JUNE 2013
18
safety
Celebrating
two decades of safety
Centa Holdings, specialist in complete fire protection, celebrates 20 years of business this year.
According to Duncan, Centa has been instrumental
in motivating the specification for higher quality and
safety standards of fire protection equipment. “Our
concern for the local consumer was the investment –
often in ignorance – in inferior quality fire protection
equipment, which is not effective in an emergency,”
he says.
For many years, fire protection equipment, below
international quality and safety standards, has been
imported into South Africa in an attempt by suppliers
to keep prices down. “It is good news for this country
that the recently raised manufacturing standards of
fire extinguishers to now meet stringent international
specifications has been implemented,” he adds.
The Durban-based company soon expanded its
operations throughout South Africa and into Africa.
To develop this growth, Centa actively sought
partners with the same vision and soon appointed its
first distributors.
An important milestone was the move away from
distributors to Group member partnerships, in the form
of a franchise. To consolidate a mutual commitment to
excellence, members have also been invited to join the
Centa Group as shareholders.
The company, with five warehouses nationally, has
made a substantial investment in the latest technology
and manufacturing systems, including a state of the art
powder coating plant.
The Centa Group is made up of 62 full members and
agents, with a national staff complement of 1300
people. The company has become a major contributor
to the fire industry in South Africa, Africa and the Indian
Ocean Islands. Group members represent Centa
locally, as well as in Angola, Zimbabwe, Zambia,
Malawi, Tanzania, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana,
Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Mauritius, Madagascar, the
Seychelles and Namibia.
“Being in business for 20 years is a tribute to the people
of Centa – to their dedication, commitment, focus and
innovation. We will continue to nurture the abilities of our
people in order to grow our African footprint, increase
our market share and become the fire specialists of
choice in Africa,” concludes Duncan.
Centa Holdings
supplies everything
necessary to protect
people and property
from the devastating
effects of a fire.
S
ays Duncan Boyes, Chairman of the Centa Group,
“The company has grown from a small operation,
manufacturing two sizes of fire extinguishers,
into one of South Africa’s largest manufacturers and
suppliers of fire equipment.”
Today, Centa Holdings, which supplies everything
necessary to protect people and property from the
devastating effects of a fire, now supplies over 2700
fire protection line items. These include electronic fire
detection and sprinkler systems, as well as standard fire
equipment, encompassing fire extinguishers, hose reels
and hoses, and emergency signage. The company
also supplies cabinets, fire protection gear and a wide
range of spares, fittings and accessories.
“From the start, we were determined that Centa
products would embrace differentiation and that the
company would be driven by three pillars of distinction
– integrity, quality and service excellence. This is why
we immediately set about ensuring all our products
were SABS approved. We then pursued our SABS
ISO9001:2008 certification. Centa remains only one
of two fire equipment manufacturers on the African
continent to have been awarded this recognition.”
Quality branding gives users the assurance that all
Centa products meet stringent standards in terms of
materials, specifications and quality controls during
manufacture. The promise of reliable back-up from a
reputable supplier is also critical.
Centa Holdings,
specialist in complete
fire protection,
celebrates 20 years
of business this year.
Seen at a function held
at Sibaya to celebrate
this milestone
from
left: Jannine Boyes
,
General Manager,
Centa Group,
Duncan
Boyes
, Centa’s
Chairman, with
Grace
and
Wickus Du Plessis
.
