TThe global leader in bulk material handling solutions Martin Engineering celebrated its 20th anniversary of deployment across the African continent.
The company, which works with mining and mineral processing companies to improve safety, efficiency and productivity, first entered Africa in November 2003 with the acquisition of South African business Scorpio Conveyor Products.
Two decades later, Martin Engineering has grown significantly, with the number of employees increasing 10-fold to almost 200 people, and with a customer base that now spans 10 countries and a range of industries across Africa. The business also has plans for further growth thanks to an ambitious team of technical experts and an innovative range of products that provide cleaner, safer and more productive material handling.
The 20th anniversary celebrations were also joined by global CEO Robert Nogaj, who traveled from the US to visit Martin’s regional headquarters in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga, South Africa to meet employees and business partners who have been instrumental in Martin’s success .
Robert Nogaj said: βThe African continent is a global supplier of basic minerals and metals and an important market for Martin Engineering, so I am delighted to be spending time with colleagues to celebrate 20 years of supporting producers here in South Africa and across Epirus.
βOver the past two decades we have made significant investments in our manufacturing facilities and introduced new technologies that have helped our African business grow and evolve. However, the most important investment we have made is in supporting and developing our people, nurturing talent and promoting diversity in the workplace.
βThis is no better demonstrated than the recent appointment of Fran van der Berg as Managing Director for Africa. What makes Fran’s achievement even more remarkable is that she started as a temporary member of the marketing team 12 years ago and has proven herself in many roles before becoming General Manager. It’s great to see such personal growth and we hope her achievement inspires many others to aspire to take on leadership roles, regardless of gender or background.”
Fran van der Berg said: βIt is a real honor to take on the role of General Manager for Martin Engineering Africa as we celebrate 20 successful years here. Our business has brought numerous innovations to the African market that have helped our customers run cleaner operations, improving productivity as well as safety. I am proud of the continued growth we have achieved by providing quality products and technical know-how, the way we have enabled our people to support their growth and, above all, our contribution to improving health and safety in the industry.β
Martin is among the engineering firms in South Africa to have achieved ISO45001 (health and safety management) accreditation, reflecting the company’s commitment to maintaining high safety standards and fostering a true safety culture. One of the highlights of Martin Africa’s annual calendar is the ‘Safety Olympics’, where teams of employees across the business take part in safety-related games and compete for prizes.
Given that the company’s global “purpose” statement is to “Ignite Excellence So Families Thrive and Communities Thrive,” it’s no surprise that for over 20 years Martin has supported numerous local charities and non-profits organizations near its regional headquarters with financial donations and volunteer activities.
The team is particularly proud to have achieved B-BBEE level 2 in South Africa, demonstrating the significant strides made to promote black economic empowerment through training programs and an approach to community development that prioritizes employment and support for locals at each operating location.
For example, Johanne Khumalo, based in Emalahleni, started with Martin Engineering in 2006 as a Service Technician and was subsequently promoted to the position of Training Facilitator. Since taking up the new role, he has had a huge positive impact on the development of others: βIt’s great to be able to use the skills and experiences I’ve gained as an employee to help improve the expertise of others within the company and also clients he told us. “Working at Martin Engineering has given me opportunities I could only dream of with other employers, and I am fortunate to contribute such to the success of the company and my colleagues.”
Robert Whetstone, Martin’s Area Vice President for Europe, Middle East, Africa and India, who also took part in the 20-year celebrations, said the company’s involvement in Africa has brought huge benefits to Martin Engineering globally: βAs a company it is renowned for unrivaled know-how and expertise in solving common problems faced by bulk material handlers in many key industries, from mining and quarrying to fertilizer and freight.
βIn Africa we have a team of professional engineers who have been able to export their specialist knowledge β along with new ways of working and their distinctive can-do approach β to the benefit of clients elsewhere in the region and around the world. This is further proof that there is great power in diversity and the empowerment of our people and that ultimately, we are better together.”