Delivering membership value… and growth

LEEASA has entered a new era with a change in leadership and strategy. Lifting Africa spoke to the newly elected council about their outlook for the association going forward.

Successful organisations are innovative and agile: quick, efficient, and responsive to the changes that impact their environment. With this in mind, change is then inevitable. It was time, says newly elected chairman Ashley Davis, that LEEASA critically evaluates itself and its role in the industry. “As an association, there has been much to contend with - new technology, shifting demographics, new economic conditions and changing member expectations. Dealing with the challenges has not always been easy and it was clear that a new approach was necessary for the organisation if it was to continue delivering value to its members.”

New council elected

At the end of 2020, the association elected a new committee with Davis as chairman and Surita Marx as vice-chairman. Industry stalwart Ken Greenwood was nominated as second vice chairman with Kyle Graham, Ian Gerrard, Andries Agenbag and Francois Blignaut making up the rest of the committee. “We are not only a new council, but our collective membership is also younger than what has been the council in the past. That, in itself, brings about change and we are excited about the journey ahead,” says Davis. Having managed to squeeze in its first council meeting just before the Christmas break – at the end of arguably one of the toughest economic years ever – the new management team has committed to driving the change that LEEASA needs to re-invent itself as an association and its role in the industry. “The new LEEASA stands for all the LMI’s and LTI’s in South Africa,” says Blignaut. “We will be doing our best to help improve the lifting industry. It is not an association for an elite few, but everyone.” Value to its members is a top priority for the new council. Says Agenbag, “I believe that the 'new and younger' council will do all in their power and ability to impact the industry positively. Our goal is to serve our industry.”

New look, new value

“We are excited to offer real value to our members. From assisting with queries, greater communication, greater commitment to our members and all stakeholders that make use of lifting equipment,” explains Graham.

Part of the new approach is a new website that will host several beneficial features to members. “We are in the process of finalising the website for the launch at the end of February. The website will have additional features added during the year.” The association’s logo has also been updated, says Davis, indicating it was important to not change it just for the sake of change but to rather refresh it in line with the new approach of LEEASA. “The new logo is a spin-off of the old logo but this time with a crane hook. This is to symbolise change. Change within the association and a change in the value we can add to our members.” The crane hook symbolises bigger and better. We are aiming to emphasise change - change in mindset, change in the way we and our members do things,” says Graham. Going forward members can expect several beneficial functions from LEEASA.

Chairman: Ashley Davis ashley@leeasa.co.za Vice Chair (Treasurer) : Surita Marx surita@leeasa.co.za

Second Vice Chair: Ken Greenwood Ken@Lmi-Academy.co.za

Ordinary Members: Ian Gerrard ian@leeasa.co.za Ordinary Members: Kyle Graham kyle@leeasa.co.za Ordinary Members: Francois Blignaut francois@leeasa.co.za Ordinary Members: Andries Agenbag andries@leeasa.co.za

host of newly added value functions on the new website. Committee members have been assigned portfolios and have set goals to reach. The new approach, says the council, is functional. It makes business sense.

“LEEASA is a non-profit company and a voluntary association,” says Davis. “That makes it imperative that we are continuously ensuring we are meeting our members' needs and generating added value for their businesses.” Gerrard says this is an important goal to keep in mind. “Industry has been waiting for something like this for several years. We hope to restore faith in LEEASA by proving we are here to support industry at large.”

New approach

Going forward, says Davis, much emphasis will be placed on collaboration. “We cannot do it alone,” he says. “We are an industry collective and we are working for the better of our industry.” Collaboration with members will be an important aspect, but also the collaboration with industry stakeholders including government and other associations and organisations. “The creation of an easy and accessible platform for members and council to interact is important,” says Agenbag. “We have to create a space where our members can raise their voice, concerns and opinions. That information will be used to strategize our approach to serve our members and the industry.” LEEASA aims to identify problem areas and fight to help legalise the industry through working handin-hand with the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) and other stakeholders. The council is already in talks with DEL as well as the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). “Times and regulations are always changing and any association must be open for change and continuous learning,” says Blignaut. “We aim to be at the forefront of changed regulations and assist the industry to ensure that these regulations are understood and adhered to, to ensure that the industry becomes safer and more aware of all the changes.” According to Surita Marx, these issues will also be highlighted in Lifting Africa as the publication is set to work closely with LEEASA going forward adding strength to the industry’s voice. “It is important that the industry works together. We are very excited about the developments and believe that the new LEEASA bodes well for the lifting industry. We will be working closely with the council to ensure we are keeping members and our readers updated on new products and services in industry.” Developing strong bonds with the publication, the DEL and industry, says Greenwood, as well as between LEEASA and its members is of crucial importance. “We need to work together for the improvement of our industry.” Admittedly, the road ahead will not be quick, says Davis. “We have a massive task on our hands, but we are up for the challenge and know that we can deliver an association that is not just a better version of what it was, but one that takes the lifting industry to greater heights.”