Aberdare and Crabtree merge
14 September 2011
News
Electrical industry stalwarts Aberdare Cables and Crabtree, both companies in the Powertech group, are to restructure into a single entity. The restructuring process will commence in September 2011 and is expected to be completed within the first quarter of 2012.
Harry Coetzee, chief executive officer of Aberdare, said the restructuring will provide a platform for improved market penetration. Aberdare, a manufacturer of electrical cables and wiring, and Crabtree, a manufacturer of electrical accessories such as plugs, switches, sockets and circuit breakers, supply products to what is essentially the same customer base.
Coetzee stressed that a full evaluation of customer needs was conducted to ensure that the restructuring would deliver improved services and support to customers across the board. He added that it was also considered most important to preserve the long-established Aberdare and Crabtree brands and the product ranges of both companies.
Aberdare and Crabtree products carry the SABS (South African Bureau of Standards) mark that confirms products are regularly inspected, tested, audited and comply to laid down specifications. They also have ISO9001 quality management system accreditation. Coetzee said this was most important to both companies. He added that Aberdare has been a user of SAP enterprise software for many years and has made significant breakthroughs in monitoring, management and control across all aspects of the business.
Crabtree has its head office and factory in Wadeville and branches are located in Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, George and Bloemfontein. Aberdare has six manufacturing sites, three in South Africa in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Pietermaritzburg with the remainder in Mozambique, Portugal and Spain.
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