Construction World March 2015

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PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

LAYING the foundation for INNOVATION Van Dyck Carpets is leading the way when it comes to investing in the latest equipment, new products and sustainable manufacturing in South Africa.

Dr Mehran Zarrebini, director of PFE International is pictured in the Van Dyck Carpets factory.

Much of the company’s substan- tial achievements can be credited to the innovative approach of the forward thinking Dr Mehran Zarre-

green building certifications, says Zarrebini. Van Dyck is both ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001 accredited and, in 2013, became one of just a handful of companies with ISO 14064-1 accreditation, requiring annual reports on greenhouse emissions. Zarrebini has also set his sights set on implementing an ISO 150001 energy management system in conjunction with the United Nations with the backing of the United Nations by 2015. “We realise that there are a lot of oppor- tunities, especially in terms of reduction of costs and brand association. We see this as an opportunity rather than as a threat,” he says, adding that Van Dyck will be ahead of its competitors when a planned carbon tax is introduced in South Africa. He adds that PFE International is committed to South Africa for the long term. “We are looking to expand further by acquiring new equipment, introducing revo- lutionary new products and growing existing markets including exports.” Already, Van Dyck sells to 20 countries and intends focusing on growing markets in Africa. “Creating an environment where outside the box ideas are heard and taken seriously unlocks innovation. When minorities form a critical mass and leaders value differences, creative, innovative and value-driving insights are unleashed,” says Zarrebini. PFE International intends to go this route. The company employs more than 520 people and, with continued growth, intends to create more jobs.

in conjunction with the Industrial Develop- ment Corporation in 2001. The company was sold in 2004 when PFE International acquired Van Dyck. Dr Zarrebini says Van Dyck was a good fit. The company was struggling to contain costs as most of its raw materials were imported. They believed that, through vertical integration, they could reduce these and opened PFE Extrusion in Hammarsdale in 2008 to provide fibre and yarn for Van Dyck. PFE International has invested around R350-million in South Africa. Of this, R80-mil- lion has been directed towards Van Dyck to upgrade the old and poorly maintained equipment they acquired and meet stringent quality and environmental standards. Despite tough economic conditions and massive changes in its market, the company has grown its market share to an estimated 25 to 30 percent. The choice of floor covering is driven by fashion and he says many consumers are opting for newly introduced laminate floor and ceramic tiles. In 2004, Van Dyck’s business was split 50/50 between its residential and commercial divisions. Since then, the ratio has changed to 30/70 with sales into the commercial and hospitality sectors proving particularly resilient. Van Dyck’s strong focus on sustaina- bility and environmental efficiencies stands it in good stead as large corporates favour environmentally friendly materials to attain

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bini who has headed the company since the family owned holding company PFE Interna- tional purchased it from Belgian company Domo Carpets in 2004. Van Dyck was a perfect fit and perfectly complemented the rest of PFE Internation- al’s South African investment portfolio. It also provided an opportunity to draw on its more than 40 years of international expe- rience in the manufacturing of carpets and fibre and yarn extrusion. Van Dyck is not only South Africa’s oldest carpet manufacturer but the only one that offers a combination of tufted, needle punch and woven carpets. The company also manufactures a range of acoustic underlays made of recycled rubber crumb from used truck tyres. PFE International’s first investment was a joint venture with textile group Ninian & Lester in 1995. South African Polypropylene Yarns (SAPY) is located in a 70 000 m 2 factory in Hammarsdale and is a market leader in the production of multi-filament poly- propylene yarn for the textile, plastic and construction industries. Six years later, when the Zarrebini family decided to relocate their UK based machine extrusion and staple fibre manufacturing operation, they again turned to South Africa. They set up SAFYR in Hammarsdale

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HARARE BRANCH OPENED

Leading South African stone surface distributor, International Slab Sales, has opened a branch in Harare, Zimbabwe. Supplier of top quality granite, marble, onyx and engineered stone surfaces, International Slab Sales is the sole Southern African wholesaler of Caesarstone, Café Quartz and Rudi’s Choice surfaces. They also carry The Africa Range Namibian granite. Market-leading engineered quartz surface, Caesarstone, will be in supply, along with trending marble materials and a wide variety of granite surfaces. “International Slab Sales is bringing a wide variety of top quality prod- ucts, and excellent service in stone trading to the Zimbabwean market,” saysWhelan. “We are looking forward to bringing themost comprehensive >

selection of luxury and affordable stone surfaces to Zimbabweans for their homes, commercial premises and construction developments,” he adds. Although the branch has been open since August, the official launch only took place on 18 February.

CONSTRUCTION WORLD MARCH 2015