Family business IWS built on firm foundation
“Today we are a perfect family business,” Dennis Botha, MD and sole shareholder of Industrial Welding Supplies (IWS) says, “and we like it that way.
“IWS was started by my late father, Harry Botha, 55 years ago. His fortitude, marketing and sales expertise, and experience as a fitter and turner got us off to a great start. He was dedicated to great service, and it paid off.”
Among his best customers were the vehicle builder CDA, which was later bought out by Mercedes-benz, the companies located in the harbour, and the huge Eastern Cape farming sector.
“We are proud to still be doing business with Mercedes, the farmers, harbour tenants and many more customers. I think Harry’s work ethic is still among his lasting legacies.”
Harry started IWS in East London in 1967, having moved to the coastal city from the Zambian copper belt. Dennis, a diesel mechanic who trained at Mercedes-benz Training Academy, joined him a while after qualifying, and soon after Harry passed away in 2003 Dennis assumed control.
“We are a very different business today, having really broadened our product and service offering, Induna Plant Hire being one example. But we are still family controlled, with my sons Ross and James now on the payroll.”
Dennis said the core offering was once welding related. The welding was basically the same technology but the sizes of the welding machines were more compact, with increased performance. Consumables had increased hugely in price. For example, 1kg of welding rods used to cost R3 but now they are R150.
“Today we sell or hire a large range of machines and consumables.”
IWS now specialises in rental or sales of welding equipment, welding machines, welding consumables and accessories, plasma cutters, associated engineering equipment and consumables, water pumps, as well as the hire of small machinery and equipment related to the building and engineering industry. Bigger machines, such as concrete mixers, compactors, large rollers, forklifts and many more, are available.
Rentals are daily to monthly, and can be extended for longer.
The company also offers specialised repair and backup services on all products.
“Due to Eskom’s load-shedding, generators are now one of our bigger lines.
“We carry welding goods from A to Z, and if we do not have the item customers require in stock we will source it somewhere in the world for them. And that is not an idle promise.”
The company moved to its own premises in Bowls Road in 1982 where it is housed today. The company has grown and now also has a branch in Mthatha.
Asked if Dennis was likely to extend IWS’S footprint beyond EL and the Mthatha branch, he said it was unlikely.
“While our staff has grown — we now employ nearly 30 people — we are at heart a family business, and bigger is not necessarily better.”