed jobs frequently, with a sense of loyalty. That’s what we want in the people we create relationships with. We’re also members of the five percent club, an undertaking to commit to 5% of our workforce consisting of young people and graduates so we can bring them through the

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ranks and develop them in their careers.”

OFFSETTING FOR THE FUTURE

As well as preparing for future growth, and investing in future talent, Ardent Hire Solutions is also a company that always has one eye on the future of the planet.

“We are the first hire company to offer a carbon offsetting service,” Fish points out. “Electric machines are still dramatically underpowered and largely confined to smaller machine categories. There’s a lot of greenwashing where providers buy an electric machine where in reality it has limited impact.”

This is why Ardent Hire has teamed up with a company called Climate Care to offer a not-for-profit service allowing customers to offset their carbon emissions to achieve carbon neutrality.

“The costs and methodology are open and transparent.

Typically we charge customers between £1 and £4.50 a week, and that’s used to buy carbon credits with Climate Care,” Fish says. “All these projects are administered under gold standard accreditation under the international carbon reduction offset alliance. The system we have in place means customers can see the carbon charges in their invoice and we have a digital portal where customers can download their carbon certificates.”

This will help build a more secure future for everyone, and Ardent Hire Solutions has big plans for its place in that future.

Once again, the key is innovation.

Indeed, Ardent Hire has just launched a Site Manager Assistant, an intelligent tool that enables customers to prioritise those aspects of their business where they can make the most impact. By tracking 20 or more telematics data points the Site Manager Assistant can identity the 20% of the alerts behind 80% of the issues.

“Our plan is to continue the growth of the business on its current trajectory, continue to grow our fleet and operated hire business,” Fish tells us. “We expect to grow that and continue investing in our technology. Our technology helps customers increase their productivity and safety on their sites. Because it’s data-driven, we can show customers through data the improvements they’re making to each category. We allow customers to compare themselves against our customer base so they can see how their peers are doing.”

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INDWE RISK SERVICES

IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD, INDWE RISK SERVICES IS ADAPTING FAST TO REMAIN AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE SECTOR.

RISK AND OPPORTUNITY PROJECT MANAGED BY: JOHN HOLLIMAN

Indwe Risk Services are a risk and insurance advisory business born out of the coming together of two entities. One was Thebe Risk Services, itself a rebranding of Hoskens Insurance, a company founded in the early 1900s. The other entity was Prestasi Brokers, established in 1972 with a reputation for innovative short-term insurance offerings. In 2001 Pretasi Brokers became a fully empowered organisation, and five years later both of these innovative insurance leaders came together to form Indwe – a name drawn from the isiXhosa and isiZulu name for South Africa’s national bird, the blue crane.

T

he company continued to grow, and bring in new shareholders.

“In 2016 we introduced Africa Rainbow Capital as shareholders, making us the pre-eminent black-owned advisory business of our kind in South Africa,” says Peter Olyott, CEO of Indwe Risk Services.

“We advise clients across the spectrum from individuals to small, medium and large businesses and we deliver insurance and risk advice services to a range of clients.”

Indwe Risk has been predominantly working in South Africa, but in recent years that has started to change.

The company has taken steps to broaden its network into wider Africa. Other businesses looking to expand their footprint

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INDWE RISK SERVICES

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Bryte_BrandAd_180X129.pdf

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2021/04/07

12:10

We stay ahead of the curve – even in the face of uncertainty.

C

M

Y

CM

Approach risk with purpose.

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We are experts in risk management.

Your resilience is our business.

Contact Indwe Risk Services to learn more about our insurance offerings or visit our website.

brytesa.com Bryte Insurance Company Limited is a licensed insurer and an authorised FSP (17703)

BRYTE INSURANCE All businesses prioritise resilience by exploring avenues to diversify, focusing on maintaining relationships and delivering on their value proposition in more innovative ways. But, operating in these evolving and unsettling times means businesses are consistently presented with complex risks that could impact their growth or even survival.

We therefore firmly believe that effective risk partnerships can accelerate and enhance innovation, increase competitiveness and ensure future-fit businesses.

Bryte has deep expertise in managing diverse and intricate business risks through our comprehensive and holistic value proposition. We take the time to understand our customer’s business. We maintain deep multi-sector and industry insights and stay abreast of prevalent as well as emerging exposures.

Through our unparalleled insights, proven expertise, and foresight, we invest in our customers’ success. We protect their businesses by improving their risk profiles.

We build enduring partnerships that prioritise the long-term sustainability of our customers’ businesses and enable them to pursue opportunity in the context of an evolving normal.

As a proactive business insurer, Bryte: • Consistently monitors the ever-evolving risk environment • Works closely with our customers to pre-empt and respond to exposures • Adopts a multi-faceted approach to risk identification and management • Applies insight and foresight, designing bespoke solutions that are specific to individual customer needs and exposures • Has diversified partner and distribution networks • Offers an extensive & comprehensive range of risk management & insurance solutions • Is forward-looking

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Let us help you navigate your risk journey. Visit www.brytesa.com or call us on +27 (0)11 370 9111 to see how we can help your business.

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INDWE RISK SERVICES

internationally might look at their target locations with the aim of buying out businesses to establish themselves in a new market, but Indwe has taken a very different approach. This approach has been through an initiative founded in 2013 called the Allied Africa Network.

“We didn’t try to acquire companies in different countries but formed business partnerships to help local companies grow their businesses, becoming more successful and empowering them to be better partners,

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and that’s started to bear fruit over the last year or so,” Olyott explains.

While Indwe is entering new markets, its reputation has been built on the longstanding relationships it has nurtured in its older ones. Some of its clients, particularly on the individual insurance side of the business, have been with the company for 30 years, an uncommon phenomenon in today’s market.

“We’re big enough to matter,” Olyott tells us. “We have leverage in the market but we’re still small enough to care.”

“WE’RE BIG ENOUGH TO MATTER. WE HAVE LEVERAGE IN THE MARKET BUT WE’RE STILL SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE.” CONVERGING CHALLENGES

While Indwe Risk is in a strong position, with a good reputation in the market, there’s no denying that the entire sector has been going through interesting times lately. When asked about challenges, Olyott is keen to point out that it’s impossible to point to just one in isolation.

“I think the biggest challenges are the convergence of all these external issues simultaneously,” he says. “You can try to look at Covid in isolation from regulatory changes, technological changes and economic changes, but one is not in a position to pick and choose how those factors interact.”

However, more than anything, Olyott views these challenges as catalysts accelerating already existing trends.

“At the moment what Covid has done is really just accelerate the future,” he explains. “Things that we might have seen happening in 2025 are now a reality in 2021.

Even if the pandemic goes away, it is unlikely we will ever revert to how we were as an industry sector. They say necessity is the mother of invention. The companies able to adapt quickly are the ones that will thrive in this new world.”

One example of such a change is the shift away from face-toface meetings to online, a shift that has taken on some urgency in the shadow of the pandemic, but which was a trend already in progress before COVID-19 appeared.

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INDWE RISK SERVICES

A NEW SKILLSET

“Our business is predominantly face-to-face with the larger clients. We’ve had to introduce digital channels and our clients should have options to use whichever channel they choose, so that’s of necessity,” Olyott recalls. “In March last year, we went overnight from a head office to a remote digital business.

We had to do it or not survive.

Happily, we survived, and we were able to seamlessly make the transition. It’s amazing what you can achieve when the choice is to adapt or die. What it did was start to show up inefficiencies in the old way of doing business.

In today’s world, I can have meetings with people in several cities in one day. Those meetings are only an hour each, but to have three-hour-long face-toface meetings with flights on either side would have taken a week out of my diary.”

As well as benefits, this shift creates new challenges.

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“Motor vehicles, for instance.

You don’t need to travel as much in a virtual world so clients are driving less, so they want to pay less for the insurance, which means we make less money,” Olyott points out.

“Insurance companies make less money, so how do you make up those deficits?

You need to adapt or you lose the clients.”

Working from home introduces other challenges to the insurance and risk management sectors as well.

“If there’s an accident, how do you determine if it’s in the scope of employment or not?”

Olyott asks. “It sounds easy enough but creates unintended exposures for companies, so we need to identify them and come up with solutions.”

To successfully adapt you need to make sure you have the right expertise in your wheelhouse to deal with a new environment, but establishing that skillset is a challenge.

“I’m bullish on that point, it brings its own set of challenges in terms of skill. For instance, it’s quite different selling virtually rather than face-to-face,” Olyott argues. “We need people who not only understand our strategic direction but also have the right skillsets and know how to behave in a digital environment. That’s a mindset change for a lot of people. If you’ve been managing a certain way for 35 years, it can be quite stressful to change. So those are the training initiatives we’ve been investigating. How do you maintain a corporate culture in a virtual environment?”

Olyott is under no illusions about how difficult it will be to navigate these challenges, but he is optimistic.

“It will be difficult. I can’t tell you with certainty how it will pan out. What we do know is that we have the product and skills to compete in this new world going ahead,” he says.

“I’m a big believer in creating your own future not waiting for it to be created. My time as an executive is spent determining how the world will be and ensuring we have products to work in that environment. We thrive on changes in legislation and changes in situations like COVID-19. Any consultant’s dream is when the game changes and the world has changed significantly, creating opportunities for our type of business.”

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COCA-COLA EUROPACIFIC PARTNERS INDONESIA

COCA-COLA EUROPACIFIC PARTNERS INDONESIA, ONE OF THE LARGEST BOTTLERS AND DISTRIBUTORS OF NON-ALCOHOLIC READY-TO-DRINK BEVERAGES IN INDONESIA, IS INVESTING IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

SUSTAINABLE REFRESHMENT PROJECT MANAGED BY: TREVOR GRETSINGER

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Indonesia is one of the leading beverage bottling, packing, sales and distribution of the nation’s most loved brands. It is a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners following the completion of Coca-Cola Amatil and Coca-Cola European Partners acquisition process in May 2021.

T

hrough the acquisition process, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has become the world’s largest Coca-Cola bottler and one of the leading FMCG companies in the world. The company now employs over 33,000 people, serving approximately 2 million customers in 26 countries.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Indonesia operates eight manufacturing facilities in Sumatra, Java, and Bali, employing a direct workforce of more than 8,000 people.

As the region’s beverage powerhouse, the company

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provides consumers with a complete range of refreshing beverages that includes sparkling water, juice, tea, dairy, isotonic drinks and coffee.

“With our employees working as one team, we operate our best-in-class manufacturing and logistic infrastructure to deliver happiness every day for our consumers, our customers, our partners, our communities and our shareholders across the nation,” says Kadir Gunduz, Former President Director of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Indonesia & PNG. Mr Kadir Gunduz has shaped the company from its first years.

Formerly appointed as the President Director of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Indonesia in November 2013, he initiated, sponsored and led a comprehensive, wholeof-business strategy that transformed the business in Indonesia, delivering record volumes and profit for the region. Under his leadership, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

Indonesia has been transformed into a diverse, highly engaged and highly capable operation with a heightened focus on safety and sustainability.

STRONG IN PARTNERSHIPS

The company has been on its digital transformation journey since 2015, focused on driving the digital ecosystem in Indonesia in support of Making Indonesia 4.0.

In March 2020, as part of the business’s broader strategy to digitize its operations, a strategic investment was made in Kargo Technologies - an Indonesian freight logistics start-up that integrates shippers and logistics providers into a single marketplace, aiming to digitize Indonesia’s freight logistics industry by leveraging technology to drive efficiency, transparency and accountability.

Kargo Technologies will enable Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Indonesia to optimise its logistics capability by increasing productivity and efficiency on some of its key trucking routes.

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Kadir Gunduz, Former President Director, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Indonesia & PNG.

THE

REVOLUTION OF THE PET

BOTTLE.

IT DOESN’T COMPROMISE ON RECYCLING EITHER. Only from KHS: freshness protection which is 100 % bottle-to-bottle recyclable.

With FreshSafe-PET ® we have combined the benefits of PET and glass bottles. Its wafer-thin inside layer of glass keeps beverages fresh for longer – and maintains taste and vitamins. The coating is also fully compatible with EPBP design guidelines for recycling and is recognized by the APR. This is yet further proof of how we are constantly reinventing the PET bottle. pet.khs.com/freshsafepet

KHS GROUP KHS GROUP PROVIDES SUSTAINABLE, CONSUMER-FRIENDLY SYSTEMS FOR ALL REQUIREMENTS As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of filling and packaging systems, the KHS Group has been a close partner to the food and beverage industries for over 150 years. Based in Dortmund, Germany, the company group is active worldwide and operates numerous production sites, including in Brazil, China, India, Mexico and the USA. THE KHS PORTFOLIO: EFFICIENT, SUSTAINABLE AND DIGITAL The turnkey supplier’s key areas of expertise include the development of filling and packaging machines for the beverage and liquid food sectors.

Here, the company is always guided by the three key principles of efficiency, sustainability and digitalization. This is why KHS is constantly working on making its system solutions even smarter, even more powerful and even gentler on resources. Moreover, thanks to their modular design KHS machines are distinguished by their great flexibility. This enables customers to react quickly and effectively to changing requirements and customer demands.

MANY YEARS OF PACKAGING EXPERTISE The Dortmund systems provider pursues a clear holistic market positioning strategy, providing an extensive portfolio of technologies, packaging systems and services. One of KHS’ most recent innovations is the Nature MultiPack™, a resource-conserving packaging system that forms cans or PET bottles into stable packs with the help of easy-to-remove dots of adhesive. It allows users to save up to 90% in packaging materials. Nature MultiPack™ technology is now also available for the high-performance range.

Another low-material packaging alternative from KHS is the Innopack Kisters Carton Nature Pack. The flexible, high-capacity packer turns cans into packs held firmly together by a cardboard top. The new, extremely flexible Innopack Kisters Wrap-aroundShrinkPaperPacker Advanced (WSPP A) is also convincing with its ability to wrap cans in paper, cardboard or film. It is now also possible to process film made of 100% recyclate on all KHS shrink packers – without any loss in quality or performance.

Our sugar is widely used by the food & beverages and pharmaceutical manufactures as their main ingredient since 2004. Our sugar is clean and pure as it has undergone the process of removing impurities and unwanted materials.

Our commitment is to continuously improve to meet the needs of the food & beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturers across Indonesia and we have numerous certifications to show for such as ISO 9001:2008, FSSC 22000 v 3, SNI, and Halal.

www.samoragroup.co.id

STRENGTHENING THE RECYCLING LOOP WITH SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING SYSTEMS When developing its packaging systems, the KHS Group pursues two overriding aims: to reduce the amount of material used and to close the recycling loop. One system that has proven itself on the market is FreshSafe PET® technology from KHS. This machinery coats the insides of PET bottles with a wafer-thin barrier of chemically pure glass. This effectively protects the product from loss of quality and thus extends the beverage’s shelf life.

In addition, the sustainable PET system is 100% recyclable. The coating is simply washed off without leaving any residue during the standard recycling process. FreshSafe PET® technology therefore largely helps to close the recycling loop.

ABOUT THE KHS GROUP The KHS Group is one of the leading manufacturers of filling and packaging systems for the beverage and liquid food industries. Besides the parent company the KHS Group also includes numerous subsidiaries outside Germany, located in Ahmedabad (India), Waukesha (USA), Zinacantepec (Mexico), São Paulo (Brazil) and Suzhou (China). KHS manufactures modern filling and packaging systems for the high-capacity range at its headquarters in Dortmund, Germany, and at its factories in Bad Kreuznach, Kleve, Worms and Hamburg. The KHS Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of the SDAX-listed Salzgitter AG corporation. In 2019 the KHS Group and its 5,149 employees achieved a turnover of around €1.260 billion. www.khs.com

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COCA-COLA EUROPACIFIC PARTNERS INDONESIA

includes the plan to build, together with its long-term packaging partner Dynapack Asia (Dynapack), a state-ofthe-art bottle to bottle-grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling facility in Indonesia.

Mr Gunduz said: “This joint venture represents a real environmental step-change in our move towards a more sustainable approach to plastic and the circular economy by bringing low-quality PET waste back to virgin-quality, foodgrade PET, which also echoes The Coca-Cola Company’s ‘World Without Waste’ vision.

It is a significant step towards Coca-Cola Europacific Partners becoming self-sustaining in the plastic materials we use, ensuring a closed-loop for plastic beverage packaging in Indonesia as a whole.”

He added that the facility will start its operation in 2022 and has the capacity to reduce the amount of new plastic resin the Kadir Gunduz commented: “Our investment in Kargo Technologies supports our ambition to be a leading player in the digital ecosystem here in Indonesia. Technology has played a crucial role in our transformation, and especially so in the last decade. In achieving our commitment and targets, we invested in state-ofthe-art systems and technology, supporting our nation-wide operations.”

“We are also focussed on developing our people and embedding a disruptive and breakthrough problem-solving culture, for example through introducing the artificial intelligence and virtual reality experience.

We constantly ensure that our teams, both onfield and in the back office, are equipped with the best tools,” he affirms.”

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Last year, the company invested in two more start-ups: Yummy Corp, the largest cloud kitchen management company in Indonesia; and Wahyoo, an Indonesia-based mom and pop restaurant solutions provider.

MOVING TO THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Since its early days, the company been committed to making a distinct and positive contribution to the environment, and over the years has initiated many programmes to support the four pillars of the sustainability framework: our people, wellbeing, the environment and our community.

Reducing waste, plastics use, increasing energy efficiency and switching to alternative fuels have been amongst the top priorities, supported by substantial investment. This

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COCA-COLA EUROPACIFIC PARTNERS INDONESIA

company uses by an estimated 25,000 tons each year. It will also help to stimulate the recycling industry and accelerate the improvement in the recycling rate, to support Indonesia’s National Action Plan in achieving a 70% reduction in the nation’s marine plastic debris by 2025.

SOLAR POWER

In September 2020 the company achieved another milestone within its efforts towards sustainability and officially inaugurated the largest solar panel roof installation at a production facility in South-East Asia, panels covering 72,000 square metres and valued at USD 5.8 million. The panels will generate 9.6 million kWh of electricity per annum which is enough to cut carbon emissions by 8.9 million kilograms a year.

The initiative is part of the company’s commitment to supporting the government’s pledge to limit global warming and reduce emissions, by obtaining at least 60 per cent of energy needs from renewable and low-carbon sources.

“Sustainability is at the core of our business model, from the way we source raw materials and manufacture products to the way we communicate through brands and manage our people,” Mr Gunduz said.

“We have set targets for the use of renewable and low-carbon energy, and reducing the emissions intensity associated with ‘the drink in your hand’. One of the latest investments is this solar panel roof installation.”

This initiative supports the Indonesian government’s ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the country by 29% the equivalent of 314 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030, as well as our contributions towards a number of sustainable development goals.

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“SUSTAINABILITY IS AT THE CORE OF OUR BUSINESS MODEL, FROM THE WAY WE SOURCE RAW MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURE PRODUCTS TO THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE THROUGH BRANDS & MANAGE OUR PEOPLE.”

“We believe that renewable energy is one of the most effective ways to combat climate change and to prevent the worst effects of rising temperatures, in line with the efforts made by the government for this country. With this, we will be able to leave a positive legacy and ensure the minimal impact on the environment and the world we live in,” Mr Gunduz said.

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COMPANY SHOP GROUP

COMPANY SHOP GROUP IS A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS, BUT ONE THAT IS DELIVERING REAL GOOD AS IT FINDS HOMES FOR SURPLUS PRODUCTS.

WASTE NOT PROJECT MANAGED BY: TREVOR GRETSINGER

Company Shop Group is the country’s largest redistributor of surplus food and household products. It encompasses the Company Shop brand on the retail side and its award-winning social enterprise, Community Shop, on the other.

W

e work with the FMCG supply chain, all major grocery retailers, manufacturers and brands across the country,” explains Steph McGinty, Group Managing Director at Company Shop Group. “Stock is purchased or donated and redistributed through our network of Company Shop and Community Shop stores. We also have staff shops, which is where the basis of the business was founded.” Today Company Shop Group has thirteen Company Shop stores, seven Community Shop stores and eight shops at manufacturing and distribution centres (staff shops).

“We operate a closed membership across all our stores and that’s very important,” says McGinty.

“Company Shop is for people who understand why surplus

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occurs within the FMCG supply chain, but we’ve expanded it to most key workers, prison workers, health workers and more. We also have Community Shop, serving the bottom 10% of impoverished communities, people on welfare benefits who need support.”

PEOPLE, PROFIT AND PLANET

Across all these outlets, Company Shop Group is enabling food access at deeply discounted prices within its stores. Through Community Shop, the benefits extend far beyond food access. Its Community Hub and Kitchen spaces build confidence and give people purpose, nurturing stronger communities through its life-changing learning and development programmes.

“We have two very distinct parts of the business but they’re both aiming to offer

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COMPANY SHOP GROUP

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Exceeding customer expectations for over 50 years

Refrigeration Air Conditioning Heating & Mechanical Services Catering Equipment Supply & Install Legionella Testing Ventilation Services LEV Maintenance Services Electrical Services Refrigeration & HVAC Equipment Hire

“We have been working with Company Shop for several years now, their Core Values and Ethos are evident among staff at all levels. We enjoy a quality working relationship for both planned and reactive maintenance with their store managers and staff, as well as the delivery of new refrigeration installations with their project teams.

Company Shop are truly a pleasure to work with, it has been exciting for me and my team to be part of their recent business growth and we look forward to growing our relationship through future projects.”

James Farrell Refrigeration Design & Contracts Manager

Aircon Group launches revolutionary new product in the fight against Covid.

AirSafe, HVAC and Refrigeration Sanitiser, 100% environmentally friendly, certified to kill bacteria and enveloped viruses including coronavirus in a matter of minutes, has been launched by the Aircon Group.

The North East and Yorkshire based company has reported a 100 percent success rate in tests conducted in a chain of national supermarkets with AirSafe, a water-based polymer which is anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.

“AirSafe is a vital product for commercial use as we come out of lockdown and strive to keep hygiene levels high, AirSafe is a unique formula unlike anything else on the market, we want our customers to have the confidence to use their refrigeration & cooling systems” said Commercial Director Tony Marsh.

Originally developed for maintenance purposes within the refrigeration and air conditioning industry, AirSafe was born out of change due to a global pandemic, we changed direction and utilised AirSafe’s anti-bacterial properties to create a product for the greater good.

We all know that Covid is here to stay, so having this product which can kill 99.9 per cent of bacteria and enveloped viruses within 60 seconds is a huge breakthrough, but just as important is the upgrade to air conditioning maintenance regimes. “It’s time for change” said Managing Director Stephen Farrell.

The Aircon Group will now only conduct a deep clean of Air Conditioning systems, once this has been carried out and the equipment treated with AirSafe, premises are safe for 6 months – a great reassurance for employers planning to get staff back to work safely and for businesses who welcome customers into their premises.

Engineers have been trained to use an ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) monitoring system to clearly indicate the effectiveness of reducing bacteria, a certificate of guarantee is issued, and spot checks take place to ensure the guarantee remains valid.

“Airsafe is the first product of its kind and uses the best technology available,” Tony added.

“AirSafe has been tested by three independent microbiological labs. It has also been tested to six different BSE standards. It’s a very exciting time for the company, it’s our duty of care to get AirSafe out there and let it do its thing.”

For more information on purchasing Airsafe go to www.aircongroup.com/airsafe and complete the online form.

Aircon Group (Aircon Refrigeration Ltd) - Head Office 52 Dukesway, Teesside Industrial Estate, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees TS17 9LT United Kingdom Tel: 01642 249026 Fax: 01642 247179 Email: sales@aircongroup.com

www.aircongroup.com

COMPANY SHOP GROUP

high-quality, low-cost products that would otherwise have been wasted,” McGinty tells us. “Food is all in date and perfectly good to eat but has become surplus for a number of reasons, for example labelling errors, seasonal packaging and foreign label products - to name a few. We process it through our distribution centres, applying the necessary intervention it needs to compliantly sell in this country.”

Each year, Company Shop Group processes around 80 million surplus items, and in the last ten years has returned over £139million to its industry partners, who may otherwise have paid to send their surplus products to waste. This means that as well as getting lowcost food to those who need

it, the business also offers cost recovery to the organisations that supply it.

“We’re a good business doing good with a profit-withpurpose model,” says McGinty.

“We’re providing our partners with an environmental return, a commercial return, and a social return. It is a triple-bottom-line for profit, people and the planet.

That’s what’s unique about our Group and our ability to work flexibly with our partners.”

“WE’RE PROVIDING OUR PARTNERS WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL, COMMERCIAL AND SOCIAL RETURN.” Pallet Network via Fortec & UPN partners

We provide transport in various sectors including frozen, chilled, ambient and specialist logistics.

Services: • Temperature Controlled Distribution • Specialist Distribution • Ambient Warehousing & Storage • Ambient Distribution • Pallet Network Sectors: • • • •

Pharmaceuticals Automotive Retail Food & Drink

Colliery Lane, Thurnscoe, Rotherham S63 0JF, UK | T: +44 (0) 1709 888 328 |

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www.stantonlogistics.co.uk

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COMPANY SHOP GROUP

CHANGING MINDSETS

Today re-use, recycling and waste reduction are all hot topics, but that has not always been the case.

“We were founded over 50 years ago and changing mindsets has been the biggest challenge,” McGinty says.

“All those years ago talking about waste, sustainability and redistribution weren’t at the top of the agenda like it is now.

So, we’ve spent a lot of time helping to educate the industry to turn problems into potential.”

It is work that continues to this day, and McGinty explains, “We educate and inspire the industry around waste redistribution through workshops, graduate events, site visits, and roadshows.”

A recent example was the launch of Company Shop Group’s pioneering Luminary Programme, a mentoring programme for industry leaders which shines a light on surplus management. Cohort 2 of the programme is now well under way, while Cohort 1 had participants from organisations such as Amazon, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Marks and Spencer.

“The aim is to help industry leaders and future leaders through toolkits and mentoring activities that fundamentally equip them with skills and insights for waste reduction,” McGinty says. “We’ve invested a lot of time and capacity in building initiatives to change mindsets within the industry and find intelligent ways to manage surplus and turn it into an asset.”

Inspiring people like that requires passion, something that Company Shop Group is careful to nurture among its staff.

“My background is people so I’m always conscious that the key thing is our heritage and

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COMPANY SHOP GROUP

culture. I have been with the business for four years and in that time, I have seen that is what attracts the right people.

It’s ingrained in everything we do,” says McGinty. “We are a benefit for the environment and the communities we support.

The people we attract need to have that at their core.”

Fortunately, the very qualities that are essential in new recruits are also a key attraction tool. As McGinty points out, “It’s a pull for people who want to be involved in an organisation with a true purpose, where you can visibly see the difference you make each day.”

A unique business model benefits from nurturing talent from the ground up.

“It can be a challenge to find people with the skillset you need,” McGinty says. “We find the best way is to nurture talent, and we pride ourselves on recruiting from within. Last year we filled 25% of our roles internally.”

This process is of personal importance to McGinty, who has benefited from it herself.

“I joined the company in a very different role to the one I’m in now, so I have personal experience of that journey,” she tells us. “It makes it important to me continue to offer those opportunities to my colleagues.”

A GROWING COMMUNITY

Company Shop Group has already done a great deal of good - and is planning to do a great deal more. But as the Company’s ability to do good grows, so do its challenges.

“The future is built on the challenges we face. We know as we change mindsets and policy there is more surplus to be redistributed, which is great because it means we’re making great strides in the war on waste,” McGinty says. “But it

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COMPANY SHOP GROUP

means we have so much more to do. We want to scale up, that is what comes next. We’re investing in growth to make sure we have the guiding principles in place for our development strategy.”

In 2020 Company Shop Group opened four new stores and a Community Shop, as well as a second redistribution centre. It has also opened another two superstores and a staff shop so far this year.

“What comes next is more growth. We want to continue to deliver on our strategy which is more stock, more stores, more members,” says McGinty.

Fortunately, Company Shop Group has been joined on their journey by a new partner.

“A key part of the future is our recent acquisition by Biffa. To collaborate with and have the support of an organisation like Biffa is great for the Company,” McGinty tells us. “We’re now looking at how to deliver an economic proposition to the industry. We naturally have aligned customers, so by partnering with Biffa we have an opportunity now for a fullservice solution to the industry.

It’s really exciting to be part of something so innovative and unique.”

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JYSK

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JYSK

UNDAUNTED BY THE PANDEMIC, DANISH RETAIL GIANT JYSK IS FORGING AHEAD WITH PLANS TO AGGRESSIVELY EXPAND THE STORE NETWORK THROUGHOUT ITS KEY MARKETS.

SOLID VALUES

PROJECT MANAGED BY: TREVOR GRETSINGER

JYSK, the fast-expanding home retail chain, has not been shaken by the pandemic – quite the contrary, the company announced record sales for 2020 in the UK and Ireland, and its overall global performance was exceptionally good last year, as the company generated global turnover of 4.1 billion EUR.

T

Roni Tuominen, Country Manager for the UK & Ireland.

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his growth is owed to a large extent to increased online sales, new store openings and a general uplift in consumers investing in their homes, undoubtedly supported by the rising popularity of the Scandinavian ‘cosy living’ concept.

Roni Tuominen, Country Manager for the UK and Ireland, says that the company reached a fantastic milestone just a few weeks ago when opening its 3,000th store - an event which was celebrated across all JYSK countries.

But that is not the end, he affirms. “The company founder Mr Larsen, who sadly passed

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Tel: +44 (0)1246 281 377 Email: info@stirlingelectricalltd.co.uk www.stirlingelectricalltd.co.uk The latest install at the new Jysk Bury store.

Stirling Electrical Ltd are proud to be associated with and support Jysk on their UK store opening projects and maintenance. Our Team of electricians completes all work to the highest standards, with a minimum of disruption to your business and its operational practices.

• Commercial & Industrial Electrical Services

• OLEV Approved Car Charging Point Installer

• Maintenance of Power & Lighting

• Electrical & Periodic tests

• Emergency Lighting Tests (BS 5266)

• PAT Testing

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• Rewiring

Stirling Electrical Ltd | Unit 12 Gisbourne Cl, Ireland Business Park, Staveley, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S43 3JT, UK

STIRLING ELECTRICAL LTD Stirling Electrical Ltd are proud to be associated with and support Jysk on over twenty of their Uk store opening Projects and maintenance as we have been throughout.

Established in 2006, we have a wealth of industry knowledge and are experienced in the design, supply, installation, commissioning, and the maintenance of an assortment of electrical services across all industry sectors.

We are now also excited to announce we are OLEV approved for installation of electric vehicle charging points at your workplace or home. From commercial lighting systems to electrical testing and inspection, we provide a broad range of solutions at highly competitive prices.

We take the time to accurately assess the needs of each client and strive to provide an excellent service to all customers. Whether installing an advanced fire alarm system or carrying out electrical maintenance and detailed safety audits, we take great pride in all areas of our work. All electrical work is carried out in strict accordance with applicable legislative requirements of BS 7671 (18th edition).

At Stirling Electrical Ltd, we can formulate an electrical maintenance syllabus to suit your requirements, allowing you to focus on the organisation and day-to-day running of your business.

Routine maintenance of your company’s electrical systems and appliances allows you to conform to applicable insurance policies and Health & Safety requirements, ensuring that your business is lawfully compliant.

We are NICEIC and SafeContractor approved.

Address: Unit 12 Gisbourne Close, Chesterfield, Staveley S43 3JT Tel: 01246 281377 Email: info@stirlingelectricalltd.co.uk www.stirling-electrical-contractors.com

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away last year, insisted that we are heading towards our goal of 5,000 stores. While we are celebrating this recent achievement, we continue to be very much focused on expansion, despite the pandemic that has had a massive impact on businesses all around the world.”

JYSK has been one of the few businesses that has been spared the pandemic’s devastating effects. Despite a challenging year for the retail market, with enforced store closures during lockdown periods, over 860,000 customers (a 55% year-on-year increase) in the UK & Ireland chose to shop at the Scandinavian retail chain.

Roni Tuominen comments: “Our sales during the multiple lockdowns showed that many people are choosing to invest in their homes this year rather than spending money on going out or on holiday. With the difficulties of the pandemic continuing, people are creating their perfect

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JYSK

home environments, where they can feel safe and comfortable, and at JYSK, we are happy to be able to assist with that.”

A GOOD DEAL

JYSK is an international retail chain that sells ‘everything for the home’, and is owned by the family behind the Lars Larsen Group. The company was founded in 1979 by Lars Larsen, known throughout Denmark as one of the country’s bestknown and most industrious businessmen.

He opened his first store in Denmark in the country’s second largest city of Aarhus - where, incidentally, it is still located - with great ambitions, although he himself could

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hardly foresee how quickly the business would grow globally.

Today, JYSK has over 3,000 stores in 51 countries around the world. Although a global business today, the company is proud of its Scandinavian roots, reflected in its company culture and the way it does business.

The word ‘JYSK’ has always been intentionally included in the company name. In Danish ‘JYSK’ designates anything or – like Lars Larsen himself – anybody from the Jutland peninsula, and it is often associated with modesty, thoroughness and honesty – three values that Larsen himself always identified with. JYSK stands for trustworthiness, and a deal is always a deal.

In what way is JYSK different from other Nordic retailers promoting a similar theme of clean, simple, affordable products for home and garden, that has so rapidly caught up with consumers around the world?

Roni Tuominen says: “We are a small-store concept, which gives us the opportunity to have stores in smaller towns.

Of course, we are present in large cities like Stockholm, Copenhagen and Helsinki, but I have just opened a store in Ireland in a town of just 9,000 people. This approach enables us to get closer to our customers, which is something our large competitors cannot do.”

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JYSK

AFFORDABLE & SUSTAINABLE

Although represented globally, the company has more or less the same strategy for each country, he says. “Most of our 3,000 stores are very similar in terms of portfolio in a conceptual way. We offer one assortment with just small local adjustments to make sure that the concept works across different countries and cultures, from Germany and Spain to Indonesia.”

The brand has earned a worldwide reputation for expertise and knowledge in sleep culture and specialises in sleeping products created by experts, from mattresses, duvets, and pillows, to bedframes and bases. Although this is the business’s core, JYSK today offers the total home and garden concept.

Suppliers are an integral part of the company’s reputation, and quality and reliability of the supply chain have been high on JYSK’s agenda for a long time.

JYSK has been a member of FSC since 2006 and as of January 2022 all new products launched by the company will be made of FSC-certified wood; this will be the case for all JYSK products by the end of 2024. The company is also set

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“REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE IS A BIG TOPIC IN OUR COMPANY, AND WE GENERALLY FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND USE OF RESOURCES WHEN WE MAKE ALL DECISIONS.”

JYSK

to change to FSC-certified raw materials in packaging.

Amongst the wide range of other sustainability-focused measures, the company has decided to remove all singleuse plastic from its product assortment, and to use only recycled plastic in its products.

“Reduce, reuse, recycle” is a big topic in our company, and we generally focus on the environment and use of resources when we make all decisions. We work to minimise our use of energy and emissions of CO2 both in operations and in our distribution centres,” says Roni Tuominen.

CONTINUED EXPANSION

Roni Tuominen affirms that the company is firmly set on heading towards Mr Larsen’s ambitious vision. “We are strengthening our position in all of our markets.

In addition to our established Nordic territory where we have hundreds of shops, we see good opportunities in all countries and all cultures.”

He explains that JYSK will continue to push forward with its expansion plan of opening a further ten stores in the UK and eight in Ireland, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number to 50 across both countries by the end of financial year 2022, “But this is not only about the UK and Ireland, we are expanding in all markets. We believe that investment in homes is going to continue on way past the pandemic and we are ready to support that.”

“WE BELIEVE THAT INVESTMENT IN HOMES IS GOING TO CONTINUE ON WAY PAST THE PANDEMIC AND WE ARE READY TO SUPPORT THAT.”

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KFC EAST AFRICA

KFC EAST AFRICA CELEBRATES THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OPENING OF ITS FIRST RESTAURANT IN KENYA - A DECADE OF GROWTH THAT IS SET TO CONTINUE.

GREAT TASTE FOR MORE PEOPLE PROJECT MANAGED BY: CONNOR LOVE

In March 2021 KFC, which operates in Kenya through franchisee Kuku Foods East Africa, opened its first branch this year in Mombasa and have since opened another new branch in Thika town, raising its national branch count to 25 - a significant milestone for a successful business that started up in 2011.

T

he new branch came barely a few months after Kuku Foods East Africa received a new Chief Executive Officer, Jacques Theunissen.

Having previously worked as the Chief Operating Officer at KFC in East Africa, he has ample experience both of the company and the region.

He summarises the company’s growth: “We opened our first restaurant in East Africa in Kenya exactly 10 years ago. Since then, 37 more KFC restaurants have been opened in Kenya, Uganda as well as Rwanda, which we entered only last year, just before the Covid-19 pandemic started.”

Apart from walk-in patrons, KFC is also reaping revenue benefits from its delivery services, a pattern that is happening the world over, both with takeaway chains and even

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fully eat-in restaurants, thanks to companies such as Jumia Food, Glovo and Uber Eats. The company has seen significant growth in food deliveries per month across the East African region.

STAYING LOCAL

Today, KFC East Africa has become one of the region’s most successful fast-food providers – no doubt partly a credit to KFC’s popularity, but also to the efforts and standards of the company itself.

During the decade of its existence, KFC East Africa has collected numerous awards issued by YUM, the franchisor, demonstrating its commitment to quality and customer service.

These include the Franchisee of the Year for Africa in 2015, Delivery Operator of the Year in 2018, Operator of the Year

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KFC EAST AFRICA

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trust

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KFC EAST AFRICA

GLACIER PRODUCTS LTD - A SWEET CHALLENGE Glacier Products’ flagship brand, Dairyland, has become synonymous with “ice cream” and “chocolate” in East Africa, with a view to dominating the rest of Sub Saharan Africa.

The company runs the most extensive cold chain infrastructure in the region, with state of the art production and packing facilities that advance their distribution and contract manufacturing capabilities.

Dairyland has built a trusted brand name by using ingredients sourced from healthy ecosystems within the region to create innovative products. This innovation can also be found in the unique packaging and flavours like Pina Colada, Peach Melba, Salted Caramel and Biscotti, that Dairyland is often first-to-market with.

Glacier Products places particular emphasis on quality, becoming the first ice cream company in the region to have the highest international food safety certification- ISO 22000:2005 certification, which has since been upgraded to FSSC 22000. All their products are HALAL certified and suitable for lacto-vegetarians. Yum!Brands has also verified their level of quality through continuous rigorous testing, to ensure that food safety at Glacier Products is in alignment with their KFC brand.

“Glacier Products continues to expand its reach and leadership in the dairy and confectionery sector,” says Dipam Shah, Glacier Products’ Managing Director. “What strengthens our capabilities are partners like KFC and other players across the regional landscape. It is a key driver of growth and creates massive value for all our stakeholders.”

Glacier Products aims to maintain these standards as they continue to grow their relationships and product categories in the region. The head office and distribution hub are situated in Nairobi, with branches in Mombasa and Nakuru and multiple subsidiaries in the East Africa region. www.dairyland.co.ke

KENCHIC - FOOD YOU CAN TRUST Kenchic Limited is the leading producer of poultry in East and Central Africa - a vertically integrated poultry business that supplies day old chicks to farmers and processed chicken to major retailers, restaurants, fast foods, schools and international airlines.

We run a “Farm to Fork” program that traces every piece of meat, not only from the chicken it came from, but also the egg it hatched from, and the parent that laid the egg. In fact, we track every stage in its life journey. This “Farm to Fork” programme is unique to Kenchic and means every aspect of the production chain adheres to the strictest biosecurity, animal welfare protocols, cold chain and food safety standards to ensure all our chicken meat is in tip-top condition: Safe and fresh.

In addition, our bird slaughtering processes comply with Halal religious requirements and are certified by internationally recognized certification schemes, including the FSSC 22000 certification and Yum Brands (KFC & Pizza Hut) Standards Certification Scheme.

Across all our procedures and processes, our leadership in food safety systems is clear testament to Kenchic’s commitment to providing chicken that is wholesome, nutritious, safe to eat and can be trusted. As we say around here, we are ‘Kuku about Chicken’’ We are delighted to be associated with Jacques Theunissen and KFC in our region, having partnered with them since 2011. It has been a great collaboration and we thank Jacques for his and KFC support. www.kenchic.com

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Jacques Theunissen, Chief Executive Officer, Kuku Foods East Africa.

in 2019 and Brand Builder of the year for 2020. This success could not have been achieved without the company’s solid supplier base.

Mr Theunissen says: “The supply chain is the backbone of our business and being part of a global company like YUM brands, the standards that are expected from suppliers are among the highest in the world.

We do believe that supporting local suppliers is a must and I am happy to say that today we have localized over 90% of our supply chain in the countries we operate in. We have some amazing suppliers, and their audit scores rank among some of the highest in the world.”

As one of the largest buyers of chicken in the world, the company has strict controls in place to make sure that its suppliers comply with global animal welfare standards and practices regarding the treatment of chickens.

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Mercury Series Premium Dispensers & Hygiene Products

Single Sheet Hand Paper Towel & Dispenser

Hand Sanitizer, Liquid / Foam Handwash & Dispenser

CHANDARIA INDUSTRIES

T H E

Jumbo Bathroom Toilet Tissue & Dispenser

P O W E R

O F

P R I N T

WE ARE PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH KFC EAST AFRICA AS KEY PARTNERS CONGRATULATIONS! Mr. Jacques Theunissen on your promotion and becoming CEO, Kuku Foods East Africa.

Chandaria Industries is the largest Tissue, Paper, Liquid and Hygiene Products Manufacturer in East and Central Africa. It is the only company in the sector that manufactures its products 100% in Kenya, encouraging Kenyans to BUY KENYAN, BUILD KENYA! The quality of our products is measured against the best in the world, ensuring that our customers get the best products at affordable prices. Velvex is the only brand in the region whose quality has been certified by leading international institutions. Chandaria Industries’ vision is to be the leading tissue, paper, liquid, and hygiene products manufacturer in Africa. To accomplish this vision, we continually strive to innovate and improve our products and service to deliver beyond our consumers’ expectations.

We offer an extensive range of dispensers & consumables for corporate use: Toilet Tissue, Hand Paper Towels, Liquid Hand Was Soap, Hand Sanitizing Spray & Gel and Air Freshening solutions; which can all be found in an array of sizes and at a variety of affordable price points. Our products are an essential part of daily life across the continent. The company’s leading market position is evident across all consumer product sales channels in East Africa.

NAIROBI, KENYA

ud to We are pro d with be Associate Kuku Foods Ltd. East Africa (

)

Our partnership with KFC Africa started in 2011 and has grown leaps and bounds with KFC Africa being a key procurement partner and a long-term customer. Moving forward, we aim to create new possibilities of serving customers across Africa and positively transforming the hygiene needs of as many consumers lives as possible along the way. www.chandaria.com

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www.chromepartners.co.ke

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KFC EAST AFRICA

Restaurant General Managers, Kuku Foods Kenya. Our #1Leaders.

THE CORE ASSET

An essential component of KFC’s steady growth in East Africa is the people. The company carefully selects its staff and trains them to meet the chain’s standards, supporting staff with a passion for innovation and entrepreneurial thinking, as well as for customer service. “The amazing people that work for our company are the foundation that we build the future on,” affirms Mr Theunissen.

“We have very stringent recruitment processes in place, and we take it so seriously that a member of the leadership team, including myself, has to interview each cook or cashier personally before they finally get appointed into their position.

In our company, we believe in creating careers for people, and each and every manager up to the Operations Manager started as a team member.”

Mr Theunissen further explains that the company has an internal recruitment policy in

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Delivering KFC’s great tasting chicken fast and conveniently to our customers doorsteps.

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KFC EAST AFRICA

“WE BELIEVE IN CREATING CAREERS FOR PEOPLE, AND EACH AND EVERY MANAGER UP TO THE OPERATIONS MANAGER STARTED AS A TEAM MEMBER.”

place, and does not recruit from outside for managerial roles, in line with its responsibility to grow and develop its own people. “All managers have been promoted within the organisation. We have so many success stories of people who initially took the KFC job while they were looking for something else - 5 years later they are still with us and have moved into senior management positions.”

The company employs a fulltime Senior People Capability manager whose only job is to develop talent. It has also established a Restaurant General Manager (RGM) Growth Academy two years ago, a programme to fast-track individuals with the required skill sets and leadership capabilities from team members to restaurant general managers.

“We look for a great attitude first. Our workforce is young, vibrant and full of energy.

We do not discriminate on qualifications, but candidates have to be educated to at least secondary-school level.

I do believe we are making a difference by developing talent and creating career paths for the youth in East Africa,” Mr Theunissen acknowledges.

ROBUST POSITION

Asked about the biggest challenges the business has faced during the ten years of its existence, Mr Theunissen reflects that for any company venturing into the African continent, scale is of the utmost importance.

“Covid-19 has obviously been one of the largest challenges in recent months. However, as a company we are agile and nimble, so we are able to adapt quickly and change course as and when needed. Luckily, we have been fostering our internal business culture for many years

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KFC EAST AFRICA

and this has definitely made the difference in how we withstood the difficult months. In fact, I believe that Covid-19 has made us a much better business now than we were before the pandemic.”

The pandemic has also further increased the importance of contactless channels such as Drive Thru and Deliveries, channels that the company has been using for some time. Its customers were used to the KFC Drive-thru and Home Delivery channels when the pandemic

The 25th KFC restaurant in Kenya, Mombasa. Opened on 14th of March 2021.

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started and trust that KFC will deliver safe quality food, reliably and in a timely manner.

And the future? Further expansion, says Mr Theunissen.

“Following the opening of our new branch in Mombasa, the company is set for further growth. Since December last year, we have opened 3 new branches in Kenya and we will continue to expand in the years to come, bringing the Colonel’s world famous chicken to as many people as possible in East Africa.”

“FOLLOWING THE OPENING OF OUR NEW BRANCH IN MOMBASA, THE COMPANY IS SET FOR FURTHER GROWTH.”

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MALHOTRA GROUP

FOR DECADES MEENU MALHOTRA HAS BUILT A SUCCESSFUL PROPERTY EMPIRE IN THE UK BY VALUING HIS PEOPLE AND GIVING BACK WHAT HE CAN TO THE COMMUNITY.

TRUE NORTHEAST PROJECT MANAGED BY: TREVOR GRETSINGER

Meenu has lived in the UK for 42 years, after arriving here at the age of 18 where he began his career as a shop assistant within an uncle’s general store in Seaham. This involved working a 90-hour week for £30. This work ignited a longheld burning desire to make his own way in life.

I

t was a humbling experience that taught me a lot,” Meenu says. Malhotra Group employ 1,200 people across their six main sectors consisting of Commercial Property Investment, Construction, Development, Finance, Leisure and Care.

Malhotra Group PLC is a part of the Malhotra Family Holding Company and represents their UK based business interests.

Meenu has sat at the helm of the family company as Chairman since 1991, working closely with his younger brother, Bunty, and his eldest son, Atul, who are the remaining executive directors of the company.

Despite his outstanding business success, Meenu has not forgotten his roots, nor how difficult it can be to grow a successful business. As such, he spends a considerable amount

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of time mentoring a significant number of SME’s and investing in Little Angels and Start-Ups, both in the UK and internationally, and sharing with them his wisdom and experiences.

He is a Founder Board member of the West Midlands India Partnership Advisory Board which aims to enhance UKIndia relations and boost mutual Trade & Investment. He was named Asian Businessman of the Year in 2009, was runner up in the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award in 2013, and in 2020 was named in both the North East’s list of most influential South Asians and The Northern Asian Power list as a Business Leader.

MALHOTRA GROUP

Meenu Malhotra, Group Chairman, Malhotra Group.

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Your total foodservice solution We work behind the scenes to supply more than 13,000 products to over 45,000 caterers and foodservice businesses around the UK. With a depot network of 24 sites spanning the country from Worthing on the south coast to Oban in Scotland we provide a truly local presence, both in terms of service, products, employment and community engagement. Our multi-temperature supply chain gives our customers full consolidation of frozen, ambient and chilled products on the same delivery, which makes life easier for them and is a point of difference.

We’ve also recently opened our doors to the public, offering home delivery and click and collect solutions from many of our depots. As one of the UK’s leading foodservice providers, we share our customers passion for great food.

All the ingredients for a partnership that delivers

MALHOTRA GROUP

Award winning bar & restaurant, Leila Lily’s, named after Meenu’s first grandchild, received a £1.5m transformation carried out within the listed Grey Street building.

He is also a MacKenzie Friend to the Ethnic community, and actively assists the Hindu Temple and other causes for the local Asian community. In addition to the above, Meenu is an active supporter of many charities, both personally and via Malhotra Group PLC, and as part of the Indian projects mentioned earlier, he wishes to build a multi-faith Temple for the people of his birthplace, in Ludhiana, Punjab, India.

“One thing about the North East of England is the attitude and aptitude of the people I work with, it is exemplary. They just get on and do it, no fuss, and they wear their hearts on their sleeve, I feel blessed to be part of that family.”

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CARING, BUILDING, RELAXING

The company works across six main segments in total but has three direct subsidiaries in Care, Property, and Leisure.

In their property sector, the primary concern is for the environment, not just in terms of carbon emissions or energy efficiency, but in terms of the vitality of the neighbourhoods, it works in.

The company’s priority isn’t just in finding developments that can be profitable, but ones that allow it to preserve local heritage.

These properties include the iconic Balmbras and our new Head Office, along with many other buildings in the North East of England.

A multimillion pound development scheme on Grey Street, Newcastle will transform several buildings into a luxury 120-bedroom hotel complex with a rooftop swimming pool, nightclub, restaurants and retail outlets.

Malhotra Group Head Office, now based on Grey Street in the heart of the Newcastle City centre, following a £4m property deal.

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MALHOTRA GROUP

BACK TO HIS ROOTS

Having achieved a great deal in the North East of England already, Malhotra Group is now beginning to look at developing internationally.

Meenu has personally overseen the pursuit of significant business opportunities in his birthplace of Ludhiana, India, as part of Malhotra Family Holdings. One such project is the development of 1100 apartments, a 300,000 square foot shopping mall, hotel and multiplex cinema.

The company is in advanced negotiations for a further exciting new project, the development of a 300-acre Golf Estate which will include a Jack Nicklaus designed PGA championship golf course, a five-star hotel and international school from the UK, retail and commercial, also in his home town of Ludhiana.

This project, like the vast majority of Malhotra Group’s work, is born out of his desire to constantly improve, achieve and embrace challenges.

If there is one lesson Meenu has learned throughout his 42year career, it is the importance of having the right people.

“We have taken on some important new engagements, David Elliot recently commenced as our new CFO and Kathryn Nicholson will be joining us in the coming weeks as FD. We are going to create some new positions in the group to boost our structure, adding people in HR, PR, marketing and legal, all in-house. The most important investment is in your people, their skills and developing their growth.”

Whilst Meenu has worked incredibly hard over the last 42 years, he admits he could not have achieved this without the support of his loving family, in particular his brother Bunty and son Atul who remain the most important people in his life.

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Beech Tree House in Alnwick, is the latest platinum care facility addition to our Prestwick care portfolio.

Grey Street Development, proposed regeneration of a landmark city centre building. Including a Grand Hotel, Restaurants, Cafe’s, Bars and a rooftop Nightclub.

Bay View care home in Whitley Bay, is expected to create 30 jobs, as well as around 75 more during construction.

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ALIMEX

ALIMEX

LEADER IN ALUMINIUM CAST PLATES, GERMAN ALIMEX IS SET TO MEET THE GROWING DEMAND FOR THE MATERIAL OF THE FUTURE.

STRENGTH IN LIGHTNESS PROJECT MANAGED BY: RASH UDDIN

The most abundant naturally occurring metal in the earth’s crust, aluminium is an essential element of modern life. Lightweight, durable and infinitely recyclable, value-added aluminium products can lower energy costs and carbon emissions in dozens of applications. Aluminium is critical to a modern society increasingly focused on sustainability.

O

Dr Philip Grothe, Managing Director, Alimex.

ne of the companies that are helping to address the rising need for aluminium across industries is alimex (the spelling is alimex).

Headquartered in Willich closed to Düsseldorf, this mediumsized family company is a leader in quality and innovation in the aluminium cast plates process.

Established in 1970, the company last year celebrated a landmark anniversary of five decades as a successful, growing operation.

“50 years ago, our founder, Helmut Geller, set up this company and invented a complete new aluminium market segment as he invested in a new technology, the aluminium cast plate process,” says Dr Philip Grothe, the Managing Director.

He himself joined alimex in 2014 and under his management the company has expanded the business to Malaysia and the United States, where local manufacturing units were established to serve the local markets, thus significantly reinforcing the company’s position on a global scale.

PROCESSED TO SUIT

The company’s core business is the production of the “ACP 5080” machined cast plate.

Beyond this key product, alimex offers a wider range of cut products and precise aluminium components. These are used in the semicon and solar industry, mechanical engineering, automotive, medical technology and many other sectors.

Dr Grothe points out that in production, one of the most important steps is the heat treatment - annealing. As a result of the process, aluminium becomes a material with very special properties such as particular corrosion resistance, and various degrees of hardness and surface structures.

“The process, subcontracted in the past, is now conducted in-house under our own control, in our state-of-the-art furnace installed a few years ago at the

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EFFICIENT ALUMINUM PROCESSING Optimal band saw blades for hand-held table band saws up to high-performance precision saws.

Sawing tools – Production and quality Made in Germany

www.wikus.com

WIKUS For more than 60 years, WIKUS-Sägenfabrik has been associated with outstanding quality and innovation in the production of high-performance band saw blades worldwide. WIKUS offers the optimal product for almost any application – the range of materials includes steel, aluminium, copper or titanium as well as silicon, quartz glass, granite and lots more.

Europe’s largest band saw blade manufacturer completes its range as a technological full service provider with digital tools and services, as well as the WIkademy® founded in 2018.

WIKUS aims at adopting new approaches to remain sustainable and future-oriented.

Every year, WIKUS makes heavy investments in research and development to provide customer-oriented solutions for sawing processes and for extending its technological leadership. WIKUS’ innovative power is regularly awarded with prizes e.g. the seal ‘Innovative through Research’ by the ‘Stifterverband der Deutschen Wissenschaft’.

The powerful best-seller FUTURA® NE RS with its reduced cutting width for nonferrous metals is just one excellent example for these developments. FUTURA® NE RS delivers highest cutting results to ensure reliable cutting of aluminium. Additionally, the sawing tool creates an excellent cutting surface which reduces reworking. Due to its unique tooth geometry, it is possible to achieve cutting gap savings of an average of 20%, leading to enormous material savings in production. WIKUS does not only concentrate on product innovations, but also automation and digitalization of sawing- and purchasing processes are in the focus of the technology leader WIKUS apart from product innovations. By means of digital tools and service solutions, WIKUS customers can concentrate on their core processes and optimize the efficiency of the sawing process.

This drives WIKUS to put further innovations and trends forward. www.wikus.com

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We are your partner for custom extraction solutions and swarf handling!

www.erbo-gmbh.de ERBO GmbH – centralized solutions

sales@erbo-gmbh.de | +49 7159 40869-0

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IMA SCHELLING - TOGETHER INTO THE FUTURE

AU TO M AT I O N I S OUR FUTURE New at IMA Schelling: With the saw-robot combination of the Precision business unit from IMA Schelling, small and large batches can be processed. The robot takes over tasks from feeding, labelling and parts handling to the disposal and separation of scraps. Manual work with the panel saw is still possible at any time.

Take the step into automation and benefit from the advantages.

Together, IMA Schelling (then Schelling Anlagenbau) and Alimex the Aluminum supplier and one of the inventors of the aluminum cast plate process, can look back on a long and successful collaboration. The IMA Schelling Group - Business Unit Precision, the leading manufacturer of plate saws with over 40 years of experience in the sector of cutting aluminum, has enjoyed a close connection from the early beginnings with Alimex who is internationally renowned in the aluminum industry.

The foundation stone was laid in the 1980s with a then sophisticated FPM 430 plate saw. Both companies benefited from the partnership and continued to develop in their fields. In the mid-1990s, Alimex increased its production with a 200 mm capacity FSM type Schelling plate saw. At the time, it was the first plate saw with this cutting height to be sold by Schelling across Europe. Even today, over 25 years later, the machine is used within the production every day. Formative events such as the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in January 1986, which happened during a visit marked the partnership. “We are happy that we can look back on such a successful and cooperative partnership.

Both companies benefited greatly from this and were able to take a few steps together into the future”, says Markus Freuis, Manager of today’s Business Unit Precision of IMA Schelling Group. The Precision business unit is one of four business areas of the IMA Schelling Group, under which the competencies in the fields of metal, plastics and building materials as well as electronics are bundled. Around 12 experts develop new solutions & concepts for the use of precision saws and systems every day.

www.imaschelling.com

BANDSAW BLADES FOR THE WORLD AND BEYOND!

THE NEW HM-Titan ALU-MAX PLATE SAWING AT ITS BEST

INFOBOX With this flexible robot solution from IMA Schelling, your workflows become significantly more efficient and, in addition, the throughput of your production increases.

www.imaschelling.com

www.roentgen-saw.com

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ONE OF THE STRONGEST IN ITS CLASS Outstanding precision, Quality of Cut and Maximum Performance! With saw motors from 18kW to 75kW and cutting heights from 80 mm to 250 mm, the AL250 from Mayer achieves exceptional feed rates and cutting performance in every application. Together with numerous Mayer details and innovations, it is a „Top of the Range“ machine for cut processing aluminium, non-ferrous metals and plastics.

Immediate INFO-TEL. +49 (0) 7446 95603 - 0

OTTO MAYER MASCHINENFABRIK Fischbachstraße 7, DE - 72290 Loßburg www.mayersaws.com

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German plant. This technology is one of Europe’s biggest furnaces, and is one of the factors that set us apart from our competitors.”

In the new facility, up to 600 tonnes of aluminium can be treated in a single production process. By annealing within sophisticated parameters, the aluminium is freed from stresses, preparing it for further production processes.

Removing as much stress as possible is essential in the further processing of aluminium, as it guarantees the dimensional stability of the aluminium products.

Dr Grothe points out that the set-up of serving global markets from three hubs on three continents is another unique feature unmatched in the industry. “We have invested a lot in this coverage, to serve our customers all over the world as a reliable partner.

The production facilities in the US and Malaysia are currently

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ALIMEX

smaller than our main German plant but the plan is to invest in their technologies as well.”

Alimex operates in a highly competitive environment, and loyal partnerships with suppliers and customers around the world are key, says Dr Grothe.

“We stick to what we promise and our relationships are based on trust; we learn together with customers and develop together.”

SUSTAINABILITY AT ITS BEST

Aluminium as such is a fully sustainable material and sustainability is the main focus of alimex’s operation. Alimex’s ecological, economic and social activities were extensively audited by the German Institute for Sustainability and Economics and as a result, the alimex Group

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was awarded the sustainability certificate, including a seal of approval. “For us, this is both great recognition and a further incentive.”

“As an aluminium processor, we are aware of our responsibility to protect the environment and so for years have practised systematic sustainability management. Our aluminium is 100% recyclable with no loss of quality. We also continually invest significant amounts in modernising our

value chain, which not only helps us make a substantial contribution to conserving resources but also helps us increase our competitiveness.”

He points out that the core factor in alimex’s continuing success in global markets is a resource of a different kind the workforce. Alimex practices ‘de-centralised’ responsibility to allow its staff to grow and develop within a transparent organisation that keeps the people informed and motivated.

“AS AN ALUMINIUM PROCESSOR, WE ARE AWARE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND SO FOR YEARS HAVE PRACTISED SYSTEMATIC SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT.”

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Dr Grothe says: “Without an excellent team you cannot be successful. A skilled and motivated team is a key success factor, and good communications and supportive company culture are essential to motivate employees and advance the company.”

With its innovative focus, the company has participated in exciting projects with student teams of TUM, the Technical University of Munich. The current project, which is about innovative tunnelling, is called “The Not-a-Boring Competition”, hosted by Elon Musk’s The Boring Company, challenging teams from around the world to drill a 30m long and 50cm wide tunnel as quickly and accurately as possible. “The Munich team was selected from over 400 teams worldwide as one of 12 finalists to compete in the race in the US this summer, “says Dr Grothe.

GROWING COMPANY

The company’s performance and its unique position have been recognised across the country and beyond.

The most inspiring awards include the European Aluminium Award, an initiative of the Dutch Aluminium Centre in cooperation with

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important aluminium industry associations, and the 2018 Innovator of the Year Award presented by ‘Die Deutsche Wirtschaft’ (DDW), the voice of the German “Mittelstand”.

However, recent developments have not been without challenges - the coronavirus pandemic, the most severe economic crisis since WW II has affected the company as everyone else, bringing increased price pressure and an accelerated shift towards digitisation - a process that the company had embarked on already before the pandemic, and implemented in its smart factory in Germany, step by step to be followed by the other two production facilities soon.

Dr Grothe affirms that when progressing into the future, it is key to stay brave and positive and make investments with confidence and courage.

“Although the whole world is becoming increasingly complex, without a clear plan you will not succeed. Our plan for the future includes the expansion of our international activities and the consistent launch of customer-driven innovations.

Over the next 3 to 5 years, we expect to achieve substantial annual growth, and to further improve our presence in our key markets.”

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Ben Towe, Hadley Group’s Managing Director.

HADLEY GROUP

WE LEARN HOW THE HADLEY GROUP IS USING A TIME OF CRISIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.

NEVER LET A CRISIS GO TO WASTE PROJECT MANAGED BY: TREVOR GRETSINGER

“Never let a good crisis go to waste” is a quote commonly attributed to Winston Churchill.

Shortly after March 23rd last year, as the COVID-19 infection rates were rocketing and the UK was forced to go into lockdown, the Hadley Group made that quote its mantra.

W

e have a flat structure for fast and agile decision making,” says Ben Towe, Hadley Group’s Managing Director. “Culturally ideas are understood to be fragile; that space and usually resources are required to cultivate an idea into a proposal that can be more broadly communicated and sufficiently robust to withstand criticism and the misunderstanding common when exploring how to do things differently.”

It was an approach that was to prove instrumental in navigating the challenges of 2020.

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Hadley Group is a family company that has become known for delivering marketleading products through inhouse design and the creation of innovative metal profiles and systems since 1964. Today the Group is approaching sales of £200 million globally.

“We are constantly evolving our capabilities and searching for customers and partners unsatisfied with their current products or systems looking to embrace something different,” Towe tells us. “That can mean making subtle design changes through to full-scale redesign to deliver differentiation and competitive advantage for our customers.”

Hadley is one of, if not the largest, consumer of galvanised steel in the UK. This means it has the buying power necessary to continue its customers’ supply of products during the current global steel crisis and beyond at a time when many of its competitors are struggling. But this is just one of

the qualities that make Hadley Group stand out in the market.

“We have existing and continue to develop more intellectual property that allows us to increase the performance of steel at no additional cost,” Towe says. “This gives our customers a choice to either reduce the amount of material in the product and retain the original strength or retain the amount of material while strengthening the metal and enhancing performance.”

Hadley processes also deliver a more consistent material and deformation performance can be more accurately modelled in fields such as impact, or crash testing. Its products can be found in vehicle crumple zones for this reason. Hadley’s material also gives products a unique look and feel which further enhance product differentiation.

The company has a wide international reach from sites in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Far East and now in the US too.

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HADLEY GROUP

A GLOBAL LEADER IN METAL RECYCLING

Sims Metal is proud to support Hadley Group with its metal recycling solutions.

Sims Metal is the world’s leading metal recycler, with more than 200 facilities across the United Kingdom, United States and Australasia.

We offer a full range of collection and processing services to engineering, manufacturing and industrial companies. Our dedicated fleet of vehicles and containers can service any of your locations across the UK.

We offer competitive pricing and conduct all business with integrity, adhering to the highest standard of ethical business conduct.

We have strict safety standards in place, and we consistently audit our procedures as we aim to satisfy and exceed safety and compliance requirements.

Sustainability is at the core of our business; it is a path for us to achieve our purpose: create a world without waste to preserve our planet.

If you require local, UK-wide or global metal recycling services, contact us today!

0800 0087223 info.uk@simsmm.com 4 | MANUFACTURING

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SIMS METAL MORE THAN JUST A METAL RECYCLER Sims Metal is a global leader in metal recycling, with operations encompass the buying, processing and selling of ferrous and non-ferrous recycled metals. We are global leaders in the secure and sustainable management of metals from industry, trade and the wider community.

We offer a full range of collection and processing services to engineering, manufacturing and industrial companies, with a dedicated fleet of vehicles and containers that can service any of your locations across the UK. Our performance and leadership on environmental, social and governance policies has seen us listed as one of the Global Top 100 Most Sustainable Corporations.

All organisations today have a duty to ensure they are addressing social, economic and environmental issues, whilst minimising the potential impact on their finances. It is vital to ensure that Corporate Social Responsibility makes economic sense.

At Sims Metal we know about these challenges and as a global leader we use new technology developments to meet and exceed the increasing requirements for higher recycling and recovery rates.

Globally, Sims Metal recovers and recycles over 8 million tonnes of scrap metal a year, of which 1 million tonnes is handled in the UK alone.

We turn vehicles, machinery, building materials and a whole host of other domestic and industrial items into useful commodities that can be re-used in manufacturing new products. This saves the energy and environmental costs associated with producing materials such as steel, copper, aluminium and glass from virgin sources. Our metals recycling processes produce maximum value and the highest grade of recycled metals for re-use in manufacturing. This ensures we can provide customers with very competitive prices.

HADLEY GROUP

THE BREXIT CHALLENGE

Hadley Group’s international reach, and agile decisionmaking capabilities, have been more essential than ever during an eventful year. Aside from COVID-19, 2020 also saw the advent of Brexit, which would have repercussions for Hadley’s international markets.

“We experienced anti-British sentiment as people outside of the UK have a view on the positives and negatives of Brexit,” Towe explains. “This has perhaps been the most challenging to address and provide reassurances when little guidance has been forthcoming.

We responded to this by establishing manufacturing in mainland Europe over 5 years ago to give ourselves and our customers flexibility over

Our investments into advanced processes, extensive logistics, continuous business improvement, highly skilled and trained employees and wholly owned recycling facilities means that we are more than your average metals scrap yard.

SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE As a world leader in waste management and recycling, we take our environmental responsibilities very seriously. We are fully compliant with Duty of Care regulations and relevant site and waste carrier licences.

All our activities are fully traceability for auditing purposes. Health and safety is a high priority for Sims Metal, our customers, employees, visitors and contractors. All of our drivers and site operatives are trained in key health and safety practices and a growing number of our UK locations are achieving ISO 45001 Health and Safety Management certification.

Expertise As the world’s leading metals recycler, we have the people and expertise to provide a truly professional international service. Above all, we are here to help your business, with sound, practical advice; whether you are a large organisation or a small operation that simply wants to thrive.

If you need a competitive metal recycling service, contact us today! info.uk@simsmm.com www.simsmm.com

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

Hammond Lubricants & Chemicals Ltd has a business foundation built on working in partnership and adding value to create unparalleled levels of service, dependable supply of quality products, and expert technical support.

As a key distributor for Houghton, Mobil, Q8, Shell, and many others, we hold a wide range of stock from which we can offer next-day if not sameday delivery nationwide from our conveniently located West Midlands sales and storage depot.

Our offering covers the whole life cycle of your lubricant and chemical needs from the initial site survey through to technical recommendations then ongoing oil analysis/fluid management to safe and certified disposal.

+44 (0)121 772 1375 | contact@hammondlubricants.co.uk www.hammondlubricants.co.uk

MANUFACTURING | 145

HADLEY GROUP

production location and this has been well received, though that is not to say Europe is winning all the work as the UK can be extremely competitive.”

Brexit also meant additional paperwork and tax treatments, which Hadley has already been hard at work finding solutions for. However, Brexit has also introduced less surmountable challenges.

“This does not prevent the feeling from both suppliers and customers in Europe that the UK is simply not worth the hassle and all this change has in some cases been perceived as a risk,” Towe admits. “The EU/UK Steel quota is ludicrous.

The Government view appears to be that because the UK is not utilizing the full tariff-free quota capacity that everything is working well when in fact the polar opposite is the case.

Steel traders or anyone buying steel globally has no way of knowing how much steel the UK has purchased or will purchase within a quarter and so risks incurring a tariff of 25% of the steel price as an unforeseen tax

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or cost. This means any goods produced from that material at that cost will be effectively worthless because it is highly unlikely the buyer will pay an extra 25% above the market price for the same steel as their competitors are purchasing 25% cheaper.” For this reason, the Traders are avoiding this risk by choosing not to purchase these material categories for UK supply forcing supply substantially below demand.

Towe points to a particular unintended consequence of the tariff around Category 4a steel, a resource essential for a number of manufacturing applications.

“Category 4a steel is not produced in significant quantities within the UK with the existing supply chain incapable of meeting demand and worse, the only two places in the UK with the capability of producing category 4a are owned by TATA who prefer to produce category 4b material for the automotive industry,” Towe explains. “It remains unclear what domestic supply the UK Government,

specifically TRID – the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate, is protecting when there is no viable domestically produced steel market to protect.”

Towe tells us how the steel traders’ response of risk avoidance coupled with and consequently not enough steel is being imported to meet UK demand. The system is also too slow due to processing time.

Hadley Group has generated two responses to this crisis.

Firstly, it has proposed enhancing the allocation system and speed of update hosted on the HMRC website where steel suppliers could register their tonnes and check to see if their products would attract a tariff and cancel the purchase if necessary. Hadley has also been lobbying the UK Government for a change to this tariff system that currently expires at the end of June 2021.

NEVER SHOOT THE MESSENGER

These responses have been generated through Hadley’s culture of open communication and where things do go wrong the focus switches to remedy, monitoring and early detection in future. In this culture, “Concealing the issue is the issue and subsequently, there is a higher degree of straightforward honesty,” Towe explains. “We do not have to settle for the status quo.”

This culture and structure are two critical elements that have stood Hadley apart when the pandemic struck, although that is not to say the firm was not badly affected.

“Across many sites, there were closures, both forced and voluntary, from which recovery has been slow. It has been our people that have carried the business through,” Towe says.

“To each of them, I am eternally

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HADLEY GROUP

grateful to those who worked throughout the lockdowns and helped to navigate the company through these challenges driven by a sense of purpose.”

Towe tells us there is now a stronger understanding among Hadley Group’s staff that what the company produces is not just metal but an integral part of something much larger.

“For example, we delivered products and systems to build

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

two of the UK Nightingale Hospitals and essential products and systems to rapidly scale up delivery of food and clothes from online shopping when all our shops were closed,” Towe says.

“That value we bring is now more broadly understood by our teams and the wider population.”

Towe believes this new sense of purpose will carry the company towards great things in future.

“We have developed construction products that are increasingly winning Government support through the adoption of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC),” Towe says.

“We are seeing growth in the construction market as traditional tradespeople and their skills become increasingly difficult to find and are unable to match our speed of build. We plan to protect and create UK jobs.”

To aid in this goal the Group has just received planning permission for the major development of an existing site, as well as the two sites adjacent to it. Hadley Group is working to create the capacity to accelerate quickly into the gap left by traditional construction.

As Towe tells us, “There will be an increased international growth agenda to augment existing capabilities and capacity working in partnership where we can add value and develop a leadership position.”

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MAGUIRE PRODUCTS

STEVE MAGUIRE LIKES SOLVING PROBLEMS, AND IN THE PROCESS, HE HAS BUILT AN INDUSTRY-LEADING BUSINESS.

THE SPARK

OF INVENTION PROJECT MANAGED BY: LEE PHOENIX

One day in 1977 Steve Maguire’s boss called him into the office and told him a customer had ordered 18 different colours of shower curtain hook. His boss had decided he wanted to try using liquid colour to make the hooks, and he wanted Maguire to find a liquid colour pump.

I

called the liquid colour company and they brought the pumps and they were terrible,” Maguire recalls. “So, I thought ‘This is a mess I can’t use these’. I decided I was going to solve this problem, and I came up with a peristaltic pump that keeps the colour in a tube.”

It was far from the last design problem Maguire would solve, but it was also the start of a lifelong journey.

“I thought maybe I could sell these. So, I started selling them and launched a new company to do it,” Maguire tells us. “That was 44 years ago. It was a new ideaand everything I have designed since is something new. We’re not copying products that are already available and trying to sell the same thing.”

Maguire started with a small market, but the company grew to meet demand, achieving a value of US$400,000, while he was still working out of his house. Then he moved the company to a rented space with a few employees. Not long

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after that, Maguire solved his second puzzle, designing a new auger feeder to build the business, as the liquid colour was still a very small portion of the colouring market in the plastics industry.

“As we grew, I thought ‘This is very unstable’, so I developed auger feeders for pelletised colour. That is a much bigger market,” Maguire says. “The business grew to $1.7 million over ten years, growing very gradually. Then to solve a problem with the auger feeders I designed a device called a gravimetric blender, and that I knew there would be a market for because it solved a big expensive problem, wasted colour.”

With that problem solved Maguire Products grew from $1.7 million to $25 million in another ten years. Maguire himself was just trying to keep up with demand, expanding the company, hiring people and buying buildings for further expansion.

The company continued to grow to $30

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MAGUIRE PRODUCTS

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MANUFACTURING | 149

www.tiweb.net

THOMAS INSTRUMENTATION PROVIDES A ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR

Electronic Design, Software Development & Contract Manufacturing.

SERVICES: PCB Design & Layout

Prototype, Small, & Large Orders

Software Development

Can Place 01005 Parts

SMT Production Manufacturing

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100% QC Inspection & Testing

Automated Optical Inspection

ISO 9001 Certified

Thomas Instrumentation, Inc. 118 Kings Hwy, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210, USA

Tel: +1-609-624-2630 Fax: +1-609-486-6725

PRODUCTION CAPABILITIES:

Email: info@tiweb.net www.tiweb.net

THOMAS INSTRUMENTATION INC. GAVAZZI CARLO

Innovative Automation Solutions

Automation Components

Thomas Instrumentation Inc. was established in 1971 by Tom and Jan Gluyas because they noticed a need for a designer and manufacturer of custom electronic controllers. Large corporations could afford an in-house electronics design team, but the smaller businesses did not have anyone. For many companies on the east coast, Thomas Instrumentation became their electronics design and manufacturing firm. Early on, most clients heard of us through word of mouth from A uwas t oone m such a t icustomer on Components other happy customers. Maguire Products and we’ve been designing and manufacturing their controllers for nearly 40 years now.

CARLO GAVAZZI

Over the years, we’ve worked hard as a team to cultivate good customer relationships. Our reputation as a high quality, industry leader in electronic design and manufacturing is especially important to us. Thus, we do our best to make every project, large or small, a success. We call ourselves a one-stop-shop for electronics because CARLO GAVAZZI A u t o m a t ipersonnel on Com ponents working with us, you have access to knowledgeable during USA Tel: 847.465.6100 all aspects of the project’s life cycle. We have assisted companies Canada Tel: 888.575.2275 Mexico 55.5373.7042 with their initial concept, electronic design, PCBTel:layout, software Brazil Tel: 55.11.3052.0832 www.GavazziOnline.com Info@CarloGavazzi.com development, prototyping, manufacturing, testing, and•even twitter.com/CarloGavazziNA facebook.com/CarloGavazziNA repairs. We can handle the entire processhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/carlo-gavazzi_2 or just parts of it. We’ve youtube.com/user/CarloGavazziNA designed electronics that were manufactured elsewhere, and we’ve CARLO GAVAZZI is a global manufacturer of world class manufactured electronics designed by Visit others.our We’re here to help our website for downloadable data sheets, proximity and photoelectric sensors, solid state relays, brochures and pricing: www.GavazziOnline.com customers in any way they need. soft starters, monitoring relays, and energy meters.

Discover our product offering today!

When a customer is interested in our design services, they have 847.465.6100 • GavazziOnline.com/bfm instant access to highly skilled Electrical Engineers, PCB Layout Automation Components Designers, and Software Developers. One of our unique ingredients for success is that the senior leaders in each department have over 30 years of experience working together. That group synergy is an advantage that many of our competitors do not have and it means we SCHUBERT PLASTICS INC. QUALITY BY DESIGN can get your product to market faster than most.

CARLO GAVAZZI

When we’re chosen for manufacturing services, then customers benefit from our top quality SMT manufacturing equipment and our highly trained Technicians and Assemblers. Our specialized equipment includes Part Storage Towers with Climate Control, Screen Printer with 2D Paste Inspection, MyCronic Pick & Place Machines with Electrical Verification of Parts, a Heller Oven with M.O.L.E. Thermal Profiler, an X-Ray Machine with Automated Defect Detection Software, and an Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) Machine that identifies any visual issues on each board. While this equipment gives us a competitive edge, it is truly our dedicated Technicians and Assemblers that set us apart. Their careful and meticulous work in assembling, inspecting, and testing each product ensures it is fully functional for our customers.

In the past 50 years, Thomas Instrumentation has designed, programmed, and manufactured everything from simple electronics to complex, embedded controllers for a wide array of industries.

At our core, we’re problem solvers. We routinely take customers’ ideas, transform them into operational products, and save time to market by rolling straight into manufacturing. With Tom’s daughter, Cassandra, holding the reins we’re ready for another 50 years of interesting projects. We hope you’ll consider becoming our next customer. We’re here to help whenever you need it. www.tiweb.net

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SERVICES Design & Engineering • 2D Formats DXF, DWG • 3D Formats Parasolids, STEP, IGES • 3D design modeling through either Solid Works or Pro/E Engineering Software Support • • • •

FEA Analysis Rapid Prototype services Mold Flow Analysis Domestic and Off-Shore Tooling capabilities

Post Molding Capabilities • • • •

Machining Assembly Specialized Packaging Complete Order Fulfillment

Materials: ABS, ACETAL, ACRYLIC, CELLULOSE, ACETATE, HDPE, LDPE, NYLON, PEEK™, POLYCARBONATE, POLYCARBONATE BLENDS, POLYPROPYLENE, PVC, STYRENE, TPE, TPR, TPU, ULTEM®, XENOY® With our turnkey process, attention to detail, skill, and outstanding customer service, SPI streamlines the time consuming process of designing, producing and delivering your custom components for you.

T: (610) 358 4920 | E: schubert.plastics@verizon.net

www.schubertplastics.com

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MAGUIRE PRODUCTS

million, achieving a worldwide reputation as a blender company while still selling a range of other innovations.

“We sell all over the world.

In our main building, we have flags on our factory walls from every country we have sold to,” Maguire points out. “We sell to everyone. Anyone in the plastics industry probably knows our name. We also sell dryers to dry the plastic before they process it. Uniquely, they are vacuum driers, not conventional driers.

Everything we sell is something unique or I wouldn’t bother doing it.”

Throughout this amazing story of growth Maguire has been following two guiding stars. The first is the importance of meeting industry needs, the second is his own enjoyment of finding a puzzle to solve.

“I don’t design equipment that the industry doesn’t need.

I like to solve a problem,” Maguire explains. “In the case of blenders, wasted colour was a phenomenal financial problem.

That’s the only way you can grow a market that fast.”

Maguire tells us that the Ford Motor Company reported the blender paid for itself in six weeks, and that was with one blender. They proceeded to buy

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in the region of 300 more over the next two years.

“When you save people money, when a product pays for itself in less than a year, you get people’s attention,” Maguire says. “For instance, with our driers, the problem I was trying to solve was simply how to dry plastic in less time. We were doing it in 20 to 30 minutes using vacuum driers, but sales have taken off now because we are also saving energy. The saving in electrical cost alone was sufficient to give the customer a reason to buy the product.”

“YOU CAN USUALLY COME UP WITH A COMPLICATED SOLUTION PRETTY QUICKLY. THE SIMPLE WAY IS DIFFICULT.” HUNTING FOR INSPIRATION

Talking with Maguire it is clear that the thing that really excites him about the business, the thing that gets him up in the morning, is solving puzzles.

“The problems present themselves.

The solutions take months,” Maguire says.

“Sometimes a simple solution is one I will be thinking about for three or four months, but I love to do that. I love to solve puzzles.”

A story he tells us to illustrate this is how he developed Maguire Products’ “Sweeper” product.

“I had said to a customer, give me something nobody has solved and I’ll work on it and he said ‘Nobody has a good way to empty a gaylord without a lot of difficulties getting the stuff out of the bottom’,” Maguire remembers.

“Sometimes when you buy plastic it comes in ‘Gaylords’, or they’re called ‘Octagons’ in Europe.

To get the material out of the octagon you stick a lance in there and wiggle it around, and there’s a lot of labour involved and it’s a pain in the neck.”

Maguire spent three months thinking about this problem until the solution dawned on him part-way through a sales meeting.

“I developed that product and it moves around and gathers the plastic from the corners. It’s very simple and when people see it, they say ‘My god it’s so simple!’ but nobody else thought of it,” Maguire points out. “I start with the problem and a whole lot of time thinking about all the possible ways I could solve it

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MAGUIRE PRODUCTS

until I come up with the simplest, lowest cost, most reliable way of solving it. You can usually come up with a complicated solution pretty quickly. The simple way is difficult.”

On top of the solutions and products that Maguire has developed, Maguire Products has also found itself growing through acquisition, almost by accident.

“We have expanded our reach worldwide not by acquiring companies but by building relationships with people,” Maguire says.

“Some of these people own a company and sometimes I get involved because of a financial challenge or engineering issue.

Sometimes I get so involved that the solution is for me to own part of the company.”

Its most recent acquisition was OA Newton, a small company trying to sell to a business that was uncertain about its financial security.

“So, I said ‘Just say you are part of Maguire Products’ and as soon as you say it, they are like ‘Okay’. Then when he needed some financial backing, he asked ‘Why don’t you buy part of the company?’,” Maguire says. “We’re selling to the same industry but we’re not competing with each other because we sell to different parts of the industry.”

This is the latest in a string of similar acquisitions.

“I sometimes wonder how I got myself into this,” Maguire admits. “It was never a plan. I am very easy to get along with and very fair and very honest, and people trust me and I trust them. I’m fair and they’re fair, and you can do anything then.”

Ultimately, Maguire wants to focus on the same thing he is always wanted to focus on.

“We’ll be doing well as long as there continue to be puzzles to solve,” he says.

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BOTSWANA ASH (PTY) LTD

BOTSWANA ASH (PTY) LTD COMMONLY KNOWN AS BOTASH, THE LARGEST PRODUCER OF NATURAL SODIUM PRODUCTS IN THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN REGION, IS COMMEMORATING 30 YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS.

AFRICA’S SODIUM SUPPLIER OF CHOICE PROJECT MANAGED BY: TREVOR GRETSINGER

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BOTSWANA ASH (PTY) LTD

Botash, the leading supplier of salt and soda ash in southern Africa, has been at the forefront of its industry for three decades, with its range of sodium products sold across the sub-continent.

B

otash’s nameplate production capacity for soda ash is 300,000 tonnes per annum and for salt approximately 650,000 tonnes per annum. However, the production of salt currently stands at some 420,000 tonnes

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per annum, in line with market demand. Variants of salt offered include chemical grade, food grade, coarse salt and fine salt.

On the other hand, soda ash comes in light and dense form.

We are known for reliability and high quality - those are our unique selling points,” says the company’s Managing Director, Mr Kangangwani Phatshwane, pointing out that the products are used in various industries and sectors of the economy, including industrial and human consumption. These products

go into a range of applications like in the processing of food, paper, manufacture of beverage packaging, building glass, automotive screens, metallurgical sector particularly cobalt and vanadium processing.

He affirms that the company’s business model entails developing products that contribute significantly to social needs while at the same time contributing to the sustainable economic development of the country and the continent.

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• Bulk Transportation • Breakbulk Transportation • Equipped with the latest management tools assuring the most competitive rates • Transport Services within South Africa • Cross border transport services to and from: Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, Mozambique • Goods comprehensively covered by our reliable goods-in-transit insurance partners • Vehicles equipped with state-of-the-art tracking technology for your peace of mind • Reliable and friendly service

T: +27 18 011 1028 | www.watsontransport.co.za

LOGISTICS, FARMING & CONSTRUCTION

WE DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY We are known for the best delivery of service right on schedule. We are also committed to developing and uplifting the communities that we work with by identifying skills and development opportunities from skilled and general laborers. t: (013) 590 0295 | e: admin@siyakhulisatrading.co.za

www.siyakhulisatrading.co.za

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“OUR BUSINESS MODEL ENTAILS DEVELOPING PRODUCTS THAT CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO SOCIAL NEEDS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME CONTRIBUTING TO THE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY.”

THREE DECADES OF OPERATION

Located on the Sua Pan Spit in the north-eastern part of Botswana, the company is owned by the Government of the Republic of Botswana and Chlor Alkali Holdings (Pty) Ltd (CAH), incorporated in the Republic of South Africa, at 50 % shareholding each.

Botash began its operations in April 1991, and over the three decades has become the largest producer of natural sodium products in the region.

In the past, all activities of the mine were undertaken at Sua Pan but today Botash has increased its footprint with a fully operational office in South Africa through the presence of Botswana Ash South Africa (Pty) Ltd (Botash SA), a sister company, which deals primarily with the sales and distribution of Botash products in that country.

Throughout its development, the company has overcome several significant challenges including unfair trading by some competitors, which had to be resolved in a 10-year long court case, and a huge flood in 1995 which resulted in the closure of the operation for several months.

The most recent challenge, unsurprisingly, has been the

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BOTSWANA ASH (PTY) LTD

Soda Ash warehouse.

COVID-19 pandemic, which cut revenues by 50% in April last year. “Now we are more or less back to normal, although the virus has affected our employees both directly and indirectly as a result of travel restrictions,” admits Mr Phatshwane.

“Our focus in 2021 will be to consolidate recovery from COVID-19, to grow our salt business as well as to progress our product development initiatives. We remain positive in our ability to weather the COVID-19 storm, by maintaining the framework developed in 2020, which prioritises the protection of our employees, cash conservation, and revenue lines,” he said.

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BOTSWANA ASH (PTY) LTD

SUSTAINABLE MINING

Botash is the largest privatesector employer in northeastern Botswana with a workforce of more than 450 and 200 contractors. The company offers ongoing training opportunities for its staff in a sector where competition for skills is intense.

“When recruiting new staff, we tend to look not only at qualifications but at what the candidates have achieved and how and if that aligns with our business model and values,” says Mr Phatshwane. “We are aware of the value of our employees and invest a lot in staff training and support of their families, including education - we run several facilities from pre-school to secondary schools for the children of our employees.”

Within its CSR policy, Botash also supports governmental schools, the local football team (which has made it to the Premier League, and that from the smallest town in the country) and helps to maintain biodiversity in the area where the company operates, including running a small game park, which serves as a habitat for several endangered species including the rhino.

Botash has taken a proactive stance towards the environment since its very early days and has aligned itself with the ISO 14000 international environmental standard.

Examples of its commitment to the natural environment include the power cables from the spit to the wellfield, which it buried underground to prevent interference with the flight path of local flamingos between their feeding and breeding grounds.

Botash also acts to ensure that effluents are carefully contained and impounded so that contaminants do not enter

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Stacker and reclaimer machines feeding to the stockpile.

“WE ARE AWARE OF THE VALUE OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND INVEST A LOT IN STAFF TRAINING AND SUPPORT OF THEIR FAMILIES, INCLUDING EDUCATION.”

the underground water system and has a water stewardship programme in place to make sure water is not wasted. All these initiatives sit neatly under the Sustainable Mining Initiative which the company adopted last year.

DRIVING THE COUNTRY’S ECONOMY

Botash trades primarily in the Southern African Development

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BOTSWANA ASH (PTY) LTD

Community (SADC) region i.e., the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa and Botswana. South Africa is the primary market for industrial products.

Mr Phatshwane explains that as a way of minimizing the risk that comes with depending on a narrow product base, new products and lines of business are under development, to diversify the company’s revenue streams. These new products will leverage the business’s manufacturing and marketing capabilities while increasing scale and relevance in its chosen markets.

Botash intends to invest in refurbishing the existing plant on the Sua Pan. In addition, the company is developing a

sulphate of potash (a form of fertilizer) manufacturing facility which will be the first of its kind in Africa, a project the company is very excited about, says Mr Phatshwane.

“Our company is now the largest business in northeastern Botswana, a region with a proud and long history of mining. However, the relative decline of other minerals, including gold and nickel, makes our business stand out.”

“We bring significant value to this part of the country and the entire economy. Our vision is to be a market leader in the production and supply of highquality natural sodium and related products, continuing to be one of the flagship enterprises of Botswana’s growing economy,” he concludes.

Calciner decomposing sodium bicarbonate into soda ash.

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CORNERSTONE CAPITAL RESOURCES

WE LEARN HOW CORNERSTONE CAPITAL RESOURCES MINERAL EXPLORATION OPERATIONS ARE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE REVOLUTION.

FOR TOMORROW’S GOLD & COPPER NEEDS PROJECT MANAGED BY: TREVOR GRETSINGER

Cornerstone Capital Resources is the founding partner of the Cascabel project in Ecuador, the only available Tier 1 coppergold asset in the world not owned by a global, multi-national mining company.

T

he “Alpala” deposit on Cascabel hosts a measured and indicated resource of 21 million ounces of gold, 21 billion lbs. of copper, and 92 million ounces of silver, two-thirds of which is in the measured category.

The Cascabel resource has been endorsed by BHP, the largest mining company in the world and owner of 13.6% of SolGold, and Newcrest Mining, the largest gold producer in Australia with a 13.5% share of SolGold (or ~11.5% of Cascabel each), and by Franco Nevada, the royalty company that last year provided SolGold with US$100 million in feasibility study funding in return for a 1% net smelter returns (NSR) royalty on SolGold’s 85% share of the project.

Cornerstone owns a 15% direct interest in Cascabel, carried through to the completion of a bankable feasibility study and repayable at Libor plus 2% out of Cornerstone’s share of

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earnings or dividends from a mine, as well as owning 6.9% of the shares of its joint-venture partner and operator, SolGold.

This places Cornerstone’s ownership at effectively 21% of the resource.

THE GOLDEN HOUR

It is a time of opportunity for Cornerstone, with the industry just now beginning to realise the company is onto a good thing.

“We are undervalued compared to SolGold, despite sharing the same principal underlying asset, a gap in valuation we believe will close up when we and SolGold are acquired by a major mining company looking for large, long-life copper and gold development projects,” says Brooke Macdonald, CEO and President of Cornerstone Capital Resources.

Brooke Macdonald, CEO & President of Cornerstone Capital Resources.

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CORNERSTONE CAPITAL RESOURCES

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Kluane Drilling Ltd is a private Canadian company with more than 30 years of experience dedicated to providing high-quality drilling services based on technical innovation and human talent.

21.4% 21.4% ofof Cascabel Cascabel Cu/Au Cu/Au project, project, Ecuador Ecuador 21.4% of Cascabel Cu/Au project, Ecuador Tier Tier 1 asset 1 asset endorsed endorsed byby BHP, BHP, Newcrest, Newcrest, 21.4% of Cascabel Cu/Au project, Ecuador Tier 1 asset endorsed by BHP, Newcrest, Franco-Nevada Franco-Nevada 21.4% of Cascabel Cu/Au project, Ecuador Tier 1 asset endorsed

by BHP, Newcrest, Franco-Nevada 21.4% of Cascabel Cu/Au project, Ecuador High High grade grade 359MT 359MT @ @ 1.47% 1.47% CuEq CuEq measured measured Franco-Nevada Tier 1 asset endorsed by BHP, Newcrest, 21.4%grade of Cascabel Cu/Au project, Ecuador High 359MT @ 1.47% CuEq measured Tier 1 asset endorsed by BHP, Newcrest, resource resource – PFS – PFS underway underway 21.4% of Cascabel Cu/Au project, Ecuador Franco-Nevada High grade 359MT @ 1.47% CuEq measured resource – PFS underway Tier 1 asset endorsed

by BHP, Newcrest, Franco-Nevada resource – PFS underway Tier 1grade asset endorsed by $BHP, Newcrest, High 359MT @ 1.47% CuEq measured Franco-Nevada $ 8.60/CGP 8.60/CGP share share Largest Largest shareholders shareholders paid High grade 359MT @paid 1.47% CuEq measured Franco-Nevada resource – PFS underway share Largest shareholders paid $$8.60/CGP High grade 359MT @ 1.47% CuEq measured resource –ofPFS underway BHP’s BHP’s cost cost of 33 33 pence pence for for CGP’s CGP’s Cascabel Cascabel 8.60/CGP share Largest shareholders paid High grade 359MT @ 1.47% CuEq Cascabel measured resource – PFS underway BHP’s cost of 33 pence for CGP’s $ $ $ co-owner co-owner Solgold Solgold (LSE/TSX:SOLG) (LSE/TSX:SOLG) = =11/CGP share share 8.60/CGP Largest shareholders paid $11/CGP resource – PFS underway BHP’s cost of 33 pence for CGP’s Cascabel co-owner Solgold (LSE/TSX:SOLG) =share 11/CGP share $ 8.60/CGP Largest shareholders paid $ share $$ $ CGP’s Newcrest’s Newcrest’s cost cost ofof 40(LSE/TSX:SOLG) 40 pence pence SOLG SOLG = = share share co-owner Solgold =13/CGP 11/CGP share BHP’s cost of 33 pence for Cascabel $13/CGP 8.60/CGP share Largest shareholders paid Newcrest’s cost of 40 pence SOLGCascabel = $$13/CGP share BHP’s cost of 33at pence for$8.60/CGP CGP’s Largest shareholders paid co-owner Solgold 11/CGP share CGP CGP is is trading trading at aof significant a (LSE/TSX:SOLG) significant discount discount toto SOLG SOLG Newcrest’s cost 40 pence SOLG ==share 13/CGP share BHP’s cost of 33 pence for CGP’s Cascabel $ CGP is trading at a (LSE/TSX:SOLG) significant discount to SOLG share co-owner Solgold = $$11/CGP BHP’s cost of 33 pence for CGP’s Cascabel Newcrest’s cost of 40 pence SOLG = 13/CGP share share co-owner Solgold = 11/CGP CGP is trading at a (LSE/TSX:SOLG) significant discount to SOLG Newcrest’s cost of (LSE/TSX:SOLG) 40 pence SOLG == $$$13/CGP share 11/CGP share co-owner Solgold CGP is trading significant discount to SOLG Newcrest’s costatofa 40 pence SOLG = 13/CGP share CGP is trading significant discount to SOLG Newcrest’s costatofa 40 pence SOLG = $13/CGP share CGP is trading at a significant discount to SOLG CGP is trading at a significant discount to SOLG

We have an excellent team of people, who support our processes every day with their talent, commitment, training, and experience and make it possible for us to work together to provide quality services and to continuously improve our organization.

KLUANE DRILLING ECUADOR S.A. specializes in providing diamond drilling services with highly portable equipment linked to the mining activity of exploration of mineral resources in various terrains, with 24 years of experience in Ecuador.

We have environmental control standards and international certification in safety and occupational health, ensuring the quality of our service and compliance with national regulations.

www.kluanedrilling.ca 162 | MINING

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Indeed, just recently mining. com named Cornerstone one of eight companies with properties to watch, thanks to the buzz around the Cascabel resource.

“When built, it will be the largest gold and largest copper mine in Ecuador, and with long term gold and copper prices expected to remain high sooner or later we will be acquired for our 21% interest,” Macdonald tells us.

That prediction is not borne out of optimism alone. As the electric vehicle revolution looms the demand for copper is expected to skyrocket over the coming decade, leading to an ever-greater need for gold and copper development projects.

“The fact that President Joe Biden’s proposed infrastructure plan contemplates building 500,000 charging stations across the U.S. and tax credits for EV buyers tells you that this is real and coming at us fast,” Macdonald says. “Every week it seems I receive another analyst report on the higher long term copper price forecast, the most

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recent ones dated March 23rd

by Morgan Stanley entitled ‘Copper and Renewables - the red metal is key to the green revolution’, and April 13th by Goldman Sachs entitled ‘Green Metals – Copper is the new oil.’”

The outlook for gold is also hopeful.

“With respect to gold, all of the monetary and borrowed fiscal stimulus are an indication that while interest rates may creep upwards a bit if inflation goes above 2% per year in the U.S., rates will stay lower for longer and gold will do well in such an environment,” Macdonald adds.

BACK IN THE FIELD

The future looks bright, but the truth is the present and recent past could be brighter. While it seems, we are coming out of the other side of the COVID-19 crisis, the journey back to normality is an uphill one.

“We have gotten our geologists back into the field after the initial lockdowns of

last year during the COVID pandemic. Other than strict COVID safety protocols things are getting back to normal,” Macdonald tells us. “Because many of our projects are funded by partners, we don’t have to keep issuing shares to fund expensive drilling programs and diluting our shareholders.”

Of course, it helps that Cornerstone was always one of the first to move into the market.

Cornerstone has been operating in Ecuador since 2005, longer than almost anyone, and that is reflected in the make-up of Cornerstone’s staff.

“Most of our key technical people have been with us a long time. It is a competitive market for geologists, environmental engineers, technicians, and good community & social responsibility (CSR) professionals due to the demand created by other companies having moved in in the past four years, but we have managed to retain our staff,” Macdonald

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CORNERSTONE CAPITAL RESOURCES

explains. “We feel we have a first-mover advantage not only in having picked up some of the best early-stage exploration projects in what is considered the last underexplored country in the Andes but also in having hired and retained some of the best people.”

With the best people and a resource with this much potential, there are good times ahead for Cornerstone.

A pre-feasibility study (PFS) for Cascabel is expected by the end of 2021. Meanwhile, project operator SolGold is now looking at a slightly smaller, more selective operation that it thinks can be brought into production much faster than the previously envisioned plan, mining 30% less material, while still producing the same amount of copper.

The study will focus on the high-grade core of 359 million tonnes grading 1.47% Copper

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CORNERSTONE CAPITAL RESOURCES

Equivalent (CuEq) and the highergrade material mined in the early stages, a lower initial capital expenditure, a re-assessment of the potential for near-surface mining operations at the Alpala deposit, and finally, the drilling of satellite targets including Tandayama America, Aguiñaga, and Moran. The Alpala deposit measures approximately 900m in height and 500m in diameter.

Given its size and geometry, SolGold, the project operator, has reported it is optimistic that the PFS will demonstrate that it is amenable to underground caving mining methods.

Cascabel is set to be a landmark achievement for Cornerstone, but it is not their first project in Ecuador. The company has contributed to successful projects at Bramaderos alongside its 87.5% partner Sunstone Metals testing

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the Au-Ag-Base metals extensive epithermal system at the Espiritu target and testing porphyry AuCu mineralization at the Brama target and is continuing to prepare its 100% owned property, the Bella Maria porphyry AuCu project for drilling. For four years it has been exploring at its Rio Magdalena porphyry CuAu and Espejo porphyry Cu-Mo projects in northern Ecuador alongside the Ecuadorian State Mining Company ENAMI EP and has identified significant CuAu targets at a surface that are comparable and even larger in size and higher in intensity than what has been discovered at Cascabel at the same exploration stage back in 2012-2013.

As demand for gold and copper continue to grow to meet the needs of the electric revolution, Cornerstone is right there ready to meet them.

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RAINSTORM DUST CONTROL

AUSTRALIA-BASED RAINSTORM DUST CONTROL PROVIDES A ONE-STOP SOURCE OF FIRST-CLASS DUST SUPPRESSANTS AND SOIL STABILISERS TO MATCH CLIENTS’ SPECIFIC CONDITIONS.

DUST SUPPRESSION SPECIALIST PROJECT MANAGED BY: MAX HUTCHINGS

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RAINSTORM DUST CONTROL

Established in Canada in 1983 by Greg Kerr, the company’s Managing Director and his partner, Tim Keenan, the company expanded the business to Australia in the early 1990s to develop high-performance dust control systems targeting four areas: roads, open areas, materials handling and site rehabilitation.

W

ith a track record of three decades, Rainstorm builds speciality application equipment and products which optimise safety and dust environmental standards for clients from the mining sector, civil contractors and local governments.

“Rainstorm’s professional service approach has allowed both customer satisfaction and our reputation to flourish.

We are the number one dust

suppressant company, with our DustMag product being the leading road dust suppressant in Australia,” says Greg Kerr.

Rainstorm’s key market remains Australia, although the company has ventured into export markets also and currently operates a small office in China, where progress is steady and offers significant opportunities for massive growth.

THE WHOLE PACKAGE

The company’s flagship product is Dustmag™, a hygroscopic liquid solution applied to unsealed road surfaces. It is an extremely durable dust control treatment and a very effective stabilisation and compaction agent. Dustmag™ has been applied to over 10 million square metres of road in the Pilbara and across western and southern Australia over the past two decades.

Dustmag™ consistently delivers a 90-95% reduction in dust levels on roads and requires no watering for up to 100 days after application (an important environmental and sustainability consideration) which is proving extremely effective for remote area roads. It improves freerolling resistance, fuel efficiency and gear life for tyres, filters, and engines by reducing dust and maintaining optimum surface conditions. The solution is easy to use and environmentally benign. “Water on dust control is water lost,” says Mr Kerr.

He emphasises that the company does not just sell a product. “Before application of our road dust suppressant onto mine haul roads, we work with the customer to determine their existing cost per square metre to lay the dust with existing technology such as water carts.

We can then calculate the breakeven number of days Dustmag™

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CHOOSE THE ROAD TO SUSTAINABILITY WITH DUSTEX®, THE BIO-BASED ROAD BINDER DUST SUPPRESSION

ROAD STABILISATION

Dustex.net dustex@borregaard.com

DUSTEX – THE BIO-BASED ROAD BINDER Dustex® from Borregaard is an environmentally friendly binder that has been developed specifically for road stabilisation and dust control applications.

Dustex is a cost-effective, sustainable biopolymer that is based on lignin, the natural binder in trees. Lignin is the binder that holds the wood fibres together, giving the tree its extraordinary structural strength. The product is safe to handle, easy to use and has earned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified Biobased Product Label.

Dustex is effective on all types of soils and road aggregates. Dustex glues the particles together and the treated surface layer becomes stiff, preventing individual particle movement and the subsequent generation of dust. The treated surface is smooth and hard with excellent traction in both wet and dry conditions. Dustex provides a long-lasting effect. It can replace the frequent application of water, scarce in many parts of the world and helps reduce maintenance cost significantly.

Borregaard operates one of the world’s most advanced and sustainable biorefineries. Dustex and our other lignin-based products are manufactured from sustainably managed forests. Our business model is closely linked to the integrated nature of our biorefinery in Norway, which utilises the three key components of wood – cellulose fibres, lignin and sugars – to produce a diversified portfolio of environmentally friendly products.

In addition to its biorefinery in Sarpsborg, Borregaard has five production sites outside Norway dedicated to producing lignin-based products.

The company employs 1100 man-years in plants and sales offices in 13 countries.

E: dustex@borregaard.com

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www.dustex.net | www.borregaard.com

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RAINSTORM DUST CONTROL

needs to lay the dust and can usually guarantee substantial cost savings to the client. If there ever is some sort of problem, even due to inclement weather, we re-treat the affected area at cost or for free.”

“We work hand-in-hand with our customers throughout the entire dust suppression programme, monitoring the physical results after completion of the job. We then tally the results with the customer’s own monitoring programme.”

“RAINSTORM’S PROFESSIONAL SERVICE APPROACH HAS ALLOWED BOTH CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND OUR REPUTATION TO FLOURISH. WE ARE THE NUMBER ONE DUST SUPPRESSANT COMPANY, WITH OUR DUSTMAG™ PRODUCT BEING THE LEADING ROAD DUST SUPPRESSANT IN AUSTRALIA.” EFFECTIVE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY

Although Dustmag™ is Rainstorm’s biggest single product, the company has developed other solutions as well over the years, focused on the dust control, soil stabilisation and rehabilitation industries.

These include automated rail car veneering and ore conditioning products, along with dry fogging systems for crushers and ship-loaders.

With the development of its

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Greg Kerr, Managing Director, Rainstorm Dust Control.

own in-house engineering and construction capabilities, Rainstorm is now creating site-specific application units, including full automation and installation along with the attendant contractor services.

Mr Kerr points out that the company intends to increase its focus on large open-area dust control, handling a wide range of projects and site conditions with varying climatic conditions, which are exposed to wind and water erosion. “With the opening of a sales office in Queensland, we can now proffer our services to the Queensland and northern New South Wales market.”

Solutions developed for these specific environments include Hydromulch - an extremely effective and economical method of binding sand and soil surfaces to prevent erosion and dust emissions, at the same time providing an ideal environment for seed germination and growth; as well as Gluon™, a versatile water-bound polymer emulsion.

Applied as a surface veneer or soil stabiliser, the Gluon™ polymer bonds upon hydration creating a surface mesh and binding the soil/ore. Rainstorm is the inventor and proprietor of Gluon™, a co-polymer emulsion designed for heavier-duty and longer-lasting stabilisation against wind erosion. Gluon™ can be used as a stand-alone product or as an additive to the papier-mâché type Hydromulch.

The advantages of the product are widely recognised - Rainstorm received an Earth Award for Outstanding Product Performance from the Civil Construction Federation of Australia for a project in the Pilbara in Gluon™ was applied to sand dunes using helicopter applications as truck access was limited.

THE RIGHT SOLUTION

“We offer a comprehensive range of rehabilitation services and can help with soil conditioning to prepare the area

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RAINSTORM DUST CONTROL

for hydroseeding within mine site rehabilitation projects,” says Mr Kerr, explaining that the hydroseed blend is added to either a Gluon™ or Hydromulch mix. The seed mix and selection of additives can be site-specific, based on the client’s geographical location in Australia. Rainstorm encourages native seed rehabilitation where possible.

Recent additions to the Rainstorm portfolio include another innovative product - Dustex™, a unique, biobased road binder developed specifically for road stabilisation and dust control applications.

Dustex™ can be applied as a spray-on/surface application or as a mix-in treatment. The product is compostable and biologically friendly while reducing road-water usage by up to 90%.

Speaking about the coming months, Mr Kerr affirms that the company is in growth mode.

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“We are expanding in a big way on the east coast, pushing for steep business growth.

We have hired an east coast business development manager to focus on the mines, with a view to expanding the business with Dustmag™ and Dustex™ and exploring the opportunities in handling dust control in large open areas. Wind and sands, that is the environment we specialise in.”

He further revealed that the company is expecting to increase business by 30% over the next few months, a steep growth resulting from, amongst other things, a focused customer approach.

“We strive to find the appropriate product for the client’s specific problem, i.e., the right chemistry for the solution. Then we oversee its successful application. That is what differentiates us from competitors and that is what our customers appreciate.”

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RAINSTORM DUST CONTROL

“WE OFFER A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF REHABILITATION SERVICES AND CAN HELP WITH SOIL CONDITIONING TO PREPARE THE AREA FOR HYDROSEEDING WITHIN MINE SITE REHABILITATION PROJECTS.”

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TERRAFAME LTD

TERRAFAME’S INTEGRATED APPROACH IS LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE SWITCH TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

POWERING

THE EV REVOLUTION PROJECT MANAGED BY: LEE PHOENIX

If there is one industry that is going to have a major impact on the transformation of the 21st century, there can be little argument that that industry will be batteries. With climate change becoming an ever-more urgent concern, and electric vehicles forming one of the major fronts in the battle against it, the name for batteries and the materials needed to produce them will only increase.

T

hat is the front where Terrafame Ltd is working, a battery chemicals company that not only manufactures the necessary products but mines the raw materials needed to make them.

Terrafame’s unique integrated production chain from its own mine to battery chemicals production is located on one industrial site in Northern Finland. “Our fully integrated production, from the mining of raw materials to the manufacture of battery chemicals means a sustainable and fully traceable production,” explains Terrafame CEO, Joni Lukkaroinen. “It also means very good control of the production quality.”

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Of course, sustainability is a high priority for Terrafame’s customers. Nobody wants a green energy alternative that creates unnecessary pollution.

“Sustainability is very important for our customers in EV production and the battery production chain, so it’s important that we can offer in the sustainability area,” Lukkaroinen says.

“We’re committed to a sustainable mining standard, the Finnish TSM and we are a member of the UN Global Compact. Through e.g. these tools we want to demonstrate to our customers that we are supporting them in achieving their sustainability goals with our products. What’s

Joni Lukkaroinen, CEO, Terrafame.

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Endress+Hauser helps you to improve your processes: • With process experts who recommend the best-fit products, services and solutions according to industry requirements • With solutions that mitigate risk and reduce your environmental impact • With access to the right data at the right time Do you want to learn more? www.fi.endress.com/mining

We understand how it is important to efficiently extract and process precious metals and minerals.

PROCESS + PROTECT You save valuable resources while keeping your employees and the environment safe.

FROM INSTRUMENT SUPPLIER TO COMPREHENSIVE PARTNER – TERRAFAME TRUSTS ENDRESS+HAUSER’S EXPERTISE AND SERVICE To be successful, challenging operating environments and processes require durable and high-quality measurements. Endress+Hauser supplies the instrumentation for thousands of positions at the Terrafame mine and offers support to its partner in procurement, maintenance and development work alike.

In 2006, Sales Manager Kari Isometsä from Endress+Hauser was driving along a remote forest road in Talvivaara, Sotkamo. Awaiting him, in the middle of the forest landscape of northern Finland, were three pits in the ground filled with process solution and few pumplines equipped with Endress+Hauser measurements. At the time, it was difficult to imagine that the first and most significant mining company in Finland would be built in that same spot.

Endress+Hauser was selected as Terrafame’s instrumentation supplier at an early phase of operations because of its extensive offering of measurement instrumentation for industrial processes and its experience gained with the mining industry.

“From the very beginning, our partnership has been based on our ability to provide measuring instrumentation that meets mining industry requirements, as well as comprehensive support and services for the optimal utilization of the installed instrument base,” says Isometsä, who is responsible for metal, mining and minerals industry customers in Northern Finland.

Both the cooperation and installed base of Endress+Hauser instrumentation at the Terrafame plant has strengthened over the years. Today, almost 90 percent of all the measuring devices used at the plant are supplied by Endress+Hauser.

HIGH-QUALITY MEASUREMENTS FOR DEMANDING CONDITIONS High temperatures, strong pressure and corrosive process liquids.

Terrafame’s critical processes are challenging and demand a lot from measurements and analyses.

“The work is highly mechanical in the mine itself, but as soon as the mined ore is transferred to the bioleaching heaps, measurements are required to run the process successfully. In particular, the extraction process which chemically separates nickel, zinc, cobalt and copper from the process liquids requires durable and safe measurement solutions,” says Industry Manager Elisa Manninen from Endress+Hauser.

Endress+Hauser has provided measuring solutions for thousands of measurement positions at Terraframe.

“It’s to the customer’s advantage that all measurements can be ordered from one source. We are more than a retailer – as a device manufacturer, we know our own products the best,” Manninen continues.

Soon, Terrafame will also be producing battery chemicals for electric cars.

The battery chemicals plant is the most significant expansion in the site’s history. Endress+Hauser continues to serve as the Main Instrument Vendor for the plant, providing it with almost all of the field devices required.

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“In addition to supplying most of the measurements required at the battery chemical plant, we also support engineering and procurement with a project management service. The close cooperation, that started with our experts and project manager in the plant’s design phase, facilitated the work of the customer and designer and allowed the solutions to be customized,” Isometsä says.

Endress+Hauser’s W@M asset management portal is used for the management of the installed base in the new battery chemical plant and the existing metals recovery plant. The portal allows real time data monitoring of the installed base and enables proactive maintenance of devices. It offers fast access to critical information, such as spare parts, product availability and reports. Quick access to the right information speeds up processes, such as the repair or replacement of an instrument with the portal updated automatically as changes take place in the life cycle of the instruments.

“W@M supports the work of maintenance staff in particular. W@M compiles the information on the products supplied, the documentation and information on possible replacements on a position-specific basis. This facilitates not only lifecycle management but also inventory management and placement of orders,” Manninen explains.

TRUST AT THE CORE OF COOPERATION For its customers, Endress+Hauser is increasingly not only a device supplier but also a comprehensive partner. Close cooperation is carried out with process engineers as well as maintenance and production staff.

“We support the customer from engineering to commissioning – and beyond,” Isometsä says.

At Terrafame, cooperation has also been conducted in various development projects aimed at optimizing measurements and, through them, improving process control and performance. For example, a solution was sought through the Endress+Hauser Group for radiometric level measurement of the hydrogen sulfide reactors.

“In development projects, we combine locally gained experience with the expertise of international networks. When optimizing radiometric measurements in the process critical hydrogen sulfide reactors, experts from the Endress+Hauser Group’s Gamma Team supported the local sales and service personnel, created calculations for sizing and offered training for the customer,” says Manninen.

Manninen and Isometsä highlight the service contract signed with Terrafame as the peak of the cooperation. Under this contract, a service engineer from Endress+Hauser is present at the plant to support Terrafame’s own maintenance team when needed and to ensure that the installed base management works and is up to date.

“For us, the service contract is an indication of trust in our expertise and professional skills. Thanks to the continuously deepening cooperation we are familiar with the site and the customer’s needs – this also means that we are able to offer the best solutions,” says Isometsä with pride.

www.fi.endress.com

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TERRAFAME LTD

unique is we have the smallest carbon footprint among nickel producers globally.”

The numbers back this claim up. Terrafame’s CO2 production is roughly 60% lower than the industry average for nickel sulphate production, a critical USP for an industry about reducing the carbon load.

That, combined with highquality technical support for its customers, is making Terrafame a leader in the industry.

INTEGRATING INTO THE COMMUNITY

But reaching that position has been a long journey.

“When Terrafame was first established five years ago and

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we took over the site it was a challenging time,” Lukkaroinen admits. “Due to the history of the site, there were a lot of environmental concerns among the neighbours, and the turnaround we’ve achieved there is spectacular. We have been able to move from that very challenging situation to where we are today, having both production and environmental matters under control. Our neighbours’ trust in our operations and production has improved over the years.

So, this turnaround has been a big challenge both in gaining the social licence as well as production challenges.”

The key to achieving that acceptance has been keeping an open dialogue with those communities, as Lukkaroinen tells us, “It’s been a lot of work of course. We have a very systematic approach to creating a dialogue with our neighbours to make sure that everything we do is done following the strictest standards.

We work systematically on environmental safety to make sure we are in control of our operations and we have gained the trust of local communities.”

It also means contributing to that community, something Lukkaroinen is clearly very keen on.

“We are sponsoring the local baseball team in this part of Finland. Finnish baseball is by far the most popular sport here, and we have been one of this team’s main sponsors since the start which is important to the local community and our employees,” he points out.

“The other sponsorship locally we have is on the biathlon

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Delivering Crystallisation Plants

PURITY MATTERS

JORDPROXA Building what will become the world’s largest nickel sulphate crystallisation plant on a remote site 600 km north of Helsinki, Finland was not without its challenges for both Terrafame and JordProxa. A two-pronged strategy was adopted to meet the challenges of size and schedule. The Draft Tube Baffle crystalliser vessels were fabricated in segments at a workshop in western Finland. Then transported to site for final welding inside the building which Terrafame had erected the previous summer.

The second prong of the strategy was to modularise the plant to the extent possible, which could be put together relatively quickly on site. Given the capacity of the plant, the modules which contain the necessary process equipment were large. Fortunately, both the workshop where the modules were fabricated and the Finnish port and road system were able to accommodate these loads.

Working closely together, the project teams from Terrafame and JordProxa have met the challenges to build a world leading crystallisation plant capable of producing pure chemicals at low energy input.

JordProxa specialises in the recovery of pure solids from liquid solutions using evaporation and crystallisation. The rapid uptake of electric vehicles has led to a surge in demand for battery chemicals and associated technologies. Battery chemical producers need a technology provider that can meet and exceed the demands of product purity with a focus on continued process improvement to keep up with changing product specifications.

The company understands the process fundamentals that influence product quality through crystallisation. JordProxa has a state-of-the-art laboratory and pilot plant which we use for R&D, producing product samples for customers and developing innovative processes for producing products with up to five nine purities.

The Australia based company leverages an established network of fabrication alliances and modular design capabilities, which allows it to deliver key assemblies that are tested in the workshop before they are dispatched and installed on site. Our aim is to optimise project delivery time while minimising project risk.

With more than 40 years of experience and over 250 references, the company has proven its ability to design and deliver crystallisation plants worldwide.

JordProxa can provide either tailor made solutions or standardised modular design options for the concentration of process streams and the recovery of valuable crystalline products. We have successfully designed, installed and commissioned crystallisers including Draft Tube Baffle units to produce jumbo sized crystals.

JordProxa has in house process capabilities that enable it to integrate the new process with existing plant often using an existing energy source to power the process and recovering a saleable product from an existing liquid waste stream.

JordProxa offers a complete range of capabilities and services for project execution.

• Process equipment design and supply • Fully integrated modular plant delivery • Research, analytical and in-house pilot testing facilities • Process and project development • Global supply network • Engineering and detailed design • FEED studies or phased engineering contracts For more information get in touch with Nipen Shah (nshah@jordproxa.com) or visit www.jordproxa.com

SAFE, PRODUCTIVE AND SKILLED.

Our main activities: • M  ining services • I nfrastructure construction work for industry and mining companies • Harbours and dams Special Know-How: • Rock  drilling and blasting • Soil  and rock excavation • Crushing  services Pamilonkatu 31, 80130 Joensuu, Finland | +358 207 545 500 | www.hartikainen.com

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skiing. We have the national second team of Finland practising here.”

With the support of the local community firmly in place, Terrafame now has a new task ahead of it.

“Our main focus is to ramp up the battery chemicals production. It’s a plant we’ve been building for the last couple of years and the next step is to ramp up production,” Lukkaroinen says. “We want to build ourselves a strong role in this new European EV value chain. We hope we can also contribute ourselves in the future to the whole value chain needed for the EV battery chain. Those are the two main goals.”

“OUR MAIN FOCUS IS TO RAMP UP THE BATTERY CHEMICALS PRODUCTION. IT’S A PLANT WE’VE BEEN BUILDING FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND THE NEXT STEP IS TO RAMP UP PRODUCTION.” A PRODUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT

To achieve those goals, Terrafame needs to be continuously nurturing a new generation of talent.

“We have a good situation as the largest mining company in Finland and the largest battery chemicals producer,” Lukkaroinen says. “We attract young talent easily, particularly

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through universities. When it comes to most of our employees they are from the local area where there is not a long history of industrial production.”

Another factor that makes Terrafame an appealing employer is just what that local area looks like, as the company is headquartered in one of the skiing resort centres of Finland.

“It’s a beautiful place to live which helps attract people from elsewhere, but there’s not a lot of industrial history here so in order to have professional workers we have been carrying out very extensive training programmes among our employees,” Lukkaroinen points out. “We offer common practices and opportunities to practice, do summer training. We have around 100 summer trainees

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One supplier, premium brands

Rotator Oy Best brands and service since 1954

Rotator Oy

Telephone:

Address:

Email: palaute.yleinen@rotator.fi www.rotator.fi

Pirkkala: +358 (0) 3 287 4111 Vantaa: +358 (0) 9 8789 010

Tuottotie 4, 33961 Pirkkala Linkokuja 6-8, 01741 Vantaa

ROTATOR OY - HITACHI SMART MINING SOLUTIONS Since developing hydraulic excavators with an operating weight of between 159 and 173 tonnes in 1979, Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (HCM) has continued to respond to the demand for even larger machines.

In addition, Hitachi’s rigid dump trucks have been designed to efficiently transport resources that have been excavated at large-scale mines such as Terrafame.

Hitachi’s AC-3 series rigid dump trucks are equipped with smart technologies, which have the capability of being part of HCM’s autonomous haulage system or switching their power source to overhead electric cables for uphill haul roads. With the EX-7 range, Hitachi’s vision of smarter mining excavators is also coming to fruition as they connect with other elements of a mine to create a seamless operating experience.

SURPASSING EXPECTATIONS

YOUR SOURCING PARTNER FOR RAW MATERIALS

Hitachi is working with other autonomous mining technologies and services to build an integrated ecosystem, in which everything is interconnected.

This will allow data across an operation to be combined and analysed to give valuable insights, as well as reducing associated risks and costs.

In addition, HCM’s remote machine monitoring system, ConSite, connects the Hitachi owner, site and dealer by sending monthly automated operational data reports. Intelligently monitoring each machine, the system sends emergency service and maintenance alerts in real time to improve availability and performance, as well as decrease maintenance costs.

“By consistently providing mines with cutting-edge technology, products and services, Hitachi continues to meet their demands, generate added value for their operations and exceed their expectations,” says Malcolm Edwards, HCME’s Technical Sales Manager for mining and quarrying.

“The advanced technologies from within the Hitachi Group have been refined to offer reliable solutions to the global mining sector.”

We aim to be the industry’s obvious choice for trade services We are a supply chain services company working with clients and suppliers across industries. Through our vast network and extensive market experience, we are here to make your business operations easier and support your trade.

We are a proud partner to Terrafame. www.cellmark.com

ROTATOR OY - ONE SUPPLIER, PREMIUM BRANDS Rotator Oy is Finnish owned company importing, selling and servicing premium brands for various industries. “Rotator has been delivering mining and large construction machines almost seven decades. Our goal has been always providing full service for the customers in demanding operations.

Beside equipment sales it includes service and part distribution, rental and complete solutions.” says Sami Laitila, Rotator’s Business Director for mining and quarry.

A STRONG PARTNERSHIP Hitachi and Rotator has had an excellent working relationship with the Terrafame mine since visiting the site for the first time in 2006 and commissioning the mining equipment two years later. The first EX3600-6 and three EH3600ACIIs from that year have accumulated around 63,000 hours each since then, and these will be the initial products to be replaced.

The last machine commissioned on the site was the third EX3600-6 in 2018, which has since averaged approximately 6,600 working hours per annum.

Rotator Oy, supported by Hitachi Construction Equipment Europe, has taken care of equipment maintenance at the Terrafame mine from the beginning.

Rotator Oy and Terrafame have agreement for the maintenance of the existing equipment.

First EX3600-7 excavator and EH3500AC-3 trucks with MTU Stage V-level engines of next fleet will be completed in Japan during 2022 and are delivered to Terrafame mine. Assembly will be done by Rotator ready for commissioning at the mine. www.rotator.fi

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Sulzer pumps operate reliably in demanding applications where durability and performance counts. www.sulzer.com

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every summer, learning the profession. So, through close cooperation with the schooling side and our very systematic approach, we’re able to build up the skillset we need.”

The other benefit of Terrafame’s scenic environs is that it reminds its people of just what it is working for. Ultimately, Terrafame

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is a company that exists to promote sustainability, and as Lukkaroinen argues, European industry is uniquely placed to make a difference in that fight.

“In Europe, we have a lot of strengths we don’t always understand,” he tells us. “One of those is this long history of industrial activity and laws and

“WE HAVE A GOOD SITUATION AS THE LARGEST MINING COMPANY IN FINLAND AND THE LARGEST BATTERY CHEMICALS PRODUCER.” BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

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regulations which naturally make us more sustainable.

We have human rights, labour rights, so if customers ask if we have certificates, we will usually

have them in place. But this is something Europe should be recognised for even more strongly and that gives us great strength in our attitude on sustainability.

“WE ATTRACT YOUNG TALENT EASILY, PARTICULARLY THROUGH UNIVERSITIES. BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

At the same time, we have a lot of raw materials in Europe that could be utilised more actively.

So, we are a good example of how to make EV European production totally European. I hope in European policy-making the importance of keeping these raw materials in our own value chain is recognised.”

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VIZSLA SILVER CORPORATION

Michael Konnert, Company President & CEO, Vizsla Silver Corporation.

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VIZSLA SILVER CORPORATION

DESPITE THE RESTRICTIONS AND CHALLENGES IMPOSED BY THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, VIZSLA SILVER IS PUSHING TO PROGRESS ITS SILVER MINING PROJECT IN MEXICO AS PLANNED.

SILVER LINING PROJECT MANAGED BY: TIM GARWOOD

Vizsla Silver Corporation, a junior exploration company founded only four years ago, has achieved impressive results during the few years of its existence. Led by an experienced management team, the company has an option to acquire 100 per cent of the newly consolidated, 9,386.5-hectare Panuco district in southern Sinaloa, Mexico. The property covers the historic Panuco-Copala silver and gold mining district that has been in production for over 450 years. Recent results from the project have shown high-grade silver and gold results.

C

ompany President and CEO Michael Konnert, an experienced businessman who incorporated the company in 2017, explains that although the company also has other activities, the current focus is on its flagship asset in Mexico.

He says: “Vizsla started as a small company with an $800,000 IPO in 2018. In late 2019 we announced the acquisition of the option to acquire the entire Panuco silver district, and in 2020 we were able to transform the company with exploration success on the back of more than 28,000 metres drilled.”

“To summarize the business in a nutshell, one might say that we are an explorer that can move rapidly into production.

As opposed to large mining companies we have the advantage of being nimble and

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small, but most importantly, of having a team of people that I believe are the best in the industry. We can move faster than many other companies, we are more persistent, and we are motivated by maximising the value of the project, which has the potential to become a major silver producer.”

The Copala-Panuco district has a long history of silver production dating back to the 1500s and only recently has been consolidated and systematically explored by Vizsla. Currently, the company is exploring multiple drill rigs across three major vein corridors; the Napoleon, Cordon del Oro, and Tajitos veins. Significant infrastructure at the Copala-Panuco project includes a 500 TPD mill, two highways running through the project and high-tension power at the site.

FAST PROGRESS

Vizsla believes there is significant high-grade silver and gold discovery potential at Panuco, a region that has not seen modern exploration except for drilling complete between 2006 to 2008 on a portion of the district.

“We have a mill that is set to move to production very rapidly, and at the same time we are progressing with exploration that has never been done before, using cutting-edge exploration techniques including aerial surveys and electromagnetic surveys combined with classic drilling and prospecting,” says Mr Konnert.

He points out that the location of the asset could not be better, situated off a major highway, in the Sierra Madre epithermal belt, 80 km from First Majestic’s San Dimas mine. The districtscale camp has substantial infrastructure including roads, permits, power and a skilled workforce in neighbouring towns.

“The beginnings were not without challenges, though,” Mr Konnert admits. “Initially, the biggest challenge was getting the deal done, and when we got started, immediate results were not successful. Then COVID-19 came and we had to shut down

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MAZA DRILLING At the forefront to deliver the best to our customers

Maza Drilling is a Mexican company created in 2007 in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, its founder, Canadian of origin has more than 30 years of international experience in operational management.

Company with a high sense of responsibility and professionalism towards their customers, committed to the environment always at the cutting edge of technology and in the acquisition of ecosystem-friendly products.

Due to the current health contingency COVID-19 the prevention and hygiene measures have been restructured in collaboration with our customers by establishing health filters, early and timely detection tests by adding to our personal protection team what the health authorities have indicated, among others, for the containment of the virus.

SERVICES: Surface drilling We have HTM 2500 mount track, Duralite T800N mount track and Versadrill 1.4 mount track Underground Several underground rigs STM1500 and Versarill KMN 1.4

We have the highest technology equipment

Man Portable The manoeuvrability of the equipment makes it environmentally friendly as it does not need to open paths for the transfer of the equipment.

Continuous training • Prevention of accidents • Protection of personnel • Installation the field • Maintenance of equipment T: +52 669 112 0136; E: info@mazadrilling.com

www.mazadiamonddrilling.com

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Maza Drilling has a variety of work equipment covering the needs of the services required, thanks to the diversification of equipment, drillings are carried our in the interior of the mine, surface drilling (open-pit), within its equipment inventory we have mount tracked machines like Versadrill 1.4, Duralite T800N, HTM 2500T, man portable equipment like Mancore 600, Hydracore 2000 (required in difficult accesses due to their lightness, suitable to make the heliportable in their movements as modular equipment), and the STM150 used for the underground drills. www.mazadrilling.com for over a month, not knowing whether the enterprise was going to continue. However, shortly after, we made a significant discovery, on the second hole we drilled.”

He affirms that the project has been well accepted by local communities providing employment and an improvement in living standards, including improved access to medical care during the pandemic - a valuable contribution.

“AS OPPOSED TO LARGE MINING COMPANIES WE HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING NIMBLE AND SMALL, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, OF HAVING A TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT I BELIEVE ARE THE BEST IN THE INDUSTRY.” BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

VIZSLA SILVER CORPORATION

“Vizsla performed incredibly well through 2020, which was a difficult year in many ways. Despite the issues brought on by COVID-19, we were able to execute our plan and successfully deliver against our key performance indicators, including share price performance, fundraising and discovery, and making one of Mexico’s most significant precious metals discovery at the Napoleon’s vein at the Panuco project,” says Mr Konnert.

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VIZSLA IS WELL-FUNDED AND IS AGGRESSIVELY UNLOCKING VALUE WITH EIGHT RIGS TURNING RIGHT NOW.” SET FOR SUCCESS

Progress has been fast over the last few months. Recent drilling results show promising potential. “The Panuco silver

district is impressive, and the latest results demonstrate the significant potential of these vein corridors. Vizsla is wellfunded and is aggressively unlocking value with eight rigs turning right now.”

In April 2021, the company announced that an additional drill rig has arrived at the site bringing the total rig count to eight. The Company also announced that it has entered into an equity distribution agreement with Canaccord

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Genuity Corp. and filed a prospectus supplement in respect of an at-the-market equity programme. The ATM programme gives the company an avenue for raising funds at its discretion.

Michael Konnert stated: “With the eighth drill rig mobilized to the site the company is wellpositioned to maximize its drill programme for 2021. We continue to see positive results from the company’s drilling programme. Vizsla is excited to continue to show the potential of the prospective targets at the Panuco project and look forward to the eighth rig starting to drill at the La Bomba mine soon.”

For the first six months of 2021, the company expects to drill more than 40,000 metres of diamond drill holes. By the end of the year, the plan is to do in excess of 80 km of diamond drilling that will make the Panuco project Mexico’s most aggressive junior exploration programme this year.

“We are very active and wellfunded and will be steadily progressing towards the production stage over the next 12 to 18 months. As always, we are committed to continuing to operate through 2021 in a sustainable and safe manner that positively impacts the communities that we work in,” Mr Konnert affirms in concluding.

AS ALWAYS, WE ARE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO OPERATE THROUGH 2021 IN A SUSTAINABLE & SAFE MANNER THAT POSITIVELY IMPACTS THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE WORK IN.” 194 | MINING

VIZSLA SILVER CORPORATION

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SVITZER

SVITZER SHOWS US HOW THE MARINE SERVICE INDUSTRY IS SHIFTING FROM STANDARD PRODUCTS TO BESPOKE SERVICE.

MARINE SERVICES FOR A BESPOKE ERA PROJECT MANAGED BY: TREVOR GRETSINGER Svitzer is a leading global player in the marine services industry.

It has survived both World Wars, multiple recessions and most recently the Covid pandemic in its 188-year history.

A

s Svitzer’s CCO for the AMEA region, Pankaj Kankan, tells us, “We must be doing something right to have survived that long!”

Svitzer was founded in 1833 and acquired by Maersk in 1979. The firm operates in over 30 countries and is one of the biggest tug owners in the world.

Today Svitzer is serving shipping companies, is present in over 120 ports and serves yet more oil and gas terminals across Europe, Australia the Americas and AMEA. “We form an important link in business and trade, connecting ships in the terminal and taking them out, which is essential for the movement of trade,” says Kankan.

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A TRIPLE THREAT

Naturally, a company of Svitzer’s size has a number of unique things to offer, but Kankan narrows the list down to three key selling points.

“The three most profound differentiators are our global ownership advantage, localisation, although honestly, I prefer to call it ‘in-country value’, and that we can be a marine services integrator,” he explains. “With global ownership, the idea is about making sure customers benefit from our size and global footprint. Our footprint means we’re able to make the best use of our assets and offer the most flexible, efficient and reliable service to our customer.”

Svitzer’s goal is to combine the company’s many years of experience all over the world with the local knowledge of its people and convert that into a tailor-made solution for its customers.

“On the localisation side of things, you remember I said we must have done some things right?” Kankan asks.

“Localisation is one of those.

Our modus operandi throughout our history has been to bring our global experience and partner it with the development of local expertise. This is why we prefer to say ‘in-country value’.

It means local skill and talent development, developing local industry suppliers and service providers, and facilitating trade through our presence.”

The ultimate goal is for Svitzer to enable each territory to indigenise its services.

“There are places where we’ve worked long-term and done the training with the intention of passing on knowledge and expertise locally,” says Kankan.

“We’ve done this successfully all over the world, for example, in Egypt and Oman, that way we contribute to the prosperity and continuous growth of the country.”

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Svitzer’s capabilities as a marine service integrator are the final ingredient, combining all the different components of Svitzer’s approach to offer the customer the precise solution they need.

“Every customer needs a different solution, but more than that, every customer and every location needs a different solution,” Kankan says.

Pankaj Kankan, CCO Svitzer AMEA.

A NEW WORLD

Like most businesses, Svitzer’s big challenge is to remain relevant and competitive to its customers.

“The world is transforming at a rate of knots. Two or three decades ago things were transforming gradually but over the last 20 years that has accelerated,” points out Kankan. “Look at Covid - we have now suddenly defined

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Tel: (+264) 64 218 6000 • info@namdock.com www.namdock.com

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a new normal, a recalibration of how business is done. This will change customer demands and put businesses under pressure to rethink how we work and how we can become an integrated part of the value chain. The conventional style of doing business may not work anymore. Everyone needs a cost-effective, tailor-made solution and finding those and innovating is one of our challenges.”

This means looking at the specific needs of each customer and developing unique solutions for each.

“We have moved away from a world of standardisation.

The one-size-fits-all approach has moved on to a specific and bespoke era of solutions providers,” Kankan explains.

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SVITZER

“At Svitzer we do this by enhancing our engagement with the customer to better understand their business, their goal and their visions. That way we can co-create with our customers and tailor-make solutions that fit their specific needs.”

It’s an approach that involves the use of structured tools, including a key account management structure, which entails assigning resources to stay close to the customers and understand the solutions they need.

To do this successfully, Svitzer needs the right people on board.

That’s why Svitzer follows a very structured approach in employing its staff. The company is divided into two divisions.

There is the shore staff, who carry out support, service or strategy work, and then most of Svitzer’s people are driving or running its fleet of ships and tugs. Svitzer calls these its frontline group.

“For the crew, we source them through nautical colleges and

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training facilities and the schools where we operate. Most of the countries where we operate have a maritime fraternity, so we source people from there and invest a lot of time in their training and development,” says Kankan. “There have been many examples where our crew start at entry-level, complete exams, then move through the ranks on a ship. If a candidate has spent an ample amount of time on the tugs and ships, they will make a move to a shore position. We call it the ship-to-shore program. We have a lot of crew in the shore organisation who have been through this. In Egypt, one of our tug captains is now the contract manager in our operations in Port Said at the Suez Canal.

So training and development is an investment in our people rather than a cost.”

DIFFERENT KINDS OF GROWTH

Looking to the future, Svitzer has growth ambitions through both organic growth and acquisition.

“We’re open to looking at different ways of growing our

business. The AMEA region is going to be one of the biggest contributors to growth for Svitzer worldwide but it’s important to highlight what that means,” Kankan insists.

“It includes growing revenue but more importantly it means growth for our people in terms of new opportunities and new skills as well as growth for our customers. We will grow, develop our solutions, and contribute to reducing the environmental footprint of shipping. We will continue to meet our customers changing demands for example by making the business more sustainable and greener, and by improving safety and efficiency in our operations. So you can say that we’re looking at holistic growth.”

“THE CONVENTIONAL STYLE OF DOING BUSINESS MAY NOT WORK ANYMORE.”

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Abhy Maharaj, CCO & COO, NewCold.

NEWCOLD

A YEAR SINCE WE LAST SPOKE TO THEM, WE LEARN HOW NEWCOLD IS CONTINUING TO GROW ITS GEOGRAPHICAL FOOTPRINT AND ITS OFFERING.

LINKING THE COLD CHAIN PROJECT MANAGED BY: TREVOR GRETSINGER

NewCold is a leader in the development and operation of highly automated cold stores. The cold storage company is the fastest growing specialist in automated cold storage, boasting world-class and energy-efficient systems that make it stand out among conventional cold storage companies.

With a network of over 11 locations across three continents around the world, NewCold offers over 927,000 pallet positions, working with a team of 900 employees.

T

he company’s mission is to serve the leading food companies with the most compelling logistic cold chain experience possible.

NewCold envisages a future of temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics around the world shaped by innovation, trust, agility and automation.

NewCold was established nearly ten years ago, in 2012, and in that time, it has proven itself to be a disruptive force in the cold storage markets of Europe, the US and Australia.

“Our model is a fairly simple one,” explained Abhy Maharaj, Global Chief Commercial Officer & Chief Operating Officer for NewCold when we spoke to him last year. “We develop highly automated cold storage units which mean we can do it in a very efficient and environmentallyfriendly manner with 50% less energy consumption than you would normally have in a traditional warehouse.”

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While these solutions have helped forge NewCold’s reputation, the company is also known for the strong partnerships and long-term relationships it has forged in every aspect of the business.

NewCold works closely with leading food producers over the long term, backed by its main shareholders, Westport Capital Partners LLC, a large successful American private equity firm.

This backing allows NewCold to offer unrivalled continuity in its ability to finance new projects and offer long-term uninterrupted service to its customers. Excellent relationships with key suppliers in the cold storage industry, combined with strict financial covenants and capitalisation guidelines, mean that NewCold is a reliable partner of choice for the sector.

This is how NewCold has come to offer a superior longterm performance record, with marketplace examples operating continuously for over 15 years.

Today NewCold has seven cold stores operating on three continents with another cold store under construction, and exciting new projects commencing in Europe, Australia and the USA.

NEWCOLD PIACENZA

One of the reasons NewCold has been so successful in its expansion is that the company seldom jumps into a market without a clear idea of how it will progress there. Its business model is a bottom-up commercial model that looks at what pricing best suits its customers.

The priority is markets where it is sustainable for NewCold and where the company can provide a meaningful benefit to its customers.

“Typically, when we enter and establish a new market it takes time. We’re always developing a new facility from scratch so we partner closely with key players we’ve used before,” Maharaj explained to us when we spoke last year.

“In construction for example, if we have worked with someone in France, we’ll use them in Poland and Germany as well.

When we enter a market, it is a new development and there’s risk around that.

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Already had enough of your children singing “Frozen”? …so you’d rather avoid “Frozen” in your freezer cell and cold chain operations!

SNOW & ICE in your freezer?

Damaged equipment, building, packages?

Safety issues for your staff?

Orderpicking problems?

MASTERVEIL HAS A SOLUTION FOR YOU !

• Protect & Dry • Powerstream HYBRID system • Airstop

MASTERVEIL EUROPE

www.masterveil-eu.com

Tel: +32 (0) 53 60 78 90

MASTERVEIL: THE ART OF INVISIBLE DOORS Logistics companies in the cold chain industry, including freezers, conditioned warehouses, and storage activities, are facing issues related to their daily operations involving an intensive usage of their technical doors. When a door is open between 2 areas with different temperatures, then temperature leakage occurs : warm air influences at the upper part of the door and cold air influences at the bottom side of the door. This can be for example an outside door between a loading bay and a conditioned frontroom, or between a loading bay and a freezer cell, or also a speed roller between a freezer cell and a cold frontroom.

Frequent door opentime in combination with air exchanging causes significant energy losses and expensive waste of money, as an indoor environment is generally achieved by heating or cooling. Also, this will affect the humidity percentage in both sides of the door, and will provoke hazardous conditions such as draughts, fog, snow, icing and slippery floors, collisions.

With more than 30 years of experience, Masterveil has developed technologies such as Airstop and Powerstream which are the most suitable solutions in invisible doors to separate 2 areas with a significant difference in temperatures, generating savings in energy consumption and fast return on investment.

As your specialist partner in tailormade solutions regarding invisible doors and temperatures separations, Masterveil has always an adapted technology for your application, especially for freezer cells and shockfrosters which cannot cope with humidity.

Even the best technical doors lose their value when they are frequently opened and closed. When such a door is combined with an AirStop or a Powerstream system, this will improve logistic speed, safety and efficiency. Imagine free logisitic traffic between the frontroom and your freezer without the typical snow, ice, fog and safety problems.

Regarding Powerstream, it is the ideal application for doorways in freezer cells.

Even extreme temperatures are separated without any hazardous conditions.

This patented system represents a real revolution in the market when it comes to highest efficiency & lowest energy consumption.

And finally, for valued customers like Newcold, we have developed a “Protect & Dry” concept for freezers in direct contact with loading bays and outdoor ambient temperature.

OUR SERVICES: • Advice & commercial support • Montage & maintenance • Project coordination

• Project check • Energy simulations & measurements • Quality control & start protocol

YOUR ADVANTAGES: • Stable temperature, production & storage parameters and/or better comfort • Protect your precise environment from wrong influences • Save money by reducing losses of energy and clear separation of different zones • Available for entrances, industrial, logistic and production environment • Advantage of the modular concept for maximum flexibility & tailor made design • Multiple solutions available depending on available space • Optimize your evaporators and temperature due to reduced defrostings • Designed for high logistic usage • Absolute safest environment for your workers thanks to a clear view • Developed to integrate active dehumidification • Foreseen for optimal usage of heat recuperation www.masterveil-eu.com

Tel: +32 (0)53 60 78 90

COLD AS ICE A fast-growing specialized construction company, B-Built has extensive experience in building large-scale cold store warehouses in Western Europe. Acquired knowledge that we continuously and successfully apply in the building of new logistics facilities.

LEARN MORE

+31-(0)164-271660

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The best general contractors have MIAS in their warehouse.

Stacker Cranes - AS/RS Load Handling Devices Retrofit & Service

Toll-Free +1 (866) MIAS-USA 6427-872 info@mias-group.com ▪ www.mias-group.com

MIAS: FOCUS ON INNOVATIVE INTRALOGISTICS MIAS has a clear vision: providing general contractors and system integrators with the best possible support and best-in-class solutions when it comes to loading handling devices and stacker cranes in intralogistics.

From finding and developing a solution to production and implementation right through to service and maintenance.

Alongside the headquarters in Munich, Germany, MIAS is also represented via its international subsidiaries in the USA, China, Hungary, and Australia.

Today the company employs more than 450 staff members at these locations and, as an OEM, supplies stacker cranes and telescopic forks to customers all over the world. This global footprint together with up-to-date manufacturing capabilities enables MIAS to deliver, implement and maintain projects of various sizes in all markets of our international customers.

Focusing clearly on general contractors and systems integrators, MIAS also has a profound footprint with deep-freeze warehouses.

Our customers value the reliability of our first-class products as well as attentive and best-in-class service, both during the project and after-sales.

Our goal is to be the trusted and preferred partner of solution providers within the intralogistics sector, going beyond a simple supplier-customer relationship, moving towards a long-term value-adding partnership.

MIAS is very honored to be the selected partner for numerous projects with NewCold, representing a total of 20+ stacker-cranes and pallet-shuttles in top-class automated warehouse solutions. www.mias-group.com

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NEWCOLD

THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF ONE OF OURBUSINESS RULES: “WE FOLLOW OUR CUSTOMERS!”

Bram Hage, Founder and EVP, NewCold

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We look at a market where there’s an opportunity, where there’s a requirement for additional cold storage capacity or a number of small players in the market.”

If there is an opportunity NewCold will find an anchor customer to base its operations around. Then NewCold finds other customers to help build on that.

As Maharaj told us, “We don’t just build a facility and hope for the best - it’s built around long-term customer partnerships and leading-edge innovation.”

Indeed, today NewCold is responding to continued demand from customers in starting the construction of a new deep freeze facility near Piacenza, in the north of Italy. This new site sees its first pallets arriving in the Second Quarter of 2022.

“This is a prime example of one of our business rules,” says Bram Hage, Founder and EVP of NewCold. “We follow our customers!”

NewCold’s entrance into the Italian market began with the acquisition of Pacaro in Borgorose, 75 kilometres northeast of Rome.

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS | 205

NEWCOLD

That company is now a part of the NewCold Group while the Pacaro site has 25,000 Euro-pallet locations and an automated cold store that NewCold now has access to.

This facility, known as the Piacenza operation, will be NewCold’s first newly built facility in Italy, although plans are already in place for a second side near Rome. Italy’s famous “boot” shape means that the two locations will be critical in allowing NewCold to serve the whole country.

The Piacenza site will follow the pattern of the typical NewCold standard design, with a capacity of 73,200 Euro-pallets handled by eight automatic stacker cranes.

With the challenges the modern supply chain faces, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, NewCold has made it clear they believe automated cold storage is the only way forward for a modern supply chain.

As well as cold storage, NewCold will be building a solar energy park to supply up to 80% of its future energy needs. NewCold believes that the efficient usage of natural resources together with the healthy local community and employee relations are the key elements leading to outstanding financial results and business prosperity.

This is an attitude that NewCold has extended beyond the Piacenza operation to the company’s sustainability policies as a whole, with the cold storage company recognising the impact and responsibility that come with its extensive operations.

NewCold recognizes the importance of sustainable business practices for the wellbeing of future generations.

The company is working

206 | TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS

NewCold Trucks Australia

NewCold Tacoma, USA

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

NEWCOLD

NEWCOLD IS WORKING TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF ITS OPERATIONS ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE OPTIMISATION OF THE COLD SUPPLY CHAIN AND IMPLEMENTING INNOVATIVE NEW CONCEPTS.

to reduce the impact of its operations on the environment and local communities through the optimisation of the cold supply chain and implementing innovative new concepts.

NewCold incorporates the Triple Bottom Line framework in its core operations, allowing the company to evaluate its performance from different perspectives and create greater transparency across the food supply chain.

BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM

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POSTNORD

POSTNORD, A LEADING LOGISTICS COMPANY IN THE NORDIC REGION, IS INCREASING ITS EMPHASIS ON SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS AGAINST THE PANDEMIC-DRIVEN INCREASE IN TRAFFIC VOLUMES.

NORDIC PERFORMANCE PROJECT MANAGED BY: DAVID TAVERNOR In 2020, PostNord delivered nearly 200 million parcels and 2.6 billion letters and other mail items to the population of 28 million inhabitants and 2 million companies in the Nordic region.

T

he company achieved the best-ever financial results in its history, a performance undoubtedly significantly aided by the coronavirus pandemic that further emphasised existing trends – growing e-commerce and consumer demand for convenience and simplicity.

In the unprecedented situation, PostNord demonstrated its ability to handle major fluctuations in volume with high delivery quality, while driving forward its improvement programmes.

This also contributed to sharply improved results.

TRUSTED PROVIDER

PostNord is the largest company in its sector in the Nordic region and is an important part of the region’s history. The company was formed from the merger of Post Danmark A/S and Posten AB in 2009, but its postal tradition goes back several centuries. Today, it is owned 40 per cent by the Danish state and 60 per cent by Sweden.

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The parent company is a Swedish public limited company with its Group headquarters in Solna, Sweden.

Finland is a market the company is looking to in order to aggressively expand its presence. The Finnish branch, that Ms Johanna Starck, CEO of PostNord Finland represents, has some 300 direct employees and achieved a turnover of EUR 130 million last year. In Finland, the company provides logistics services for business customers as well as e-commerce logistics and parcel distribution for consumers and is a leading provider of logistics in the healthcare sector.

Ms Starck says: “While PostNord has traditional postal operations in Sweden and Denmark, in Finland we are purely a logistics company with some warehousing services.

With the current focus on the parcel business, we are currently striving to become Number Two in Finland’s parcel market.”

She explains that in the fastevolving logistics environment, the company is not seen – unlike some newcomers – as a market disrupter but regarded as a trustworthy operator, providing a solid, regional Nordicwide service. Its size and the resources to invest in capacity

and service development also differentiate the company in a severely competitive market.

The company’s focus of activity is the consumer, says Ms Starck: “As consumers’ expectations, requirements and behaviours change, we are proactively developing in line with these changes, constantly seeking new ways of dealing with the new requirements.“

NEW INFRASTRUCTURE

As elsewhere in the Nordic countries, PostNord Finland has seen how a sharp increase in e-commerce is driving business growth.

While customers’ behaviour may not remain in its current form once the new normal is established, it is believed that some of it is permanent.

PostNord Finland’s ambition is to develop a strong domestic distribution network and the infrastructure to support growth, Ms Starck affirms, explaining that the company has defined a programme of expansion to establish a terminal triangle to cover an area where 60% – 70% of Finland’s purchasing power is located.

This programme includes a new terminal in Turku that became operational at the end of 2019.

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POSTNORD

Annemarie Gardshol, Group CEO of PostNord

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Reliable partner for future-proof logistic process automation Vanderlande integrates and supplies fully automated systems for parcel sorting centres.

Our wide range of integrated solutions caters for all sizes of hubs and depots, and covers your entire process – from arrival and unloading, to sorting, loading and onward transportation. > vanderlande.com

210 | TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS

Another terminal, including a warehouse facility, is being built in the Tampere area and expected to become into use in mid-2021. The third logistics centre will be in Vantaa in the vicinity of the capital.

Construction work on this is scheduled to commence later this year with completion expected in autumn 2022.

“Once operational, the terminals in Tampere, Turku and Vantaa will form the framework of a geographical triangle in southern Finland, in which a major share of Finland’s logistics transportation takes place. The investment will further support optimisation and efficiency while at the same time enhancing sustainability, and ultimately the customer’s experience,” says Ms Starck.

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POSTNORD

“WE HAVE HAD TO ACCELERATE OUR INVESTMENTS AND SPEED UP OUR EXPANSION PLANS. WE ARE EXPERIENCING PARCEL VOLUMES TODAY THAT HAD BEEN EXPECTED TO BE REACHED IN 2022.”

Johanna Starck, Head of PostNord Finland

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Annemarie Gardshol, PostNord CEO and President, confirms the network is expanding, both in Finland and across the Nordics.

The infrastructure required by a fully functioning e-commerce system is very advanced.

PostNord’s coverage is unique and allows people in the Nordics to live a modern life wherever they live and work.

“The pandemic resulted in a drastic increase in online shopping. As a consequence, we have had to accelerate our investments and speed up our expansion plans. We are experiencing parcel volumes today that had been expected to be reached in 2022.”

She also adds that, with customer convenience in mind, a new last-mile technology including live tracking has

recently been launched in the capital area of Turku and Tampere.

“This gives the recipient better information regarding the parcel’s current location and its estimated delivery.”

TOWARDS FOSSIL-FREE

Sustainability was a key topic for the company long before the pandemic and last year’s developments further increased its importance, given the increased traffic volumes.

“An environmental programme is very important in logistics. As a logistics company, we do create emissions and the pandemic has further highlighted the need to address the urgency to implement novel methods to be more environmentally friendly,” Ms Starck acknowledges.

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS | 211

POSTNORD

“Having a leading position but also an important role to play in a society, we do have a responsibility to contribute to sustainable development in an industry that depends on transportation.

We have worked systematically for a long time to reduce our carbon footprint. Over the past ten years, we have reduced our emissions by 40% despite steep business growth and now we are raising our ambitions further. We aim to lead the mail and logistics industry into the low-carbon economy by becoming fossil-free by 2030. We don’t know exactly how we’ll get there yet, but that is not an excuse for not giving it a serious try,” clarifies Annemarie Gardshol.

“WE AIM TO LEAD THE MAIL AND LOGISTICS INDUSTRY INTO THE LOW-CARBON ECONOMY

BY BECOMING FOSSIL-FREE BY 2030.”

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POSTNORD

Parcels in PostNord’s terminal

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“However, sustainability also covers areas such as diversity and inclusion, and to have a responsible supply chain – we need to make sure that the services we buy and the companies we use are following our values for sustainable transportation.”

Going forward, the company will continue to provide unique end-to-end solutions with a dual focus on the sender and the recipient. The new infrastructure will support this strategy, making PostNord Finland an efficient, futureoriented logistics provider.

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