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North is on the up and up - as published in the Jan-Feb 2015 Issue of National Safety

North is on the up and up

North Safety Products Africa continues to grow as one of South Africa’s leading providers of personal safety related products for the workplace, with particular focus being placed on customer service, expansion into Africa and strategic business partnerships.
The Pinetown-based company has a reputation as one of South Africa’s premier designers, developers, manufacturers and suppliers of personal protection equipment (PPE) and related safety products that are ideally-suited to a number of industries and applications.
North CEO Craig Garvie notes that the company’s expertise and experience are unparalleled. “North is becoming recognised as an industry leader with our commitment to providing the highest quality head-to-toe protection. Our carefully developed line of safety equipment is manufactured in accordance with the strictest quality standards and is tried-andtested in numerous applications.”

According to Garvie, North prides itself in exceeding its clients’ expectations and constantly looks for opportunities to make improvements. “Currently we are focused on bettering our serviceability. There are so many players in this sector and not everyone gives customers the service they’re entitled to.” To accommodate all customers, North has opened a chain of retail stores around the country. “We see a huge market for smaller buyers looking for PPE supply for their own businesses. Our retail section is going to be about servicing the smaller business units, who have been neglected in the past,” says Garvie.

He observes that certain industry sectors lend themselves to retail. “Farming, for example, does not require large amounts of personal protective equipment. Farmers are not necessarily interested in a sales representative coming onsite to sell a small quantity of overalls. Instead, they find it more convenient to go
into town once a week to purchase the necessary PPE items
hassle-free.”

According to Garvie, contractors will also benefit. “The North retail store is ideal for a contractor who may have been awarded a new job and needs to quickly collect a PPE item for he day. It is also ideal for purchasing extra PPE, should a team have to be swiftly expanded due to unforeseen circumstances.”

Garvie points out that the primary aim of the North retail stores is accessibility, by allowing customers to walk in and walk out with the products that they require. “We want to make our products freely available, provide customers with choice, while ensuring that our pricing remains competitive.”

North manufactures a significant amount of its stocked products, which Garvie believes gives the company a competitive advantage in its industry. “It definitely gives us a pricing advantage on some of the competitors that only resell products. We do, however, also stock other quality brands to ensure that the client is provided with the best selection at the most competitive prices.”

Consolidating on its success, a primary aim for North has been to break into the African market. “We’re growing our business via investments into Africa,” notes Garvie. “We already have controlling interests in companies based in Mozambique, Zambia, the DRC and Kenya, and are supported by stable partnerships with local associates there.” Recognising that staff members are the company’s most valuable resource, Garvie contends that it is vital to invest in their development. “We equip employees with the tools for overall job satisfaction and provide them with opportunities to reach the next level of expertise.

We also have a number of training initiatives that continually add to the skills base of our
employees.” Ultimately, Garvie believes there are three factors influencing North’s success. “I believe that our national footprint, together with our investment in Africa, having dedicated staff and paying particular attention to customer service are all standing us in good stead to remain an industry leader,” he concludes.

North Safety Products Africa

Contact: Craig Garvie Chief Executive Officer
Phone: (031) 705 6085
Email: marketing@northsafety.co.za
Web: www.northsafety.co.za

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