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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
OCTOBER
2014
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
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Due to a high demand for Sika products from the areas
serviced by Sika’s Bloemfontein branch – Free State,
Northern Cape, Lesotho, and some parts of Eastern Cape
and North West – the existing premises were unable to hold the
stock levels necessary to service their clients.
Since Sika SA re-opened its Bloemfontein branch three years
ago, sales have increased significantly. Offering good visibility from
the road, the new premises are modern and more than double the
size of the old ones, with the potential for expansion.
The branch can now hold the stock levels needed to ensure
faster stock distribution to customers. Facilities include a training
room, enabling in-house and customer training to be held all under
one roof, a large function room, and a boardroom in which to hold
internal conferences and offer customer presentations.
The official opening of Sika’s newBloemfontein premises took place in July
2014. More than 140 guests were welcomed by Sika staff, including branch
manager Herman van Rensburg, sales representative TM Distribution &
TM Industry Rousseau Swart, branch administrators Christo Jerling and
Christa Griesel, and warehouse operator David Liee.
Herman van Rensburg formally welcomed all guests followed by Paul
Adams, MD Sika SA, who presented a brief overview of Sika SA.
Ferreira says the major need for
infrastructure in Africa has created
vast potential business for the Group,
which includes a.b.e. Construction Chemi-
cals. The Chryso Southern Africa Group is
one of 14 Chryso subsidiaries worldwide:
Chryso Algeria is the newest.
Chryso Southern Africa products are
currently being used on several major
African infrastructural development projects,
with the Zambian market being particularly
active. Here mining, commercial, industrial
and fuel industry projects being handled by
companies such as First Quantum Minerals,
Stocks Piling, Thor Developments, WBHO,
Inyatsi Construction, and Belgravia, are all
using Chryso/a.b.e.products.
In Mocambique, the Nacala Rail Corridor
project has led to major orders from the
likes of Aveng Grinaker-LTA and Infraset,
while the East Coast Procurement division
of Stefanutti Stocks is using both Chryso
and a.b.e. products for the building of a new
Standard Bank building in Maputo. a.b.e.
products were selected for the construction
of the new Chamankulo water reservoirs
also at Maputo.
“Chryso SA has for many years been a
market leader in Southern Africa for concrete
and cement admixtures and ancillary prod-
ucts, while a.b.e. has since as far back as
the 1930s been a major supplier of high
performance products to the building, civil
engineering, maintenance, and manufac-
turing sectors as well as builders’ merchants
and hardware stores. As a combined force,
the two companies have an enormous advan-
tage when entering the African market as
we are virtually a one-stop shop for an unri-
valled range of complementary products and
systems,” he stated.
Ferreira has established an expanded distrib-
utor network across the African continent and
Indian Ocean islands and launched a major
awareness campaign aimed at professionals in
the construction and building sectors, as well as
at the retail level. The new distributor network
promotes sales in all categories, seeking new
markets for the Chryso Group’s products. There
are now distributors for Chryso/a.b.e. operating
in several African countries including Mozam-
bique, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Angola,
and Ghana.
“We are also planning to establish distri-
bution outlets in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda
and the southern part of the DRC in future,”
Ferreira said.
Chryso France has a manufacturing facility
in Reunion and a distributor in Mauritius. Last
year, a significant upgrade was completed at
the Mauritius manufacturing facilities of a.b.e.
Construction Chemicals, and Chryso Group
sales and distribution are being supported by
the stronger a.b.e. operations on the island.
The Chryso Group’s Indian Ocean island pres-
ence is being used as a springboard for the
distribution of both Chryso and a.b.e. products
from South Africa to neighbouring islands
BIGGER BLOEMFONTEIN PREMISES
Over the past year and a half, Sika SA has executed
a steady rollout of moving or expanding its
provincial branches (namely Gauteng, Cape Town,
and Port Elizabeth) to larger premises; increasing
Sika’s footprint in the South African market.
NOW WITH MAJOR PRESENCE IN AFRICA
The African continent has become a key area of growth for
the Chryso Southern Africa Group, says Luis Ferreira, business
development manager of Chryso Southern Africa.
Luis Ferreira, business development manag-
er of Chryso Southern Africa, says the need
for infrastructure in Africa has created enor-
mous business opportunities for both Chryso
and a.b.e. Construction Chemicals.
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such as Madagascar and the Comores.
In addition, Ferreira is ensuring that the
Chryso Group’s products are prominently
featured at all relevant trade shows and
exhibitions in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Chryso Southern Africa Group has
also appointed an exports manager for the
Group to augment Ferreira’s operations
on behalf of both Chryso SA and a.b.e.
Construction Chemicals. Trevor Enerson
fills this post.
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