Established in 1966 (although its original origins can be traced back through its holding company to 1946), the privately owned Hytec Group of companies, under Group MD, John Wingrove, has grown to be the largest supplier of hydraulic and automation components and systems in southern Africa, and is the region's leader in fluid power engineering. The company takes a solutions-oriented approach from component supply through to project managed turnkey systems and its capabilities range from design and assembly to installation, commissioning and after sales service. A wide range of markets is addressed including marine, mining, sugar, automotive, agriculture, iron and steel, armaments and general industry. The staff complement of the Group totals 470 people, most of whom have been trained internally or at the premises of the major principals which the company represents in Africa. Hytec was also the co-founder of the South African Fluid Power Association in 1983.
The Hytec Group
The Group comprises six core business units together with an extensive branch network which totally covers South Africa (13 branches) with seven additional branches in Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Ghana. BEE status was achieved during 2004 through the creation of Afripower (trading as Hytec) which incorporates the 13 South African branches with Khulile Investments holding an effective stake of 25,1% and Hytec Holdings the remainder. Afripower began operations with an asset base of some R70 million, employing 250 people throughout the country. As part of the Hytec Group, the BEE company will be able to draw from the established technical expertise within the Group. Stephen Dondolo of Khulile has been a director of Hytec Holdings since early 2003. In addition to the business units and branch network, the Hytec Group has a centralised procurement and distribution company (Hysa) that operates as the logistics arm for the Group.
The autonomous business units include Afripower, Tectra Automation, Hytec Fluid Technology, Hydraulic & Automation Warehouse (HAW), Hytec Engineering and Power Team SA, of which Hytec, Tectra and Hytec Engineering are certified to ISO 9001:2000 through BVQI.
The Hytec Group looks after the product portfolio from Bosch Rexroth which was created through the merger of the world leading Bosch and Rexroth companies some four years ago, although Hytec has been associated with the constituent companies of the new group for some 28 years. Bosch Rexroth (which uses the brand name Rexroth) refers to itself as 'The Drive and Control Company' and in 2004 it had more than 26 thousand employees and a global turnover of almost euro 4100 million. It is the only company worldwide that is able to offer all essential technologies for drive, control and motion from a single source, from mechanics and hydraulics through to pneumatics and electronics. The objective of Hytec is to provide an added-value single-source solution for industrial, mobile and factory automation applications. Besides supplying new equipment into the African market, much of the fully-imported machinery comes with Bosch Rexroth equipment already fitted and Hytec is accredited to repair these systems. Hytec has become the first company in the world outside of the Bosch Rexroth Group to receive this accreditation as a Bosch Rexroth Service Centre of Competence (SCoC). As part of a worldwide restructuring strategy, this will have several benefits to local customers, from faster service and competitive pricing on genuine spares to global consistent, SABS approved repairs, warranties and exchange units with back up from Rexroth. A Remanufacturing Program (Reman) will also be available on all pumps and motors.
Tectra Automation (Tectra), based in Johannesburg, aims to provide total single-source solutions for all industrial and factory automation applications. It makes use of all the elements of pneumatic, electrical and mechanical drive technology available from Bosch Rexroth to engineer comprehensive automation solutions, the benefits of which range from cost-effectiveness, time saving to improved productivity. Tectra has applied their specialist knowledge and systems to a broad spectrum of industries throughout Africa, from the food sector to heavy engineering.
Hytec Fluid Technology represents HYDAC which supplies components and systems for filtering solid, liquid and gaseous contamination and water extraction from hydraulic and lubricating operating media. It also provides equipment for the diagnosis and analysis of operating conditions. The local company itself has a fully equipped laboratory which offers a comprehensive service programme which contributes significantly to increasing the service life of hydraulic installations and lubrication systems through correct maintenance and inspection procedures. The company also offers the full range of HYDAC filters, coolers and accumulators, HYDAC is believed to provide the most comprehensive range of the latter, worldwide.
The Hydraulic and Automation Warehouse (HAW) was established in 1996 and now has facilities in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. HAW is effectively the Group's component division and provides such accessories as hoses and adaptors, mobile control valves, ball valves, pipe clamps and flanges. HAW operates under the Group philosophy and is effectively a one-stop hydraulic shop and besides continually increasing its product offering it also offers on-site services.
Core to the operations of the Group is Hytec Engineering, which manufactures and repairs hydraulic cylinders. Operating out of a 4000 m² facility, the company's management team has more than 130 years of hydraulic cylinder experience between them. The capability exists to manufacture and repair cylinders up to 600 mm in diameter and 9 metres in length. Hytec Engineering possesses its own design and reverse engineering facility including the latest in CAD technology. It is the only hydraulic cylinder company in Africa possessing all the required capabilities in-house, this including designing, grinding, milling, welding, turning, chroming, honing and testing. The company is certified to ISO 9001:2000 and employs a staff of some 70 people. While its products and services are offered through the dealer network it has created its own customer base in the OEM sector, large earth moving equipment and the mining markets.
Last but not least in terms of the business units is Power Team SA, which was established in 2000 when Hytec acquired this sole agency. Power Team recently relocated to larger premises in Meadowdale in Johannesburg on the same site occupied by the Hysa warehouse. The focus of this business is on hydraulic maintenance tools and here the principal is SPX Power Team, based in Illinois, which is renowned as a world leader in these products. The Power Team products have endless applications in the civil, mining, machine, industrial engineering and petrochemical sectors and, according to the company's general manager, "The product is so adaptable that new industries and applications are explored on an almost daily basis ensuring ongoing growth throughout southern Africa."
Other principals
While most of the major principals have been covered above, Hytec also was recently appointed as a distributor for Hägglunds of Sweden. Hägglunds operates globally and manufactures complete hydraulic drive systems, including a large range of hydraulic motors, accessories, power units and control systems. Other brands for which Hytec has the agency include Walterscheid, Char-Lynn and KTR - ROTEX/ BoWex.
New Hytec image and other developments
Hytec recently embarked on a programme, now almost complete, to upgrade all its branches and buildings with the same colour schemes, to create a Hytec Group Corporate image. In terms of other developments, a new purpose-designed building is under construction in Pretoria, while a R2,7 million upgrade of the workshop facilities at the Spartan branch, designed to increase throughput, has just been completed.
Customers
Hytec Groups' customer list includes all of the major OEMs and end-users in southern Africa.
Training and development programmes
Hytec strives continuously to be an employer of choice and typically promotions are internal. To achieve this, the company has created an enabling environment in which people constantly learn, grow and develop. Employees are encouraged to participate in every opportunity to develop further and to this end over half the employees in the Group are trained annually.
In support of the many overseas principals, many employees undergo training overseas while companies such as Bosch Rexroth, Hydac, Hägglunds and Power Team also provide training courses in South Africa. The company has its own in-house training facility which is used for both staff and customer training.
Hytec also works closely with Merseta and continually encourages long-service employees to achieve artisan status based on years of practical experience on the job. The company also provides bursaries to students at Universities and Techikons with particular emphasis on supporting the previously disadvantaged; the latter also receiving special in-house training.
Responsibility to the community
As a South African company that has shown its full commitment to meaningful black empowerment, Hytec is also fully committed to supporting the local community in terms of schools (to which it provides computers and other equipment) and charities.
Conclusion
Hytec has grown significantly over the years and expects this trend to continue with pronounced growth having been seen over the last year. It is believed that it has a significant market share of the more than R1,5 billion hydraulics business in the region, and aggressive expansion of its activities, together with superior quality products and services, should see this increase into the foreseeable future.
For more information contact Hytec Group, +27 (0) 11 979 4630.
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved
printer friendly version