ALWAYS ON EDGE DEMS is always investigating and looking for opportunities to remain competitive and continue to have an edge in the market
Despite the local manufacturing sector being under pressure, mouldered product specialist DEMS’ rubber manufacturing division – which operates within a very niche and specialised market – has not been affected negatively, says DEMS MD Mark Baptie.
“DEMS has, for many years, successfully supplied cost-effective and high-quality components within the local and international original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) markets.”
This, Baptie says, has been “the backbone of this business over 60 odd years”.
“We definitely pride ourselves in producing complex and exceptional mouldered parts,” he adds.
DEMS is no different than most other South Africa-based manufacturing businesses, “where our input costs are on a steady upward graph – however, we are always trying to stem this flow by looking for better and more efficient manufacturing methods that help DEMS stay competitive in this ever-changing and competitive market”.
As a high percentage of the raw material is imported, Baptie says the continuous currency fluctuation and import duties, it is always going to be a challenge to hold pricing consistent for long-term contract purposes.
The ongoing power disruptions are an immediate challenge for the manufacturing sector, and alternative power supplies are becoming a necessity.
“We are always investigating and looking for opportunities to remain competitive and continue to have an edge in the market,” Baptie concludes.