Leading electrical construction company, EnI Electrical has committed to a long term vision of changing the way in which electrical construction work is conducted. To achieve this, the company is repositioning itself by applying the same principles its holding company the Zest WEG Group has harnessed to achieve its own extensive growth and success.
“It is our intention to become the largest electrical construction company in Africa,” Trevor Naudé, managing director of EnI Electrical, says. “This is in line with the greater WEG Group’s global growth strategy, which is expected to ensure that the entire organisation increases its sales by at least 17% year on year until 2020, when it aims to arrive at a turnover of US$10-billion.
“We’re cognisant of the ever-changing needs of our market, as well as the shifting dynamics of our clients’ requirements. Our response is to challenge the market’s perception of electrical construction as a sector characterised by low tender pricing and utilising scope changes to be profitable. Instead, we’ve adopted a strategy based on forming long term client relationships. This is not a catch-phrase — we are actually walking the talk by ensuring we understand the basic project requirements and mitigating against scope changes during the initial pricing stage.”
Naudé says that over the past three decades EnI Electrical has established a solid track record of successful completion of electrical construction projects. Since the Zest WEG Group acquired the company in 2008, processes and procedures have been developed to take this successful medium sized company to the level where it will be acknowledged as a world class player.
“This is particularly significant given that much of the work being done is in Africa, with some 70% of the company’s revenue being generated outside of South Africa’s borders,” he adds. “Operating in Africa requires a certain mindset and it’s essential for companies to clearly understand the factors that drive successful project execution in this region, including the issues associated with logistics. Our access to a core of South Africans with the necessary skill sets is a major advantage, as these teams are then able to train and develop local communities, leaving them skilled and capable of supporting the client in our absence.”
EnI Electrical has completed projects as far afield as Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana in West Africa and Tanzania in East Africa, as well as throughout the SADC region. With successful operations in Ghana, Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, the company is now poised to open facilities in Liberia and Namibia. These will support recently awarded contracts for the Western Range Iron Project in Liberia and the Husab Project in Swakopmund. The new entities are being locally registered and will provide employment opportunities.
The increased emphasis on safety throughout all industries has made compliance with safety requirements a basic necessity. Naudé believes safety goes much further than simply meeting legislative requirements and, by making it the cornerstone of the company EnI Electrical has forged a robust safety track record across all operational sites.
Risk assessments are undertaken on each project and dedicated safety officers, supported by an in-house safety manager, take responsibility for safety on site. Ongoing safety training company-wide ensures that personnel are kept abreast of the latest technology, applications and safety requirements. Environmental obligations are also high priority and care is taken to meet all requisites.
In South Africa, EnI Electrical recently opened a branch in Rustenburg to provide electrical construction expertise on both small and large scale projects in the region. The new facility shares premises with the Zest WEG Group’s facility in the city.
