SEPTEMBER 2014
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SAVE THE CHILDREN LOOKING AFTER THE NEXT GENERATION
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EDITORIAL Heads of Departments Editor in Chief Daemon Sands daemonsands@littlegatepublishing.com Director General Don Campbell doncampbell@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Research Manager Alex Smith alexsmith@littlegatepublishing.com Sales Director James Martin jamesmartin@littlegatepublishing.com Sales Manager Tyler Harrison tylerharrison@littlegatepublishing.com Corporate Director Anthony Letchumaman anthonyl@littlegatepublishing.com Lead Designer Alina Sandu studio@littlegatepublishing.com Publisher Stephen Warman stevewarman@littlegatepublishing.com Any enquiries or subscriptions can be sent to info@littlegatepublishing.com ENDEAVOUR MAGAZINE is published by Littlegate Publishing LTD which is a Registered Company in the United Kingdom. Company Registration: 07657236 VAT registration number: 116 776007 343 City Road Kings Lane London Norwich EC1 V1LR NR1 3PS Littlegate Publishing Ltd does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors. The points of view expressed in articles by attributing writers and/or in advertisements included in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within this magazine, no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from use of information published. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrievable system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher. Copyright © Littlegate Publishing Ltd 2014
MOVEMENT IS EVERYTHING There is talk that the internet is running out of space due to outdated router technology created decades ago that was at the time mind bogglingly advanced but is now failing to cope with the expansive dependency we have for all things internet. At the time engineers assumed that today’s masters of technology would have invented some new method of transmitting information that was better, perhaps photo computing or quantum computing, instead of keeping the “That’ll Do,” attitude that human seem preoccupied with. We tend to think that the internet is like a giant filing cabinet where you can put files in and take files out when things get too fill. But it isn’t. Even if you delete something from the internet it is still floating around, caught in the very hardware that keeps the internet going. Compiled, compressed, but there. Like sediment layers at the bottom of an ocean of information it’s something that’ll go unnoticed until finally you have a sandbank. Not the best analogy because a sand bank isn’t the problem, it’s the rail systems. The issue is that a router can direct information to a number of IP Addresses, individual computers, and in some systems this number is only half a million but once this number is exceeded its stops working. Instead of developing a new way of handling the information we’ve pushing what we have passed its limits with too much usage. Iphones, Wifi, laptops everything that connects to the internet even if it is through wireless still uses up space upon the hardware. Because the internet is a real thing, it has mass, it has volume and it has boundaries. Imagine if trains were getting faster but still running on the rails that were built a hundred years ago that couldn’t be replaced because we couldn’t afford to stop the trains. That would be a better analogy. After all, the issue is clear, we know where the problem lies and for the most part technology has developed enough so that the problem could be fixed. Routers that are being built now can handle over ten times the traffic which would mean we could sort out the issue for a while and leave the next generation to find a better solution when they hit their limits. But convincing the major websites like Facebook, E-bay, Amazon and Google who are currently having the issues with users not being able to access their sites, to go offline for long enough for these new routers to be installed, is the hard part. But it is through these websites that most usage problem comes from. So while new rails are being laid down, the progress is a million times slower than the increase of their usage. And, these new rails are rendered almost redundant because they are being fed and feeding to old rails. With billions of people relying on the movement for their careers to continue unheeded it is possible we’re entering into a period of internet triage and rolling connectivity blackouts. And you probably thought the end of the world was going to come from the sky.
Cover image credit:
Luzmila, 12, harvests barley from the land on her family’s farm. They consume it during all the following year, mainly in soups. This community lives in the region of Huancavelica, Ccasapata district which is in rural Peru. Rural areas throughout the Peru face challenges to accessing relevant education for children. Save the Children is working to train teachers in Indigenous language education for children who work outside of school hours, ensuring they are equipped with relevant skills post-graduation. Location: Huancavelica, Ccasapata district, Peru Photo credit: Alejandro Kirchuk/Save the Children
Endeavour Magazine | 3
CONTENTS
41 Bargain Group FEATURES
77 Freightworx 4 | Endeavour Magazine
29 Antigua and Barbuda Airport The Sky’s The Limit 35 Mozambique Airports Company African Air 41 Bargain Group Eye For A Bargain 47 GoPaul and Company Ltd The Brand Everyone Remembers 53 Groupe Monoprix Leading The Rise Of The Retail Market 57 Tenneco South Africa Breath Of Fresh Air 63 Van And Truck Hire South Africa And Truck Hire Botswana The Go To Business 69 Focus Graphite Focusing On The Future 75 Readymix WI Limited The Readymix Advantage 81 Kenya Chamber of Mines Kenya Has The Minerals 87 Freightworx Keeping Business Moving 93 ILS The Benchmark For Industry 101 Desalcott Plus 100 Billion Gallons And Still Going
59 Focus Graphite
83 ILS
ARTICLES 6 10 16 18 20 22 24 26 106 110
Business Headlines Patricia Erb Looking after the next generation 6 Reasons Why Buying Real Books Makes You A Better Person War Hoarse Mercedes Benz E250 CDI AMG Sport Estate Perfect For The Modern Family Man Gadgets The Highwaymans A Five Star Steal Burgers Love At First Bite Nairn Milne Do You Hear The Beat? Book Reviews
89 Desalcott
Endeavour Magazine | 5
BUSINESS HEADLINES Chargemaster continues to offer free domestic charging – and now adds free POLAR membership and free online usage monitoring
C
hargemaster, the UK’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicle charging points has announced that it will continue to offer its popular Homecharge i 3kW charging
point installed totally free of charge* with support from the new £9m government scheme (the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme or EVHS), details of which were announced today. In order to ensure all buyers and users of EVs get the best charging experience at home and across the national POLAR charging network, Chargemaster will not only continue to provide a free 3kW Homecharge Unit, but will also offer free POLAR membership for six months with any installation. Customers will also receive free online
It is widely forecast that between five and ten percent of cars sold in the UK will be plug-in or fully electric by 2020, and indications suggest the market is on track to meet such levels. The Chargemaster Homecharge unit is the most popular domestic charging unit in Europe and charges at up to three times faster than a standard 13-amp domestic socket. It is also far safer than using a 13-amp domestic supply, being wired on a dedicated electrical circuit in accordance with stringent industry safety standards. Over 20,000 Homecharge units have been supplied in the UK and throughout nine other European countries.
access to usage data**. The POLAR Network gives electric vehicle users access to thousands of charging points across the country, all of which can be accessed with a single card. The membership charge is usually £20 per year. The new government backed scheme requires recipients to own or have on order a plug-in vehicle, and runs until 31st March 2015, or until the total allocated funding has been spent. The government has announced that £9m will be allocated to support domestic charging points between 1st September 2014 and 31st March 2015. David Martell, Chargemaster’s founder and chief executive confirmed its ongoing support for the UK government initiative: “We are delighted to offer a free unit under the new scheme with support from the government. Chargemaster is not only subsidising
Filthiest Habits Revealed
national POLAR Network. Being able
M
to see one’s electricity usage at home
third admitted they don’t always wash their hands after going to
and in addition across the POLAR network is all part of the high level
the toilet, almost half leave the same sheets on their bed for weeks,
of service that Chargemaster offers to support EV car buyers”
while half use the same dish cloths and sponges over and over again
the cost of the domestic unit, but also giving electric vehicle buyers greater flexibility to charge away from home with six months’ free access to the
“The ability for electric car drivers to have easy access to
illions of us could be risking our health because of poor hygiene in the home, according to research released today.
The study asked Brits about a range of hygiene habits and a
until they could almost walk out of the kitchen.
charging at home and across the UK is key to the reduction of carbon
One in ten don’t wash their towels weekly, the same number
emissions nationally, as well as improving air quality, particularly in
don’t clean their teeth twice a day, only half (53%) shower and bathe
urban areas, so we are delighted to be doing our bit.”
once a day.
With many new electric models now launched, or about to come
The carpet cleaning experts, Rug Doctor swabbed the shoes of
on the market, the EV market in the UK is buoyant. Manufacturers
a cross section of age groups and demographics around the UK to
offering, or about to offer plug-in vehicles in the UK now include Audi,
discover what lurks on the sole of our footwear and the results are
BMW, Citroën, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot,
truly shocking.
Porsche, Renault, Smart, Tesla, Toyota, Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Volvo.
6 | Endeavour Magazine
High numbers of bacteria from the pneumonia and E Coli families were found up and down the UK, as well as vomit-inducing
Enhanced User Experience: More Options To Determine Best Price Across Channels
T
ata Consultancy Services
President and Chief Financial Officer for Avis Budget Group.
(TCS), (BSE: 532540, NSE:
The new Avis and Budget mobile applications are currently
TCS), a leading IT services,
available on the iOS and Android platforms. Additional features
consulting
and
business
solutions
allow customers to make, modify or cancel a car reservation, view
organization, today announced the recent completion of significant
past rental details, find rental locations, select car preferences, and
enhancements to a series of mobile applications developed on behalf
compare the existing and modified reservation data. Most recently,
of Avis Car Rental and Budget Car Rental. The upgraded mobile
the Avis mobile application was also launched on the Microsoft
applications provide customers of the car rental companies with
Windows Phone and BlackBerry operating systems to provide
innovative new functionality, including synchronized pricing across
additional options for Avis customers.
channels (e.g., mobile, social, office location) to reflect customized
“In the new digital age, it is crucial for a company to build a
preferences and insurance options, and more available ancillary
seamless and total presence for customers across all channels,”
products for in-app selection.The upgraded Avis Car Rental and
said Satya Ramaswamy, Global Head of Digital Enterprise, Tata
Budget Car Rental mobile applications process coupons and account
Consultancy Services. “We are thrilled that the new Avis Car Rental
for frequent traveler program surcharges, insurance and other add-
and Budget Car Rental mobile applications will not only enhance
ons, to help customers understand the total cost of their rental.
customer loyalty and brand affinity, but elevate the company’s
They also allow customers to select additional ancillary products
ability to meet the competition head-on.”
they would like incorporated into their reservation, including Loss
“Enabling customers to manage all aspects of their car rental
Damage Waiver protection, Satellite Radio and Roadside Assistance.
experience through the innovative use of digital technologies is a
“Being a leader in mobile services to car rental customers is an
winning strategy that drives new channel business. Avis Car Rental
important objective for us as we look to profitably accelerate our
and Budget Car Rental have raised the bar yet again in the car rental
growth, while at the same time enhance the customer experience
industry, leveraging digital in a big way and TCS is excited to be the
we provide. The work TCS has done over the last several months –
technology partner in this endeavor,” said S Sukanya, Vice President
on time, on budget and to scope – has been critical to our progress
and Global Head of Travel, Transportation and Hospitality Unit, Tata
against this objective,” said David Wyshner, Senior Executive Vice
Consultancy Services.
toxins, traces of animal and human gut and faecal bacteria. As well as bacteria, the swabs also contained human and pet hair, dust mites, pollen and traces of skin, but with 40% of us wearing
28%
have had a pet be sick on the flooring
footwear inside, less than one in five of us cleaning the bottom of our shoes - the chances are millions could be living amongst this filth. Particularly as 40% believe their carpets are completely clean
30%
after vacuuming which is a myth. So could you be at risk of illness
have had a baby or someone else be sick on their carpet
because of bad hygiene habits at home? Dr Pixie McKenna from Embarrassing Bodies: “Rug Doctor’s work to assess the nation’s hygiene habits has thrown up shocking
24%
have had a pet leave their mess
22%
admit to having had sex on the floor
stats, particularly how little care people take to remove bacteria and grime within their homes. Dangerous bugs like pneumonia and E Coli are being brought into our homes on the soles of our shoes, and are then trampled into the carpets….in fact, 41% of people say they still don’t intend to remove their footwear at the door, even though
Nairn Milne
Do You Hear The Beat?
Rug Doctor has revealed the nasties lurking in their carpets.”
Endeavour Magazine | 7
Testing Of All-New Right-Hand-Drive Mustang Begins
F
or the first time ever, a right-hand-drive Ford Mustang will roll off a Ford assembly line when global production begins. The addition of a right-hand-drive Mustang to
Ford’s line-up of global vehicles will allow the iconic ‘pony car’ to be exported to more than 25 right-hand-drive markets around the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa. Mustang engineers recently finished construction of the very first right-hand-drive sixth-generation Mustang. The prototype Mustang will be used to conduct various development tests in preparation for the car’s entry into the global market in the coming months. While the United States is the largest market for Mustang with more than 9.2 million sales since the car’s debut in 1964, more than 161,000 Mustangs have been sold outside of North America in that time. In 2012 alone, more than 4,000 Mustangs were sold in 35 countries outside of North America, ranging from the United Arab Emirates to Chile to the Philippines. While Mustang has more than 100 fan clubs around the globe, and was recently voted “Europe’s Most Wanted Classic Car” by AutoScout24, bringing a right-hand-drive Mustang to market will allow more enthusiasts to experience the car than ever before.
50 years of Mustang
Regal Princess Naming Ceremony Will Launch Princess Cruises’ 50th Anniversary Celebrations
I
t’s been nearly forty years since the iconic television show The Love Boat went on the air and introduced
viewers to modern day cruising and, in the process, made Princess Cruises and its ships synonymous with vacations at sea. The original Love Boat cast will serve as
godparents for Regal Princess. As Princess prepares to celebrate its milestone 50th anniversary year in 2015, the company is honoring the role that The Love Boat played in its history by selecting the original Love Boat cast members to serve as godparents for its new cruise ship Regal Princess. All six Love Boat cast members will reunite to christen the new ship on November 5 in Fort Lauderdale. The ceremony will officially launch the golden year anniversary celebrations for Princess Cruises, which will celebrate five decades of operation throughout 2015.
Ford Mustang is the newest member of a very exclusive club
The actors include Gavin MacLeod (Captain Stubing), Fred
– vehicles in continuous production for 50 years. The car has a
Grandy (Gopher, the chief purser), Ted Lange (Isaac, the bartender),
worldwide base of fans, including more than 7.6 million on Facebook
Bernie Kopell (Doc, the ship’s doctor), Lauren Tewes (cruise director
– the most of any vehicle nameplate. From the beginning, Mustang’s
Julie) and Jill Whelan (Vicki, the captain’s daughter).
unique combination of style, performance and affordability
“We can think of no more suitable godparents for our newest
established an entirely new class of sporty cars, and it has led the
ship than the cast of the show that put Princess Cruises on the
segment ever since.
map,” said Jan Swartz, the line’s president. “The show has been such
The sixth-generation Mustang goes on sale in the United States this autumn and in the UK in 2015, and will eventually be available in more than 110 countries worldwide. 8 | Endeavour Magazine
a visible part of our company’s history, it made sense to kick off our anniversary celebrations with this special tribute.” The pilot episode of the Love Boat, shot aboard Princess’
Book Reviews
Mobility And Millennials Revealed As Biggest Influence On The Changing Role Of Cios Across Canada Survey Of Canadian CIOs Unveils Technology Trends Influencing The Evolution Of The Workplace A
730-passenger original Sun Princess in 1977, began the relationship between Princess Cruises and the show, which for ten seasons eventually became one of the highest rated and longest-running shows on television. The Pacific Princess and Island Princess were the primary floating stars of the show, while later episodes and specials were filmed aboard many of Princess’ other cruise ships in destinations around the globe.
“I’m absolutely thrilled that my former cast mates and I will be part of Regal Princess’ U.S. debut,” said Gavin MacLeod, who has been Princess Cruises’ ambassador since the show ended in 1986. “The fact that The Love Boat continues to air in international syndication around the globe is a testament to the show’s longevity and the world’s fascination with romance on the high seas.”
recent
commissioned Electronics
IDC by
Canada1
survey Samsung found
that technology trends such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), which
reflect
the
growing
use of personal tablets and smartphones in the workplace, is driving change for the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and businesses across Canada. Of the CIOs surveyed, 58 per cent said the number of mobile workers at their company has increased and that 68 per cent of these workers use tablets in addition to mobile phones.
The 3,560-guest Regal Princess, which entered service in May of
BYOD is quickly becoming
this year, is arriving in Fort Lauderdale to begin her maiden season
the new norm for companies
of Caribbean cruise vacations. Among the special features found on
across Canada with 52.5 per
board is a dramatic multi-story atrium serving as the social hub of
cent of CIOs open to employees
the ship, offering a host of dining and entertainment options; an
bringing their own devices to
over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending
work. When asked why CIOs
28 feet beyond the edge of the ship; plush private poolside cabanas
have a bring their own device
that appear to be floating on water; the Princess Live! television
policy, 50.8 per cent responded
studio; the largest pastry shop at sea; a special Chef’s Table Lumiere,
saying it was to appeal to young
a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light;
workers which will make up
and balconies on all outside staterooms.
75 per cent of the workforce
“The ship’s naming ceremony is just the beginning of the
by 2028.
While security still
celebrations that will mark our company’s golden anniversary,” said
remains a core component, CIOs
Swartz. She added that beyond the Regal Princess festivities, guests
are being driven by workplace
sailing on any of the line’s fleet of 18 cruise ships during 2015 will
trends to help future-proof their
enjoy a wide range of anniversary experiences.
organization.
Endeavour Magazine | 9
1
PATRICIA ERB LOOKING AFTER THE NEXT GENERATION BY DONNIE RUST
N
o child should have to suffer; these were the words
ninety five years old and have developed throughout the world in
when Save the Children was founded in 1919 by
separate chapters,” she reveals, “Since 2010 we have moved into a
Eglantyne Jebb. A woman filled with fire, she convinced
coordinated operation with country offices reporting to a central
the League of Nations to establish a policy regarding the safety and
branch in the UK. Unified under one country office we are able to
protection of children irrespective of their race, nationality or creed.
have an even larger impact working together than we would working
A formidable woman with an unyielding vision within three years
alone.”
of setting up the foundation there were four branches worldwide
Each chapter still operates as an independent cell, however, as a
with a central hub in the United Kingdom, “After the atrocities she
centralized entity they benefit from the team work and support that
witnessed during the first world war she was compelled to act,”
such a state can offer. These changes were just taking place when
Patricia Erb, CEO of Save the Children Canada reveals, “And her
Patricia took over as CEO and she has brought to the table a lifetime
passion, her fire influenced and united countries together under a
of experience and understanding.
common goal of protecting and safeguarding children.”
When she was young her father was in development and
Patricia has taken on the role of running the Canadian branch
Patricia was exposed to the effects of poverty and the impact it
of this international organisation employing some thirty seven
had to children, kids dying from measles and other viruses and
thousand people worldwide upon a wave of change, “We’re nearly
diseases, “Poverty, disease and misery affect communities through
10 | Endeavour Magazine
each person where every family is a bubble. Within that bubble a
During the 70s, Patricia was nineteen and working in Argentina
child can live in heartbreaking poverty while being surrounded by
as a relief worker. During the time the region had slipped into a
neighbours who aren’t even aware of it,” Patricia says, “I felt that I
dark period marked by dictatorship. Disease, poverty and fear
had to do something that it was my responsibility.”
were rampant and hope was dying. Activists were dealt with in a
Finding that her own beliefs were in line with those of the founder,
disgustingly abhorrent manner during the time, used as examples
Eglantyne Jebb, who believed that it was the world’s responsibility to
to keep people in line and to further increase the shadow of fear
look after the children, Patricia has dedicated her life to be involved
that had been drawn across the country. While Patricia was there
in this. After disappearing in Argentina for a period, she finished her
purely as a relief worker, she was not only of the age, but also friends
studies and did her research looking to find the organization through
with a number of people who were involved in the rebellion and she
which she could do the best work, “I wanted to be part of something
became a suspect.
that was greater that would enable me to have the greatest impact
“I was living in Bolivia at the time,” she recalls, “And I saw extreme
possible,” she reflects, “I found Save the Children twenty six years
poverty all around me. I started to work in Buenos Aires and one
ago and have worked with them ever since.”
night the military came to my house and took me from my bed.”
Children are the deciding factor in the world, Patricia goes on to
Kidnapped and taken to a concentration camp what followed
explain, protecting our children, feeding and educating them is the
was two months of extreme torture, Patricia didn’t go into much
main function of humanity and the future of the planet hinges on
detail at this point sufficing in saying that of the hundreds of people
our success in this. And, when speaking to Patricia it becomes very
taken to this particular concentration camp only five ever managed
clear, very quickly that this is not just a job for her, this is her life,
to get out alive, “Because of my citizenship the Canadian, US and
“Everyone deserves a fair chance of life.”
even the Swiss government achieved my release,” she says, “But
2 Endeavour Magazine | 11
3
there were many who were not as fortunate.” For six years afterwards Patricia, a human rights activist, telling her story in the hope of engaging an active participation from people in business and beyond to fight against this kind of treatment, this kind of evil. Since then, the democratic processes in Latin America have returned, however, like a virus spreading what you see is other atrocities developing in other parts of the world, war, famine, droughts
and
dictatorships
seem to be an ongoing thing but the hope is to find a way to overcome it all, “I hear about them constantly,” Patricia says, “And they break your heart but strengthen your resolve.” Part of this resolve comes from an experience that many of us could only imagine. Patricia has been working for Save the
grown up to become officials in government and actively involved
impact on my children and my
Children for twenty six years,
in what we do.”
husband and they all want to
she has worked in the field and
A source of incredible pride this also fuels her conviction to
enter into the same career. We
in the offices, hand-in-hand with
continue in what, she reveals is not a day job for her. Whereas many
talk about it spontaneously and
campaigns large and small and
CEOs and personalities speak of the importance of drawing a line
it’s become a part of our lives,
over the years has been able to
between professional life and personal life, Patricia does not, “I wrap
“This is the life I chose and
see the children that she worked
myself up in my work. This isn’t a day job, this isn’t a business - this
it gives meaning to it. It has
with two decades ago, now
is a calling. It’s a twenty four hour a day, seven day a week push to
terrible and wonderful pieces, it
grown up, “Some of the children
save children’s lives.”
seems a bit schizophrenic to me
I worked with in Bolivia have 12 | Endeavour Magazine
“I roll it together an embrace it all,” she says, “My work has an
to separate it.”
It is something that few people can testify to having, a job so fulfilling that it spills over into all facets of your life and frankly, with such an important
“I wrap myself up in my work. This isn’t a day job, this isn’t a business - this is a calling. It’s a twenty four hour a day, seven day a week push to save children’s lives.”
need immediate action. With governmental agencies, such as UNICEF, they are able to put into action programmes that are sustainable over the long term,
cause and with so much at stake it is a relief to know that the person
“To do this we have a strong, consummate alliance that allows us to
at the top is frankly obsessed with her work.
scale the long term projects.”
This has created an atmosphere of duty within Save the Children
I asked Patricia if we were winning the battle against poverty
Canada where the people look at their jobs as a calling, “I have an
and she explained that while over 143 million children have been
intensely close relationship with the other country directors,” she
directly helped over the world, and while Save the Children have
reveals, “And there is a mixture of long standing staff, particularly in
sophisticated systems of counting and determining aggregates for
areas like Scandinavia and the UK. We also have a high number of
their levels of success in case there are areas for improvement, that
people who come from the business sector and many of those staff
there is still some major hurdles ahead. This said, the work that they
move from one region to another and I have known them personally
do is often a case of relief efforts against unmitigated odds.
for a number of years.”
“We still see poverty, violence and hunger,” she says, “The last
There are benefits to having people with experience in the
extreme hunger in east Africa happened due to the length of the
business sector becoming involved in the organisation that need to
drought which nobody could change. The people of this region know
be able to engage businesses, corporations to partner and help them
how to handle droughts but the region didn’t have sufficient rainfall
achieve the targeted goals of their campaigns.
for over a decade which outlasted their resilience programmes.
“We have a major international campaign entitled “Everyone”
However thanks to efforts made by organisations, like Save the
focussed on the changes we’re doing globally in line with the
Children, UNICEF and the government, it wasn’t nearly as bad as
Millennium Development Goals. Save the Children is focused on
it could be,”
Millennium Development Goal 4, which is to end preventable child
One of the things that Patricia is particularly concerned about is
deaths under the age of five – specifically tackling infant mortality,”
the big bulge in youth Africa with high levels of unemployment. Africa
she says, “Canada is a country that has committed as a nation to
holds seven out of ten of the world’s fastest growing economies and
achieving this goal.”
a thriving entrepreneurial sector yet still has an alarmingly high level
Save the Children Canada also have a strategic partner in UNICEF, a partnership that has proved significant in a number of areas, “Save the Children was one of the first organisations to come from the civil sector,” she explains, “But UNICEF is a government
of unemployment. And it’s not due to lack of jobs but rather a lack of education. “Africa has a lot of opportunity in agriculture,” she says, “But to turn this into profitable work takes education and training.”
organisation set up by the United Nations and the partnership is
To help Africa achieve its economic and social potential, Save
important because it opens a number of doors that would otherwise
the Children, in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, has
be closed.”
launched Youth in Action. This unique program combines education
What appeals to Patricia is that Save the Children does shortterm
and entrepreneurial opportunities in agriculture for rural, out-of-
and efficient interventions, garnering corporate and public support
school youth in five African countries—Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia,
for campaigns that affect the here and now, the situations that
Malawi and Uganda. Endeavour Magazine | 13
The MasterCard Foundation has
Canada
from a career in this sector. In fact, farmers in Africa are part of an
and Patricia has been very
aging demographic, with most currently in their 60s. Without youth
impressed
14 | Endeavour Magazine
centre
involvement in agriculture, the continent’s future is bleak.”
with
in
what
has
been accomplished in Africa,
Youth in Action is an evidence-based program model that takes
“I think that is something we
each individual participant’s personal situation into account, working
need to get more of,” she says,
with youth’s families and communities to determine which path
“I believe in the potential for humanity and that everything is better and has better results when you do it with others,”
4
its
recently in a press report, “Despite this, youth have shied away
with
will create the most sustainable success. The program enhances
significant partners that
participants’ basic reading, writing and math skills, and provides
can achieve significant,
them with meaningful vocational and entrepreneurial training—
sustainable steps in the
allowing them to enter and thrive in the agricultural sector. Youth in
right direction.”
Action also aims to help youth understand and assess the potential
“Collaborating
“Agriculture has the
of their marketable product within the agricultural value chain,
potential to lead Africa’s
while providing them with access to the products and tools they
future economic growth
need to be successful. To create a sustainable and holistic program
while
model, Youth in Action works with governments and private sector
significantly
reducing the continent’s unemployment
organizations and employers.
and
“The agricultural sector employs 65 per cent of Africa’s
under-employment
workforce, but many young people still face a variety of barriers
rates,”
in securing meaningful employment in this sector,” said Reeta Roy,
says
Patricia
President and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation. “We are excited about our partnership with Save the Children, which will develop market-relevant skills and training for rural, out-of-school youth to obtain employment opportunities across the continent. What makes this program unique is that it encourages young people to learn by doing and takes a youth-centred approach to ensure young people secure sustainable livelihoods.” And, over the course of its duration, Youth in Action will work with approximately forty thousand youths in five African markets. “We thank The MasterCard Foundation for its vision and leadership in recognizing and seizing the opportunity to ensure that Africa’s future is a bright one,” said Patricia, “Save the Children is proud of this partnership and our role in Youth in Action.” Patricia’s whole view for the future is a series of significant steps, some of them large and others small but all important, “The rewards from each step, however small can be the most endearing and it’s always reassuring to see the resilience of people,” she says, “Early this year we went to Jordan to visit the camp and it was wonderful to see how eager the young girls there were to come to the camp where we were offering classes. They didn’t want to leave; their hunger for education was so great that they just wanted to stay. It’s seeing that sort of keenness in their eyes despite the horrific situation they’ve found themselves in.” Patricia goes on to say that the terror that this world can give pales beside the power of the human being to create opportunity. What is Patricia Erb excited about? So what is Patricia excited about for the future? Strategy. “We’re writing out our new strategies,” she says happily, “I love strategies. It’s the chance to step back and dream and think about how you’re going to turn those dreams into action and make them real.” Inclusive of the ongoing issues on infantile mortality, and the African bulge of uneducation and unemployment as well as the much needed deliberations on the best way to work with different genders there is the additional question regarding growth, “We’ve become this large international organisation which has created the possibility of even more growth and we’ve entered into a Programme of Excellence where we ask ourselves what will be Save the Children Canada’s stamp, how can we contribute, and what will be our area of expertise.” Despite all that has been achieved, Patricia is still adamant that they can offer more and that it is their responsibility to never stop
Photography Credits
1
In January 2014, Patricia visited a Save the Children program in one of Syria’s largest refugee camps, Zaatari, in Jordan.
In emergency situations, Save the Children focuses on creating safe spaces that will help children find normalcy in a chaotic setting, including education, child protection, access to basic needs and care, etc. Location: Zaatari Refugee Camp, Jordan. Photo credit: Save the Children.
2 3
Youth in Action participant, Roset, 16 (Kasese, Uganda) climbs a tree to pick jackfruit, which she and her family sell to
generate a small income These beads save lives! In regions where numeracy and literacy levels are low, Save the Children teams find innovative
solutions to help community health workers battle preventable causes of death, including pneumonia. By tracking a child’s breaths with the beads, the health worker can determine if he/she is exhibiting signs of the pneumonia. Location: Payam, Kapoeta North county, South Sudan. Photo credit: Helen Mould/Save the Children
4
In January 2014, Patricia visited a Save the Children program in one of Syria’s largest refugee camps, Zaatari, in Jordan.
In emergency situations, Save the Children focuses on creating safe spaces that will help children find normalcy in a chaotic setting, including education, child protection, access to basic needs and care, etc. Location: Zaatari Refugee Camp, Jordan. Photo credit: Save the Children.
trying to do more. To further galvanize the group. “I believe in the potential for humanity and that everything is better and has better results when you do it with others,” Patricia wraps up.
Endeavour Magazine | 15
6 REASONS WHY BUYING REAL BOOKS MAKES YOU
A BETTER PERSON
I
like books. The smell of them, the feeling of the pages and the sound they make as they turn. I prefer books with pages that are slightly brown-yellow and where the corners have been
WRITTEN BY DONNIE RUST
slightly ruffled as if they’ve been handled by many interested hands. I find Kindles, eReaders and Ipads to be useful accessories but I won’t get the same sort of reliable joy out of reading my favorite books on a screen. Furthermore I don’t buy my books from high street stores because their pages are always too sharp and white, the covers always too proper. There just aren’t as many creases in the cover and spine as a book that’s come from a library or even better a charity, second hand book store. However, as I have a very flawed character I needed to justify and defend my personal tastes. And these are some of the reasons why buying books from second hand book stores makes you a better person.
Books are the representations of our age: more than merely history, the books we read today represent the soul of an age. Artists are reflections of society and are able to capture the feel of a time within their words and pages. If you want facts and figures you read history books, but if you want to learn about what humanity went through
during
the
14th century you
16 | Endeavour Magazine
read Shakespeare. Future historians and archaeologists will use the
This may only be an improvement, after all if you’re actually a really,
books they find of us to determine who we were and what we did.
really bad person starting a good collection of well read books will
Hopefully getting the right idea by what is fiction and what is fact.
make you a really bad person which is an improvement. In a way it’s
But probably not (link to history)
comparable to the reversal of the evolutionary process that gave us
Charity stores sell books at cheap rates and the money goes to a good cause: charity stores offer a combination of cheap rates and
house cats.
well-worn products. I don’t much like the idea of wearing a second
unpredictable things may be or how chaotic things have become
hand pair of trousers- if I could find any that would fit me- but when
that the words on the pages in these books will remain the same.
it comes to books you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better place to get
That their story will not change and that the adventure will always
literature with that old-book smell and the creased cover of a good
be there for us.
read. In fact there is probably a reason why Terry Pratchett, Stephen
They are burning books:
King and Paulo Coelho books always have covers that look like old hiker boots compared to the Twilight series that look like they’ve only been opened once. Also you know the money spent is going to a good cause. Where else can you go where you can buy an entire universe and know that the money is going to help someone who needs it? Brilliant.
Writers are literary performers, they write to be paid but to be enjoyed: this first important step, where a writer gets paid for his or her work occurs along the route from a book going from the writer’s brain into the collection of words and pages on a store shelf. The second important step happens when the book through one way or another improves the life of someone who needs it. There are few things as pure as a book passing from one person to another.
Books don’t run out of battery, get broken or lost: this is a matter of logistics. Ipads run
There is a certain presence about a collection of books, be them novels, autobiographies or histories that calm the soul by giving the reassurance that no matter what happens in our life, no matter how
outside of merely
reading books you have to buy them and protect them because bit by bit they’re not printing more of them. Currently, being able to read novels and stories on Ipads and Kindles is convenient and useful, through one pad you can read whatever book you like and carry the stories everywhere with you. Today we’re all so eager to transfer our lives online that the publishing industry is changing with fewer printing products being provided every year. It hasn’t hit a crisis point currently, but in 2012 Ebooks outsold printed books two to one. At the time it made news, albeit briefly, but things have only continued in this way and it’s put us into a strange situation. When scrolls were outsold by books, people didn’t turn around and start burning scrolls but this is exactly what is happening now. How many copies of “The Colour of Magic” by Terry Pratchett have been printed since it was first written? Conservatively we could say a million… (very conservatively) however, that book has now been committed to a digital format which is now available to everywhere in the world, conveniently and easily. Leaving a conservative estimate
out of batteries, run out of memory, get damaged when dropped; get
of a million books being left that need to be stored and authorities
viruses (I’m assuming) or operating errors. Like all things online from
like libraries are now having to make room for coffee chairs and
your Facebook profile to your Amazon account it is all the illusion of
computer stations for students and readers to come and sit with
permanence which is perpetrated by the nerd operating the buttons
their Kindles to keep attracting people in and bit by bit the book
on the other end (over generalizing).
shelves are being relegated from Libraries into charity and second
Books last forever (bias) with minimal amount of effort: Leave a book on a shelf for ten years and it’ll be able to tell you the same
hand book stores and those books that don’t make the move are being stored.
story just as well as it did a decade earlier. Put a book in a book pile
And when they’ve been stored for too long, they start taking up
up and down your stairs and it’ll wait for you, quite happily. A book
space and when they start taking up too much space they have to
that is ten years old can be read just as easily two hundred years
be removed. Unfortunately, unlike unwanted pets, unwanted books
later whereas whatever e-reader, IPad or Kindle you’re reading on
are officially burnt leaving it to us to save them.
now will be utterly redundant and unusable in ten. If you’re lucky.
The stories are being preserved online and as everyone seems to
A good collection of books settles the soul and promises adventures to be had: the only reason there aren’t many scientific
assume that the internet will always be around and that our access
papers on the subject of how collecting books can actually settle the
information is lost. However, through convenience we’ll keep putting
soul is because the fact of the matter is so widely known nobody has ever seen it necessarily to prove or dispute it. A good collection of well read books makes you a better person.
to it will never change so most of us don’t even realize the problem. The alternative to having books will never be as reliable because it is just a machine and machines break down and when they do stories online but it’s down to you to save something historic for your grandchildren. So do something right. Go out and buy a book. Endeavour Magazine | 17
WAR HOARSE
“We don’t need to escalate, you see war is not the answer” WRITTEN BY JOHN, LORD TAYLOR OF WARWICK
These lyrics were written by soul legend Marvin Gaye, for his
recover after the second Gulf War and attracting the investment
classic “What’s Going On” album in 1971. Sadly, we did not heed
needed for wells and exploration is not easy when bombs and bullets
his warning.
are still an everyday hazard. The militants attack on Iraq’s biggest oil
When Tony Blair became British Prime Minister in 1997 he had
refinery in Baiji, after a seige lasting a week, shut down production
no previous ministerial experience. Yet by the time he left Downing
temporarily . In the Oil Market such instability creates higher oil
Street in 2007, he had led Britain into 5 wars. Although we “won”
prices. If Iraq further destabilises and fragments, there could be a
the 2003 Iraq war, we could lose the peace. The humanitarian
knock on effect in the Middle East. Dispersal could see the Kurdish
impact of war, in terms of deaths and injury is obvious and shocking.
in the North align with the Kurds in Syria and the Shia dominated
But what is perhaps less understood, is that War is ultimately bad
South look to Iran. The more conflict, the less oil production. In the
for business.
West we are still very dependent on Middle East oil. Whilst it is
Confidence is important for any economy. The Stock market is affected by events in the world, good or bad. Currently there are
true that new oil sources like Shale Oil are being developed, more is needed to keep up with demand.
10 major wars and 8 serious armed conflicts being waged around
Although it is not currently dominating the headlines, there is
the world. Where there is instability and warfare, that is not good
still a Civil War raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The
for investment and trade. I can
DRC has very rich mineral resources. In addition to copper, gold and
illustrate that by looking at 3
examples…….Iraq, Congo and the Kashmir.
diamonds it has 80% of the world’s Coltan ( columbite-tantalum)
Iraq has 65% of the world’s oil reserves. Oil is still the lifeblood of
deposits. This is a mineral which is essential for the making of mobile
the American economy. The US consumes about 30% of the world’s
phones, laptops and computer games, due to its heat conducting
oil and it is vital to sustaining the UK economy. Products which we
properties. But much of East Congo is in the hands of rebel troops.
take for granted, such as fertilisers, plastic, petrol, cosmetics, many
It is also claimed that gangs from neighbouring countries such as
clothes, CDs and even ink are all manufactured from oil. Prior to the
Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe are heavily involved in the coltan
invasion of Iraq, the USA was concerned that none of the members
smuggling trade. They sell the minerals to help fund their store of
of the Arab League (a regional organisation of Arab states including
weapons. Approximately 3 million Congolese have been killed as
Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen) was a
a result of the war, so far. Three mobile phone manufacturers….
true democracy. The US believed that the fall of Saddam Hussain
Motorola, Nokia and Vodafone have publically acknowleged that this
would bring democracy to the Middle East and deny radical groups
ongoing war directly affects their business.
access to oil reserves, so desperately needed by the West. How wrong they were.
A third major area of conflict is in the Kashmir. I visited Pakistan about 7 years ago as part of a UK Parliamentary delegation. We met
Since the war, new militant groups have emerged. ISIS has been
senior Pakistani parliamentarians and officials. It fell to me to raise
attacking and taking territories, especially in areas like Falluja. Iraq
the thorny issue of Kashmir and to ask why Pakistan cannot resolve
produces about 3.3million barrels of oil per day. Production did not
its ongoing dispute with neighbouring India concerning that territory.
18 | Endeavour Magazine
This problem has been ongoing since
future, than just the next election. This
1947, after the British subdivided the
particularly applies to President Obama,
continent. So I was probably a bit too
who is in his second term and does not
optimistic to think I could resolve the
have to worry about whether he will
issue during our 40 minute chat over
be re-elected. Too many leaders are
tea and biscuits. Still, I tried.
content to build walls and not bridges
This
dispute
consequences.
does
have wider
Srinagar, Kashmir’s
capital, is home to a software technology park which employs engineers to develop
software
for
American
construction companies. But it took two and a half years to even get internet access, since security agencies were concerned that militants would take advantage of it. Although I enjoyed my
between different nations, races and
“
cultures. They need to be Statesmen
I do believe our world leaders need to take a longer term view of the future, than just the next election.”
not just politicians. I visited the United Nations in New York, to speak at a Leadership conference about 10 years ago. I left with the impression that the UN is a massive bureaucracy, more concerned with process than outcome. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)
time in Pakistan, this constant instability
is supposed to be an international
seems a barrier to the nation moving
Peace Keeping Agency. Yet it might
forward
Pakistan,
as well be called “NOTNOW”, for all
the Army is perceived to have more
the effect it has. The ultimately irony
power than the Government. Politicians
is that the Middle East Peace Envoy
come and go, but the Army remains
is Tony Blair, the very same man who
a formidable institution. An unstable
took us into War in the Middle East!
Pakistan presents an ongoing threat to
The UN, NATO and the Peace Envoy
our own security in the West.
are three institutions urgently in need
economically.
In
So conflicts affect us all, not just
of rebooting. Otherwise they should
those immediately and directly caught
get the boot and be replaced by more
up in them. I am not suggesting there
effective leadership at the top.
are easy answers to these problems.
World has literally become War Hoarse.
But I do believe our world leaders
We should listen to Marvin.
The
need to take a longer term view of the
Endeavour Magazine | 19
MERCEDES BENZ E250 CDI AMG SPORT ESTATE
PERFECT FOR THE MODERN FAMILY MAN WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER
G
rowing up, Estates or Station Wagons as we called them in Sunny South Africa were cars that family men bought but nothing that has existed before the E250 CDI AMG
Sport Estate could compare. This is a car designed, specifically for protecting the driver from his family. I say his family because the Mercedes E250 CDI AMG Sport Estate is likely to attract a family man who is unable to relinquish the urge to road race boy racers in their hatchbacks. Mercedes has reached the point where they are unable to make a slow moving vehicle and at this standard everything that comes off the production line is reliable, stylish and powerful. The Sport Estate is the kind of vehicle for a man who wants to sail past a hatchback filled with teenager drivers fast enough to tear their duck-billed caps clean off their heads. Some people may find the exterior to be a little bland, but it holds the traditional sleek look of a Mercedes Benz, the option I tested came in Diamond Silver Metallic which is the colour I always associate with Mercs. The engine is a tad gruff in comparison to its predecessors but despite the economy behind the power is remarkable and makes this a justifiable choice. Pitched against rivals like the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6, the Mercedes E-Class has always had some tough competition to match up to and when you are literally racing against top competitors like that any changes and developments need to be looked at carefully.
So that’s why this refreshed model has been treated
to a comprehensive redesign, benefiting from driver assistance technology that will be used on the next-generation S-Class. 20 | Endeavour Magazine
Exterior Taking over from the old, angular quad-headlight setup, the E-Class has been given a facelift. A pair of hi-tech-looking headlights and an enlarged, more upright grille that gives the front a more determined even aggressive appearance as it approaches from behind. New headlights, featuring LED low and high beams (standard) the subtle, matt silver trim and the removal of the odd retro-pontoon style crease in the rear doors that are no reserved for coupes and convertibles, turn this into the classiest way to destroy the reputation of a heavy footed teenage road liability. Truth be told, any boy racers would really only see the rear of this car, which does boast a fresh design of LED tail-lights.
Interior And Driving Inside, the upholstery is done up in a dark shark grey, the seats are comfortable and spacious and with the driving console having been stripped and rearranged to ensure the driver’s attention is taken from the act of driving. This is really where the magic happens. As I said, this vehicle has been cleverly designed with the intention of protecting the river from the longer holiday journeys that involve three screaming kids and a silent, fuming wife. The car is equipped with smarter air vents which flank the analogue clock on the center console of the dash ensuring that air circulation can be directed backwards to cool the heated faces of children close to tantrums. For the driver, the gearlever has been moved to the steering column, opening up space at the elbows and
keeping the essential driving elements, ie. Gear changing out of the range of a mistime angry kick from an impetuous brat. For a similar reason the handbrake is now located on the doorside panel on the right. Seat adjustment has also changed. Which becomes important when you have children sitting behind you who are inclined to play the game “kick the back of the chair as hard as you can get away with,”. What used to involve having to reach between your knees and a complicated pulling of a lever and thrusting of the buttocks to move has been simplified to a seat adjustment level on the door panel which can shift not only the seat and headrest position, but the angle and height of it too. To keep the children entertained there is a DVD player screen attached to the rear of the passengers and drivers headrests, with easily accessible inputs for headphones (two pairs are provided for with the car) and cellphone chargers. An issue arises as there are two screens but space in the backseat for three children. However, with a price range of between £40k and £70k I’d assume that if you’re able to afford this you’ll be able to afford an additional portable DVD player for the third borne. And if not, there is a lot of space in the trunk. The 2.1 litre diesel engine is well matched to the smooth seven speed auto gearbox. I was told that the engine is rather loud, rattling away like the Gruffalo when in idle and not settling down until higher
Ease Of Driving Everyone prefers driving on long roads lacking in roundabouts or stop lights whereas a car’s real mettle is tested when you’re dropped into heavy traffic. At this point what the car does to lessen the stress of dealing with other drivers in heavy congestion and kids , can really identify the vehicle and the manufacturers as icons of superiority. The stop start system keeps the mind at ease regarding the amount of fuel being used in start-stop traffic, the engine cutting quickly and restarting in a crisp manner as you take your foot of the brake. It also has an anti-roll system to make hill starts easier. Proximity sensors in the flanks, rear and front lets you know if any vehicle is too close which also helps when you’re trying to reverse into a city parking space. “Intelligent drive technology” has debuted in the E Class, which makes up of a new stereoscopic camera mounted in front of the rear-view mirror. This can monitor crossing traffic, improving the emergency brake assist function at junctions while the adaptive cruise control can now steer the car as long as you keep your hand on the wheel. This isn’t to replace the driver, but more so that in the event of an emergency such as an unexpected spin the car can adjust to avoid severe collisions through driver error. Ultimately, a perfect car for the family man seeking refuge from his family on a holiday drive.
speeds are reached. However, when inside the car you barely hear this and so I can only assume it is part of the design to let the boy racer’s know exactly what kind of beast is blowing passed them in the fast lane. Endeavour Magazine | 21
GADGETS
At $30,000 This Bed Will Put You To Sleep
The Big Screen LG’s 29-inch EA93 monitor may not be the largest screen at its
The Tranquility Pod —a mashup between a Henrik Thor-Larsen chair and a giant Mentos candy is more than just another piece of pricey retro-futuristic furniture. Crawl through that inviting opening, and you’ll find yourself floating atop a six-foot-wide octagonal waterbed, encircled by soft LED mood lighting, and engulfed by sound waves from an 80-watt audio system. Once inside, you may never want to leave. Suede-topped,
memory
foam-covered,
and
temperature-
controlled, the waterbed is luxurious enough. Never mind that you can pipe in music from your smartphone through the fourspeaker sound system. There’s also a subwoofer in the bottom that vibrates the bed so the sound waves resonate through your body like a musical massage. You can probably spend many, many hours tweaking your playlist to find the sequence of tunes that produces the best vibrations. Did I mention the pulse sensor? Yes, more over-the-top awesomeness. The 50 LEDs lining the pod’s insides actually synchronize with your heart rate to create an ambient lighting motif that best suits your temperament. Imagine having the lights automatically dim as all that soft suede and musical vibrating lulls you to sleep (Philips should probably steal this idea for its Hue bulbs). The Tranquility Pod is almost 80 inches in diameter, which means it’s going to take up most of your apartment if you live in New York or San Francisco. But since it costs $30,000, I’ll assume that if you’re in the market, you live in a space big enough to accomodate a giant fiberglass waterbed. It’s sold in the U.S. by retailer Hammacher Schlemmer, so if the price seems a tad steep, keep in mind that you can bundle it into the same order as your $60,000 Bowers & Wilkins speakers and your $15,000 German Flakfernrohr and maybe save a little bit on shipping. 22 | Endeavour Magazine
IFA hall, but the super-wide 21:9 IPS display is still pretty unusual. Big enough for several full-sized spreadsheets or browser pages, the monitor includes a screen-splitting feature that automatically resizes windows on the screen, giving you up to four panels with several custom options. Depending on your needs, the EA93 may be able to replace some dual-monitor setups, and widescreen videos watched on it are very wide indeed — resolution is 2560 x 1080. That said, we’re not sure exactly when it goes on sale or how much it might sell for. There’s not an official launch date, though we’re told that the EA93 will launch in January along with its companion, the more traditional-looking 27-inch IPS EA83. The EA83 will sell for around 800 euros, while no price is given for the widescreen monitor.
Office Decision Paperweight This is a gadget that speaks for itself. $15.00 from Amazon, £7.00 roughly.
The 100 Inch Flat Screen Desk We’ve seen this in every science fiction television series that has illustrated how in elite or futuristic offices paper will only be useful in the bathroom (until the seashells come along) and that in its place desks will be like flat electronic televisions. This has been an idea for two decades but there have always been issues that have stopped this from making it into the average office. And if you think that Apple are the only ones pushing this ahead you’d be mistaken. This 100-inch (roughly 250 centimetre) touchscreen desk called Pano has brought the future to us. The latest creation of Ideum, it’s a touchscreen desk powered by Genuine 64-bit Windows 7 (Windows 8 ready). With an interior built up by Intel Quad Core i7 3770 (3.4GHz) with hyper reading, dual 500 GB SATA II 7200 RPM (RAID 1) hard disk drives, nVidia Quadro 600 1GB graphics card and 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3-1066 RAM it has some serious power which that multiple users can make use of with it’s 40+ simultaneous touch points that are able to be detected. While
this
could
definitely
increase
productivity and serve a number of different functions with a price tag of nearly $10,000 (£7000) it’s a lot of money to be dished out. Also considering the amount of finger smearing that will ultimately turn its surface into a preschool class mirror, it’s one of those toys that if you’re even in the position to be considering it. You probably are already in the position to buy it.
Endeavour Magazine | 23
TRAVEL
BY DONNIE RUST
THE HIGHWAYMANS
A Five Star Steal
N
eighbored by Bury St Edmunds and Cambridge, The
military pilots and this lasted until 2007 when changing demands of
Highwayman is within close enough proximity to
the military left the building empty yet again.
the cities to benefit from the styles of their affluent
Enter Juliet.
economy and inspiring architecture while not close enough to be
No stranger to hard work and grafting Juliet is the matriarch of a
stifled or overshadowed by them. This is a region known for large
large family including five children (four boys and one girl), a devoted
patchworks of rural areas, rolling knolls, glens and forests in which
husband Adam, and three cats, three dogs and ten chickens! She
cities and towns linger in the crevices like fallen pebbles. While only
has worked for such notable hospitality names as the Hyatt Hotel
a short drive to any one of the cities or one of the main arterial roads
Chain, The Dorchester and Centre Parcs occupying positions such
of Britain (M11, A14), on foot you will find yourself surrounded by
as human resources, marketing and even event management and
tranquility, the sounds of birds, the balmy spring air and dappled
so she was perfectectly prepared for the challenge of taking on the
sunlight.
HIghwaymans
Today the Highwayman stands in a league of its own for the
“Having started a family my husband and I ventured to Suffolk
highest levels of comfort, luxury and professionalism. Owner Juliet
and moved into Highwaymans in December 2007,” she recalls, “We
Fisher has definitely gone out of her way to ensure that guests
had a business plan and some savings and the rest just fell to hard
arriving at The Highwayman will be wanting to return, however it
work.”
has enjoyed a turbulent and controversial history that still haunts the spirit of the place.
Operations
“The Highwaymans belonged to the Ickworth Estate and was still
The success of any establishment comes in the attention to
used as curb heath land even in our lifetime,” Juliet reveals, “Known
detail and the small things always matter; a good hot shower, a
as the Highwaymans haunt in the old days where they lurked to rob
tranquil night sleep and a scrumptious Highwaymans Breakfast as
sick travelers along the black ditches which can still be seen along
an example. An additional token feature of The HIghwaymans is that
the boundary of our land, as well as people returning, with winnings
it cannot be seen from the Risby to Cavenham Road thanks to a line
from the Newmarket races.”
of trees so visitors have that magical moment as they turn the corner
The building that now serves as the Highwaymans Bed and
and see the building appear on the horizon.
Breakfast and Gallery was created as a vintners house in the late
Eight bedrooms, holiday homes, solar panel energy, air source
1970s as the land was granted planning permission to grow a 24
heat pumps with breakfast and dining in the Art Gallery. This is the
acre vineyard. Known as the Highwaymans Vineyard that ran
perfect getaway for couples and families to get away from the cities
successfully for a decade while also playing the role of a family house,
and get a lungful of fresh air and a taste of the local area and it is all
“Highwaymans created wines such as St Edmunds Bury which was
down to design.
sold to P&O ferries and Tescos,” Juliet explains, “However, erratic
One of the many things Juliet is passionate about is nurturing the
weather conditions and a lack of investment into English wines
enterprises of the next generation, “I’m a mother myself and have
forced the vineyard to be returned to farm-land.”
seen how the challenges in the economy and education system does
In the eighties the Highwayman played home to a number of US 24 | Endeavour Magazine
not guarantee a job after school or university,” she explains, “That’s
why it’s so important to motivate and inspire young business minds and young entrepreneurs, giving them the opportunities to develop lucrative careers. It’s not only good for the local economy now, but it could make a huge difference in their lives later on as well.” Drawing marketing Juliet’s
upon
her
experience methodology
is
simple but highly effective, “The HIghwaymans entices visitors from further afield looking to get a taste of the countryside and as the more time they spend here the more money they can spend within our local economy,” And it certainly works, with long lists of reviews on Tripadvisor going back seven years
shaped around the vibrant student population with boutique coffee
which have earned four and five stars repeatedly and continually
shops, restaurants and open manicured grounds.
use the words, “Peaceful,” and “perfect,”.
Under a skyline dominated by the university’s renowned
“The beds are very comfortable, the pillows smell fresh and the
Cavendish Laboratory, King’s College Chapel, and the Cambridge
showers are hot and invigorating,” is one of the reviews that would
University Library the evenings come alive with carnivals, street
put it above a number of other hotels and bed and breakfasts in the
parties and regular nighttime events. Music, stage performances and
region but the thing mentioned the most has been the efficiency and
comedy are on offer in this smelting pot of culture, nationalities,
warmth of the hosts and the courteous, engaging staff.
religions and educations. Cambridge is a place where it is better to
The catalogue of requirements that customers and guests
park up and take to the streets on foot.
expect today when booking a room at a bed and breakfast or a hotel
The busy market town of Bury St Edmunds is known for brewing
have changed significantly in the past seven years. According to an
and malting and is home to the large Greene King brewery. This
article in the Wall Street Journal published last year the number one
historic gem of a town brims with a richly fascinating heritage and
question being asked by potential guests on an international level
combines the medieval architecture, elegant Georgian squares and
is the how good the broadband and Wifi coverage is. This has put
glorious Cathedral and Abbey gardens together to offer the avid
pressure on more rural destinations who in the past may have been
travel a distinctive visual charm. Something for the bucket list must
favored for their isolation, to step up and make internet accessibility
be spending some time visiting the award winning market which is
one of their solemn offerings.
one of the most prestigious in the region.
“The Highwaymans is fully connected,” Juliet assures, “It has to be for the wide range of events that we host. It’s not just about
New Developments
guests being able to keep up to date with what’s happening on
Since taking on guests in 2008, The HIghwaymans has attracted
Facebook and Twitter but importantly for the local businesses and
a variety of customers. With its stunning scenery and staunch
artists we represent at our Gallery and store.”
appearance, wider than it is tall, appearing like a 18th century New
Where To Visit
Orleans mansion, The Highwayman sets a certain style at the onset that suits a certain class of client looking for the opportunity to
Close to Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds, a stay at Highwaymans
enjoy the countryside from the comfort of a self-contained room.
can offer delightful trips into these cities that can offer completely
However Juliet plans to broaden their caption area by introducing
different worlds of variety.
camping grounds for tents and caravans to increase capacity and
Cambridge, famous for its University has a culture that has been
make things accessible for all budgets. Endeavour Magazine | 25
BY MARINA BERRY
BURGERS LOVE AT FIRST BITE
E
of our innocent chat and took the liberty of sending me a naked picture of himself. This was not the sort of image anyone should have to be subjected to while eating their favourite meal and it put me right off my gherkin, in particular. I burst into tears with the realisation that “Stuart” hadn’t ever really been interested in Blue (the band or the colour) and I swore off chat rooms for good. Although it may have put me off my burger for one evening, luckily, my love of burgers was undiminished and I was
ver since I can remember, burgers have been my
happily eating another exactly one week later, in front of another
favourite food.
episode of Robot Wars, alongside my little brother. I was obviously
It’s only ever been burgers for me. My culinary
destined to have a long and happy relationship with burgers, and
pin-up. Handily, the only other food that even comes close in my
definitely not one with “Stuart”. No man comes between me and my
affections is chips, making me officially the World’s Cheapest Date.
food, especially naked.
You can buy me both of my top two favourite foods in the entire
So, McDonalds has been in my life for a long time, from a child
world for less than a fiver! Often without even getting out of your
having it as a treat, to popping in for a quarter pounder with cheese
car.
when I was on a break studying for my A Levels, to now, every single At the risk of sounding morbid, if I was on death row, forget caviar,
time I’m on the road going to or from a gig. I work as a singer and
steak, smoked salmon or oysters. My last meal would absolutely be a
tend to stop off at the trusty drive thru on the way to gigs... aaand
cheese burger and chips. Make no mistake.
on the way back. You won’t be surprised to hear that it has become
When I was a kid, every Friday as a treat, myself and my brother
a running joke amongst my fellow musicians. The fact that it has my
would get to have a McDonalds of our choice for dinner. We just
first initial lit up outside just makes me realise my love affair with this
loved it. The whole week was spent looking forward to Friday night
fast food chain is meant to be.
where we could sit watching Robot Wars with the best takeaway money could buy. Life was good.
But it wasn’t long before I discovered that there was indeed more to life than McDonalds. There were other burger joints out
I have famously never, ever not eaten every last scrap of any
there for me to try. I had options. At first I felt bad as McDonalds
burger I started eating. I am the Magnus Magnusson of burgers in
was my first. But after trying out a few others I began to realise, I’ll
this regard. Once I’ve started that bad boy is getting finished, I don’t
always hold a torch for Ronald McDonald yes, but the burger world
care what the waistband of my jeans says.
is a big and exciting place, and I shouldn’t feel bad exploring it. Even
I was only ever put off finishing a burger once in my entire life
if it does mean starting off with its arch enemy and rival, Burger King.
and that was when I was on an internet chat room, aged 16. A boy
Burger King is very similar to Mc Donald’s in that they serve
logged on and we struck up a conversation. This boy (we’ll call him
burgers, they’re darn tasty and there’s always someone who despite
Stuart) seemed sweet and I happily chomped on my Big Mac while
having stood in the queue for 10 minutes, still doesn’t know what
answering his questions about my favourite band and my favourite
they want to order when they get to the front.
colour, leaving greasy little fingerprints on the PC keyboard. Then suddenly, while I was mid bite, he decided he’d had enough 26 | Endeavour Magazine
Now, whereas Mc Donald’s has a clown as its mascot, Burger King has the aptly named “Burger King” as theirs. Food aside, who
would you rather buy from? A strong, powerful Monarch? Or the heavily made-up scarier ganglier cousin
and cheese. As a side. And it’s
of Stephen King’s IT?
the most delicious side dish I
The burgers in Burger King are delicious and let’s not forget, it’s the home of the Whopper, and
have ever had. As mentioned,
if I have the option to go for a bigger burger, I’m always going to take it. Bigger is better as they say,
they also do onion rings, and
particularly when it comes to burgers. Or food portions in general. Apart from liquorice, that never good
courgette fries for those skinny
in any size portion.
burger eaters who want to be
As far as I’m concerned, Burger King’s trump card is that they sell onion rings, and I love onion rings.
slightly healthier. To top it all
In fact, I’ve been known to order them over a portion of chips. True story. I was in Burger King in Ibiza
off, their chips are of the skinny
airport just last week and I ordered a double cheeseburger and two portions of onion rings just as I
french fry variety (win) and they
was about to board the plane. Ketchup spilling out all over the place, and grease all over my hands and
have all the condiments to hand
my boarding card, I looked a tempting sight. I could tell the other passengers loved me, as the smell of
- American mustard, mayo and
onions wafted through the aircraft. Gotta love the constant circulation of air con.
the star of the show - ketchup.
Up until February 2012, I honestly thought the best fast food you could get was from one of these two places. That was until I visited New York. My eyes (and mouth) were opened.
for. Thick ice cream shakes
Their milkshakes are to die served in a tall steel cup. Tip:
I’d eaten out at a lot of lovely restaurants whilst in NYC, and one night my friend Paul suggested
try not to guzzle the milkshake
having a night in with “Shake Shack”. I was oblivious as to what this was. Was it a pet name for a friend
before your food comes, or
of his? A film? A board game? You can imagine my excitement and anticipation when he informed me
you’re going to find it a struggle.
that it was in fact “the best burger joint in town”. My shoes and coat were on within seconds and we all
These shakes are huge and very
took a trip down to the shop in TriBeCa.
filling!!! However rather than not
At first glance, Shake Shack is just a normal, very busy takeaway shop. The menu however, far from normal. I was astonished to see that they actually had a separate menu for dogs! Not hot dogs, actual canines. They also do the most incredible dessert, frozen custard ice cream - which they call “concretes”.
order it, I prefer to only ever visit Byron wearing loose clothing. I love food of all types:
Immense. Anyway, back to the main attraction, and whole point of this article - burgers. Theirs are
gourmet,
unbelievably good - simple, classic American cheeseburgers that are so full of flavour and juicier than
home made but nothing can
other “fast food” burgers in my opinion, plus they do cheesy fries and have their very own “ShackSauce”
turn my head like a cheese
which to be quite honest, puts Shake Shack top of my Burger ranking system. I don’t know what’s in
burger and chips. It’s the happy
that sauce, but what I do know is that I would happily sacrifice my ketchup for it for life, and I wouldn’t
taste of my childhood that has
do that lightly.
carried on into adulthood and
If you haven’t got any plans to go to NYC, and you now desperately want to try Shake Shack, the good news is they now have one in Covent Garden, London. If you love burgers, you have to go! Be sure to get one of their famous milkshakes too.
comfort,
fast
and
therefore feeds my soul as much as my stomach. Even now, no matter what
Let’s be honest though, these three places are brilliant for grabbing a burger when you’re salivating
kind of burger I order, posh or
on the road or having a night in in front of the TV. But what if you want a “posh” burger? What if you
fast, English or American, there’s
want to get dressed up and go out with your friends or on a date and actually sit at a table to eat one?
always little bit of Robot Wars in
Byron Burger is the answer to that. This place is like heaven to me. You walk in and they’re cooking
every single bite.
the burgers in an open kitchen within the restaurant. They are some of the most welcoming staff around, and wear t shirts with words like “CHEESE” and “MEAT” written on them, which frankly makes me want to work there, as I’ve always had to pay for my own “MEAT” and “CHEESE” t-shirts to be printed. You’re seated in a booth or at a table and handed an extensive menu. This place cooks your burgers medium and they are truly delicious. Whereas the patties at McDonald’s, Burger King and Shake Shack are fairly thin, the Byron bad boys are thick, juicy pieces of meat. You also have a choice of cheese. I always opt for the American, but you can choose from blue cheese, emmenthal, montery jack or cheddar. You can even have the skinny burger, which comes without the bun. Pointless for someone like me, who thinks the bun’s presence is absolutely necessary. In fact it sounds like sacrilege to me. Plus, if I ever did order a skinny burger - by accident - I’d have to make up for the lack of carbs by ordering chips, onion rings and a side of MAC AND CHEESE. Yep, you heard right - they do mac
Follow Marina @Marina_Berry Endeavour Magazine | 27
28 | Endeavour Magazine
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA AIRPORT 001 268 484 2300 WWW.ABAIRPORTAUTHORITY.COM
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT WRITTEN BY AMY TOCKNELL
Speaking to Endeavour Magazine, Stanley Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority (ABAA), talks about the large scale developments being initiated at the airport and what improvements it will make to the operation of the facility.
Endeavour Magazine | 29
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA AIRPORT
The history of the Antigua and Barbuda Airport is exceptionally interesting, with regular expansion and developments being documented. Initially constructed in 1942, as a basic aerodrome for the American military, it was effectively ‘given’ back to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to do with what they pleased in 1949. Seeing an opportunity for commercial use, the site was improved and finally open for public use in 1952 under the name of ‘Coolidge Airport’.
A
number of improvements were made in the following years, including numerous runway extensions in the 1960s and ‘70s, resulting in a 9,000ft thanks to a
Canadian Government grant being won in 1972. Parking facilities were also drastically improved, with extensive expansion being included for extra aircraft. It was not until the 1980s that operational buildings were given attention, but a brand new, 60,000 square foot, passenger terminal was constructed in 1982 and following smaller scale renovations, the newly rejuvenated airport was renamed in 1985. Now called the V.C. Bird International Airport, named in honour of the country’s first Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr. Sir Vere Cornwall Bird Senior, the facility has welcomed international arrivals from airlines including Eastern, Air Canada, Air France, American Airlines, British Airways and countless others. With such results following redevelopment, it comes as no surprise that the forward thinking Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority (ABAA) has taken inspiration from the former successes and embarked upon an impressive series of renovation projects in recent years, with the final element set to be completed in early 2015. Endeavour wanted to know how these projects have come
30 | Endeavour Magazine
about and asked Stanley Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the ABAA to expand on the process and how the ABAA has been given the authority to oversee the improvements, “The Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority Act was passed by an Act of Parliament in November 2006 resulting in the transition to a full corporate entity in February 2007. The mandate of the new act was stated to “provide for the establishment of an Airport Authority; to make provisions for the ownership, control, management and development of airports in Antigua and Barbuda; and for matters connected generally with management of airports”. Prior to November 2006, the V.C. Bird International Airport was operated under the auspices of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and was managed by an Aerodrome Superintendent.” With the power to authorise dramatic improvement initiatives in place, an incredible expansion plan could be put into place, “The Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority (ABAA) has embarked on a multi-million dollar airport expansion project. This includes runway extension, apron rehabilitation, new underground fuel hydrant systems, airfield lighting improvement and construction of a new passenger terminal building. All expansions have been completed already, with exception of the passenger terminal building. The new passenger terminal building is expected to be completed in
Endeavour Magazine | 31
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA AIRPORT
the first quarter of 2015 and will accommodate passengers within
element of its operation being
Most of these programs are
a spacious 23,000 square meters of specifically designed space. It
fully geared towards the success
drawn from Airport Council
will have 46 common use check in counters, 15 self check in kiosks,
of the V.C. Bird International
International
a state of the art hold baggage handling system, sophisticated pre-
Airport, it stands to reason that
guarantee quality. With the
boarding screening facilities, passenger loading bridges and 26 retail
it must boast an impressive
imminent opening of the new
shops and 4 restaurants”
staffing
terminal building it has become
body.
Endeavour
and
ICAO,
With such attention to detail being included in every facet
asked Smith to talk about the
increasingly
of the new developments, the ABAA are offering state of the art
importance of hiring effective
monitor staff performance and
airport facilities to rival other large international destinations.
team members and how they
as such, in-house and overseas
Such improvements are such to attract not only larger numbers
are supported in their career
training will be conducted for
of international and domestic travellers, but potentially increased
aspirations,
all ABAA staff involved with the
numbers of airlines, which will have a huge impact on the financial buoyancy of the airport itself. Permeating every area of the airports operations, the ABAA cite their everyday business activities as, “Providing facilities for the efficient processing of passengers,
important
to
to
“The ABAA has continued to
operation and maintenance of
promulgate staff development,
specialised terminal equipment.”
across the company.
With
Clearly the ABAA must be
this in mind, a comprehensive
a company that many people
training
been
harbour a desire to work for,
program
both international and domestic. We also oversee all food, beverage
developed
operations
thanks to dedicated training
and retail/commercial activities as well as concerning ourselves
coordinators, customer service
and progression opportunities,
with the effective provision of concession space for car rentals, tour
representatives,
mechanical
but will they be offering any
operators and in-plane catering.”
and
technicians
openings soon?
Is there anything that the ABAA does not do? With every
32 | Endeavour Magazine
for
has
electrical
and administrative assistants.
“The opening of the new
terminal building will, naturally, see employment opportunities arising in the Information Communication and Technology and Commercial Development departments. The ABAA takes a unique view of physical well being and the impact it has on effective job completion, observing healthy employees to offer enhanced productivity and as such the ABAA Fitness Challenge was launched in May 2014. This involves staff participating in a fitness program, coupled with tailored health talks.” It’s astounding to observe that a company in the midst of a large scale redevelopment and improvement initiative can take the time to consider the health and well being of the 250 strong work force that it employs, but this is merely another example of how the ABAA continues to set the standard for employers the world over. With this in mind, it is entirely understandable why the company has adopted a new tagline and mantra: “We Deliver.” They have delivered indeed.
“
The ABAA has continued to promulgate staff development, across the company. With this in mind, a comprehensive training program has been developed for operations coordinators, customer service representatives, mechanical and electrical technicians and administrative assistants.”
Endeavour Magazine | 33
34 | Endeavour Magazine
MOZAMBIQUE AIRPORTS COMPANY 00258 21465375 WWW.AEROPORTAS.CO.MZ
AFRICAN AIR WRITTEN BY CHATUM O’BRIAN
Maputo International Airport also known as Lourenço Marques Airport or Mavalane International Airport is located three kilometers (1.9 mi) northwest of the center of Maputo which is the largest city and capital of Mozambique.
Endeavour Magazine | 35
MOZAMBIQUE AIRPORTS COMPANY
Holding the position as the largest and busiest airport in Mozambique is the operational hub for LAM Mozambique Airlines and Kaya Airlines and provides gateway flights to all African destinations while TAP Portugal operates a service to Lisbon and Portugal while Qatar Airways operates flights to Doha. Endeavour Magazine spoke with Managing and Commercial Director Acacio Tuendue regards to the company and how they are the leaders in the sky.
M
aputo
the
Many activities are attributed to the Airports of Mozambique
Mozambique Airports Company which is in itself a
International
Airport
is
part
of
and these include the primary functions of directing and controlling
public company with legal personality acting with
air traffic, ensuring the concise arrival and departure of aircraft and
administrative and financial autonomy. It is only subordinate to the
to create ideal conditions for loading, uploading and transferring
Ministry of Transport and Communications and has the main object
of passengers, cargo and mail. The secondary activities include the
to act on an exclusive basis to establish and operate the public
planning, execution, operation and maintenance of the infrastructure
service in support of civil aviation.
network which lends important support to the primary activities and
The Airports Company of Mozambique (ADM) was created by
finally to promote the raising of revenue from internal and external
Decree 10/80 of November 1 as a State Company, the culmination of
sources to be used in the administration, operation, maintenance,
a long process of restructuring of the activities of Civil Aviation in the
expansion and beautification of infrastructure for air navigation.
country to open access to Africa and an international community. It
A full catalogue exists for the company as there are five
was important therefor to integrate the operational activities of airport
international airports that fall under the umbrella of the Airports of
infrastructure with the then committed Department of Civil Aviation.
Mozambique and these include Maputo, Beira, Tete, Nampula and
36 | Endeavour Magazine
Our customers are : • • • • • • •
Namibian Airports Company Civil Aviation Authority Zimbabwe Civil Aviation Authority Botswana Swaziland Civil Aviation Authority Zululand Airport Wonderboom Airport Orapa and Debswana Airports
Marcé Mozambique
Marcé Botswana
Marcé Zimbabwe Marcé Polokwane
Marcé Namibia
Marcé HQ Marcé Cape Town
Rua do Bagamoyo nr. 322, 2nd floor - Maputo – Mozambique Telefax: +258 21 300956 Email: sales.marce@tdm.co.mz www.marce.co.za
|
sales@marce.co.za
|
+27 12 742 9200
MOZAMBIQUE AIRPORTS COMPANY
Pemba. In addition to this there are also five major national airports
and African operations.
of Lichinga, Inhambane, Chimoio, Quelimane and Vilanculos, nine
Congruently, their mission, includes providing airport services
airfields Secondary: Angoche, Bilene, Inhaca, Lumbo, MocĂmboa
and support navigation to the customers, guaranteeing levels of
Ponta de Ouro Beach, Costa del Sol, Ulongue, and Songo).
security and quality for their ongoing satisfaction.
After long years of working under the direct management
At the Maputo International Airport, China’s Anhui Foreign
of the State, ADM was transformed from a State owned Public
Economic Construction Company has built a new cargo terminal, in
company to company by Decree-Law Nr. 3/98 of 10 February.
what was the starting point of the first phase of a Chinese financed
This prominent and historic development provided a new lease of
expansion project, with an initial estimated cost of US$75 million.
life for the company since the transformation from State to Public
The first phase concluded with the opening of the new international
running provided a fresh and innovative framework of enterprise
terminal on 15th November 2010.
management services within the realms of airport infrastructure and air navigation.
The new terminal has a capacity of 900,000 passengers a year, a far cry from the comparatively measly 60,000 it could hold before.
Creating or rehabilitating the infrastructure feeding and leading
Originally, this modernization project had in mind to benefit from
into the airports has been an important mandate for the company
the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in neighboring South Africa, but
dominated by innovative business management which has including
unfortunately it could not be finished in time. It was, however, ready
the participation of private capital.
for the All Africa Games which were held in Maputo in 2011. The
With six hundred and seventy one employees the vision for
project also experienced a serious cost overrun, with the builder
the company has been a uniting call that has been an attribute to
requesting an additional US$40 to 50 million to complete the work
the prevalence of the company. This vision includes ensuring the
on time.
efficient and effective management of Airports and Air Navigation
The second phase entailed the construction of a new domestic
Services and to be a benchmark standard for the internal, regional
terminal where the old terminal stood and the whole plan was for
38 | Endeavour Magazine
Maputo International Airport to double its capacity from 450,000 to 900,000 per year and help expand tourism in the city and country. The terminal was also to have 14 check-in counters, electronic panels displaying flights, a presidential VIP lounge, escalators and an electric central cooling system. The new terminal was expected to serve 400 arriving and departing passengers per hour, compared to the old building that could only handle 150 passengers per hour. A parking lot for six hundred vehicles was also created by the new terminal. Maputo International Airport currently as of 2011 handles 495,000 passengers annually and, to put this figure into perspective; the entire country’s annual amount of passengers is 1.3 million. Maputo International Airport is of only one of two airports in the country that currently runs at a profit, the other being Vilankulo Airport, and effectively subsidizes the others, as stated by (ADM) Mozambique Airports Company. Considering the economic growth in the country the Airport Company of Mozambique has opened the pathways for international investment to enter the country. By bringing in this form of life blood they’re playing their part for an even more prosperous future as one of the major hubs of the African continent.
Considering the economic growth in the country the Airport Company of Mozambique has opened the pathways for international investment to enter the country. By bringing in this form of life blood they’re playing their part for an even more prosperous future as one of the major hubs of the African continent.
Endeavour Magazine | 39
40 | Endeavour Magazine
BARGAIN GROUP 0027 39 685 4130 WWW.BARGAINGROUP.CO.ZA
EYE FOR A BARGAIN WRITTEN BY AMY TOCKNELL
Yacoob Moosa talks to Endeavour Magazine about the continued development of Bargain Group and how it has risen above economic struggles to remain successful for 60 years.
Endeavour Magazine | 41
BARGAIN GROUP
Founded in 1954, Bargain Group is celebrating 60 years within the retail market, making this the perfect time to reflect on past triumphs while simultaneously looking to the future and anticipating the next 60 years.
B
argain Group has enjoyed impressive growth and
that is as modest as he is devout, and this must be a great reassurance
development, starting with just one retail outlet, back
for potential customers.
at the point of inception, and steadily growing thanks
to the guiding hand of Ismail Moosa. Steering the company towards
Never one to overlook his faith in favour of business, Ismail commented that,
retail wholesaling in the early 1960s, Ismail directly contributed to
“The company has grown tremendously but in all this, one
the organisation gaining momentum and becoming a recognised
cannot forget the Creator. From the word go, He has been with us.
force in the business world with eight wholesale outlets and two
Without his help, we would not be where we are today. I can’t thank
supermarkets in its portfolio.
him enough.�
It is incredibly refreshing to encounter a seasoned businessman
42 | Endeavour Magazine
In addition to retail outlets and supermarkets, Bargain Group
BARGAIN GROUP
have expanded their interests
excess of 40,000 square metres, and with approximately 1,200 staff
in addition to this, we offer in-
to
members currently employed.”
house mentoring, which is a key
also
include
property
acquisition and the founding of
With such an impressive portfolio, it is unsurprising that Bargain
an import and packing company
Group have a large staffing body, but with unemployment remaining
source of training for our staff.” Such understanding that a
called Marburg Importers and
a serious problem within South Africa, does Yacoob consider the
skilled, experienced and happy
Prepackers. Supplying its own
industry to be buoyant and the company stable?
workforce is a pillar of strength
wholesale locations, as well
“Businesses, in general, are facing a tough economic environment.
for the organisations they work
as external general retailers,
Unemployment levels are high and the general economic growth for
for has allowed Bargain Group
Marburg has made great strides
South Africa, as a whole, is below reported target levels. Being in
to continually offer customers
of it’s own into the commercial
the FMCG sector, however, does provide an advantage in that basic
exemplar service, but this is not
marketplace.
commodities are always in demand. Being in this marketplace allows
all that consumers can expect.
Expanding more the core business activities and interests of Bargain Group, Yacoob Moosa explains the following;
us to directly impact on the well-being of people, both customers and staff.” On the topic of staff, it is no secret that the most progressive
“In recent years the lines between wholesale and retail have
blurred.
Wholesalers
and successful organisations seek to employ and retain a committed,
have been forced to reposition
“Our focus had remained
talented workforce. With a 1,200 strong team, it stands to reason
themselves as hybrid wholesale/
on the FMCG (Fast-Moving
that Bargain Group will have measures in place to extract the very
retail stores catering for fellow
Consumer Goods) wholesale and
best performance possible from them.
retailers as well as the general
retail markets. Our wholesale
“While price is a key driver, customers are increasingly supporting
population. We are therefore
operate
businesses that offer good service. The government partners with
revamping our stores to improve
over a collective trading area in
businesses in order to make training programs more accessible and
our offerings and transform
and
retail
interests
44 | Endeavour Magazine
them into an exciting one-stop shopping experience for everyone.
to ensure that this is the case, the organisation has a number of
We will also continue to offer regular promotions that translate into
initiatives in the works, including the revamping and rebranding of
incredible value for money for our customers.
all of its retails stores into modern wholesale/retail hybrid outlets.
The one-on-one relationships that we have developed with
Another future development is the transformation of a recently
customers have been key to our growth over the years and our
purchased site, which will act as a state of the art distribution centre
offering of favourable credit terms and transportation solutions have
for the reliable and fast supply of products to stores.
helped contribute to the sustainability of local retailers.”
Commenting on these innovations, Yacoob notes that,
With all boxes firmly ticked regarding customer satisfaction,
“The store revamps have already been tested with great success
staff development and portfolio diversification, what strategies does
in some of our stores, with customers liking the changes and
Bargain Group have in place to remain ahead of its main competitors?
continuing the shop with us. The new distribution centre will improve
“Being an independent family owned business allows for quick
our overall efficiency and allow us to enjoy a greater geographical
decision making and the ability to purchase products in large
reach. Our suppliers will also benefit, as they will be able to deliver
volumes before the prices increase. This allows us to maintain low
to a single location, rather than numerous outlets.”
prices, which we can pass onto the customer. Essentially, we can offer excellent value over a longer period of time.
Thanks to already functional business plans, these developments can be implemented through self-funding, rather than extensive
Additionally, rural shoppers have welcomed the revamping of
loans, something that Bargain Group considers to be a key strength.
our stores, as they are now able to provide a modern, urban-style
The potent combination of newly modernised retail outlets and
shopping experience.”
streamlined distribution channels means that bargain Group is set to
By remaining cost and customer-experience focussed, Bargain
move forward at an impressive pace, attracting new, and retaining
Group has secured a large bank of loyal, satisfied clients who will
existing, customers while always striving to improve service
undoubtedly continue to choose it over other alternatives. In order
standards and product costs.
Endeavour Magazine | 45
46 | Endeavour Magazine
GOPAUL AND COMPANY LTD 001 868 662 4209 WWW.GCLTT.COM
THE BRAND EVERYONE REMEMBERS WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER
Ever since 1973 Gopaul and Company Limited have been writing the book on agricultural products in Trinidad and Tobago. With its genesis in coconut oil and honey, under the Eastern Brand Label, it has diversified into a much wider range of manufactured factors to suit both local and regional tastes. Located at Lotsa 5A and 5B Macoya Industrial Estate in Trinidad the company was founded by Mr and Mrs Cyril Gopaul and the family business has passed hands over to the current Chief Executive Owner Donald Gopaul. Endeavour Magazine | 47
GOPAUL AND COMPANY LTD
Answering the call to be a one stop shop to the islands food requirements Gopaul and Company LTD (GCL) now includes three main divisions of the oils and foods division, company trucking division and the sugar division. These three divisions are managed respectively by Donald Gopaul the CEO of the Oil and Foods and Sugar divisions and Ralph Gopaul the managing director of the trucking division. With three hundred employees across all their divisions a united vision is very important and this has been carefully implemented to ensure a sustainable approach to their activities.
Trinidad Marketing & Distributing Co extends
CONGRATULATIONS to
GOPAUL & COMPANY LIMITED on their growth and development over the years &
BEST WISHES for their continued success
T
he encapsulating vision of GCL beyond the local market is to turn the company into an important player in the branded packaging of food and household product
categories and it is in the position to achieve this end thanks to the high quality products that it distributes and markets. Furthermore, over the next couple of years their intention is to consolidate all of its operations across more than eleven countries where it operates and expand into other Caribbean markets outside of Caricom. Currently, GCL operates solely through business representatives in the countries where their brands enjoy a strong market share in such places as Antigua, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts, St Lucia, St. Vincent and Suriname. After thirty years leading the distribution of food items through Trinidad and Tobago, GCL has earned its reputation by providing the full range of food products from the basic food items to particulars for individual tastes. Commodities including, flour, edible oils, rice,
Quality Products â—† Dedicated and efficient service Goodwill always â—† Total Integrity Distributors of industrial cleaning chemicals, pharmaceuticals, disposable latex and nitrile products, media tapes and the Skyline range of LED decorative products Associate - Skyline Technology Limited
34 Angelina Street, St James, Port of Spain, Trinidad, W.I, Telephone: 868 622 0524, 868 622 9017 Email: tmdc34@yahoo.com 48 | Endeavour Magazine
condiments, sauces, Bay Rum and household products such as powdered detergent and toilet paper have become the mainstays of their offering and have made them a household name for housewives and home makers alike. Accordingly, the strength and value of their branded products comes from the suppliers that have been carefully selected to work alongside them such companies as The National Flour Mills Ltd., CGA Ltd., Lever Brothers West Indies Ltd., International Cosmetics
Ltd., and regionally and extra-regionally, Roses Paper Products Ltd., Van Gelder, and Tradis Inc. to name just a few. Due to the demand of their products and the strength of their name, GCL is besieged by requests to partner with manufacturers across the company and this has put the company in an enviable position of being able to be as picky as they choose when it comes to who they align themselves with. As such new manufacturing partnerships are taken few and far between and the chosen companies are those that are not only the ones with the highest standards and reputations but more important the potential to add something to Gopaul’s services. Following the old business rule of only working with someone who will make you better than you were. The Trucking Division of GCL, is comprised of a fleet of over one hundred vehicles and possesses its own fuel depot and maintenance facilities. Providing a far wider offering than just for the food industry they are involved in providing essential sanitation and waste disposal services along the East West Corridor under contract for the government of Trinidad and Tobago. This is additional to the container haulage and general transport for private customers. Located in Tunapuna the company is operated by separate management and operational staff and provide an addition arm for the already substantial Gopaul offering.
Endeavour Magazine | 49
GO PAUL AND COMPANY LTD
When it comes to delivery, Gopaul prides themselves on their
to
ensure
that
everyone,
agency. It takes time to build
same day delivery. Timely, efficient and careful delivery of products
customers and consumers alike
a brand and as an example,
have become one of the characteristics of their services.
are pleased with the services
many years ago GCL made
The company prides itself on an aggressive sales, merchandising
and products. They are the voice
the decision to take over the
and promotional team whose responsibility it is to ensure that all of
of the brand and the face of the
distribution of Lotus Soya Bean
the company’s products are available in the relevant trade channels
business. After so many years in
Oil. At the time the product had
such as supermarkets, small Shops, wholesalers, restaurants,
business Donald has learnt the
a market share of less than 1%
bakeries and hotels throughout Trinidad and Tobago. They are the
importance of listening to all
but thanks to GCL when they
ambassadors of the brand, responsible for developing the long term
feedback but paying particularly
took over the market share
relationships that have become as valuable as gold for the past three
attention to negative feedback
rose sharply to 12%. In such a
decades.
because it is only by learning
competitively driven commodity
from mistakes that things can
market, this was a significant
improve.
climb and proved once and for
GCL’S sales team consists of eight professionally trained and highly experienced individuals and the company’s customers, ranging from Hi-Lo Foods Stores and Price Smart to the smallest
With this in mind, GCL
retail outlet, are assured of regular visits from their professional and
works closely with its principles
dedicated staff, who understand that the survival of the company
to ensure that marketing, sales
relies on the growth and developments of their clients.
and aftersales objectives are all
Working with the sales team GCL also has eight merchandisers
met. As they are a brand, all their
and fifteen promoters, the latter who work on a parttime basis.
plans are usually developed in
Altogether this group of tech-savvy individuals form the front line of
conjunction with each other
their business, interacting with storeowners, managers and shoppers
and executed by an advertising
V&S Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
50 | Endeavour Magazine
all that GCL were the standard setters of this industry.
52 | Endeavour Magazine
GROUPE MONOPRIX 00216 71 142500 WWW.SNMVT.COM
LEADING THE RISE OF THE RETAIL MARKET WRITTEN BY DON CAMPBELL
We all have our favourite shops and our favourite brands. Be it for their customer services, prices, locations or diversity and reliability in products, certain branded shopping centres like hypermarkets and supermarkets are preferred by certain people.
Endeavour Magazine | 53
GROUPE MONOPRIX
As Tunisia has seen an incredible rise in the retail market, leaping from ten percent to twenty five percent in only a handful of years there has been a lot of competition developing in the country, however one brand was there first and has stayed in the lead since it was founded in the first half of the twentieth century. Founded in 1933, we spoke with director Raouf Megdiche regards the secret behind Groupe Monoprix remarkable market strength and customer loyalty.
“W
e began in 1933 with the focus on providing customers with what they needed for their homes,” Raouf explains, “Aimed at
the house wives and home maker markets we made sure that we stocked everything needed at a reasonable price.” Providing a range of food, kitchenware and cleaning products customers could visit the shop and leave with everything they needed. Combining this with friendly, helpful customer service as well as spacious easy-to-see displays Groupe Monoprix was on to a winning system from the start and now has seventy five shops comprising of super markets, hypermarkets and stores across the country with more shops opening in Libya and Morocco in the New Year and over four thousand people directly employed. Of course having the products isn’t the total sum of it, to build relationships that will translate into long term loyalty you need to make that personable connection and this is where the staff, and preceding that the training comes into context. “We have a company spirit,” Raouf reveals, “And all our staff need to uphold this. After all they are the ambassadors of our brand and have been crucial in the development of our national and international footprint.” Group Monoprix has had to shift and change their staff-customer relations many times as Tunisia has passed through various sociopolitical shifts the latest of which being the 2011 Tunisian Revolution that saw the then time Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to step down on after 23 years in power. Through periods like this the stability of routine is important and Groupe Monoprix, with its stable
54 | Endeavour Magazine
stature as the leading retailer in Tunisia was in the position to offer
our influence these schools are not offering specific courses to train
that routine and security.
people in retail while we provide the employment.”
This sort of strength would be impossible if not for the highly
Having conclusively devised the perfect means of supplying
trained and loyal staff working at the company, “We treat our
themselves with the highest calibre of employee from the next
employees exactly how we treat our customers,” he explains, “They
generation the company has positioned itself well to overcome the
are really our first customers as if they want to do a good job then
main obstacle that is being faced now with competition. Of course
the customer will always have a good experience. It’s important
over the many years that they have been servicing their customers
therefore that our staff feel that they are part of a larger entity and
Groupe Monoprix has faced its fair share of competition but with
realize their importance to the prosperity of the company,”
the rise in the retail market share in the country new competition
With this approach, Groupe Monoprix offers full internal training
has grown.
on how to deal on a face to face basis with customers, how to
“It’s good, because it means we have to be clever and not to sleep
manage their time and their activities and how to give the best
on our laurels,” Raouf says, “We don’t try to follow the competition
impression possible. Internal promotion also is a high priority with
but set their highest accomplishments as our standard expectations.
opportunities for growth and development being open to everyone
It’s a good way to keep ahead of the pace.”
in the business willing to work hard. With this in mind over the
The newest developments that will shape Groupe Monoprix
decades the company has seen many people climb the ranks and
in the future include a fresh strategic action plan that will affect
bridge the gap between floor worker to manager and beyond.
the entire group which include a reengineering of the company
“It is always good to see the new generation of staff being taught by the previous,” Raouf says. He goes on to add that Groupe Monoprix work with local schools to help train pupils in the ins-and-outs of retail, “While there are business schools and marketing courses that they can take these do not fully cover the requirements for understanding retail. Thanks to
logistics as well as regrouping the management across supermarkets and hypermarkets. There will also be new warehouses being built to house either groceries or fresh produce and several new store openings that will include a selection of self-service counters. “Our vision is clear and we have the people for better synergy, Economy of scale and a better bargaining power,” Raouf concludes.
Endeavour Magazine | 55
56 | Endeavour Magazine
TENNECO SOUTH AFRICA 0027 11 454 5031 WWW.TENNECO.COM
BREATH OF FRESH AIR WRITTEN BY DON CAMPBELL
Tenneco is name of choice when it comes to the design, manufacture and distribution of clean air and ride performance products and systems for the automotive industry. The leading designer for commercial truck and off highway markets the company has achieved its position since its inception in 1916 and we spoke with Chief Executive of the South African operations Andrew Antonis about the developments in his country where the company are making big swings in the biggest industries. Endeavour Magazine | 57
TENNECO SOUTH AFRICA
“The local company was started in 1960,” Andrew reveals, “And Initially in South Africa we only sold shock absorbers but now we sell all related suspension products such as springs, mounting Kits and Protection Kits, and will soon get into steering and suspension components,” he also adds that they sell the Maxlift gas springs for bonnets and boots.
O
ver five decades of development have given Tenneco
affected the industry. This situation has been made worse by the
South Africa the opportunity to develop and gain
industrial strikes that made the international news when they turned
experience in a number of markets related to their
violent and an influx of new players in the market using important
industry including a Clean Air Division that handles emission Control
products, “Fortunately we are doing well, and have shown growth in
(EC) products and an EC plant in Port Elizabeth where their Ride
both numbers and market share allowing us to achieve our stretch
Control (RC) plant is based. This EC plant makes mainly catalytic
targets,” Andrew assures us.
converters for export.
A distinguishing feature of Tenneco South Africa is there intent
Manufacturing shock absorbers for new vehicles is the core
focus on their customers. The source of Tenneco’s international
activity in the South African plant referred to as Original Equipment
success and the high worth of their name was born from this same
“OE” and Aftermarket. Tenneco, under the brand name Monroe is
approach, as part of this they have expanded their customer services
the only local shock manufacturer to be an approved shock supplier
department and brought in senior CS Managements and kept them
to the local new vehicle manufacturers. With a staff contingent of
in South Africa for extended periods of time to ensure all staff
415 and a production pace of over 10 000units per day Tenneco
are fully trained, “We also went onto a new version of SAP that is
also have the strictest quality control and have earned many
compatible with that used in Europe,” he adds, “Expiditing orders
certifications and industry awards.
timeously and efficiently is important for customer satisfaction and
Owned by Tenneco, the Monroe brand of shock absorbers is one of the oldest in the country, a USA brand with its roots in Monroe, Michigan USA that started in 1916 and were created by
renewed orders.” Additionally, Andrew and his staff have high expectations of themselves and strive to achieve a 98% first pick availability.
the same company founded to manufacture tyre pumps for the
With regards to the importance of aftersales, Andrew had this to
growing automotive sector. In 1919, the company perfected for
say, “Due to our high quality control we believe we have the lowest
the legendary Ford T, the first self-oiled, single barrelled tyre pump,
warranty claim rate on shocks in RSA and this is very important for
sales of which climbed to over 2 million per year as motorists found
our customers for clear reasons,”
themselves faced with frequent flat tyres.
In keeping ahead of the competition, Tenneco have approached
As Monroe clearly shared an ardent dedication to innovation,
the strategy of having the widest range of shock absorbers available
Tenneco were delighted to acquire the company in 1977 and
in RSA and do their best to ensure they keep it there, “In August 2014
together they have been responsible for a number of the major
we launched another four hundred and fifty new part numbers.”
developments in the industry.
Despite how slow the industry has come to there are a number of
Position and history has safeguarded Tenneco during what
developments and projects that are keeping Andrew excited, “This
has turned out to be a particularly flat economic period that has
year alone we continued many great projects as well as launched
58 | Endeavour Magazine
Endeavour Magazine | 59
TENNECO SOUTH AFRICA
many new ones: Road safety is very dear to our hearts and we are
but we will also make every
safety entities (Arrive Alive,
a founder member of the Road Safety Foundation running many
effort to highlight the dangers
CARS, Drive Alive, GRSP, SADD,
projects to improve safety on our roads,” he attests, “We also work
of worn shock absorbers and
etc) to increase the impact of
closely with companies such as Pick n Pay and their Stay Alert Stay
the importance of the role of the
road safety activities as well as
Alive programme.”
shock in the car’s handling.”
with international road safety
Recently they launched The Monroe Advanced Driving Academy
The aim of The Road Safety
with special focus on the under 24 year olds where they subsidise
Foundation is to partner with
research
their course fees. This same company that runs this programme for
the private and public sector
South Africa.
Tenneco South Africa is now also involved with national minibus
in an effort to reduce crashes
taxi driver training, “We also run a Monroe racing team, and for
and the resulting injuries and
challenge facing the road safety
the trade launched two new programmes, one being the Monroe
fatalities
industry is enormous.
Expert programme to ensure specific stores are correctly equipped
roads by implementing specific
are no quick solutions and it
and trained to earn this status, as well as the Monroe Is The Cool
and measurable education and
will take long term, focused and
programme, where specially trained PR ladies visit trade customer
awareness programmes.
sustainable activity to change
to ensure they are completely satisfied with our service and to do market research for us.”
on
South
African
Philip Hull, co-director of
role players in order to bring
Hull
and
experience
continues,
to
“The There
the road safety situation in
the Road Safety Foundation,
our country.
As the manufacturer of Monroe Shock Absorbers, Tenneco has
says, “There is an urgent need to
operation between educators,
become a founding member of The Road Safety Foundation. Megan
identify and prioritise road safety
policy makers, law enforcers and
Naiker, Tenneco Aftermarket Country Manager was quoted recently,
issues and develop projects to
engineers.”
“Monroe has always had as its focus on Safety and ‘Making the Road
address these issues.” He says
a Safer place.’ Not only do we endorse this foundation and its work
they will work with existing road
60 | Endeavour Magazine
It requires co-
According to The United Nations
Children’s
Fund
(UNICEF), road crashes are the second cause of fatalities in the under-18 age group.
For this reason, road safety education and
awareness programmes aimed at the youth will be a priority and include the increased visibility of learner through reflective backpacks and belts, education of teachers and parents who still allow their children to be in a car without a child restraint or a seatbelt. Hull says, “Where a project will require the resource of multiple partners The Road Safety Foundation will coordinate the cooperation between the role-players to maximize the impact of the project. If our efforts save the life of even one person our hard work has been worthwhile. The Road Safety Foundation is a not for profit, non-commercial organisation set up to promote road safety and raise road safety awareness. The directors share more than 35 years of practical experience in the industry and many valuable lessons have been learnt over this period. This experience and passion combined with the valuable support from partners must have a hugely positive impact on our accident and fatality rates in this country. “Tenneco’s engineering expertise would have been successful but it was a choice to make car uses, pedestrians and children safe,” Andrew concludes.
“
The challenge facing the road safety industry is enormous. There are no quick solutions and it will take long term, focused and sustainable activity to change the road safety situation in our country. It requires co-operation between educators, policy makers, law enforcers and engineers.”
Endeavour Magazine | 61
62 | Endeavour Magazine
VAN AND TRUCK HIRE SOUTH AFRICA AND TRUCK HIRE BOTSWANA 00267 3932117 WWW.TRUCKHIREBOTS.COM
THE GO TO BUSINESS WRITTEN BY DON CAMPBELL
For almost forty years Van and Truck Hire Botswana has served the civil plant hire and abnormal sized load transport industries. Founded by entrepreneur Rory Bennett in 1975 the business as it stands today may, on the surface be unrecognizable thanks to the advancement of equipment and the growth of employee numbers but at its core the principles guiding the company have not changed. We spoke with managing director of Truck Hire South Africa Kevin Lees regards to this inspiring company. Endeavour Magazine | 63
VAN AND TRUCK HIRE SOUTH AFRICA AND TRUCK HIRE BOTSWANA
One of the traits immediately apparent with Van and Truck Hire Botswana and the breakaway business Truck Hire South Africa that was set up in 2006 to operate across borders, is the keen approach to capitalizing on niche industries and opportunities.
“T
he companies are very much organically driven,” Kevin reveals, “Our growth has been in tandem with the specific contracts we have secured
and the reputation for adaptation and diversification that we have developed.” This reputation is in no small way a credit to Rory Bennett who still plays an integral, hands on role in his businesses and has helped direct them to the position they’re in now. Kevin explains that his entrepreneurial expertise and spirit is something that has set an example for the staff, installing within them a fierce sense of competition and a hunger for growth which is rewarded via bonuses and commissions. “We actively encourage an aggressive sense of entrepreneurialism amongst our workforce,” Kevin specifies, and goes on to explain that it’s a mind-set that is valued across all the departments, “Of course such competition is expected amongst the sales departments who source the contracts that help determine our direction and developments but we like to know that everyone working for us is actively pursuing the continued growth of the company.” Truck Hire South Africa offers a range of services from road freight, nationally and cross borders to Botswana, Angola, DRC, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Lesotho through to sea and airfreight export and import. Along with this a range of administrative services to ensure that all the necessary documentation is fully compiled and even secure warehousing and storage. Operationally, it is more than capable of working as a standalone business.
64 | Endeavour Magazine
Still, there is a common driving initiative that it shares with parent company Truck Hire Botswana in the drive to find new opportunities, to say yes to projects even if they have to develop new business actions to get the job done. This is why both are known as the go-to businesses for the more difficult jobs and enjoy such loyal customers from such a wide field. Two hundred and fifty employees work across the two companies, two hundred and seventy if civil contractors are included and the company strength is borne through the experience and talent of these men and women. Training is ongoing and regularly updated and Kevin reminds us that staying ahead of the competition relies on being the most up to date and cutting edge, “To achieve this standard the employee training is regularly updated with required courses and seminars,” he says, “We also provide other inhouse training, but headhunting does have to occur as experience is essential especially for specialized transport operations involving abnormal loads.” Civil contracting, engineering and on managing a site all require expertise and qualifications and working with the best person for the job is the only way to ensure continued expansion and development. And while training on how to drive the vehicles like
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FOR TRADE ENQUIRES: East Africa (Kenya/Uganda/Tanzania): +254-722-800500 Southern Africa (South Africa/Botswana/Mozambique/ Namibia/Zambia/Zimbabwe): +267 72331233 / +267 75559333
Endeavour Magazine | 65
VAN AND TRUCK HIRE SOUTH AFRICA AND TRUCK HIRE BOTSWANA
Bulk Transport (Tippers), Truck and Front-End Loaders Hire can be
developments and they’ve invested millions into the development
given, qualifications are often what distinguishes someone. Taking
of roads, schools and hospitals in accordance with their Vision 2016,
another leaf out of Rory Bennett’s book the managerial roles in the
an inspiring strategy to propel its socio-economic and political
business are filled with people who are, in some ways a reflection of
development into a competitive, winning and prosperous nation.
the founding member as in possessing the right qualifications, mind
New Developments
set and work ethic.
With the changes in the country there will no doubt be more
Botswana
challenges for Van and Truck Hire Botswana and Truck Hire South
Having set up the company during Botswana’s burgeoning
Africa to take advantage of. As an example, they’re looking into
mining boom, VTH Botswana has grown with the country and in
focusing upon the burgeoning mining industry in Botswana in the
comparing the two businesses of VTH Botswana and Truck Hire
development of new mines. This would involve providing the goods,
South Africa there are several factors that come into play.
materials and engineering equipment, basically going in and helping
“The Botswanan economy is not an easy one to work with,” Kevin
establishing the shafts.
points out, “It’s highly driven by commodity prices and diamonds
“Experience is so important in all of these sectors,” Kevin
with construction enjoying similar highs and lows but it is getting
elaborates, “In transport different handling methods are associated
there.”
with different cargo. You have to learn how to handle a customer’s
SA is a larger market with a larger pool of skills than Botswana with an industry that is more mature which creates more competition
goods, you get a feel for it and while it can be trained it is something learned through experience.”
amongst better established businesses. With a population of 48
Another important development is a unity in the classification of
million to Botswana’s 2 million the differences are clear to see. Also
the businesses. The wish is to start classifying themselves as a group
civil and industrial action in Botswana is much less aggressive to
instead of a selection of independent companies, “A group with the
what has been seen recently in South Africa with the metal worker
capabilities of focusing in different areas is good for the business,”
strikes.
he explains, “This will create a unity that will help the company’s
This being said, although still not strong in their manufacturing
strength and international footprint. Because the divisions have
sector, a state that requires them to still import a number of materials
established and developed their own client basis within their
and products, which suits VTH just fine, Botswana does have a very
countries and sectors they have learnt and diversified.”
well established business sector and additionally the government has
Unified into a group, Truck Hire would be able to offer a range of
made concerted efforts to improve the infrastructure of the country
services from civil contracts and heavy, abnormal haulage all the way
further. A move that will set the ground work for future economic
through to food transport across borders in a truly African company.
Fresh Thinking. Smart Banking.
66 | Endeavour Magazine
“Van and Truck Hire has been a client of BancABC since 1993, the loyalty they have afforded us is admirable and we will continue to service them with excellence.”
68 | Endeavour Magazine
FOCUS GRAPHITE 613-691-1091 WWW.FOCUSGRAPHITE.COM
FOCUSING ON THE FUTURE WRITTEN BY AMY TOCKNELL
As Focus Graphite looks to align itself with environmentally responsible initiatives, the future looks rosy and green in equal measures. Don Baxter, COO and President at Focus, spoke to Endeavour Magazine about the core activities and future developments of the organisation.
Endeavour Magazine | 69
FOCUS GRAPHITE
Incorporated in 2009, ahead of being listed on the TSX-Venture Exchange in May the following year, Focus Metals Inc., as it was known, was an organisation on the move.
U
nderstanding the necessity of diversification and
Perhaps this is why in June 2014, Focus reached completion of
progression into other arenas, the core activities of
the feasibility study stage of development, leading to the filing of
the company became natural graphite and rare earths
its findings with relevant mining industry regulators in early August.
development, leading to the most recent incarnation of the company
The momentum of the project is undeniable and yet unsurprising
and a name change in 2012 to Focus Graphite Inc. The Focus of the
considering that Focus is a graphite industry leader, operating on
company is the development of the Flagship property at Lac Knife
a global scale, but what has lead to this coveted position? Baxter
and the development of value added graphite products.
was able to shed some light, drawing attention to a selection of the
Skip ahead two years and one of the primary projects in motion
company’s notable achievements;
at Focus is the production of value added technology (battery grade)
“In December 2013, Focus signed an historic 10-year off take
graphite, through its deposit, Lac Knife. Enjoying sole ownership
(sales/purchase) agreement with a Chinese industrial conglomerate
of the high-grade deposit, which is conveniently located close to
for a minimum of 200,000 tonnes of graphite concentrate over the
the iron ore-mining centre of Fermont, in Quebec, Focus is able to
life of the agreement. The following year, we announced that we had
progress the initiative at an impressive rate, in line with tight quality
succeeded in producing extremely high performing coated, spherical
and cost tolerances. Grading at 15%, Lac Knife holds one of the
graphite for lithium ion batteries.”
highest grade, lowest cost-to-produce, natural graphite deposits in the world with a cost of $441 per tonne. Discussing the project further, Don Baxter highlighted the following;
Continually striving to secure new clients has clearly not impacted on the successes of the development team and with Lac Knife on the road to production, Focus is now an unstoppable force. “The Lac Knife deposit is unusual in the quality of its fine,
“The Lac Knife property is on the edge of the Quebec-Labrador
medium and large flake distribution – with all concentrate grades
border and has excellent infrastructure, access to inexpensive hydro-
attaining 98%Cg purity from simple flotation and polishing. The fine
electricity, reliable railway links to deep sea ports and a skilled labour
flake graphite is unique and Industrial Minerals of the UK, who are
force.”
considered to be one of the world’s leading graphite authorities,
Lac Knife 99.98% C Purified Flake Graphite 70 | Endeavour Magazine
FOCUS GRAPHITE
noted in a recent commentary that Focus Graphite holds the
technologies such as renewable energy sources for electric vehicles,
potential to open up new markets with its purity. The company has
hybrid electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells. This must be good
since proven it is capable of purifying its low-cost fine flakes to high
news for a company that seeks to align with green initiatives. Baxter
value battery grade materials. It is an achievement no other graphite
confirms that this technological movement is of interest to Focus;
producer in the world has been able to duplicate.”
“With Tesla Motors’ announcement that it intends to replace
With the market successfully cornered, Focus has revealed
its high cost synthetic graphite sources from China with North
that it has plans to complete an annual concentrate production
American supplies, the markets are waiting for Tesla to reach
of 44,300 tonnes from its Lac Knife plant, but with such volumes
sourcing agreements with a number of North American graphite
comes an undeniable ecological responsibility. Baxter is unfazed by
developers capable of being supply ready by 2016-2017. 11 times
this, proudly stating that;
more graphite is required, than traditional lithium, to manufacture
“Processing is carried out by an environmentally sustainable
a lithium ion battery. Markets will naturally react favourably to
flotation and polishing regime. This therefore negates the need for
those companies chosen by Tesla to provide the high performing
acids or other caustic chemicals which can have a damaging impact
technology grade graphite at an affordable, negotiated price and
on the environment. The ability to power the project from hydro-
happily, Focus is well positioned to meet those two key criteria.”
electric grid power results in low cost and minimal to nil carbon foot
Clearly keen to welcome Tesla to its client base, Focus must
print. These factors are very important to the green energy end
have a comprehensive customer service charter in place. Baxter
users.”
expanded further;
Focus is an industry leader, progressive developer and staunchly
“The production and sale of graphite is unique and designed
environmentally responsible organisation, so what does the future
to meet each end-user’s specifications. Sales are usually bound by
hold for the company that seems to have everything?
a long-term sales or purchase agreement known in the industry
Future demand, according to Baxter, is being driven by green
72 | Endeavour Magazine
as an off take agreement. With this in mind, after-sales is not
particularly relevant to us as clients usually enter into a 5-10 year relationship with us. To keep us ahead of the competition however, Focus Graphite’s vertically integrated mine-to-technology business strategy is built upon one of the lowest costs of graphite production in the world for high purity concentrate, destined primarily for high value lithium ion battery manufacturers.” It’s a rarity these days for a company to be able to rest solely on the quality of the products it offers, but with clients happily committing to long-term partnerships, clearly Focus has not misplaced its confidence. Since its inception in 2010, the organisation has met all its regulatory, exploration, development and financial milestones and is now nearing its final stages of pre-production and governmental permitting and intends to be in full production-mode at Lac Knife by mid- 2016. Baxter finishes the interview by neatly summing up how he envisages the future; “We see our business model as a template for all emerging graphite producers. As future global demand for low cost, high performing and environmentally sustainable natural flake graphite rises, it needs to do so in line with the growth of green, renewable energy technologies.”
“
Processing is carried out by an environmentally sustainable flotation and polishing regime. This therefore negates the need for acids or other caustic chemicals which can have a damaging impact on the environment. The ability to power the project from hydro-electric grid power results in low cost and minimal to nil carbon foot print. These factors are very important to the green energy end users.”
Lac Knife Spherical Battery Grade Graphite Endeavour Magazine | 73
74 | Endeavour Magazine
READYMIX WI LIMITED 001 868 643 2429 WWW.TSLGROUP.COM
THE READYMIX ADVANTAGE WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER
In 1959, Trinidad Readymix Concrete Company Limited, now known as Readymix Concrete UK was the largest concrete producer in the world. Working out of Laventille the company’s geography expansion began in 1962 with new batching plants being opened in Guanapo and Harmony Hall. At the same time the company began its sand and gravel operations at Melajo, Valencia from where it started supplying its plants and other customers with aggregate. We spoke with general manager Manan Deo regards to the history of the company. Endeavour Magazine | 75
READYMIX WI LIMITED
1979, saw Readymix a UK company divest 60 percent of its shareholdings in the company and four years later in 1983 the company became a publicly owned institution that was incorporated as Readymix West Indies Limited, “In 1993 Pelinja Holdings purchased the majority shareholding and managed the company until November 1995,” Manan explains, “At which point Trinidad Cement Limited bought a controlling interest.”
S
ince then Readymix WI Limited has been a member of the TCL Group and now stands as the single largest producer of pre-mixed concrete Trinidad and Tobago and
the English speaking Caribbean. Like its product its past as provided it with a solid foundation and the company now boasts an extensive network of concrete plants throughout Trinidad and Tobago and has even expanded its operations to other regional markets such as Barbados. Despite their already solid footprint, the plans for expansion and developments haven’t ceased and a number of ventures have established Readymix WI Limited as a force to be reckoned with, “Premix and Precast Concrete Incorporated is the latest venture for Readymix,” Manan reveals, “Situated in Barbados we have acquired sixty percent equity in the premixed concrete company which is owned by Black Bless Quarry Limited,” Synonymous with high quality concrete and a number of other products in Trinidad since its inception over half a century ago, one of the outstanding features of Readymix West Indies Limited is their savvy when it comes to technology and experience. Gleaned during the long period when they were owned by RMC UK, a global premier concrete producing company, they gained valuable insights into the industry that would have been precluded from them otherwise, “This
Unit 705, Suite 13, Fernandes Industrial Compound Laventille, Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies Ph +1(868)290-3774/5 Website: www.giscadlimited.com 76 | Endeavour Magazine
along with our continued commitment to research and innovation in concrete technology has been the precursor for the industry awards that we have achieved and also for the strong reputation we have with all of our return clients,” It is also worthy to mention that their technical team have such
industry knowledge that they have been equipped and scheduled to offer consultation services and training to customers both locally and regionally as a means to fully enhance the relationship between them and their clients. “Our technical and management teams have also been trained by leading consultants and engineers, in association with the World of Concrete Seminars to ensure that we provide our clients with innovative concrete solutions,” Manan attests, “We are the only local pre-mixed concrete supplier with qualified Engineers who have been trained to offer sound technical advice on concrete and aggregate technology.”
Location, Location, Location Readymix West Indies Limited is the only supplier of premixed concrete that is strategically located in all corners of Trinidad and Tobago with plants located in the North, East, Central and Southern areas of Trinidad and in Tobago and it’s expertise is available throughout the region to the construction industry. “Our customers value timely delivery,” Manan explains, “Positioning counts for a lot for them to pick up products quickly.”
Quality Readymix West Indies Limited has set itself the target of being
Throughout their history Readymix West Indies Limited has
the leading customer driven producer and supplier of high quality
grown and paced itself as the leader in the industry by aligning
pre-mixed concrete products and to drive a superior rate of return
themselves with some of the largest developers in the construction
to their shareholders, “Additionally the development of our main
industry in the United States, namely Master Builders Technologies
resources is important,” Manan adds, “Specifically the people working
(MBT) and Synthetic Industries (SI). Working together allows
with us and the environment we work in.”
Readymix to keep abreast of the newest developments within the
They have also promised to provide quality concrete, aggregate
construction industry where niche markets and opportunities to
and related services that consistently satisfy the requirements of
improve and develop may appear.
their customers and stakeholders.
Endeavour Magazine | 77
READYMIX WI LIMITED
“It is through the total involvement of our employees that
ensure
continuous
quality
from the process to be re-cycled
we maintain our Quality Policy,” he says, “Management provides
control the recent installment
the leadership that creates a condusive working environment
of a computerized weighbridge
where planning, performance measurement, communication and
system has allowed for stricter
returning to the in-take reservoir
appropriate use of research and technology are key strategies for
measurement of aggregate, to
is then available for re-use on the
continuous improvement,”
further enhance the quality
plant decreasing the currently
control measures.
high demands for fresh water
Readymix West Indies Limited utilizes its Quality Management System as the basis for its ongoing Quality Improvement and this
the
water
Indies
supply during the dry season.
Ltd purchased a “drag chain”
Some small make up water will
Company, “The key is adequately training our staff and equipping
water clarifier from JAD-AIR
be required to compensate for
them with the best tools for the job,” Manan reveals, “Employee
Incorporated recently.. This unit
evaporation and losses on the
satisfaction goes hand in hand with customer satisfaction.”
is comprised of a polymer tank
plant.
On average each of the batching plants have a capacity of 130 m³, per hour and boast an availability of 94% as a result of a sound preventative maintenance program that follows the adage that prevention is indeed better than a cure. The Melajo aggregate plant, located at Valencia is a wellequipped facility that is able to handle the demands of the local construction market. Supported with onsite lab services and to
78 | Endeavour Magazine
West
Additionally,
has been essential to achieve its quest to become a world class
The Operations
Readymix
back into production.
and three modules; a master
The principle of operation
module and two slave modules
of the unit is based on the water
each capable of handling 1200
and
solids
gallons/min of dirty water and
by
gravity
delivering water with better
enhanced
than 50 parts per million of Total
polymer flocculation method
Suspended Solids (TSS). This
(motionless
unit provides a true close looped
polymers
system, which enables the water
specifically selected for the
being
separated
sedimentation,
by
a
proprietary
mixers). themselves
The are
type of material (pitrun) and blends being processed. Effluent from the process is pumped to each of the modules where the clarification process takes place. Polymers from the polymer tank are injected into the effluent stream at a metered rate and here a two-stage reaction occurs. The first stage involves the hard or flash mixing of the polymer with the effluent stream for the initial reaction and this is followed by more gentle mixing, which promotes final flocculation and conditioning for settling. Once completed, the suspended solids are then allowed to settle on the Clarifier floor where they pileup, are compacted and the water squeezed out. The solids are scooped from the bottom of the unit by special conveyor paddles and deposited into a containment area in front of each of the clarifier modules. These solids are dry enough to be handled with a front end wheel loader and hauled away with dump trucks within 24 hours of drying. Clarified water (up to less than 50 ppm) leaves the system to the storage pond for re-use in the process. Readymix is committed to alleviating pollution as has been
The Readymix Advantage Readymix West Indies Limited is the only pre-mixed concrete supplier in Trinidad and Tobago that offers a well-equipped laboratory, headed by a qualified Civil Engineer, “Our team of Laboratory Technicians are also qualified and trained to observe strict quality practices in accordance with ASTM, British and ISO Standards,” Manan emphasizes, “This is one of the demonstrations of our continued commitment to research, development and innovation in concrete technology.” This Technical team extends its competencies to Readymix West Indies Limited’s clients and offers a number of concrete and aggregate tests including tests for compression, flexural and core strength as well as gradation and organic content examinations, “The technical team are also in charge of designing appropriate mixes for our client’s needs,” he reveals, “Looking at required elements such as underwater applications, air entrainment, low temperature and sulphate resistance.”
demonstrated through the company’s investment in this $7 million dollar piece of equipment the Water Clarifier System which has been fully operational at the Valencia Quarry for quite some time.
Endeavour Magazine | 79
80 | Endeavour Magazine
KENYA CHAMBER OF MINES 0254 735119075 WWW.KENYACHAMBERMINES.COM
KENYA HAS THE MINERALS WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER
With the world’s eyes focused firmly on Africa as the epicenter for mining activities, Kenya has emerged as the location and destination for mining investments. Rising in the interest of all involved parties in the wake of developments that have proved conclusively that the country not only holds siginificant minerals but more important the need and means to uncover it. We spoke with Chief Executive office, Monica Gichuhi.
Endeavour Magazine | 81
KENYA CHAMBER OF MINES
The industry has taken on an ever greater significance and the country has been receiving an increasing amount of interest from international investors so the creation of a dedicated Chamber of Mines has become an even important role for the country’s future, “The Kenya Chamber of Mines (KCM) was established in the year 2000,” explains Monica, “with its key mandate being to act as a representative for the private sector companies operating in Kenya’s mining sector.”
I
nterestingly, KCM’s original purpose was mainly as a lobbying
the purchasing of licences by the likes of Barrick Gold in the last
body, pushing for more favorable working conditions
year, an event which marked the entry of one of the best known
for miners. This was changed in line with the growth in
global players into the country. These events have attracted the
prominence of the sector and the Chamber’s role has continued
junior miners in the industry who in seeking their own opportunities
to evolve taking on a number of core roles including the marketing
have come to Kenya with high hopes.
of the industry nationally and further afield to promote investment
None of these developments have gone unnoticed and have
opportunities, drive awareness of the industry and be a source of
this has resulted in the Kenyan government establishing a dedicated
information for its members.
Ministry of Mining for the first time in its history, “Mining used to
“As time goes on,” Monica continues, “We have extended our
be banded together with other natural resources in environmental
membership to any and all service providers that want to become
issues and the government did not give it the priority it required,”
involved with mining in Kenya. This has led to the current situation
Monica says, “It is significant that this has changed and now mining
where we are having a membership portfolio once filled with the
has its own docket within government. This clearly highlights the
exclusive presence of exploration companies and mine operators, to
confidence that Kenya has in the industry.”
one that now caters for those in the legal, financial, consultation and equipment supply fields. “
This does not mean that the role that Kenya Chamber of Mines has reduced in any way, in fact, working with the government is
In turn this has helped bring added value to the aforementioned
now perhaps more important than ever as Kenya Chamber of Mines
explorers and operators, as well as any foreign owned entities
is in place to apply the necessary pressure onto the government
looking to enter the marketplace, as they now have direct access
to ensure that proper legislation and regulations are in place to
to a catalogue of all manner of service providers that can cater for
support the growth of this sector and to create a strong investment
their requirements. Proof of the rapid development of the mining
opportunity.
sector in Kenya can be seen throughout the country, from the major
KCM have been responsible for a number of important changes,
breakthroughs being made at the Kwale Mineral Sands Project to
lobbying for the speed up of the legislation reform process and
82 | Endeavour Magazine
KENYA CHAMBER OF MINES
for the introduction of better tax conditions for the industry as a
And the buck doesn’t stop the
Chamber
as
issues
with
gathering of comprehensive geological data for Kenya that will
responsibility also lands upon
community
provide invaluable information for investors looking to take up
the shoulders of the mining
corporate social responsibility
licensing in the industry, “As of today we are still waiting to conduct
companies
initiatives.”
a full airborne survey that will map out the country’s resources,”
build and maintain a positive
What does the future hold
Monica tells us, “This is something that we want carried out as soon
image for the sector. Here the
in store for the mining sector in
as possible and we continue to push hard for it to take place. In
Chamber plays a continuous
Kenya as a whole? One of the
truth I believe the government is now starting to realise, thanks to
part by promoting the concepts
first things on Monica’s agenda
the ever-growing amount of licence applications it is receiving, the
of
and
is the up and coming third annual
importance of such an undertaking, but we will continue to lobby for
sustainable operations. Monica
Mining Business and Investment
this finally to take place.”
says, “First and foremost, anyone
(MBI) Conference taking place in October.
responsible,
ethical
to
environmental
surrounding
whole. Now, a topic that is very prominent on their agenda is the
themselves
this
with
protection, relations
and
Taking a consideration of the feelings towards the growing
wanting to become a member of
mining industry from the Kenyans themselves one of the tasks that
KCM must be in full compliance
“The MBI Conference is one
the chamber has in front of them is to provide information and
with the laws and regulations
of the significant events on our
advice. Education is key to gaining support from the local areas,
that govern the environment.
calendar,” she tell us, “It is here
which is necessary to develop and grow the industry, misinformation
Further to that, part of our own
that we draw in a whole host
of the positives and negatives of the development of the industry
strategic objective has been to
of current and future investors,
could cause major damage. Whereas this industry is one that is
develop a code of ethics for our
all of whom are keen to get a
desperately needed to help Kenya’s economy continue to expand
membership which will see them
better understanding of mining
and diversify.
ensuring their full compliance
in Kenya, what opportunities
Proud to be a member of the Kenya Chamber of Mines www.panafricangroup.com 84 | Endeavour Magazine
exist here, the challenges that we are working to overcome and what the government’s position is when it comes to supporting the industry, all of which makes for a hugely important event for all parties involved.” Ultimately, Kenya is undoubtedly one of the foremost reasons why Eastern Africa is a new frontier for mining in the developing world. The country’s relatively unexplored land plays host to a wealth of mineral based opportunities there is unlikely to be any slowdown in the near future when it comes to investors seeking out new projects for exploration and development. With that in mind Monica is keen to emphasise that there are long-term plans for the KCM to evolve and grow alongside the mining sector so as to continue fulfilling its mandate and obligations. “As well as positioning ours for the expected growth in membership that the Chamber will receive going forward, we are also planning for the possibility of one day becoming part of an integrated Chamber of Mines and Energy. The bringing together of these two separate entities would bring Kenya in line with international standards and will help give both fields a larger platform for dialogue and one collective voice to represent this diverse and essential range of companies within this industry.”
Ultimately, Kenya is undoubtedly one of the foremost reasons why Eastern Africa is a new frontier for mining in the developing world. The country’s relatively unexplored land plays host to a wealth of mineral based opportunities there is unlikely to be any slowdown in the near future when it comes to investors seeking out new projects for exploration and development.
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86 | Endeavour Magazine
FREIGHTWORX 0027 119792979 WWW.FREIGHTWORX.CO.ZA
KEEPING BUSINESS MOVING WRITTEN BY KATIE RICHARDSON
Leading logistics service provider Freightworx is one of the more precious gems in South Africa’s corporate crown. Endeavour Magazine discovers how the company has helped create a transport-intensive domestic economy
Endeavour Magazine | 87
FREIGHTWORX
Riding high from a period of sustained growth after the economic downturn, the Republic of South Africa offers extraordinary potential for the logistics and transportation industry. A 2013 study from professional services giant PriceWaterhouseCooper found the country has the most developed and advanced transport infrastructure in the African continent, and is thoroughly recognised as a “key emerging market�.
O
ne company gaining significant leverage in this sector is Freightworx. Established in 1999 when demand arose for airfreight cargo into northern Tanzania, and having
serviced the majority of other freight forwarders as well as numerous mines within the area, company bosses increased service levels and incorporated other means of multi-model transport to assist its clientele to great financial aplomb. Consequently, over the last 14 years, Freightworx has increased exponentially, securing its share of the global freight market by offering various means of transport and logistical solutions. As Africa gears up to continue playing its significant global role, Freightworx is working right alongside, helping to create and sustain distribution networks and supply chains, ensuring a solid infrastructure and providing employment for hundreds of people. With more than 30 years experience in the industry, the company is offering serious mobility: a door-to-door service of the mining, drilling, and telecoms of gas/oil industries into the continent, as well as into India, the Middle East, Australia and the USA, catering for 130 countries and 450 cities worldwide.
Full service Freightworx deals with general cargo, perishable goods, hazardous, dangerous or abnormal cargo, and arms and ammunition across three primary modes of transportation: Air Freight, Sea Freight and Road Freight. The Air Freight and Sea Freight services import and export goods to a wide variety of destinations, and provide clients with daily tracking reports and loading, storage and crating facilities. 88 | Endeavour Magazine
The Air Freight service specialises in out of Gauge Cargo for the
skilled and supported staff coupled with excellent customer care
mining, drilling, gas and oil and telecoms industries, and a fleet of air
is vital for smooth and successful business transitions. Personal
charter operators ranging from one to 100 tons are available with a
attention and tailored solutions are in place to keep satisfaction high
number of major airlines.
as well as the offer of competitive rates throughout the business.
Freightworx Road Freight prides itself on providing a superior
“We understand the importance of maintaining good customer
service experience and some of the standard services include Real-
relations and how these provide a sustained flow of revenue over
Time satellite tracking of its multi-capacity fleet (encompassing a
extended periods of time,” says company CEO Raj Maharaj. “Long-
range of one tonners to Super-links), and representation at various
term business relations with happy customers also going a long
Boarder posts, global Express Delivery, and Goods in Transit (GIT)
way in establishing and maintaining other like-minded business
cover up to ZAR 3 million (£282,200) within South Africa. The
partnerships.”
company utilises the latest software technology to submit Customs
The company ensures that staff is given the most up-to-date
documentation via Electronic Data Interchange, and its fully equipped
training on industry procedures and regulations in order to provide
and secured warehouse in Johannesburg allows Freightworx to offer
them with the expertise required to efficiently manage customer
its own in-house packaging division, which specialises in export
requirements, no matter how big or small. “It is an imperative factor
and fragile goods packaging. With the use of their own offices and
in the overall growth of the company that development strategies
various member agents throughout the world, Freightworx prides
are in place for individual staff members,” says Maharaj.
itself on being able to guarantee safe cargo handling and logistics.
“Supporting an employee in their development within their areas
The company deals only with reputable freight forwarders and where
of specialisation brings a two-fold benefit. The employee achieves
none are adequate, it opens its own offices to avoid any problems.
greater satisfaction from their ability to perform better in his or her
The Freightworx team consists of more than 100 highly skilled, qualified and motivated personnel, and bosses stress that highly-
job; and the company benefits from having a team of highly-skilled professionals on hand to help strengthen and grow our business.”
Endeavour Magazine | 89
FREIGHTWORX
Building on success Africa has not emerged entirely unscathed from the economic downturn, and consequently, neither has many of its national companies. Fluctuation of the local currency against the US dollar has proven particularly challenging, and in addition, Freightworx has been coping with regional union-led platinum mining strikes, which have only come to a resolution in June. “A big problem has been in securing contracts to move cargo into Africa,” explains Maharaj. “We would like to decrease our standing time at the various borders, which can end up being more than five hours in some cases, which is detrimental to our company and our clients’ business.” These delays have seen a significant rise in Freightworx clients moving from air freight to road freight in order to reduce cost and time in airports. While the EU and the BRICS countries gather momentum in their economic recovery, attentions are beginning to be strongly focused on Africa’s natural resources, especially to growth opportunities in infrastructure, telecoms and mining, in the hope of kick-starting their sales and revenue streams. Regarding corporate strategy, Freightworx plans to continue down its current path and build upon its already notable success. Maharaj believes the company has hit a ‘winning formula’ in
90 | Endeavour Magazine
providing world-class service to its customers around the globe. “We plan to ensure that our customers’ needs are always met beyond their expectations and that our staff’s knowledge and expertise will always be on the cutting edge of the industry,” he stresses. The remaining months of 2014 will see a predominate increase in the company’s already vast flotilla of vehicles; a new wave was recently put in place to better serve in the road freight sector of the industry, and operations in to handling different type of freight. “The new fleet will ensure more reliable and trustworthy service levels within the competitive industry,” says Maharaj. “Our fleet is backed by Real-Time satellite tracking, making our vehicles and its cargo transparent to our customers at any stage of its journey.” The recent appointment of a Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BB-BEE) Rating of Level 3, which serves as a guideline and driver for the development of Codes of Practice in the industry, will also provide Freightworx and its customers with a higher Preferential Procurement status when dealing with their suppliers, a status to ensure continued productivity. “A company’s BB-BEE rating is an important aspect of conducting business in South Africa,” stresses Maharaj. The higher the rating the more likely other companies of similar rating are to work with you.”
A recently refurbished warehouse has also been upgraded with state-of-the-art security; storage and lifting equipment, allowing Freightworx to better manage the shipments that have been entrusted to its care. Over a period of three years, a rough estimated figure of R16-17m (£900 – 956k) was invested in the fleet and warehouse improvements. “The warehouse upgrade is an important aspect of providing customers with peace of mind,” explains Maharaj. “Investing in the training of drivers and lifting machinery operators has been an important aspect of the upgrade. Our people form an important part of our core business and we cannot achieve success without them.” Market projections for South Africa over the next decade look highly lucrative: rail and air networks are among the largest on the African continent and other major transport routes are in good condition. With a number of connection projects underway to improve regional and international access, enterprise is expected to grow substantially over the next decade. It is clear that as transportation and logistics continue to play a vital role in the development and growth of Africa’s place in the global market, Freightworx is a heavyweight player that investors should not ignore.
Logistics for Sub-Sahara CC provide excellent experience and expertise in cross-border transport, moving equipment and loads to Southern, Central and Eastern Africa regions. Countries currently served are: Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, DRC (KINSHASA, Lubumbashi/ Kolwezi, Pweto, DOKO / WATSA [Northern DRC]), Angola, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia.
Tel: 0027 82 453 1137 Fax: 0027 56 931 0273 E-mail: amelia@sssclogistics.com Endeavour Magazine | 91
92 | Endeavour Magazine
ILS 0027 21 421 2474 WWW.ILS.CO.ZA
THE BENCHMARK FOR INDUSTRY WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER
South Africa’s leading supply chain and logistics consultancy has a lot to boast about. Such as internationally recognized expertise, twenty seven years of independent professional service, over a century of engineering experience and a footprint that extends to over five hundred facilities. Industrial Logistic Systems is the leader for a reason.
Endeavour Magazine | 93
ILS
Looking at the company now, Industrial Logistic Systems (ILS) is the very definition of how a business should be run. Innovative, quality driven and highly efficient the company ticks every box for operational and business excellence. Don Campbell spoke with Managing Director Gary Benatar, one of the founders, about a company that has become the very benchmark of industry in South Africa.
E
nthusiasm for innovation and out of the box thinking
reputation for doing whatever clients needed, and being client
tempered with a strategic and organic growth is a
focused “Our business evolved and grew with the client’s needs,”
hallmark of this company and has been since the
Gary says, “We were asked questions and had to find the answers.
company was first founded in 1987 by Gary Benatar and his business
Asked, ‘you designed this, can you make it work?’ and we got into
partner Martin Bailey. Meeting each other when Gary was studying
project management and operations, ‘can you make the system
for his Masters in industrial engineering and Martin was a lecturer
work?,’ so we plunged into system specification and implementation,
and supervisor for his Masters’, the rapore between them lay the
‘what is your opinion on strategy?’ and we developed our footprint
ground for what was to come.
in strategic consultation.”
“After I graduated I was approached by multi-disciplinary
Through this ILS evolved into the one stop shop facilitator of
consultants who were involved in civil, electrical and constructional
company projects that they are today. More than this they also grew
engineering and they were looking for industrial engineering as a
into different market spaces. Their first customers were in the motor
new focus,” Gary recalls, “This was the focus I was specialized in and
industry working with the likes of Volkswagen and Toyota and the
I began a division for them in 1986. About six months later Martin
mining industry but soon they entered into the realm of retail which
became available and I brought him in to work with me as a specialist
has largely become Gary’s primary area of excellence.
consultant.”
“We are a respected industry leader of retail supply chain
However the two worked together for only six months before
strategy development,” he says. Working with national clients such
realizing that they were meant for more and Industrial Logistic
as Shoprite, Massmart (part of the Walmart group), Spar Group,
Systems (ILS) was born. Working out of the garage at Martin’s house,
Woolworths and pharmaceutical giants like Dischem and Clicks.
“Our real focus was not to build a corporation, we weren’t aiming for
They’ve also worked internationally with companies in Saudi Arabia
the stock exchange or anything as lofty as that we wanted instead to
like Azizia Panda, Spinneys in Dubai and PriceLine and Coles In
do what we love doing, have fun while we’re doing it and make sure
Austrailia and have recently had a small contract in Malaysia with
that each job is done well.”
Giant.
When they began in business they were focused on facilities
“Our focus is largely in South Africa, but we’re adaptable and
planning and material handling system design developing a
flexible,” Gary adds, explaining further that they tend not to pursue
94 | Endeavour Magazine
Leader in materials handling equipment Light E
qstra’s Industrial Equipment division (EIE) is the market leader in distributing materials handling equipment in the industrial, mining and agricultural sectors in southern Africa. The division, which distributes the Toyota Forklift brand, also supplies the light handling BT range which focuses on efficiency and safety. The equipment is available through outright purchase or leasing, either short- or long term.
HAND PALLET TRUCKS BT hand pallet trucks, with a maximum lifting capacity of 3 000kg, provide the lowest cost of ownership, thanks to
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POWERED PALLET TRUCKS BT’s range of powered pallet trucks offers you a comprehensive choice of pallet handling possibilities, including walk-with, ride-on, stand-in and seated models, to ensure the perfect solution to your specific needs.
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POWERED STACKERS BT’s family of three powered stackers – BT Staxio, BT Ixion and BT Stratos – have load capacities up to 2 000kg and lift heights up to 6300mm.
ERGONOMIC PALLET TRUCKS • Ergonomic design reduces arms, shoulders, back strain • Life-time warranty on hand pallet trucks
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Levio basic
eqstra industrial equipment Staxio basic
Contact: Eugene Steenhuisen Tel (011) 571 0301 eugenes@eiegroup.co.za www.eiegroup.co.za
ILS
international contracts as they prefer to remain at their peak
were complaining that they were not getting the output that they
efficiency with local businesses, “We see no benefit in sacrificing
expected. Upon investigation ILS discovered that it was not down to
quality. Often we are forced to work internationally as our clients
technology, mechanics or strategies they had put in place but rather
expand their footprint and we are part of their business growth.”
companies resistance to change and trying to operate new facilities
After a youth of being a Jack of All Trades who adapted and
with an outmoded “dungeon” mentality, “This division was set up to
improvised quickly to meet the needs of their clients, ILS has
help clients change their thinking and to ensure that things are run
matured and restructured into three specific verticals.
as they are meant to.”
Strategic Consulting
but existing ones as well and Gary reveals that a lot of ILS’ work
These verticals were set up not only to benefit new clients “There are a number of large companies within this space but our difference is that we end up taking on bigger jobs at less cost,” Gary explains, “We execute and are action based – we can address the strategic and tactical plans. If we build a strategy for a client we build a supply chain strategy and logistics around their business strategy and what they need to function at the top of their game.” Infrastructure Division, “We take a project from concept through to commission and execution,” he says, “We envision and lay out sites, buildings, processes, assist with procurement and project management and everything that the client needs.” Operations Division, this final vertical came about when clients
goes into their long standing relationships with clients to assess problems, such as procedural bottle necks and to establish where new opportunities for improvement could lie. Gary minces none of his words and is quick to point out that much of the growth and development of ILS has come from learning curves. He admits that during their adolescence much of their tech solutions were the sake of being sexy. New conveyors, new machinery looks good and works well and is very impressive but it was when they worked with retail giant Shoprite that they had their biggest learning curve, “The CEO at the time basically said we had Carte Blanche to do what we wanted as long as it gives the right payback in return. That is when we started working from the bottom up with the focus on productivity and output instead of mere aesthetics,” From the bottom up largely focuses on the people working with the company. In South Africa businesses and companies have a social responsibility to generate work and employ people over the European approach of automating systems. This is particularly relevant during economic downturns where in Europe and the UK the response is to cut jobs and automate which does have the problem of limiting flexibility, whereas in South Africa more socially sustainable solutions need to be found bringing in the benefit of a human touch and discretion. “Coming from an academic environment, we look to the universities for our staff who we could train up or people with limited industry experience so that they don’t have too many bad habits,” Gary reveals, “We put them into operations to start with.” In operations a new employee gains the practical understanding of the job, garnering important experience and from there once they’ve developed enough and gained enough experience if they want they can enter into the design space of the company and then following that have the opportunity to get into strategic consultancy. “That’s how we develop our staff,” he says proudly, “Currently we have a team of thirty people. We’re a small company but highly invested and able to achieve a lot with a smaller group that larger companies can’t.” Exceptionally productive is how most people would describe it, “That’s always been our strength,” he says, “We do our own internal training, twice a month on a Friday making use of video conferences to keep both the Johannesburg and Cape Town offices working
96 | Endeavour Magazine
congruently.” This connectivity has proved to be an important step.
MEET ONE OF OUR TALLEST MEMBERS
Gary explains that at one point the Cape Town office, where the headquarters are now located and the Johannesburg office were competing, and working for separate clients, when he took over as managing director one of his steps was to unify the operations and thinking of both branches into one entity, using the strengths of our people appropriate to a project need, and not based on where they are located.
A Handy Position ILS has not been struck by the economic downturn as many companies have in South Africa and the reasons behind this are a tribute to the nature of their business, “When clients enter growth phases they come to us to facilitate the growth, developing strategies to best capitalize on the new opportunities and when there is a drop we’re approached
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Endeavour Magazine | 97
ILS
And over the past twenty seven years the company has continuously grown year after year and while there is no ceiling as to
customers as part of ourselves so when we’re working together we try not to separate ourselves from them.”
how large they are able to grow, Gary is careful to ensure that they
Being the leader in industry does mean that a number of solutions
don’t outgrow their capacity to offer the best services. This being
that ILS have implemented for the leading retailers in South Africa
said, the company has increased its capacity each year.
have become the template that other businesses make use of.
Ironically, the great challenge faced by Gary is the retention of staff, “Our people are seen as the best in the industry and they are in very high demand often being propositioned by our competition and even our clients to work for them,” he says, “So we’ve gone out of our way to create a unique environment.”
Beating The Competition With Quality Innovation of projects and designs. ILS develop ideas that give
With eighty percent of the day being spent in an office, ILS
an appropriate solution, “We come up with unique solutions that
aims to make it a good and enjoyable place to work. They sit down
have been world firsts both local and internationally,” he says. An
for lunch provided for by the company, have an open and fun
example of the innovation that ILS is known for is the sophisticated
environment and according to general consensus they have the best
banana ripening system they developed for one of their retailers,
coffee available.
“They used a three level high banana room which would typically be
Most of their clients are long term, for example they first began
drive-in rack system, which is often used. However, we developed a
working with Shoprite in 1992, before the retail giant acquired
shuttle system that was faster, safer and more productive and gave
Checkers and OK and have done so since then. One of their leading
good banana ripening results. This improved the quality of their fruit
principles is doing for customers what they do for themselves and
and the sustainability of the products ergo saving millions.”
Gary says this is a philosophy and an attitude that has never failed
By creating benchmarks for industry ILS have been instrumental
them, “We take ownership in their business,” he says, “We see our
in reengineering the way things are distributed over the last twenty
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98 | Endeavour Magazine
years. ILS could be credited with responsibility for reengineering the total food supply chain in South Africa with the work they have done with retailers and suppliers. They have also brought to the table the cross pollination of ideas originated from different industries.
The Future The big challenge is to find the extra levels of proficiency out of the supply chain, where customers are looking to extract more value out of their solutions, “Lots of work is going into increasing capacity through current facilities to match their growth without spending more money,” Gary says, “This allows jobs to be retained while efficiencies grow. It’s exciting and allows us to push the envelope.” Innovators to the core, Gary says the strength of ILS originates with lots of people thinking outside of the box, “Every customer has something new. Two companies can be next to each other in the same industry and need completely different solutions thanks to their requirements and business culture. It’s an exciting, ever
“
There are a number of large companies within this space but our difference is that we end up taking on bigger jobs at less cost”, Managing Director Gary Benatar
developing market that we’re in.” And, if the last twenty seven years are anything to go by the future will be much the same.
Endeavour Magazine | 99
100 | Endeavour Magazine
DESALCOTT 001868 6363725 WWW.DESALCOTT.COM
PLUS 100 BILLION GALLONS AND STILL GOING WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER
In 2011, the Desalination Company of Trinidad and Tobago (DESALCOTT) celebrated its 100 billionth gallon of desalinized water and since then they have been adding to this impressive milestone in leaps and bounds. Originally created with the sole purpose to sell desalinated sea water to WASA (The Water and Sewerage Authority) Desalcott is now totally responsible for designing, building, financing and operating the $200 million desalination plant located in Trinidad. A task they have been managing for over fifteen years. Endeavour Magazine | 101
DESALCOTT
John Thompson has been with the company since 2000 and has functioned as General Manager since 2002; we spoke with him regarding the company’s operations and plans for the future. Originally from Portsmouth, Britain, John reveals that Desalcott is the largest declination producer in the Southern Hemisphere and operates a never ending cycle of twenty four hours a day, seven days a week producing between fifteen and twenty percent of water for Trinidad and Tobago during the dry season.
“D
esalcott between
was
a
joint
Trinidadian
venture company
enterprise Hafeez
Karamath Engineering Services Limited and
General Electric,” John says, adding that in order to construct the desalination plan HKESL and Ionics Inc contributed over 20 million dollars in equity and that in 2000 the Republic Bank Limited through the Republic Finance and Merchant Bank (Fincor) provided a bridge financing for its construction, “Long term financing came into place in 2003 and in 2012 HKESL purchased all of the shares and became totally locally owned and operated.” This was able to transpire because First Citizens Bank Limited provided essential financing to facilitate the acquisition of General Electric’s shares. Working closely with the Republic Bank and Fincor they had the expansion of Desalcott in mind and following this in November of the same year Desalcott was contracted by WASA to increase its production from 24 million imperial gallons of water per day to 40 MIGD.
The Agreement With WASA WASA and Desalcott have enjoyed a long and prosperous relationship, where WASA has asked a lot of Desalcott and they have proved themselves not only worthy but singularly capable of meeting these rigorous demands. In 1999 WASA contracted to purchase over a hundred thousand cubic meters of water per day (24 MIGD) for a period of twenty years. “Point Lisas Industrial Estate tenants were the primary market for the water the company produced,” John says, “They required a 102 | Endeavour Magazine
higher quality of water in order to efficiently carry out their own operations. Whatever surplus water remaining was used by WASA to supplement their own supply to residence in South Trinidad.” Then in 2012, almost three quarters of their way through their initial contract an Amended Water Sale Agreement was signed which required the expansion of its plant to produce 40MIGD. As shutting down their operations to conduct the expansion was out of the question, it was planned that the construction would take place in increments over a thirteen month period with deliveries of water increasing appropriately, “The increase water supply was expected to allow WASA to further supplement the supply of potable water to residents and businesses in South Trinidad and we achieved the 40MIGD by December 2013.” The process behind desalination is fascinating and occurs through a three stage system: The first is the Intake of raw seawater from the Gulf of Paria which is screened and then pumped for one and a half kilometers via 42 inch diameter pipelines. During the expansion in 2012 three addition pipes were added to the original two increasing the number to five to facilitate an increase intake of the raw material. Once macro impurities have been removed such as ocean debris, dirt and organic1 material and then transported to the facility Pall_Endeavor_Layout 9/4/14 12:06 PM Page 1
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Endeavour Magazine | 103
DESALCOTT
it is passed through a Pre Treatment stage. Continuous and reliable
The final product is passed through Post Treatment where a
pretreatment of raw seawater involves a total system approach
solution of sodium hypochlorite is used to provide residual chlorine
to increase the efficiency of the reverse osmosis system. This is
that ensures that the drinking water is devoid of any biological activity
achieved on a large part by minimizing such things as fouling and
that could cause illness and a lime solution of calcium carbonate is
scaling. Fouling is what happens when the entrapment of particulates
then used to give the water a near neutrality of between 7 and 8.5
leads to contamination through the deposition of bacterial and
pH.
other biological residues and scaling involves the precipitation and deposition with the system of sparingly soluble salts such as calcium sulphate and barium sulphate. Minimalizing membrane degradation is another thing that needs to be addressed. Seawater contains silt and various other entrained solids. A cocktail of ferric chloride is used as a coagulant and a catatonic polymer is used as coagulant acid, together these chemicals via coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation remove the solids from the seawater. Solids aside, seawater also contains microorganisms and shock chlorination sequences, using sodium hypochlorite are used to minimize/prevent bio-fouling of the reverse osmosis membranes from the biological activity in the seawater then sulphuric acid is utilized as an anti-scalant to eliminate carbonate and sulphate scaling.
Desalination Plant Fact Sheet The capacity of the Desalination Plant is currently 155,000 cubic metres (40.8 Million US gallons per day). In October 2011, Desalcott achieved total delivery to WASA of 100 billion gallons of desalinated water; the plant has been further expanded to a peak capacity of 191,000cu.m. (50.4 million US gallons per day) by the end of 2013 this had the potential at the Point Lisas site to be further expanded to 273,000 cu.m which would be 72 million US gallons per day. Involved in this expansion was Ionics Constructors Trinidad Limited who was the turn-key contractor for the initial engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the plant. HKESL is the EPC contractor for the expansion to 40MIGD while the electricity, the 132,000 volt service was provide by T & TEC (Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission).
PURIFYING THE WORLD
DOOSAN HYDRO TECHNOLOGY Doosan Hydro Technology is proud of its participation with HKESL on the expansion of the Desalcott Seawater Desalination Plant in Trinidad. The task of simplifying on-site assembly was successfully accomplished by shipping pre-assembled sub-frames and prefabricated piping spools. Water & Wastewater Solutions Engineering, Procurement, & Construction Custom Engineered Reverse Osmosis & Desalination Doosan Hydro Technology LLC is fully committed to improving water quality through innovative technologies, meeting or exceeding customer requirements, extending beyond geographical and cultural boundaries. 9208 Palm River Road, Suite 302 Tampa, FL 33619 | T: + 1 (813) 549 0182 bdev@doosanhydro.com | www.doosanhydro.com 104 | Endeavour Magazine
Employment
Over the last fifteen years
Employing over a hundred full time staff John explains that hiring local is very important to him, “Many more Trinidadians are employed through the local contractors
that
assist
with
maintenance,” he says, “And the key staff working with us are
this
focused
activity
has
definitely paid off, “The water we
produce
is
purer
than
WASA’s existing plants,”
John
reveals, “In fact, with less than 85mg of dissolved solids per litre, the water is better than the WHO’s standards
internationally recognized within the field as experts.” Time to time other experts are brought in from further afield on a part-time basis to provide critique to ensure that wherever there is room for improvement that such development are taken into account and made. This goes for all of their processes as well as the training and operations of their staff.
E - MAIL: atladmin@atltt.com
WEBSITE: www.atltt.com Endeavour Magazine | 105
NAIRN MILNE
Do You Hear The Beat? BY DONNIE RUST
W
e have covered before how the future of entertainment will have its basis in the individual artists and performers taking the time and making the effort to
establish themselves a fan basis through the likes of social media. The connectivity found in community group sourcing and sharing allows talented individuals and groups to engage on a direct basis with their fans both economically and effectively. The Likes of Twitter, Facebook and Youtube have given everyone the equal chance to propel themselves ahead into fame and fortune. Enter Nairn Milne, the seventeen year from Aberdeen, Scotland who has created a name for himself on Twitter and Youtube through his drumming. I was lucky to catch him during a brief period of inactivity between working at the Common Wealth Games and rehearsing with his various bands to ask him about what he’s up to and the secret to his prolific sound.
Donnie: When and how did you get into drumming? Nairn: I started to get drum lessons when I was around seven years old. I was one of those typical kids who liked to make a lot of noise and was given a toy drum at the age of five and I guess it took off from there. However I only became serious about drums around the age of eleven.
Donnie: Have you had any formal training? Nairn: Yes, I get regular lessons with the same teacher I’ve had for over ten years now and I consider him a really good friend of
106 | Endeavour Magazine
bands when I was younger at school but that was just for fun but this is far more serious. What does it take to develop talent and skills? While all the technologically savy minds in the world are gunning to further enhance Youtube and Twitter to make it even easier to get seen there is absolutely no substitute for hard work and practise.
Donnie: On average, how much practise rehearsal do you have before you make a Youtube video? Nairn: I practice a song for around an hour or so and learn it by ear, being dyslexic I find this is the best way for me to learn a piece than to sit down and learn it from tab. YouTube is a great source for learning and is another way in which I practice a piece by getting ideas that I can develop further.
Donnie: How Important is it to have a polished finished piece? mine. He’s been a great influence to me over the years and taught me an incredible amount of skills and techniques which I will carry with me for life. I was also fortunate to meet up with Luke Holland last June for an hour lesson from which I took away some great tips.
Donnie: You’ve got a popular Youtube channel, could you tell us what the inspiration behind this? Nairn: The inspiration came from other drummers which I had seen on YouTube such as Cobus Potgieter, and Luke Holland but also my mum had been encouraging me to make a channel and it wasn’t until she bought me a ZOOM camera for Christmas that I
Nairn: I think it is vital to have a polished piece, as you obviously want to show off your abilities and feel happy about yourself after completion. There’s nothing worse than having an error in your piece which you will notice every time you go to watch it or listen to it back, maybe others won’t notice it but knowing it’s there can be irritating.
Donnie: How often do you rehearse with the band? Nairn: We meet up regularly to practice but also just to hang out. One of the band members has a rehearsal room in their house which is a great perk because there obviously isn’t a time restriction and it
began to publish my drum videos all over the internet. Over the
saves us a bit of cash which we can put towards projects in the band.
past few years I have put together my own home studio and I would
Donnie: What are some of the other things that interest you?
like to think my covers encourage other drummers to share their enthusiasm and ideas as I do.
Donnie: You drum for the band Franklin, how long have you been gigging with them? Nairn: I have been drumming for them since the band was founded just over a year ago and it is the first serious band that I have been a part of and I’m loving it. I have been in a few other
Nairn: Yes, I travelled to London last summer to learn more about songwriting and the music business as a whole as this is something I want to progress further and I’m also keen to start teaching drumming via Skype or in person. I feel this would be a great way to share ideas with others. So which platforms does Nairn favor when it comes to getting his name out there?
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Nairn: The social platforms I use are Facebook, Twitter and
countries and counting!
Instagram. My personal favourite would be Twitter, I feel it is the
People become a product of their environment so it’s always
best way to interact with your fans and keeping up to date with
worthwhile looking at the calibre of person they are surrounding
what’s going on around the world. Facebook however is also a
themselves with.
really good way of promoting yourself, having your own page where
Donnie: How does your band influence each other creatively?
you can promote posts, videos and gigs. I have been contacted via Twitter by Glen Power who drums for The Script and The Wombats
Nairn: Franklin consists of five members, but when the band was
after covering their songs so it has opened up some great doors.
first formed there were 4 of us. We decided to add another guitarist
Donnie: How long do you spend on Twitter on average per day?
this allows us to have more variation and a deeper sound. A band is
Nairn: I tend to use the Twitter app quite regularly and tweet
brilliant for ideas when it comes to sourcing new music and writing new lyrics to our songs.
often to keep all my followers updated and when it comes to
Donnie: Are you mates outside of the band?
approaching things I’d say I am quite laid back about most situations,
Nairn: Oh yes, we are all very good friends outside the band.
but you do need to approach some things in a professional manner.
Donnie: So what are you looking forward to in the new year? What does the future hold for Nairn Milne?
Donnie: Relaxed is good, and where do you find most of your followers are coming from?
Nairn: Having left school I am looking forward to going onto
Nairn: I find most of my followers come from all age ranges and
further education to study music which is all I’ve ever wanted to do.
from all over the world as my videos have been watched in over 172
Being able to study full time something I am so passionate about
108 | Endeavour Magazine
is great and after releasing an EP earlier this year Franklin are near
Recording with the music producer will cost us quite a lot, as we
completion of our debut album which we can’t wait to share with
are all students; however the possibilities that could come with it
everyone.
outweigh the price which we would be paying. We are also looking
Also, an esteemed music producer from the states contacted us about a recording opportunity later this year in October with Franklin which we are all extremely excited about.
Donnie: How are they going to improve/ change things for your music career? Nairn: I am hoping that pursuing further education in music will help me get into some session work in the future as that is something which I’d love to do and obviously recording with the music producer from the states could provide us with a number of opportunities as our tracks would be personally sent to various record companies,
into selling merchandise to help fund the project.
Donnie: Thanks for taking the time to speak with me Nairn, finally, what would you say to budding musicians wanting to get a grip online? Nairn: To practice, and only upload videos which are the best you can do at that time. Encourage friends and family to share your videos which will help create a base following from which you can build on. Be selective with your song choice initially by keeping up with the newest releases.
radio stations, TV broadcasters and other media outlets in the states and in the UK.
Donnie: All your hard work seems to be paying off? Nairn: We have spent a lot of our time on our debut album as we want to make sure everything is perfect for when we release it.
Endeavour Magazine | 109
BOOK REVIEWS
From the famous episodes of the whitewashed fence and the ordeal in the cave to the trial of Injun Joe, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is redolent of life in the Mississippi River towns in which Twain spent his own youth. A somber undercurrent flows through the high humor and unabashed nostalgia of the novel, however,
Adventures Of Tom Sawyer And Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain http://amzn.to/1rzQVhZ
for beneath the innocence of childhood lie the inequities of adult reality—base emotions and superstitions, murder and revenge, starvation and slavery. In his introduction, noted Twain scholar John Seelye considers Twain’s impact on American letters and discusses the balance between humorous escapades and serious concern that is found in much of Twain’s writing. Still a classic, often quoted by adults and children who’ve never actually read the book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn has been the epitome of childhood, elements of which can be seen in many modern novels. Mark Twain’s brilliance is that his influence extends beyond his own age and probably beyond ours.
110 | Endeavour Magazine
The Invisible Man By H.G Wells http://amzn.to/1zEa7cS
The Invisible Man is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells published in 1897. Originally serialized in Pearson’s Weekly in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man of the title is Griffin, a scientist who has devoted himself to research into optics and invents a way to change a body’s refractive index to that of air so that it absorbs and reflects no light and thus becomes invisible. He successfully carries out this procedure on himself, but fails in his attempt to reverse the procedure. While its predecessors, The Time Machine and The Island of Doctor Moreau, were written using first-person narrators, Wells adopts a third-person objective point of view in The Invisible Man to create the sense of unease of people around him who cannot see him. H.G Wells was so far ahead of his time in terms of his vision and imagination that his books still enthrall and capture audiences today. What is most impressive is the manner in which he was able to bridge the gap successfully so that his science fiction could be enjoyed by a wider range of readers than current authors.
If I Stay By Gayle Forman http://amzn.to/1lvReIl
If I Stay is a young adult novel by Gayle Forman published in 2009. The story follows 17-year-old Mia as she deals with the aftermath of a catastrophic car accident involving her family. In a coma, Mia has an out-of-body experience, and watches as friends and family gather at the hospital where she is being treated. Mia watches as her memories flash before her eyes as she comes to realize that she must decide if she is to wake up and lead a life far more difficult than she ever anticipated, or to slip away and die. It has received widely positive reviews. A sequel hit shelves in April 2011, entitled Where She Went.
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