Schneider
Electric South
Africa (Pty) Ltd
Through the core brands of Merlin
Gerin, Telemecanique, Clipsal, TAC, Conlog, Hoist-Tec, Nulec, Square D,
Citect, RBF, APC and Clipsal, Shneider Electric South Africa has served
the specturm of customers on the sub-Saharan African continent for over
30 years.
The head office is based
in Midrand, Gauteng, with branches in Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban
Nelspruit, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay and export countries including
Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and neighbouring countries. The
South African Region employs in the region of 800 people.
With Energy Management as
the core strategy, Schneider Electric is involved in the entire
electrical distribution and control chain, from plant to plug and is
involved in the entire industrial automation chain, from power supply to
high end control.
As the recognised world
leader in Electric Distribution and Automation & Control, Schneider
Electric provides comprehensive solutions that combine products,
software, communication and services. Schneider Electric meets customer
expectations for the most demanding applications in terms of safety,
reliability and energy savings and ranks amongst the world leaders in
medium and low voltage and Ultra Terminal distribution, secured power,
building automation and security, industrial control and sensors for
repetitive machines.
Until now, Schneider
Electric has been composed of products and services distributed by
nearly 120 brand names around the world. Today, most of these product
lines are coming together under a single unified brand: " Schneider
Electric". The main purpose is to increase the Schneider Electric brand
name recognition and to establish Schneider Electric as a major player
player in a highly competitive market. Using a single brand will also
enable Schneider Electric to promote the complementary nature of the
offers. This effort will be leveraged to promote efficient and
innovative solutions designed to increase the brand image and
recognition through a selected channel partners comprising of
Distributors, System Integrators. OEMS, Wholesalers, Project Houses and
Installers.
Through subsidiaries
Nu-Lec and Conlog in South Africa Schneider Electric has a historical
partnership of more than 10 years with Community Investment Holdings. In
November 2009 CIH have acquired shareholding in Schneider Electric,
giving rise to the company now being BEE level 4 compliant.
Schneider Electric has a
commitment to uplift the local community and develop previously
disadvantaged individuals, and this commitment is clearly visible in the
Bip-Bop (Business Investment and People at the Bottom of the Pyramid)
programme. The program was initiated in 2008 to address the lack of
appropriate equipment through the development of an adequate offer, the
shortage of financial resources available for innovative entrepreneurs
through funding, and the skills and expertise shortage through technical
and business training. To date, Schneider Electric in collaboration with
local Universities and colleges, has through the Bip-Bop program trained
80 wiremen from KZN, Limpopo, Gauteng, 7 Technicians KZN and Gauteng,
and 4 Engineers KZN and Gauteng. All these graduates are from
disadvantaged groups and communities.
LULI - Due to the growing
prevalence of HIV/AIDS in South Africa in the past years, Schneider
Electric South Africa focused on supporting an Aids orphanage called
Noah's Ark.
In recent years, it has become glaringly apparent that South Africa is
experiencing a shortage of key skills, hence the focus on addressing the
skills shortage of engineers and technically orientated vocations in
South Africa. AS such, Schneider Electric has "adopted a school" and has
partnered with an NGO to provide literacy and leadership programmes to
Gr8-12 learners in the school. Together with the NGO, Schneider Electric
has committed to making the environment conducive to education of these
learners.
Key Dates:
1975-1988-1991: 3
historic brands, Merlin Gerin, Telemecanique and Square D, joined Group
Schneider
1999: The company
launched a new identity: Groupe Schneider becomes Schneider Electric
2003: TAC joined
the company. Schneider Electric become the main player in building
automation
2003: Clipsal
joined the company. Schneider Electric becomes the ISC leader in Asia
2006: Citect global
acquisition by Schneider Electric
With a history spanning over 35 years, Citect remains focused on
delivering value to our customers through technological excellence and
superior service. Be it he worlds larges PC-based SCADA system tailored
to the mining sector, leading edge water treatment facilities or
automated airport baggage handling facilities, the ability to develop
and adapt industrial strength software capable of withstanding the
rigors of large-scale operations remains one of Schneider Electric's
core strengths.
2007: APC joined
the company combining with MGE Schneider Electric become the world
leader in critical power
2007: Pelco joined
the company. Schneider Electric becomes the world leader in video
security system.
Other Acquisitions
Nu-Lec Industries
is Schneider Electric's core business unit for recloser technology -
deployed towards improved network reliability and improved quality of MV
power supply.
In January 2000, Nu-Lec Africa was formed as a joint venture with
black economically empowered (BEE) partner in South Africa, to ensure
that local African requirements for product adaptation and service were
adopted. Nu-Lec Africa operates from Schneider Electric premises
Midrand, South Africa, also covering Southern and Eastern Africa.
Since 1965, Conlog
has established itself as a leader in the provision of solutions for the
electronics industry. With the birth of electricity pre-payment metering
in South Africa in the late 1980's, building on its technological
expertise and experience, Conlog began providing meters to national
electricity utility, Eskom, and a number of municipalities. The success
of the pre-payment solution resulted in Eskom contracting Conlog to
develop a national specification for the credit transfer of pre-payment.
This resulted in the Standard Transfer Specifications (STS).
Internationally, Conlog now boasts one of the largest installed bases
over two million electricity pre-payment meters worldwide and
manufacturing research and development centre in Durban where
pre-payment meters and the Schneider Electric residential and buildings
product offer is manufactured and assembled.
Schneider Electric International profile
As a global specialist in energy
management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider
Electric offers integrated solutions to make energy safe, reliable,
efficient, productive and green across multiple market segments. The
Group holds leadership positions in energy and infrastructure,
industrial processes, building automation and data centres/networks, as
well as having a broad presence in residential applications. With more
than 15.8 billion euros sales in 2009, the company's 100,000+ employees
are committed to help individuals and organisations “make the most of
their energy.
Schneider Electric in figures:
€15.8 billion
sales in 2009
114,000
employees
Operations in
more than 100 countries
with solutions sold in 190
countries through sales partners
Helping people make the most of their energy
Between energy production and
energy usage is “energy management”, the playground of Schneider
Electric. The organisation assists individuals and businesses to derive
more from the available energy, bemore productive and make their
businesses more sustainable. Through integrated solutions in energy
management, Schneider Electric makes energy safe, reliable, efficient,
productive and green.
Safe
Because energy in general, and electrical energy in particular, is
dangerous, Schneider Electric makes it safe to protect people and
assets.
Reliable
From data centres to hospitals and stock markets, an increasing
number of critical applications cannot tolerate the slightest
fluctuation in current quality - not to mention a highly damaging and
costly power outage. Schneider Electric provides ultra secure power for
critical applications.
Efficient
The rising cost of energy as well as the growing environmental
concern is at the top of everybody’s agenda, making energy efficient a
must. Schneider Electric provides integrated solutions to make energy
savings and optimise total cost of ownership.
Productive
With energy being the primary source for any activity, Schneider
Electric helps customers turn it into an asset to boost their
productivity. The company enhances automation and connectivity
everywhere to make everything simpler. It also provides lifecycle
services to bring peace of mind to customers throughout the lifespan of
their installations.
Green
Developing energy generation through renewable sources is one of the
key factors contributing to sustainability. Schneider Electric makes
energy green by enabling easy connection and installation of renewable
energies.
Who we are: The global specialist in energy management
At the heart of Schneider
Electric’s energy efficiency strategy is a simple and powerful idea:
using natural resources much more productively and efficiently – a model
that is both profitable and better for the environment.
Consuming less, producing more effectively, improving
energy efficiency and protecting the environment by offering solutions
with a limited environmental footprint are all central concerns for
Schneider Electric. Today, the company federates a world of talent and
energy to meet the principle challenges in its industry, namely:
critical power and cooling, low and medium voltage power installation
systems and control, industrial automation and control, and energy
efficiency.
These key product lines also cover a number of
significant market segments, ranging from data centres and networks
(targeting companies with data centres, including banks and insurance
companies), residential and energy and infrastructure (covering the
residential sector as well as utilities, oil and gas and marine
companies), industry (from OEMs and water related businesses to mining
organisations) and buildings (ranging from retail, hotels, hospitals and
offices).
Critical Power and Cooling
In the increasingly electronic and digital world we live in
today, the slightest power shortage, disturbance or voltage variation
can have devastating consequences for any business and the cost of
delivering this level of availability is on the rise. Schneider Electric
offers comprehensive solutions for critical power and cooling services
available to help its customer make the most of their energy. These
include:
1) Best in class components: award-winning solutions from the industry’s
number one brands, APC UPS systems, backed by the industry's broadest
service footprint to ensure the best choice in power, racks and cooling.
2) Close coupled cooling: data centres are more efficient by design,
eliminating the outdated "circle the wagons" approach to room design by
closely connecting the heat generation to the cooling.
3) Containment of the hot air created by high density applications such
as blade servers leads to a predictable, repeatable power and cooling
architecture.
4) Capacity management software to ensure quick and efficient technology
rollouts without surprises or downtime. Go from design to management
using one powerful platform across all the power and cooling
architecture.
Low and Medium Voltage Power Installation Systems and
Control
Schneider Electric provides innovative integrated solutions
making energy safer, more reliable, more efficient and more productive.
Fully focused on customer expectations, Schneider Electric invests
heavily
in innovation and technology to deliver solutions that provide ever
greater value to users, providing
electrical and mechanical
switchgear and equipment, as well as services such as technical design
and engineering studies, commissioning and maintenance.
Combining leading edge solutions - building automation
and security, installation systems and control, power monitoring and
control, critical power and cooling services - to its historical
strengths of power and control, Schneider Electric provides
comprehensive and unique answers to the requirements posed within
residential, building, energy and infrastructure and data and networks
markets.
The company has developed an inimitable worldwide
capability to provide these solutions and transform the way people power
and control their environment. Schneider Electric’s solutions help
customers reduce costs, stay connected at all times and tap into an
ultra pure, secure and uninterrupted power supply.
Industrial Automation and Control
From the rigorously demanding conditions on South African mines
to the high-technology requirements of the pharmaceutical industry,
Schneider Electric has the automation products and solutions to fit each
specific business and environment. With the development of its embedded
web servers, industries ranging from food and beverage, steel,
packaging, materials handling and automotive can take advantage of open,
powerful networks that provide immediate, real-time data in the right
format and the right context.
Mission critical infrastructure and transportation
requirements are met through Schneider Electric’s leading-edge
technology and, because its products comply with national and
international regulations, such as SABS and ISO, as well as
environmental protection directives, they will support its customers far
into the future.
Building Automation and Security Renewable Energy
Solutions
Schneider Electric offers the only one-stop-shop on the
sub-Saharan continent for building management solutions that simplify
tasks, enhance safety and improve quality of life. From hospitals to
shopping malls, hotels to offices and skyscrapers to homes, the company
provides enterprises with the benefit of its consistently
state-of-the-art, world-leading portfolio – the result of years of
investment in products and solutions that exceed expectations, today and
into the future.
Schneider Electric's Buildings Business delivers more
than solutions for HVAC, access control, video security management,
lighting control and energy efficiency. Its focused approach to
buildings systems strips away layers of complexity to integrate multiple
systems in a building to achieve enterprise wide facilities management.
This uses less energy, tightens security, speeds response times and
maintains optimal environments for occupants saving businesses up to 36
percent on operating costs over time.
Complete building solutions offer significant operation
and maintenance benefits during the life cycle of a building.
Coordinated behaviour across multiple systems can provide savings range
from 15 percent to 30 percent of energy costs.
From automation and control, electrical distribution,
installation systems and control, building automation and security,
critical power and cooling services, RoHS compliance, to a myriad of
services and training initiatives, Schneider Electric is the partner of
choice for businesses around the world.
With a unique portfolio of activities in energy
management, Schneider Electric makes energy:
Safe, with power and control
#1
Reliable, with critical power and cooling
#1
Efficient, with energy efficiency
#1
Productive, with industrial, building and home automation
Top 3
Green, with renewable energy solutions
Top 3
Our vision: Achieve more while using less of our common
planet
Today, we are living in an
increasingly booming and fast changing world where energy is key.
Schneider Electric sees this as a fantastic opportunity for each and
every person to fulfil their true potential while reducing the impact on
the environment.
Our values
Schneider Electric’s values
define the company - who it is, its customer approach, how it wants to
do business and the kind of people it wants to attract and retain. The
company finds that in standing by these values, it creates a great
working environment where all employees can thrive and build a strong
culture that will help it meet any challenges ahead.
Passionate
Passion for Customers, Passion for People, Positive Schneider
Electric is passionate and positive about its business, customers and
people. The company strives to create a true sense of partnership with
customers, making it easy for them to do business with it and they
develop talent pools, coaching people to reach their potential.
Open
Curious, Collaborative, Cultivates Diversity Schneider Electric
thinks “outside the box” and encourage others to do the same. Leverage
the rich diversity of the company, promoting the sharing of expertise
and learning it shows its willingness to collaborate to get things done.
Straightforward
Walk the Talk, Integrity, Talk Straight Schneider Electric believes
that people value directness and simplicity. The company honours
expressed commitments and shows consistency between words and actions.
It treats people with respect and fairness and gives clear, motivating
and constructive feedback.
Effective
High Performance, Pragmatic, Fast Schneider Electric wants to
perform and get things done, not just talk about getting things done. It
is a pragmatic company that manages and reaches ambitious operational
goals, taking appropriate risks and one that responds with flexibility
to shifting priorities and rapid change.
Our business
Unique positions in promising segments
Schneider Electric enables
customers to tap into an ultra secure power supply, enhance energy
efficiency, spread connectivity and automation everywhere, optimise
their capex and opex, and benefit from services at every stage of their
installations’ lifecycle.
Energy efficiency: good for the environment and for the
pocketbook
Although everyone can help the planet by turning off the lights or
turning down the heat, this represents only a small fraction of CO
2
emissions. Industry, buildings and
residences on the other hand, account for more than 70 percent of energy
consumption today. Schneider Electric offers a comprehensive response in
these markets with energy efficiency solutions that can cut energy use
by up to 30 percent. In our four
step approach, the company:
• Measures energy use to identify potential savings and dysfunctions.
• Installs low-consumption equipment and systems.
• Improves long-term use by deploying automation management, consulting,
training and tracking resources while maintaining high performance.
• Continuously analyses energy savings through maintenance, supervision
and monitoring.
Critical power and cooling: a safer world, with no power
cuts
From data centres to hospitals, to stock markets - an increasing
number of critical applications cannot tolerate the slightest
fluctuation in current quality, not to mention a highly damaging and
costly power outage. With the 2007 acquisition of APC, Schneider
Electric has obtained the ability to leverage an unparalleled line-up to
provide businesses with uninterrupted, ultra-pure power at all times.
The company’s solutions feature leading-edge integrated critical power
and cooling systems and cover architecture design, installation audits,
online monitoring and analysis, training and maintenance.
Connectivity and automation: access and management
capability everywhere
Although a third of the people on the planet do not have access to
electricity, the other two-thirds are constantly connected via phone or
the Internet and have made this part of their lifestyle. As a result,
Schneider Electric customers expect the same ease of use in the
workplace as they have at home, for services such as online banking.
Situated where electricity, automation and communication technologies
converge, the company’s unique solutions combine productivity and
connectivity. It offers automation solutions based on open systems to
ensure building and plant performance as well as interconnectivity with
other infrastructure systems. It also provides customers with
supervision software to manage and programme lighting, heating, access
control, production lines and all types of infrastructure both on site
and over the Internet.
New economies: The right place at the right time
The so-called “emerging”
countries effectively emerged. Their anticipated development is now a
reality that is shaking up power relationships. Schneider Electric has
what it takes to meet these countries’ needs. New economies, notably
China and India, are now markets experiencing exponential growth and
huge demand. For the first time, many middle and upper class families in
these countries are buying cars, homes, televisions, CD and DVD players,
washing machines, dishwashers and other household equipment as they join
the consumer society. Considering that this initial population of 250
million people is expected to grow to 500 million in three years, one
billion in four years and probably two billion by 2030, the scope of the
phenomenon becomes clearly apparent.
Longstanding presence
Schneider Electric anticipated and prepared for this major trend
both in its business portfolio and its organisation, notably by locating
production close to customers. An example is Delixi Electric, a 50-50
joint venture created in 2007 with Delixi Group that manufactures,
markets and distributes low voltage products for China and new
economies. This new partnership in China coincided with Schneider
Electric’s 20th anniversary in the country. This is also the case in
India, where the company has been established since 1963.
Stepped-up expansion
Between 2001 and 2008, the percentage of revenue generated by
operations in new economies (including in eastern Europe) rose from 18
percent to 32 percent of the consolidated total. Schneider Electric
enjoys leadership positions and double-digit growth in China, India,
Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
Schneider Electric : key figures
€15.8 billion sales in 2009
34% revenue in new economies
104 853 Total workforce
5% revenue devoted to R&D
Find out more about Schneider Electric at
www.schneider-electric.com.