⎪
Heating, cooling, ventilation and air conditioning
⎪
28
Mechanical Technology — May 2013
F
ounded in 1968 by Barry
Spanger, Europair has a long
history of manufacturing and
supplying essential HVAC com-
ponents for commercial and industrial
spaces across South Africa and into
Africa. Specialising in air distribution,
diffusion, handling and conditioning;
and industry leading fire protection
products, the company was one of
the earlier acquisitions of the First
Tech Group’s expansion programme.
Together with the Group’s extensive
product offering, Europair provides
the following: damping systems; inlet
and outlet air diffusers; air grills; fire
protection systems; air volume controls;
flexible ducting; insulation; and a host
of other components used by building,
electrical and HVAC contractors across
southern and South Africa.
“We fit perfectly into the First Tech
Group’s building and infrastructure
supply portfolio, supplying HVAC
contractors with
the fittings and
components they
need to install air
conditioning and ventilation systems.
We do everything except the indoor and
outdoor units and the chillers, which we
feel is the domain of the HVAC contrac-
tor,” reveals Muller.
“We have always been a local
manufacturer of these components,”
continues Drennan. Out of its 6 000 m
2
facility in Spartan, Kempton Park,
Europair manufactures and supplies
custom-made components to several
large building contractors, “usually on
contracts that involve the installation of
a building management system (BMS).”
The company also runs an air grill
manufacturing facility in Cape Town
for the Western and Eastern Cape and
Namibia. Spartan houses Europair’s
central warehouse for distribution to
branches in Cape Town, Nelspruit, Port
Europair, a member of the First Tech Group of companies,
has been a local manufacturer of air conditioning and
air ventilation components and systems in South Africa
for over 40 years.
MechTech
talks to Lee-Ann Drennan,
the company’s general manager and Michael Muller, its
regional sales manager for Gauteng, about the company’s
commitment to the ‘proudly South African’ ethos.
Lee-Ann Drennan and Michael Muller.
Out of its 6 000 m
2
facility in Spartan, Kempton Park, Europair manufactures and supplies custom-
made components for several large building contractors.
The ‘proudly South African’ HVAC
component manufacturer
Elizabeth and to two agents, one in
Namibia and one in Durban.
“Our philosophy is built on local
manufacture to avoid having to import,”
says Drennan. “Local manufacture
(85%) means sustainability, which
translates into keeping people em-
ployed. At least 50% of our labour has
been here for 20 years or more, and key
admin and senior management people
have worked here for over 30 years.
This demonstrates the value of promo-
tion from within, and through training
and development, we create sustain-
able jobs that enable us to keep our
employees, rather than making people
redundant at the first hint of economic
trouble,” she adds.
The company’s commitment to
long-term relationships is also mirrored
through its imports: “We import some
small household fans, for example, but
this is via a 40 year import relation-
ship. In today’s market, many people
are trying to compete with imported
substitutes, but we do not attempt to
source cheaper product by importing,
but rather by negotiating with local
suppliers,” Drennan assures
MechTech
.
“Since 2010, competition from im-
ports has been fierce,” she comments,
“and we have had to be very active and
aggressive to win tenders for available
work. We have put product into contrac-
tor mockup rooms, for example, so that
we can get specified at consultant level.
But most importantly, we have con-
tinued to offer excellent service and a
good basket of customised products. We
take a ‘customer is king’ approach. By
offering a basket, we offer convenience
that mass-producing importers cannot
