Bulldog Abrasives Southern Africa

BRIEF HISTORY

Bulldog Abrasives Southern Africa was established in 1995 to act as the sole distributor in Sub Saharan Africa for Mirka abrasives in the automotive industry. Mirka is one of the five largest abrasive manufacturers in the world. The business was acquired by the present management in 1997.

Our philosophy is to provide a total solution to each industry in which we operate by supplying a complete range of competitively priced quality products and service and support of the highest caliber. In line with this philosophy the product range of the company was extended immediately by adding polishes and a wide range of related accessories to provide a total solution to the automotive industry. The business grew exponentially and we have become the leading supplier of abrasives and accessories to the automotive industry in Southern Africa.

The company further introduced a complete range of abrasives and allied products for the industrial, woodworking, DIY and composites markets. In 2006 it commissioned a belt manufacturing plant to produce abrasive belts locally thereby assuring both quality and affordability of this key product.

OUR MISSION

Bulldog Abrasives Southern Africa will become the primary supplier of abrasives, polishes and allied products to the automotive, woodworking, industrial, DIY and composites markets in Sub Saharan Africa with a range of high quality competitively priced products, exceptional after sales service and technical support and its network of committed efficient and dedicated distributors.

OUR CULTURE
Our customers EXPECT MORE in every facet of their dealings when they transact with Bulldog Abrasives. It is a culture which commits us to consistently deliver excellence.

VALUE ADDED
In addition to providing our distributors and end users with a competitively priced total solution for their needs we also add by

Introducing new ideas
providing technical support
providing ongoing sales support and after sales service
training staff both in the field and in formal training facilities
introducing innovative products
engaging in joint marketing
minimizing your stock holdings

OUR "PARTNERS"
We regard both our suppliers and distributors as partners in our future.

OUR DISTRIBUTORS
We are the sole distributors for our entire product range throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

It is our policy to appoint only a limited number of strong, efficient, loyal and dedicated distributors to sell and support our products in each territory. They have a similar culture and work ethic to ensure quality service and support for our customers from start to finish.

Bulldog Abrasives Southern Africa has an exceptionally powerful team of distributors in Southern Africa.
We are currently looking for distributors in Central and North Africa.

OUR SUPPLIERS
We currently have 14 principal overseas suppliers .Their assistance has been invaluable and a major factor in our success.

OUR TEAM

"The important thing to recognise is that it takes a team, and a team ought to get credit for the wins and losses. Successes have many fathers, failures have none." Martin Luther King Jnr.

Bulldog Abrasives Southern Africa is run by a young and dynamic management team supported by exceptionally well trained technical and sales staff to ensure the highest level of support and service for distributors and end users.

OUR TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

The construction of our training and development centre is well under way. We anticipate that it will be completed and launched by the end of February 2009.

The centre will be one of a kind in our industry in Africa and possibly in the world. It is being established primarily to equip unskilled labourers with skills to enable them to seek employment in any of the automotive, industrial, woodworking or DIY industries. It will provide them with a real opportunity to find gainful employment and contribute to the Southern African economy.

There will be a unique theory training room looking on to a spray both. The room is designed to accommodate 24 trainees at a time who will each receive weeks of comprehensive training. The centre will also be equipped with state of the art audio visual technology and equipment to ensure that the trainees receive exceptional instruction, education and on the job training.

The centre will also have a canteen to cater for the trainees and will be fully air conditioned to ensure that they are bodily and mentally at their peak so they maximize their knowledge intake.

Our instructors will be highly experienced hands on people who will not only impart their technical and hands on skills but will also provide the trainees with specific knowledge for all of the products we supply.

Each of our major suppliers will have its own display booth with its entire range of products on display. The booths will each have televisions and digital video facilities to run educational programs on our products. Naturally the centre will be extremely useful for both existing and new distributors and end users and will ensure they are using our entire product range optimally and are aware of all products in our range.

The centre will be approved and endorsed by the relevant Government educational and training authorities so that the courses receive official recognition and qualify for training grants for employers who send their staff for training. The cost of building the 1200 square meter training facility is significant and our final cost estimate is between R4 and R5 million. We have attached an artist's impression of what the training centre will look like when complete.

The monthly costs of running the centre will also be significant bearing in mind the cost of the rental, salaries of instructors, energy, materials, maintenance, catering, upkeep etc.

The long term benefits will however be significant for all and to the future of the industry. By equipping otherwise unemployed people with skills to enable them to earn a living and feed their families we will also help to prevent a shortage of skills in the industry. We will naturally assist both trainees to find employment and distributors and end users to source specifically trained employees.

The centre will also be available by pre-arrangement for our distributors and customers to use to host conferences.