Black economic-empowerment company United Valves Company (UVC) tells Engineering News it has taken on the reconditioning and refurbishment of one of the valves used by water and sanitation service provider Rand Water.

The 1 000-mm valve was supplied to Rand Water and, after it experienced a breakdown with the valve, Rand Water approached the manufacturer for a solution to the problem. UVC sales director Bantu Pepu says: “We sur- prised even ourselves in reconditioning the valve in just three weeks, when it would usually have taken eight weeks. We completed the project well ahead of deadline.”

UVC has also been awarded the contract to supply its RSV gate valve to a contractor for water and sanitation service provider Johannesburg Water. The company has also won a R2-million contract to supply valves to a number of 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums, including the Ellis Park and Orlando stadiums. The projects are in the final stages and will be completed by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the Robertsham-based company, in the south of Johannesburg, is expanding its international footprint through commissioning its pressure release valve system in underground mines in Australia and New Zealand, where it is currently receiving up to seven orders a year for the system. The project extends over a five- to six-year period.

UVC reports that its rubber-lined RSV valve, the Green Mamba, which can work under high and low pressure, particularly in slimes dams, is now being used in the gold and platinum industries. The valve was not originally intended for the slurry field, but has been developed to work in these environments.

Pepu says that while the entire manu- facturing sector has been affected by the current economic climate, the company believes that its focus on providing good service and meeting the needs of customers will play a signi- ficant role in helping it survive the financial downturn.

He also explains that a challenge being experienced is cheap imports from countries like China and India. UVC prides itself on quality, which it believes helps to tackle the threat of grey products.

“While there have been instances of pirate copies of the Green Mamba on the market, what such criminals are unaware of is that these products do not provide the same quality as the original product. “While our products are not as cheap as Chinese imports, it is our quality that sets us apart,” he adds.

Pepu also points to the skills chal- lenge and the struggle to keep employees once they have been trained. He feels that it is a great injustice to South Africa when skilled workers leave the country for opportunities in other competitive markets, such as Australia and New Zealand.