The potential of stainless in architectural applications is really as big as any architect’s imagination, says Bryco MD, Ross Cowing. “As long as you can find someone who can do it.” With 30% of its stainless business going to building-type applications, this sector is growing in leaps and bounds.
Bryco is essentially a service centre that processes material by cutting and bending it, supplying this in kit form to different industries and businesses. Clients vary from the small man-in-the-street who just wants something simple done to large companies who have the necessary equipment, but during cycles and peaks might need additional throughput.
“And then in-between we’ve got a lot of guys who’ve got all the skills but don’t have the access to the capital. Or they can’t justify buying the machines, which will not be used to their full capacity. We purposefully don’t get involved in any form of fabrication, for then we would be in opposition with a number of our other clients. So essentially it is a Meccano Set type of arrangement – no fabrication, no welding. No final product comes out of here, just processed material.”
Stainless and architecture
Cowing says that the one growth area that has emerged in the last two to three years has been stainless steel and architecture. “There have been a number of disasters which I think have impeded the growth of stainless because there are a lot of sellers who do not know really what they are doing. But I think it is changing, because people have been advised as to why some applications have gone wrong with stainless, and are now starting to become more and more adventurous.
“And the use of stainless, or the potential of stainless, in architectural applications is really as big and as wide as any architect’s imagination. As long as you can find some person who can do it. So we began concentrating on opportunities for stainless in architecture.
Mutual agreement
“We have purposely and actively got more involved in the little projects, and gone to site and introduced ourselves. I think we have also stopped a lot of the problems at source, and helped come up with mutually-agreeable, easier, more feasible type applications, but still with the same end result.”
Cowing says that the architects involved in work at Cape Town International Airport quite coincidentally observed stainless cladding being carried out opposite their building around the car park. “They came over, took a look at that and thought it would make quite a nice metal finish for the airport ceiling, which is ultimately the route they went. This gives the airport an international First World appearance.
Major issues
Cowing says that the major issues at the moment are pricing and standards. “The problem is that there are installers on-site who don’t really know how to work with stainless. It is a bit tricky to be critical of their work, but basic standards have to be adhered to. If we have too many cowboys in the business, it doesn’t help anybody.
“Stainless is a huge potential growth area, but we have to educate the industry that a premium must be paid for stainless. A customer should be suspicious if companies advertise to do a job and it’s cheaper than they thought it would be. Then they are not doing something properly – that’s really the bottom line.”
Bryco Metals has supplied stainless to Century City in Cape Town, as well as projects such as the Investec and M-Web head offices. Its biggest forthcoming project is the Cape Town Convention Centre.
