Company Report: Omni Struct Nkosi
Omni Struct Nkosi Exec Digital talks to Dave van Asche, CEO of structural steel specialists Omni Struct Nkosi, about self-sufficiency, the World Cup and making the lives of its clients as simple as possible

Omni Struct Nkosi Fairlands Office

Orlando Stadium

Pecanwood golf course clubhouse

Next year’s World Cup – the first on African soil – is as hotly anticipated as it gets. Yet, while the economic benefits of the tournament are well known, few could have predicted its impact on South Africa’s construction industry in the wake of the global financial downturn. Last month, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel revealed that the sector will be one of the country’s main sources of output growth improvement in 2010 as a result of the World Cup and the subsequent R15 billion (and rising) spend on public infrastructure.

“I think it’s going to be fabulous, and not just for our business.” says Dave van Asche, CEO of structural and architectural steel specialists Omni Struct Nkosi.

“I was here for the ‘95 rugby World Cup, and the influx of people and the way everybody came together was fantastic. And it’s going to be exactly the same for 2010.”

Omni Struct has found itself in the unique position of servicing five of the 10 new stadiums currently under construction for the tournament, as well as part of the infrastructure improvement plans. These include more than 200 new bus stations for a new ride-on, ride-off service – the first of its kind in South Africa – and a series of power station expansions designed to resolve the country’s long-standing electricity supply issues.

It should be no real surprise that the government has looked to Omni Struct for a project of this scale. For the past 25 years this multi-award winning firm has based its success on a combination of experience, dedication and above all, reliability.

“Our approach is that for our clients, we want to make the delivery of their project as painless as possible,” says van Asche. “Obviously, there’s a certain amount of angst on all builds, but with the experience and people that we’ve got, we can keep that to a minimum.”

As an ethos, it sounds deceptively simple. But in practice, to maintain this level of control from design to erection requires a pretty extensive array of equipment and personnel.

“We’ve got our own people that do the join work,” van Asche explains. “We’ve got the engineers to check the calculations, we can manufacture eve¬rything ourselves – we paint probably 80-90 percent too, but that’ll be up to 100 percent soon.”

Add to this a fleet of trucks and mobile cranes, 24-hour sandblasting facilities and teams of experienced site crews, and Omni Struct’s commitment to its goal of self-sufficiency becomes clear. But of course, it’s not just about idealism. “It makes it so we’re not reliant on any outside factors,” says van Asche – a decision that now seems remarkably far-sighted.

“Obviously, it’s been a huge capital expendi¬ture over the last couple of years,” he continues, “but in terms of raising the funds, the banks have been fantastic – especially Investec Bank. They really went the extra mile in helping us achieve the changes we needed to make.

“Now with the projects we’ve got under way at the moment, we’re starting to see the benefits. Five years ago, we had limited ability to service the needs of the clients to the extent that we wanted. To have got to the stage where we are now is really satisfying.”

REAPING THE REWARDS
And part of this includes taking the time to enjoy the benefits. “The company’s philosophy is that we like to take time off to enjoy things,” explains van Asche. “Golf is very prominent at our organisation – in fact, we’ve just tied up sponsorship for a fabulous course just outside Johannesburg.”

Pecanwood, the only Jack Nicklaus designed course in Africa, is situated on the southern shore of the Hartebeesport Dam with the impressive Magaliesberg Mountains in the background. Unsurprisingly, it’s a partnership that’s proving to be very popular.

“In my opinion, I think it’s why we’ve got such good relationships with our clients,” he says. “At the golf course, you get to know so much more about the client than being stuck in a meeting with them all day.”

Yet it’s not just clients that have taken advantage. Omni Struct has a strong reputation as a quality employer – a fact that’s backed up by the low turnover on the company’s 400-strong workforce.

“We treat our staff exceptionally well, and that doesn’t just mean financially,” says van Asche. “For example, as well as Pecanwood, we’ve got a couple of holiday properties out of town. Our staff, depending where they are on the scale, can use them for the weekend between every five and 12 weeks.

“Of course, you have to keep the work interesting too. That’s why we keep our key people involved in the decision-making. We’re not the kind of company where each people has their job and they stick to it,” he adds. “Instead, we try and get as many people involved in the decision-making as possible, it’s important for them to know that they can make a difference – people like to feel like they’re part of something.”

It’s this commitment to fostering good relationships – for staff and clients alike – that will see the company continue to thrive. Add to that its dedication to self-sufficiency, and it is easy to see Omni Struct Nkosi leading the way in the South African construction industry for years to come.

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