The Zest WEG Group has acquired the entire business of Hawker Siddeley Electric Africa in South Africa, subject to conditions precedent. Hawker Siddeley is recognised among the pion-eers of mini substations and has become one of the largest manufacturers of mini substations, unit substations and distribution transformers in South Africa, with the capability to design and manufacture the complete range presently in use in the country’s industrial sector.
Louis Meiring, chief executive officer of the Zest WEG Group, says the rationale behind the acquisition is that, while the Zest WEG Group has enjoyed success in the African market with the supply of large transformers, it has not been able to participate in the transformer sector with products from 50 kVA to 20 MVA, in both distribution transformers and mini substations.
“It made absolute sense to fill this gap via an acquisition that would give us instant access to a product segment in which historically we could not compete,” says Meiring. “The acquisition means that we can now make the most of opportunities to supply a spectrum of our products on a turnkey basis. Pursuing this route will also give us a cost leadership advantage.”
Meiring adds that the acquisition has come just at the right time for the group, which is making robust progress against its 2020 strategic plan. The plan, initiated by WEG headquarters in Brazil in 2011, is poised to accelerate the expansion of its global network of businesses and manufacturing plants and is expected to ensure that the group increases its sales by at least 17% year-on-year until 2020, when it aims to arrive at a turnover of US$10-billion.
“The Zest WEG Group business model is one of continued investment in assets and technology transfer from WEG,” concludes Meiring. “To this end we will recapitalise the Hawker Siddeley business in the form of investment in new equipment and training. Our new company will become a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with the latest design and manufacturing capabilities. This positions us not only to supply these products throughout Africa, but also export from this facility to other parts of the world.”
Reinstatement opportunity for ECSA registration
News
In 2023 the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) announced a special opportunity for engineers in South Africa to reinstate their registration status if it had been cancelled. This exclusive offer is available until the end of August 2024.
Read more...Fostering a collaborative learning environment for sugar producer SKF South Africa
News
One of South Africa’s leading sugar producers made strategic use of its off-crop season, turning scheduled downtime into an opportunity for both essential maintenance and valuable skills development with the help of SKF
Read more...Steinmüller Africa and Eskom uplift eMalahleni communities
News
Steinmüller Africa, in partnership with Eskom, has reaffirmed its commitment to social upliftment by donating essential goods and creating meaningful connections with two impactful community organisations in eMalahleni.
Read more...The top 10 emerging technologies of 2025
News
The World Economic Forum’s top 10 emerging technologies of 2025 are expected to deliver real-world impact within three to five years and address urgent global challenges.
Read more...Comtest calibration user group seminar
News
Comtest invites metrology and calibration professionals to a focused technical seminar series aimed at demystifying some of the most common hurdles in inter-laboratory comparisons.
Read more...Technology leaders shaping 2025
News
In an era where agility, innovation and execution are paramount, ABI Research’s latest report, ‘26 Technology Companies Leading the Way in 2025’ identifies the top players shaping the future across key digital technology segments.
Read more...Omniflex through the decades Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
News
As Omniflex celebrates 60 years of engineering excellence, we take a look back at the decade that saw us really kick in and deliver major engineering projects – the 1970s.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version