At its inception, National Stainless Steel Centre’s core focus was to provide high-quality stainless steel, alloys, duplex and super duplex to its discerning clients. The original 2 000m² facility in Jet Park, on Johannesburg’s East Rand, housed one CO² 3kW laser, one 180-ton press brake, a high-definition plasma and a shear guillotine. This modest operation was overseen by just four staff members, including current partners Ivan Obadic and Mischel Frljak. National Stainless Steel Centre eventually grew to 80 staff members and, in 2014, shipped out to a 4 000m² precision powerhouse in the aerotropolis of Kempton Park.
Today, our precision technology facility has evolved into a fully-fledged precision powerhouse. National Stainless Steel Centre houses CO² and fibre laser-cutting options, high-definition laser cutting, guillotining, bending, rolling, pre-fabrication, welding, CNC machining, drilling, polishing, levelling and deburring, manned by 170 staff members. Added to this, tube bending and robotic welding are included on the list of services.
10 years on, National Stainless Steel Centre is equipped and ready for new-world requirements at the onset of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. A new wave of digital technology and innovation will enable even more precise and efficient processing of stainless steel, while the demand for sustainable materials is expected to soar. The low life-cycle costs and recyclability of stainless steel, along with its ability to withstand severe corrosive conditions, make the alloy increasingly becoming the material of choice for uses in renewable energy, built infrastructure like pedestrian bridges, street fixtures and building facades, as well as in processing systems such as water and sewerage works, desalination and biogas.
National Stainless Steel Centre launched a range of retail products for the discerning tastes of South Africans during 2017. 15 products were designed and developed in the range, including the Bully Bar, Fire Fryer, wall hangers, assorted hooks, house numbers, trivets and coasters – all made from quality stainless steel. These products are stocked in major retail outlets like Makro, Builder’s Warehouse, Outdoor Warehouse and Pick n Pay, and the demand is growing by the week. Last year, the new brand positioning marked a significant point in NSSC’s journey. Since we like to be at the cutting edge of technology, and with precision at the core of everything we do, it was only fitting that the National Stainless Steel Centre brand was epitomised by the positioning, “precision is a mindset”.
With a strong focus on the requirements of discerning clients, combined with a state-of-the-art processing facility, and with over 30 years’ industry expertise at its helm, National Stainless Steel Centre, as a brand, has been etched onto the precision technology map, and continues to grow from strength to strength.