Capital Equipment News March 2017

BUSINESS

Chris Makume (left), MD of Enza Air, and Colin Mander, regional director at Gardner Denver CompAir UK, during the official opening of Enza Air’s offices.

from the OEM, the Gardner Denver Group, we believe there is great opportunity to build a formidable compressed air business in South Africa. We are aware of the challenge ahead, but we are very determined to take it on,” says Zweli Dladla, CEO of the Asani Group. Changing strategy The appointment of Enza Air as the official distributor for CompAir SA spells a new era for the compressor maker’s distribution model. Mander says the bulk of the company’s business was based on a direct OEM supply model, with a few distributors in some of the country’s provinces. “Our business in South Africa was previously based on engaging the market directly, and we realised that there is only so much market share you can gain when you go direct to market as an OEM,” says Mander. Mander tells Capital Equipment News that CompAir’s business will become more distributor-based going forward, and this is an opportunity to upskill local companies in the process. The distributor model already exists in most of CompAir’s developed markets. For example, 95% of CompAir’s business in the UK is via distributors. Prior to the appointment of Enza Air, about 80% of CompAir’s South African business was direct, while the rest was through distributors. Having been present in the local market for about 90 years, CompAir holds a

Enza Air’s team boasts a collective 70 years of experience in the compressed air business.

sizeable share of the compressed air market, which it believes will grow significantly following the new distributor model. To date, CompAir has 16 regional distributors in South Africa and a further six across borders in countries such as Botswana and Zambia. Enza Air will assume a national distributorship status. A smaller portion of the business will still be done directly by the OEM. This will be supported by CompAir branches in Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth, as well as the company’s service facility in the mining region of the North West Province. CompAir SA recorded a good year in 2016,

despite it being one of the most difficult business years for several industries the company is exposed to. Key to the success in such difficult times is the quality of its product, which is supported by a massive 10-year warranty, said to be an industry first. Looking ahead, both Makume and Mander believe CompAir is up for a good business year in 2017. The 10-year warranty definitely sets the product apart from the rest of the competition. That, together with strong parts and aftermarket support, there is a strong chance to further gain more market share in South Africa and even north of the country’s borders. b

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