FEATURE 23
304 stainless steel with a wall thickness of 1.5 inside diameter to avoid deterioration or rusting of the grabrail .
Our products offer a lifetime guarantee as the individual on a daily basis constantly uses them i . e ., corners cannot be cut !
Has the lack of materials ( pandemic , the war , and shortages ) benefitted local manufacture ? During the pandemic , the price of stainless steel increased drastically . We feel this is due to the Rand value decrease as well as the decline of local manufacturing . Currently the price of stainless steel is extremely high which can cause buyers to source cheaper imported products . Yes , we are affected but still maintain our high standard .
What fundamentally is the advantage of local manufacture to the company , the country , and the economy ? We can keep consistent stock level of all items without having to worry about import stock planning and the delays in import deliveries . This helps improve lead time of all product deliveries to the buyer . Railman grabrails are hand bent , hand polished and hand packaged , with limited use of machines and no use of automation which in turn improves job creation .
The Specialist team back L toR : Flatks , Jack , Lonwabo . Front : Thulani , Joseph .
Total staff complement is 31 .
If there are speciality skills required , does the company encourage upskilling / training ? We are currently in the process of sending staff members for skills and development training to improve their performance in the workplace and for their own future knowledge . Currently , we encourage staff members to learn other inhouse tasks to improve their knowledge in the workplace . PA
Welding of flange onto tube .
Does the Government provide support to local manufacturers in the way of incentives and if so , what form ? We have not received any government support for Railman Grabrails .
If not , what should they be doing to encourage local manufacture ? As a company that only employs South African nationals and only purchases from South African suppliers , I feel there should be an incentive for adding to the growth of the country .
Are your staff in the factory trained in specific tasks or can they multi-task ? Most staff members are highly trained in a specific task . However , as we have two sister companies , majority of our staff receive cross training in performing tasks unrelated to Grabrails such as the manufacturing of wheelchairs .
Certain tasks such as the cutting and bending of stainless-steel tubing requires specialised training to achieve the correct angle of the bend without causing wrinkling . Only a limited number of staff members may perform these duties .
October 2022 Volume 28 I Number 8 www . plumbingafrica . co . za