Construction World February 2015

COVER STORY

“I think it is the simplicity of the

vehicles that contributes to so little going wrong with them.” – Norma Mansoor

The China FAW Group Corporation, based in Changchun Province, is China’s oldest and largest vehicle manufacturer and over the last five decades has evolved into one of the world’s leading vehicle producers.

Norma Mansoor is the sole owner of Mix Masters, a ready- mix concrete supplier.

“The FAW 33.330FCmixers inmy fleet provide great cost efficiencies and are real ‘die-hard’ trucks,” says Mansoor. “They are robust, get the job done and seldom have downtime – critical in my line of business.” The 33.330 6x4 mixers are powered by a hardy 9 726 cm 3 , six-in-line, water-cooled turbo-charged and intercooled Weichai engine, which produces a solid 245 kW at 2 200 rpm and a healthy 1 250 kN torque at 1 400 rpm. “The chassis are sturdy and strong, the drivetrain is simple and easy to maintain. I think it is the simplicity of the vehicles that contributes to so little going wrong with them.” Vehicles under warranty are serviced through the FAW network, while a full-time diesel mechanic services older ones on-site. “Honesty, integrity, respect and self-be- lief have contributed to my success,” she claims. “I have been privileged to have had a number of superb mentors. All of them believed in my passion for the business saw that I was prepared to learn and work hard. “My dream was to own my own business someday.” In 2011 she took the plunge and with a great track record in hand and a lot of guts she approached aggregate supply companies, who were prepared to extend a line of credit from the beginning. “The FAW people are on call when I need them, they understand me and my busi- ness. I only buy FAW and only genuine parts, I expect the same loyalty from FAW when I need them and I get it. No issue is too small for FAW to come to my aid when I need it. This is what I want from a partner and what I get from FAW,” she concludes.

good reports I had heard about its dura- bility, reliability and overall cost efficiencies. We tested costs through fuel consumption, parts and maintenance costs, warranty promise and FAW’s service back-up. I was not disappointed and that is why my entire fleet is now converted to only the FAW brand,” says Heyns. As a major supplier of readymix concrete to building sites across the entire Cape Peninsula, Portland Readymix is one of the most reputable suppliers to the regional construction industry. It is well-known for its fleet of FAW 33.330 FC 6 m 3 mixer trucks driving on the provincial roads, operated by considerate and well-trained drivers. As the company also produces and supplies precast concrete products, it runs a number of robust and durable FAW 28.380 FT 6x4 truck tractors with flat deck trailers. These vehicles are equipped to run up and down the Cape Peninsula with payloads of up to 28 tons, and GCM of about 63 tons. “While most of our ready-mix vehicle runs are not over very long distances, the terrain in the Cape from our quarry in Durbanville is very hilly which is demanding on the vehicles with steep and long inclines. We chose to remain with manual transmis- sion as these suited the drivers best, all of who are well trained by FAW themselves.” Choosing not to load over 5,5 m 3 , the optimal operation per mixer truck is four trips a day. This presents Portland with the best return on investment and opti- mised logistics for both the fleet and the quarry production. Heyns believes in the rewards gained

from honest, hard work and expects the same from his business partners. “FAW has provided me with a good product which has increased in quality over the last few years. They give me the best after sales service I have ever had and they are ‘on call’ when I need them. FAW gives me good total cost of ownership, with affordable and strong quality product, backed by good people and great service.” Good business is built on good relationships Norma Mansoor is the sole owner of Mix Masters, a ready-mix concrete supplier. She started her own business three years ago with a loan of R450 000, one FAW 33.330 FC 6 m 3 mixer truck, a truck owner- driver and a small plant in Olifantsfontein, outside Pretoria. Her unique ‘Iron Lady’-like attitude, combined with empathy for others, have set her apart from many other larger compet- itors. “Good business is built of good relationships,” she says. She has earned the loyalty and respect of many customers – even from some competitors too. This can be attributed to her unflinching tenacity to supply only the best product for a particular job without compromise on her business values. Today she runs a fleet of 10 personally owned FAW 6 m 3 ready-mix vehicles, an 8-tonner FAW flatbed and owns two plants. Her business is continuously growing, based on quality concrete without compromising on service.

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD FEBRUARY 2015