FAMILY ROOTS SHAPE A PIONEERING SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS
The late Ron Hollander has helped shape the liquid petroleum gas (LPG) industry in southern Africa with his pioneering work designing and developing South Africa’s first vent-free fireplace burner. He was an avid supporter of stainless steel right from the beginning when he quit his day job to devote all his energy to manufacturing stainless steel gas braais.
Spanning a 35-year career building a successful family business, Chad-O-Chef, Ron’s material of choice, since the late 1970’s, has always been stainless steel, due in part to his own family’s background in the catering industry, where he learned from a young age the benefits of using stainless steel in the kitchen.
Refusing to settle for less, Ron always insisted Chad-O-Chef products were made from the highest grades of stainless steel, at a time when many of the competition were coming in cheaper, using mild steel or 3CR12.
Following ongoing research and development, in 2006, Chad-O-Chef launched their range of flue-less or vent–free fireplaces and pioneered the industry as the first company to manufacture a vent-free burner at a time where their competition was importing their burners. To date, Chad-O-Chef is still the only company manufacturing their burners locally.
In March 2018, Ron passed away after a long battle with cancer and motor neurone disease, handing over his design knowledge to his nephew Louis Minnaar who has worked with Ron for the past 14 years.
Ron’s legacy lives on in the minds and hearts of all those who share his vision and passion.
