Local steel products supplier Stewarts & Lloyds is constantly focusing on expanding its product range, with one of the largest and most comprehensive range of products in the local market when compared to its competitors.

The company is also engaging with suppliers and upgrading its manufacturing capabilities to keep adding to its product range, adds Stewarts & Lloyds manufacturing GM Bob Harvey.

“We deal in steel and tubes, we have pipes and fittings. We have divisions for valves, pumps, water meters and irrigation; a fencing division [that] manufactures palisade and security fencing; and a plasma and profiling division that cuts to size for the market. We also have a vast range of hardware products at all [our] branches.”

He adds that, despite poor market conditions and the Covid-19 pandemic making economic growth difficult for local manufacturers, this extensive offering has helped Stewarts & Lloyds to continue developing.

The company’s water and fluids movement division in particular has been vital, owing to most of its recent product range expansions being in products such as pipes, fittings and associated valves and pumps.

The company also launched its security fencing manufacturing division in March this year, which Harvey emphasises has helped the company grow sales and create employment for this division.

Stewarts & Lloyds is also hoping to grow this division to such an extent that it can manufacture all the fencing and associated hardware and parts in-house.

The company’s profile-cutting capabilities in the manufacturing division have also been upgraded this year, consequently resulting in more employment.

Stewarts & Lloyds also upgraded its cut-to-length line last year, which has helped the company to run a 24/7 manufacturing operation and meet group and customer demand.

“There aren’t a lot of companies with cut-to-length capabilities, and we can set up the equipment we have to create sizes outside of the ordinary range of sizes the local market generally uses. We’ve also modernised our lip channel line, which has enabled us to cut a range of sizes for steel.”

Upgrading the cut-to-length line has also helped the company reduce its costs for consumables –liquid consumables, such as lubricants and coolants, can now be recycled because the company has created a recyclable pump storage area, where fluids are repumped through the system in a closed circuit.

This also has environmental benefits, Harvey adds.

“We’re always looking for new areas to build new branches, particularly in areas and for industries where we see potential growth. Wherever there’s growth in an industry or area, we hope to have a branch and sales force. As Stewarts & Lloyds grows its footprint, so too, will the manufacturing arm of the company,” he concludes.