Page 9 - Energize May 2021
P. 9

NEWS


        Tank Industries celebrates its appointment as sole distributor for


        TE Connectivity’s Raychem cable accessories in Southern Africa




            ank Industries’s general manager, Clive   environmental and quality) standards in place,
            Maasch, spoke to Roger Lilley, the   with full compliance and consultants to guide
        Teditor of Energize, recently about the   us. We also have an accredited EWSETA training
        significance of Tank Industries being appointed   facility in Cape Town for cable accessories. So,
        the sole distributor of TE Connectivity’s   we meet all the necessary requirements and
        Raychem products in Southern Africa.  capitalise on them.

        RL: Tell us something about Tank Industries and   RL: What makes Tank unique in the sub-Saharan
        your position in the company.        market?
        CM: Founded in 1986, Tank Industries has   CM: We have an amazing team at Tank. Headed
        traded in the energy and telecommunications   up by Rob Riley, our comprehensive sales team
        markets in the region for over 30 years. I’ve   are based in all the major centres across South
        served as General Manager at Tank Industries   Africa and the continent. Our technical managers
        for over ten years and have had the privilege   Tommie Norjie and Adriaan Theron were both
        of participating with our Power Division team   trained in Germany by TE Connectivity and
        in growing our energy business over this   have an in-depth knowledge of the market
        period. We are proud to have the privilege of   and the products we offer. They have also long
        sole distribution of TE Connectivity’s Raychem   histories of the cable accessories business and
        products Southern Africa. Tank is a member of   are well-known and trusted in the local market.
        the South African listed Reunert group.  This proves extremely useful when advising
                                             customers or compiling quotations.
        RL: That’s quite an achievement. How did that
        come about?                          RL: How important is Minister Mantashe’s
        CM: Tank has been involved in the cable   determination to Tank’s business?
        industry since 2000. During that time, we had   CM: Recently, the minister of mineral resources
        a fragmented range of products to offer the   and energy determined that another 11 000
        market. That is to say, we did not have access   MW of electricity generation should be built by
        to the full range because we were not a full   independent power producers. This is music to
        distributor for TE Connectivity at that point.   our ears because he’s opening up the utilities,
        However, I made a commitment to TE at the   the municipalities and giving them authority
        time that we would migrate all our other   to procure alternative energy solutions outside
        products to TE Connectivity’s products. Over   of the Eskom grid. Bid Window Round five of
        three or four years, we demonstrated that we   the Renewable Energy Independent Power
        could do this which really strengthened the   Producers Procurement Programme will give us
        relationship. So, when TE decided to move   another opportunity to grow market share. The
        the agency, they moved it to Tank. I think the   previous rounds had significant impact on our
        fact that we are part of a listed entity and   revenue. Now with this new opportunity, we will
        have the financial muscle of a big group, gave   aggressively promote the TE/Raychem product
        us an advantage. Tank Industries has a good   offering to IPPs.
        reputation in the market and TE Connectivity’s   Because we are the sole distributor for
        Raychem brands are trusted in this region.  the region, TE/Raychem will advise us which
                                             companies already specify their products in their
        RL: How has Tank capitalised on this good   wind turbines. That will make it easier for us to
        reputation?                          offer the right part, locally.
        CM: Our business has sustained during the   This sole distributorship enables Tank
        recent lockdown because of the service that   Industries to offer IPPs in the South African
        we’ve been able to offer all the utilities.   and SADEC markets a range of premium quality
        In terms of maintenance, we managed to   products from TE Connectivity’s Raychem
        retain our staff. That is, we managed to keep   product range with all the necessary expertise
        everybody in a job by rotating the staff. And   and backing needed.
        we’ve been very fortunate, they have all done a
        fantastic job during the year, which has been a   Contact Clive Maasch, Tank Industries (a
        very tough period. We have a B-BBEE level one   division of ATC (Pty) Ltd), Tel 021 700-4380,
        status. We have all the SHEQ (safety, health,   clive.maasch@tank.co.za



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