-- NCG-Container Solutions is one of the few local reconditioning services companies with a structured business model

LONDON, Aug.15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the industrial packaging reconditioning market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes NCG-Container Solutions SA (Pty) Ltd (NCG-Container Solutions) with the 2013 South Africa Frost & Sullivan Award for Competitive Strategy Innovation & Leadership. Mauser NCG's acquisition of controlling shares in Container Solutions South Africa resulted in the formation of NCG-Container Solutions SA (Pty) Ltd. This joint venture has allowed NCG-Container Solutions to adopt global best practices in delivering reconditioned intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) that are UN-certified and meet the highest quality standards.

With the merging of the companies, NCG-Container Solutions has gone from serving selective key customers to acquiring a national and even international clientele. It has also widened its end-user base to include the foods and beverages, agriculture and pharmaceuticals sectors, apart from the traditional chemicals sector.

"The company has adopted a new reconditioning technology that enables it to reduce run time by 60% whilst increasing capacity by 100% at the company's reconditioning facilities," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Dilshaad Booley. "NCG-Container Solutions increased the output of reconditioned IBCs by 25 per cent from September 2012, and expects to continue growing as customers become aware of its safe and reliable reconditioned IBCs."

The company has made the most of a technology agreement between Mauser and Nampak for the Nampak entity, Megapak, by leveraging Megapak's strengths for manufacturing new virgin IBCs and HDPE bottles for IBCs. These new IBC bottles are used by NCG-Container Solutions to re-bottle or certify the IBCs, which can be reused by chemicals companies. NCG-Container Solutions also tracks its customers' IBCs, which helps prevent the illegal usage and dumping of these IBCs.

The supply agreement between NCG-Container Solutions and Megapak solidifies NCG-Container Solutions' ability to deliver high-quality rebottled IBC to the chemicals sector, as well as new IBCs to the food and beverage sector, in a timely manner. This on-time quality delivery ensures strategic supply in a competitive, environmentally sustainable and responsible manner. Customers are also guaranteed a high level of compliance (more than 98 per cent since September 2012) and conformance facilitated by the fully-automated, best-in-class, leak-proof technology.

As NCG-Container Solutions runs a semi-automated plant, it manages to reduce operational expenditure even with a rise in labour costs. The new technology has lowered water and electricity cost per IBC reconditioned and yet, has a never-before reconditioning capacity. NCG-Container Solutions' long-term agreements with customers helps it keep prices relatively stable, and still guarantees products of international standards.

"Apart from NCG-Container Solutions effectively leveraging best-in-class practices, it is also one of the companies spearheading a venture in South Africa aimed at ensuring the implementation of best practices by other reconditioners through the formation of an Industry Association called SAICRA," noted Dilshaad.

Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company whose competitive strategy has yielded significant gains in market share during the research period. Often, the recognized company has taken advantage of recent market changes that facilitate the introduction of novel methods of capturing and solidifying market presence. Alternatively, it may have executed an inventive strategy within the existing competitive landscape, empowering itself to overtake the competition. The company captures the attention of the competition, which quickly adjusts in order to protect its own market position. These innovations are expected to produce lasting, precedent-setting trends in the industry.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About NCG-Container Solutions SA (Pty) Ltd

NCG-Container Solutions is the result of a joint venture between Container Solutions South Africa and Mauser, NCG-Container Solutions SA was formed in July 2012. The formation of this venture has led NCG-Container Solutions to adopt the global best practices in delivering reconditioned intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) that are UN-certified and meet the highest quality standards on par with that of the world IBC reconditioning standards.

NCG-Container Solutions is one of the few local reconditioning services companies with a structured business model, and the only reconditioner with UN-certification for its reconditioned IBCs, running a semi-automated operation to maintain fixed operational costs. Apart from NCG-Container Solutions effectively leveraging the best-in-class practices, it is also one of the companies spearheading a venture in South Africa, which aims to see best practices standards being implemented by other reconditioners. Key to success is education, and being part of a group of companies, in particular the Rose Foundation, offer financial assistance and Leadership direction to the Reconditioning Industry through SAICRA.

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Contact:

Steaphan Mac Donald
Managing Director
NCG – Container Solutions SA (Pty) Ltd
T:  +27 (0) 31 7009572
E: steaphan@containersa.co.za

Kristina Menzefricke
Best Practices Group
Frost & Sullivan
T: +44 (0) 207 915 7862
E: kristina.menzefricke@frost.com

http://www.frost.com

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan