Manica group managing director Pieter Greeff made the transition from the fishing industry to logistics in a single year after taking over at the helm of the group. “I have had to change my way of thinking and acting completely. Where fishing is focused on production, here I am dealing with a service industry,” says the former finance and administration director of Bidfish. However, his production background in the fishing industry has enabled him to take a fresh look at Manica’s operations, and the company has undergone far-reaching changes to help it adapt to the new post-recession economic landscape. He believes it is now in a stronger position to expand into new areas. “Manica continues to grow despite the adverse economic conditions the logistics sector all over the world has experienced. The upgrading work on our logistics centre in Walvis Bay is nearing completion following a reconfiguration of the facility. In our efforts to streamline our operations, Manica is consolidating all warehousing operations into one main logistic warehousing function,” says Greeff. The warehouse has also been divided into three separate stores in order to avoid cross-contamination of products. Some of the other upgrades include a new IT system, racking, and rail links running through a warehouse of some 17 000 sqm that used to be a canning factory. A separate office block is being erected to house Manica’s HR department and new training facilities consisting of a 60-seat lecture theatre, as well as a 20-seat computerised training room. These facilities will also be made available to other businesses in Walvis Bay. “We want to enhance skills and expertise throughout the industry in order to stimulate growth in the local economy.” Some of the other changes in the Manica Group include a revamped logistics centre that will handle the distribution of commodities on behalf of clients, and the implementation of an online tracking and tracing system.
