Specialised engineering and hydraulics solutions provider Malcom-Ezindaleni Hydraulics & Engineering is the winner of the Inaugural South African Premier Business Awards 2012/13 small, medium-size and microenterprise (SMME) award.

“As a black-owned and managed company, our focus is to ensure consistence in our quality programme that meets and exceeds original-equipment manufacturer specifications, value add in our service, price and delivery competitiveness, expansion of our product range and maximum efficiency in cost and operational terms,” says Malcom-Ezindaleni Hydraulics & Engineering’s website.

The South African Premier Business Awards 2012/13 was hosted earlier this year by the by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in partnership with Proudly South African and Brand South Africa.

Since 1976, Malcom Hydraulics & Engineering has been providing a specialist engineering service for mines and heavy indus- try. Having merged with Ezindaleni Group in July 2006, it is now a black economic- empowerment company that is looking forward to many more years of specialised engi- neering and hydraulics solutions where quality, safety and service are not compromised.

“We offer a total engineering capability to the mines, power stations, heavy industry, engineering contractors and agriculture. We have one of the best equipped workshops in Mpumalanga, specialising in computer numerically controlled (CNC) turning, milling and complete machine overhauls,” says Malcom-Ezindaleni Hydraulics & Engineering.

The company also services and repairs subassembly units, undertakes boilermaking and batch turning on CNC machines and the manufacture of cylinders to client specifications, while hard chrome plating done on the premises ensures excellent turnaround times, adds the company.

“We pride ourselves on high-quality service and innovation. We are a service-orien- tated company with innovative solutions. We stock a comprehensive range of pumps, cylinders, subassemblies and hydraulic components to back up the service exchange programme.

“This makes it possible for clients to keep their equipment operating at maximum efficiency while repairs are being done. A full-time computer-aided design department ensures that our products are cutting edge,” states Malcom-Ezindaleni Hydraulics & Engineering.

The company’s mission is to remain the market leader in Mpumalanga by constantly focusing on quality, outstanding service and improved solutions to all applications in its product range.

In terms of safety and quality management, Malcom-Ezindaleni Hydraulics & Engineering has a risk management committee (RMC) that meets monthly to identify and mitigate existing and potential risks. The RMC includes all heads of department, which convey the message from the RMC to the shop floor staff in ‘toolbox meetings’. The safety and health officer is also part of the RMC; his input is vital to discussions, says the company.

“Every step of the production process is recorded and every part has a lifetime traceability guarantee, while a quality management officer ensures quality management programme compliance,” points out Malcom-Ezindaleni Hydraulics & Engineering.

It also aims to enhance the human potential of all its employees, to foster skills transfer and product development and insists that local mines, power stations and industry support local companies that are as good as, if not better than, Gauteng-based companies.

Malcom-Ezindaleni Hydrau-lics & Engineering further explains on its website that it is open to suggestions to improve customers’ stock levels and will work with customers to determine the most effective level of stockholding and quantities to satisfy their requirements, noting that it could take four to six months to build up stock levels to meet requirements.

“By constantly consulting with clients, we hope to achieve the optimum levels and range of product they need to keep them ahead of the game. Our stock levels will ensure 95% availability to continuously supplement stock on consignment,” says Ezindaleni Hydraulics & Engineering.

The company’s customers include stainless steel flat products producer Columbus Stainless, diversified miner BHP Billiton, State-owned power utility Eskom and energy and chemicals group Sasol.

DTI Minister Rob Davies noted at the South African Premier Business Awards 2012/13, in March, that the department has been hosting yearly technology, quality and SMME awards for a number of years and supported sector-focused awards hosted by other public-sector institutions and industry associations. After an evaluation, it was found that the number of events were becoming administratively cumbersome and costly. However, it was noted that the various awards provided a platform for emerging business and brought into the national spotlight previously marginalised sections of business, especially smaller black businesses.

“The awards for technology companies also served as the only national platform to showcase new commercial technology success in South Africa by smaller companies and served to inform the wider public of South Africa’s potential and expertise in this area,” said Davies.

The South African Premier Business Awards was an amalgamation of previous events, he stated, noting that, through the event, the DTI was encouraging entrepreneurs to compete in categories that were aligned with the strategic focus of the department.

He highlighted that the Indus-trial Policy Action Plan, which supported and complemented the National Development Plan and the National Growth Path, was an overarching instrument for the development and implementation of the DTI’s strategies, policies and related pieces of legislation and regulations.

With this in mind, the South African Premier Business Awards recognised and honoured South African enterprises that invested in human and technical resources in various projects or activities, produced high-quality products and services, remained domestically and internationally competitive and created employment opportunities for South Africans.

The finalists of the awards were selected from companies that responded to the call for nominations from mid-February to March 1 this year. Representatives of the private and public sectors and the lab- our movement were invited to serve as members of the judging panel. The panel selected and scored finalists from over 159 entries in 13 categories.