ICEC OLD B O DI E S ( P T Y ) LT D
Responding to customer needs “between the road and the load” www.icecoldbodies.co.za
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Best-in-Class Manufacturer After increasing its capacity by more than 50 percent two years ago, Icecold Bodies is ensuring that it listens to the voice of its customers so as to increase its market share Writer: Emily Jarvis • Project Manager: Tom Cullum
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efrigerated vehicle body and trailer manufacturer, Icecold Bodies has reacted to South Africa’s recent economic slowdown by overhauling its market strategy to better serve South Africa’s transport industry, becoming one of the major trend-setters within a highly competitive industry. After recognising the need to compliment its manufacturing capabilities with value-add services, such as repair facilities and extended product warranties, Icecold Bodies increased its facility capacity by more than 50 percent in 2013; forming an integral part of a five-year expansion plan to future-proof the Company. “The decision to transform the Company into a more respectable, reliable organisation that builds on personal relationships became evident when we listened to the voice of the customer. Customer interaction is essential for our brand and product development as this allows us to set new trends based on customer needs and demands,” said Icecold Bodies in a press release. Two years later and this plan has been successful in creating new business partnerships, while reinforcing longstanding ones. The Company has come a long way in the industry since establishing in 1993, becoming a well-respected, proudly South African body and trailer manufacturer, with a renewed flexible and responsive business model and comprehensive product rang; comprising trailers, insulated bodies and rigid truck bodies that are all adaptable to customer needs. Serving a growing demographic of customers in South Africa and Namibia, Icecold Bodies strives to be a one-stop shop provider of innovative products and value-add services including trailer and truck production, repair and finishing. “Setting new trends in production
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UNIVERSAL PLYWOODS
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niversal Plywoods are a South African based plywood company specialising in bulk imports and exports of all plywood and engineered timber products into Sub-Saharan Africa. Supplying a wide variety industries as well as retailers and merchant wholesalers, we have the widest range of Plywoods and engineered timber products sourced globally for every application! With decades of experience in the timber industry, we procure our stocks from sustainable timber organisations both locally and internationally. T +27 11 310 9717 E sales@universalply.com
GRP composite body, semi-trailer with outrigger and intermediate sub-frame construction
Product
Warranties 3 YEAR
warranty on Insulated GRP bodies
1 YEAR
warranty on steel trucks and trailers
6 MONTH
aftersales repair cover
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and supply chain will allow us to become leaders in the field. However respect between likeminded manufacturers will benefit everyone; the pie is big enough and all can share in this multi-billion rand industry,” affirms Ettiene Tukker, GM of Icecold Bodies.
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manufacturing efficiencies.” He added: “Thus, it became essential for us to ensure that our customers can remain competitive. Therefore, we are constantly adapting our designs and operations to suit new demands from the industry in order to ensure our customers run at optimum performance levels.” Optimum performance levels Driven by its continuous As the number of middle-class South improvement strategy to bolster its African’s continues to prosper, so manufacturing capabilities in line with does the demand for commodities and industry trends, the Company owns the need for convenient and efficient and operates two substantial facilities delivery systems for these goods, - a 13,000 square metre business and which is something that Icecold is keen repair centre in Linbro Park, and a to capitalise on. 60,000m2 facility in Heidelberg – both Tukker highlighted: “The transport of which have plenty of room to industry will continue to grow expand at a moment’s notice. as living standards and demands “Manufacturers and operators are increase. However, with the current desperate for a modern, concise, clear government involvement and and firm set of guidelines...so they initiatives such as implementing can accurately plan their equipment refrigeration standards - and with full designs and purchases. industry support - this will become an “Our system approach allows us ever-changing process to deliver better to implement ‘kaizen,’, lean and MRP
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For further details, contact our Johannesburg Head Office on: +27 11 310 9717 E-mail: sales@universalply.com www.universalply.com Aleksandar Todorovic/Shutterstock.com
Fabio Bernardi/Shutterstock.com
“Universal Plywoods – South Africa’s ONLY plywood specialist group, specialising in all types of plywood panels – sourced worldwide.”
initiatives throughout our operations, allowing for just-in- time, cost-effective and quality production and continuous in-line development through line balancing and product optimisation,” Tukker commented.
Attention to detail
Thanks to the increasing power of computerised technology, easier, faster and more efficient methologies to design and build trailers are arising. Along with many other South African operators, Icecold Bodies is integrating its local specialist employee skills with new technologies at various stages in the manufacturing process, in order to create a final product that has been thoroughly and strictly controlled according to SAVS specifications prior to it being delivered to the client as a ready to use product.
SPECIALISTS AND STOCKISTS • LVL – Laminated Veneer Lumber • Wood Engineered I-Beams • Long-spanning LVL structural beams • LVL – up to 12 metres in length & 100mm in thickness • Glulam beams & sections • Plywood specialists, agents & distributors • Finnish birch plywood • Nordic spruce plywood – large panels • Anti-slip birch plywood – mezzanine floors • Film-faced off-shutter plywood concrete finish panels • Marine plywood exterior • Pine plywood – all grades • Transport plywood specialists • Packaging plywoods
“The manufacturing process for all our products starts in the drawing office where the product is duly planned on paper by our team. The final drawing complete with the job card is then submitted to the factory so that the raw material can be ordered and subsequently start the manufacturing process,” the Company details. Similarly, the use of the latest materials and components to construct
the trailer also requires continuous market research to find out what materials are popular in vehicle refrigeration around the world, with attributes such as weight and durability considered. Tukker concluded: “We are entering an exciting period where a handful of trailer manufacturers are likely to set new boundaries in design and innovation, in response to the recent tide of European imports. “All that is needed then is strong guidance and support from South Africa’s transport and road authorities so that we can align with both the regulations required, and ensure we continue to grow our market share by listening to the ‘voice of the customer’ and incorporate a value-add after-sales service into our business offering.”
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Business Centre/repairs: 7 Galaxy Drive Linbro Park (Marlboro Off-ramp) T: +27 16 349 1140 F: +27 16 349 1486 E: info@icecoldbodies.co.za
www.icecoldbodies.co.za
Production facility: 4 End Str, Heidelberg PO Box 1782 Heidelberg 1438 T: +27 16 349 1140 F: +27 16 349 1486