REGULARS- PERSONALITY PROFILE
Passionate about quality woodworking machines
Donald Fuchs, the director of Donald Fuchs Machinery( DFM), lives by his philosophy of always being honest.
By Dineo Phoshoko
WHAT ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A DIRECTOR AT DFM? To oversee good service to the South African economy and the people within the wood working industry.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE IN YOUR TENURE AS DIRECTOR? WHAT HAVE YOU ACHIEVED SO FAR? To continue to supply the industry with top quality woodworking machines and provide a reliable service.
Building the company up with no outside financial support, the company was built on honesty and trust.
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHALLENGES, IN YOUR OPINION, THAT THE TIMBER INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA NEEDS TO OVERCOME? The training of artisans. We are definitely short of high quality skilled people.
I would recommend that we select immigrants with first class wood working skills, allowing them into the country to train people.
EXPLAIN HOW YOU GOT STARTED IN YOUR CAREER AND HOW YOU ENDED UP WHERE YOU ARE TODAY.
I started the company with the knowledge of what goes on in the woodworking industry. I managed to get 28 secondhand machines on consignment from customers, I then patented and restored them and sold 26 of them. From that day on I never looked back.
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS( AND FROM WHERE) DO YOU HAVE?
Christian Brothers College in Bloemfontein, qualifications: qualified by experience( QBE).
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS INDUSTRY? My step brother, Wilfred Fuchs, was one of the first people to start manufacturing Tungsten saws in South Africa. He asked me to come and work for him and that is where my journey in the woodworking industry began.
DO YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU DO AND WHY? WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF YOUR JOB?
I’ ve enjoyed what I’ ve been doing since 1968, and the opportunities as well as the places in the world this industry has taken me.
Donald Fuchs is passionate about supplying quality woodworking machinery to the industry.
" I believe South Africa is on the brink of a major development and we have taken steps to meet these requirements."
Working with all the people I’ ve meet over the years is my favourite part of the job.
WHAT IS YOUR MISSION STATEMENT? To continue to supply quality woodworking machinery and build long lasting relationships with our customers.
HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF DFM GOING? WHAT DO YOU STILL WANT TO ACHIEVE, AS DIRECTOR AT THE COMPANY AND AS AN INDIVIDUAL? I see a bright future for DFM with the people working at the company. I believe South Africa is on the brink of a major development and we have taken steps to meet these requirements.
WHAT BIG PROJECTS HAVE YOU BEEN PART OF? Putting Homag on the map in Africa. Also, our subsidiary company N & D has done a good job of introducing high quality Nanxing machines into the industry with the confidence of the end user.
WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY? To be honest!
NTSAKO KHOSA
54 APRIL / MAY 2018 //