OVERVIEW
Manufacturing Manufacturers are investing in new plants and offices.
SECTOR INSIGHT Ardagh Glass Packaging is a new name in glass.
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hree has become one in Centurion, where Montego Pet Nutrition has consolidated its Gauteng operations. With its main plant located in the Eastern Cape town of Graaff-Reinet, Montego has become one of South Africa’s most successful brands and expects that its R30-million facility at Knoppieslaagte in Centurion will allow it to double production and there is room for the current staffing complement of 147 to grow. The company’s new 21 600m² complex includes a dry-food factory, a warehouse, a testing laboratory and an administration block. The production focus will be on Montego’s Monty & Me Essential range, as well as manufacturing for contract clients. Ford South Africa’s goal of reaching production capacity of 200 000 vehicles per year is a step closer, thanks to an investment in automation at its Silverton Assembly Plant in Tshwane. An amount of R15.8-billion has been invested in a range of new facilities, including a 44 000m2 Body Shop, a supporting warehouse and a Stamping Plant. The Ford Ranger is produced at the plant in a wide variety of configurations including single cab, supercab and double cab, as well as left-hand drive and right-hand drive models. Welding is done by robots, as are many of the other functions on the production line that features 493 robots. In response to Ford’s investment, auto component and battery manufacturer Metair will establish a new logistics facility GAUTENG BUSINESS 2023/24
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at Silverton. Several Metair subsidiaries, including Hesto Harnesses, Unitrade, Automould and Lumotech, have signed agreements to supply Ford with a wide range of products. All of Gauteng’s large automobile manufacturers are investing in new model production. Nissan is spending R3-billion on production of the Navara pick-up vehicle. Other major investments include R6.1-billion by BMW at Rosslyn and R260-million by BMW on an expanded campus at Midrand. UD Trucks, a part of the Volvo group, will assemble the Croner heavy commercial vehicle at Rosslyn. Gauteng is also home to a s t ro n g a u to m o t i ve components industry, together with several bus and truck assembly plants. These include Scania, TFM Industries and MAN Truck and Bus South Africa, as well as the Chinese truck manufacturer FAW, which owns an assembly plant in Isando. Beijing Automotive Works (BAW ) assembles taxis at Springs. Armoured cars are produced by the Paramount Group. DCD Protected Mobility PHOTO: Montego Pet Nutrition