Articles
Sumitomo Rubber SA wins 2016 KZN Exporter of the Year Award
Monday, 24 October 2016
SUMITOMO RUBBER SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD
"Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (SRSA), was announced winner of the prestigious KZN Exporter of the Year Award "
Parent company to the renowned tyre brand Dunlop, Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (SRSA), was announced winner of the prestigious KZN Exporter of the Year Award hosted by the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry and held at the iNkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban on Thursday night, the 20th of October 2016.
In what was no doubt a difficult decision, the adjudication panel of the Awards lauded SRSA as the winner of this title in the “Large Companies” category, in which leading automotive manufacturer Toyota, and paper and pulp magnate Sappi were also finalists. This award category measures companies that have a turnover in excess of R100 million per annum, and was sponsored by Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), who were also platinum sponsors of the event ceremony.
SRSA was previously awarded this accolade in 2013, and were finalists in the category in 2014 and 2015. According to SRSA’s Chief Executive Officer, Riaz Haffejee, being able to win this award, given the calibre of the other finalists, is testimony to the magnitude and scale on which the company operates. “Winning this title once again is a huge accolade, and in a sense, is affirmation that the various investments made by our company are being acknowledged and lauded on a broader level. Over the period 2014-2018, we will have invested in excess of R2bn into our manufacturing plant and operations in Ladysmith, in order to service both the local and export markets. The byproduct of these investments has been a positive domino effect on transformation in terms of employment, infrastructure and the local economy as a whole,” said Haffejee. The company has a dedicated focus on exporting passenger, truck and bus tyres beyond the borders of South Africa and has enjoyed strong double-digit growth in the sale and export of these goods, particularly over the past three years.
Marking yet another milestone in the company’s streak of significant wins, this award underscores the successful growth path that the tyre manufacturer has been on. This award follows close on the back of the company’s win earlier this year, as the 2016/17 Winner in the Tyre Brands Category in the Target Group Index (TGI) Icon Brand Awards, which measures actual product usage among South Africans, an accolade that the brand has successfully achieved for four of the past five years.
The company hopes to continue its winning streak and plans to acquire increased market share through a selective growth strategy in specific markets. “Sumitomo Rubber SA is a leading tyre manufacturer in South Africa and we intend to solidify this position through the commitment of our people, the consistent delivery of high quality products, technological innovations and through the power of our flagship Dunlop brand,” concluded Haffejee.
Karl Socikwa (CE: Transnet Port Terminals), Ian Pillay (SRSA) and Riaz Haffejee (CEO: SRSA)
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