Much Asphalt

Focusing on key deliverables

Brian Mchunu

Managing Director | East Coast Asphalt

Please provide a brief background on East Coast Asphalt. BM East Coast Asphalt (ECA) was established in 2007 as a joint venture between the East London-based Independent Group and Much Asphalt, and is the leading commercial producer

The East London plant produces 150 tonnes per hour of hot and cold mix asphalt in the Eastern Cape.

The company’s two branches are strategically located in East London and Mthatha, supplying products to sites within a radius of around 250 km from each centre. East London has the capability to produce 150 tonnes per hour (tph) and 360 tonnes of hot storage capacity, while Mthatha produces up to 100 tph and can store 250 tonnes of hot mix asphalt.

Various classes of asphalt products can be designed to client specifications using Much Asphalt’s Gauteng and Cape Town laboratories.

Who are your clients? Our clients include the private sector, national, provincial and local government roads departments, as well as Airports Company South Africa for runways. Our products are also used for driveways and parking lots, tank bases and sidewalks, and we sell bagged cold mix asphalt for use by small contractors.

What is the single most important aspect of your client offering? The capability to always deliver the required quantities of product on time and within specification. This includes the full range of conventional asphalt products, as well as specialised solutions such as bitumen rubber asphalt, SMA, Micropave and warm mix asphalt.

How does ECA gain a competitive edge in its markets? We pride ourselves on open and honest relationships with our clients, and we understand the difficult economic and contractual conditions under which they work. We continually strive to excel in our core manufacturing and supply capabilities to enable our clients to focus on their contractual commitments and maximise their project timelines.

East Coast Asphalt practises the philosophy of Zero Harm to people, plant and the environment

How does ECA use technology to improve its products and efficiencies? Our products are specifically designed and manufactured to meet tight durability specifications required for the increasingly harsher road conditions due to higher traffic volumes, more heavy vehicles on the road, lower budgets for maintenance and other factors. Our aim is to use technology developed together with Much Asphalt to design and manufacture fit-for-purpose products so that clients get value for money, which is good for return business. How do you manage risk for yourselves and your clients? One of the most common risks for us and our clients is costly product failures. As a business, we mitigate this by recruiting suitably qualified staff in all departments, together with continuous training and motivational interventions. We also offer free training for client employees and SMMEs involved in the placement of our products to ensure that the entire supply chain contributes to the sustainability of the solution. How are you positioned to capitalise on future opportunities? The existing old and underdeveloped Eastern Cape road network provides medium- to long-term market opportunities, most of which we are well positioned to meet from our existing plants. A second and exciting opportunity is the N2 Wild Coast Toll Road planned as a coastal route between Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. This project will be best suited to the use of mobile asphalt plants on-site and we are well equipped to play a role in that space.

Health and safety have come into sharp focus due to Covid-19. How are you responding to this? As a group, we are all committed to the philosophy of Zero Harm to people, plant and the environment. This strategy has made a significant difference throughout the company since its introduction about two years ago. The Covid-19 outbreak has further heightened our awareness.

QUALITY

ACCOUNTABLE FOR QUALITY

East Coast Asphalt is the leading manufacturer of hot and cold asphalt products in the Eastern Cape.

We don’t just promise quality. We hold ourselves accountable for it. Process control laboratories at every plant and on site continually monitor and test our processes and products. Our customers can rest assured they are placing and compacting quality asphalt.

Static plants in East London and Mthatha • mobile plants • extensive product range • stringent quality control • bitumen storage • industry training