20th Anniversary of the Power Group

Die Pad Vorentoe

Ons sien onsself as die bouers van ’n sterk fondament vir die volgende tagtig of honderd jaar, waartydens ons sal strewe om as die eerstekeurse-verskaffer van siviele, ontwikkelings- en boudienste en verwante produkte in Suider-Afrika erken en gerespekteer te word.”

Van ’n bakkiebouer tot ’n bielie in die bedryf

Presies 21 jaar gelede, op ’n April-oggend naby Sir Lowry’s Pas, vat Graham Power die pad in sy tweedehandse bakkie. Met twee handlangers en baie moed, sit hy af om Power Construction se eerste siviele ingenieursprojek te pak.

Maande van wik en weeg lê agter die rug. Wat sou voorlê, was ‘n haas onbegonne taak: om moontlike kliënte en konsultante te oortuig om van hierdie nuweling – sonder masjinerie en met geen infrastruktuur se dienste gebruik te maak.
Vandag nog onthou Graham Power sy eerste groot teleurstelling: al was sy tender die laagste, het ‘n konsultant nietemin ’n waardevolle kontrak van R36 000 aan ’n mededinger toegeken.
Dit sou hom nie nie onderkry nie. Net ses maande later ken daardie selfde konsultant ’n R260 000 kontrak aan hom toe.
In daardie eerste moeilike jaar was die maatskappy se omset R300 000. Danksy ’n goeie reputasie en ’n hele streep suksesvol voltooide projekte, kon die maatskappy al hoe meer werk inwin.
Vandag het die maatskappy meer as 1 600 mense in diens met die hoofkantoor in Blackheath, en streekkantore in Knysna en Port Elizabeth en binnekort ook in Gauteng.

Power Groep staan sterk deur te sorg

As ’n verdere bewys van sy verbintenis tot die welsyn van die omgewing en die gemeenskappe waarin hy werk, is die Power Maatskappyegroep met vier PMR Corporate Care toekennings vereer.

Die Groep het twee Kategorietrofeë ontvang: vir Werkskepping en Opleiding en vir Omgewingsorg. Ook is hy aangewys as die Bedryfswenners in die kategorieë Swart Ekonomiese Bemagtiging en Sosiale Opheffing.
Professional Management Review se Corporate Care toekennings vereer maatskappye wat uithaal en wys om ’n beter Suid-Afrika vir almal te bou. Dit is die Power Groep se tweede toekenning vir Omgewingsorg.
Die toekenning is in erkenning van die maatskappy se Korporatiewe Omgewingsbeleid, die procedures in plek op konstruksie terreine en die nodige opleiding aan personeel-lede.
Die toekenning vir Werkskepping en Opleiding huldig die toekenning van beurse aan studente en personeel, die ontwikkeling van werknemers, vaardigheidopleidingsprogramme, en die ontwikkeling van nuwe werksgeleenthede. Die Groep fokus op gemeenskapsontwikkeling deur lede van plaaslike gemeenskappe in diens te neem en op te lei.
Die Groep het hegte bande met die inisiatief vir arbeidsintensiewe konstruksie, asook met strategieë vir die bevordering van ontluikende kontakteurs.
Drie Bemagtigende Gesamentlike Ondernemings is deel van die Groep: Hughmic Construction, gestig in 1997; Sibakhulu Construction in 1998; en Khayalethu Projects in 2003.
Die Groep volg ’n holistiese benadering tot Korporatiewe Sosiale Investering. “Die ondersteuning van die gemeenskappe waarin ons dien deur hulle te transformeer gaan oor trots, verantwoordelikheid, eienaarskap en sorgsaamheid,” is die slotwoord van Power se Uitvoerende Hoof, Graham Power.
April 2004

EAST LONDON - The East London Development Zone Corporation (ELDZC) has already commissioned construction work to the value of about R400million, with a further R9m in tenders to be focused on black economic empowerment.

Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Border-Kei Chamber of Business, ELDZC chairperson Des Halley said to date 501 jobs had been created by the industrial development zone project.

Construction work on site included:

lThe completion of the R28m 132kV Leaches Bay sub-station to be commissioned next month;

lProgress by Power Construction on the R80m spent on external roads, including the harbour arterial and Breezyvale roads, which are to be completed in August; and

lSibakhulu Construction's work on the internal roads and township services. The R105m contract includes stormwater drains and sewer lines.

Other IDZ-related projects include:

lA R4,5m sewerage project;

lA R40m treatment works project;

lThe R22m West Bank land restitution housing site; and

lA R6m solid waste cell disposal site near Berlin.

Halley said Performance Electrical and Consolidated Power Projects were working on electrical services - street lighting along Chester Road and the laying of 11kV underground cables from the

Leaches Bay sub-station to the Buffalo City Municipality transformers.

In September, perimeter walling and fencing, valued at R20m, along the various zones will be completed.

Meanwhile the relocation of the Leaches Bay informal settlement was progressing well, said Halley.

He said 400 temporary homes had been constructed and 350 families had been settled.

"This process is a joint undertaking between the BCM and the IDZ."

Halley said the IDZ had allocated R2m for the temporary homes while the municipality allocated R1,3m. The homes are expected to be completed in June.

Halley was also upbeat about possible investment possibilities in the customs controlled area.

He said three very promising investors, two in the textile and one in the agricultural processing sector, were currently negotiating with the IDZ.

The IDZ has been registered as a private company and all its assets and permits are currently being transferred from the Section21 company.

"This brings exciting new challenges, with the focus on investment promotion and black economic empowerment."

Halley said the new company would be more reflective of the demographics of the province and would be in line with the government's policies on BEE.

Future tenders that will focus on this will be for a R2,5m electrical substation, a R2m pump station and the main entrance to the customs controlled area, which is valued at R6,5m.  

April 2004
WOMEN OF POWER

Steady growth over the past 21 years has seen the Power Group of Cmpanies expand its operations into a number of different specialist companies. Founder and CEO Graham Power heads up the Group, which employs more than 1 600 people and provides a comprehensive range of civil engineering, blacktop paving, manufacturing and township development services. The Group has regional offices in the Western Cape, Southern Cape, and Eastern Cape. Its Gauteng regional office will be opened shortly.

Marlene Cronjé, Organisational Development Director, says: "The Power Group is committed to Employment Equity and thus also to the empowerment of women in the industry. Women are represented on all levels throughout the company and our intent is to not only have women in clerical or administrative positions, but also in technical careers. We were therefore proud to appoint our first female engineer, Alex Capostagno, in 2002. We have also allocated bursaries to three female students for 2004, and are proud to play an important role in their education and training."

The Power Group focuses on the development of women within the company. All staff members have personal development plans, which address their aspirations, the competencies needed for present and future positions, as well as the behavioural competencies required. This has played an important role in the development of the female workforce, and many women have over the years progressed to more senior positions.

"I do not regard the construction industry as a man's world. It is an industry for people, both male and female, with guts, tenacity, a willingness to work hard, and for people who enjoy overcoming challenges and have a passion for what they do,” says Marlene Cronje.

It’s neither black nor white.

It’s capable.
When it comes to knuckling down at the Power Group of Companies, Employment Equity wins hands down. For to make a real difference in the workplace and empower the communities in which we serve, we look beyond stereotypes and prejudices to discover true talent. In this way we can set the best hands to the task, no matter what their shape, size or colour.

July 2004
Power bags civils contract for estate
Kiam Properties’ director Juri Steyn turned the symbolic first sod at Pepperwood Country Estate recently after Power Construction had been given the go-ahead to lay in the civils.
And with him was his devoted dog, Kiam, a Great Dane who gave the six-month-old company its name. “Kiam (the dog) was named by my wife, Petro,” he said. “She saw the word somewhere and learned that it meant “a giant to grow”. My partner, Stefan Bothma and I felt it was also an appropriate name for our company.”
Since construction of the freehold houses on the estate will be within a single contract, the separate civils contract was only awarded once the sales target had been reached.
“The Power Group will do all construction because they are known for quality, integrity and commitment.” Says Stefan, who is himself a former managing director of the Power Group of Companies’ Power Developments. Pepperwood Country Estate will be situated on the site of the historic Berghoewe Farm below the R44. It is envisaged that the services and roads will be complete by September and that construction of the houses will begin shortly after that.