South Africa, the strongest economic power in Africa, is struggling with problems such as power and water shortages, material shortages, strikes and crime, but the electroplating company Team Plating Works in Germiston near Johannesburg is holding its own against the difficult conditions and has become South Africa's largest zinc-nickel plater with optimism and pragmatism.
Tony Joseph, the founder of Team Plating Works, a barrel plating company in Germiston, South Africa, was not always in the plating business. After leaving the South African army, Joseph initially wanted to become an accountant. But he changed his mind and entered the metalworking business with his brother Eric in 1974. With a zinc and a cadmium bath in the backyard, Joseph served his first customers. Since then, he has earned a reputation for high quality in the industry.
Photo: stock.adobe.com/zelwanka
According to Joseph's grandson Damian, who is a junior manager in the company and looks after the workshop and customer relations, every single part that leaves the house is flawless. He is proud of the quality that the company offers its customers, the importance of which was instilled in him by his grandfather. The company's main business is electrogalvanizing, but it now coats barrels with zinc-nickel alloys for some customers. Damian says that the high quality of the products is down to the electrolytes that his grandfather always attached great importance to. This pays off - the company's customers are more than satisfied with the quality.
Volatile economic conditions
Despite a solid process, a good reputation and loyal customers, Team Plating Works does not shy away from new challenges, even if the economic situation is difficult. The South African economy has been impacted in recent years by power supply shortages and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, including transportation bottlenecks. Overall, South Africa's economic situation is complex and volatile, as Joseph explains. A lot has gone wrong in the country on the Cape of Good Hope over the last three decades. There are many large state-owned enterprises on the brink of failure due to mismanagement, including Eskom, Denel, Transnet and SAA. Companies that provide and manage transport, electricity, rail and logistics in South Africa. In addition, municipalities are falling into disrepair.
Highly secured factory premises. The crime rate in South Africa is high and theft is commonplace
Team Plating Works' philosophy is to persevere and provide a reliable service in an unreliable economyThevolatile conditions in the country have led to power and water supply restrictions and strikes across the economy. Josephs Galvanik, which serves a range of industries, was also affected indirectly, but also directly. To ensure reliable production, a new generator was purchased for the factory. However, this was of little help considering the cost of maintenance and diesel.
South Africa is an emerging market and there are entrepreneurs everywhere. However, a large part of the population is struggling with unemployment and a lack of education.
Many citizens therefore set up their own small businesses instead of being employed by large companies that, like politicians, do not care about them.
Founded in the 1970s
The history of Team Plating Works began in 1974. The company's philosophy is to be reliable and consistent and, above all, to deliver quality. "We've had our ups and downs, but the core philosophy of being unflappable and always striving to provide reliable services in an unreliable economy has kept us on the right path," says Joseph looking back. Large quantities of nuts, bolts, screws and fasteners are coated with zinc, copper, nickel and brass by barrel plating small parts.
Largest zinc-nickel coater in South Africa
A whole arsenal of drums is available for electroplating various items. "We have specialized in some processes that are rather foreign to our industry, namely mechanical plating and plating with zinc-nickel alloys, which give us a niche in an already saturated market," says Joseph, describing the range of processes. With mechanical galvanizing, hydrogen embrittlement is virtually eliminated compared to electrogalvanizing. Using glass beads and promoter additives, zinc powder is applied to the product in rotating drums, which can then be passivated for increased corrosion protection.
Team Plating Works has a whole arsenal of drums for electroplating various items
Originally, cadmium plating was also an important line of business. However, the trend in South Africa is also moving away from the coating, which can cause kidney damage and bone metabolism disorders. At Team Plating Works, zinc-nickel plating was initially carried out on a small scale in 10 kg drums. "Today, we operate three 25 kg drums in which 750 kg of zinc-nickel is deposited every day - making us the largest zinc-nickel coater in our country," says Joseph proudly.
New employees - opportunity and risk
Team Plating Works does not supply customer work to companies due to the value of the stock and the complicated logistics involved. The company has invested in safe storage of the goods, which customers collect themselvesTeamPlating Works' electrolytes and other chemicals come from the USA. For some time now, logistical problems have been less frequent. However, bottlenecks still occur. It is also difficult to find qualified workers, as poor education and the volatility of the economy make it difficult to find a job. It is therefore possible to find staff, but it is more difficult to retain them. In addition, theft by new employees, fraud, sabotage or even arson must be expected. "Since our population does not have a high standard of living, people in this country tend to take risks at every opportunity," says Joseph, adding: "At Team Plating Works, we do our best to incentivize our employees by offering them good benefits, competitive wages above the national standard wage and a healthy environment where they can voice their concerns and problems." With success: some employees have been with the company for more than 40 years.
Moving the country forward - creating a future
The demand for metal finishing for corrosion protection in the country is high. The alloys used comply with the RoHS directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances). However, according to Damian Joseph, South Africa still has a long way to go as far as the industry is concerned. "The question is whether we should stick with the old technology and carry on as before or whether we should innovate and move the country forward." The latter is proving difficult, as many companies in South Africa lag far behind international standards, whether in terms of the environment or technology. Nevertheless, Joseph is convinced that the country will catch up with the rest of the world in the next 20 years or more.
For Team Plating Works, the outlook is positive. They can imagine being in business for the next 50 years. Automation and digitalization give cause for optimism, "because they make the mundane tasks of everyday factory life seem a little less intrusive and much more manageable." In South Africa, there are frequent reminders that the country needs to move forward. And most people want it to, despite all the difficulties.
Damian Joseph: "The future of our company and our country does not have to be a utopia if we manage to heal old wounds and break new ground."
