One of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of formwork and scaffolding systems in the world, PERI’s key focus in South Africa is innovation and technical excellence to assist its customers in cutting construction costs.

PERI South Africa’s value proposition of service and customer benefit continues to give it the leading edge in the local market. Known for its technical excellence, the formwork and scaffolding supplier has been involved with many of the most iconic projects in the redevelopment of the Sandton central business district, including Katherine Towers, The Leonardo, and 92 Rivonia Road, among others.

“We aim to be a preferred partner for our construction clients,” PERI South Africa MD Nicholas Cruickshank comments. He adds that the PERI brand is well-known and respected in the construction industry, in particular for its focus on technical excellence, which makes it ideal for the largescale and complex projects in Sandton, for example.

“Our technical capability has definitely given us a leading edge in the market, with the result that we are often the first choice for these projects. The next step is for us to build on this reputation by ensuring our customers are aware of the complete solutions we offer, from design through to site supervision and even project implementation,” Cruickshank explains.

What this means is an inherent flexibility and agility in order to best respond to client requirements, from small to mega projects. “This flexibility is integral to PERI globally, which invests substantially in cutting-edge research and development to guarantee that our product range meets all possible client requirements.”

Cruickshank stresses that early involvement with clients and their projects is critical in order to ensure a best-fit solution. “We are not only a formwork and scaffolding supplier, but an active participant in the construction process itself, as we can optimise methodologies and even refine our clients’ objectives upfront. This is largely why we have maintained a position as a market leader.”

An important part of this close client contact is the extensive technical and aftermarket support that PERI South Africa provides. “Our capability to offer on-site support and service definitely places us at the higher end of the aftermarket spectrum. It is important for our clients to understand that, when they engage with us as a company, we are onboard as a complete solutions provider,” Cruickshank adds.

PERI South Africa offers its clients both sales and rental options, tailored to meet their specific objectives. “Our customers continue to benefit from owning PERI equipment, giving them access to readily available hi-tech solutions, with back-up as required. The construction market is severely depressed; hence we offer our customers improved efficiencies and lower production costs, helping to protect their margins,” Cruickshank points out.

PERI South Africa also has a fully-fledged training centre in Centurion, with the ultimate aim of being able to offer industry-accredited training courses. “We have an internal skills development programme in place, as well as offering training to our clients. Our goal is to make Centurion the training hub for the entire Africa and Middle East region,” Cruickshank reveals.

If there is one word that best encapsulates the ethos of PERI globally, Cruickshank says it is innovation. “We were the first formwork and scaffolding supplier to adopt Building Information Modelling (BIM) on a major project in South Africa. We take our position as an industry leader very seriously, and strive continuously to be at the cutting-edge of technology and trends.

This also means that our partnerships with our clients are far more effective and far-reaching at the end of the day, due to our access to our global expertise and experience.”

Commenting on growth opportunities at present, Cruickshank notes that infrastructure development is a vital catalyst, but that government spend in this critical area remains muted. “It is a very challenging environment for all stakeholders at present in terms of maintaining a healthy growth rate.”

Cruickshank concludes that PERI South Africa adds the vital ingredient of engineering to its scaffolding and formwork solutions.

“A single point of contact is a major benefit for our clients, particularly on the more technically-challenging projects, which is an area where we continue to raise the bar. Not only do we supply the best possible solutions, but we ensure that these are optimised and integrated so as to deliver a successful project every time.”