Customers in the portable air and power industries across Southern Africa have been relying on Rand-Air as a trusted rental partner for over 49 years. The company’s extensive rental fleet of oil-free and oil-injected air compressors, diesel- and electric-powered screw air compressors, diesel generators, and lighting towers, was recently expanded to include water pump solutions.

“Our customers’ trust in our abilities as a responsible hire partner is based on the fact that they consider us as a rental specialist, equipped with all the necessary products, capabilities and know-how to meet virtually every type of rental solution,” says Rand-Air Sales and Marketing Manager, Byrone Thorne.

Rand-Air has built this reputation of trust on a solid foundation of premium quality products and a team of highly skilled professionals. Also featuring prominently on this foundation is employee training. “First up are our technical training programmes,” says Rand-Air Sales and Training Coordinator, Monique Africa. “We understand that reliable and efficient machines are paramount to high uptime and low operational costs. Our rental machines and equipment incorporate cutting-edge technologies for optimum performance, helping to contribute to end-users’ sustainable production and smaller carbon footprint.”

Monique points out that regular machine maintenance is fundamental to reliable and efficient performance. “Subsequently, we roll out training programmes to Rand-Air technicians on a consistent basis to ensure that they are kept up to date with the latest designs and rapidly developing technologies. By arming them with new skills and the right tools, they are able to trouble-shoot and do repair and maintenance work in the shortest time possible, supporting our narrative of 24/7 service and keeping customers’ downtime to the bare minimum.”

Rand-Air ensured that training was not hindered during the strict Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. Technical training for Rand-Air technicians, previously provided by trainers coming out from Atlas Copco in Belgium, has been seamlessly shifted to online platforms. Monique adds that both ‘in-person’ and online training programmes incorporate a practical hands-on approach.

“Every training course, from technical to soft skills, adds value, helping individuals to perform better and deliver outstanding service to our valued customers,” says Monique. “Rand-Air employees are encouraged to never stop training and during June, which we have earmarked as our ‘never stop learning’ month, we will be rolling out a number of exciting training-related initiatives, including SHEQ programmes, to all our employees.”

Byrone wraps up: “Through our proactive training culture we continue to build on our solid reputation as a trusted hire partner that has all the necessary capabilities to meet diverse industry requirements, from small and simple to large and complex, with our specialised agile hire solutions.”