BUILDING MATERIALS
Success built on traditional values/
A window to the world
The Swartland story began
in 1951 with Oupa Hanekom
in the small town of
Moorreesburg, a few wheat
fields north of Cape Town.
He started supplying the local community
THINKING LONG TERM
‘Think Long Term’ guides the company in
management system dramatically
everything it does, from how it makes its
reduces emissions.
products and how the business sources
raw materials, to the value it places on
In the home
relationships. Swartland’s commitment
The products are designed to improve
to increased energy efficiency and
every home’s thermal performance,
with hardware and electrical goods, but Oupa’s
environmental sustainability is deeply
keeping it as warm or as cool as the
ambitions lay far beyond the boundaries
ingrained. Furthermore, the company
homeowner prefers. The company recently
of Moorreesburg, and it wasn’t long before
prides itself on its integrity and insist
introduced Double-Glazed windows to the
joinery became Swartland’s specialty. When
that environmental resources be utilised
market. Independent tests prove them to
Oupa’s son, Oom Jurgens, took over the
in a sustainable way.
be the most energy-efficient windows in
reins, he brought new ideas to the business,
South Africa. The inclusion of rubber seals
one of which was his personal philosophy of
In the forest
on all windows and selected doors also
continuous improvement.
It gives preference to responsible
reduces temperature loss.
Today, this desire to constantly improve is
loggers and we monitor the harvesting
Wood is an extremely efficient
an integral part of the Swartland culture. It’s
process on-site. It also believe that with
insulator and its carbon footprint is much
a place where traditional values, such as hard
responsible management, wood is a
smaller than other materials. It takes 6,34
work, and pride in our craft, live in harmony
renewable resource.
times the amount of energy to make an
with new technology and inspired ideas. The
results speak for themselves, windows and
doors crafted to perfection and manufactured
to last a lifetime. The company’s ranges offer
leading products in their class and the back-up
and support offered by the knowledgeable
national service teams is unrivalled.
58
HARDWARE AFRICA 2014
aluminium windo w, 4.41 times to make
In the factory
a steel window and 11,7 times to make
Its processes are focused on reducing
a uPVC window than it does to make
waste. The innovative recycling
the equivalent window from treated
system uses excess wood chips
wood. The business is fully committed to
to fuel the boilers that kiln-dry
preserving the environment; this process
the wood, and the hi-tech air-
is on-going and continuously improving.