Electric solutions provider Maritz Electrical has set up shop in Gqeberha.
The company held a function at the Diaz Club in Newton Park on Wednesday to celebrate its first branch outside the Western Cape.
Among those present were deputy mayor Khusta Jack, Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber members and other business people.
Maritz Electrical specialises in a variety of solutions which include infrastructure and reticulation, high-mast and area lighting, sports lighting, electrical automation including motor control centres and renewable energy installations.
With 22 years of experience and being well-positioned in the market, they were now confident it was time to expand their footprint, CEO Franco Botha said.
Their head office is in Cape Town and there is another office in George.
“When we started looking to expand the footprint of the company, the next logical step was the Eastern Cape,” Botha said.
“Historically the company had a project here, installing the lights at St George’s Park [cricket stadium].
“It is one of the best lighting solutions in Africa and that project was done years ago.
“When we started the process, we wanted to meet the elders here and understand the landscape of how business operates in Gqeberha.
“We came after meeting partners and stakeholders, who then gave us the thumbs-up that we could invest here.”
The business has already established local ties, partnering with local company Ndube Holdings and Construction in a joint venture.
“We are excited about the joint venture,” Botha said.
“We will be running the business as Maritz Electrical and the joint venture part is called the Maritz-Ndube Group and we will be bringing our expertise to it,” he said.
Speaking at the launch, chamber board president Loyiso Dotwana said the investment in the city was encouraging for the prospects of the local economy.
“As the chamber, we are always advocating for the retention of investment and the attraction of new investment.
“So we are happy a company from the Western Cape has decided to invest in the metro, to create business for itself and also employment for people here.”
With the chamber taking an activist approach in addressing some of the governance problems in the metro, Dotwana said, they were looking forward to partnering with Maritz Electrical to tackle energy problems in the city.
“We are collaborating a lot as the private sector with the municipality to address some of the challenges it faces.
“What is, however, important for this company is that we have established a renewable energy cluster and it is composed of our biggest energy users in the metro.
“The aim is to provide alternative energy sources to try to ameliorate the load-shedding challenges and reduce the carbon footprint of our members.
“We are hoping that by 2024 this initiative will reach a critical point where we can develop a facility for renewable energy production.”
Maritz Electric is located in Newton Park.
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