The company that will have stood head and shoulders above its competitors in the metals and engineering sector when it comes to innovation will be celebrated in Sandton, Johannesburg during a gala dinner at the 2017 SEIFSA Awards for Excellence, the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA) announced today.
 
The company winning in this prestigious category of the SEIFSA Awards for Excellence will be honoured together with winners in other categories when the Awards function takes place at the IDC Conference Centre in May. Entries for the awards close on 13 April 2017.
 
The Federation, which launched the SEIFSA Awards for Excellence in 2015, has invited manufacturers operating in the metals and engineering sector within the Southern African region to submit their entries for the 2017 Awards. Entrants will be assessed on their performance in the period 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016.
 
SEIFSA Chief Executive Officer Kaizer Nyatsumba said although the metals and engineering sector was faced with many challenges and uncertainty in 2016, nevertheless there were companies that still managed to excel under these difficult circumstances.
 
“It is during crisis times that innovation and sustainability become paramount. We have seen companies that have managed to excel and retain operations in the sector, in the process not only saving jobs, but also ensuring that the industry still provides its valuable goods and services,” Mr Nyatsumba said.
 
The SEIFSA Awards for Excellence have seven different categories, with the Most Innovative Company of the Year being one of them.
 
SEIFSA Sales and Acting Marketing Manager Nuraan Alli said that all categories carry significance in their own right and are aimed at celebrating companies in the sector for achievements in specific areas.
 
The Most Innovative Company of the Year trophy is awarded to a company that has shown the best level of innovation in Research and Development or Production in 2016, in the process of either gaining market advantage or reducing production costs.
 
Ms Alli said in selecting a company to be provided with an award in this category, the judges will look at several factors.
 
“Judges will consider if the company has created competitive advantage, contributed to significant growth, transformed the organisation or the wider industry, improved overall financial performance, achieved operational excellence, embedded ethical or sustainable practices, helped staff deliver better customer service, increased market share or customer loyalty or supported strong leadership and management,” she said.
 
The company that scooped this award last year was Zimco Aluminium Company – South Africa’s largest manufacturer of secondary aluminium products.
 
The other categories are:
 

• The Health and Safety Award of the Year will be offered to a company with the best legal compliance record in Health and Safety or the lowest Lost-Time Injury Frequency Rate in 2016;

• Entries are also invited from companies whose Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme/s in 2016 had a major impact on the lives of their beneficiaries;

• Companies rated the highest in customer service performance in 2016 will receive the Customer Service Award of the Year;

• The Most Transformed Company of the Year Award will go to a company that showed the highest transformation level in the composition of its Board of Directors, Executive Management and Managerial Team in 2016 (this award category pits companies employing fewer than 100 people against those of similar size, and companies employing more than 100 companies against others of similar size);
• This is the Decade of the Artisan, and an award will be made to the company that trained the highest number of artisans in 2016; and
• The Environment Stewardship Award will go to a company that has made the biggest or best strides towards conserving the environment or mitigating the impact of its operations on the environment in 2016.

 
 
Mr Nyatsumba has encouraged manufacturers operating in the metals and engineering sector to submit their entries for the seven categories as soon as possible. The Awards are open to all companies in the sector, both SEIFSA members and non-members.