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On the Rise: Renttech Reaches New Heights with Kelmeg Rigging and Lifting Equipment

25th July 2014

  

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Renttech South Africa  (0.08 MB)

Since becoming part of Renttech South Africa in 2011, Kelmeg Lifting Services has enjoyed a strong growth trajectory, with manufacturing output increasing by 40% This is according to Rodney Young, Factory Manager at KLS, who was appointed at the time of the acquisition by Renttech SA, a leader in the sales and rental of welding, power generation, lifting and rigging, and construction equipment. “The growth that KLS has seen in the last two years may be attributed to a decision we made to first invest in our existing equipment and machinery before introducing any new products. We therefore tested, developed and improved our existing infrastructure and product line, and this has paid off with a substantial growth in the company,” says Young. 

Established in 1991, KLS manufactures a range of quality lifting accessories which include polyester slings, web slings, endless round polyester slings, steel wire slings, chain blocks and cargo securing straps. Under the brand name Unilift, the company is well represented in the construction, power generation, petrochemical, paper and pulp, engineering, marine, agriculture, transport and mining industries.

Rather than focusing on the end-user, however, KLS relies on its wide distributor network both in South Africa and further afield, and has built up strong relationships with each of its distributors. Developments in the off-shore oil and gas industry have led to KLS widening its distribution net in other parts of Africa. When KLS’s drive for improvement led to a decision to be audited by a third party, the company chose ISO as its benchmark, and in 2012, the company achieved the ISO 9001:2008 certification.  Manufacturing a quality product has always been Kelmeg’s main focus and, according to Young, the company adheres very strictly to the highest possible industry standards. “Over and above ISO, we manufacture according to the SANS 94/1 2003 and SANS 94/2 2003 standards, as well as EN 1492/1 and 1492/2.  When it comes to lifting and rigging equipment, safety is paramount, and so we ensure we conduct an extremely stringent testing regime. This includes involving third party organisations for batch testing, such as the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research).”

While much of KLS’s focus has been on improving existing products, the company has also brought new products to market, which, says Young, represent “new ideas based on existing concepts.” “Our strategy was to seek new ways of doing things, and to identify new materials and applications with an even greater quality product as the final goal.” Some of KLS’s product line extensions include tool protection, such as their Tool Spider, a lanyard used to protect tools when working at height, cargo nets and a range of 4 X 4 vehicle recovery equipment.  Young pays tribute to the in-house expertise which the company drew on in order to develop these products, within both Renttech SA and KLS itself.

“Being part of the Renttech group, there is a wealth of technical and specialist knowledge that we can draw on. We have personnel who have been with Kelmeg for fifteen years or more, and we not only value the knowledge and experience that they bring, but strive to build on it. As one of the company’s greatest assets, we believe in equipping our staff with all the knowledge they need on a day-to-day basis. We send individuals to regular training courses, including Lifting Tackle Inspectors (LTI), and have also appointed a number of in-house Lifting Machinery Inspectors (LMIs),” says Young.  A total of nine new appointees have boosted the company’s staff complement to 34 since 2011.

Being a local manufacturer, Kelmeg brings certain key benefits to its customers, including the ability to cater for specific customer requirements with short lead times, according to Young. “Being local also means we have absolute control over the quality of our output and the level of our customer service.  Having control means we can confidently stand behind each and every Kelmeg product,” he says.

“While we are proud of our achievements in the last two years, we are excited about the opportunity to build on these in the coming year,” he continues. “Our plans are for sustained growth, further improvements to our plant and systems, critical product development, improved customer service and continued development of our staff. 2014 looks set to be another exciting and productive year for Kelmeg!”

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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