infocus sept/oct 2014

26 NUWE TUINTEGNOLOGIE | SUMMER TIME 28

WINNING STRATEGIES

Trade Show

WATER

in peak season

bigger and better -p6

irrigation goes solar-p23

from the sun

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 – GET READY FOR PEAK SEASON

Summer is here and the silly season is speeding towards us. Retailers should

get ready for the big catch.

-p10

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2

September/Oktober 2014 | inFocus3

INHOUD | CONTENTS

NEWS MOMENT OF TRUTH TIPS IRRIGATION OUTDOOR

6 10 15 21 30

SEPTEMBER OKTOBER-UITGAWE – MAAK GEREED VIR DIE PIEKSEISOEN2014

inFocus word uitgegee deur Agrinet

AgrINetSterlingweg/Road, Kosmosdal, Privaatsak/Private Bag X165 Centurion 0046Tel: 012 657 2000 Faks/Fax: 086 529 4424Inbelsentrum/Call Centre: 012 657 2222

Agrinet Bellville:Posbus/P.O. Box 1300, Sanlamhof, 7532Sacks sirkel/circle, BellvilleInbelsentrum/ Call Centre: 021 959 5420

inFocus verskyn 6 keer per jaar / inFocus appears 6 times per year

Redaksie/Editorial staff: Jedrie Harmse, Nici Harmse Tel: 012 332 [email protected]

Advertensiewerwing/Advertising: Anita OosthuizenTel: (012) 333 6965Sel: 083 316 7529e-pos: [email protected]

MeSSAge FrOM JACOBOODSKAP VAN JACO

MOMeNt OF trUtHOOMBLIK VAN WAARHEID

NeWS NUUS

IN CONtACtIN KONTAK

IrrIgAtIONBESPROEIING

HArDWAre - gardenHARDEWARE - tuin

HArDWAre - plumbingHARDEWARE - loodgietery

eLeCtrICALELEKTRIES

MeCHANISAtIONMEGANISASIE

OUtDOOrBUITELEWE

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As jy wil wen, moenie fokus op die wen nie 5

Trade show getting better all the time 6

The fish are swimming 10Winning strategies – how to make your net bigger 10Showcase your star products 14Top tips for tiptop displays 15It can happen in a small box 17

Coffee with Marius 18Kliëntediens begin al met die eerste onderhoud 20

Water from the sun 23Koue kan ’n Mamba bars 24Submersibles ready for renewable energy 25Orbit bring tegnologie na jou tuin 26Quality pumps only from Agrinet 27

Summer time and the living's easy 28Beste uit 10 29Spring clean the sparkle back into your pool 30

Unbreakable 31Made for pros' priced for DIY 31

Chill out 34Sitting pretty on a Kaufmann 34The great crate 35Power your campsite 35

Ooreenkoms sit al die ligte aan 36Sekuriteit uit die son se krag 37

Black & Decker simple start 38

4

NUUS | NEWS

BATTERY CHARGERS THAT WILL KEEP YOU GOING 24/7

At the heart of the start

HAWKINS has been the South African leader in developing and manufacturing battery chargers for the domestic, leisure, professional and industrial markets since 1961.

Available from

5 September/Oktober 2014 | inFocus

BOODSKAP VAN JACO | MESSAGE FROM JACO

Jaco Kriel, Managing Director Agrinet

It might sound as if I contra-dict myself when I say that you can win more (in sport,

life or business) by focusing less on winning, but it’s true. Let me explain. Coach Bill Walsh (named by ESPN as the second best coach in the his-tory of NFL football), compli-mented and celebrated every game - or part thereof - that was well executed, whether it lead to a goal or a win or not.

To him it didn’t matter whether the game’s outcome was unsuccessful, but it mat-tered that the execution was successful. Because of his genuine love and respect for the game of football, Walsh focused on and taught his team to play with precision. On the other hand, he criti-cized and corrected a sloppy movement even if it resulted in a ‘successful’ outcome.

It is the same in business. The more we focus on win-ning, the more stressful the environment becomes and the less productive people are.

Focusing less on winning will not lower the standards. What we want to achieve is to create an environment in which the strategy (process) can be executed in a disci-plined manner where each person can focus on that which he or she can control. This leads to less conflict and accusations between team members, creating a more productive environment.

All members of the team are not necessarily highly disciplined in the execution of their tasks and each member of the team possibly does not do what they are supposed to do. It requires good leadership to develop team members. It demands a culture that focuses on the long-term goals without getting stressed about the short-term goals.

To focus all your attention on the desired outcome, could however, create a negative en-

If YOU WAnT TO WIn, DOn’T fOCUS On WInnIng

vironment. Team members will be too scared to admit mis-takes when the intended re-sults are not realised. Knowing that you have made a mistake is one thing. However, it is a recipe for failure and burnout if you start thinking YOU are the mistake. The more people focus on the results, the more they panic.

Before you blame your sales team for the loss of a sale, rather focus on improving their knowledge and tech-niques so that their winning behaviour can grow. Without self confidence, sales staff will not perform and no one will feel free to propose new ideas.

People following this new approach of focusing on the process, will begin to experi-ence success and start win-ning. It also nurtures integrity. The team members will feel respected and valued - creat-ing a team committed to the common goal.

trADe SHOW 2014

Our trade show this year was the best ever and a big win for Agrinet. To put together a trade show like this requires good planning and teamwork between all departments within Agrinet to succeed. Be-tween the marketing depart-ment and product manage-ment a ‘warehouse or brands’ was literally created. We created a retail store layout on the floor to stimulate our clients’ imaginations. We have changed the concept of the show this year and hopefully improved the show experience for our customers.

Agrinet focused on new products and brands and invited many new customers to the show to expose them to our products.

Too bad for those who missed out - hopefully we will see you next year.

StrAtegY We reviewed Agrinet’s strat-egy over the past year, which was shared with the staff during the previous month. In short, the strategy entails that Agrinet obtains greater control over the supply chain. The company must establish itself as a sustainable, profit-able business focusing on brands and offering complete solutions. This will provide our customers with a competitive edge. This requires a more focused brand strategy where certain product lines/ranges will be discontinued and replaced with new exciting product ranges. At the same time the focus is to operate the business more effectively and efficiently, which means that the business activities would be run at a lower cost and nonprofitable activities will be terminated or scaled down.

We are excited about the new strategy and the value it will unlock for all our stake-holders.

regards

Jaco KrielManaging Director Agrinet

The company must establish itself as a sustainable, profitable business focusing on brands and offering complete solutions. This will provide our customers with a competitive edge.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

Winning strategies for peak seasonFor this issue the editorial team had their spies snooping around the 2014 TRADE SHOW, making sure we got all the info on the best products that Agrinet has on their shelves. For our readers who were not able to join us at the TRADE SHOW, don’t fear, we will keep you in the loop. With the products on display on the pages of this issue you can be on top form when the tide of peak season hits. We have some great advice on how to get your outlet ready for THE SEASON.

Enjoy – Ed.

BATTERY CHARGERS THAT WILL KEEP YOU GOING 24/7

At the heart of the start

HAWKINS has been the South African leader in developing and manufacturing battery chargers for the domestic, leisure, professional and industrial markets since 1961.

Available from

6

TRADE ShOW fACTS:

• Agrinet hosted 740 new and existing clients from both hardware retail and agricul-ture groups

• There were 56 local and international suppliers exhib-iting from various categories, alongside Agrinet’s exclusive brands such as U-Part (new mechanisation parts and autoshop products), Pascali (new water pumps), Power Master (new power prod-ucts), Kaufmann Hardware and Outdoor as well as ex-clusive international brands such as Speroni and Orbit.

NUUS | NEWS

TRADE SHOWGETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME

The Agrinet Trade show keeps on growing. Customers who visited the show this year were impressed with the changes that were implemented.

It was SHOW TIME from 21 to 23 July in Samrand at the 5th Annual Trade Show.

Our goal this year was to create an event that would encourage current and poten-tial clients to interact with the “world of Agrinet” in a more engaging way. We did this by focusing on what is important to our customers: making it easy to view our ranges, launching new and unique products, showcasing range and merchandising solutions, encouraging educational dem-onstrations through quality face-time with our sales staff, product managers, suppliers and senior team.

The show was also refor-matted – for the first time Agrinet created open concept areas for Outdoor, Garden, Hardware and Irrigation where we set-up ‘shop’ and ‘show-case’ areas. Visitors could see our ranges and solutions in “real life” and were able to visualise these ranges in-store.

PhOTO RIghT: The open concept areas illustrated real life solutions for displaying products.

PICTURE TOP LEfT: Live exhibitions demonstrating practical applications of products made the Trade Show a lot more interesting and informative. The Mamba range of fire fighters are being demonstrated here.

continued on p 9

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“Te oordeel aan die samedromming in die eettent, was dié byvoeging nodig en ‘n groot sukses. Kliënte het ook waardering uitgespreek vir die spesiale aanbiedinge wat tydens die skou beskikbaar was en dit was vir ons aangenaam om hierdie geleentheid te bied. Ons probeer voortdurend om vars te dink en in die dae wat ons span rondom die ‘drawing board’ deurgebring het, het ons ons strategie aangepas om kliënte te verras met reekse produkte wat hulle weer die vermoë gee om ‘n eenstopdiens te bied,” het Jaco Kriel, besturende direkteur van Agrinet gesê.

ANNeMArIe JOUBert – Bestuurder aankope van Overberg Agri op Caledon is sedert die ‘90s al betrokke by Agrinet. “Die skou is vanjaar baie meer interaktief en die uitleg van die stalletjies is vars. Dit was die moeite werd om te kom – die interaksie met produkbestuur-ders was vir my baie waardevol,” het sy gesê.

JAN DUVeNHAge – Bestuurder Landmark by Hartbeespoortdam, is al vir 16 jaar betrokke by Agrinet. “Ons tak begin nou fokus op tuin-benodigdhede en buiteleweproduk-te. Visvang is ‘n gewilde aktiwiteit om die Hartbeespoortdam. Kauf-mann se reeks voldoen aan baie van my vereistes en ek kry baie goeie terugvoer van my kliënte af.”

BrIAN NAIDOO – Merchandising Executive from Legendary Retail Brands, buys across all catego-ries, apart from agriculture. “I was impressed by the full ranges of products. We are moving into peak season now and I gained good insight into various goods from different suppliers. The show was really valuable as I connected with local and international suppliers. The range of LED-floodlights really blew my mind,” he said.

Demonstrasies van verskeie uiteenlopende produkte het vermaak, maar ook inligting aan besoekers verskaf. Links word ‘n druktoets op koppelstukke gedoen. Middel ‘n kookdemonstrasie met ysterpotte en regs word ’n staalsnyer gedemonstreer.

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10

OOMBLIK VAN WAArHeID | MOMENT OF TRUTH

Offer the most competitive pricing on *KVI’s

Wollie Wolmarans, sales manager at Agrinet, says: “Know the Known Value Items (KVI’s)* for your market and make sure that your prices on the KVI’s are the most competitive in your region. Rather make your money on the rest of the range. Custom-ers are willing to pay more of a premium for unique and innovative products.”

Partly due to the electronic media, consumers are well aware of the price of items and access to technology makes it easy to compare prices – even when they are

HOW BIG IS yOUR NET?

At the first signs of spring people usu-ally start itching for summer, they are

more positive and want to be more active. they have more energy and are ready to burst out of winter’s trapped-indoor state.

tHe

Are SWIMMINgFISH

The retail tide comes in during the months from August to the first of March and retailers should be geared up and ready to fill the nets while the proverbial fish are plentiful. These seven months represent the largest and busiest season in South African retail.

get your house in orderThis is the peak renovation season in South Africa, start-ing in September to No-vember for inland areas and December to January for the coastal regions. In preparation for the summer, consumers will start purchasing summer

Article: nici harmsegraphics: nellouise van Staden

WINNINg STRATEGIESHow to make your net bigger

Make the most of the opportunities presented to you by applying the follow-ing strategies:

in your shop. Retailers must be aware of the prices of competitors.

Watch stock levelsAchieving the right stock levels has a simple objective – to ensure the right products are in the right place, at the right time, to profitably service customer demand at the point of service.

Have the right level of stock to satisfy customer needs, and identify excess or old stock. Don’t run your stocks too low, but remember that if you have too much stock,

items. Therefore the retail emphasis should be on all DIY projects, outdoor activities, gardening and maintenance on caravans, trailers, pools etc. As these products are in high demand retailers should concentrate their marketing efforts on all relevant mer-

chandise. Retailers can take advantage of the spring fever by offering early bird incen-tives on these purchases.

South Africa has a double advantage over their north-ern hemisphere counterparts in that our longest holiday coincides with the Christmas season. Customers will be buying products for the long summer holiday in December. It is normally also the time of year when most people receive annual bonuses and spendable income increases. People also have more time on their hands to do things in and around the house than during the rest of the year.

January sees a change in spending on two levels:

Firstly, people start spend-ing less after the December holiday when they concentrat-ed on holiday-related prod-ucts such as gifts, outdoor activity products and house and garden maintenance.

Secondly, contractors open their businesses after they were closed for almost three weeks during December. They start buying more in January and retailers should capitalise on this.

*Known Value Items (KVI’s) are goods with a market price consumers are familiar with.

continued on p 13

WINNINg StrAtegIeS FOr PeAK SeASON


NUUS | NEWS

12




it can cost you money. The estimated cost of holding stock is ten to thirty percent of the stock’s value, according to Business Victoria, an online resource site designed to help you start, run and grow your business. This cost includes storage, insurance, keeping accurate tracking records and controlling stock to avoid theft.

Prepare in advance The way to maintain sales volume is to be ready for the next selling season. Phase in your new seasonal items for early shoppers while your other product line sales are winding down. You can keep the momentum going in your store and your income if you plan accordingly.

Don’t wait until the holi-day is upon you to get your products lined up and ready to go. You should begin push-ing your promotions two to three months ahead of time. The advantage of having your products ready sev-eral months before a specific season is that you capture the early bird buyers – you’d be amazed how many people shop months in advance of the so-called silly season.

You don’t necessarily have to change your entire product line every season. Evaluate your current product line and see what can be promoted as a seasonal item. Use your imagination — create unique gift baskets and kits. Shoppers are pressed for time and are looking for solutions, so put together product bundles to solve their needs.

Introduce new rangesExisting customers are used to your product range – in-troduce new ranges that are innovative and exciting. Your wholesaler should be able to assist you in expanding your product range. Attend trade shows to see what is avail-able. Agrinet annually hosts a three-day trade show where

WINNING STRATEGIES from p 10

retailers can interact with the exhibitors and get to know the suppliers.

Make your products visibleCreate an attractive display with seasonal products in at least one area of your shop. If your space allows, create a second display. Ensure that the displays are done with care and taste, creating a pro-fessional look. Rather spend some money on professionally designed and printed posters,

speciality store to be in, because it’s next to impossible to compete on price with the big box retailers and national chains, given their huge buying power and economies of scale.”

Well-trained staff should:• Knowtheproducts-staffmust know what they are selling in order to be effec-tive sales people. They should know the features and ben-efits of all the products sold in

At the Trade Show Agrinet created this excellent example of an innovative and exciting basket of products, bundled together for holiday makers going to a beach resort.

banners and attention grab-bers than printing them your-self on your desktop printer. Avoid handwritten posters and pieces of paper stuck with prestik to merchandise. (See note box with essential tips on floor displays on p 15.)

Be ready for the rushBarbara Crowhurst, an inter-nationally recognised retail consultant, says properly trained retail staff deliver bet-ter results for the retailer. “Un-less your staff is better trained than the competition, armed with more product knowl-edge and strategies to solve customer problems, your retail operation will be competing primarily on price. That’s not a good position for a retail

your store. Mix this knowledge with enthusiasm about the product and a desire to help people and you will have a winning combination.• Knowhowtoselleffectively– train your staff to be able to really assist customers. They should be able to determine customer needs by asking the correct questions, how to overcome customer objec-tions, how to use scarcity and uniqueness as selling points and how to create add-on sales by recommending prod-ucts that complement other items.

Role-playing and mentor-ing staff is an excellent way to give them the right guidance.

(Barbara Crowhurst is a re-tail consultant, business coach

and CEO of Toronto-based Retailmakeover.ca and Retail-makeover Web Services.)

Visible pricingFew things are as irritating and frustrating to consumers as not being able to locate the price of a product. Custom-ers make purchase deci-sions inter alia by comparing product quality and price. If the price of the product is not clearly visible, you could loose the sale. Make sure that all your products are priced and priced in a similar man-ner. The image of your shop also extends to the design of your price tags. Price tags could display the store’s logo. Should you offer special promotional prices, show the customer how much he/she saves by purchasing the product on offer.

Adjust your website and electronic communicationYour website and electronic communication tools, such as e-newsletters and e-mailers, should reflect the season-fea-ture items that work well for the approaching holiday. Put a seasonal spin on your ads and listings. Evaluate what you’re selling and how you want to position it — freshen up the look of your site. You’ve got a whole new group of buyers coming in with each new sea-son, so you want to be ready for them.

A benefit of early marketing is that it provides lead time for the search engines to pick up the pages for your holiday specials. Include the season or holiday name in your titles, because people are searching for those terms.

14


from p 13WINNING STRATEGIES

Showcase your star products

WE took a comprehen-sive look on the impact certain seasons can have on your bottom line. Still, that is only the start to a successful improvement in sales. One of the most impor-tant aspects that often gets left behind, is the way you display your products.

The art and science of mer-chandise display is something that is written about and debated widely. As more and more different mediums be-come available, your options increase.

Customers are bombarded with visual images - of which digital visual stimulation is the most common, it is all around them and always available. This is typically everything you see on television, tablets, mobile phones and comput-ers. The average consumer becomes more and more visu-ally literate and expect images to not only inform, but also entertain.

As such, the challenge is to display merchandise in such a way as to attract attention,

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• Available in 25 Ready-Mixed Colours• 5 Globally-inspired easy-to-use Colour Ranges• Quality interior low odour washable paint• Lighter shades in 5 litre packs• Darker shades in 2.5 litre packs

QUICK-DRY PRIMERFormulated for the priming of interior and exterior steel surfaces when used in con-junction with Dulux Quick-Dry Enamel.

QUICK-DRY ENAMELFormulated for protecting interi-or and exterior steel surfaces with exceptionally high gloss for long lasting finish e.g, steel cabinets, shelves, tools and garden sets.

WATERPROOFINGAn acrylic waterproofing paint developed to be used with a mesh membrane. This product can be used on flashing, roof joint, roof screws, parapets and chimney cappings. Dulux waterproofing is not suitable for areas of long term ponding.

Displays can vary from the most simple ideas like the post-it notes on display above, to intricately designed and manufactured artworks – in the end it is the way it attracts attention to the merchandise that defines it.



We share our top tips for creative retail design for in-store displays.

Keep it changingChanging your displays frequently will keep it fresh and excit-ing, drawing customers to the range of merchandise you sell. Aim to have at least six different displays throughout the year, rather than just changing the display with each turn of the season. The less predictable in-store as well as window displays are, the more engaged your customers will be.

Make a statementCreative retail design aims to make a statement that will set your in-store displays apart from all the other retailers. Always have one main focus point in your display – any good design first grabs the attention, keeps it and then persuades the viewer to take action. Making a visually bold and original statement is the first step to attracting interest in your merchandise.

First impressions countBefore a potential customer even notices your in-store display, the first thing they will see is your storefront. A poorly kept shop will drive customers away before you’ve even had the chance to win them over with your merchandise and displays. Ensure all paintwork is immaculate and your signage is present and intact. Take a critical look at your storefront and do repairs and make improvements immediately.

Make creative choicesThe merchandise you choose to display is just as important as the display itself. Although your merchandise may not change from season to season, it is important not to simply re-create an old display. Instead, find new and interesting ways to showcase your products. Different people will find different displays ap-pealing and the more people you can reel in, the larger your customer base will be. Displays do not have to hold one type of product. By incorporating merchandise from several sections or departments in your store, you can show customers what you have to offer in a limited space. This is particularly useful for stores that have a wide range of products on sale.

Light upLighting can make or break a display. The way your merchan-dise is lit, is an important factor in whether it will attract a customer’s attention or not. Not all displays need the same type of lighting. Spotlights in different colours can be used to focus attention on featured products. (Make sure the display doesn’t look like a disco.) Creative retail design is all about making the most of your space and resources. Instead of using standard shop lighting for every display, experiment with different light sources such as lamps and floor lights to create unique effects that will really make your merchandise stand out.

enticing the customer to really stop and look at your prod-ucts on offer.

The most effective way is by way of poignant merchan-dise displays. The key is to be creative in your display. This entails the choice of display material, the products you choose to display together and the overall message you want to portray. Any display

A bit of lateral thinking resulted in this inexpensive, but effective display.

should grab attention and persuade the customer to make a purchase.

A striking, innovative and creative in-store display is a powerful tool for drawing and focusing attention on your merchandise. The most effective displays stand out, is visually appealing, while invit-ing the customer to consider the merchandise.

TOP TIPS fOR TIPTOP

DISPLAYS

Some of the great displays that were built at the Agrinet Trade Show – above, the Eurolux stand and below, totally different, but as effective, the Speroni display.

NOW AVAILABLE FROM AGRINET

COLOURS OF THE WORLDColours of the WorldTM is an interior, low sheen and low odour wash-able paint for walls in unique colours – the colour collection was in-spired by the world’s most beautiful landscapes

• Available in 25 Ready-Mixed Colours• 5 Globally-inspired easy-to-use Colour Ranges• Quality interior low odour washable paint• Lighter shades in 5 litre packs• Darker shades in 2.5 litre packs

QUICK-DRY PRIMERFormulated for the priming of interior and exterior steel surfaces when used in con-junction with Dulux Quick-Dry Enamel.

QUICK-DRY ENAMELFormulated for protecting interi-or and exterior steel surfaces with exceptionally high gloss for long lasting finish e.g, steel cabinets, shelves, tools and garden sets.

WATERPROOFINGAn acrylic waterproofing paint developed to be used with a mesh membrane. This product can be used on flashing, roof joint, roof screws, parapets and chimney cappings. Dulux waterproofing is not suitable for areas of long term ponding.

16

NUUS | NEWS

September/Oktober 2014 | inFocus17


An American based independ-ent hardware retailer made headlines recently for using the phrase the ‘small-box move-ment’. Ace Hardware owner John Venhuizen, viewed his opinion on the all-present ‘competition’ independent retailers experience from the big stores.

“Although we can never compete in terms of volume, we can offer a different shop-ping experience. We are a service-based, high-touch, local business,” John said. “The shop-local trend is one that has served us well.”

It served other independ-ent retailers relatively well too. Here are the opinions of a few smaller retailers on the benefits of operating stores of their size and what they would suggest to other retailers looking for operating ideas.

Understand your customer base – Susan Tauber oper-ates Glen Park Hardware, a 1,000-square-foot urban hard-ware store in San Francisco, with her husband, Harold. The store has seen a shift toward a younger clientele in recent years, but the key to serving customers has remained the same.

“I think that listening to your customer is really important,” she said. “And it seems that certain things are in their head-lights at certain times.”

Part of this also involves understanding the nature of the area you are serving. All re-tailers could benefit by offering niche products to help differ-entiate the store from big-box locations down the road.

Strike the right balance be-tween variety and abundanceIn addition to knowing what your customers want, it’s also important to make sure you order the right products for your store.

Bracken True Value in Utah, USA, a 9,000-square-foot

country store, proclaims on its website: “You will find a coun-try store with a fascinating mix of store inventory with afford-able prices, quality products, and a very friendly personable staff.”

“Keeping the store stocked requires a fair amount of inventory to make a visit worth customers’ time,” says Bracken. “You have to take real care and caution in not overstock-ing inventory. And that’s tricky because you have to have pretty much a full department to entice people to come in and shop. You can’t carry eight products and expect people to come in.”

Follow product trends – “The DIY crowd is popular among hardware retailers. In addition to being able to pay close at-tention to customers, it’s also helpful to have strong product knowledge — especially when it comes to trends,” says Alichia du Plessis, marketing manager at Agrinet.

“There are always trends. For instance - with paint there are certain colours that seem popular, and then disappear just as soon,” she observes, adding that magazines could help a retailer stay on top of these changing interests and fads.

DIY customers can also be impulsive buyers and are price-conscious. Retailers should focus on creating well-stocked end caps with attractive pric-ing.

“Ultimately, you have to have a mix and a pricing strategy that’s competitive,” Alichia notes. “Even if you don’t have any big-box stores in your area, they’re abundant in less than an hour’s drive. So you can’t just assume that your local market will support you blindly.”

A strong marketing presence and robust rewards program could get people into your store.

IT CAN HAPPEN IN ASMALL BOxRetailers share advice for operating varying-sized stores in rural and urban settings.

18

We are all familiar with the old saying ‘the early bird catches the worm’….but are you famil-iar with the saying ‘the early worm gets eaten’…..?

Yes, it’s spring time (at long last!) and it’s back to real-ity. So, what is the reality … very simple, time to stock up your shelves and ensure that you don’t miss out on the first-time seasonal customers ... you are either the worm or the bird!

In the article on page 10 there is an in-depth discus-sion regarding winning retail strategies (a must read). Per-sonally, I wish to emphasize two key facts from this article that ensure a happy customer, a) availability of the right products and b) a new unique offering in terms of product and display. These are two key focus points in Agrinet’s own offering, and part of our value-add to our customers.

The recent Agrinet annual trade show was the proof of the pudding and a tremen-dous success. Those who attended were pretty excited about the various new prod-uct ranges. One could sense the excitement of our custom-ers to introduce the various new product ranges to their retail outlets and customers ...

IN KONtAK | IN TOUCH

hAVE SOME BREW WITh MARIUS

“WHAT HAPPENED TO THE EARLy WORM?”

Agrinet’s National Sales

Manager, Marius Loubser,

has a few things on his

mind in this column. He

will leave no ‘tjop’ un-

turned and spare no cow

as he shares his insight

in the industry, from the

foam on top right down to

the ground at the bottom.

“

and that should be the spirit, join in the flow of natural en-ergy and grab the opportuni-ties that the upcoming season affords us all!

So what is new at Agrinet? Quite a lot, unfortunately there are not enough pages here to show it all. Therefore, I will highlight only some of these great new ranges to you. Please ensure that you receive the 2014 “Ranges @ Agrinet catalogue” from your representative. It includes all the current and new product ranges available.

IrrigationEven though the Orbit garden irrigation range is a well es-tablished brand, and familiar to most of our customers, I need to mention that our Sales Manager – Groups, Wollie Wolmarans, has taken this range to the next level in terms of being the core range within the new garden irrigation concept, nicknamed the “Wollie Concept”. This concept, designed by Wollie, is a complete offering, espe-cially to our hardware and DIY clients. It aims to provide a one-stop-shop concept catering for your customer’s irrigation needs in the garden, especially in urban areas.

This range consists of the following, the Orbit garden irrigation range (pop-ups, timers etc.), rainjet micro sprinklers, full flow and insert fittings, clamps, garden hose and hose fittings, plastic pipe etc. Don’t forget to order the Orbit tap timers which are unique and only available in the Orbit range, a must-have for every home owner (Ag-rinet codes 101011 & 101015). You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the sales and profit you will generate by stocking this six-stand range, making you the local destination for the neighbourhood’s garden irrigation requirements. You will draw more feet to your

shop and increase the aver-age amount spend by your customers – great initiative, Wollie!

Pumps and motorsAgrinet is a leading role player within the irrigation pumps and motor market and has been for many years. We’ve taken it one step further with the launch of our new PASCALI booster pump range at the trade show. With water pressure becoming more and more of a problem these days, this is the ideal product especially for the residential market. It is, however, also suitable for the agricultural and various other markets as well, offering a combination of good quality and value for money.

“Goodbye darkness, my old friend” – Agrinet recently obtained the sole distribution agency to the agricultural market for the well known eurolux range of lights. It is also available to most of our customers in principal. The Eurolux range was a huge attraction at the trade show, with most of our customers already signed up for the concept currently available. Eurolux has a full range of lamps, suited for any applica-tion, providing energy saving solutions – a simple switch will save you money.

PlumbingOur recently appointed plumbing manager, Henk Kruger, with 16 years experi-ence in the hardware industry and 10 years experience in the plumbing industry, introduced a number of new ranges to Agrinet’s plumbing basket. These were also launched at the trade show. These prod-ucts include the Manholes4-Africa range, a heavy and light duty drain rod set, Gluedevil PVC cement range and last but surely not the least, the unique Wirquin range consist-

ing of various flushing units, inlet valves, connectors etc – basically a one stand solution. Contact your Agrinet repre-sentative for an appointment to introduce these new ranges and very important, to bench-mark our copper pipe and fittings prices against those of your current supplier – you’ll be pleasantly surprised in this regard – watch this space!

MechanisationYes, ladies, believe it or not, we even cater for your needs – the new Black & Decker Automotive range of prod-ucts is ideal and a must have for every lady travelling in this day and age. This range consists of battery charg-ers, power inverters, a Cooler freezer and warmer and many more, all charged through the lighter socket in your vehicle. A really unique product, is the compact battery charger which charges your bat-tery from inside your vehicle through the lighter socket. So, come rain or hail or finding yourself in a dangerous area



”

with a flat battery, there is no need to exit your vehicle – it’s basically plug and charge from within your vehicle and off you go – if there is fuel in your tank, obviously – sorry ladies!

OutdoorThere’s no better way to start the day than with a nice cup of coffee at the campsite, pre-pared in the new Kaufmann whistling kettle – just another great product in this exclusive range of outdoor products. The latest additions to this quality range are the Padded Sofa, Streamline and Lounger camping chairs – first come first served! Please ensure that you visit the Kaufmann

Outdoor website at kaufman-noutdoor.co.za to view the complete outdoor range.

As you can see, the list of new products is really com-prehensive and a must-have to offer to your customers – remember what happened to that early worm!

On behalf of Agrinet I wish all our valued customers all of the best for the coming sea-son. May you print money and thank you for your loyal sup-port – ”Nou gaan ons braai” –

Until the next cup, happy selling – cheers!

20

Om die beste kliënte-diens te verskaf, begin Agrinet reeds by die

werwingsproses van poten-siële werknemers om te verseker dat die regte persoon in die regte pos aangestel word. Dit is die eerste stap in die Agrinet-strategie om ‘n goed-gestruktureerde en opgeleide personeelkorps tot die beskikking van kliënte te stel.

Carla Pretorius, Menslike Hulpbronnebestuurder by Agrinet, glo onwrikbaar in die woorde van Confucius: “Die kern van kennis is om te weet hoe om dit te gebruik”. “My visie is om Agrinet se werknemers en bestuurders te bemagtig sodat hulle ‘n by-drae kan maak om van Agrinet ‘n hoë werkverrigtingsmaat-skappy te maak,” sê Carla. “Dit is moontlik as personeel die regte ondersteuning, opleiding

As ‘n mens die term Menslike Hulpbronne hoor, is jou eerste gedagte waarskynlik dat dit die afdeling is waar jou bonus bereken word, waar jy jou verlofvorm ingee en waarheen jy jou bydrae vir die koffie- en koekklub stuur. Hierdie is egter lankal nie meer die funksies van hierdie uiters belangrike afdeling in ‘n maatskappy nie.

Agrinet se Menslike hulpbronnespan van links Dikeledi Shabangu, hettie Kriel, Carla Pretorius en Erik Wessels

DIT BEGIN AL MET DIE EERSTE ONDER-HOUD

en bemagtiging van Mens-like Hulpbronne ontvang. En hierdie proses begin reeds by die aanstelling van potensiële werknemers.”

“Om die regte persone te werf is nie altyd so maklik nie omdat sommige poste hier hoogs gespesialiseerde vaardighede vereis. ‘n Evalu-eringsproses wat korrekte psigometriese, kennisgeba-seerde en tegniese asses-sering behels, word gevolg om te verseker dat die regte persoon in die regte pos aangestel word.”

Agrinet se Menslike Hulpbronne-span het onlangs die internasionaal-bekende ‘Organisational Human Factor Benchmark’ (OHFB) gedoen. Dit is ‘n wetenskaplik-geba-seerde organisatoriese diag-nostiese reeks maatstawwe wat sedert 1998 ontwikkel is en bestaan uit wetenskap-

teorie en psigometriese norms en maatstawwe. Heelwat plaaslike sowel as internasion-ale maatskappye implemen-teer die OHFB. Agrinet het dit in Februarie 2014 uitgerol.

Die Menslike Hulpbronne-span fokus tans op presta-siebestuur, kommunikasie en spesifieke interne prosesse om waarde toe te voeg tot Agrinet se besigheid. Die afdeling was in die verlede grootliks betrokke by salarisse en verwante sake, maar beweeg nou van ‘n suiwer administratiewe funksie na ‘n rolspeler in die strategiese en operasionele beplanning van die maatskappy.

In lyn met Agrinet se stra te giese en operasionele plan is elke posisieprofiel so saamgestel dat dit tot die voordeel van die werknemer sowel as die maatskappy strek.


KLIëNteDIeNS


Posisieprofiele bestaan uit:• doelvandiepos• sleutel-prestasieareas• bevoegdhede(vaardig-

hede, kennis en persoonlik-heidsvaardighede)

Spandinamika verbeterDie bestuurspan van Agrinet is die afgelope paar maande druk besig met ‘n proses waar die dinamika tussen bestuur en hulle spanne bepaal word deur die gebruik van Strength

Finder 2.0TM. Die doel van die meetinstrument is om mense se talente te identifiseer en dit in sterkpunte te ontwikkel.

Die volgende aspekte is aangeraak:• Hoekomreageerekop‘n

spesifieke manier?• Hoekomreageermense

in my span op ‘n sekere manier?

• Waaruitputekenergieenwat tap my energie?

• Asekmyselfenandermense beter verstaan,

vertrou ek hulle meer. Wat is vertroue?

• Hoelykmyspanenhoelykdie dinamika van die span?

• Waaruitismyspansaamgestel? Denkers, mense wat verhoudings bou, mense wat take uitvoer of mense wat ander beïn vloed.

Oor die laaste paar maande het meer as 140 Agrinetperso-neellede verskillende oplei-dingskursusse bygewoon om hulle toe te rus om die kliënt beter te bedien en waarde toe te voeg tot die maatskappy deur die verbetering van selfkennis en potensiaal.

Agrinet het die laaste tyd daarop gefokus om werknem-ers te ondersteun sodat hulle verandering kan hanteer.

SPANWERK IS DIE KRUKS


Die doel van prestasiebestuur• Skep‘nomgewingwaar-

binne elke werknemer bemagtig word om na die beste van hulle vermoë te presteer.

• Verbetersamewerkingtussen werknemers en bestuurders deur ‘n kom-munikasieproses.

• Bestuurdershouhulleselfaanspreeklik vir werks-verrigting en bemagtig personeel om hulleself ook aanspreeklik te hou.

• Skep‘nplatvormvir‘nhoëprestasie-kultuur.

Hulle is bygestaan om weg te beweeg van angstigheid, vrees en woede na hoop, aanvaarding en om te groei en vorentoe te beweeg.

22

IRRIGATION

September/Oktober 2014 | inFocus

IRRIGATION BeSPrOeIINg | IRRIGATION

WYNAND UeCKerMANN speaks from the trade Show: “We have combined all the irrigation exhibitions into one exhibition area to make it more convenient for our clients. We are really excited about all the new products and equipment we have on display. First and foremost is, off course, the new Pascali pump range. After extensive market research and sourcing of the best fit of components and products from various worldwide suppliers, we are confident that we have found a solution to the need of the market in SA. the Pascali pumps are cost-effective, trustworthy and an excellent alternative for affordable quality in this current market. Big excitement was also created with the alternative energy pump solutions on display. the cost effective efficiency and capabilities of the pumps performing here astounded many a visitor. It is ideal for remote

areas where electricity is not readily available, or where theft is a huge problem. the new 6 inch Submersible pumps with Noryl (plastic) impellers complete the Speroni range perfectly. these pumps, with plastic impellers, save cost without compromising efficiency. We also offer a wide range of water meters for the agricultural and municipal markets. the meters for municipal use are SABS approved. Our established range of bulk or irrigation meters are now complimented by technologically advanced meters that we could not supply previously,” Wynand said.

THE SUNVASCO Solar inverters power traditional pumping systems using photovoltaic energy.

This product allows existing pump installations to be converted to solar powered installations. The VASCO SOLAR inverter is capable of converting DC wattage, coming from photovoltaic panels, into AC power, powering most three-phase asynchronous motors.

Pump speed is constantly adapted to the available solar radiation, thus maximizing the amount of pumped water and making operation possible even in low radiation conditions, while offering complete pump protection against over-voltage, over-current and dry running.

VASCO Solar is entirely manufactured of aluminium, ensuring maximum cooling and durability. All metal parts are made of AISI 304 stainless steel, making it resistant to corrosion. The IP65 protection makes outdoor installation possible.

Two independent external fans and an internal fan provide perfect cooling. Fan operation is adjusted according to actual thermal conditions, extending life expectancy.

WATER fROMPhotovoltaic energy applied to pumping systems

The membrane keyboard-cover protects the display from UV rays.

A pressure or flow sensor can be connected to the VASCO Solar to control the pump or motor performance with great accuracy. A history of the motors performance and operating conditions is recorded and stored for future reference, as well as a diagnostic menu that displays the recorded inverter and motor running hours, operational statistics and the last eight alarms that occurred.

for information on the VASCO solar inverter, send an e-mail to: [email protected]

Choose from the products that the IRRIGATION team had on offer at the Trade Show to bowl your clients over during the PEAK season this year.

23

24

BeSPrOeIINg | IRRIGATION

KOUE KAN ’N MAMBA BARS

RAAD UIT DIE WERKSWInKEL

Agrinet se tegniese ad-viseur in die Kaap, AJ de Klerk, laat weet van ‘n kliënt naby Sutherland wat ontstoke was oor sy Mamba-vuur vegter wat hom in die steek gelaat het.

“Die kliënt gebruik die vuur-vegters vir brandbestryding in die somer en in die winter gebruik hy dit as ’n hoëdruk spuit om sy trekkers en bakkies skoon te spuit. Sy pro bleem is dat die pomp en die handspuit bars na die gebruik van die vuurvegter en dit het nou ’n tweede keer gebeur en hy is

glad nie ’n ‘happy chappie’ nie,” sê AJ.

Na ’n lang en ’n baie koue ondersoek in Sutherland het hulle bevind dat die kliënt nie die water in die pomp, pyp en handspuit heeltemal laat uit-loop nie en in die koue vries die water en laat alles bars. Die produk staan binne-in sy stoor op ’n waentjie en nie op die grond nie. Hy is omgekrap, want niemand het vir hom gesê hy moet al die water laat uitloop nie.

AJ herinner sy kollegas daaraan dat as hulle met kliënte onderhandel of wan-neer hulle navrae oor die

produk het, moet hulle noem dat alle water uit die pomp en sisteem moet wees na gebruik, veral op die hoëdruk vuurvegter en veral wanneer hulle dit gaan stoor vir die winter. Dit is raadsaam om die sneller op die spuitstuk ingedruk te hou tydens ber-ging om soortgelyke insidente

te help voorkom. Dit is veral belangrik in die koue dele van die land soos in die Karoo en Noordkaap.

AJ vertel dat hy eers ’n week nadat hy van Sutherland af terug is, begin ontdooi het.

DIE MAMBA-REEKS



These 4HS Multi Power pumps have built-in inverters allow-ing for easy installation.

the helical rotor pumpThe 4HS “H” pumps are equipped with a helical (worm) rotor that moves within a double helix rub-ber stator. The flow rate is directly proportional to pump speed, which is determined by the available Wattage, while the pressure supplied is kept virtually constant. In this way, unlike a centrifugal pump, the helical rotor pump can provide high heads even at low rpm, ensuring water to the surface even with very low available power or low radia-tion from the sun.

SUBMERSIBLES READy fOR RENEWABLE ENERGy

In addition, the helical rotor pumps feature higher hydrau-lic efficiency than centrifugal pumps of the same flow. This saves on the number of PV panels necessary for the appli-cation.

Permanent magnets motorThe 4HS MP pumps are equipped with AC perma-nent magnets motors. High motor efficiency and high starting torque ensures pump operation even under low light conditions. 4HS MP pumps can be connected to solar panels, batteries, wind turbines and diesel genera-tors. The integrated inverter module converts DC energy into useful electrical energy

to drive the motor efficiently and, at the same time, adjust the pump speed in relation to available radiation. Protection against over-current, over-heating and lack of water are integrated on-board. MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) maximizes the input power for various intensities of radiation and temperature, ensuring the best possible power usage.When radiation increases, the pump increases the rotation speed as well as the water flow. When radiation decreases (presence of clouds or dif-ferent hours of the day), the pump reduces speed and thus the water flow, but still pro-vides water until the radiation falls below the minimum value to ensure operation.

4hS pumps are entirely made of stainless steel AISI 304, ensuring these components a long life. Pump, motor and hydraulic components are also easy to disassemble for simple maintenance and replacement operations.

Take a look at our 4” submersible pumps with integrated electronics, powered by renewable energy sources.

Integrated on-board protectionProtections against overvolt-age, overload and dry running are standard and integrated into the pump electronic circuit. The protection against dry running eliminates the need of run dry probes.

26


Orbit se visie is om huiseienaars te bemagtig en te inspireer met innoverende produkte wat maklik is om te gebruik en van ongeëwenaarde gehalte is. Dit is vir Agrinet ‘n voorreg om die alleenverspreider van die Orbit-reeks in Suid-Afrika te wees. Orbit se reeks “timers”, sproeiers en hulle “misting-reeks” is die mees volledigste reekse in hulle klas in Suid-Afrika.

Tydens die skou is die “Orbit sprinkler design program” geloods. Die rekenaarprogram is ontwerp om jou tuin se besproeiingsontwerp te

ORBIT BRING NA JOU TUIN

“By Agrinet se handelskou kon mense weer sien hoe-kom Orbit tans die nom-mer EEN besproeiings-handelsmerk in Amerika is en baie vinnig ook hier in Suid-Afrika dié posisie gaan inneem,” het Kobus Landman, produkbestuur-der by Agrinet, gesê.

vergemaklik. Sodra die ontwerp klaar gedoen is op die rekenaar, word die tuinuitleg uitgedruk met die stappe wat gevolg moet word om die besproeiingstelsel suksesvol te installeer. Dit sluit in die onderdele wat benodig word, sowel as die proses van installering asook die programmering van die ‘timer’.

Hierdie rekenaarprogram het groot belangstelling van die besoekers gelok wat dit ook in hulle winkels wil aanhou. Agrinet se bekwame tegniese verteenwoordigers bied graag opleiding in die program. Hierdie unieke

ontwerpprogram plus Orbit se innoverende produkte sal verseker dat verkope styg.

Nog ‘n innoverende konsep van Orbit is ’n toep (app) wat aan die einde van 2014 vir selfone beskikbaar sal wees. Dié toep sal ‘n wye reeks video’s bevat wat wys hoe Orbit-produkte werk en hoe dit aangewend moet word. Binnekort sal inligting beskikbaar wees sodat ’n QR-kode met ‘n selfoon geskandeer kan word om die toep af te laai. Hou Agrinet se webtuiste dop om te sien wanneer hierdie toep geloods word.

TEGNOLOGIEBesoek planner.agrinet.co.za om jou plan te begin.



qUALItY PUMPS ONLy fROM AGRINETThe range of Pascali

pumps are exclusive to Agrinet and is described by our Product man-ager, Wynand Uecker-man, as a range that was chosen from the best available in the market. Pascali pumps are affordable, high quality and designed for domestic applications.

PASJET/24Self priming jet pump with 24 l pressure control, for domestic and garden irrigation use. Thermal overload protection, 100% copper winding and brass impeller.

PASSS/24Stainless steel jet pump with 24 l SS pressure tank, for domestic and garden irrigation use. Thermal overload protection, 100% copper winding and POM impeller.

PASQB/24Self priming Peripheral pump with 24 l pressure control system, for domestic and garden irrigation use. Thermal overload protection, 100% copper winding and brass impeller with stainless steel insert preventing rust.

PASJETSKSelf priming jet pump with flow control, for domestic and garden irrigation use. Thermal overload protection, 100% copper winding and brass impeller.

PASSSKStainless steel jet pump with flow control, for domestic and garden irrigation use. Thermal overload protection, 100% copper winding and POM impeller.

PASQBSK Self priming Peripheral pump with flow control, for domestic and garden irrigation use. Thermal overload protection, 100% copper winding and brass impeller with stainless steel insert preventing rust.

Make sure the buyer knows his home needs a pressure valve for the save opera-tion of the high pressure pumps.

**

* *

qUALITy TO GOPascali’s new pump packaging is fresh, modern and informative. The high gloss printing on the packaging reflects the brand’s quality and performance attributes. It also has selling points on the side that act as an in-store silent salesman.

28

GARDENINGHArDeWAre tuin | HARDWARE garden

KOBUS LAnDMAninFocus caught up with the Gardening product manager at the Trade Show. He was really excited about the garden exhibition: “We kept all the gardening products in one area in an open, spacious display that drew attention.

“The products that I am particularly excited about is the DIY irrigation kit (AA025-15) combined with the Buddy timer (101011) from Orbit. The Rainjet micro irrigation equipment and the Kaufmann DIY garden range should also draw attention.

Summer time is here and as the lyrics from the song ‘Summer Time’, a composition by George

Gershwin reminds us, the living should be easy.

Fingers are itching to turn the warm

summer soil, but without the appropri-ate tools, the summer time could turn into ‘frustration’ time. To prevent this, inFocus asked the Gardening team to compile a list of their top ten most popular gardening tools. See the list opposite on p 27.

Remind your customers to be water wise – here are some tips on how to use water sparingly.

If you can, water in the morning. If you water while it’s (relatively) cool outside, water can soak in before it evaporates on the surface. And if you

do it in the morning, that helps the plant to take up the water during the day. Watering at dusk or even during early evening is OK, but you run the risk of fungus formation, because these organisms love dark and damp places.

Mulch is great for holding in moisture and keeping the base of plants cool. However, a thick layer of mulch can also form a crust that prevents water from soaking in. Break up crusted mulch with a rake to allow water in.

With your lawn and perennials, it’s better to give larger amounts of water at longer intervals than it is to apply small amounts of water frequently. That’s because shallow watering en-courages shallow rooting. In very hot weather, a ballpark range for watering is every other day for perennials and every three to four days for shrubs.

SUMMer tIMeand the living’s easyonly if you have the right tools

Below is the gardening exhibition at this year's Trade Show. The large area gave the exhibit a spacious garden-like atmosphere.


10GARDENING HArDeWAre tuin | HARDWARE garden

BeSte UIt

HW0600700 SKÊr SNOeI StAr 4Algemene snoei van tuine en boorde. Lewer ‘n skoon, netjiese snit terwyl die ergonomiese ontwerp moegheid teenwerk en langer snoeityd tot gevolg kan hê. Alle onderdele is vervangbaar en geredelik beskikbaar.

Hier is die Tuinmaakspan se 10 mees gewilde stukke tuingereedskap.

HW1541151 HArK StAAL 16 tAND (tH) Goeie kwaliteit ingevoerde produk vir tuin gebruik.

HW1880550 grAAF SPIt (tH)Goeie kwaliteit ingevoerde produk vir tuin gebruik.

HW1890150 VUrK 4 tAND geSWeISVurke gevorm van koolstofstaal, is verhard en getemper om maksimum sterkte en duursaamheid te verseker. Binnetand is aangesweis.

HW1541269 tUINgereeDSKAPSteL X3 2332 LASHer Klein tuingereedskap - polipropileen handvatsel. Ideaal vir huiseienaars of professionele tuinbou-kundiges. Word in ‘n duursame plastieksak verpak.

HW1912348 SAAg KAMP 530MM 50/11016 LASHerSwaardiens epoksie bedekte raamwerk. 35A Lem ingesluit. Veral geskik vir die snoei van bome en struike. Die pentandlem is perfek vir die saag van gevestigde bome en algemene saagwerk. Gebruik lem HW1921169

HW1921886 SAAg SNOeI DUBBeLKANt 410MM 1885 LASHerPolipropileen hand-vatsel, vorm gegote eenheid met 400mm lem. Vir huishoudelike snoeiwerk.

HW1971010 SPUIt rUgSAK KAUFMANNVerstelbare geelkoper spuitstuk. Skouerbande ingesluit. Word gebruik om gifstowwe, water en kunsmis toe te dien. Metaal hefboom wat verstel vir links- of regshandig. Siffie keer vuilgoed by opening. Hoë gehalte plastiek buigbare pyp met metaal handkontrole pyp. Onderdele beskik-baar.

810187 SWeMBAD SKIM Toestel word opgekop-pel by die swembad-inlaat en vang alle drywende blare en vullis op.

101015Buddy 2 outomatiese tuinbenattingseenheid Skakel jou tuinkraan om in 'n besproeing-stelsel. Koppel aan 'n standaard 20 mm tuin-slangkraan met BSP skroefdraad. Het twee uitlate en benattings-programme. Besoek www.agrinet.co.za vir ’n tipiese besproeiings-uitleg.

HArDeWAre loodgietery | HARDWARE plumbing

30

Before you get stuck into cleaning the pool itself, clear leaves and

any other debris from around the pool.

• Switchoffthepoolpumpand filter, let all residue sink to the bottom before you switch on to let the automatic pool cleaner do it’s job.

HArDeWAre tuin | HARDWARE garden

SPrINg CLeANTHE SPARKLE

BACK INTO yOUR POOLDuring full

summer you have better

things to do than to do battle with

algae.

Scan any of the qR codes with your smart phone to download the HTH free Pool Water Testing APP

Springtime! It is the perfect time to spring clean in and

around your swimming pool to get the sparkle

back into your life.

• Fillthepooluptothemid-dle of the weir if the water level is too low.

• Removeallleavesandotherdirt from the weir and the pool basket.

• Makesurethepump,filterand other equipment work properly. Replace all dam-aged parts.

• CheckandcorrectthepHof the water to between

7.2 – 7.6. This should be checked and corrected, if necessary, on a weekly basis.

- Shock treat the pool by adding three times the normal amount of HTH® Classic Granular Chlorine – this will get rid of all algae and bacteria.

• NextensurethattheTotalAlkalinity is between 80 – 120ppm. This should be done at the start of the summer season and checked and corrected a few times during summer.

• Backwashthefilter–don’tforget to rinse to recom-pact the sand. Backwash the filter every two weeks or when the automatic pool cleaner becomes sluggish.

• Changethefiltrationcycleto run continuously for 12 hours a day from now on.

• Brushpoolwallsandfloorweekly. Clean out leaf and weir baskets every week.

• Neverallowthestabiliser

level to exceed 50ppm – high levels of stabiliser may result in insufficient free chlorine and harmful bacte-ria in your pool water.

You should now be ready to spring into action! Your pool should be looking great and you should be looking for-ward to the days of relaxing or entertaining that lie ahead!


PLUMBING HArDeWAre loodgietery | HARDWARE plumbing

Wirquin is a range of intelligent, efficient and reliable sanitary equipment and related products, for use by professionals, priced for the DIy market and now available at Agrinet.

The Wirquin Group is based in France and has an international footprint with a factory in South Africa. Their product range is sold in over 60 countries.

Wirquin is constantly busy with product development and allocates 5% of their turnover towards that. In this process three key areas are prominent, technology, quality and service.

The product range var-ies from complete cisterns, cistern mechanisms and filler valves, these mechanisms are compatible with all current systems and are user friendly and easy to install. The flush mechanisms has the dual flush function resulting in huge wa-

Manholes 4 Africa is a man-ufacturer and supplier of

the highest quality reinforced polymer based manhole covers, gully’s and gratings. The products are made from a highly complex compound, and are manufactured using compression moulding pro-cedures resulting in durable, strong manholes which are reliable and eco friendly.

Manholes 4 Africa started by experimenting and design-ing alternates to the building and civil engineering uses of concrete and cement manhole covers and frames. What they have ultimately developed are manholes that not only meet the current requirements and regulations, but far exceed any of the limitations set out when they initially started.

They have developed prod-ucts that have a zero carbon footprint, contributing to-wards the eco-friendly green initiative. They managed this by replacing steel with fibre reinforcing bar, and no use of cement as a binding agent. reinforcingAll the products are rein-forced with Rebar FIReP (Fibre Reinforced Polymer) FIReP has double the strength of normal steel, but weight

BreAKABLe

is only a quarter of steel, it is corrosion resistant and just about any shape or form can be manufactured.

BenefitsThese products have numer-ous benefits: High corro-sion resistance, cuttability, continuous threaded profile, high tensile strength, flexibil-ity, low weight, anti-magnetic, high thermal isolation and no electrical conductivity.

Visitors to the Trade Show were challenged to break the manhole covers made by Manholes4Africa – a few strongmen gave the product their best – to no avail! These covers took all the punches that was handed out.

UNMADE fOR PROS’ PRICED fOR DIy

For more on our new products go to www.agrinet.co.za

ter savings. The filler vales has a pressure range of 1 bar up to 16 bar and sizes vary from 3/8” to ½”, the float assembly is very compact and eradicates the bulky float arm and ball system. All replacement parts and seals are also readily available.

Continue on p 33

Bath waste and trap 34550111

32



Wirquin also boasts a range of toilet seats in various col-ours from economy systems to up-market soft closing sys-tems. A range of flexible pan connectors as well as flush fit connectors are available, the unique fin seal system eradicates the use of putty and other sealants during installation.

Wirquin also have a range of innovative waste and trap solutions designed with ef-ficiency and easy installation in mind. Most of the trap ap-plications are adjustable and accommodates various sizes of waste pipe.

The shower waste systems have unique self-cleaning properties that prevents clogging as well as a water-proofing flange that prevents forming of damp in floors and walls over the long-term.

The bath traps incorporate waste fitting and is space saving and multi directional, which makes installation very easy. A comprehensive range of bottle traps, ranging from

The range of up-market soft closing toilet seat systems also come in various colours.

economic universal traps to the stylish brass and chrome plated systems. Wirquin has a unique and revolutionary sink trap that is both space saving and extremely functional, having auxiliary connec-tions for dish washers and washing machines.

The impressive range of waste and trap solutions are easy to install.

In addition to this, Wirquin also has a range of flexible waste connectors, universal plugs and adaptors for almost any application.

Soft closing toilet seat 20900003

Universal bottle trap 39998005

Sink waste 39998033

Below: the Wirquin exhibition at the Trade Show attracted a whole lot of attention with the versatile products on display.


34

OUTDOORBUIteLeWe | OUTDOOR

One of the challenges of camping in the South African heat is keeping your ice

cold and thus keeping your food and beverages cold and edible. How can you preserve your ice so it doesn’t melt so quickly? How can you keep your food from getting soggy in the melted ice? How can you keep a cooler cold for 5 to 10 days if ice is not avail-able for purchase nearby? These are some of the most common questions asked by campers.

right type of cooler There are many types of cool-ers to choose from, including metal, plastic, Styrofoam, soft-sided nylon and hard-sided plastic. The soft-sided nylon coolers and Styrofoam coolers are suitable for day trips. If you are camping over-night or going on a longer trip, it is very important to get a durable cooler that can keep your food and bever-ages cold over a period of time. Metal coolers hold heat longer when left in the sun, so plastic coolers are the most popular choice for campers.

One brand of plastic cooler mentioned numerous times in reviews, in blogs, and in articles, is the Kaufmann Römer cooler. With a wall thickness of 50 mm “Green” polyurethane injection and a silicon rubber seal on the lid, the Römer can keep ice frozen for up to six days in 30°C heat. It’s available in 40l (V0333064 and V0333066) and 60l (V0333060 and V0333062) sizes.

When selecting a plastic

or hard-sided cooler, choose a cooler that has an insulated lid with a tight seal. Make sure your cooler has a plug on the bottom for water drainage.

PreparationPre-chill your drinks and food before placing the items in the cooler. You’ll extend the life of your ice by pre-chilling all items. You can also pre-chill your cooler by filling it with ice to chill the interior, prior to packing it with food and beverages.

Freeze plastic bottles of water or canned drinks that are not carbonated. The frozen drinks will act as ice and will keep the other items in your cooler colder. You can also freeze water or other non-carbonated beverages in milk or juice jugs, and can be consumed when the liquid inside melts.

Freeze meat, and any other food that can be frozen, to help keep the food cold and fresh. Freeze bread and other food items that don’t require refrigeration, and store these items in a dry cooler without ice to keep food fresh and dry.

You can even throw a wet towel over the outside of your cooler to further insulate it. The air and wind will form a cool shield over the cooler.

Packing your cooler Pack items in your cooler in chronological order based on when you plan to use or con-sume the items. Put the items you will use last on the bot-tom of the cooler, and those you will need access to first, on top. Cold air travels down, so pack the items in the cooler first and then pack either crushed ice or block ice on top. Make sure you pack your cooler tight as air pockets can increase the temperature inside.

Pack perishables such as meat or dairy products directly on the ice. Put food in zip-lock plastic bags or in plastic containers to keep it dry as the ice melts.

For longer trips it’s a good idea to keep your beverages in a separate cooler that can be opened more frequently. Put all of your food in another cooler and open it less often.

the Ice What type of ice should you use? Crushed ice cools items faster, but ice blocks last long-er. Block ice is recommended for trips that are more than one or two days.

PETER nIEUWEnhUIZEnProduct manager, outdoors, was very confident about the outdoor ranges he had on show at the Trade Show. “We are king in the area of coolers and chairs with our Kaufmann range.” Six new models of chairs were launched this year.

“Our clients will also find the new display crate we have available an extremely helpful POS tool.

“The Kaufmann range cannot be beaten in terms of quality and price and there-fore we want to establish it as the leading outdoor brand,” Peter said.

CHILL OUtPeter’s tips on how to survive WITH ICE

Peter's choice of cooler box, if he has to be in the bush for a long period, would be the Römer – and not because you can actually park your Jeep on it, it'll keep ice cold for six days.

During your trip Once you arrive at your camp-ing location be sure to keep your coolers in the shade. You can put an old sleeping bag over them for further insula-tion. Ice will last twice as long when your cooler is placed in the shade.

Only open your coolers when necessary and when you do open the cooler, close it right away. Don’t drain the cold water from freshly melted ice out of the cooler, as the cold water helps keeps the items in the cooler cold. Drain the water only when necessary to create more space in the cooler or when adding more ice.


OUTDOORBUIteLeWe | OUTDOOR

On display at the Trade Show was a concept display crate which can be used to stack chairs neatly. This great new display tool will soon be available from Agrinet.

THE GREAT CRATE

There is probably nothing more irritating when camping than having a neighbour disturb the quiet outdoors by starting a generator in the evening. Luckily those days are over, with the new range of portable inverters avail-able anyone can have the comfort of electricity around the campsite, but without the noise.

Portable power inverters are ideal for use in trucks, RVs, while camping or at home. It converts 12V battery’s avail-able power to AC current. Giving you the power to run various household electri-cal appliances, computers, lights and small power tools anywhere.

The following three series inverters are available from Agrinet.

Low frequency Pure Sine Wave Inverter Plus Intelligent Charger

high frequency Pure Sine Wave Inverter

Power Inverter Modified Sine Wave

V0601000V0609998V0609999

V0601027

V0601005V0601006

ChAIR LOUngERV0800010

ChAIR STREAMLInE fOLDUPV0402063

ChAIR SOfAV0402036

VO402033 VO402037 VO402038BERMUDA ChAIR ChAIR hI BACK KhAKI ChAIR LAY BACK KhAKI

SITTING PRETTy ON A KAUfMANN

NO DRINKING PROBLEMS HERE

These are the latest additions to the quality range of Kaufmann chairs available from Agrinet.

POWER yOUR CAMPSITE

FLASK BOttLe StAINLeSS SteeL greY

High quality flask, with unique double walled vacuum barrier for optimum insulation, keeps your drinks hot or cold for up to 18 hours. Slim design fits most of the bottle cup holders. Stainless steel inner allows for easy cleaning. Dent resistant body. Five year guarantee.

FLASK StAINLeSS SteeL WItH HANDLe greY

High quality flask, with unique double walled vacuum barrier for optimum insulation, keeps your drinks hot or cold for up to 24 hours. Polished stain-less steel inner allows for easy cleaning. Easy pour stopper with extra wide mouth func-tion. Includes folding comfy handle for easy handling. Five year guarantee.

V0402062 1LV0402073 500MLV0402074 700ML

V0402701 1.5LV0402703 1.2L

36

ELEKTRIESeLeKtrIeS | ELECTRICAL

MORnÉ JACOBSProduct manager, electrical, just cannot be kept in the dark. He had lights for any and all lighting requirements at the Trade Show. The LED range available includes a variety of intensities, shapes and colours, with a range of solar powered options. But lights were not all, one of the exciting products on display was the power inverter. Available in a 1000Va and an 2000Va option, these inverters are an ideal option for our unreliable power supply. Whether needed for a small office or other domestic purposes, the silent operation feature with no need for fuel will be hugely popular amongst consumers.

More than just nets

FEATURES OF PLUSNET SHADE NET: • ISO9001/2008Quality

Accredited• Process:Rachelknitted• 8YearUVwarrantee• Standardreinforcedeyelidsorbugle

tubeson20%-40%• 3Metersor6meters

materialwidthon20%-40%• Rolllengths:standard50metersor

custommadetocustomerspecifications

AVAILABLE AT AGRINET > CALL OUR CALL CENTRE AT012 657 2222

Eurolux en Agrinet het op 1 Augustus vanjaar ’n besigheidsvennootskap gesluit. So bekom Agrinet die alleenverspreidingregte om Eurolux se reeks gloeilampe en ligte aan die landboumaatskappye in Sub-Sahara Afrika beskikbaar te stel.

OOreeNKOMS SIt AL DIe LIgte AAN

Dié vennootskap gee aan Agrinet ’n sterk handelsmerk in sy stal met ’n volledige aanbieding van topgehalte gloeilampe en ligkoppelstuk-ke. Die transaksie sluit ook aan by Agrinet se strategie om handelsmerke te besit of om saam met kern handelsmerke in strategiese ooreenkomste te tree.

Agrinet-klante kan dus die volledige Eurolux aanbieding

by Agrinet bestel sonder enige minimum bestelhoeveelheid of minimum bestelwaarde. Agrinet het ook uit ’n katego-riebestuursoogpunt gaan kyk na die reeks produkte. Daar is beluit om die produkte in klein, medium en groot konsepte aan te bied. Indien ‘n kliënt die volledige kon-sep bestel, sal Agrinet gratis staanders verskaf sowel as die rakversorging van die reeks laat doen sonder enige ad-disionele koste.

Kontak gerus jou Agrinet-verteenwoordiger om hierdie konsepte met jou te bespreek of stuur ’n epos aan [email protected] vir meer inligting.

’n Voorbeeld van die innoverende produkte wat, na die besigheidsooreenkoms met Eurolux, aan Agrinet-kliënte beskikbaar gestel kan word.


ELEKTRIES eLeKtrIeS | ELECTRICAL

Agrinet het tydens die Handelsskou ’n nuwe reeks sonkrag sekuriteitspreiligte ten toon gestel. Dié reeks ligte is van topgehalte en is werklik funk-sioneel deurdat dit ‘n baie hoë lumens-uitset het sowel as ‘n baie goeie litium-ion-battery. Die li-on battery kan baie meer laaisiklusse hanteer. Dit verdubbel bykans die lewensduur van die battery teenoor dié van standaard loodsuurbatterye. Die battery hou ook sy lading baie langer wat beteken dat die ligte 10-12 ure sal brand na een volle laaisiklus.

Die ligte is van aluminium vervaardig en het vlekvrye staalskroewe wat dit baie duursaam en roeswerend maak. Dit kan dus met gemak by die kus aangebring word. Die produk is ideaal vir sekuriteitaanwendings rondom die huis, sowel as vir gebruik by kampterreine waar daar nie krag beskikbaar is nie. Die produk is ten volle DIY en kan met gemak tuis installeer word. Die produkte het ‘n eenjaar waarborg teen foutiewe vakman-skap en ekstra batterye sal ook beskikbaar wees.

SEKURITEIT UIT DIE SON SE KRAG

38

MECHANISATIONMegANISASIe | MECHANISATION

The Black & Decker automotive range offers exciting prod-ucts which brings solutions to everyday motoring challenges. The range consists of battery chargers, power inverters, a cooler/freezer and warmer and much more. What makes it so convenient is that all these applications are charged through the lighter socket in your vehicle. The re-ally unique, compact battery charger which can charge the bat-tery from inside your vehicle through the lighter socket, will be very popular.

LOUREnS BOShOffProduct manager, mechanisa-tion, had a few aces up his sleeve at the Trade Show. It was in particular the new and innovative automotive range of Black & Decker that caught the eye of visitors. The range not only boasts the simple start technology products, but also a few handy travelling products that will make life on the road much easier.

“There are also a lot of new products available to our agricultural clients – new ploughshares, chisel heads, gearboxes for slashers and fertiliser spreaders and other applications. We also have a special product for the smaller dealers who don’t have a dedicated parts department. We pre-stock branded shelves with the most popular parts and these are available to our smaller clients,” Lourens said.

This very innovative product is unique in its approach to boosting your car’s battery. The unique way in which it works, allows the user to remain securely locked inside their car while they wait to boost their battery.

fEATURES

• Built-in 12 V DC charging port for charging cell phones

• Built-in, ultra-bright LED light for night time emergency roadside assistance

• Compactly designed for storage; fits in most glove compartments

• No jumper cables required, charges & starts vehicle in minutes

• Rechargeable from any 12 V DC vehicle outlet or 120 V AC household charger

This is an incredible personal safety feature, and also ensures that the driver need not get dirty while working under the bonnet of their car. How it works: The unit is charged at home and is then stored in the car. If the car battery has died, the user simply plugs the 12V DC chord into the car’s ciga-rette lighter and waits for a period of approximately 10 - 15 minutes while the Simple Start unit transfers energy to the car’s battery.

When the battery is at a level where a success-ful ignition can be made, the unit sounds a series of beeps and flashing LED lights, which indicates to the user that their car may be started. While 15 minutes isn’t instant, it is a small

price to pay for ensuring safety within the locked vehicle in a case of emer-gency or breakdown.

SIMPLe StArt


MECHANISATIONMegANISASIe | MECHANISATION

HAMMER DRILL 1000W HW0721065

CORDLESS DRILL 14.4V HW0721090

HAMMER DRILL 710W HW0721060

CORDLESS SCREWDRIVER 3.6V LI-ION HW0721110

AUTOVAC DUSTBUSTER 12V HW0721170

Black & Decker Simple Battery Chargers: High frequency pro-cess charges 12V batteries quickly and efficiently to prolong battery life.

Simple selector dial for easy operation; dial into a function and the charger does the rest. Fully automatic process charges up to 50% faster than conventional chargers. 90 Second engine start delivers 80 amps to start engine quickly. Reverse polarity alarm warns against improper connections to battery.

Scrolling LCD screen displays battery voltage, charge rate and battery diagnostics. Alternator check provides alternator diagnostics. Cord/cable wrap and clamp storage allows unit to store safely and compactly. Durable design with heavy-duty cables and clamps for increased durability in charging environ-ment. This is an incredibly fast and efficient battery charger that is easy to use and has the added benefit of providing alternator and battery diagnostics.

500 Amp Jump Starter/Compressor/Power Station

Simple battery starters

This Jump Starter provides an instant start upon connecting the clamps to the battery ter-minals. If you happen to place the clamps on the incorrect terminals, the reverse polarity alarm will sound to inform you to switch the clamps around, to allow for safe jump starting. In this way, the unit ensures that the internal electronics of your vehicle are protected. The unit comes with a charge indicator which allows the user to determine if the unit needs to be recharged. The unit is strong and robust and modern in design. Also built into the unit is a 120 PSI com-pressor which can be used in an emergency to inflate flat tyres. The inflator tube tucks away neatly into a compart-ment for convenient storage. The unit also has a back-lit air

pressure gauge for use during inflation. The unit also con-tains a Power Station which allows for running or charging appliances up to 200 Watts, via USB, 12V DC Port and 230V Plug Socket.

BENEFITS

• Precisionmouldingensuresidenticalproducts

• Hightensile,flexuralandcompressivestrengths(specificdensity2.2)

• Attractivefinish• Noexpansionandcontraction• Non-porous• Non-corrosive• Noelectricalconductivity• Anti-magnetic• Highvolumeoutput• Localrawmaterialsourcingand

manufacture/jobcreation• UVstabilised• Eco-friendlywithlowcarbon

footprint• Noresalevalue,thereforeno

scrapvalue• 2yearproductreplacement

guarantee* *(t’s&c’sapply)

MANUFACTURERS OF

AccesscoversValvemeterboxes

SplaysandinletcurbsGullygratingsandframes

StormwatercatchpitcoversManholecoversandframes

Customisedproducts:Designandmanufacture

MANUFACTURING PROCESS

M4Ahasdevelopedandper-fectedaninnovativepolymerformulationthat,combinedwiththemostadvancedmouldingtechniquesandequipment,guaranteesconsistentproduc-tionandquality.Nosteelorce-mentisutilisedinthisprocess.

Nowavailablefrom

“Innovative polymer solutions”

M4A-R2-CF

M4A-R1-CF

M4A-V1-CF

M4A-H1-CFM4A-H2-CF

M4A-G5-M25M4A-G6-M38

M4A-G12-M50

infocus sept/oct 2014

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