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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
APRIL
2015
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
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“They not only resemble parts from the Original Equipment Manu-
facturer (OEM), but their performance under working conditions is
identical to that of the OEM part,” says Andrew Yorke, operations
director, Metric Automotive Engineering.
As a local distributor of IPD engine parts, Metric Automotive Engi-
neering has access to new part numbers released on a monthly basis to
cover the popular Caterpillar
®
C Series engines. IPD is an international
manufacturer of engine parts for Caterpillar
®
engines.
“We are proud to be first to market with aftermarket parts of this
quality,” York says. Metric Automotive Engineering is one of South
Africa’s most comprehensively equipped diesel engine and component
re-manufacturers.
“Since being appointed IPD’s distributor in South Africa in 2008,
we have been servicing an increasing number of customers who have
recognised and experienced the significant cost savings associated with
world-class quality replacement parts,” Yorke says.
“The focus of both Metric Automotive Engineering and IPD has been
on helping equipment owners to save money without risk to reliability.
Essentially IPD products are Caterpilla
r®
replacement parts, manufactured
in a Lloyds accredited ISO 9001:2000 quality controlled environment.”
“The major advantage for our customers is that they are able to source
engine parts from an engineering company – the very parts which we
use in the remanufacture of our own engines,” Yorke says.
“This, in turn, gives them optimum confidence about the quality and
integrity of the parts. We are not simply a parts supplier. As an engine
component remanufacturer, we have the necessary expertise and expe-
rience to be able to identify quality parts,” Yorke says.
“While most other engine rebuilders need to buy in their replacement
parts, we have the tremendous advantage of an in-house stockholding
of high quality Caterpillar
®
-equivalent parts. This effectively positions us
as a preferred supplier for heavy duty remanufactured diesel engines.
“By eliminating the middle man in parts purchasing, we are able to
pass on a substantial cost saving to our customers, at the same time
maintaining total control of quality throughout the remanufacturing
process,” Yorke concludes.
North CEO Craig Garvie notes that the company’s expertise and
experience are unparalleled.“North is becoming recognised as an
industry leader with our commitment to providing the highest
quality head-to-toe protection. Our carefully developed line of safety
equipment is manufactured in accordance with the strictest quality
standards and is tried-and-tested in numerous applications.”
According to Garvie, North prides itself on exceeding its client’s expec-
tations and constantly looks for opportunities to make improvements.
“Currently we are focused on bettering our serviceability. There are so
many players in this sector and not everyone gives customers the service
they’re entitled to.”
To accommodate all customers, North has opened a chain of retail
stores around the country. “We see a huge market for smaller buyers
looking for PPE supply for their own businesses. Our retail section is
going to be about servicing the smaller business units, who have been
neglected in the past,” says Garvie.
He observes that certain industry sectors lend themselves to retail.
“Farming, for example, does not require large amounts of personal
protective equipment. Farmers are not necessarily interested in a sales
representative coming onsite to sell a small quantity of overalls. Instead,
they find it more convenient to go into town once a week to purchase
the necessary PPE items hassle-free.”
According to Garvie, contractors will also benefit. “The North retail
store is ideal for a contractor who may have been awarded a new job
and needs to quickly collect a PPE item for the day. It is also ideal for
purchasing extra PPE, should a team have to be swiftly expanded due to
unforeseen circumstances.”
Garvie says the primary aimof the North retail stores is accessibility, by
allowing customers to walk in and walk out with the products that they
require.“We want tomake our products freely available, provide customers
with choice, while ensuring that our pricing remains competitive.”
North manufactures a significant amount of its stocked products,
DUE NORTH
North Staff at the Cape Town branch.
Craig Garvie, CEO of North safety products, with staff outside the new store.
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CHAMPIONING ENGINEERED REPLACEMENT PARTS
The Pinetown-based company is earning a
reputation as South Africa’s premier designer,
developer, manufacturer and supplier of personal
protection equipment (PPE) and related safety
products that are ideally-suited to a number of
industries and applications.
The real danger with replacement parts is that
companies produce ‘copycat’ parts by duplicating
the look of the original part. In contrast, IPD parts
are engineered replacement parts produced under
stringent quality control measures to ensure
integrity and optimum performance.
which Garvie believes gives the company a competitive advantage in
its industry. “It definitely gives us a pricing advantage on some of the
competitors that only resell products. We do, however, also stock other
quality brands to ensure that the client is provided with the best selection
at the most competitive prices.”
Consolidating on its success, a primary aim for North has been to break
into the African market.“We’re growing our business via investments into
Africa,” notes Garvie. “We already have controlling interests in companies
based in Mozambique, Zambia, the DRC and Kenya, and are supported
by stable partnerships with local associates there.”
Recognising that staff members are the company’s most valuable
resource, Garvie contends that it is vital to invest in their development.
“We equip employees with the tools for overall job satisfaction and provide
themwith opportunities to reach the next level of expertise. We also have
a number of training initiatives that continually add to the skills base of
our employees.”
Ultimately, Garvie believes there are three factors influencing North’s
success. “I believe that our national footprint, together with our invest-
ment in Africa, having dedicated staffand paying particular attention to
customer service are all standing us in good stead to remain an industry
leader,” he concludes.
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