Containerisation pioneer Hill retires

ONE OF the pioneers of containerisation in South Africa, Eddie Hill, has retired after 38 years with Transnet.
Hill, who left Portnet as container manager for Port Elizabeth harbour, was involved in the inception of containerisation in South Africa on 1 July 1977.
His colourful career, which started as a junior clerk in Umtata in 1963, took him to Johannesburg, East London, Durban, Cape Town, Rotterdam, Saldanha Bay and PE, where he spent the last 14 years.
He specialised in the fields of computer programming and eventually the management of the various cargo handling businesses of Portnet.
What does the future hold? “At this stage it is still unknown and I’m taking some time out just to compose myself for a new venture,Ó says Hill.
His replacement is Denny Reddy, manager of the Multi-purpose Terminal in the Port of Richards Bay for the past two years.
He has a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Durban Westville, and spent 10 years with LTA Civil Engineering before joining Protekon, a construction division of Transnet, in Richards Bay in 1997.
Two years later Portnet approached him to manage the Multi-purpose Terminal in Richards Bay before being appointed as container manager at the Port of PE.