BSSC Radiators recently became the only radiator manufacturer in South Africa to receive a local content verification certificate from the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).
As one of the major radiator suppliers to mines and transportation entities in the country, the certification validates the company’s local content status in line with the soon-to-be-promulgated procurement bill which is before Parliament. The certification shows that the company’s use of local materials and skills is in line with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s (dtic) local content objectives.
According to BSSC Radiators director, Derek Bennett, the company is wholly South African and has been actively participating in the local economy for several decades. During this time, it has grown to become a major contender with a reputation for quality workmanship and world-class manufactured goods that are designed to be tough enough for African conditions.
Preferred option
Not surprisingly, it has long-standing agreements with several mining and construction companies and has entered formal partnerships with a number of OEMs for alternative supply of cooling parts for equipment and trucks.
“In some ways, the markets’ move to quality and local content verification has come full circle for me as I was one of the key contributors to the cooling system standards that were formulated by the SABS more than 40 years ago. We are proud to have walked this long path with the standards authority and are equally proud to be taking the first steps with it in support of the important role that local manufacturing plays in developing the country’s economy,” says Bennett.
This type of collaboration is equally important now as it was then, during a time when Bennett hands over the reins of the company to his son, Dillan, himself already a veteran and expert in the design and development of radiators and cooling systems. Dillan has spent the past 13 years working shoulder-to-shoulder with his father in growing the company to its current stature.
Faster turnaround
“Local manufacture is the way to go for most equipment and transport users offering quicker turnaround times, properly specified materials for local conditions and local support of our products which is important when running round-the-clock operations like mines, rail and port infrastructure and trucks.
“The success of our business is based on quality and has set us up to compete with the best in the world. As a result, our next thrust will be into international markets and we are working closely with customers, as well as the dtic, to open channels to begin exporting our products around the world. Simultaneously, we are opening two new branches locally to shorten supply chains to our customers nearer to their operations which shows that we are growing from strength to strength,” says Dillan Bennett.
During the certificate handover ceremony, the SABS chief operations officer, Lungelo Ntobongwana, praised the dedication of the BSSC Radiators team responsible for obtaining certification. It underpins the three main pillars of the drive to achieve higher local content targets including social upliftment, broader economic expansion and business sustainability.
Building relationships
“Obtaining a local content verification Certificate is beyond a compliance issue; it is a business imperative if we are to move the country forward. The certification process aims to provide a tangible measure of a company’s local content and will assist in meeting future procurement targets, as well as directives set out by industries per charter or other requirements.
“But the benefits for customers go far beyond future legislation to more practical reasons for doing business locally. Shorter supply chains mean better lead times and availability of parts, as well as savings on associated costs. More importantly, when dealing locally customers are not just numbers but rather foster relationships for better understanding of a customer’s current and future requirements,” he says.
Dillan Bennett concludes that the company is all about giving its customers what they want and need. The addition of the local content verification certificate provides them with the ability to meet current and future statutory requirements. “This is just the beginning and our new products will continue to build and improve on the use of local expertise and materials that enable us to compete with the best in the world.”
