Integrated Fire Technology (IFT), a Gigi Group company, proudly announces the recent opening of a sales and service office, including an inaugural workshop, in Steelpoort, Limpopo Province.
“Having outgrown our initial container office located on site of one of largest customers in the Steelpoort area, a chrome mine, from which we operated for the past seven years, and in response to the significant growth of our customer base and service technician capacity in the Steelpoort area, we took the strategic decision to open a larger service and sales office,” explains IFT Managing Director, John Russell.
“Steelpoort is one of the most important mining districts in South Africa and with the mining sector constituting one of our core business segments, it was strategically essential to establish local branch presence and on-the-ground resources,” emphasises Russell. “This presents us with a more centralised platform in the area, placing us closer to our customers and enabling us to amplify our services and response times. Our objectives are to meet current service demands while being future-ready to accommodate the dynamic needs of our rapidly growing customer base across the region,” affirms Russell.
“In addition to offices, a board room and change room, our new 450sqm facility also houses our first dedicated workshop in the area, empowering the local team to efficiently carry out repairs and do installations on mobile equipment all under one roof! Our fleet of three service vehicles allows our technicians to efficiently assist customers with field repairs.”
“We can now also conveniently provide training in our local workshop, instead of at our Johannesburg head office. Moreover, the addition of new stores and a warehouse have significantly enhanced our stock holding capacity, supercharging our team’s ability to provide customers with rapid and exceptional product and service delivery. Also, most importantly, the new offices foster a comfortable, safe and enjoyable workspace for our Steelpoort IFT family.”
Officially opening its doors on 30 January 2025, the IFT Steelpoort Branch brings the full range of premium water-mist, aerosol and foam fire suppression systems to cater to the needs of customers in various industrial sectors, with a primary focus on mining and forestry. “Due to the exceptional capabilities and proven effectiveness of our reliable Fogmaker Water Mist Suppression system, this solution is the leading choice for mobile equipment in mining and forestry operations,” attests Russell. “We are also seeing a notable increase in demand for our AF-X Aerosol and Q-Tec Foam Suppression systems alongside our variety of fixed fire installation offerings.”
In addition to Limpopo Province, the IFT Steelpoort Branch also extends its product and service offering to the respective mining and forestry industries in northern and eastern Mpumalanga. The Branch will also cater to customers in Swaziland and southern Mozambique’s forestry sectors where they already have a small footprint.
Integrated Fire Technology is a strong advocate of investing in local employment which he considers as key to community upliftment, especially needed in rural areas where opportunities are limited. “As a socio-responsible company, we are committed to giving back by to those communities where we and our customers operate. Employment provides financial stability for individuals and their families and enhances the overall well-being of the area, leading to economic growth and improved social cohesion, fostering a vibrant community that benefits everyone. We are proud of the fact that a large percentage of our technician staff at the IFT Steelpoort Branch live in communities in the surrounding area.”
Russell discloses that there are plans to open more IFT offices in South Africa as well as in other African countries, eyeing either Rustenburg or Brits, to cater to the Northwest Province’s robust mining sector.
“By strategically positioning ourselves close to our customers, we are not just adapting to growth, we are embracing it. This proactive approach will empower us to deepen customer engagement, refine and boost our services, ultimately elevating the customer experience to new heights. As a trusted partner, we want to ensure ensuring that we are always local, always ready and always focused on what matters most – our customers,” concludes Russell. /Ends/
