INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
NEWS
Rising from the ashes with determination
By John Ackermann
In October , a warehouse fire devastated AMS in Cape Town , but thanks to a great team effort , the business managed to get on its feet again and rebuild .
It was business as usual on 5 October 2016 at the AMS / Elta Group head office and national warehouse in Montague Gardens , Cape Town . Trading had ended and staff had left for the day — except for Neville Scholtz — and all was peaceful .
Then disaster struck when a fire broke out . Within minutes , the warehouse was ablaze and thick black smoke bellowed above . With the Milnerton fire station less than one kilometre away , the emergency services were on the scene within minutes . Scholtz quickly spread the news . Staff still on their way home rushed back .
With the intense heat , staff could only stand in the road and watch in horror as the firefighters battled to contain the flames . Managing director , Derick Truscott , who was returning from the UK , helplessly watched via WhatsApp on his cell phone .
All that remained the next morning was an empty shell of a warehouse , completely destroyed to the extent that the steel structure had buckled , part of the walls had collapsed , and part of the roof of the neighbouring building behind had been destroyed . A heavy smell of smoke hung over the site . Fortunately , the office block and adjacent AMS factory had not been damaged and no lives were lost .
In greeting the staff , Truscott was quick to show solidarity with their ordeal . “ We are thankful that no one was injured and no lives were lost . With nothing to sell , we all still have jobs and lots to do . Now is the time to see who has character . We have already arranged with S & P and overseas suppliers to fly in containers and the factories will go on a double shift to replenish what was lost . We realise that business must carry on and our customers will seek products elsewhere . That is life and we cannot expect others to suffer due to our misfortune . We need to remain positive , as the next few months will be a challenge in many spheres . Calmness
The sales team in a temporary warehouse next door .
needs to prevail as patience will be tested .”
After making quick contingency plans , Truscott did not hesitate to give praise and thanks , “ We thank the Fire Department for their response and containing the fire to one building . The importance of this containment cannot be over-emphasised . The professionalism and well-directed firefight was an exhibition of good training and conditioning . The Springboks can certainly learn from this .
“ Real thanks must go to some of our opposition that provided nourishment and support to our staff . Thank you for giving us space to store some of our goods . Really a testament to all in a time of crisis .
“ The response of our suppliers , especially S & P , was at another level . Within two days emergency stock was sent . An incredible effort from them in the endeavor of replenishing our loss .”
Each day afterwards was filled with dealing with customers with hardly any products available , manufacturing new stock above the existing orders , ordering new merchandise , handling the investigations , and finding new premises for the sales department . Barely a month later , and the warehouse and the one-stop-sales shop were nearly fully operational in a hurriedly rented vacant building adjoining AMS .
“ Elta Fans locally has worked two shifts and my sincere thanks go to those that have spent so much time away from their loved ones in realisation of the effort of recovery ,” said Truscott .
“ The staff of the Elta Group and branches have demonstrated a true test of character . Our thanks to the branches in Johannesburg , Port Elizabeth and Durban that unselfishly gave some of their stock to Cape Town to help with critical product demands . The Cape Town team has shown who is who , and characters and emotions have realised as to who can be counted . The journey to recovery is in continuation and I thank the teams for their unrelenting efforts thus far . Thank you to all our colleagues and our chairperson for the messages of encouragement from afar .
“ Our customers have been very understanding and our sincere thanks for not letting their frustrations be vented on the sales teams . We are only too aware that our success is purely dependent on meeting the requirements of our customers . For a period we were not able to meet their immediate needs and our thanks for their understanding of our loss .
“ The fire was unfortunate and we appeal to all our customers to afford us an opportunity to once again provide them with a service that will restore us as their reliable supplier .
“ If power corrupts absolutely , does powerlessness make you pure ?” said Truscott . CLA
Fire services battle in thick black smoke . The ruins left behind .
COLD LINK AFRICA • January | February 2017 www . coldlinkafrica . co . za 7