The beginning of July 2021 will mark the one-year anniversary of DZanetech. This is a remarkable achievement considering the turmoil that the world has been through over the last 16 months. The establishment of DZanetech was planned before the COVID-19 pandemic and bravely, the shareholders of the company decided to continue with their business plan and as a result the company has now reached its first milestone of many more to come.

“The best strategies and plans remain valid over time and are capable of adapting to ever-changing market realities. All too often, strategies represent an aspirational view of an organisation’s vision unencumbered by reality. There is nothing wrong with such exercises as they encourage inspiration, innovation, and imagination. However, they are rarely executable. Effective strategic planning takes visionary thinking and translates it into a framework for action,” said Jacques Swanepoel, National Sales Director of DZanetech.

The beginning of July 2021 will mark the one-year anniversary of DZanetech, a supplier to the foundry and timber particle board industries

“With the possibility of a global economic shutdown, unemployment rates rising fivefold in two months, unprecedented government economic stimulus, budgets trashed and earnings guidance withdrawn, it certainly is a daunting decision to make in such an uncertain and volatile world.”

“However, in times of uncertainty, clarity becomes increasingly important, and strategic planning can be a powerful tool for bringing focus to an organisation by anticipating alternative scenarios and evaluating how an organisation should respond.”

“Prior to starting DZanetech last year I had been with ChemSystems, one of the many companies belonging to the AECI Limited Group (African Explosives and Chemical Industries), which is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), for eight years. My last position with the company was as Sales Manager of the division that serviced the foundry and timber industries.”

“Besides being hungry we – DZanetech – on the other hand are very flexible and motivated to make sure that clients, which are mainly foundries and metal melters, are not encumbered because of product supply not being timeous.”

“In 2020 AECI took a strategic decision to restructure a number of divisions in the chemical pillar that were supplying speciality chemicals and products to a diverse range of industries and concentrate on diversifying geographically with core products for primary industries while consolidating in other areas.”

“In essence the company was producing and supplying an extensive range of chemical products and related services – too many for every single division to deliver good performances.”

ASK Chemicals
“The consolidation presented opportunities and supplying product to the foundry and timber industries was one of them. For most of my 20-odd year working career I have been involved with selling product into the foundry industry and felt that the company’s products had a well-established base in the foundry industry. This was enhanced by the technical agreement with German company ASK Chemicals.”

DZanetech are a one-stop provider for foundries and metal melters with respect to providing resins for all curing processes, binders, coatings, additives, filters, release agents and other metallurgical products

“ASK Chemicals is one of the world’s largest suppliers of foundry chemicals and consumables, with a comprehensive product and service portfolio of binders, coatings, feeders, filters, and release agents, as well as metallurgical products including inoculants, Mg-treatment, and inoculation wires and master alloys for iron casting.”

“I began negotiations with AECI and DZanetech was appointed as the sole preferred partner to distribute and service customers for all the foundry and timber products that AECI had been manufacturing, first under the name of Plaaskem and then Applied Castings Solutions before becoming the Foundry and Timber Board Division of ChemSystems.”

“The negotiations included incorporating all the staff from the division into DZanetech – a very big positive for DZanetech.”

Nothing changed
“In essence nothing has changed. The same products are being manufactured locally by the same company and DZanetech are distributing. Product is manufactured under ASK Chemicals’ licence at AECI’s plant in Chloorkop, Gauteng and at the one in Umbogintwini, KwaZulu-Natal, as they have been done for many years.”

“Recent upgrades and audits to these plants have helped the company maintain its ISO 9001 and 14001 accreditation, a big determining factor in our industry.”

Nimble and flexible
“It is on the supply and service side that there have been massive changes from the previous corporate environment. When you are as big as AECI, many logistical and administrative challenges can be trying and not easily overcome because of the size of the company.”

“It is understandable because the bigger and more influential the company becomes the more controls that have to be put in place. They are therefore not as nimble and flexible as the clients would like, even though the company is supplying a superior product.”

DZanetech are now branching out into other areas both in the supply to foundries and the timber industry

“Besides being hungry we – DZanetech – on the other hand are very flexible and motivated to make sure that clients, which are mainly foundries and metal melters, are not encumbered because of product supply not being timeous.”

“We have our own 600m² warehouse facility in Modderfontein, Gauteng and another one in Cape Town and Durban. This allows us to store product so it is immediately available for dispatch. Modderfontein, which we call head office, has de-cantering facilities in order to break bulk deliveries so clients can use smaller pack sizes, which is a service that was not previously possible. We will supply in smaller quantities and will deliver with our one, four or eight-ton trucks that we have at our disposal.”

“There are five of us involved with the company that are on the sales and technical side, all having previously worked at AECI. As a result we have years of application and product experience to meet our clients expectations, with a national footprint.”

Security of supply
“Supply of raw materials for foundry resins and various other foundry related chemicals and products have, like many other speciality chemicals and products, have become a challenge to source during this time of COVID-19. We have therefore taken steps and incorporated systems so that we are not in short supply and therefore offer our clients security of supply.”

“Up until now we have had access to the ChemSystems laboratory facilities for sand analysis and testing. This has changed and the relevant equipment will be housed at our facility in Modderfontein. This will certainly reduce the time of getting results back to a client.”

“AECI’s corporate muscle and our industry knowledge contribute equally in the production and planning needed to satisfy our production and customer requirements.”

Diversification
“Principally we are known as a chemical and consumable supplier to the foundry, timber and chemical industries. We back our high-quality product range with application technology suited for the local conditions with tailored solutions for our customers.”

“However, we have found that we are being asked to be more flexible in the supply chain. Vemek srl of Italy was represented by ChemSystems but now we are their official agents in South Africa. Vemek manufactures high-quality precision chaplets, chills, core nails, and vents. These products are supported by international technical expertise and predominately used in the automotive and rail industries.”

“This has set us off on a different thinking direction to satisfy the clients with their requests for supply of other product.”

“We have now been appointed agents for a market leader in the formulation, blending and distribution of high-value fuel and lubricant additives, base oils and specialty chemicals aa well as a German based manufacturer of chemical intermediates, additives and specialty chemicals.”

DZanetech represents Italian company Vemek that manufactures high-quality precision chaplets, chills, core nails and vents

“These products include hydraulic and cutting fluids, filtration products and Teflon coating release agents which are regularly used in the foundry and engineering industries.”

“Other products that we are now able to supply include sanitisers and NDT chemicals – all manufactured by AECI.”

Laboratory facilities
“Up until now we have had access to the ChemSystems laboratory facilities for sand analysis and testing. This has changed and the relevant equipment will be housed at our facility in Modderfontein. This will certainly reduce the time of getting results back to a client.”

“This facility also allows us to advise and recommend customised solutions.”

Timber board
“Timber board is a huge market but has always been restricted to two manufacturers. A third manufacturer has now been established and we are their number one supplier for resins used in the manufacture of particle board.”

Branching out
“We say in our advertisement that we are a true one-stop provider for foundries and metal melters with respect to providing resins for all curing processes, binders, coatings, additives, filters, release agents and other metallurgical products – however this is only for one aspect, albeit an important aspect, for castings manufacture. We are now branching out into other areas both in the supply to foundries and the timber industry.”

“We are even exporting to Malawi and countries in the copper belt such as Zambia.”

For further details contact DZanetech on 079 514 6885 (Jacques Swanepoel), Cape Town 083 454 5465 (Johan Jooste), 083 274 1657 (Koketso Mamogale) or 066 010 0999 (Zaid Syed) or visit www.dzanetech.co.za