Page 9 - Energize May 2021

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

energize | May 2021 | 7