LOCAL MANUFACTURING
business in South Africa. We have a daily procession of
unemployed people asking for jobs. We need the work in
this country to give our economy a chance.” of the year. This year, we came back with very few back
orders. We were about 20% down compared to 2016,
but the second half of the year promises well for 2018.”
When Berti was asked about the meaning of ‘If it doesn’t
say Herbish, it isn’t Herbish’, he replied that some of the
local competition had started passing off their products
as Herbish to get the sale. “They undercut us on pricing
as that is the only way they can realistically compete,”
he says. But, since then, things have picked up, and the back-
order book has doubled. “Now we are pumping. We
are busy with a big, challenging job for the Palazzo in
Montecasino. We took over a contract from a company
that was importing steel channels.”
REGIONAL
The company exports its products into several southern
African states and even as far afield as Cameroon,
Nigeria, Congo, Kenya, and Tanzania. “We have had some
enquiries from Malawi and we also supply Zimbabwe and
Namibia. Mozambique has improved considerably, and
Zimbabwe has a lot of potential,” Berti states.
Difficulties the company faces primarily relate to the
available labour force and a chronic lack of skills,
particularly when it comes to welding. “Even our better-
skilled staff require ong oing training. They are loyal to the
job, if not to the company,” he jokes. Business was tough
last year. “Last year, we coasted right through to the end
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
61
This all bodes well for next year, when Herbish aims to
compete fiercely with the large European product importers.
“I’ve got big plans for 2018. We want to be more
aggressive in terms of our marketing. We have been
focused on the industrial side of the industry, which has
been lucrative, and our current range can handle and
support that market.
“Now we want to target the mass-housing market.
We have already cracked that nut as we have been
specified by a large property group. That is a big market
and we have made inroads. There are also several large
housing estates in southern Africa that we have quoted
on. We are talking in excess of 3 000 floor drains.”
Roberto Berti has big plans
for the company in 2018.
Continued on page 63 >>
May 2018 Volume 24 I Number 3