More about some of us
There is a published contact web page that should very quickly guide those unfamiliar with our business to where they can be helped or receive the information they seek. This section that follows is a complement to that list and provides a wider set of names and more general background on people with whom cusatomers are most likely to interact.
Factory and Production Management
This is where pretty much all the real action happens. This is the heart of the business. More than once we have had to inform the ignorance of misguided, well-suited, apparently educated, but in the end generally decent folk that we look at traditional rank very differently to most. Every role and position in Reliable has its own set of internal customers that they must service and satisfy in the manner in which we all expect external customers to be treated.
To emphasize this, we have a policy that ANY individual joining the business, whose duties are providing a service in support of Production (which covers ALL office bound functions from HR, Procurement, Finance, etc) must spend at least their entire first month (and if they don't earn the respect of the factory staff it will be longer), working shoulder to shoulder with the factory staff. Because it is here where these people ensure that those things that customers actually need and want, and are willing to pay for, are produced and manufactured.
So our most educated, presentable and clean staff, with Law and Marketing and Finance Degrees, and lots of letters behind their names, know that they work for the peoduction staff. Their salaries are paid because of what factory workers guillotine, lazer, mill, turn, work harden, machine, polish, and heat treat, The very existence in the business, of an accountant, a lawyer, an HR or compliance officer, is made possible because of the actual output and production of these men and women.
Caroline Radov
Head of Production
Caroline earned her degree in Astrophysics decades ago, but has always worked as a problem solver in manufacturing. Caroline's duties and responsibilities can be summarised as doing that which is necessary to ensure that Production can fulfil whatever commitment has been made to our customers. Caroline works very closely with her factory supervisors and together they guide disparate parts of the business to do their bidding. Caroline and her team are the organic version of Production Planning and Scheduling, that ERP systems try in vain to replicate.
CArolines's day begins and ends with the her team assessing the current flow of value through the workshop, (not how busy people are!), as we believe that the Lean Philosophy is built on two key enablers - Continuous Improvement by People whose opinions and duties are Respected. The factory staff do not have any cell phones policy restricting when they can communciate with the outside world, nor are there any imposed rules on smoke or toilet breaks. Self management is encapsulated in a single promise Look after the business, and the business will look after you!. Carolines's view on life has been enhanced by her experience as a cancer survivor.
Aubrey Raphotle & Maxwell Matamwa
Job and Quality Co-ordinators
Aubrey and Max epitomise the maturing millenial generation-Ys to whom generation-X (and some Boomers??) should be in
the process of transitioning far more responsibility and control of instituitional domains and structures. This millenial generation is equipped
with the technical understanding and insights, communiciation skills (both written and verbal) complemented by a broader set of attitudes and behaviors
that an integrated world demands.
Aubrey was one of the youngest individuals in the factory (under the age of 30!) when he was first given key responsibilities and oversight duties,
complemented by the steady and meticulous older hands of Max they co-ordinate and manage the day to day delivery activities.
In a traditional society where tenure and age do matter, they have managed to allow the new ways of working, quality management system demands and ISO standards to be integrtaed into the factory
with great success.
Bahle Shongwe & Nicholas & Thulani
Control and Dispatch
Between the three of them, they control EVERYTHING entering (Spring Steel, Stainless Steel, Inconel, Toolsteel etc ) or leaving (Product for Heat Treatment or Surface Treatment, or finished Product either being delivered or collected), and will not allow non-conforming inputs (anything used in production) or outputs (the products we produce) to get past them if they are not satisfied with the quality of the item itself or the accompanying documentation thereof (delivery note, purchase order, invoice, quality management artefacts). Bahle is responsible for materials management, whilst Nicholas is responsible for 3rd party service provider load preparation, for example Heat Treatment or surface treatment. Thulani has oversight of just Disc springs and wedge lock washers. Nicholas & Thulani also ensure that all paperwork accompanying any package leaving the premises and all Quality Management paperwork associated with a particular job, are returned for review and then filing to ensure traceability.
Evans Mafate
Deliveries and Collections
Evans is arguably the most visible ambassador for our business and he faces situations daily that would try the patience of a saint. Evans is part of the old guard that have more than 20 years of continous service with the business.
Zander Smit
Sales & Operations Co-ordinator
Despite his youth, and thanks to a 5 year stint at MacSteel where he ended up managing
their draughting team, Zander is au-fait with all the popular CAD packages. After MacSteel Zander moved into Profile and Laser cutting, and this is where he first
encountered Reliable, where he inherited us as one of his customers. Over a number of years he really did get our
attention by always providing the most diligent, honest, valuable service. When Zander and his wife were starting off
their family, with the arrival of Miane, Reliable was only to happy to take him on.
Zander has specific duties that track the embedding of our Quality Management System into the day to day BAU activities of the business,
he has first line of sight on prioritising Continuous Improvement opportunities, is business lead for many R&D propjects we conduct, and specialises in Conical Disc Springs & additive manufacturing, particulalry 3D printing.
Back Office, Finance, Supplier Management & Procurement
Every single person who works in a supporting role for our factory and production, MUST spend at least one month before they switch on a laptop or make a call.
Jessica Erens
Tax and Accounting
Jessica is based in Stellenbosch just outside of Cape Town. After graduation with a B.Comm from Potchefstroom
she worked at Ernst & Young, then Barclays Business Banking and then was the Finance Manager at PGBI Group Construction.
She is responsible for accounting, tax and cash management. Jessica provides discipline and over-sight to the business and
ensures the business complies with the highest accounting standards and good governance.
Jessica trained and competed at the highest level in the swimming pool, and she brings this same discipline to our business.
Kim
Debitors and Credit Management
Kim must have one of the more thankless jobs at Reliable. When statements don't reconcile or delivery notes are missing, she is the one that deals with things. Likewise on those occassional instances where creditors let us down, she is the one that makes contact. She also makes sure that any injury on duty is compliant with the needs of the fund and that our staff get the best treatment available in the country.
Our Leadership
Culture beats Strategy, hands down, every time! We see the key role of any leader to be the creation and fostering of an enabling environment that will help production meet their obligations to our clients without jeopardizing health or causing harm elsewhere. We have an inverted structure and We work for those that report to us The Workshop manager is there to remove all reasonable impediments and obstacles that might interfere with production.
Julian Wright
Custodian of Value
At 6ft6, Julian is hard to miss around the office, and with a semi-professional basketball background, it is easy to see where the height and competitive edge come from. He brings that same energy to his work, combining finance, operations, strategy, and governance to help businesses grow with clarity, discipline, and purpose.
Growing up in Port Elizabeth and being closely connected to family-owned and run businesses for many years gave Julian an early understanding of entrepreneurship, resilience and the realities of building a business from the ground up. His career has since extended across manufacturing, property, consulting and a range of entrepreneurial ventures, underpinned by a B.Com in Accounting, postgraduate studies in Business, and a Master's in Business Administration.
At Reliable, Julian is closely involved in financial oversight, operational improvement and strategic execution, always with an eye on long-term value and sustainable growth. Outside of work, he is a devoted husband and unapologetically obsessed with his dog.
Nico Jacobs
Chairman of the Board
Nico represents Reliable's BEE shareholders and provides board over-sight for the business. Nico holds a non-executive position in Reliable, but facilitates many of the strategic projects and new business development initiatives. Nico has held executive positions in various blue chip companies across Retail, Financial Services, FMCG and Telecommunications. He also holds personal interests in multiple business ventures across Commercial Property, Hospitality, Software, Manufacturing, Branding and Gifting. Much of the culture Reliable Pressings has adopted, and is developing, as in the manner in which it conducts itself with all our stakeholders and interested parties, emanates from Nico's foundational belief in the importance of pursuing a Noble Purpose and serving our community.
Ivan Uttley
Managing Director and Head of Product Development & Quality Management
Ivan has a B.Sc Engineering degree from UCT, and an MBA from INSEAD in France, and various odd qualifications from Wharton & Caltech, like Gamification and Astro-physics. His 30 year career has taken him from New York to Toyko, and from London to Johannesburg with Paris, Houston and Frankfurt in between. He has worked in a wide range of businesses including automotive, defense engineering, banking, insurance, eCommerce and IT services. He has extensive experience in strategy, business management, business restructurings and process engineering. Ivan is the custodian of Reliable Pressings' Quality Management, conformance to ISO 9001/2015 standards and continuous improvement activities. He is accountable for Reliable Pressings' quarterly business performance and with an eye on strategies to help the business naviagate a demanding, competitive and risky world, he personally guides, oversees and verifies the implementation of specific tactics and actions, in lines with the business' strategy.
Position Vacant - Business Development
This is a key position that we have struggled to find any suitable candidates for. If you know somebody that you think fitsd with us culturally and is up for a challenge - please act.