The last couple of years have seen some big changes at Elprom, the Cape-based electronic contract manufacturer. Following a management buy-out of Psitek in October 2009 led by Cape Venture Partners, both Psitek and its subsidiary Elprom Electronic Manufacturers are under new management.
David Murray, a partner at Cape Venture Partners, has taken over the leadership role at Elprom, where he is focusing on improving customer service for the company’s wide spectrum of customers. The management team has also been strengthened by the addition of Peter Raschke as head of operations. Raschke brings with him a wealth of international and local electronics manufacturing experience following his long career with Siemens. One of the original founders of Elprom, Rob Hutton-Squire, remains an integral part of the management team and is responsible for the strategies and implementation of quality and ongoing improvement.
From humble beginnings after being established in 1991 in Stellenbosch, Elprom experienced explosive growth with an increase in annual revenue from less than R10 million to greater than R120 million in the last eight years. In 2008, due to this rapid growth and a high demand for its manufacturing services, the company relocated to a state-of-the-art facility in Somerset West. This new facility comprises a modern 7500 m² factory (including a 3000 m² environmentally controlled production area) and 1300 m² of office space. The high-tech facility is home to 180 permanent employees and is situated on the N2 highway to provide ease of access.
Elprom’s factory includes four high-speed SMD lines, one low volume SMD line, high-throughput board and specialised assembly, hand, wave and robotic soldering, X-ray and automatic optical inspection (AOI) as well as automatic test equipment (ATE) and final product testing. The company also has the ability to increase capacity quickly in response to specific customer needs and for example has the ability to run a 24/7 operation by utilising three shifts, and has access to additional trained assembly personnel should there be a peak demand for hand assembly. This enables Elprom to cater for both small specialised batches (including prototypes) and also large volume production runs, with the ability to cope with fluctuating volumes in times of market uncertainty. The company has placed over 100 million components in the last 12 months.
Elprom can accommodate a diverse array of products and markets by offering a comprehensive range of services which includes pre-production engineering and design, component purchasing, full PCB population service, board assembly only, integration of final product, repair and refurbishment, and lead-free manufacturing. Currently, the company serves over 100 clients from multiple sectors all across South Africa, producing over 500 different products. Its clients include leading international and South African companies, but also early stage technology entrepreneurs with high growth potential.
Elprom is certified to the highest quality standards including DEKRA ISO9001:2008, PCB inspection IPC-A610-D and hand soldering J-STD-001-D. Its facility is RoHS compliant and has designated electrostatic protected areas (EPAs). As a member of the Metal and Engineering Industries’ Bargaining Council (MEIBC), Elprom ensures that its employment practices are in line with industry standards. The company actively promotes the development of its staff through its close affiliation to the Merseta and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
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