Construction World July 2019

MARKETPLACE

IMPROVE and EVOLVE Construction World asked the Chief Executive of Corobrik, Dirk Meyer, 10 questions about the business and its positioning in the South African construction industry. Read what he has to say about how vital business flexibility is in difficult economic times.

What is the unique selling point of Corobrik? The first is that Corobrik is a truly national business. We have a footprint across the country. Architects, builders and specifiers are increasingly working outside of their own areas and provinces. For example: buildings built in Cape Town are specified from Johannesburg while a school being built in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape is being specified from Pretoria. It is a case of wherever the specifier or decision maker is, they will know us and we will know them. They can deal with one company and do not have to deal with strangers. The second is that our product range’s quality is superior to others. This is a consequence of running ISO 9001, ISO 14000, ISO 18000 quality assurance programmes. There are holistic quality, health, safety and environment programmes in place. What gives Corobrik the edge over brands that offer similar products? As Corobrik sees itself as being in the walling and parts of the

flooring markets, we take a broad view of who our competitors are. The products and brands we compete against can be anything from glass, aluminium cladding, polyester or fibre cement cladding through to other bricks. If I narrow it down to bricks and blocks: all our products are available on a national basis. In addition, our consistent quality and service standards set us apart from the other brick makers. Describe Corobrik’s approach to marketing? Our marketing approach is focused around where the products will be used. Our FBX (Face Brick Extra) bricks are used when extremely high quality is a prerequisite. It is mainly used for non- residential applications in the private and public sectors) while our more affordable ranges of bricks (FBA or FBS) which can have various features, colours and sizes and are primarily used in residential developments. What are your strategic plans for Corobrik? My drive is for the business to stay relevant to the market by continuously evolving the product range, improving its quality standards and lowering operating costs – while at the same time improving product quality. From a commercial point of view, this is what makes us sustainable going forward. At the same time, the business focuses heavily on social and environmental sustainability. What makes Corobrik the leading brick maker in the country? Besides that already mentioned, what truly sets us apart is our focus on the technology that is used and the resources required. We have consistently invested in the business over many decades by upgrading existing facilities and building new plants. What is your role as Chief Executive and what have been your challenges and successes? The main challenge of any business leader in South Africa is charting their company through the current economy. I have been in the industry for more than 30 years and focus on where the market is going. My aim is to make sure the business is flexible to move with the direction the market is going. Corobrik is agile in the sense that we can move our product range up and down the market to wherever the opportunities are. At the moment it is in student accommodation and low cost housing and we can tailor our product ranges to focus on these markets. At the same time I have to make the business sustainable for the long term so that shareholders can reap the benefit. Whilst Corobrik is a private business, our staff trust holds 26% of shares. It is important for the business to grow over time, not only for the commercial shareholders, but also for the staff trust. In this trust every employee of Corobrik, who has had a year or more’s service, is a beneficiary. In your view, what is the medium to long-term outlook in the building industry in South Africa? The construction industry has been in recessionary conditions for the last two years – both civil and building. Notwithstanding the difficulties in the current climate, one would anticipate a slow

Chief Executive of Corobrik, Dirk Meyer.

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD JULY 2019