Entrepeneurs in Richards Bay

Increasing demand for services gives rise to new office

After servicing the Richards Bay area for 10 years, brisk demand for dust monitoring has justified the opening of a formal ECOSERV branch in the Richards Bay CBD.

“Our business in Richards Bay has grown substantially over the last year,” says local office and quality manager Venetia Mitchell.

Impetus to the growth stems from two main areas – exposure to businesses through the Richards Bay Clean Air Association (RBCAA), and ECOSERV's integration with AER.

“We perform particulate and general environmental monitoring for businesses such as Richards Bay Minerals, the Richards Bay Coal Terminal and Mondi. And as their information requirements expand, so too does our business, helping monitor their environmental performance,” says Venetia .

It was Venetia 's considerable success in growing her client base beyond the Clean Air Association that convinced ECOSERV MD Quentin Hurt to respond to her motivation for a formal base. Venetia , who has also diversified by attaining a B. Tech in Management, put her motivational skills to work. Ecoserv entrepeneurial culture and support for internal growth proposals, welcomed the prospect.

“There is work for us in Richards Bay ; but until now we have been reluctant to engage,” says Quentin. “Now Venetia has put forward a credible business plan. We are bringing in more staff and will gear the branch to the needs of local clients by having a gravimetric laboratory on site.”

The lab – which consists of a weighing room, humidifier, balances, calibration facilities, oven and filtration equipment – means all dust analysis can be performed on site.

“The lab is very exciting,” says Venetia . “Instead of shipping samples back to Durban and Johannesburg for analysis, we can process them here and turn around results far quicker.”

Venetia has been operating from a home-base for almost 5 years, and is looking forward to presenting a more official face of ECOSERV.

“The office will put us in a good light with clients,” says Venetia . “We will be more visible and clients can visit us in a professional environment. We also don't have any space limitations - in fact, once the gravimetric lab is running smoothly, we will be looking to expand the lab to support stack and occupational hygiene sampling and testing.”

The office will comprise up to four staff members initially, among them new technician Lindiwe Khumalo, and will be used as a base by visiting staff from Durban .

Venetia will continue to devote most of her energies to the running of the Clean Air Association. “But the office gives us a separate presence and clients will recognize that we offer services other than continuous air monitoring.”

Once the office is up and running early next year, Venetia will pursue her next goal – of doubling business in Richards Bay in 12 months.

“ Richards Bay is expanding at a phenomenal rate,” she says. “The challenge will be to balance development with considered, data-backed information on air quality and to protect the health of employees. There's huge potential for us to increase our market share. Ecoserv ( Richards Bay ) will be proceeding carefully to ensure that we grow our business but never compromise the work we have done with the RBCAA. We are proud of our association with Richards Bay , its industries and community representatives. We believe our establishment underlines our commitment to the well-being of this city.”

“We have great faith in Venetia's ability to steer our ship in Richards Bay ,” said Quentin. “She has proven herself with the RBCAA and we are certain that she will do as well, if not better, representing Ecoserv in this critical area. We look forward to participating in the growth of this venture and seeing our relevance increase in Richards Bay and northern kwaZulu-Natal .”

ECOSERV's new Richards Bay contact details are Haiti Mall, Unit 7, Ground Floor; tel (035) 7895082, fax: (035) 789 5194.