general DIY
The brainchild of James van Reenen,
Qualitools was established in 1995,
with the delivery of the first shipment
of products to the South African DIY
and hardware industry. Originally
located in Krugersdorp on the West
Rand, the company moved to the
northern Randburg area in 1999.
A focus
on growth
From humble beginnings, the company now offers the market over
1 000 different line items. “We are at the forefront of the industry,
delivering superior products to our customers,” says van Reenen.
Van Reenen comes from Wellington in the Western Cape. He
spent some time in Bloemfontein, where he studied before moving
to Gauteng in 1992 – he now resides in Pretoria with his wife Sanet
and children. In 1985 he joined the South African Air Force where he
became a flight engineer. Upon completion of his service he went
to the United States in 1988 scouting for an aircraft, which he could
import to South Africa.
However, he stumbled upon a unique pothole repair product. Van
Reenen invested a considerable amount before the CSIR joined him
in his efforts to develop and deliver this product to the South African
industry. This innovative product was linked to the crushing industry
and thus he set out to find suitable companies in the Far East who
would be able to assist in the production of the pothole road repair
product. It was during his time in China in 1993 that he formed a
relationship with Shanghai Machinery.
Today, both Shanghai Machinery and Qualitools are owned by van
Reenen. With Shanghai Machinery by his side he established Qualitools
and started importing a range of Circlip Pliers into South Africa. Over
the years the range has grown and today Qualitools boasts a mammoth
number of products under its brand.
He identified that the importers are normally stuck with certain
brands, thus he opened himself to any available brand in the market.
This, coupled with his packaging and branding facilities, has allowed
the company to firmly establish itself in the South African and African
hardware and hand tools market.
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HARDWARE AFRICA 2013