From flycatchers to fresh-cut flowers

Exporters offering services from handcrafts to high technology were honoured last week at the Gauteng Exporter of the Year awards in Johannesburg. The event honoured the accomplishments and achievements of Gauteng’s export industry in six different categories to cater for the diversity in the size of the companies entering and in the services and products they offer. Roy Miller of Miller Methods won the Small Manufacturing category, awarded to companies with an annual turnover of less than R20 million. Miller manufactures the Redtop Flycatcher, which sells more than 700 000 units annually in over 50 countries. The unique organic bait used in the flycatchers makes the product particularly effective and is used by the USA military in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Medium Manufacturing category was won by Peppadew International , which in just nine years has evolved from a cottage industry to the international brand that it is today, while the Large Manufacturing category (for companies with a turnover of more than R200 million) went to Pilot Crushtec, who were also awarded the overall Gauteng Exporter of the Year 2008 award. The Export Services award saw Agriver SA walk away with the prize. The company, which specialises in exporting fresh-cut flowers, was commended for its innovative ways of finding markets for flowers not previously exported. According to Advocate Mark Nowitz, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Johannesburg, the Emerging Exporter Award was introduced in 2007 in recognition of the enormous effort required by black businesses to make their mark in international trade. This year the award went to International Maritime Information Systems SA for a system it developed to benefit the artisanal fishing industry worldwide.