TechDrive. December 2019. End of Year. by TheLostExecutive

INNOVATION

TECHNOLOGY

BUSINESS LEADERSHIP INSPIRATION

THE LATEST IN TECH & BUSINESS DECEMBER 2019

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CONTENTS Editors note............................................................................................................ 4 Goodyear South Africa........................................................................................6 Facts Only: Are Electric Cars Really a Smart Choice for the Environment?......12 Ebony Home ............................................................................................14 Assaia Apron AI....................................................................................16 Lighting the way in airport runway safety..........................................20 Interview with Rupen Philloura founder of Airport Groupe.............. 24 Aeromao...................................................................................26 NB Environmental Services Ltd (NBESL)............................... 28 Tsatsi Lehlabile................................................................ 32 TSSN Carriers.............................................................. 34 Outstanding Tent...................................................... 38 Glo Domes. Suppliers of Geodestic Domes........... 42 Top Employees for a Top Employer Company....46 Ten Ways Magna Is Reimagining the Future.................................................48

EDITORS NOTE

RELATIONSHIP JINGLES

What has made 2019 magnificent and what can be done to make 2020 even better? This is the question that we have been asking the businesses included in our end of year edition.

Every business will testify to the importance of relationships with their clients but for many this is mostly lip service. Then, you find a business such as Exclusive Tents who consider their clients more as friends and family members than just paying customers. In late 2017 one of their client’s resorts were devastated by a flood and Exclusive Tents donated essential component parts to them. Thanks to this and their ongoing support the resort re-opened a year later.

It is an important question to ask, and it’s something we’ve asked ourselves as well. We’ve found that as the end of this year approaches it is a waste to bundle all the experiences, both good and bad, into a package and label it “2019.” What a waste to simply categorise and store the experiences of an entire year! Every challenge and hurdle, every obstacle thrown into the road and every unexpected turn is a lesson that should be valued. Every solution, split-second-decision and leap-of-faith is a triumph that should be celebrated.

There is a business trend to automate as much as possible, the aim of this is to encourage less time to be spent on processes and more time to be spent with customers. But the result seems to be causing many customers to be alienated as the gap between client and provider widens.

MAJOR IMPORTANCE

Thankfully, 2019 has seen businesses of all sizes devote an increasing amount of time and resources to full this gap and engage their customers. If anything, this year has proven that engaging clients and customers more will always have positive outcomes and there is always room for further growth.

No business is absolute. Every single company in the world, from those dreamy start-ups to those fifth-generation monopolies run and prosper off the ingenuity, united focus and ambition of the people involved. In this issue, we’ve taken the time to speak with a number of businesses in the glamping, safari and cruise industries regarding what has made this year magnificent. With a focus on their staff and what they consider to be their triumphs, one of the most important things for them all were the relationships.

Family is important. Remember who is in yours. Happy End of Year.

TechDrive was set up as a dedicated news outlet to highlight these changes in industry and we are the leading global dedicated news source to document the various developments happening in this unprecedented time in history.

HI! We are the founders of TechDrive, a digital news site now in its 5th year of operation and entering into an exciting new opportunity with The Lost Executive as we launch our very first digital magazine. TechDrive has always been at the epicentre of innovation and was founded in Silicon Valley, where we worked in the technology industry. We loved racing our cars along the Golden Gate Bridge and savouring the incredible buzz that can be found when you’re surrounded by likeminded people who are on the same page.

Over the last five years we have built a dedicated readership and a reach of over 1million people and have covered some of the world biggest innovators. We are media partners of Formula E - The world’s first race to use electric powered cars. We’ve interviewed big names like entrepreneur Richard Branson and looked into how the incalculably valuable blockchain will be a part of how we travel in the future.

I (Hermione) was a journalist interviewing entrepreneurs like Mark Zuckerberg and Travis Kalanick (founder of Uber) and Serhan, the other founder, had just completed an MBA at Golden Gate University. With a passion for travel, we witnessed many industries going through a rapid period of change driven by the catalyst of technology companies such as Uber, Surf Air, Tesla and Google Self Driving Cars.

With TechDrive Magazine we will be able to offer an even stronger journalistic service to our readers, providing them with a greater insight into the businesses who are pioneering new methodologies. Encouraging appreciation for the smallest changes to the biggest and bringing attention to the companies to look out for.

Today, more than ever, innovation is the energy of business. Those companies that have the drive to innovate, outperform their competition. Higher sales, greater customer satisfaction, stronger employee relationships, these are all drawn from innovative thinking.

It’s going to be a great ride. Hold on.

Hermione & Serhan

GOODYEAR SOUTH AFRICA TWO YEARS BEHIND THE WHEEL To celebrate two years behind the wheel of one of the pioneering tyre brands in the world, we got the chance to catch up with Darren Hayes-Powell, who’s been Group Managing Director of Goodyear South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa since November 2017. Goodyear South Africa have had a presence in the country since before the last century was in its teenage years. From as early as 1912 they were importing tyres and in 1945, they opened their own manufacturing plant to keep up with the demand for safe and reliable tyres. Over a century later the business is still a pioneer in its industry, a powerful and respected name and a keen market innovator. Darren Hayes-Powell

KEEPING THE PACE South Africa’s automotive market is an all-out race of intense competition, where businesses are having to implement new technologies, formulate new strategies, assimilate new market analytic data and make decisions while keeping the accelerator pedal pressed hard. This was the exact environment that Darren HayesPowell, Group Managing Director of Goodyear South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, entered into when he took over the steering wheel in November 2017 and planted his foot firmly on that pedal. “It was an exhilarating time to take the role,” he reveals, “But I was confident in my local team’s ability to meet the tasks ahead and I was fully prepared to start at a sprint.” In all fairness, he was already accustomed to the blistering pace of Goodyear’s managerial circle. Having spent twenty-five years working with Rolls Royce, he entered Goodyear in 2008 as Finance and IT Director for the

United Kingdom. He then became Vice President of Finance for Asia, then Vice President of Operations and Technology Finance before taking on his current assignment almost exactly two years ago.

“My international experience and thorough understanding of Goodyear’s strategy and culture put me in a good position to deliver the strategies for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. But even then, it was still a learning curve.” THE MAN FOR THE JOB However, in the same way that Goodyear’s reputation for keeping all four tyres on the road (innovations involving flying cars aside), Darren has a reputation for being sure footed and always

“South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa are known for their intense climates,” Darren says, “And our tyres are manufactured to take into account all the variables of weather and road conditions.”

having a plan. For his entire career, Darren has consistently been an all-rounder. He studied to be a Mechanical Engineer and an accountant before going on to complete a Master’s in Business Administration. This, coupled with a great passion for business turnaround strategies, has equipped him with the great ability to see the situation for what it is, the clear headedness to gain a clear understanding of what needs to be done, and the charisma and leadership qualities to motivate a team to do it.

The custom creation of bespoke solutions for different markets is written into Goodyear’s DNA, however it was epitomised shortly after Darren joined with the upgraded and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Uitenhage. Goodyear invested close to 1 billion Rand (£52M) in the Eastern Cape facility to improve the ability to produce high technology capable passenger tyres to meet the market’s demands.

As an example, when Darren joined Goodyear in 2008, the UK operating company was operating at a loss and he responded, undauntedly by supporting turning things around. After which he was tested again with a transfer to Asia with its fast pace market development, initially to support the new factory build in Pulandian which has become one of the best performing plants within the Goodyear organisation. Darren was later called upon to do this again with another new manufacturing plant in Mexico in 2015.

“The investment equipped the plant with the latest technologies and processes, as well as increased local production capacity for high complex, technical tyres,” he says. “It positioned Goodyear as a leader in the creation of low rolling resistant tyres that promote fuel economy in vehicles together with the latest technology SUV and 4x4 tyres,” Darren explained.

It would seem that Darren’s career has been defined by leading through example, often managing several high responsibility roles simultaneously, motivating entire teams and taking in large amounts of coffee to aid his out of the box thinking. He explains his successes quite simply: “Goodyear is a great international family, comprised of fantastic teams working together and working hard. I don’t believe there is such a thing as a one-man success story.”

It has also made Goodyear capable of implementing new technologies and strategies over the proceeding years and into the future. Yet again, putting their customers first. The move followed similar investment in Goodyear’s new production facilities in China and Mexico, with all three plants now sporting the same high-technology equipment aimed at producing premium tyres to a uniform world standard. Such as when it comes to wheel balancing and uniformity, which with the rising number of larger tyre sizes and more intricate vehicles is a critical market factor.

TWO YEARS IN So, now almost two years to the date since Darren joined the Goodyear South Africa team, what are his thoughts about the industry so far? According to him, the South African tyre manufacturing sector in general is of a high standard with local producers all focusing their efforts on meeting the growing demands of the high-paced vehicle manufacturing sector. With this in mind, he believes that Goodyear does possess an edge over their competitors because their tyres are specifically designed for South African conditions, such as the swift dispersion of water in wet weather, efficient low rolling resistance technology and off-the-road performance.

THE ROAD AHEAD Goodyear tyres are prepared to meet obstacles on the road ahead, likewise, over his many years in the company, Darren has identified some areas in the industry that may have gone overlooked in the past. It is evident that South Africa is a great market that is continuously benefitting from a welldeveloped infrastructure and a progressive local tyre industry operating on global standards.

The retail edge of the market is exciting, modern and stylish and helps make potential buyers far more aware of the importance of fitting reputable tyres. Combining this with an equally developed commercial market has created an energetic environment to operate as a manufacturer of premium tyres. However, despite this, Darren has seen a distressing trend of unsafe secondhand tyres being sold into the market. Historically, South Africa has a high road accident rate which is a result of a number of different factors, but substandard tyres fitted to vehicles is only making things worse. Also, most drivers probably don’t realise the problem as they’ve purchased these tyres from an unlicensed dealer who they probably trust.

“The more the consumer knows about the importance of their tyres, the safer our roads will be,” Darren says, “Educating all drivers on the perils of using worn-unsafe tyres will only improve the situation and reduce fatalities on our roads. Frankly, this is not only a South African concern.” EDUCATION AND ENTERTAINMENT Of course, educating consumers is no simple matter. The importance of explaining to drivers they should buy quality and safe tyres is not a simple one, the trick is bringing innovative, exciting products to the market that offer clear and long- term

benefits to both their status and safety. “For example, the new Wrangler, All Terrain Adventure tyre is produced with Kevlar and designed specifically for South African and Sub Saharan roads, protecting the tyres against side wall damage but also off road travelling and potholes. Creating a universal capable tyre.” He goes onto explain that these sorts of developments enable the majority of consumers to appreciate the long-term value of purchasing premium tyres. It is a strategy that enables them to innovate for their current customers and introduce their products to potential ones. Darren points out, that while most people probably buy tyres because they are told their cars need them, others are probably more concerned about how cool the tyres look rather than how safe they are. “So, it is therefore our responsibility to make sure that the tyres are both,” concludes Darren. COMPANY ADDRESS: Algoa Road, Uitenhage, 6229, South Africa TELEPHONE: 0027419946911 EMAIL: gyfeedback@goodyear.co.za WEBSITE: www.goodyear.co.za

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MC Solutions

Keeping the lights on when it matters the most

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FACTS ONLY: ARE ELECTRIC CARS REALLY A SMART CHOICE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT? It’s no secret. Electric cars consume far less energy than their gasoline-powered cousins. That’s good news, isn’t it? Yes, but there are other things to be considered too.

with vehicles running on fossil fuels. That is regardless of the source that generates the electricity to power them.

Last year, the global electric car fleet exceeded five million. That’s two million up on the previous year. The environmental benefits of electric cars are many. There are other greenrelated factors to look at too. Here’s the lowdown.

It’s true that some studies have tried to claim that EVs may not be as environmentally friendly as you might at first think.

ELECTRIC CAR BATTERIES Questions have been raised about the pollution behind the making of the lithium batteries needed to power electric vehicles. There are some rare metals that are found inside of a lithium battery. Their extraction can contribute to carbon emissions. The country where the batteries are produced also plays its part. Chinese battery manufacturers produce far more carbon dioxide than their western counterparts.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF ELECTRIC CARS There is a stark contrast between emissions from electric cars and gasoline-powered cars. With electric vehicles or EVs, there’s no combustion and there are no tailpipe emissions. These cars produce the bulk of their emissions during the manufacturing process. EVs are responsible for far lower emissions over their lifetime compared

DEBUNKING THE MYTHS

These types of studies have focused on the way fossil fuels are used to make electricity for the grid. They also center on the amount of energy used in battery production. However, many electrical grids which power EVs are moving toward reducing their reliance on fossil fuels. At the same time, they’re increasing renewable energy production. Last year seventeen percent of electricity generated in America came from renewable sources. In developing countries, these percentages are expected to dramatically increase.

IMPROVED MANUFACTURING Electric vehicles are already producing fewer emissions over their lifetime. That’s compared with traditionally powered cars and also with Car Venetian Blinds. The increased economy of scale in EV manufacturing will also help. Many EVs can now achieve higher speeds. Improvements have also been made in the length of time it takes to charge a battery. Better energy storage in batteries means you can now drive EVs further without having to recharge. Many people though use their vehicles for short commutes. This reduces the need for bigger charge capacities in the battery.

Manufacturing techniques are becoming more efficient. Recycling options are increasing. These will help EVs to become the future cars of choice and greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

A GREENER FUTURE It still takes energy to manufacture the batteries for electric vehicles as well as the cars themselves. However, this is easily offset by the lack of carbon dioxide they emit during their lifetime on the road. The environmental benefits of electric cars make them the vehicles of the future. Continue reading more related articles in our ‘Green Transportation’ section.

REVIEW

EBONY HOME QUALITY FOR 2020

Ebony Home is an entirely digital online interior design store which was founded by Heather Black in July 2019. Despite the youth of the brand, Ebony Home is already made a name for itself as a supplier of choice to the hospitality and residential industries. A resource for those wanting to create the perfect habitat. Deeply passionate about the process and the artform of interior design and very aware of the influence of her products, Heather has stridden into the industry with charisma and confidence. We caught up with her as we leave one year to see what ’19 has meant for her and what ‘20 holds in store.

EBONY HOME According to Heather, 2019 has been a year of frontline learning. Starting an online retail business from scratch is a challenge and she has had to learn the ins and outs of the industry on

the hoof while building her business, brand and client list. “Incredibly the big things can usually handle themselves,” she says, “It’s the small details in the background that take up the most headspace like budgeting, learning which products have the most demand, how to price products appropriately, turnaround time on orders, which marketing techniques work well and which ones don’t, learning how to keep constant open lines of communication with customers and being available to answer questions.” If the past year has proved anything it is that Heather has hit the nail on the head with her business, because even with the back-end workload surmounting with orders she is still able to apply the levels of creativity and motivation that is required of business leaders. Especially when it comes to choosing the right products. After all

it is what we put into rooms that turn them into homes. There is no substitute for quality, and Heather is constantly searching for unique, high quality products to sell in her shop. Seeking a wider variety of styles, from new and trendy to timeless classic. Working with a range of clients from home owners to glamping site hosts, Ebony Home’s quality of service and product speaks for itself. To this end she is also quite particular on her partners, choosing to work with dependable suppliers that offer quality products with reasonable prices that are easy and affordable to ship.

QUALITY SERVICE Believing that customer relationships need to be regularly polished and maintained, 2019 has identified that Heather has a complete devotion to customer satisfaction. If her clients are not happy with a product, she offers a full refund or a replacement. A risky step for any young business, unless of course you are completely confident in the value of what you are offering not only to the business but to the customers.

2020 Heather says that she’s thoroughly enjoyed curating new and exciting collections for 2020 and is excited to share the catalogue of new products. The new collections will include high quality furniture, unique hand-crafted decor from all over the world, fun and unique lighting, artwork, area rugs, pillows and throws to create unique and comfortable spaces that fit any style. She is also providing some great options for bedding, bath, storage, kitchen and dining. “As I continue to learn and gain experience with running a business,” she says, “And with the recent momentum the store has been gaining, I am confident that 2020 will be a great one and I am eager to get into it.”

PRICE Generally, her prices are lower than the competitors and for the most part, the prices reflect the quality of the item. For example, a basic duvet set, and pillow cover can go for under $10, while she also has higher quality, handmade artisan pillow covers that run from $60-$70, and higher quality bedding for those who are looking for something a little more durable. Additionally, she has a wide variety of decor, accent furniture, wall art, kitchen and dining products, bath products, storage and organization, lighting, rugs and window treatments that range from about $4.99-$1100.00. WEBSITE: www. ebonyhome.com.co TELEPHONE: 001 435-469-0549 EMAIL: shopebonyhome@ gmail.com

ASSAIA APRON AI AI. A COMPLETE OVERVIEW MORE EFFICIENT AND SAFER AIR TRAVEL THROUGH USE OF COMPUTER VISION/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE With demand for air travel expected to double before 2040, there has never been a greater need for Artificially Intelligent technology to support human teams in-charge of airport efficiency, safety and innovation. And, with so many areas in the industry that could benefit from this support, airports are now asking which innovative businesses are bringing the most inspiring and intelligent products to the table. One company that is creating waves in the air travel industry is Assaia, who’s product Apron AI has had notable success and rave reviews from some of the busiest airports. We spoke with Chief Customer Officer Christiaan Hen, who shared his perspective on how they are changing the future of air travel. “Innovation can hold a different meaning depending on what you are looking to improve,” Christiaan explains, “At Assaia, we ambitiously demonstrate innovation by using AI to deliver real-time situational awareness that eliminates ambiguity between airports, airlines and handlers.”

APRON AI As specialists in the aviation industry, Assaia provides reliable software solutions that create insight into ongoing turnarounds to help understand what is really happening within airports in real-time. Providing accurate and clear data that can speed up decision making processes and limit risk. The core product, The Apron AI, ingests video streams (preferably from existing cameras) and turns this video data

into structured data. This is typically timestamped about turnaround events (e.g. bridge connected, catering on stand, pushback truck connected…). Furthermore, the AI can be trained to recognize any events of interest that are visible on the available video streams. It is a system that learns and offers a predictive analysis which assists airlines and airports with managing their operations. Currently there are a number of airports which are being prepared for a full roll out, while 20-30 pilot programmes are being trialled across the globe. The aim of these pilot programmes is to demonstrate to potential customers the capabilities and value that the product can provide.

THE TEAM The relatively young and rapidly expanding team started on their product roughly a year and a half ago after identifying the need in the industry for more insightful data. They introduced their AI computer vision technology and the company has been on a non-stop flight and soaring to new heights ever since. While they have been faced with many different opportunities to use their technology for various sectors, their focus is exclusively on being the full solution provider within the aviation industry. Geographically the team is sprawled out, but this doesn’t stop them from being close knit and staying in contact with each other multiple times a day. This has helped foster a real spirit of reliability, an essential skill required when working on such large-scale projects remotely as a team.

INNOVATIVE POWER There are many motivating factors when it comes to creating new technologies and solutions, but for Assaia’s Apron AI, innovation is the driving force behind their product. And it doesn’t end at the creation process; according to Christiaan, innovation is part of the Assaia culture and is an attitude that the company is built on. Being one of the first to offer a unique technology that is still new to airports is something to be excited about and it is this pioneering spirit that helps the team push the boundaries within the industry.

CHALLENGES Like every business there is a fair share of challenges to contend with and the air travel industry is constantly growing with no sign of slowing down. Being proactive and able to keep up with the demand and meeting the needs of airlines and airports is both a challenge and juggling act. Additionally, the challenge of ambiguity is the operational enemy for almost any industry, especially for air travel which relies on precision data to make minute-by-minute decisions. Assaia is one of the very few solutions that aims to break the cycle by positioning all three entities of wins, losses and improvement opportunities on equal ground and in real-time.

AI IN ACTION Rather than just selling a product, Christiaan and his team spend time working intimately with their clients to help fully understand their needs. Once they have identified the areas that require

support, technological solutions are presented to help them solve the issue at hand. Christiaan reveals that clients who are getting on board with the technology include the likes of British Airways, Swissport and Finavia just to name a few. This list is set to grow soon as more airports get a taste for how AI technologies can vastly improve their operational capacities.

“Recently,” Christiaan says, “Our collaboration with the Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport gave us the opportunity to demonstrate the value of our technologies in a bustling airport environment. The project involved a trial of the Apron AI software which spanned over three months, allowing adequate time for testing different innovations and tech.” The team worked closely with Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport’s Chief of Innovation Brian Cobb, to try and resolve some of the challenges the airport faced. This involved looking at how the technology could alleviate some of these pressures and one of the major challenges was a common theme experienced by many other airports. The limited insight into the real-time turnaround of an aircraft. Brian explains that as he is now responsible for CVG Airport’s brand commitments to efficiency and airline performance, he needs as much accurate data as possible.

“Assaia gives me the immediate advantage of monitoring and reporting all phases of ground movement in and around each aircraft,” he says, “It is a complete overview.”

examples of how the AI technology is assisting the air travel industry, and to witness the benefits in action.”

Great innovations are found through creating advantages like this which allow for valuable data to be collected and analysed efficiently. This in turn assists the airport management and their airlines and handlers to improve their operational effectiveness and safety.

As proof of how the technology is solving some of the industry’s biggest challenges, there is also the aim to develop further use of machine learning based predictions for aircraft statuses instead of the current human generated estimates. This represents a progressive step for the air travel industry.

ADVANTAGES

WHAT LIES AHEAD?

“Assaia’s Artificial Intelligence capacity is intriguing,” Brian says, “Our industry must always close gaps in the map of the customer’s travel journey, so we must futureproof ourselves beyond merely trendy solutions. After working with Assaia through a short and straightforward pilot test of the product line we quickly envisioned a long-term strategy that provided advantages and clear returns on investment across their portfolio of services.”

As 2020 inches closer, Christiaan assures us that the only plan Assaia has, is to expand their technology and continue to be an influential innovator within their industry.

The industry is fast-paced and competitive and constantly involves being a step ahead of the game. With that in mind, Brian admits he is enjoying the distinct and marketable advantage he currently has over competing airports. “Leveraging the Apron AI technology,” he says, “Has allowed us to demonstrate to airline partners that our service level commitments are among the best. This will be a pivotal milestone for the team as we will be able to share real-life

”Artificial Intelligent programmes may seem like tomorrow’s technology, but we are harnessing it today,” he says, “By working together with airports we will find new areas where our solutions can be used, and new ways to innovate Together, we are helping shape the future of air travel.” If you want to see for yourself how the Apron AI product works, check out the online demo at www.assaia.com/tmc WEBSITE: www.assaia.com

Supplier of completely furnished safari tents and lodges

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LIGHTING THE WAY IN AIRPORT RUNWAY SAFETY Umberto’s son Maurizio took over the reins three years ago. “My father strongly believed in the value of his ideas which revolved around the latest optic fibre technology,” Maurizio explains, “Today, these product innovations play an important role in airport runway safety and our business continues to provide revolutionary ideas for every sector we are involved with. ”

THE BUSINESS

THE TEAM

Passion shaped MC Solutions from the beginning. An Italian company based in Monza, about twenty kilometres from Milan, it was founded nineteen years ago by inventor Umberto Cazzani under a different name. Working with a team of young and motivated people seeking to apply new technologies to various fields in industrial electronics, the company changed to its current name when

MC Solutions embodies the spirit of ongoing development and technology, possessing the energy and motivation throughout the team to keep up with the dizzying pace of this sector. It is a commitment that requires continuous updates and new designs that keep their products at the forefront of their respective fields.

Maurizio explains that the plurality and global application of their services are supported and developed by the different professional skillsets included within the team. This allows them to maintain a reliable service while embracing all operational areas. “The MC Solutions Team is constantly growing and exceeding their objectives within the group,” he says, “Allowing us to expand into different fields and accept new challenges.”

LIGHTING THE WAY IN AIRPORT RUNWAY SAFETY The team’s fibre optic technology innovations have shown tremendous success in the use in runway lights management, providing automatic surface guidance control and the prevention of runway incursions.

“Our team provide a complete solution in this area,” Maurizio explains, “Providing revolutionary ideas in cable and circuit separation, optic fibre data transmission and safety, speed and efficiency.”

The MIA System, which stands for Modular Intelligence Airport, has been installed at different integration levels in nine airports from northern to southern Italy. The most complete system has been successfully working since 2018 at Marco Polo International Airport in Venice, which has provided a busy and challenging environment to put the system to the test. The pulsing heart of the MIA System is the worldwide patent pending product, the Monitor Control Lamp Optical (MCLO). The one thousand MCLO modules installed in the airfield can control about two thousand lights on a runway with greater reliability and easier management. “Having tested the MCLO product in such an active and high demand environment we see it as being time to invite airports around the world to embrace the optic fibre technology,” Maurizio declares, “Not only has this technology proved to get the job done better but it also paves the road for future development and upgrades.” Safe and efficient, optical fibre technology doesn’t use powerline communication or microwaves. It is modular and interference-free and has a high fault tolerance with burn lamp detection on a runway taking less than a second to complete.

THE IMMEDIATE ADVANTAGES OF MCLO In a sector that can sometimes feel monopolised, it falls to the smaller and more flexible businesses to innovate and integrate new ideas focussed on the essential factors that are important to clients. For example, Maurizio understands that like all busy organisations, airports are looking for reliability and efficiency. So, to achieve these two essential qualities the MCLO have had several advantages built into them. • The system works on a low voltage (48/60V) net and is otherwise very low consumption. For 1000 light module 1000 watts are used, much like a domestic microwave oven, whereas the nearest’ competitors offer 15 watt each, so 15000 watts to power 1000 modules. When one imagines the power required in an aerodrome where around a thousand modules are needed the cost efficiency speaks for itself. • Maintenance and upgrading can be scheduled efficiently since the system is able to pinpoint the exact position, type and ID of any malfunctioning lamp. • Upgrades and software improvements are uploaded remotely, with software credentials and hardware keys. The software is also available on portable devices for the maintenance operators that are far from the substation during intervention. The software is customized, and the real layout and programme is used as a simulation tool for the training courses to the Tower and maintenance operators. • All of the devices are IP68, together with their special connectors they offer a plug and play product. This makes them adapt to stressing environments, such as in Venice where they operate in brackish immersion most of the time. As

a turnkey product, maintenance operations are quick and easy, taking a fraction of the time they used to. • The MIA System is modular so it can be integrated step by step over a period of time. It can also fit to all kinds of lights and all kinds of CCR (Constant Current Regulator) with multiwire connection (compulsory by FAA regulation) Preventing runway incursions. The CDU uses magnetic loops to identify the metal parts of vehicles and Aircrafts such as the landing gear and engine so that interference and false alarms caused by atmospheric agents or wave interreference. In 2001, there was an

accident in Linate (Milan City Airport) where a tragic accident occurred because the runway incursion alarm was switched off due to continuous false alarms. A tragic but important example of the value of a better system. “It is all about a change in mindset,” Maurizio says, “From a maintenance oriented behaviour to a safety oriented one; from spendingreview to cost-efficiency; from emergency maintenance intervention and congested airports, to scheduling and punctuality.” Additionally, Maurizio explains that MCLO encourages a shift of attitude from diagnosis to prognosis. Since their modules and software collect all the life data about the lamp, they are able to collect real-time performance data, including position, model, how long it has been switched on and at what level of brilliance. “Which allows us to calculate the expected lifespan,” he says, “And potentially troubleshoot issues before they occur.” Thanks to the above advantages as well as a reputation for putting their clients first, MC Solutions was a smash hit at the recent 2019 Inter Airport Europe exhibition in Germany.

Ready to offer its expertise to the entire world they will next be exhibiting at The AIRPORT SHOW in Dubai from 22nd to 24th June 2020 www.theairportshow.com, which is one of the most important aviation and airport events in the Northern Hemisphere.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT MC Solutions is not a company that would settle for being pigeon-holed into a single industry and are continuously developing high-tech products in other branches for many different applications. Allowing themselves very few boundaries, they have research and development taking place for hardware and software solutions for a host of industries. These include, and are by no means limited to, smart home applications, video surveillance, smart data management in gas distribution and a multitude of audio and visual service applications. They even digital video distribution for car racing circuits, such as for the world famous Monza car circuit! “This is further proof that Italian creativity still has a great deal to offer,” Maurizio says, “And is a classic story of a family company that has become a well-known and well respected brand around the world. It is also proof that if you strongly believe in the value of your team, of your projects and know-how you can bring about positive innovation in any industry you set your eyes on.” COMPANY ADDRESS: Via Val d’Ossola 12/14, 20871 Vimercate - MB - Italy WEBSITE: www.mc-solutions.it

INTERVIEW WITH RUPEN PHILLOURA FOUNDER OF AIRPORT GROUPE BUSINESS CLARITY AT 37,000 FEET Airport Groupe was founded in late 2017 by Rupen Philloura, who, after twenty years in the airport sector and with an already successful business set-up behind him, wanted to do his part to improve the industry he’d spent so many years working in. A man of many interests, Rupen’s first business, after leaving Tampa International Airport where he had been for 15 years, was MeSpoke; a powerful consumer software technology aimed at the fashion industry, which made him into a well-known and respected entrepreneurial name. I caught up with him to discuss his latest innovation and how it will change the way that airports operate.

A SIGN FROM ABOVE Donnie Rust: After 20 years of experience in the aviation industry, it’s worth asking if it was always your plan to be a part of it? “No, actually I was destined to become a doctor, but when I was 16 something special happened. I had just finished 10th grade in India and my father gave me the option of going to US to seek my future. Needless to say, I grabbed the opportunity and moved. “I have spent my whole life travelling and have always been fascinated with airports, but it was actually while I was finishing high school in New York that I was approached by a soccer scout who advised me of three colleges in Florida where I could potentially go and play. All I remember is reading about Embry Riddle Aeronautical University aka The Harvard of the Skies. It was right off the golden

beaches of Florida and it couldn’t have been a more profound sign from above. I immediately signed-up to begin my profession in Aviation.”

INDUSTRY CHANGE Donnie Rust: What have been the biggest changes you’ve seen over the last two decades? “The biggest change I saw was in Aviation Security, post 9/11. Almost immediately, things became intensely security orientated; 100% bag screening, only ticketed passengers beyond screening checkpoints and various no-fly lists to sift through before any passenger could be cleared to board. The Aviation industry really stepped up its game for the protection of all passengers.” “Secondly, every aspect of the industry has been adapting to the digital age. Some of us grew up doing all the paperwork manually and now we let computers do all the work, so it’s been a transition. Thirdly; airports have realised that they need to develop their spaces into high-end shopping centres. The airports are providing a plethora of amenities, great shopping and eating experiences and an enhanced physical space with digital touch-points throughout the journey.” Rupen adds that Airports have become driving forces of economies and now the industry is beginning to see “Aerotropolis’” being developed. “These are basically huge airports at the centre and cities built all around them, sustaining the economic boom. This is definitely the way forward for travel, transportation and trade.”

AIRPORT GROUPE Formed in November 2017, Airport Groupe (www. airportgroupe.com) employs an active executive team of eight advisors, all of whom are experts in specific subject matters. Rupen explains that the team is spread over North America, the Middle East and Asia and that they will soon be bringing on an advisor from South Africa. Donnie Rust: What is your vision behind Airport Groupe and how it will benefit your customers? “After spending 20 years working in various leadership roles in Airport Operations from many airports, I decided to translate my skills to help other airports by developing a business with the primary objective of optimising airport operations.”

countries in the Middle East, North Africa and remote Asia. Presently we are in negotiations with some airports, which due to clauses, I am unable to divulge currently.”

Donnie Rust: What is the current state of airport operations and how will Airport Groupe improve them?

“Long-term, I see ourselves as the voice of airport operations and helping to pave a universal way forward in terms of operating and conducting airport operation business.”

“The airport operations department comprises of a group of very dynamic individuals who are extremely knowledgeable about running the dayto-day operation of an airport. They represent the Executive Committee at all times, hence wearing many hats throughout the day while they mitigate numerous challenges. My goal is to bring all my experience and help other airports across the globe develop their teams with the best tools, technologies, practices and processes. Because aviation is a global phenomenon and we are all affected by its ups and downs, I advocate that the airport operations department should have uniform skillsets which are on par with any airport whether in a developed or developing nation. Not only do staff of airport operations benefit but this also translates into a safer and more efficient airport for customers.”

2018 Donnie Rust: How has 2018 been so far for the business? “It’s been good. We’ve been able to attract a strong team of advisors who are accomplished professionals from various large corporations and we will be making an announcement within the next month or two as to very big industry players who will be coming in as partners.” Donnie Rust: You do a lot of travelling and often combine work and pleasure together with seamless ease.

VISION

“My mantra: business and pleasure go hand n hand. I always make time for pleasure during business and like to find potential business even when I am on vacation. You just never know. It’s a balancing act. I would never visit a place for business and not explore what it has to offer. It would be a grave injustice.”

Donnie Rust: And what are the first steps to achieving this?

Donnie Rust: And finally, what are the five musthave items to travel with?

“My short term vision is to partner-up with various airport IT solution providers and bundle them with my services. Then I’ll pitch my services to some airports in developing

“One. Bose noise cancelling wireless headphones. Two. Raybans. Three. Jo Malone cologne. Four. Universal plug adaptor. Five. A dapper sports coat. Six. A good flask.” WEBSITE: www.airportgroupe.com

REVIEW

AEROMAO NEW DEVELOPMENT. AMPHIBIOUS FIX WING DRONE.

Founded in 2004, it is their drive for innovation that has propelled Aeromao into the position as the leading Canadian manufacturer of UAVs and developer of fixed wing, unmanned survey grade aerial vehicles. Based in Ontario Canada, their high commercial grade drones are optimized to carry a range of video surveillance equipment and have been extensively used for mapping, surveying, precision agriculture and remote sensing to name a few.

Aeromao’s latest development is unique in the unmanned world and has already been used successfully in a number of expeditions including searching for megafauna such as turtles, dolphins and sharks and surveillance of illegal fishing activity. During a set of trials in the beautiful Turneffe Atoll in Belize, in a work lead by the Zoological Society of London and the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association. The drones were used to detect and document illegal fishing activities and ecology research toward ongoing conservation efforts. Delineated in 2012, the Turneffe marine protected area is a challenge to manage effectively due to its remote location.

INNOVATIVE STRENGTHS With their systems proven in the field, and two hundred clients across fifty countries, Aeromao’s power is in their ability to innovate on their feet and meet market demands and client requirements quickly and reliably. Their aim is to expand their client’s abilities to collect and analyse data, enabling them to make better decisions based on accurate information. They achieve this by using the latest technologies and relying on their strengths, which lie in their range of expertise in robotics, manufacturing, CAD, prototyping, flying and avionics, communications, computing and innovative thinking. Above all is their commitment to quality and dedication to their products which undergo rigorous testing in the field.

All in all, the Amphibious Fixed Wing Drone is a remarkable fete of engineering and has provided an essential and accurate tool with far reaching uses.

THE PROBLEM AND THE SOLUTION This represents a huge potential advantage in the fight against this sort of illegal exploitation as the current enforcement strategy on the Turneffe atoll involves patrols around the atoll in small boats. Due to the time constraints and the nature of the work, systematic surveys for megafauna aren’t regularly carried out. Instead, the conservation officers tend to document animals they happen across while on their patrol. Added to this, boat fuel is very costly, and this further inhibits the amount of area the conservation officers can patrol and dramatically reduces the potential sighting of animals. On the other hand, the drones proved to be an exceptional low-cost solution to these challenges. Furthermore, as part of the flight trials, two senior conservation officers were trained on

site in how to prepare and deploy the drone. They were also trained in planning missions and monitoring flights and how to ensure a safe water landing. Demonstrating how easily this could be fitted into a new, more effective strategy that would guarantee better results all round. WEBSITE: www.aeromao.com EMAIL: info@aeromao.com TELEPHONE: +1 (647) 484â&#x20AC;&#x201C;9966 COMPANY ADDRESS: 6033 Shawson Drive, Unit 27, Mississauga, L5T1H8, Ontario, Canada

REVIEW

NB ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES LTD (NBESL) WASTE MANAGEMENT, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO.

EQUIPMENT AND SERVICE

Having grown significantly since launching in 2004, NB Environmental Services Limited is considered as one of the most competent and considerate waste management companies in Trinidad and Tobago. Founded and led by Mr. Neil Benjamin the business growth is a response to a keen dedication to protecting the environment and innovating the waste collection and removal industry.

The requirements of the industry have diversified since the business was first created and over the years NBESL has kept up with these developments. Therefore, the catalogue of available services that they can offer has grown to tackle some of the most challenging of wastes. Such as the efficient collection and disposal of industrial hazardous and non-hazardous wastes such as engine oil, bilge and waste water, sludge, hydro-carbon liquids, biomass pods and solid waste.

EQUIPMENT AND TEAM The need for competent waste management is greater today than it was in the early 2000s, and NBESL is ideally equipped to meet the demand head on. While, when he first began Mr. Benjamin ran his business using rented vacuum trucks to meet the demands of the increasing clientele, today the business has a team of thirty locally employed professionals, equipped with a fleet of vehicles kitted for their designed purposes.

Adhering to safety standards set in place by the Environmental Management Authority (E.M.A) these materials are collected and moved to an approved disposal site. All the tankers are accompanied by an escort equipped with emergency response equipment. Once this transport has been completed the tanks are then

CLIENTELE

taken to a bioremediation facility for cleaning and de-contamination.

Having applied such strong service for almost two decades NB Environmental Services are able to count clientele ranging from local businesses to multinational companies such as PCS Nitrogen and Mi Swaco, Methanex and Shell Trinidad.

OTHER WASTE They are also fully equipped to collect and transport more injurious material such as fluorescent tubes, batteries, glass bottles, oily rags, filters and a variety of solid waste. This solid waste also includes domestic and construction waste, drums, barrels and hazardous containers.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY NB Environmental Services Limited actively encourages and promotes the flow of communication amongst their team members. Brushing off multi-level-slow-movingbureaucracy in favour of flexibility and quick decision making, Mr. Benjamin believes that staff need to be empowered to make decisions that will help carry the business forward.

There are always varied client needs and Mr. Benjaminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s company offers a range of consultant focussed services including risk assessment and reduction, incident investigation, analysis, equipment testing and checking and others.

Staff training is comprehensive, ensuring that every team member not only fully understands their role but also has the capacity to learn and develop within it. This has a positive impact on the clients because when every employee and team member understands the importance of their role in relation to the full picture, each can act as a client-facing ambassador for the business when called upon.

OTHER FACILITIES Over and above their place and services to the recycling industry NBESL have taken the step to support clients further by offering a state of the art conference room. Providing professional dĂŠcor and comfortable furniture, the latest technologies, fast internet and conference facilities and full support. Combined with a flexible rental solution, the facility allows businesses to form the right impression with their clients regarding who they are and what they represent. As an innovative provider of services themselves, there is no denying the value of a comfortable, well located, fully serviced conference room with full business amenities.

TELEPHONE: +1 868-673-4550 WEBSITE: http://kliqsd.com/nebsl/Home

COMPANY ADDRESS: 136, Southern Main Road, Couva

EMAIL: info@tssn.co.za

TELEPHONE: 0027 (0) 83 222 7412 WEBSITE: www.tssncarriers.co.za

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REVIEW

TSATSI LEHLABILE Mandla Kubheka entered into the civil construction industry for road building and renewal to play his part in keeping the roads of South Africa functioning and safe. The volume of road users increases every day and without regular maintenance and upkeep, without businesses dedicated to sustaining them, they will succumb to wear and tear. Countries are judged by their roads, especially those countries where citizens and businesspeople rely so heavily on their own transportation commuting to and from work. Also, a long term strategy needs to be adopted to maintain roads, instead of a patchwork approach.

Not limiting themselves to the civil construction on roads, Tsatsi Lehlabile plans to look towards harbour construction in the future. Mandla believes that harbours, ports and sea transport will become increasingly important in the future as road and airport transport becomes saturated. Sea transportation provides a

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

2020

smooth and safe means to transport goods and materials as long as the ports and harbours have the correct equipment and design.

Roads and infrastructure are only going to get busier and Mandlaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business has been positioned to keep itself poised to take on the challenges. In the upcoming year much of their work is being targeted to world governments and private business sectors ranging from civil construction contracts to airport parking.

STAFF Staff members and workers are employed based on their experience in the field although hands on training is provided. They are also an equal opportunities employer, providing training and subcontract work for women and people with disabilities.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Build enough roads and you can connect the world,â&#x20AC;? Mandla says. EMAIL: tsatsitrading@gmail.com

This is important to Mandla who has built his business from scratch and understands how vital job opportunities are for people in developing communities who may have historically been disadvantaged and unable to gain the required skill sets.

COMPANY ADDRESS: 1182 Ext 1 Rockdale Middleburg 1050

TSSN CARRIERS PEOPLE ORIENTATED CONSTRUCTION

BUSINESS TSSN Carriers was founded in 2008 by businessman and entrepreneur Themba Dukes Nyathi. After earning a BA in Law from Wits University, and an MBA from Business School Netherlands in Europe, he was instrumental in the growth of MTN South Africa, one of the largest communications companies in Africa, where he worked for seventeen years as a senior Executive before building his own business. Specializing in services involved in the realm of civil, electrical engineering including plant hire, general building and manufacturing, water infrastructure provision and the consultation of engineering projects, TSSN Carriers has established itself as a reliable all-in-one solution provider to the industry. “Over the last fourteen years since I founded the business,” Themba says, “We have been commissioned by and completed work for both the private and the public sector.”

He goes on to mention that despite the range of business services that his business offers today, that it all began with him working as a specialist general builder in the early 2000s and has grown organically from there. “Now we handle turnkey projects, with solutions for design, architecture, feasibility studies, civil engineering and actual construction as an integrated value chain,” he explains, “We have also diversified into property development.”

CLIENTS Their main clients are primarily from rural social infrastructure projects that cater for the poor. As these include vital projects such as the building of schools, roads, water projects and social housing, it includes working and liaising with many rural and urban industrialised communities, unions and highly politicized groups.

“Communication is the number one priority,” Themba explains, “All relationships and ideas begin from there and it is the best way to handle people.”

focus being on quality and sustainable growth and not just money. We also take over failed community projects and fully fund them from our balance sheet.”

RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT Themba explains that one of his philosophies is to be very particular with hiring and will only hire self -motivated goal orientated individuals. Choosing not to hire those traditional employees who see the company as just an opportunity to draw a salary, he prefers those who have the same perspective as he. “Our key staff on projects must be self-made business people who consider TSSN as a training ground for their own future businesses,” he says, “With a strong entrepreneurial mindset and a determination to succeed and complete targets.” He goes on to add, “I see it as a sign of a strong company that highly trained and professional staff members choose to stay rather than set up themselves.”

INNOVATION

STAFF With over 840 members directly and indirectly employed through subcontracted contracts Themba’s company provides a much needed source of employment and work for many communities. Enabling his staff to gain important skills through accredited competencies in bricklaying, roofing, paving, electrical services, project management, plastering and more. According to Themba, working with the right people with the right skill sets and experience has helped the company expand greatly. With this growth has come the ability to offer more in the way of services as well as being able to take on increasingly challenging projects. “In 2008 our order book was under R20 million a year, today in 2019 alone our order book has grown substantially, exceeding R840 million,” he says, “And much of this can be attributed to our

A big believer in ABT, Alternative Building Technologies, Themba is an ambassador for innovation and change in his industry and has spent much time convincing and guiding his customers to use the latest cutting edge technologies and methodologies. “Our processes are automated and supported by the latest data processing technologies such as CCS,” he says, “And our approach follows the same commitment.” He goes on to explain that in Cape Town they are building social housing flats using ABT and that this project doesn’t involve any bricks. The flats are environmentally friendly, using moulds and a special patented mixture instead of bricks and mortar. In winter the units absorb heat efficiently and in summer it is discharged evenly, offering all the standards of a brick house but with limited environmental impact.

COMMUNITY FOCUSSED Themba recalls one of the projects that TSSN were involved in that he considers to be a triumph for the business. The project consisted of demolishing an informal settlement at Empumelweni, Witbank Mpumalanga and designing, planning and constructing over three thousand formal dignified houses to accommodate over twenty thousand people who could not have otherwise afforded such accommodation. This was not a straight forward process, as he explains, “The community had unfortunately been taken advantage of by other contractors,” he says, “They had not delivered and this poor service and failure to complete the project had left them hopeless and without any trust.” This has resulted in a number of community hurdles that had to be carefully handled, but even so there was still political interference from community structures, continuous striking over allocation of houses and political pressure from upon high. “It was a frustrating time,” Themba recalls, “However it was understandable as we had to demolish a shack and build a house in its place and this causes a

lot of inconvenience and concern for the community. The other contractors had left them in such a state that there were times when the community seemed to be actively against the project.” With dogged determination however, the project was completed, and the community finally had a neighbourhood they could be proud of. The overall quality of life of the residence improved and TSSN were acknowledged by the community. It took three years to complete and it won them one of the Contractor of The Year status by the Mpumalanga government.

FUTUREPROOFING Themba has been in the industry for long enough to know the importance of taking on diverse challenges such as the Empumelweni project, and the importance of keeping up with the latest technologies, techniques and developments in the industry. In fact, he reveals that he likes to expose himself to as many varied techniques from as many different sources as possible. “I keep abreast of all the construction benchmarks and travel the world to see the latest construction and engineering trends,” he reveals, “I find that different countries manage challenges and problems in different ways. This reminds me to keep an open mind and to explore different solutions whenever my business comes up against one.”

INDUSTRY HURDLES AND SOLUTIONS Exceeding a client’s expectations is a target that Themba drives his business to aim for. Not only because the only way to stand out against the competition is to be better in all aspects than them, but also because clients deserve to be happily surprised.

To create a company that can consistently do this is not a simple thing, Themba reveals that one of the biggest challenges facing the industry at the moment is a lack of skills not only in the handson building industry but in financial analysts, project managers, process and civil engineers and specialist technicians. “South Africa suffers from a skills exodus,” he admits, “Graduates leave school and head abroad for better opportunities, but the issue is endemic of the schooling and educational system and not just because people think the grass is greener overseas.” Themba’s response is to provide vocational, experiential learnerships and graduate programs that allow them to train up new staff members while they work and earn. Allowing the business to tap into the rich resource of those who learn better on the job. A man with his eye always on the future for his business, community and country, Themba believes that the educational system in South Africa could do with a revamp. “I think the system needs to change to focus on real skills that are required by industries like they do in Japan and East Asia,” he says, “These areas are seeing economic growth on an exponential factor while our more traditional educational systems today produce irrelevant skills, creating a gap between what is needed

and what is known which graduates have to jump across.”

2020 The new year is going to be an exciting one for TSSN Carriers with a number of promising projects in the Western Cape and Kwa Zulu Natal. These include building one of the biggest education facilities in deep rural KZN Pongola through private public partnerships. For the first time the black rural villagers will have an educational facility complete with swimming pools, tennis courts, laboratories, computer centres etc. The facility will also service the whole community and provide a high standard of education for everyone. “By doing our part to build up the communities we set the platform for them to do great things in the future,” he says. COMPANY ADDRESS: 222 Rivonia Rd, Sandton TELEPHONE: 0027 (0) 83 222 7412 EMAIL: info@tssn.co.za WEBSITE: www.tssncarriers.co.za

OUTSTANDING TENT

When Outstanding Tent set about their journey in 2014, they did so with a carefully laid out plan of action. Their business, which is based in the Netherlands, has not only kept up with the industry’s development but has kept one step ahead of it, and achieving this has been down to a key principal and philosophy of action over reaction. During 2019 their business has enjoyed a year of growth, expansion and new developments and 2020 is looking to offer more of the same and then some. Leaving one year and entering another we spoke again with Robin Van Kooten, co-founder of Outstanding Tent and all round glamping champion. “We’ve made a lot of progress this year along our growth plan,” he says, “But really it’s just business as usual. Product development, innovation, team development and expanding our boundaries is very much what we do, and it is built into the company’s DNA.”

THE YEAR PAST From a number of prominent developments in the last year, one of the key aspects that identified 2019 was the development of a new interior style for their tents. As we have covered previously, Outstanding Tent offers a full kitted out tent solution for their clients and after five years it was decided that it was time to offer a new and updated interior style. “There were a number of reasons why we did this,” Robin explains, “Firstly, after five years we wanted to offer our clients, both new and old, different stylish options for their sites. Secondly, a lot of our competitors were using the same materials as we were, and it was no longer really a USP for us. This made us think of developing something completely different because you always need to have a good unique selling point. Something that immediately identifies you.”

GLAMPING CHIC To ensure the best results were achieved, they enlisted the skills of an interior architect and stylist firm who guided them through the process of developing what Robin refers to as “Glamping Chic”. This has since become a base style for their tents. Glamping equals luxury, and the question was how to translate the comfort of a sofa back home into the glamping arena. Now, the Glamping Chic range gives guests the sense they are staying at a stylish luxury hotel, combined with the camping feeling of glamping. The business has worked hard on this new line throughout the year. The intention was to give luxury camping a whole new dimension. Anyone, site owner or guest, can appreciate the allure of combining a wonderfully designed bathroom, a luxury kitchen with all the mod-cons to prepare a delicious meal and the ambience of being surrounded by a canvas tent.

“The Glamping Chic line offers two styles to suit all tastes,” Robin reveals, “Stockholm and Paris. Stockholm equals Scandinavian beauty and is characterized by its minimalist, often

white details while Paris lives up to its name and bustles with full-on activity that’s absolutely chic and stylish.” In 2019 the Glamping Chic line was very well received at the eight exhibitions they attended across six countries. It demonstrated the appetite of the industry and those working in it for innovative ideas and products that offer high material and aesthetic standards and great style. “The glamping industry relies on innovation and creative ideas to drive it forward and it doesn’t seem about to slow down,” he says.

INDUSTRY AWARENESS AND COMPANY GROWTH Robin explains that when glamping was younger and not as developed it was enough to just have an idea and offer an accommodation that was different to the standard. Now everything is moving in the direction of offering a complete and entirely unique experience. The stakes are higher than ever. “Early in the industry, if you had a kitchen in a tent, it was considered new and innovative and glamping but as the industry has matured the expectations have changed,” he says, “Now it has to be massively different and have that wow factor. A completely new experience that is planned and executed on all fronts. I can see this as being the movement that will define glamping in 2020.” He concedes that the industry is still wide and diverse enough, with enough categories and sub categories, to have a place for all sorts of sites and not everyone is looking to make use of the newest ideas, or the best tents made of the newest materials. This is the beauty of the industry, as it develops its scope grows. However, as a business that prides itself on its market awareness and long term vision, Outstanding Tent have seen the drive for more complete, comprehensive packages to serve an industry that has outgrown its cottage and kitchen-tent roots. “Because of the growing number of local and international distributors that we have,” he says, “It has meant that we’re able to gather local

knowledge from the frontlines and can continuously optimize our assortment and service.” And, as they continue to both deepen their existing markets and enter into new ones, they have expanded their operations and moved into new premises to accommodate the expected workload of the new year.

NEW WAREHOUSE FOR WORLD DOMINATION One of their strengths is that they deliver from their own stock and this allows them to stay flexible and deliver quickly to clients. Their new move into the new warehouse has resulted in both a better work environment for the logistic team and an easier job of keeping up with the growing orders. The new building offers more warehouse and office space as they grow in terms of people heading up individual departments, such as logistics and administration, buying and planning as well as recruitment and basic management. Moving to a larger base of operations is an important step for any business and Robin explains that they didn’t get to this position by allowing the industry to determine their role. They made the decision. “We had an ambitious growth plan from the start,” he says, “And that allowed us the confidence to take risks along the road we wanted to follow. We are always moving and preparing for new growth and investing in advance. It wasn’t that we were short of space at the old site, but we see and expect new growth in the

new year and pre-emptively need to be ready to meet it.” “Glamping,” he says, “Is worldwide now and we saw the potential right at the start and did not want to grow a little per year, we wanted to tap it. Nobody really knows what the full potential of the industry is because new markets are developing every year and current markets are moving too. Guests may think that glamping is about relaxing and leisure, but supplying glamping is the complete opposite. You have to keep running!” Even a small slice of such a vibrant market place would sustain their plans for ongoing growth and expansion for years to come, but their journey to world domination in this sector may already be

underway. Supplying their clients through their distribution channels and increasing their share of these sectors while keeping current clients and partner relationships strong and polished is always the immediate priority… however…

“So far we’ve sold tents in forty nine countries,” Robin says, “There are still over a hundred to go.”

GLO DOMES. SUPPLIERS OF GEODESTIC DOMES. ALWAYS TRUST AN INNOVATIVE IDEA Ryan Duarte, co-founder of Glo Domes is on a mission to help people like you and me get themselves out of the rat-race and develop reliable streams of passive income. While unique accommodations on Airbnb and glamping sites are increasingly popular, to offer something different that can still produce a healthy revenue stream is a challenge for those developers who are just starting out. For them, Glo Domes will be a breath of fresh air.

GLO DOME The Glo Dome is a geodesic dome that is easy to assemble, sturdy and secure and magnificently versatile. Including air conditioning and heating each Glo Dome provides maximum comfort within the spacious interior. And, thanks to its organic yet futuristic aesthetic it can be decorated and styled however a site owner chooses. This allows a site owner to determine their unique appeal without relying solely on their choice of accommodation. Glamping site owners have to be selective with what tents or units they are going to be using. Yurts, lodges, igloos and wigwams are popular but quite permanent and once they are erected it can be expensive to move them. Glo Domes however, have been designed to offer mobilepermanence. A team of four could assemble one in eight hours and take it down just as fast. The entire structure can be moved in the back of a pick-truck and each one comes with a five-year full replacement guarantee.

THE VALUE OF WORKING IN THE SHADOW Founders Ryan Duarte and Chirag Patel were very specific with what they wanted to offer when they launched Glo Domes. They were also very much aware of what the competition was doing and what they were up against. In America

there are already a handful of very established businesses producing domes for the glamping industry who believe that they have the market monopolised. Whereas, many people would have looked at the shadow cast by these companies and felt intimidated by it, Ryan and Chirag made full use of this shade to see what gaps in the market were shining through. “No business begins as the biggest in the industry,” Ryan points out, “We were able to assess what these companies were doing right for their customers and where they were letting their customers down. Then we designed our business around a foundation of offering a top service and filling those gaps. At this point we don’t need to be the biggest, we want the happiest customers and to grow on that.”

HOW IT BEGAN Ryan Duarte is a serial entrepreneur who spent the first half of his professional life striving to create enough passive income to support himself and his family. He owns a software company that has patented a number of protocols, a laundromat, organic agricultural farms in norther California and a hay brokering company that he runs through his horse farm called Bitteroot Valley Paso Fino Horse Farm. He is a man always open to new ideas and drawn to creative opportunities, relishing the chance to work with like-minded people. “I attend mastermind sessions,” he explains, “It’s a great place to openly discuss ideas with other business people, there we can have a proper look at these ideas and reveal the good ones that can be used, the bad ones that need to be developed and the potential failures we need to dodge.” It was actually at one of these sessions that he met his business partner Chirag Patel who works

in the finance industry and owns a hedge fund. Ryan describes him as a straight talking, downthe-line business man who’s not afraid to speak his mind and call a spade a spade. “It’s thanks to him that we’re not selling Glo Domes at some expensive time-share-esque luncheons seminars for business people and retirees on a beach.” Ryan says. He goes on to say that he believes it is important to have a business partner who doesn’t care about your feelings or how precious you might be about a certain idea. At the same time, not being automatically dismissive is just as important, being willing to hear every idea fully to see if there is any value there. These sorts of business people are rare to come by and should be treasured. The pair of them met in August 2017 and Glo Domes has been going since January 2018. They have geared up the production side and sold a handful of units with an average sale of $26,000. So far, these sales have been to American business people who initially bought their Glo Domes with the intention of using them professionally.

“However,” Ryan says, “We later discovered that they liked their Glo Domes so much that they’re now using them at their homes instead. Some of these have been for hunting or fishing cabins and others have been for home extensions for their leisure activities. One customer ended up using it so that his son, who hadn’t moved out of the house yet, could at least move out into the garden and have a place of his own.”

EARLY DAYS It is early days for Glo Domes but the impression they’ve made is quite tangible and the future is going to be very exciting and busy. Right now, the business partners are totally focused on development and sales. “We were very careful to align ourselves and partner with the best suppliers who could manufacture the different components for the Glo Domes. This meant we could speed up the process of each order to a matter of days and not weeks,” Ryan says, “Customers receive their Glo Domes as a package that can be delivered on a half tonne truck and can be assembled in a matter of hours. We also have a team who can help set up the domes for the site owner if necessary.”

OUT OF THE DOME THINKING While it is sell, sell, sell at the moment, Ryan is exploring all of the possible uses for the Glo Domes. So far, they know that glamping and boutique stays both locally and internationally are an obvious fit but there are some other areas that he is exploring that have shown great potential.

“The Glo Domes are weather proof and solar powered with heating or cooling apparatus and offer brilliant viewing opportunities,” Ryan says,

“Festivals for music, art and travel are an exciting opportunity. It’s easy to picture a Glo Dome at a music festival offering something special for VIP guests and onsite campers. Then there are places like truck stop motels.” Truck stop motels, servicing the travelling professional as well as the long distance holiday seekers are an important service for anyone travelling long distance by road. Motels and hotels along the way need to find new ways to make themselves attractive and different. People have become far more expectant and discerning when it comes to where they lay their heads. The Glo Domes will offer something unique and special to these motels and truck stops making full use of what open land they may have. “You can imagine a building such as a motel may have a garden area that is pretty much unused, or a rooftop that has never been visited. With a small investment they could turn these places into profit making areas offering something truly wonderful,” Ryan says.

So, on average, one a day. He laughs, “Some of our competitors may sell ten times as many as we do,” he says, “But that doesn’t matter, a business runs on happy clients and innovations.”

HOME IN THE DOME Even if a location is in the middle of a cold snap climate the Glo Domes have been designed for all weather. Each can be fitted with an airlocked aluminum and glass front door to create a location for putting on your winter shoes or taking them off before coming into your cozy Glo Dome.

Their next market innovation, Ryan reveals, is to add full immersion, VR augmented domes to their brand. Here a game or a VR location can be projected onto the inside of the dome effectively creating an entirely different use for them. He says, “There are many immediate uses for this particular innovation and it’s just an example of how far we are pushing the boundaries of what we can use the Glo Domes for.”

This last idea could possibly have come from the Glo Dome at Ryan’s home in Montana which the family uses during the all important “Family Time”. This is a designated device-free area where he and his family can spend some quality time together. “I am a workaholic,” Ryan admits, “If I don’t have a reason to stop, I’ll just keep working. So, I make full use of my Glo Dome because firstly, it gives me time to spend with my kids and my wife. I have two children of 5 and 7, and my wife of 14 years is due to add a third to our family. Secondly, it is a magical place for my children to make memories with their parents.” His Glo Dome is suitably kitted out as well, with a loft design and a built-in sauna that is as warm as his house, irrespective of the weather outside. And, this gives Ryan the opportunity to stress test the Glo Dome against children, a pregnant wife and the blustery Montana winter.

2019 DEVELOPMENTS By November 2019 Ryan aims to have 3040 affiliate sales people, including the likes of realtors, glamping agencies and independent affiliates and he wants to have sold 365 domes.

TOP EMPLOYEES FOR A TOP EMPLOYER COMPANY Goodyear is always proud to be recognised as a Top Employer because it is evident that its human resources tools and processes are effective. These tools help employees progress through the organisation and in turn helps the Company to attract, develop, motivate and retain top talent through various programmes. One such programme is the Graduate-In-Training Programme, which is a two-year programme aimed at developing high flyer graduates to become future leaders of Goodyear. We are proud to share the stories of our employees who went through the programme and are now in leadership roles in the Company.

DOMINIC MPHASA Dominic joined the Company in 2014 with the Graduate-In-Training programme and in January 2016 he moved to a permanent role of Retail Marketing Coordinator for Hi-Q. In this role, Dominic was responsible for Hi-Q’s marketing portfolio which entailed revitalising the Hi-Q’s corporate image and grow the Hi-Q digital strategy. Dominic was recently promoted to Trade Marketing Specialist for TrenTyre and Commercial PBU. “The Grad Program exposed me to various parts of the business and granted me the opportunity to work with various key stakeholders within the group. Hard work was a given, I had to apply myself at everything I did,” stated Dominic.

KEIRON ARNOLDS Keiron started with Goodyear as a Graduate in 2012 within the Human Resources (HR) department and became a permanent employee in 2014. Keiron developed in this role and became the HRIS Systems Specialist for Emerging Markets in 2018, which included the countries, South Africa, Middle East & Africa, Turkey and Nordics and Russia. This year, he joined the Global HRIS Team and is now responsible for HRIS systems operations and other HR support tasks for EMEA. “Goodyear requires you to be agile, hardworking and diligent and through that, you get the chance to develop invaluable skills for both your personal and career development,” said Keiron.

MICHAEL DU PREEZ Michael du Preez started working for Goodyear South Africa in January 2011 as a Quality - Graduate in Training. He became permanent in 2012 and in 2014 was a fully fledged member of the Engineering team. Whilst in the Engineering department, he held various leadership roles. Today, we are proud to state that Michael started a new position at the Riesa plant in Germany, as a Reliability Manager where he leads the Engineering Team. “Goodyear is a great company to work for, with a great support system. The graduate programme provides a great start into the industry and the rest is entirely up to you,” concluded Michael. Dominic, Keiron, Michael and many other Goodyear employees are a true example of how they took ownership of their development, set growth plans for themselves and effectively utilised the available human resources tools and processes to their advantage. At Goodyear, the ability to fast track one’s career, lies entirely in an employee’s hands.

TEN WAYS MAGNA IS REIMAGINING THE FUTURE

Magna’s company of entrepreneurs and open-for-business mentality are helping to drive change in nearly every part of a vehicle, from seating to lighting to powertrain. As a technology company backed by more than 60 years of experience in the global auto industry, Magna is at the forefront of a dramatic transformation in mobility. “Magna’s mission is to make the impossible possible by solving some of the auto industry’s most complex problems,” said Swamy Kotagiri, Magna chief technology officer.

It is fascinating to imagine what the future will bring with the growth of electrified, autonomous and smart mobility. To better envision the coming shift in the way we move people and goods, Magna has compiled a list of the company’s top ten innovations that are a force for change. They are:

48-VOLT ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS With its focus toward vehicle electrification, Magna is offering an array of modular and scalable electrified powertrain products designed to help automakers meet increasingly stringent tailpipe emissions regulations around

the world. These modular and scalable products include both 48-volt (mild hybrid) and high voltage (full / plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles) variants.

environment and creating a high-definition, fourdimensional view.

Magna’s ever-expanding portfolio of electrified products begins with a family of modular and scalable high voltage electric propulsion systems, where the company has been awarded a production contract for a high voltage secondary axle for an electric vehicle to be produced in China for VW.

ICON scans its surroundings 50 times faster than it takes a human to blink. It will be used in the near term in autonomous emergency braking – and on self-driving cars in the new era of mobility. Whether it’s cameras, lidar or radar, with Magna’s expertise, the company can also seamlessly integrate these ADAS features in vehicle exteriors without sacrificing design.

Magna is also focused on electrified transmission systems and is now industrializing an innovative solution for BMW that packages a modular and scalable 48-volt traction motor inside a DCT automatic transmission. This innovative new product allows automakers to offer a mild hybrid option within the same engine compartment for their front wheel drive vehicles, thus reducing CO2 emissions and increasing functionality.

RECONFIGURABLE SEATS Magna’s seating experts are designing flexible vehicle interiors that can be reconfigured with the touch of a smartphone screen.

ADAS FEATURES Today, more than 100 vehicle models on the road have Magna ADAS features as Magna continues to deliver new autonomous features including 3D Surround View systems, Advanced trailering features and Autonomous Valet, which meet the growing demand from automakers seeking to integrate automated driving technologies into their vehicles. With Magna’s lidar solution with Innoviz coming to market with BMW, the company is also close to production of its ICON radar. Military-grade ICON radar system is a new generation of solid-state automotive radar that moves a step closer towards an autonomous future. Industry-first ICON radar is about seeing the things you can’t see and giving drivers and the car plenty of time to react by scanning the

The company’s reconfigurable seating solution is designed to dramatically reshape the vehicle cabin based on actual usage. This solution is in response to the rapid growth in car-sharing and ride-sharing and builds on Magna’s reputation for such innovations as the Stow ‘n Go seats in the Chrysler minivans. From a base configuration in a three-row vehicle, the innovative seats transform in a seamlessly choreographed dance into three modes: Cargo Space, Road Trip and Mobile Meeting. Two of the modes could be ready to enter production as early as 2022.

FLEXIBLE LIGHTING Magna is sparking the revolution in automotive lighting through a joint venture with Rohinni, an Idaho startup that has come up with ways to

create “endless possibilities” with light that go far beyond conventional LEDs or light-emitting diodes. When paired with Magna’s world-class electronics manufacturing expertise, the combination is expected to produce modern lighting magic. By using thin-film micro and mini LEDs – as thin as a piece of paper – Magna Rohinni Automotive provides highperformance, flexible lighting that opens up new possibilities for design and product differentiation.

COMPOSITE SPACE FRAME Increasingly stringent vehicle emissions requirements demand that manufacturers find new materials and innovative applications to dramatically reduce mass and weight.

HAPTIC TECHNOLOGY Haptic technology, which relies on motion and the sense of touch inside and outside of the car, is rapidly being adopted by the auto industry as a way to give drivers a more intuitive experience.

Magna’s composite space frame is 10 percent lighter than conventional steel and can be used on liftgate and side door modules, as well as windshield headers.

To continue developing these advanced technologies for the automotive market, Magna acquired Haptronik, further investing in advanced motion-control software and adding to Magna’s leadership in mechatronics products. In addition, this technology is part of the company’s building block approach to their SmartAccess power door platform.

An affordable solution for automakers, the composite space frame debuted on the 2020 Toyota Supra.

VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY

COMPLETE VEHICLE MANUFACTURING Magna is the only automotive supplier that also engineers and assembles complete vehicles – and automakers including Daimler, BMW and Jaguar contract the company to do so. Magna is the first contract manufacturer to produce an electric vehicle with the Jaguar I-PACE, and the company produces multiple vehicles with different powertrains (BHEVs, EVs and traditional powertrains) from one plant, with two different powertrains in one shared production line for the I-PACE and Jaguar E-PACE. Through a joint venture, Magna is now also the first contract manufacturer for electric vehicles in China, the leading market for e-mobility.

Magna is using augmented reality technology to make navigation systems more intuitive and accurate with its bi-focal Augmented Reality Camera. The first-to-market Magna technology for General Motors in North America and Daimler in Europe enhances what the driver sees by providing an actual image of the road ahead with information superimposed onto the image. But that’s not the only way Magna is bringing new technology to real product development. At Magna’s Virtual Reality Center in Graz, Austria, engineers wearing VR goggles are revolutionizing the way cars are designed, developed and manufactured. And virtual-reality headsets are helping the team at Magna’s Dortec Industries boost efficiency and productivity.

FACTORY OF THE FUTURE

including MIT and Cambridge University, to connect with the best and brightest minds in the business.

For Magna, innovating is not isolated to just product. The company innovates in how it manufactures as well. With the advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence, Magna is able to bring more smart factory concepts into their operations.

Magna experts are mentoring students from the MIT Driverless team to develop self-driving racecars for the new Formula Student Driverless competition. And the company is exploring the potential for new technology with MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, the center for autonomous and robotics development.

A key part of the equation in these high-tech facilities will be humans – or what some are calling the “Industry 4.0 workforce.” The goal is to improve flexibility and efficiency between humans and machines, as the two work in harmony.

This combination of strategic partnerships, world-class manufacturing, process innovation and a product portfolio bursting with innovative technology is enabling Magna to reimagine the vehicle experience and be prepared for the profound changes in the automotive industry.

These advanced manufacturing plants may feature advanced robotic systems, drones that fly above assembly lines to check inventory and maintenance needs, and predictive analytics that will be used to schedule repairs.

PARTNERSHIPS In addition to product innovations, Magna is partnering with startup companies to help speed up the commercialization of new mobility solutions. Devolving self-driving technologies with Lyft, integrating self-driving systems with Waymo, and retrofitting and scaling up May Mobility’s unique fleet of autonomous shuttles are just a few examples. In addition to working with startups on new technology, Magna also is building closer working relationships with universities around the globe,

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