SELECT PPE
SELECT PPE
Protecting
People
Everyday PRODUCTION: Djamil Benmehidi
When a company rises quickly to become an industry leader so dominant as Select PPE, it is difficult not to sit up and take notice. Since it was first established in 1998 – just 19 years ago, Select PPE has emerged to become Southern Africa’s leading distributor of personal protective equipment (PPE) through its dedication to staying ahead of the curve and excellent service.
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INDUSTRY FOCUS: SAFETY
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For those who earn a living in rugged, rough-andtumble industries like the mining and heavy industry sectors, for example, or any other hazardous workplace environment, the risk of serious injury or even death is very real and ever-present. Today, employers are under greater pressure than ever before to not only provide high-quality personal protective equipment to their staff, so as to ensure their safety, but also implement the systems and internal processes needed to distribute equipment, monitor its issue and return, and ensure that the client companies are health and safety compliant. Since it first opened its doors for business in 1998, Select PPE has been the go-to name in the PPE sector, and has emerged to become the region’s leading distributor of PPE. A commitment to customer service excellence and expert knowledge on all facets of PPE, and all appropriate legislation and health and safety compliance has led the company to achieve great things in a short space of time. Suffice to say Select PPE’s effect on the industry in which it operates has been transformational. “20 years ago, Derrick Morris – the first owner of Select PPE –
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was managing sport stores on the mines where he realised the gap and the need for PPE,” says Finance Director, Erika Stols. She continues: “There was so much abuse of PPE systems and process and no record, so he started the managing of the PPE Onsite stores on behalf of the customer. A record keeping process whereby if PPE is issued to the end-user or the user, then he’d keep record of it. That’s how, in essence, Select PPE started. “It started with hard copy paperwork, where we’d keep record on how many items of PPE were issued to any end-user on a specific site, be it a mining site, manufacturing, plant, construction – it doesn’t matter which industry. Overtime has evolved further to the extent that we have developed an in-house database and distribution system, created by our longstanding onsite developer. It’s a fantastic system.” “We have a code of practice or now known as an Issuing protocol, where it’s determined for instance if you are an underground worker – they need gloves, hard hat, ear protectors, mask, boots, and it is all registered on our system when PPE is issued. So, when an employee swipes their employee card, our oneof-a-kind system (fully copyrighted
to Select PPE) either allows you to take the PPE kit you are entitled to the issuing protocol or no, sorry – you have already taken your equipment last week and are outside your IP. An requisition is issued that needs to be authorised by visiting the Head of Department. Select PPE is currently launching our ppe.365. net system, all of which will happen online – we have plans in place to manage the approval process where an end user is outside his IP by using apps. You won’t see people running around with slips anymore!” This innovative and fully automated stock control IT system has proved to be a resounding success, and has generated cost savings for Select PPE’s customers, including long standing relationships with large blue-chip clients, including various large companies within Africa OGP, manufacturing, agricultural and mining sectors. Not that Select’s ambitions are restricted to the local areas. The 2016 launch of the company’s new logo was symbolic for the company, in that its inclusion of a silhouette of the African continent is indicative of its ambitious drive to further penetrate new countries and markets. Starting with Zambia and Botswana, this
SELECT PPE
Africa growth strategy will then see the company grow up through Africa in-line with Select PPE’s BP2020 strategy - an ambitious and expansive idea that will see the company diversify its business model and become a distributor of its own range of personal protection equipment. Stols elaborates on this further, saying: “We’ve opened a number of retail outlets – we’ve got seven now, which are all doing really well. We aim to have 20 open by next year, and we are on course to achieve this. “We’ve also started our consignment store business this year, where we will be present into a client’s premises/shop and put up a branded shelf in that shop. Through this, our clients can sell stock on our branded shelfs and walk-in customers can purchase
PPE equipment as they need it. The launch name for these ‘shops in shops’ is Safe@work - entirely branded and trademarked by Select PPE. We will invoice these consignment customers each month for the cost of goods and stock that has been sold to their customers. “In 2017 Select PPE launched our range of inhouse protective equipment brands called Pride, Force, and Storm.” While Select PPE’s new retail outlets and expanded operations are impressive, it is this decision to become a manufacturer of its own range of personal protection equipment which will truly help take the company to the next level. With the support of a manufacturing partner, who was selected carefully after a two-year selection and planning
phase, Select PPE aims to drive its protective equipment product ranges to the top of the industry, to become a market leading supplier of products as well as a distributor. Thus far, all feedback from potential clients suggests that is new product ranges will be very well received: “We’ve created three different ranges to meet the budgets and needs of all potential clients. The Storm product range is for your high-end, discerning customers that need specialist items; the best equipment, like your blue-chip steel manufacturers, people that use a lot of chemicals, and so on. That’s the Storm range, a premium selection of products aimed at a smaller consumer segment at the top of the market. However, this range will naturally be limited in size,” Stols explains.
QualitySafety T. +27 16 365 5770 F. +27 16 365 5740 E. qualsafe@mweb.co.za W. www.qualitysafety.co.za
Quality Safety cc (QS) was founded in 1978 by Mr. Brian Bland to bring innovative and cost effective safety products to the South Africa and international market. Now consolidated team of more than 400 people are the work force in the company. In 1990 the Quality Safety was established as 1990(Pty) Ltd. The vision of the Quality Safety is to acquire excellence in the field of quality, in both product and services. The strategy of Quality Safety is to create and provide quality products
in the safety, security and medical equipment related arena. The range of products varies from simple utilitarian and well-designed products, to specific high-tech product ranges manufactured according to stringent and tested standards, which include: • Accreditation with the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) • Compliance with ISO 9001 standards • Quality Safety rank among the largest local manufacturing companies surpassing multinational companies in the industry.
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INDUSTRY FOCUS: SAFETY
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SELECT PPE
She continues: “Our Pride range on the other hand is our intermediate range, and it has been very well received by the market. Pride will be a more value conscious product that is synonymous with strength, value, and comfort, and aimed at the far larger mid-market consumer segment. “The Force range is an entry level option that caters to lower budgets without compromising on safety. Its more for the agricultural sector, such as your small farm owners, for example, that needs equipment and overalls for their workers but who can’t afford the most expensive kit. We’ve just started to receive our first stock order for the Force range.” Understandably, there is great optimism about the company’s forthcoming entry into this new area of business. Certainly, there is a feeling among the senior management team that this expansion has capped what has been a very successful few years for the business. It is no secret that the South African economy has endured a difficult period of stagnation and poor business confidence, because of many political and economic difficulties, not least the dire commodities crash that all but collapsed the global mining sector. It is therefore telling that even despite the challenging conditions that existed around the company, Select PPE hasn’t merely survived but thrived, having posted double-digit growth rates, year-on-year. In the words of Stols, “Select PPE has always been a survivor.” The company’s 420 highly trained professional staff from every department, be it warehousing, logistics, or procurement, as well as its senior management team, are actively engaged in the company’s success. Stols reiterates “Select PPE are headed by a transformational CEO –
Peet Pieterse, whom came through the ranks from an entry level manager to leading the whole Select PPE Africa team. His vision and ‘no nonsense attitude’ is well known and are supported by his Senior Team. His ‘we will not compromises’ are: Complete solution offering, selling a service of managing the safety of our customers employees; build a formidable reputation and long-standing customer networks;attribute our success to the high-quality of service, reaction time to the markets, endurance in poor economic cycles and the ability to deliver tailored PPE management systems to our customers; continuously evaluate the market trends and product innovation;service offerings designed to communicate our focus on our customers and employees; be flexible, fast and innovative with regards to changes required to meet our clients’ needs and accomplish goals, cost savings, legislative requirements and KPI’s; and embrace change, honour our communities wherein we work, strongly believe in education and skills transfer initiatives.” These are heady times for a company which has seemingly perfected the business of protecting workers into a fine art form. Economic crashes, mining strikes, and political discord have failed to halt Select PPE’s ascent – one can only wonder what the company will achieve in thriving conditions?
SELECT PPE 011 296 3600 marketing@selectppe.co.za www.selectppe.co.za
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AFRICA
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR AFRICA’S INDUSTRY LEADERS
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Issue No.64
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SKA / Transnet / Metso / AVBOB
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ENTERPRISE AFRICA
OCTOBER 2017