PORT ELIZABETH - FORD STRUANDALE WINS 3 MERIT AWARDS AT 2016 EXPORTER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

The Ford Struandale Engine Plant in Port Elizabeth has reaffirmed its status as one of the Eastern Cape’s top exporters by winning three merit awards at the 2016 Exporter of the Year awards.

The glittering banquet, hosted by the Exporters Club of South Africa – Eastern Cape, was held at the Boardwalk Convention Centre on Friday 12 August. It was attended by around 580 industry and local government leaders, and recognised the contribution that manufacturing and export businesses made to the domestic economy.

Once again, Ford was acknowledged as one of the top original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the automotive sector, picking up a Best Exporter OEM Merit Award to go with the overall category titles won in 2013 and 2015.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Ford Struandale Engine Plant received the SJM Flex Environmental Merit Award, and also took home the IDC Job Creation Merit Award.

“We are delighted with our continued success in the annual Exporter of the Year awards, which acknowledges the exceptional work done by our local team in a very competitive global manufacturing environment,” said John Cameron, Plant Manager of the Ford Struandale Engine Plant.

“By maximising efficiency and productivity, and without investing in additional equipment, we have increased the Struandale Engine Plant’s installed production capacity to 265 000 component sets and 110 000 engines, which are records for this plant.

“This has been driven by expanding our customer base with the addition of China and India for fully assembled engines, along with our existing supply to Ford’s Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria for the Ford Ranger, and the Kansas City Plant in North America for the Ford Transit.”

The Struandale Engine Plant also machines component sets, comprising the cylinder head, block and crankshaft, for local engine assembly as well as export to Argentina and Thailand.

Basil Raman (Operations Manager, Ford Struandale Engine Plant) receives the Job Creation Merit 

Award from Jane Stevenson (Director, Magnetic Storm) and Quintin Levey

Thabo Masete (HR Manager, Ford Struandale Engine Plant) receives the Best Exporter OEM Merit 

Award from Colleen Siwisa (Coordinator: Investment Missions at Eastern Cape Development Corporation) and Quntin Levey

Members of the Ford Struandale Engine Plant team with the three Merit Awards received at the 2016 

Exporter of the Year awards, held by the Exporters Club of South Africa – Eastern Cape. From left: 

Hyron Muniz (Production Manager), Shawn Sharp (Plant Engineering and Maintenance Manager), 

Julien Verstraeten (Resident Engineer), Fiona Kemp (Financial Analyst), Thabo Masete (HR Manager), 

Renaldo Meyers (Quality Manager), Neil Stander (Programs and Engineering Manager), Basil Raman 

(Operations Manager), Paul Brooks (Powertrain Operations Controller)

VIA - arrivealive.co.za / sabreakingnews.co.za