De Kock & Kerkhoff to part ways

"I, as public officer, anticipate the winding-up will be concluded early in the new year," said Mike Kerkhoff. "And yes, we have gone our separate ways." The communication consulting businesses which have emerged from the process are Michael Kerkhoff & Associates, Shirley de Kock & Associates and (Ben and Tessa) De Kock Communications.

"Shirley and I provide a range of corporate communication services to international and South African companies and organisations," says Kerkhoff. "These include perception research, development of appropriate strategies, and execution of approved programmes, often in conjunction with clients' own in-house PR departments. Specialist skills and experience are in financial PR/investor relations and in servicing the needs of the banking, property, retail, tourism, specialised industrial and wine sectors."

The starting team consists of:

Mike Kerkhoff. 30 years PR consulting experience in South Africa. Member of the Investment Analysts Society of SA and a director of Business Against Crime - Western Cape. Member of the Public Relations Institute. From 1973 to 1982, a director of TWS Communications (now Simeka TWS). From 1982, a director of De Kock & Kerkhoff Communication Consultants, now being wound up. Based Cape Town.

Shirley de Kock Gueller. 17 years PR consulting experience in South Africa. Was assistant editor of Reader's Digest SA and press liaison officer to US Information Service before joining De Kock & Kerkhoff in 1985. Based Cape Town.

David Beer. 20 years PR consulting experience in SA, 17 with De Kock & Kerkhoff. Based Johannesburg.

The group has representation via independents in Durban and Port Elizabeth/East London, and affiliates in the UK and the USA. Other markets in Africa are also accessible through independents.

"I'm very pleased to say that we are continuing our association with Old Mutual Properties," said Kerkhoff, "which the MKA team has been serving since 1984."

Their other clients include:

Arabella SA, local subsidiary of Schorghuber Corporate group, of Munich, which owns Paulaner brewery and runs Arabella Sheraton hotels in Europe in association with Starwood Inc. Arabella SA interests include Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel Cape Town (opening next August as SA's largest hotel); Paulaner Brauhaus, brewery/ restaurant in Cape Town; Blaauklippen Wine Estate, Stellenbosch; five-star Western Cape Hotel & Spa on the Arabella Country Estate near Hermanus.

Business Against Crime - Western Cape. A not-for- private-gain company which applies business skills to crime prevention projects in partnership with central and provincial Government departments, the national police service and other business organisations.

Catalyst Holdings, the group providing property and asset management services, inter alia, to Bonatla Property Holdings Ltd and Shops for Africa Ltd, companies listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange, for whom we provide financial PR services.

Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. One of the leading institutions of its kind in SA. Shirley has been working for the orchestra and its predecessors for 15 years.

Cape of Good Hope Bank, SA's oldest bank which is being integrated into Nedbank Corporate.

Mobile Industries Ltd. listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange. Main investment is a stake in Trencor Ltd , another listed company whose subsidiaries include San Francisco-based Textainer, world's largest lessor of marine containers, and Denver-based TrenStar, supply chain logistics managers (eg managers of beer keg fleets for top European brewers).

Paul Cluver Wines, of Elgin. Award-winning pioneer of cool climate wines in South Africa. Expanding vineyard and cellar production capacity to keep pace with growing international and local demand.

Propell. A specialised property financing division of Catalyst Holdings.

Truworths International Ltd, leading retailer listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange, with operations in Middle East and Africa.