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Acrow, one of South Africa's largest storage and construction equipment manufacturers, has become known and respected throughout the world since its inception in 1946. The company’s slogan is ‘Made in Africa for Africa’ and Sandra Moya explains why Acrow feels so strongly about this catchphrase and the sentiment behind it.

Local is lekker
“This is something that the industry in South Africa should be supporting as a whole,” says Sandra. “Local customers in this time of economic trouble should be supporting local manufacturers and we believe that the products we manufacture are as good as, if not better than, anything that can be imported from anywhere in the world.

“The question is: why are companies still importing products if they have some of the best right on their doorstep? We believe that they should be made aware of the damage they are doing to the industry and to themselves, she notes:

Penny wise, pound foolish
“Customers should realise that local manufactures are here to stay and that there is a big market for racking and shelving here in South Africa and the rest of Africa. Sometimes, to save a penny, Customers will rather import for something like a 10% saving but at the end of the day that 10% disappears quickly when it come to after-sales service. ”

Sandra explains why working with imported product can harm you business. “The problems start when the customer has a collapse or some kind of problem involving the product. If the product was imported, you have to go through a whole time-consuming process. 

“Firstly, you have to start by trying to get hold of somebody that can help you, and then you have to wait for them to get back to you with some kind of answer. If you are lucky, someone will get on a plane to come and inspect the problem which can only be fixed when the next shipment of product arrives. This process can take weeks which means an unproductive warehouse. 

“If you work with local manufacturers you can come knocking and within 24 hours you will have an answer and something can be done immediately.”

A helping hand
When asked about how customers deal with problems experienced with oversees products, Sandra replies that they have had a few cases where they were called in afterwards to help with certain problems. “This is where it becomes a very costly exercise as we have to find a way to match the specific product and sometimes we even have to manufacture tooling to produce the products to fit in with the imported installation. This means that the customer is spending much more than that 10% saving they were looking at initially.

“Acrow has been in the business of manufacturing racking and shelving for more than 60 years and we have many loyal clients who have been with us for years and the proof is that they keep on coming back because of the quality and the service we provide,” says Sandra.

Knowledge and skills
“What makes local even better, is the knowledge that is available in the industry. We do not only sell but we can consult on what will work best for the specific client. The years’ worth of experience with South African warehouses and the skills of the workers mean that we can give the best advice.”

Sandra explains why racking and shelving in South Africa differs from that of the rest of the world. “In Europe and the rest of the world the workers in warehouses are highly skilled people, most of them have some kind of higher education which is not the case locally. The products we use have to be suited for our conditions,” she says.

“If an imported product claims to be able to withstand weight of about 12.5 tons, that is the weight it can hold, tested and proven. Unfortunately, local forklift divers are not skilled enough, and they tend to push down on the racking which means that a rack that can theoretically withstand a certain weight will collapse. We know how to manufacture the products to compensate for these accidents, and that also means that there is less loss of stock. But essentially, it is all about safety. ”

She adds that overseas companies do not compensate for local conditions and they couldn’t care less. “On our own shores we have to face the music and we are more than happy to do so.
 
“Companies should keep all these things in mind before making a final decision and realise that ultimately, going local is actually to their own best advantage,” Sandra concludes.