Giant strides for small company.(News)

A SMALL engineering company in Mkondeni, outside Pietermaritzburg, hit the high road last week when it was awarded an ISO 9001:2000 (International Standards Organisation) certification from the South African Bureau of Standards.

It certifies that the quality management systems at the company has been assessed to satisfy the requirements of the ISO 9001:2000 quality managment systems in respect of general precision and production engineering.
The managing director of Maritzburg Engineering CC, Ronnie Chetty, 52, said he endured rough terrain over the "dark days of apartheid" and was chuffed over his recent accomplishment through "sheer determination and perseverance".
"In those days it was not easy to be an apprentice in the engineering trade. Only one company took apprentices back then but the waiting period to make the cut was a long one," said Chetty, of Paradise Drive, Orient Heights.
After matriculating from Woodlands Secondary in 1972, and a two-year wait, Chetty completed his apprenticeship at Conac Engineering and worked for numerous companies before "I decided to empower myself".
He attended night classes at Pietermaritzburg Technical College where he studied mechanical engineering after he was initially rejected as a student as the college only catered for whites.
Chetty, a father of two, said his frustration grew after he was promised and then denied a vacancy as a pupil engineer after his qualification by a local reputed company.
"But this fell by the wayside. During apartheid, jobs were reserved for whites, despite me having the required credentials and qualifications. At that time, I vowed I would become my own boss."
In 1984, he established Maritzburg Engineering CC.
"I met George Burnside, who is now late, a former director at a production engineering company, by chance, who stood guarantor on my business initaitve after the banks refused to help me."
Later, Bob Evans (Chetty's former employer at Scottish Cables), the late Flynn Chetty and Duggie Chetty (his brothers) joined the team and "we set the machines rolling, producing top quality goods".
As time progressed, the work standards improved and with technological advancements, business flourished. Maritzburg Engineering CC started with a lathe (metal cutting) and milling machines in a shed at Spearhead Rice Mills, in Willowton.
"We were initially supported by local footwear factories, which were booming in the 80s, oil and textile mills and cable manufacturers. Today, we have 30 employees and have purchased our own premises in Mkondeni. We service companies from Newcastle to Richards Bay and have trained apprentices since 1985, all of whom have passed their trade tests at the first attempt. We have continued to up-grade our machinery and we are one of the first smaller companies to invest in 10 CNC (computer numerical control) machines, a massive investment for a company of our size.
"We have also invested in gear cutting machinery and a fabrication workshop."
Chetty said the company received a boost when his daughter, Trusha Pillay, 27, who has a degree in business administration and a diploma in purchasing management, joined, after Evans retired two years ago, and she purchased his shares.
He said his wife, Pam, 46, a company administration manager, was his pillar of strength.
He has another 23-year-old daughter Letishia, a final year Bachelor of Commerce student at the University of KwaZulu Natal.