Why our members say you should join Sassda?
SASSDA BOARD MEMBER AND COLUMBUS GM: COMMERCIAL
Bertus Griesel
Despite Sassda being one of the oldest industry associations in the market, it has kept pace with the evolution of the industry and we see this next chapter in its history as a necessary and worthwhile adaptation to the current scenario.
There may be more changes to Sassda but as an association it will continue to fulfill its role of consolidating the local stainless steel sector for its members who are bound together by a common set of views and principles, creating a community of like-minded individuals with a common sense of purpose.
Sassda will capitalise on its wealth of knowledge and experience, through the continued provision of world-class education and training.
It will also offer solid technical advice thanks to its ability to utilise the knowledge of Sassda personnel who are arguably the best source of information on certain specialist topics in the country.
By building on its strategic lobbying role it will serve as a ‘voice of the industry’ championing stainless and keeping it top of mind amongst government and other institutions.
SASSDA CHAIRPERSON AND MACSTEEL GM
Charles Cammell
The change process that Sassda is now going through is, in my opinion, both needed and also normal. I have been associated with Sassda for over 30 years and during this time the association has had to embrace change, just like any other organisation, a number of times.
These changes have always been as a result of the need to remain relevant. My view is that this time it is no different.
Because we will be looking at a new funding model with improved offerings to members it will be incumbent on the Sassda team to ensure we retain and attract members.
The focus on training and education via the courses we already offer differentiate Sassda from like Associations globally and we expect to become even better.
I think Marilyn Monroe summed it up quite well when she said: “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”
SASSDA BOARD MEMBER AND NDE DIRECTOR
Mike Campbell
Membership of Sassda has enabled NDE to be associated with a community of stainless steel suppliers that meets the Philosophical Purpose (reason for being) of our company.
Stainless steel is a product that, if correctly applied, contributes to society by reducing the long term costs of replacing materials that are destroyed quickly or require expensive ongoing maintenance due to the environmental conditions found in many market applications.
Being a member and financial contributor to Sassda has enabled NDE to be identified as a serious supplier of stainless steel products and to assist in contributing to the educating of the participants both in our company and in the industry as to the financial, environmental and mechanical benefits of the material.
We at NDE believe that being a member of Sassda is of value to us and the customers we serve.
SASSDA BOARD MEMBER & STALCOR MD
Craig du Plessis
For me it’s about Sassda returning to its core competencies namely; supplying world-class education and training on a wide variety of topics, creating effective awareness campaigns around stainless steel and facilitating interactions between government and the stainless steel industry.
From a Stalcor perspective, we’ve also seen how our sales personnel’s interactions with Sassda - be it in training workshops, networking functions or technical evenings - have benefitted their development and seen them become true ambassadors for stainless steel.
SASSDA BOARD MEMBER AND EURO STEEL CEO
Colin Wilson
I believe that it’s critical to the stainless steel industry that Sassda carries on into the future. As Sassda is a totally independent, well-respected body, it is tapped into by a wide range of stakeholders ranging from the general public, international mills and investors, goverment and parastatals.
Two other key roles which Sassda must continue to play is to offer technical support to the industry on stainless steel, its properties and its applications. In addition, it has had an important role in education and training over many decades and it is critical that it continues with this for the overall well-being of the local industry.
To conclude, it is very important to the South African stainless industry, that Sassda as an organisation continues close to its existing form, and this requires support from all members in terms of the proposals outlined.
SASSDA BOARD MEMBER AND GRAYTEX METALS DIRECTOR
Jason Naude
Having been a member of Sassda for more than 20 years, we see Sassda as an incredibly positive force in the industry with it having played a crucial role in our industry’s growth via the vital support it has provided to members and the excellent interactions it has facilitated.
As a member, we have invested the necessary time and effort into Sassda and as a result have reaped the rewards. This includes being active on its board and main committee as well as lecturing at architectural training workshops at universities and at Sassda’s CPD presentations to the various Institutes of Architects.
We also found value in advertising in the Sassda magazine and sponsoring its biennial awards both of which have served as excellent marketing vehicles to promote our business.
In terms of benefits to our bottomline, I have also received direct referrals from Sassda many of which have been converted into actual sales.
Via our Google analytics tracking, we can also see a number of visits to our website generated from mentions of Graytex on the Sassda website and we have received enquiries due to our exposure on Sassda’s social media platforms. For example, our mention in Sassda’s awards content on its Facebook page and promotional videos led to a spate of enquiries.
SASSDA BOARD MEMBER AND EMV AFRICA DIRECTOR
Graham Witty
Our industry has grown into a sizeable and important sector in the South African economy and is deserving and indeed in need of a professional and effective industry association. We live in a frighteningly competitive and complex globalised economy, while at the same time we are faced with ever diminishing skill sets to make sense of this and build vibrant and successful businesses within the stainless steel sector.
Never before has there been a greater need for an industry association that can promote our industry by bringing together its divergent voices, and professionally and effectively engage with the forces that affect our industry, in particular government.
Economic policy and international trade terms are fundamental to our industry, and it is almost impossible to engage with government unless the industry is united under a recognised industry association.
Secondly, knowledge and education are critical to the industry’s future success. Sassda has played a critical role in developing and implementing training and skills development.
I have directly experienced the powerful impact this has had on the people who have been trained and the resultant performance of our businesses. This aspect of Sassda’s work not only needs to survive but needs to grow to provide our industry with knowledgeable and skilled people who will create the competitive industry of the future.
However, in order for Sassda to deliver on its critical role, it needs to be professionally run and adequately resourced. Sassda is an investment in the future of your company and the future of your industry. I urge my fellow business leaders to make that investment and to use their influence to encourage others to do so as well.
SASSDA MAIN COMMITTEE MEMBER
* Gary Crawford
As someone who has been involved with the continued success of the Association, I believe the team at Sassda has done an excellent job of restructuring the funding model to provide a more equitable basis for membership.
Sassda has been one of very few industry associations around the world to offer such a plethora of services for a low membership fee whereas the new model offers tiered membership fees with commensurate benefits.
Members should pay for what they get. I also believe this approach will negate the apathy of certain members towards becoming involved in the Association. The more realistic membership fee structure underpins Sassda as the remarkable association it is and annunciates sound rationale for ‘joining, belonging, contributing and taking advantage of what Sassda offers.’
Sassda is also working on improving avenues for member involvement, all on a self-funding basis. I have also long advocated the involvement of younger staff of member companies. There is also, I believe, a need for a more pro-active approach to those companies providing guidance to the ultimate heavy users of stainless steel. That is, Project Houses. The decision-making engineers of these companies have a limited knowledge of stainless steel and are thirsty for information.
The same applies to the success that Sassda has already had with educating Architects and university students studying Engineering and Architecture. This must continue as an investment for the future.
Overall, I believe that this is truly the beginning of a vibrant new phase in Sassda’s growth.
*In Memoriam - Gary Crawford passed away after penning this tribute to Sassda