Personality Profile
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DAVID LA GRANGE
– DRIVEN TO FIND SOLUTIONS
By Ntsako Khosa
“My favourite part of my job is being able
to fix anything. I get to do different trades
in my one field daily.”
D
avid James la Grange is an aircon service and repair
technician at Airvent Airconditioning and Ventilation in Cape
Town and is responsible for maintenance, servicing and repairing
air conditioners and wine cellar units.
GETTING STARTED
FOR THE LOVE OF THE JOB
“I love my job more than I enjoy what I do. My favourite part
about my job is the ability to fix just about anything and take
something that doesn’t work apart and fix it,” he says.
www.hvacronline.co.za
David la Grange
from Airvent Air
Conditioning and
Ventilation.
As a second-generation technician, he explains that he started
at the tender age of eight with his father, always tagging along
to site. “I ended up where I am today thanks to my father
exposing me to and teaching me the trade,” he says. His father
runs Spot On refrigeration and air conditioning. He attributes
the attraction to the industry to his father and the business.
“I worked for a short period at Air-Elec Airconditioning
in Durban and Flowtite in Cape Town on weekends, but I’ve
mostly worked for my father helping to create a foundation for
the company. From there I decided to go work for Airvent after
completing my refrigeration course to see what it’s like to work
in the industry and gain more experience,” he says.
La Grange qualified as an authorised gas practitioner from
Ifihlile Training Academy and obtained M5 certification from
the Electrical Contractor's Association SA (ECASA), and level
one refrigeration, refrigeration N2 trade test theory and N2
electrical trade test theory from the College of Cape Town.
PROJECTS
He has worked on multiple big projects for different companies on
various sites around the country. “I was mostly on the repair side
looking at on-site issues. I also worked on Ilanga Mall in Nelspruit
where we did snagging and repairs on installation.”
FUTURE PLANS
He hopes to complete his refrigeration studies by doing the
trade test this year and further gain an electrical wireman’s
license, “So I can have two trades under my name,” he shares.
“I also see myself taking over Spot On from my father and
keep the family business going.” He’s self-motivated feels
that anything can be fixed. “I am driven to find solutions to
problems and repair things.” RACA
RACA Journal I February 2020
35