Readers of Endeavour magazine will know that over the last few months Littlegate has tirelessly promoted this important charity event. We are delighted to say that this quality excursion to at Sandown Park provided the perfect opportunity to enjoy a summer’s afternoon of thrilling racing in wonderful surroundings to raise funds to help prevent genocide and war crimes in the world’s poorest countries.

Based on the book Not On Our Watch by John Pendecrast and Don Cheadle,  ‘The Not On Our Watch Project’ was founded by Jerry Weintraub who’s producing credits include Diner, The Karate Kid,  2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s 12 and Ocean’s 13 and Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, David Pressman and George Clooney.  The Not On Our Watch Project team encourage governing bodies of countries to take meaningful and immediate action to protect the vulnerable, marginalized, and displaced. The funds raised on the day will contribute to emergency lifesaving projects to protect those vulnerable families in the war torn areas of Sudan.

Jerry Weintraub with Littlegate Publishings Steve Warman (MD) and Anthony Letumanan (FD) celebrating the success of the Not On Our Watch Raceday and Fundraiser.

Balanced with a day of schmoozing with the whom’s-who of the celebrity world at the Sandown Park and an evening of fun, fashion and frolics the highly prestigious and sought after Brompton Club. The focal point of the South Kensington area, located just around the corner from the Kensington Hotel on a street lined with Lamborghinis, porches, Humvee Stretch Limousines and boutique stores.

One of the highlights of the evening was the modelling/fashion show and later while dancing shoulder to shoulder with television’s bigwigs to know that this was a hearty reward for the hard work put into this important cause.

With a backdrop of Atlantic sunsets, stunning beaches and ultimate surf culture, Boardmasters guarantees to ignite your senses with its stellar line-up and unique festival atmosphere.
Headlining the Main Stage at the spectacular Watergate Bay are acclaimed acts Bassment Jaxx, The Vaccines and Ben Howard. And with a massive 8 stages spanning the Cornish cliff tops, there’s guaranteed to be something for everyone from dance and indie to hard rock and hip-hop.
The phenomenal music line-up boasts the who’s who of the music industry with Radio 1 DJs Benga and MistaJam in residence, alongside The Joy Formidable, Tom Odell, Everything Everything, Delphic, Frightened Rabbit, Grandmaster Flash, XXXY, We Are The Ocean, Miles Kane, Fenech Soler, MJ Cole, Hudson Taylor, Ahab, The Skints, The Breaks Collective, Devolution, Copy Paste Soul and many more…
New additions include electronic pioneers Simian Mobile Disco, veterans of an ever evolving scene with their 2013 album offering ‘Live’ the latest in a career that has spanned the best part of a decade and enchanted dancefloors all over the world.
Joining this phenomenal line up at the almighty Watergate Bay will be North London duo Man Like Me. Dominating dance floors from Dalston to LA, Man Like Me will be filling the Main Stage with their brazen lyrics and ska, grime, garage and indie blend sound.

With this incredible musical feast it’s almost hard to believe you’ll have time to enjoy the rest of the Boardmasters offering…
Gather at Fistral Beach, the surf capital of Cornwall, for sun, sea and surf action as an array of surfers compete in the UK Pro Surf Tour. With an eclectic range of competitive categories, everyone from pro riders to groms can take part in this years competition with the formats to include: Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Men’s Longboard, Pro Junior (Under 20’s), Under 16’s Mixed and Air Show.
Lining Fistral’s sandy shores is the popular beach bar, live music performances, boutique stalls, art installations including surf art, photography and films and top action from the Boardmasters Skate and BMX ramps.
Boardmasters has always been a long-weekend getaway, and now for the first time on offer is an additional camping night, giving you up to 4 nights to enjoy all that Fistral Beach and Watergate Bay has to offer.
Book your tickets now at www.boardmasters.co.uk

Microsoft Studios and the world’s biggest and most renowned publishers unveil blockbuster games lineup for Xbox One, with more exclusive titles coming than any time in the history of Xbox.

Embark on a heroic adventure to seek vengeance across the battlefields of ancient Rome. Fire up the engines in the exhilarating return of the highest-rated racing franchise of the past 10 years.1 Fight for survival in an immersive open world teeming with thousands of undead. Today, on the eve of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft Corp. kick-started a new era of games and entertainment with a stunning lineup of blockbusters for the highly anticipated Xbox One gaming and entertainment system, showcasing why it will be the premier platform to experience the future of games when it launches in 21 markets around the world this November.

Home to the biggest next-generation exclusives

At its E3 press briefing, Microsoft unveiled an unprecedented lineup of world-premiere Xbox One blockbusters from some of the most innovative and celebrated studios on the planet, including 343 Industries, Crytek, Turn 10 Studios, Remedy, DICE, Capcom and Insomniac Games, along with support from virtually every major publisher in the industry.

“Microsoft Studios is committed to making Xbox One the best place to play games, with more titles in development and more exclusives coming than at any time in the history of Xbox,” said Phil Spencer, corporate vice president, Microsoft Studios. “With amazing games such as ‘Forza Motorsport 5,’ ‘Ryse: Son of Rome,’ ‘Dead Rising 3,’ ‘Halo Xbox One,’ ‘Kinect Sports Rivals,’ ‘Project Spark’ and ‘Quantum Break,’ Xbox will continue to lead the industry with the biggest exclusives, new IP and blockbuster franchises that will delight gamers for the next decade and beyond.”

The world’s most visionary developers showcased how they’re leveraging the unrivaled power and performance of Xbox One to bring a new generation of games to life that look and feel like nothing else — fueled by the power of Xbox One, the fidelity of the new Kinect and the expansive power of Xbox Live. Renowned studio Crytek unveiled “Ryse: Son of Rome,” an epic action-adventure story that immerses you in the brutality and intensity of Roman warfare. “Ryse: Son of Rome” extends the gameplay experience with Xbox SmartGlass and Game DVR and lets you command legions with the sound of your voice using Kinect.

Award-winning developer Turn 10 Studios showcased the breathtaking visuals and adrenaline-filled action of “Forza Motorsport 5,” the next installment of the genre-defining racing franchise. Built from the ground up to take advantage of Xbox One and the vast power of the cloud, “Forza Motorsport 5″ features revolutionary Drivatar technology that learns how you and your friends drive, delivering real human behavior and an ever-evolving network of opponents always ready to race — even when they’re not online. Real tendencies, real mistakes.

In addition, Microsoft delighted gamers with the world premiere teaser trailer for “Halo Xbox One,” the next chapter of the award-winning Xbox franchise developed by 343 Industries that will take you on a new journey in the “Halo” universe beginning in 2014.

Other highlights at Microsoft’s briefing included “Dead Rising 3,” the next installment of Capcom’s massively popular zombie franchise coming exclusively to Xbox One that takes open-world action to a whole new level; “Project Spark,” an open-world digital canvas that enables anyone to build, play and share their own worlds, games and stories with millions of others online; and “Sunset Overdrive,” a high-energy open-world shooter set in the not-so-distant future from Insomniac Games that delivers an always-changing gameplay experience with an arsenal of explosive and overpowered weapons.

Home to the best multiplayer and entertainment experiences through Xbox Live Gold

Xbox Live Gold membership offers Xbox One owners a premium service that unlocks a new generation of online gaming and entertainment experiences, including an expanded list of friends that lets you stay connected and play with more people through Xbox Live. Not only does an existing Xbox Live Gold membership for Xbox 360 carry over to Xbox One, you can still join for as low as $5 per month, and now anyone in your home can access most Gold member benefits on your Xbox One at no additional cost.2 Your Gold membership also travels with you wherever you go, turning any console into your own.

For gamers, Xbox Live Gold on Xbox One delivers new benefits that make online gaming with your friends easier and more enjoyable than ever. Xbox Live Gold unlocks Twitch as a built-in experience on Xbox One, allowing gamers to seamlessly broadcast their gameplay as well as view and interact with other live gaming broadcasts.3 Twitch on Xbox One also includes the ability to discover tailored, relevant and inherently social video content that spans everything from e-sports events to user-generated original shows and game walk-throughs. Other benefits of Xbox Live Gold on Xbox One include the following:

Access to the premier multiplayer community. All of your friends can come together on Xbox Live to play the best games for the ultimate bragging rights. Backed by a powerful cloud service, matches are now bigger for games across Xbox One.
No more waiting for matchmaking. Smart Match on Xbox One allows for asynchronous matchmaking, where the system begins looking for your next match while you continue to game, watch TV or listen to music. Smart Match also instantly finds people you want to play with, where your reputation also plays an important role.
Rewards for good reputation. Your new Xbox Live reputation plays a prominent and valuable role by rewarding healthy participation while reducing troublemakers and cheaters. A unified system across Xbox Live and all of your games allows for you to have much more control over who you play with while giving you new and exciting ways to get even more involved in your community.
Ability to record, edit, share and broadcast. With Game DVR and Upload Studio,3 gamers can instantly capture their favorite moments and edit and share them with their friends around the world. With Twitch on Xbox One, a single voice command starts live broadcasting.
Home to the most complete portfolio of world-class blockbusters

The full lineup of Xbox One games unveiled by Microsoft at E3 that showcased the fun, color and immersion of the future of gaming includes the following:

“Battlefield 4″ (DICE, Electronic Arts). DICE ushers in the next era of world-class gaming with “Battlefield 4.” The chaos of all-out war explodes, now with groundbreaking new innovations all running at a smooth 60 frames-per-second on Xbox One. With “Battlefield 4,” the intensity of combat will never be the same.
” Below ” ( Capy Games , Microsoft Studios). “Below” is a classic rogue tale with moody graphics and Kinect technology. You’ll scour the open world in search of rare and special loot while battling the malevolent Darkness, an artificial intelligence-controlled character that uses Kinect to sense and change level progression based on the room’s surroundings.
” Crimson Dragon ” ( Grounding / Land Ho! , Microsoft Studios). Humanity has been driven to the brink of extinction on a colonized planet ruled by dragons. It’s up to you to take control of a powerful dragon and battle for control of the skies in this thrilling flight-based shooter.
” D4 ” ( Access Games , Microsoft Studios). An episodic noir adventure, “D4″ follows the story of a detective with the curious ability to dive back in time. He must use this power to solve his wife’s murder and then try to prevent it from occurring.
“Dead Rising 3″ ( Capcom Vancouver , Microsoft ). Launching in November exclusively for Xbox One, “Dead Rising 3″ marks the return of the wildly popular zombie franchise and introduces a blockbuster open-world action experience that will define a new generation of zombie-slaying mayhem. With intense action, an unmatched level of weapon and character customization, and immersive Xbox SmartGlass and Kinect integration, “Dead Rising 3″ delivers a heart-pounding experience unlike any other as players fight for survival in a massive, open world teeming with thousands of undead.
“Forza Motorsport 5″ (Turn 10 Studios, Microsoft Studios). Launching in November, “Forza Motorsport 5″ is a cinematic automotive journey starring the world’s greatest cars and tracks. Built from the ground up to take advantage of Xbox One and the vast power of the cloud, no game better delivers the wide-eyed thrill of racing.
“Halo Xbox One ” – working title ( 343 Industries, Microsoft Studios). The award-winning franchise continues on Xbox One, beginning in 2014.
“Killer Instinct” ( Double Helix , Microsoft Studios). After nearly a decade, the popular fighting franchise returns to Xbox One with the “Killer Instinct” characters and combos that revolutionized fighting games. “Killer Instinct” is enabled with robust progression and rewards, dynamic challenges customized to player behavior, and predictive matchmaking for seamless competitive fights.
“Kinect Sports Rivals” (Rare, Microsoft Studios). Launching in November, “Kinect Sports Rivals” is the next generation of the best-selling Kinect franchise, “Kinect Sports,” that brings your favorite sports back in re-imagined ways, and delivers new sports, made possible only with Xbox One’s all-new re-engineered Kinect. “Kinect Sports Rivals” puts you in the game like never before, tracks your movements and expressions with incredible accuracy, and offers never-ending competition with your friends and competitors.
“LocoCycle ” (Twisted Pixel , Microsoft Studios). “LocoCycle” takes you on an action-packed adventure only seen on Xbox One with a sentient motorcycle named I.R.I.S and her mechanic, Pablo (who, against his will, is literally being dragged along for the ride). Together, I.R.I.S and Pablo fight for their freedom while facing the Big Arms agents and their secret sentient motorcycle weapon, Spike.
“Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” (Kojima Productions, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.). The concept of this title is “Realistic Espionage Action in an Open World Environment.” Environmental elements like weather and wildlife, and enemies that adapt their strategy to the player’s actions, let players experience a more realistic world. The vast open world environment enhances the thrill and freedom of stealth. Aside from numerous optional missions, there are a variety of gameplay elements that encourage exploration and item-collection outside the main missions.
“Minecraft: Xbox One Edition” (4J/Mojang, Microsoft Studios). “Minecraft: Xbox One Edition” will deliver the “Minecraft” experience to Xbox One. Building off the hugely successful “Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition,” the edition on Xbox One will include larger maps for more complex structures, expanded multiplayer features and enhanced gameplay powered by the Xbox One platform. “Minecraft: Xbox One Edition” will be available within the Xbox One launch window.
“Powerstar Golf” (Zoe Mode, Microsoft Studios). Tee up for fun with “Powerstar Golf” for Xbox One. Whether you’re playing a round to unwind and admire the amazing vistas or a pro trying to climb the leaderboards for bragging rights, it’s time to load up the cart and aim for the green.
“Project Spark ” (Team Dakota, Microsoft Studios). “Project Spark” is an open-world digital canvas that enables anyone to build, play and share whatever they can imagine and create in the game. It’s a powerful, yet simple way to build and play your own worlds, stories and games. Share all of your creations with a dynamic community and play what the community makes. “Project Spark” brings creation to life and presents endless opportunities for play across Xbox One, Windows 8 and Xbox 360.
” Quantum Break” (Remedy , Microsoft Studios). From the creators of “Alan Wake” and “Max Payne” comes a revolutionary entertainment experience that blurs the line between gaming and TV by integrating drama and gameplay into one seamless, uniquely immersive experience. How you play the game impacts the show, and the show informs how you play the game.
” Ryse: Son of Rome ” (Crytek, Microsoft Studios). Coming exclusively to Xbox One in November, “Ryse: Son of Rome” is an immersive action-adventure story of struggle, brutality and heroism, following a fearless Roman soldier named Marius Titus as he seeks to avenge the death of his family and leads an army to save the Roman Empire. “Ryse: Son of Rome” presents a cinematic re-creation of ancient Rome and brings the brutality and intensity of Roman warfare to life in visceral detail, thrusting you into the chaos of close-combat and epic-scale battles.
“Sunset Overdrive” (Insomniac Games, Microsoft Studios). “Sunset Overdrive” is an always-changing, open-world shooter set in the not-so-distant future. A catastrophic event has left your city overrun by mutants. While the majority perish or transform, you flourish. It turns out your calling isn’t picking up trash or serving food, it’s mutant destruction. With an arsenal of explosive, overpowered weapons and a knack for traversing the city with hyperagility, it’s not the end of days for you. Available for future release, your story is just starting.
“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” (CD Projekt RED). “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” is a unique combination of a non-linear story and an open world – a fantasy RPG focused on player choice, tactical combat and an immersive environment. Spinning the tale of Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster hunter, “The Witcher 3″ aims to attract gamers with a mature and compelling narrative told as no other game has before. With over 100 hours of hand-crafted core and side quest gameplay, “The Witcher 3″ redefines the genre and shapes RPGs of the next generation.
“Zoo Tycoon” (Frontier Developments Ltd., Microsoft Studios). The wildly popular “Zoo Tycoon” franchise is coming to Xbox One and Xbox 360 worldwide later this year. Fully re-imagined and featuring a menagerie of beautiful species, reactive gameplay and real calendar tie-in, this zoo simulation will charm “Zoo Tycoon” fans and new players alike.
For more details about the Xbox One games lineup and all the exciting Xbox news at E3, visit news.xbox.com. For press releases and media assets, please visit news.xbox.com/media (select “Choose a Category” to find relevant content).

About Xbox

Xbox is Microsoft’s premier entertainment brand for the TV, phone, PC and tablet. In living rooms or on the go, Xbox is home to the best and broadest games, as well as one of the world’s largest libraries of movies, TV, music and sports. Your favorite games, TV and entertainment come to life in new ways through the power of Kinect, Xbox SmartGlass and Xbox Live, the world’s premier social entertainment network. More information about Xbox can be found online at www.xbox.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

The information contained in this press release relates to a pre-release product that may be substantially modified before its first commercial release. Accordingly, the information may not accurately describe or reflect the product when first commercially released. The press release is provided for informational purposes only, and Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the press release or the information contained in it.

1 Source: Metacritic, May 2003–May 2013
2 $5 per month with 12-month Xbox Live Gold Membership at $59.99; applicable taxes extra. Available Xbox Live features vary across systems. Some Gold benefits cannot be shared on Xbox One; restrictions apply.
3 Upload Studio and Twitch features available with supported games.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.

For assets: news.xbox.com/media.Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.
CONTACT: xboxpress@edelman.com

Web Site: http://www.xbox.com

It will come as no surprise to anyone that Japanese scientists and engineers have come together and made themselves a giant robot suit that you can specifically use to fight against other people wearing a giant robot suit in the calm, genteel streets of Tokyo.
I think this is a good thing.
Honestly, I expected the future to be different than it has turned out to be. Don’t get me wrong I’m thrilled about the accessibility of the bulk of the world’s information through my phone, about biofuels, medical improvements and the ease with which I can order anything at all online. But, and I cannot stress this enough, I have been waiting for the robots.

I see Light Sabres being invented, invisibility cloaks, cloned animals, cloned humans, holographic entertainment, bio-suits and even Spider-Man gloves and at last, we have something to be proud of: robot suits.
(Not bothering to discuss the likes of Iron Man, of whom I have a deep affection for, but alas his suits pales into the realms of just too convenient when placed upon against the robot monstrosities that these engineers in good old- fashioned Japanese style have invented.)

But Donnie, you ask, why are giant robots a good thing?

I want a robot war. I want a complete, all out slug fest of giant robots battling it out in the world’s biggest cities. A steampunk brawl of sparks, screeching metal and flying sidekicks. I want to know what it’s like to be a giant robot that gets thrown bodily through a building and I feel that until I get to use a cruise liner as a sword that I’m just missing out.

And, I’ve always believed that if any nation were up for the challenge of creating something completely unnecessary for the sake of the glory of creating something with a billion moving parts it was the Japanese!

You know that someone is going to buy it and I hope that it’s a villain. I hope he’s a skinny guy with mad grey hair, a monocle and a lab coat who spends every morning sucking on lozengers so he can get that real shrill note in his crazy-villain laugh. I hope he spends billions of illegally gained funds to create a version of said robot that is a hundred feet tall (33 meters) and shaped like a human would be shaped, with rockets, lasers, guns and big robotic hands that convert into plasma canons.

Seeing that strolling through Tokyo and swatting fighter jets out of the sky would be a Youtube video I would watch again and again and again, I would even follow that scientist on Twitter, completely ignoring my “no Following evil villains” rule.
Then I would send him an email saying DON’T GO TO AMERICA, because everything happens to the Americans, a giant, Japanese robot would be lost within the crowd of robots in New York. He’d have to contend with The Avengers, Godzilla and The Transformers…
…Okay, I would send an email to the evil Japanese genius telling him, begging him to take his giant robot to America with the specific intention of finding the Transformers robots, every one of them and pummelling them into scrap!

It would create demand, for giant robots, a race to get the biggest, baddest machine, similar to the technology drive seen in Formula One, but just fun! Thousands of people would have to be employed to properly build a hundred foot robot that was shaped like a human and able to fight like one too. Hydraulics and steel wouldn’t be good enough, not nearly when you consider the amount of funding it took to make THE WHITE ROBOT walk up the stairs!

So engineers would have to mass- produce carbon-nano-fibers which are lighter than steel and basically indestructible, and enhanced fibre optics would be used to replace simple electrics because we’re dealing with very fast conductivity of moving parts here. Computer/brain interfacing would have to be used to deal with the whole control and motability factor because, let’s be realistic here, you can’t expect someone to fight and steer a giant robot with a series of gears and levels can you?

Repair and maintenance as well, an entire fresh industry of robot maintenance, repair and cleaning would pop up to get rid of the bits of debris and dirt that would accumulate in the joints of said robot. All those broken brick, crushed furniture and messy human remains would have to be scraped out of the nooks and crannies to make sure that things run smoothly.
Efficiency you see, this is the key here and the Japanese are perfect for this. Them and the Germans.
Boom, German giant robots! Imagine the designs, the Japanese robots would be all glowing lights, neons, spinning dials and rave music while the German design would be regimented, bare bones and terrifying. The Japanese robots would be the Samurai of the robot world but the super ninja robots will definitely come from the Germans who’ll just be about winning.
So, in conclusion a robot war would generate jobs while potentially sorting out the whole issue of over population in some of our busiest cities.

It would create entirely new industries focussed around how to build giant robots that still look like giant humans and walk like giant humans because facing irrationally difficult challenges is what engineering is about!
The wonderful thing? It is happening; the Japanese have proved themselves to be the kings of making insanity into a reality, and we as a world will ultimately embrace it, as we do with all things Japanese, at first reluctantly and fear and then with open arms. They

changed our cartoons first and now they’ll change our world.
The question is not about whether or not you should want a giant, robot that you can sit in and steer and fight with. The only question is whether or not you want it to be made by the Japanese or the Germans?

www.ranamotors.com
0027 233 30221993

Earthmoving equipment requires specialist tyres, and in the growing West African mining sector, a specialist supplier is expanding to fulfil these needs

Established in 1985, Rana Motors & Metal Works has become a household name in Ghana as the country’s Kia distributorship and also the distributor of Goodyear Tyres. The company is also an authorized distributor for Ashok Leyland Gensets from India as well as being a supplier of industrial products, cranes and heavy machinery.
More recently, however, as Ghana has evolved from its early dependency on timber and cocoa to a mining-dominated economy, Rana Motors has used its Goodyear connections to good effect and has evolved itself into a high class supplier of tyres and services for earthmoving equipment.
“About ten years ago we decided to get into mining tyres in a big way,” says Vibi Chandra, regional manager for West Africa. “We already had the distributorship for Goodyear, and Goodyear is one of the world’s top three in tyres for earthmoving equipment, so we decided we should try to build something very professional in this market.
“Until we came onto the scene, the entire earthmoving tyre sector in West Africa consisted of one UK-based supplier and service provider who took care of the whole business. So we invested quite heavily into the whole range of tyres that are used within the mining sector and in parallel to support the field we invested in service provision, too. We started off in a small way, supplying just one mine, but now we have reached a stage where we are supplying most of the mining companies within West Africa.”
The company now supplies tyres and services from Ghana all the way up to Mauritania, with established offices in Burkina Faso and Mali and another about to open in Sierra Leone in the next two or three months. But although the name Rana is well known in Ghana it is not known in other countries in West Africa. “So we decided to rename the West African operations of Rana Motors as West Africa Tire Services,” explains Chandra. “So today West Africa Tire Services is the general distributor for Goodyear earthmoving tyres all over West Africa.”
Investment in tyres for earthmoving equipment is not for the faint-hearted, however. As a composite tyre distributor West Africa Tire Services will carry stock all the way from forklift tyres to those fitted to the biggest mining trucks. “On average we would stock roughly 70 to 80 lines of tyre sizes, and each of those sizes may have two or three different types of tyres, so effectively we would have something like 200 or 300 different tyres in stock.” At an average cost of $20,000 to $30,000 per tyre, that’s a sizeable investment in anyone’s book.
“We are now considered to be one of the top suppliers of earthmoving tyres in West Africa and now we want to raise our game to world class standards,” says Chandra, “so we’re now looking at how we can get better in the field of tyre management, etc.
“In order to give a complete package to a client we try and work from a solution providing angle,” he explains. The original model in the mining industry was for the mining companies to fit their own tyres, but it takes special knowledge and expertise to fit and maintain these kinds of tyres, and that’s how the company got into the business of tyre management services. “It’s essential that these tyres are looked after from the time they are fitted until they are ready for the scrapyard. We undertake this responsibility through our tyre management units. They fit the tyres, keep the rims clean, maintain the right inflation pressures, monitor the tyres for pressure fluctuations and check for abnormalities, so the tyre management units take care of the tyre from the cradle to the grave.”
Finding skilled employees has been one of the company’s major challenges, and it still depends on expatriate staff for technical expertise. “It’s difficult to get local people with experience so we recruit young people and teach them how to do the job properly from the beginning,” says Chandra.
Africa is full of challenges and another one is logistics. Sometimes there are delays getting goods moving out of the ports, and that has a knock-on effect on the level of stock that has to be kept. Supplying tyres from Ghana to other countries in West Africa is not always straightforward either. “There’s no standardisation of customs formalities between countries in West Africa,” says Chandra, “and that causes problems too.”
In terms of the company’s future development, however, Chandra is in no doubt that earthmoving tyres are the way forward. “We believe that economies in West Africa are going to continue to be mining intensive for the foreseeable future,” he says. “Countries in West Africa are blessed with huge reserves of gold, iron ore, bauxite and uranium and we don’t see any slowdown in the sector.
“The multinational mining companies who are operating in West Africa expect world class standards from their local suppliers and service providers, so we see plenty of opportunities for us to expand. Our target is to be recognised as a world class service provider, to bring ourselves up to the standard expected by the multinational mining companies in other parts of the world.”
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Over the last handful of years Parmalat SA has been the pioneering hero of the dairy industry, successfully overcoming a number of hurdles that would have ended less dedicated, focussed and confident businesses. With new developments taking place year upon year keep this major player in the South African Dairy industry has stayed ahead of the game throughout. We spoke with Operations Manager Riaan Van Greuning about some of the reasons for this continuous growth.

DAY TO DAY

“Focusing on day-to-day operations and time management has made a huge difference to our fortunes,” Riaan explains, “Flavour extensions for current products to help keep consumers interested and a pipeline of new products coming in means that we have a very strong and clear idea of where we’re going in the future.”

With a strong research and development department working together with the marketing team to establish the continuous current and future tastes of customers, things would seem to be looking very rosy for Parmalat following a period of deep concern for the brand following the European scandal that hit the news. On a global scale it was the biggest milkshake of the time, Parmalat went into administration and in the ensuing turn-around strategy South Africa emerged among the core operations.

“Since then we have grown from strength to strength and remain very strong. Following that we became a subsidiary of the French group Lactalis and we have adopted a number of their procedures and approaches with fantastic results,” Riaan attests, “We are now exposed to and have the opportunity to work with international product specialists, and there’s a lot of focus on Parmalat and the growth in all parts of Africa.”

One of the things that Lactalis has offered is a new model on day to day operations. This fresh perspective has offered them a new course of efficiency and productivity.

NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Well known for its Award-winning cheeses marketed under the Parmalat, Simonsberg and Melrose brands, iconic flavoured milks like Steri Stumpie and a range of yoghurts and long-life milks, butter, ice cream, cream and fruit juice there is still an uphill battle in the South African market to overcome traditional tastes and concepts.

“Dairy consumption in SA is less than it is in other parts of the world, like Europe, Australia and North America,” Riaan explains, “Cheese has been for a long time a mainstay of our business but one of the biggest pushes we have at the moment is in the area of flavoured milk.”

“Flavour extensions, product changes, revamping of packaging and a pipeline of ideas and developments are important to keep the consumer interested,” Riaan explains, “But we have also invested a substantial market capital into flavour milks and yoghurts, Now that we have the additional know-how and the intellectual property we are more able to produce top end products with an above standard quality at affordable rates.”
The challenge is that with milk, the per capita consumption remains low, and this has been put down to the communication to the public on the benefits of dairy products. One of the ways that Parmalat South Africa is approaching this is by engaging with South African companies on the importance of dairy consumption on a day to day basis.

Strategies here include customer surveys, new marketing techniques and a major focus on flavoured milk and the yogurt market. “Recently we have launched a number of new products and have more on the way. Overall we are looking to new innovations and creating new energy around yoghurt, milk, and flavoured milk consumption.”

As operations manager Riaan Van Greuning’s role has all of the South African production plants reporting to him. Although he may not be directly involved in the development behind the products he is the one responsible for turning ideas into a reality. He accredits the hard work and wise advice from their new partners for the success.

“The Lactalis approach is one of openness,” he explains, “They see the development and growth of an industry as important to everyone within that industry and so don’t hold anything back when giving advice and assistance.”

OPTIMIZING OURSELVES

Already exporting though its agents to other African countries from Lesotho to Ghana, Parmalat SA have products reaching out to the Far East including China and it is a complex chain of dairy farmers, factories, warehousing, distribution hubs and a delivery fleet of 300 trucks that support this fast growing machine. But as part of their new approach there is a constant question of how they can do better, a determined kaizen philosophy.

Now, this is not a new mentality for them, Parmalat has always striven to improve themselves and this constant quest has created excellent supplier/customer relationships benefitting from a loyal staff force and clients including the likes of Shoprite, Checkers, Pick ‘n Pay and Woolworths. However as input costs continue to rise as much as 9% a year and raw materials rising up to 20% it has taken a strategic change to help reduce internal costs so as not to effect external prices.

“One thing we will never lower is our quality,” Riaan emphasizes strongly, “So we’ve looked at new ways to increase internal efficiency and when Lactalis came on board we were able to introduce a fresh model of employee engagement.”

In 2010 Parmalat introduced a global benchmarking system called ’Twenty Keys’ aimed at engaging engage and training employees, speaking a common language throughout the business and Riaan believes this has been a component in their subsequent and prominent success.

“Some of this may sound basic. But if you want to implement something at a shop floor level where for example literacy and numeracy is a problem, these tools are extremely important since they use pictures but also world class practices. I see huge improvement in many of the keys and we are sharing these successes with other companies.”

Aligned with this and against the national backdrop of major skills shortages, Parmalat has created a large, well structured development programme for its 2,000 employees. Which has had a positive effect on efficiency improvement.

The inward focus and development has not stopped simply at employee training but has taken on a whole new level of scrutiny.

“One of the key things that we are doing is identifying and researching every component of milk and it’s production,” he says, “To remain the leaders we need to be ahead of our competition and the whole way is to have a better understanding of our product.”

This has had them analysing every step of their process from the farming, to their manufacturing and production, to marketing, packaging and logistical delivery.

“How can we capitalize on milk? Is This is the question we are asking ourselves at every step now,” Riaan says, “It is one of the key thrusts behind all of our latest developments and will be a key component to further enhance our future direction.”

“Improvement, development and growth this is what we’re about,” Riaan concludes.

 
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Since its inception in April 2005, Makgetsi Construction has been the number one choice for private institutions and local municipalities for almost 10 years.

Based in Trazneen, the wholly black-owned company provides various construction services such as land development, general housing, water and sewer reticulation, training and communications, community facilitation and capacity building.

People power

Makgetsi Construction’s Managing Director Manthata Makgetsi Lordwick Samson and CEO Mahalefa Reginah Sekibela are proud of the company’s market position, but still recognise the importance of its employees, the wider community and industry associations.

“We are extensively involved in civil works and now have developed interests in social upliftment, empowerment and the transfer of skills to communities,” they say. “The company interacts, networks and forms joint ventures and consortiums with other groups, organisations and companies with a view to skills transfer.”

The importance of relationships

For Makgetsi Construction, forming connections and entering into partnerships is not limited to just one particular project. Networking and collaboration is a common occurrence that not only promotes best practices for the company, but also results in successful projects, completed on time to the highest standards possible.

“We form linkages with complementary professionals in multi-disciplinary projects and are committed to long-term relationships with clients based on excellence, professionalism, honesty, as well as shared expertise,” note Makgetsi and Sekibela.

“We provide total quality, cost-effective and timely solutions, and products to satisfy the business needs of its customers.”

Latest developments

Makgetsi Construction also strives to stay ahead of the game when it comes to current trends, with construction legislation, technological advancements and quality control being three areas of particular importance.

“The company professes good civil works, integrity, efficiency and the use of appropriate cutting-edge technology to yield the most cost-effective results in all assignments,” according to Makgetsi’s directors.

Award winning

In recognition for its industry influence, market position and completed projects, Makgetsi Construction has received several impressive accolades over the past few years. The company was the 2009 CIDB winner in the under 6CEPE category for the Limpopo Provincial and two years later, won Builder of the Year at the 2011 SACA Awards.

Testament to the company’s faith and belief in employee power, Makgetsi’s very own Mahalefa Reginah Sekibela has also received industry acknowledgement. In 2009, the company’s CEO received an Excellence Award in Construction for medium contractor businesses.

At the ceremony in August that year, various industry professional praised the influence women had in a difficult and technically challenging workplace. CEO of the Construction Industry Development Board Ronnie Khoza said that it was important for women like Sekibela to take advantage of existing opportunities and build a solid infrastructure for South Africa.

Happy Ralinal, head of First National Bank in Limpopo, emphasised the growing power of women in various professions and echoed the principals that has made Makgetsi Construction so successful. “Cultivating a good relationship with your relationship manager is one of the most critical ingredients of your business,” she said.

Lois Hardy, the Speaker of Polokwane municipality, also called women entrepreneurs like Sekibela “the true nation-builders of our country through your efforts in building houses, roads and other forms of infrastructure.”

Looking forward

The future certainly looks bright for Makgetsi Construction, who recently secured a contract to upgrade the Limpopo Highway for Greater Tzaneen Municipality.

If the company continues to work closely with the local community, carries out work to the same exacting standards and receives recognition from those in authority, success is all but guaranteed.

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Comprehensive protection and security solutions across the Caribbean

By Christopher Davies

Established in 1983, Amalgamated Security Services Limited (ASSL) has been fulfilling the security needs of the business, private and government sectors throughout the region for thirty years.

With a vast portfolio of products and services which includes human and asset protection, electronic security, integrated systems, vehicle tracking, off-site data storage, human guarding and cash services to name but a few, ASSL provides the customer with comprehensive security solutions.

Headquartered in Macoya, ASSL has more than 3,000 employees, a fleet of 250 vehicles and strategically positioned offices throughout the Caribbean.

Unique selling point

With a far-reaching footprint, a dedicated workforce and numerous security solutions, Regional Development Director Brian Ramsey believes that ASSL differentiates itself from other security providers for various reasons.

“There is not one single unique selling point, in fact there are several,” he asserts. “If a customer comes to us because they need a solution like guarding services, he or she is also aware that with issues like cash, employees or investigations, they can turn to us. It gives customers an assurance that we are a security one-stop-shop solution.”

ASSL is also devoted to answering difficult customer questions whatever the particular problem might be. “Even if we don’t have the answers or resources in-house, we have relationships with associations and institutions to find a solution,” notes Ramsey. “We have highly responsive management teams, in St Lucia, Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad, whose primary focus is on customer satisfaction and quality assurance.”

Industry specific services

With a customer base that includes hotels, schools, residential properties and financial institutions, ASSL is able to provide tailor-made security services for various industries. “Our staff have the experience of dealing with a wide variety of situations and customer types,” notes Ramsey. “Our guarding operations are responsible for the protection of more than sixteen billion US dollars annually.”

With an in-depth understanding of the region, ASSL is on-hand to provide extensive protection for the most significant industries.

“Tourism is of particular importance on many of the islands being the main foreign currency earner and employing a large segment of the population,” adds Ramsey. “We provide hotels with international best practice with an understanding of Caribbean circumstances.”

ASSL’s strong and long-lasting relationship with regional governments is also testament to the company’s professional business operation. For many years, ASSL has provided services that include cash handling, response and patrol, electronic security and prisoner transportation.

Secret to success

In addition to being well and truly dedicated to its customer base, ASSL also believes in employee empowerment. Numerous members of staff have been with the organisation for an extremely long time and ASSL recognises this loyalty, helping the workforce progress and increase their skill set. This is one of the many reasons why ASSL has remained successful for several decades.

“Our objective is to have staff that are committed both to ASSL and the customer and who believe the job provides them with a long-term future,” notes Ramsey. “We therefore are not only concerned with the recruitment process but also with the employee’s welfare.

“We make the effort to upgrade the scales of an individual in the organisation. Because of training, there are opportunities to improve, so employees stay with us. We have an extended institutional memory within the organisation that helps us in situations we have faced before. This is one reason for the success of the business.”

Employee recognition

It is also important for ASSL to acknowledge the daily contribution employees are making, which is why the company holds an annual awards ceremony exclusively for members of staff.

“Employees want to feel that the management and organisation appreciate their efforts,” reveals Ramsey. “The award ceremony is there to demonstrate, not only to the winning recipients, that ASSL recognises hard work and endeavour.”

Along with awards handed out to long serving personnel and outstanding employees at this year’s suit and tie gala event, ASSL’s workforce also enjoyed entertainment from singers and comedians.

Recent developments

One of the most significant recent developments for ASSL has been the introduction of polygraph testing. “In certain instances, it is very difficult to tell if someone is telling the truth,” asserts Ramsey. “So one thing we have done internally is polygraph testing and we now recognise the value of this method.”

So much so that ASSL believes this new form of protection can be yet another security service the company provides to its clients. “We have recently sent staff abroad to be trained and certified as examiners. So we can now offer these services in recruitment exercises or for investigation purposes.”

The future

Looking forward, ASSL believes its knowledge and expertise of security services has huge potential in markets outside of the Caribbean. This wealth of experience is easily transferable and can be of huge benefit to a brand new customer base.

Ramsey says: “Our systems and methods of operation, the way we interact with customers and build relationships is something we can take elsewhere and use in successfully building a business elsewhere. We have found that our methods of operations are different to other businesses in the market. Our customers see these differences and how they are beneficial.”

ASSL has been monitoring markets in South America for several months and is now in the regulatory approval process for a new venture in Guyana.

Besides expansion in a regional sense, the company is also looking to grow its range of products and services. “We are slowly building our investigative capacity which began last year,” says Ramsey. “We also expect our services for burglary and fraud will be expanded.

“Computer forensics and networking security is going to become a big part of our business as well. We are not yet sure whether this will be through organic growth or acquisitions, but fully expect this will feature in our business portfolio within the next five years,” concludes Ramsey.

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