Plant Equipment and Hire March 2020 | Page 30

HIRE WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, JOIN AN ASSOCIATION Membership to a professional association like the CPHA shouldn’t be seen as a grudge or impediment, writes Leon Louw. B eing a member of a professional association should be regarded as a benefit rather than a hindrance to business ventures when times are tough. When economies limp and companies start looking at their balance sheets, membership to associations are usually one of the first costs in the firing line. “This shouldn’t be the case,” says Clive Wicks, CEO of the Contractors Plant Hire Association (CPHA). “It is precisely during these challenging times that associations like the CPHA have the biggest impact and can assist entrepreneurs new to the business of plant hire, in negotiating the turbulent waters,” says Wicks. Guidance and membership With the entire South African economy in a transformation and rebuilding phase, new and inexperienced contractors and rental companies are entering the fray, which is great for the future of the sector, but could also result in disarray and dysfunction. Therefore, the importance of belonging to some sort of association or professional body to give the necessary guidance and assistance, cannot be overemphasised. Besides becoming part of a large network of already established companies and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), there are many functions that an association performs for entrepreneurs, that are also typically considered time consuming for individual businesses to tackle by themselves. Moreover, the association assists not only new entrants, but also older, established companies in becoming sustainable operations in the long-term despite negative perceptions about the economy. Customers using members of an association should take comfort in the fact that members have signed both a Code of Conduct as well as a Code of Ethics which gives them the right to engage with the association if it is proved that these pledges have not been upheld. The CPHA represents a number of interests, ranging from insurance companies, financiers, to training providers and different sectors of the plant and Being a member of the CPHA holds many benefits for new entrants into the rental market. 28 MARCH 2020 The CPHA represents a number of interests, ranging from insurance companies, financiers, to training providers and different sectors of the plant and equipment hire community. ” equipment hire community. Throughout the many years of representing different entities, it has built up a substantial list of contacts in both the private sector and government departments. Being a member of an association means that the combined voice of individual companies has a much stronger resonance when lobbying government or disagreeing with certain policies they feel will be to the detriment of their establishment or the sector in general. Training top of mind Nonetheless, the issue that lies closest to Wicks’ heart is that of training operators, and he has been a proponent of good quality certified training and a standard qualifications system for operators for many years. “When entrepreneurs start a company, he or she identifies a certain sector in which they would like to operate. They acquire machinery and then contract operators. The biggest risks to that company at these early stages is that their operators are not properly trained or possibly attained their qualifications at dubious institutions that are not accredited by the authorities. Unfortunately, this happens in other industries as well, and it is something we should really work on to find a solution for. www.equipmentandhire.co.za