COMPANY PROFILE
2014
Alpha Civil
+27 23 347 6415 | http://alphacivil.co.za
company profile
Flood disaster gets alpha response Editorial: Colin Chinery Production: Chris Bolderstone
Western Cape civil engineers and contractors Alpha Civil has been at the forefront of post-flood reconstruction. Now their evolving strategy is embracing the potential for South Africa’s wind and solar opportunities. “We believe wind power is where the next drive is going to be,” says Contract Manager Gert Labuschagne.
In July 2012 floods, snow and winds brought death and havoc across southern swathes of the Western and Eastern Cape. Thousands were rescued by the emergency services amid damage put at multi millions of Rands. At Van Wyksdorp near Ladysmith in the southern Cape, 70 adults and children were evacuated from their flooded homes and nearby agricultural land washed away; sixty km away, Herbertsdale too was calculating the cost. Damage on this scale is followed by massive reconstruction, and here in this part of the Karoo, civil engineers and contractors Alpha Civil has been at the forefront. Operational areas fluctuate in the construction business, often in response to changes in government spending plans. In one period the boom might be housing; in the next, pipe line construction.
ALPHA PEDIGREE Alpha, based in Worcester, Western Cape, and with a 30 year pedigree, has experienced high volume in each of these areas. But now its major activity is damage repairs. “Fifty per cent of our turnover comes from storm
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water damage repairs, and our biggest project is at Van Wyksdorp. In fact it’s the biggest contract we have ever been awarded,” says Alpha’s Contract Manager Gert Labuschagne. A former subsidiary of the Prima Klipbrekers Group – now Afrimat – Alpha Civil has grown to become a medium sized construction business in the civil and building project segments of both public and private sectors. Alpha draws on its extensive experience in road and bridge construction contract work, civil infrastructure services, reservoirs and retail centres. The food and wine industries are major clients. The Van Wyksdorp project, explains Mr Labuschagne, is not a single site with convenient logistics, but 21 small sites with numerous low level bridges. “You can imagine driving on gravel roads, and where a road needs to cross a river, there you need some kind of a causeway. Altogether we have 23 structures that were in need of repair; some remedial work, many others involving the demolition of what was left and rebuilding from scratch.” Sixty km from Van Wyksdorp and close to Mossel Bay is Herbertsdale, and three months after starting work at Van Wyksdorp Alpha was awarded the
Alpha Civil
contract for flood repair at this settlement in scenic country away from the tourist trail. A third contract in the area followed shortly. “With farmers using these rural roads to move their produce to the nearest harbour or packing facility it is of the utmost importance to the local economy that they are kept in good condition.” Taken together Mr Labuschagne estimates that the three contracts are worth R50m. “Leaving aside the very massive projects, we are definitely a leader in the region. “In terms of size I would say we are up in the top 25 per cent, and from the feedback we get from consulting engineers we are in the upper ten per cent in terms of quality. “And this is a selling point we like to emphasise - we get along very well with the consulting engineers.” A continuous search for performance excellence has cultivated within Alpha a spirit of quality workmanship and pride, attributes that won a nomination for the Fulton award for excellence in concrete technology. “We build good relationships with our clients, and wouldn’t want to commit the whole of the company to one particular contract. The Province is
a very good client, and one from whom we get good referrals.” With a 100-strong payroll, Alpha’s strategy is to employ and train local labour. “The government likes to encourage local recruitment and develop local enterprises, to the extent of paying a 10 per cent premium. “And we prefer local labour. Sometimes you find gems; people you wouldn’t imagine turn out to be very good artisans or carpenters.” Stimulating a local economy is one inducement; logistics is another. “Employing locally means you don’t have to transport labour or provide living accommodation. “Across the three contracts I’d say we are creating 100 peak time temporary employment opportunities. So all in all it’s a good idea, and I believe it’s working the way it was intended to.”
MOTIVATED STAFF As part of the drive to conform to government’s BBBEE policy, Alpha Civil acquired a local ABE construction company, Tema Projects and sold 25.1% of the company’s shares to HDIs of both companies. “Alpha’s status as a Level 3 (110% Recognition)
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company profile
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contributor is further evidence of our commitment towards BBBEE. And it’s creating a genuine win-win situation. “Our clients - public and private - can now do business with a fully BEE-compliant company providing excellent service at a competitive price and produced by a highly motivated workforce.” While the government announced last week that it is analysing South Africa’s performance in effective management of the climate change impacts, engineering and design company WSP Group Africa says a lack of skills and resources nationwide is hampering environment-friendly and sustainable methods of construction But for Alpha Civil, the challenges are more basic. “Whenever we have the opportunity, we go for the Green option. But it’s extremely difficult. Everything runs on diesel or petrol and there’s no way to excavate or grade other than by using heavy machines and equipment,” says Mr Labuschagne. Even so, Alpha continuously searches for a Green route, recycling materials from demolition, re-using waste material in situ, and employing alternatives. “Take cement as an example, a product with a huge carbon footprint. But here in the Western
Alpha Civil Cape we have the Saldanha Steel plant, and there we get clinker which we blend with cement. “This gives the same effect as pure cement but it reduces the carbon footprint by maybe 35 per cent. “We take what we have, we sell the steel, we crush the clay material and use it as fill, instead of disposing it in a landfill site - which could be a problem in a remote area – and we use all the concrete material to make roads. “It means some lateral thinking, and sometimes what begins as a nuisance is actually a blessing. And it also means we can be more competitive. “So yes there are solutions. And we are winning contracts because we have thought about this issue more fully than anyone else, where the policy is to
“And we prefer local labour. Sometimes you find gems; people you wouldn’t imagine turn out to be very good artisans or carpenters”
soil all this material and haul it away. “Now, for a cheaper price we are giving the client much more than he asked for initially.
PRIORITY FOR MOMENTUM “But as contractors we can only build with what has been given us on a plan. If for example we are told to build with concrete then we build with concrete. The government is trying to move engineers away from any solution that uses concrete and to go for a Green alternative such as natural vegetation. “But this is something that needs to gain momentum. And it needs to start with the clients and with client bodies telling their consultants that they don’t want concrete.” Meantime Green is signalling the resourceful Western Cape company into new operational possibilities including solar and wind turbine construction projects. “We have a constantly evolving strategy and we are researching these areas. “We believe wind power is where the next drive is going to be. And when it comes to wind technology, South Africa is in its infant shoes.”
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South Cape
Reinforcing Supply CC Tel: 044 697 7188 Fax: 044 697 7580 Mobile: 079 519 1946 E-Mail: linda@screinforcing.co.za info@screinforcing.co.za Voortrekker Street 8, Mossdustria Mossel Bay, 6500
Supply, Cut, Bend & Deliver Rebar and Mesh South Cape Reinforcing Supply (SCRS) (Registration number: 2010/040743/23) specializes in the supply, cut, bend and delivery of reinforcing bar (rebar) and supply / delivery of reinforcing mesh for the building and civil industry. A fixing service is also available for placement and installation prior to cementing the reinforcing in concrete. The product range is complemented with binding wire, spacers (standard and concrete) and hard drawn wire. Our business culture is one of outstanding service and provision of excellent products to exact specification at competitive pricing. Our well designed, fit for purpose yard in Mossel Bay is capable of handling any size contract.
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+44 (0) 1603 411555 info@industrysa.com East Coast Promotions Ltd, 2 Ardney Rise Norwich, Norfolk NR3 3QH
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