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NEWS ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
70 Years
y e l t a r P of
With a rich history spanning over 70 years, Pratley has a story to tell that begins in a Hillbrow garage and travels to the moon and back.
THIS YEAR MARKS 70 years since George ‘Monty’ Pratley founded Pratley. Established in 1948, the
iron cable junction boxes. In the late 1960’s the American Space Agency used
company has grown into a brand-leading adhesive
this product on one of its moon missions, securing the
PRATLEY’S HIGH PERFORMANCE ADHESIVE RANGE INCLUDES:
manufacturer that produces over 1 000 products,
products status as the only South African product to
including an impressive array of electrical and mineral
have gone to the moon. These days Pratley Putty is
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products. Pratley has filed over 350 patents world-wide
used to repair and secure just about anything from
and they even have a product on the Moon.
swimming pool cracks to repairing the hulls of partially
In the early days, the original Pratley office was a small rented garage in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. In 1955, Monty used capital, and some money which he
sunken ships and securing radio transmitters onto pangolins backs. In 1985, two years after the Monty’s passing,
borrowed from his mother, to purchase a building
his son Kim launched another world adhesive first
site in Factoria, Krugersdorp, on which a factory and
called ‘Wondafix’. The product was launched at the
main offices were erected and are presently situated.
Johannesburg Zoo where to the delight of the public
Today, the site hosts state-of-the-art research and
and media, Kim demonstrated the product’s incredible
testing laboratories, modern manufacturing facilities
reliability by standing underneath a 13-tonne bulldozer
and even a fully equipped technical training centre.
suspended above his head by a ‘Wondafix’ adhesive joint.
Monty initially started out by doing engineering
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“One of my father’s most unique attributes was his
jobbing work for the mining industry. By the early
total belief in his ability to succeed. Failure was not in
1960’s Pratley was producing electrical cable glands
his vocabulary. Much of his tenacity still lives in the
and junction boxes for both the mines and many local
culture of the company to this day. I think our policy
municipalities. Pratley Putty, then known as Pratley
of producing products that outperform all others in
Plastic Putty, was developed in the Pratley laboratory
the world market is testament to that.” explained CEO,
at around the same time and eventually put the
Kim Pratley. These days the company also lead by the
Pratley name on the world map. The product was the
third generation of family members. Kim is joined by
first of its kind in the world and was initially designed
his two sons Andrew and Charles Pratley who play a
to fix and insulate brass terminals located inside cast
highly active role in managing the company.
JULY 2018 DIY & INDUSTRIAL TRADE NEWS
• Acrylic adhesives
Call: 011-955-2190 Visit: www.pratleyadhesives.com