B&W by TNT Multimedia Limited

B&W

feature

I n t o There are excellent opportunities in Africa for electrical and instrumentation specialist B&W. By Ian Armitage

www.southafricamag.com

B&W FOCUS mining

t’s a common theme, companies continuing their push into Africa. Why? Well, quite simply, the resources-rich continent is now growing at a rate of 5.5 percent to six percent annually, versus one percent for the rest of the world. You don’t want to be left behind. JSE Alt-X listed B&W CEO Brian Harley has recognised that and he says there are excellent opportunities in Africa for the firm, which is one of South Africa’s leading electrical and instrumentation (E&I) construction groups. “The whole world has recognised the growing potential of the African continent and South African companies are ideally placed to benefit and B&W is no exception,” says Harley. Harley’s argument is that mining houses, the core customers of B&W, are continuing their push into Africa, concentrating on the burgeoning African Mining industry. He says B&W is putting the necessary infrastructure in place to support its customers, wherever it can. That process is well underway. “We are currently doing a lot of work in Mozambique and Madagascar and we have quoted for work in Ghana, DRC, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Namibia and others. Mining in Africa is becoming a force to be reckoned with and mining infrastructure is growing in www.southafricamag.com

B&W FOCUS mining

More than just bent metal Strutfast was established in 2001 as the core of a networking organisation. Its focus is the manufacture and supply of cable management products to construction and industry throughout the African continent. Strutfast’s centralised stock is based in Gauteng, however, the company distributes throughout South Africa and Africa. Strutfast has supplied cable management systems to all the large electrical and instrumentation contractors in the mining and energy industries locally and abroad. More recently Strutfast supplied B&W with products in 304 stainless steel and hot dip galvanized for a Sappi Ngodwana Mill GoCell project.

Brian Harley B&W CEO

leaps and bounds and, as we focus exclusively on providing these expanding mines and process plants electrical transmission and distribution, we see an enormous future for our specialist offerings and look forward to this growing challenge.” B&W has vast cross-border experience – it was the first E&I contractor to enter Africa and now has 15 years experience on the continent. While Mr Harley acknowledges there are risks to doing business in Africa, if you understand how to manage them, it can be very rewarding. “It wasn’t always easy but now we understand the complex nature of cross-border logistics, which is by far the biggest challenge for working in these areas,” Harley says. 4

www.southafricamag.com

Strutfast confidently boasts the skills, products and manufacturing capability to meet the most stringent customer requirements by providing high service levels. It promises the best price, availability and manufacturing quality. The company’s competitive edge in the market is achieved by the continual addition of new manufacturing expertise and new product development in all areas. Its success has been achieved by employing people with the necessary knowledge and skills, supported by management that believes in empowering its staff, in order to give customers the best advantage. Quality is essential to Strutfast. It’s Management System for the Design, Manufacture, Stocking and Supply of Cable Management Systems is due for a re-audit early in the New Year to ISO 9001:2008. The company is in the process of extending its Management Systems Requirements to attain compliance with the ISO 14001:2004 “Environmental”, and the OHSAS 18001:2007 “Occupational Health and Safety” Standards. The company is committed to Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) and is constantly striving to grow skills development. Strutfast wishes to contribute to the business involvement, mutual learning and in-house support of previously disadvantaged black people and its in-house philosophy supports this.

MORE THAN JUST BENT METAL

JOHANNESBURG Tel: +27 11 473 1212 Email: sales@strutfast.co.za

www.strutfast.co.za

PRETORIA Tel: +27 12 804 9393 Email: ptasales@strutfast.co.za

B&W FOCUS mining

B&W Instrumentation and Electrical Limited is supplying and installing power lines for the new R3 billion Thubelisha shaft, an expansion of Twistdraai Colliery in Secunda

To this end we have instituted a comprehensive learnership program to try not only to teach people new skills, but to ensure that we train and grow the skills we have

www.southafricamag.com

Another challenge which B&W faces is the lack of appropriate skills, both locally and internationally. “Importing skills from countries like China, India, Vietnam and others is becoming increasingly common but this is definitely B&W’s last resort,” Harley adds. “We do not want to rely on importation as we believe that in the longer term it’s an unstable situation and, furthermore, we would much rather see the local communities benefiting from our work. To this end we have instituted a comprehensive learnership program to try not only to teach people new skills, but to ensure that we train and grow the skills we have. We also ensure that when we leave a job there are local men and women who have been empowered by our training.” Mr Harley has every reason for optimism. B&W has an impressive

track record and recently supplied and installed power lines for the new Thubelisha shaft, an expansion of Twistdraai Colliery in Secunda. The colliery supplies coal to export markets as well as a middlings product to Sasol Synfuels. “B&W was commissioned by RSV Enco-Goba to supply 11kV power lines that will power the Twistdraai Colliery Thubelisha shaft,” Harley says. It faced several challenges but achieved a successful outcome and was subsequently awarded a second contract to supply and install sitewide electrical infrastructure. That shouldn’t be surprising - over the past 35 years, B&W has developed into one of South Africa’s most successful E&I companies. It provides specialist services to blue-chip companies in the mining, industrial utilities, chemical, oil and gas and food and

beverage industries and was one of the sector’s first players to achieve the ISO 9001:2008 quality management standard, confirming its ability to handle demanding projects. Its earthing and lightning protection arm Pontins is currently involved on the Konkola North Copper Project, a VALE/ ARM joint venture in Zambia, and closer to home the Medupi Power Station. Projects don’t get much more demanding. “The group’s project pipeline and order book is fairly healthy given the tough economic conditions that have prevailed over the last few years,” marketing manager Dean Nevay recently told a South Africa Magazine researcher. “Several of our core markets are buoyant at the moment throughout Africa. It’s an exciting future.” END To learn more visit www.bwie.co.za. www.southafricamag.com

South Africa Magazine, Suite 9 and 10, The Royal, Bank Plain, Norwich, Norfolk, UK. NR2 4SF

42 4th Avenue Alberton North PO Box 956 Alberton 1450

TNT Multimedia Limited, Unit 209, 16 Brune Place, London E1 7NJ

Tel: +27 11 907 1663 Fax: +27 11 907 1957 Email: bwie@bwie.co.za

Enquiries Telephone: +44 (0) 1603 343367 Fax: +44 (0)1603 343502 andy.williams@tntmultimedia.com Subscriptions Call: +44 (0)1603 343502 andy.williams@tntmultimedia.com