BOLT Engineering November Newsletter

2022hasbeenamomentousonefortheB.E.D. Group.Asacompany,wehavejoinedtherestofthe country,andtheworld,inmovingoutofthepandemic phase,andwehavehappily‘rolledupoursleeves’and returnedtowork.Asweapproachtheendoftheyear, wecelebratedamilestoneoccasionintheformofour 39thbirthdayonthefirstofNovember,whenwealso beganour40thyearoftrading. Wearesopleasedtosharethiscelebratorynewswith you,ourloyalpartners,whohavebeenonthisjourney withus-wecouldnothavedoneitwithoutyou,and, ofcourse,ourcustomers. Ameetingoftwomindsasacompanybeginsona handshake Itisextremelyhumbling-andastonishing-tothink thattheB.E.D.Grouphasbeeninbusinessforalmost 40years! ErnieBarnettandIestablishedthecompany in1983 -whenIwasstillinmyearlytwenties,and Erniewasinhismid-thirties.Wehadworkedtogether previously,andhewasmymentorandguidelong beforewedecidedtogointobusinesstogether. Therelationshipwasestablishedontrustandrespect, andinfactwebeganourbusinessona‘gentleman’s agreement’handshake.Wethenworkedtogetherfor 27years,allthistimesharingthesameofficebefore Ernie’sretirementin2010,andweremaininclose contacttoday,boundbyourspecialB.E.Dbond. OnbehalfofeverybodyatB.E.D.,Iwouldliketothank Ernieforhiswisdom,guidanceandtheinvaluable contributionwhichhasmadetotheestablishment andsuccessofourproudGroup.TakeabowMrB! In1988,wemadeourfirstacquisitionandthrough thiswegainedamostvaluableassetintheformofJan Viljoen,whoalongwithErnieandI,formedthethird legofoursolidfoundation. AfterErnie’sretirementin2010,Jansteppedupinto thepositionofGroupMDandIthankhimforhis unwaveringandunconditionalsupport. Ihavebeenextremelyblessedtohavehadthe opportunitytoestablishthebusinesswithErnie-and thentocontinueonthisspecialjourneywithJan- basedonthesameold-fashionedprinciplesoftrust andrespect. Asacompany,wehaveproudlychampionedthe pivotalroleoffastenersacrossawidevarietyof sectorssinceourinception.Whileourcoreexpertise liesinfasteners,theB.E.D.Grouphasexpandedover time,withourproductandserviceofferingsnow providingalogicalextensiontotheneedsofthe fasteningprocesses. Today,fromourfirstbranchinGauteng,which operatesfromtheWadevillepremisesandalsoserves asourheadoffice,thecompanyhasgrownintoa networkthatincludesninebranchescountrywide; aswellasanExportsDivisionandtwoweldingand cuttingrepaircentres,inGautengandtheWestern Cape. The ‘nuts and bolts’ of good business Whilenutsandboltsareoftenoverlookedand maynotinitiallyseemimportant,youcannothold somethingtogetherwithoutthem,andsimilarlythe washershouldalsonotbeforgotten.Together,they areintrinsictotheveryfoundationsofindustry.Inline withourB.E.D.businessethos,wepayattentiontothe littlethingsand-asalogicalextension-thebigthings inturn,therebyensuringexcellentproducts,solutions andcustomerservice. Anotherpartofourstrongbusinessfoundationlies inourethicsandouradherenceto‘oldfashioned values’.Asweenterintoour40thyearoftrading,we continuewithourstatedmissionoffollowingour‘100 /0’servicedeliverypolicy,meaningouremployees pledgetoalwaysgive100percentoftheirbestefforts, withzeroexcuses.TheB.E.D.Grouphasbeentruly service-orientatedfrominception,andthisremains ourprimaryfocus. Asabusiness,wehavegonetogreatlengthsto developourexpertise,bothinourproductsaswell asourknowledgeofthelocalindustriesinwhich weoperate.Tothisend,wealsoworkwithteam memberswhoknowourcustomers,theirbusinesses andtheirrequirements‘insideout’! Looking for the light Iamhonouredtohavebeenabletocelebrateour 39thanniversarydespitetherecentbackgroundof theglobalpandemic,currentglobalrecessions,the Europeanwarandongoingeconomicchallenges. Againstallthis,westrivetoremainpositive. Ourbeliefisthatifyoulookforthedarknessinany situation,youwillalwaysbeabletofindit.However, youcanalsochoosetolookinsteadforthelight. There arealwayspocketsoflighttobefound,eveninthe darkesttimes. ItakecomfortinthestrengthofSouthAfricansasa nation,andourunderlying‘can-do’attitude,whichhas beensuchapivotalpartoftheB.E.D.ethosandculture sincewefirstopenedourdoors. Asacompany,welookforwardtocontinuingto serviceourvaluedcustomers,andtoworkingwithour equallyvaluedstaffandsuppliers–andcontributing tooverallsupplychainandtheSouthAfricaneconomy asawhole. Thankyoutoeachandeveryoneofourhighlyvalued managersandstaffforyourPassion,Prideand Persistence. Teamworktrulymakesthedreamwork. 100/0 Warmregards, Mike MikeGiltrow CEO MESSAGE FROMMIKE ‘LOOKING FOR THE LIGHT’ AS WE CELEBRATE OUR 39TH ANNIVERSARY Greetings to all our loyal and valued Bolt and Engineering Distributors (B.E.D.) Group customers and staff in this very special newsletter edition! 1 THE B.E.D. HEARTBEAT NOVEMBER 2022 NOVEMBER 2022 THE B.E.D. HEARTBEAT Mike Giltow CEO of the Bolt and Engineering Distributors Group (B.E.D.) BOLTING OUR COMPANY TOGETHER Mike Giltrow and Ernie Barnett original founders of B.E.D