SAISC INDUSTRY NEWS
The company then saw that, for customers to get the best out of their blades, they also required top-quality cutting machines. This was one of the factors that saw First Cut diversifying into capital equipment in 2002, with the milestone acquisition of Bandsawing Services. This facilitated First Cut’ s entry into the capital equipment market. The subsequent conclusion of a deal with the Everising Machine Company provided a sound base from which to begin selling capital equipment to the structural steel, sheet metal, tube and pipe industries.
Poole explains that the capital equipment division, although at just 14 years old the‘ youngest’ segment of the business, has grown, and continues to grow, vigorously.
He adds:“ Our company has a‘ triangular’ business model, the points of the triangle being made up of consumable sales, capital equipment sales, and, very importantly, the provision of service and spares,” says Poole.
Emphasising the equal importance of the three sides of the triangle, Poole asserts:“ We will not sell a machine unless we have the factory-trained technicians to support the customer after the sale.” Through its technicians and sales people, First Cut
strives to get closer to the customer in order to assist in growing their businesses through the appropriate provision of cutting consumables and capital equipment accordingly.
A further contributing factor to the company’ s consistent performance is its dedication to quality, testimony to this being their stringent adherence to high standards and ISO 9001( 2008) certification. In addition, First Cut has gone out of its way to foster excellent long-term relationships with its overseas principals and customers.“ Again, the strength of these relationships lies in honesty, integrity and openness, qualities we work on developing every day,” continues McCrystal.
The strength of the relationships that First Cut has with its many consumables and capital equipment suppliers allows the company to offer South African industry the most advanced technology the world has to offer. An example of this is tube and fibre laser cutting, a technology that is up to twice as fast – and are far more energyefficient – than conventional cutting.
“ For example, apart from speed and efficiency, fibre laser offers the customer
ABOVE LEFT: First Cut’ s MD Andrew Poole at the recent 60th anniversary event in Johannesburg, showing members of the media First Cut’ s bandsaw blades welded and ready for packing.
ABOVE CENTRE: Eclipse mechanics vice and hacksaw frame with blade cutting rebar.
ABOVE RIGHT: Bystronic’ s new 10KW ByStar Fibre Laser Machine.
BELOW LEFT: First Cut Johannesburg staff.
greatly increased versatility and all these features ensure excellent return-oninvestment,” asserts Poole.
These advanced cutting technologies are ably supported by the company’ s expert team – people who have also provided the experience and knowledge to enable continued growth. The majority of First Cut’ s employees have many years and – in certain cases – decades of service with the company. To ensure that staff members remain at the cutting edge of expertise, First Cut invests substantially in training and currently has six apprentices in its employment.
“ We are working towards our next milestone in 40 years’ time,” explains Poole.“ As articulated by our internal tagline and campaign to be‘ one step better’, we have sound plans for further innovation and diversification. These plans include expanding our engineering offering into the fields of welding and grinding. Our vast industry experience, superb supplier and customer relationships and ethical approach to doing business, we are very confident that we will see our successors toasting First Cut’ s centenary and looking to the future beyond,” he concludes.
Steel Construction Vol. 40 No. 6 2016 21