When electrician Asogan Moodley took over the reins as managing director at Johannesburg manufacturer Busbar Installations in mid-2019, he rebranded and merged the different divisions, and now the company trades under the Busbar Installations & Manufacturers (BIM) brand. He says that he did not expect to be entering into agreements with international clients a few years later. “We are currently involved with an exciting build that is going to make headlines in 2024.”
While BIM’s business can be simplified to the term ‘specialised power distribution systems’, there is nothing simple about the work itself. “We are fully in-house with what we do. We very rarely subcontract as that could lead to a drop in standards,” explains the managing director. “Our busbar business is very, very niche. In terms of competition, some other guys have dabbled and imported equipment, but they do not measure up to our levels of service. We are pretty much the largest busbar manufacturer in the country and even in Africa, there is no other manufacturer who does what we do.”
BIM manufactures, supplies and installs a range of products, from LV & MV busbar ducting systems and resin encapsulated busbars, to sandwich-type systems, water-cooled cables and more. “Our busbar power distribution products provide a great alternative to traditional cable distribution systems,” says Moodley. One of the company’s stand-out solutions is its resin encapsulated busbar system, which is a 1 000 Volt-rated maintenance-free system where the conductor is encapsulated in a fire-retardant, self-extinguishing, homogenous polymer concrete. “This particular system guarantees our clients’ peace of mind as it has a high resistance to fire, water, moisture, mechanical loads, chemicals and extreme temperatures.”
The Research & Development team at BIM go all out when it comes to testing their products, with the managing director explaining, “We regularly test our products at the SABS to ensure compliance to the latest SANS/IEC guidelines. We are confident that we hold the most certification and have the widest range of busbar products when compared to any other local company both in SA and Africa. We do more than just type- test our busbar systems. We have tested our resin products against 33 industry related chemicals so that we know with confidence that our product is suited to almost all environments.”
On the way to the top
BIM’s managing director has a long history in the electrical business. “I am an electrician by trade. I do not have a complex background, but it is quite lengthy. I worked as a contractor for electrical manufacturer ABB for many years, from 2000 to about 2009. While I was there, a close friend pushed me into opening my own contracting business, so I did just that. We specialised in the assembly and wiring of motor control centres. There was change in policy where ABB decided to reduce the local manufacturing of low- voltage switchgear, so we went from having about 20 or 30 guys on the floor to having five. That was when I realised that the business was no longer viable, so we needed to diversify.”
Moodley moved to Durban and changed his company name for somewhat of a fresh start. “My business was originally called Ask Switchgear, but not many people understand what switchgear is and how it is linked to everyday business and life. So I changed the name to Global Electrical Solutions in 2013 and business picked up almost overnight because people were now able to link our brand to electrical work.”
The real change was around the corner, says the businessman. “In about 2011, I met Bob Boyd from Busbar Installations. I used to contract for them and do a lot of projects with them. Then at the start of 2018, I found out that Bob, who is an industry icon and my mentor, was looking for a key investor. He had people in mind, but it just was not working out for him at the time. I asked Bob for the opportunity to buy his business and he happily agreed, which has worked out well for me,” explains Moodley, who adds that the daily challenge of running a business only makes him and his team more determined. “We set the standards, and we push ourselves to be the best at what we do. We are specialising in managing low- and high-power distribution applications. We have done many commercial and residential projects throughout the country such the Discovery Building, Ernest & Young and Time Square in Johannesburg, The Rockefeller, 16 on Bree and Harbour Arch in Cape Town and The Oceans, The Pearls of Umhlanga and Gateway Shopping Mall in Durban to name a few. In the industrial sector we service the petrochemical, mining, paper and pulping industries. We are currently leading the data centre space in South Africa and are fortunate to have many well-established clients. Our company has done work in over 16 African countries, as well completed high-rise projects in Dubai. This is our field of expertise.”
Being hands on
Moodley is not a leader who sits back and watches his followers get on with their work – he is a hands-on kind of managing director. “I love my work. I am an electrician, and we work with our hands. I have an excellent team and together we ensure that every product is manufactured to the highest standards. Every component that goes into our product is responsibly sourced, and we never compromise on compliance or quality on our projects. All our materials are sourced directly from original equipment manufacturer (OEMs). We don’t use middlemen. Our aluminium and copper is supplied directly from the mills.”
There are one or two minor elements of the business that BIM does outsource, but that will not be for too long. “We are expanding. BIM is a somewhat small business in terms of our factories. Our 4 000m² Johannesburg manufacturing facility is limited in terms of space, so we outsource specialised steelwork and powdercoating. We are in the process of expanding, which includes our Cape Town and Durban branches, so we will be adding some new services soon.”
Moodley says that unlike many other contractors and installers, he does not believe in bringing outside people in unless it is critical. “We provide complete turnkey solutions for projects, and our in-house engineers and licensed electricians can assist clients with any
situation, from project design, to installation and after- sales service. We have many products and specifications available. For example, replacing cables can start from 400 amps up to 10 000 amps. You tell us what you want, where you want it and when – and we make sure that you get the best service.”
Seal of approval
“Originally, the company’s founder (Bob Boyd) did not have the opportunities to expand the business to where it is now. Even in terms of our certifications, since taking over I have pushed our teams and products. We have completed our full ISO certification with the complete ISO management system in place. We are also in the process of attaining our SABS certification,” says Moodley, adding that all of BIM’s products are fully type-tested to the 61439.6 standard.
The managing director says that he is incredibly proud of his team and the work his company does, more so because “one of the biggest challenges in the industry is cost versus compliance. Some of the consultants and the senior people don’t really look deep into the compliance aspect, but more into the cost aspects. Some companies are sitting with type-testing certification that was done in the 1980s, which may now have been superseded. Just because a company is well established does not mean that they are always compliant.”
“I am currently talking to the Electrical Contractors Association of South Africa (regarding compliance and certifications). I have the South African Bureau of Standards coming to our premises soon, we have started the permit application, and lab testing will follow that. We are looking ahead to an incredible 2024 after what has been an amazing year already,” he concludes.
Enquiries: www.sabusbar.com
