When TSS celebrated its 10 year anniversary in 2004, it had grown to employ over 100 staff members, with thriving branches in Heidelberg (Gauteng), Richards Bay and Durban (KwaZulu-Natal). Its business network reaches across South Africa to Namibia, Swaziland, Mozambique, Botswana and Angola. It also exports to Kenya, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. Among its top clients are five major town councils, City Power, as well as huge corporate clients such as the Anglo Group and Illovo Sugar.
However, TSS is still proudly a family business and remains 100% privately owned. Le Hanie's two sons have since become an integral part of the company's continuing success. Chris oversees a 50-strong technical team and Willie John takes the chair as operational manager.
"We have had offers for joint ventures and buyouts in the last two years," says Willie John le Hanie, ""but we believe it would dilute our goal of becoming market leaders in the transformer industry. We don't feel we would be able to give our clients the same specialised service and high quality products if we brought on other""
With its head office in Heidelberg, their factory has roof coverage of 12 000 square metres, supplying new and used switchgear and manufacturing customised transformers and mini-substations. The brand's transformers can produce anything between 380 V to 132 kilovolt (KV) and the mini-substations can produce between 3 300 V and 22 000 V up to 1 250 kilovolt ampere (KVA). It also has the capacity to manufacture power transformers from 16 KVA up to 20 megavolt ampere (MVA).
The TSS team performs high-tension maintenance, run purification processes and analyses transformer and light industrial oils. Transformers form the heart of electricity. Basically, they are used to transfer electric energy from one circuit to another, or to step up or step down voltage. They are used in municipalities, mining operations, factories, farms and by anyone who needs electricity.
Although TSS has major clients like Anglo, Xstrata, New Vaal Collieries and Ingwe Mining Group, the mining sector only makes up 30-40% of TSS's annual turnover.
he TSS team performs high-tension maintenance, run purification processes and analyses transformer and light industrial oils. Transformers form the heart of electricity. Basically, they are used to transfer electric energy from one circuit to another, or to step up or step down voltage. They are used in municipalities, mining operations, factories, farms and by anyone who needs electricity.
Although TSS has major clients like Anglo, Xstrata, New Vaal Collieries and Ingwe Mining Group, the mining sector only makes up 30-40% of TSS's annual turnover.
"Although we are not directly involved with this sector, we have certainly identified opportunity for growth," he says. "At the moment we are negotiating a contract with Anglo to purchase a large amount of transformers from an East Rand division that is closing down. These are to be refurbished for the mining industry and will be readily available for clients."