A window of opportunity for SMEs

The participation of small business enterprises in the plastics industry has been boosted by an initiative to ease entry barriers for entrepreneurs and enable them to play a sustained role in the supply chain.

11 Aug 2010

Led by the Department of Trade and Industry, the initiative, is supported by the North West University's Potchefstroom campus and Sasol's business incubator, Sasol ChemCity. Together they have built a fibre polymer processing centre at the university, complete with an extrusion laboratory.

"SMEs require access to high-end technology to make them competitive and assistance in terms of equipment to start adding value beyond reselling plastics or providing packaging," says Hennie Roets, business support team manager at Sasol ChemCity.

Roets says that extrusion - a high-volume manufacturing process - is the ideal point of entry for SMEs.

"Extrusion is an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly process that does not produce any waste streams. Because the equipment is easy to operate and the resulting products are in demand, it has significant potential to allow SMEs to become plastic manufacturers."

Roets says the high cost of extruders has proved a barrier to SMEs. Twin-screw extruders had to be imported, increasing costs.

Source: Business Day

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