Air ducting is on the map

A DECISION to hang in when others were jumping ship is paying off handsomely for Dennis Fourie, owner of Alacer Aer Ducting, previously known as Alacer Aer Technologies, who is now seeing great interest being shown on the fitment of air ducting in refrigerated Vehicles.

This is in stark contrast to a year or so ago when business was so slow that people involved in the previous company were moving off. Fourie and his wife decided to stay on and after negotiating with the previous owner, took over the reins and changed the company's name. It was a bold decision but as mentioned, one which is now paying off.

An order Fourie sees as a major breakthrough is one which came from Parmalat whereby 100 new vehicles are being fitted with air ducting. "We've already completed 67 and will no doubt have the balance done by the end of the year," he tells us.

Of even more significance is that according to Fourie, Parmalat has taken the decision that all new Vehicles will be fitted with air ducting from hereon in. The fitment of a large fleet of trailers is also pending from another company.

Interesting is that Fourie sees the round-table 'forum' that was facilitated and hosted by FleetWatch in Cape Town mid last year, as being the catalyst to the growth of air ducting in this country.

"After that forum where all cards from all sides were put on the table, we noticed a definite increase in enquiries and if there is one milestone event that will be remembered when we look back on the advancement of air ducting in South Africa, it will be that FleetWatch Forum," he says.

To cater for the expected increase in business, Fourie has now moved the manufacturing facility to Johannesburg and has invested in new moulds. "If we have a further breakthrough with 300 vehicles a more, I don't want to be caught short on not being able to handle it. We are also getting a better quality in the manufacturing process," he says.

He has also improved the fitment and installation process. "Whereas in the past it would take three to five days to install the air ducting into one trailer, we now have two guys doing the same job in about three hours. We can't expect a transporter to have his vehicle off the road for a week, so there too we have affected improvements."

From what Fourie is saying, combined with the identifled need for Transporters to take better control of the management of the cold chain, it seems ailr ducting has got past its infant stage and is now firmly on the map in South Africa.