Lessons learnt on cross-border export journey

Manufacturing a quality product is one thing. Learning to export it successfully is another story entirely. There were some serious lessons to be learnt in this regard for manhole cover manufacturer Maverick Trading. The company exports across Africa but especially to Kenya, Malawi and Gabon. “Packing containers was a new challenge for us, with the first load we ever sent arriving on the other side with some serious damages having occurred,” says Martin Charles, general manager of Maverick Trading. “When we first started exporting we were doing it all ourselves and we learnt lessons as we went along. Today our products move across Africa with not a single incident of damage occurring.” He says not only did they have to learn all about containerisation in terms of how to pack effectively so as not to damage the product, but also how to pack efficiently to move the optimum number of manhole covers and frames in one consignment. “These are not necessarily things you think of when you sign that first export deal.” It meant despite having a quality product on their hands the team had to go back to the drawing board to figure out how they could move their product around efficiently. “So through more research and development we found a way to f lat pack our product so we could fit more into one container and prevent damage.” With what they term “old fashioned values” at work, Maverick Trading has seen some big successes in the past few years of which successful exporting is just one. Having been named the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Exporter of the Year, they increased their export turnover by 76% from 2012 to 2013 and a further 25% from 2013 to 2014. “To continuously grow in the world of export you have to up your game all the time. It is not enough to just have a quality product,” says Charles. “Developing new products, ensuring a cost-effective supply chain and constantly looking for new opportunities and markets is part and parcel of it all.” Expanding its export market is high on the agenda for the company which has its manufacturing plant in Brackenfell in Cape Town. “We believe it is important that we continuously work on our product range so as to ensure we have what is needed on the continent. The product must add value if we want to see the sales grow,” says Charles. “Of course there are those customers that will always consider price first and foremost but that is not the only aspect that is at play.” He says it was being confronted with the rates issues that forced the company to think out of the box. “We are tackling the cross-border market, and while we have a range of standard products to offer, we also have the ability to custommake a product should they want. For us it is about adding value that is both cost-efficient and high quality at the same time.” INSERT Today our products move across Africa with not a single incident of damage occurring. – Martin Charles CAPTION Martin Charles. Photo: Halden Krog CAPTION The manhole cannot be opened from the outside once it’s locked and it is virtually indestructible.