Turning the tide delivering world class valves

COVER STORY Turning the tide delivering world class valves

In the current fast-changing market, even when you believe that something has had its time, new opportunities pop up almost out of nowhere. This holds true for Ainsworth Valves that have arisen from the ashes – new and improved. Pipes, Pumps and Valves Africa find out more.

At the time of its liquidation, Ainsworth Engineering was one of the oldest valve manufacturers in South Africa. The company had built a solid reputation for delivering quality valves to a range of sectors. Letting go of all the experience, knowledge and capability seemed to only accentuate the loss to the industry. It was with this in mind that Reggie Naidoo opted to form a new company called Ainsworth Valves. “We brought back some of the old staff members experienced in valve manufacturing as it was clear that we could not lose this host of knowledge,” he says. “Some of the staff have more than 28 years of experience in manufacturing valves. This was a clear opportunity for a new beginning.” According to Naidoo, the strategy is very straightforward. “We want to bring back the rich history of valve manufacturing that Ainsworth Engineering once had,” he says. “Our goal is to deliver a range of products that can stand the test of time. We are focusing on continuing with the manufacturing of local quality valves on the Ainsworth product portfolio.” He says targeting a range of sectors particularly the water, mining and power industries would be the main focus at present. This is due to many of the products on the portfolio being well established in these sectors. There is also a big demand for valves in the water and wastewater sectors in South Africa and Africa, while power utilities are continuously looking for quality products that meet their needs.

Moving Ainsworth forward

Naidoo says instead of dwelling in the past the company has geared up for a bright future. “The outlook for the business is ready to continue from where the old Ainsworth left off in its glory days,” he says highlighting that the company was renowned for its quality products. “We want to continue to grow and build the brand, not only locally, but also internationally.” He says by offering competitive pricing, service and delivery the brand is set for new heights. “We have plans to grow our local and international footprint as we are known for our quality product and service.” With Ainsworth already having a large installed base in Africa and overseas, aspirations are high for growth. “The aim is to grow the install base significantly over the next few years.” “We also have a quick turnaround time and are able to meet customers’ needs consistently. Ainsworth is a 100% locally manufactured in South Africa. We have very high aspirations in taking this brand forward.” Naidoo says with quality casting from one of the best foundries in South Africa Steloy Foundries there is no reason why the set goals cannot be achieved. For Naidoo, the outlook is extremely positive. “We want to bring back alive the 80 years of one of South Africa's oldest valve manufacturing companies and allowing for more growth and prosperity to last another 80 years or more.”

Trends, challenges and outlook

With an extensive product range on offer, the Ainsworth Valves team are optimistic about the future. “We carry the RSV water works, RSV green Mamba rubber line gate valve, non-return (reflux) valves, tilting discs nonreturn, high-pressure wedge gate valves, butterfly valves and fire hydrant valves,” explains Naidoo. Ongoing research and development also aim to complement the companies’ current offerings. “One of the biggest challenges that we face in South Africa is that of cheap imported valves that simply don’t last as long compared to the quality locally manufactured products.” With this in mind, it is critical that local manufacturers are on top of international developments ensuring their product ranges are meeting the demands and needs of customers and keeping up with the trends. Naidoo says it has been challenging because the 70% local content that government requires is not being followed or met. This makes it increasingly difficult for local manufacturers to compete with cheap imports. “It is extremely worrying because we continue to see more and more imported products in the local market despite government requirements for more local content.” He says the benefits of buying local far outweight the risk of purchasing a cheap import. “We cast and manufacture all of our products locally delivering a product that is price competitive and of very high quality. We are also based locally making it easy to access spares and servicing of our products.”

Ainsworth Valves, +27 (0)10 020 8388, sales@ainsworthvalves.com, www.ainsworthvalves.com