According to Gary Colegate, chief operating officer at Efficient Engineering, the company has seen exciting growth in orders from OEM customers in the mining sector who recognise its world class design and fabrication capability. Ongoing upskilling efforts have been matched by the latest technology, including a recent R55 million investment in CNC floor and table type machining centres, probably the largest in the country.
Buoyant commodity prices have been driving both new projects and expansions across the mining sector. Much of the company’s new business is also from significant aftermarket demand, such as buckets or bowls on rigid earthmoving trucks. Gary notes that many global OEMs active in South Africa are looking to maximise their local content, due to considerations of cost effectiveness and disruptions in global logistics.
The world’s best
As a result, Efficient Engineering has had considerable success in capturing business from its overseas competitors. The company’s agility and ability to fulfil orders rapidly has given it an advantage in an environment where issues in global supply chains have led to longer lead times.
“With our engineering legacy dating back over half a century, we employ some of the most experienced artisans and boilermakers in South Africa,” says Gary. “Our quality systems and in-house design and production capacity ensure that we compete toe-to-toe with the world’s best; matching them in terms of our cost-competitiveness and quality.”
Outliving the competition
He emphasises that the company’s decades of deft management and entrepreneurial skill have allowed it to outlive some much larger players in this segment. Its established reputation has ensured a loyal customer base that implicitly trust its brand and reliability, he explains.
“On the strength of the growing interest from global customers in our offerings, we believe the future looks bright. Based on our record performance over the last year, we continue to invest in technical capacity so we can constantly improve our output capacity and turnaround times.
Local production
“As a leading player in the engineering sector, we have always worked hard to support South Africa’s industrial platform as a basis for economic success,” Gary concludes. “In fact, there is widespread commitment in the private sector to developing the local economy and creating employment opportunities. We need a combined effort from all stakeholders including state-owned enterprises to support local production.”
info@efficient.co.za
