The South African Plastic Pipes Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA) held their Annual General Meeting in Midrand on the 30th of September. Speaking to more than 40 captains of industry that attended, chief executive officer Jan Venter said the decision to launch the association 11 years ago was the right one.
He said that there is little doubt that the association has played a key role in the general well-being of the industry. In spite of severe pressure on the economy in general and the plastics pipe industry in particular, SAPPMA had a good year and fulfilled its mandate within the boundaries of its budget.
SAPPMA’s main focus is on improving the long-term health of the plastics pipe industry. This is achieved through work done by a team of volunteers serving on SAPPMA’s Technical Committee which strives towards ensuring good product quality, an adherence to industry standards, accessing and sharing technical information, and delivering ongoing training and marketing services.
Gearing up for 2016
Looking at what can be expected from the year ahead, Venter said that the need for an effective association in the value chain of plastics pipe only increases as times get tougher on the socio-economic front.
SAPPMA has appointed a qualified civil engineer who will start in January 2016 and is tasked with assisting the association in improving its technical marketing. This will undoubtedly be of great benefit to plastic pipe in general and SAPPMA in particular, as the interaction with consulting engineers, contractors and other large customers will improve the awareness, knowledge and value of plastic piping systems.
LHA Consultants have been commissioned to complete an updated market survey of the pipe industry and participating companies can look forward to receiving the results soon, whilst SAPPMA will continue to interact and engage with the SABS on issues relating to certification.
Growth in membership
SAPPMA membership has continued to grow and counts 16 pipe manufacturers, two polymer producers, 15 suppliers, three merchants and 27 fabricators/installers listed as associates.
New board of directors
SAPPMA’S new Board of Directors was announced at the AGM. They are Gary van Eyk (Sun Ace); Ronnie Kruger (Marley Pipe Systems); Tony Dean (Rare Plastics); CP Bandaru (Flotek); Jan Venter (CEO); Chairman Benhard Mahl (Safripol) and Gerhard Kotzee (DPI Plastics).
Merit award winners
The Association also awarded Merit Awards, consisting of a bronze medal and a certificate, to Ian Venter of Marley Pipe Systems, Renier Snyman of DPI Plastics and Phillip Bawden of Incledon in recognition of their individual contributions and frequency of attending meetings.
