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BB : What types of challenges have you dealt with since taking over ? PM : There is no industry without challenges and a typical example will be the pandemic we have all been through . Who would have thought that 2020 would be gone just like that without much happening in terms of economic activity ! None of us could have predicted it , so this came with a lot of challenges in itself for most business in SA . Although the tech sector boomed over this period , we cannot produce anything online .
Running a business in a challenging time such as this was definitely not part of anyone ’ s strategic growth or planning , and there is an ongoing debate about where we are in this cycle . But one thing is for sure – the environment is extremely volatile at this point in time , but still , we remain optimistic .
The manufacturing sector is also labour-intensive and labour-reliant – while you have the machines to assist , the labour-factor comes with its own challenges where we experience industrial unrest which leads to production problems and delays . We also have the current challenge of low demand of our traditional products ( which is ducting ) because of the overall economic situation in the country .
BB : What are your forward plans for Cox Manufacturing ? PM : If I had to stick with an optimistic view in terms of the economy , the worst is behind us and we can move ahead , and , given the government stimulus packages , we can expect growth that we can take advantage of in the opportunities to come .
This might be a bit ambitious in the context of duct manufacturing , but we do not only manufacture ducting , we also manufacture silencers , weather louvres , low leakage doors , to name but a few . One day I would like to see our products tested , certified and specified by engineers . I often look at tender documents and see consulting engineers specifying certain air handling units brands , and that is what I would also like to see with our products .
Currently , it terms of the B-BBBE codes , we are a QSE and my vision for the business is to break through the R50 million annual revenue mark . I truly do believe we have the potential to reach this level as I also look at our capacity in terms of our current processing , being around 300 tons of steel a month with only one shift . Increasing our working shift to 24 hours , still 5 days a week , we could triple our output and while growing our employment by two and a half times in this time , and we have the structure now to drive us towards meeting these objectives .
What is far more important for us though is to stay relevant to our customers and continue to give them the service the company has become known for over the years . We exist to serve our clients and any internal changes or challenges should not inconvenience or alter the customer experience . The only changes clients should see are the ones that make us better .
The customer is always centre for our business and our growth , and in fact , before we take on any business growth opportunities as a company we should always ensure that we have the right price for our products , our product is of good quality , we continue to give good service to our customers , have a good relationship with our customers , and then growth will come naturally as the end result of the four focus areas in our business plan . It is my view that customers are central to our survival and ultimate growth as a business .
We have a continued commitment to our customers – which is to make sure that they keep on experiencing excellent service while also giving them a wider product range without compromising quality . If we do not live up the customer ’ s needs , we will find it very difficult to achieve any strategic goals .
BB : Why do you believe Cox Manufacturing ’ s success will continue ? PM : Firstly , we value our employees and truly appreciate their contributions that they have made to the company . We appreciate their commitment to help meet the company ’ s goals and our high customer standards . The employees are the key to our service and delivery of our product .
Secondly , we also value our suppliers as well because if they do not service us with our raw materials we cannot meet our customer ’ s needs . Equally , we value the contributions from our funders that made this acquisition a reality and continue to support our working capital requirements .
Thirdly , business owners do not exist in isolation and in reality it ’ s too easy to focus on the operational and financial aspects of a business . I believe it is as important to acknowledge the support from family in the journey . That support structure contributes emotionally and psychologically , and are as much stakeholders in the success of a business as any of the other stakeholders .
Without family support and sacrifices , my goal of being a business leader and being able to create an environment where the managers can also lead and contribute in driving the strategic goals of the company , would not be a reality . Without the right fuel , it becomes difficult to support all of the people who rely on the business owner ’ s guidance and motivation .
Essentially , every stakeholder contributes to a businesses success , and at Cox Manufacturing we truly value all of our stakeholders .
BB : Lastly , what was your first encounter with the industry like , Phila ? PM : I can tell you people tend to get very intimidated if you are dressed smartly in this field because you are sort of expected to have the ‘ site look ’, or a PPE dress code . Coming from the business consulting environment I used to rock up at meetings in my suit , but I quickly learned and changed my dress code a little to fit in . Fortunatley for me , my first job after university was with an engineering consulting company , so I would sometimes go to site and site offices with consultants to carry out internal international standard organisation ( ISO ) audits .
People in this industry tend to be hands-on , titles mean nothing . Businesses in this industry are owner-managed . To be hands on and successful , I had to quickly learn how to cost a drawing or bill of quantities ( BoQ ) for a potential job , learn the SANS ducting manufacturing and installation standards , schedule a job for production and for site installation . RACA
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I February 2021 7