First Cut (PTY) Ltd

Founded in 1956, First Cut Pty Ltd is South Africa’s leading manufacturer and distributor of capital equipment, cutting consumables and precision measuring tools to the metal, timber, textile, meat, DIY, paper and plastic industries. With a head office in Johannesburg, a manufacturing facility in Cape Town and branches in Durban and Gqeberha, we currently employ 240 people. Local entrepreneur, John Poole, founded the company – known then as Alexander and Poole – when he negotiated the distribution rights in South Africa of the Starrett range of products. Our current Managing Director Andrew Poole joined the company in 1992, joined by his business partner and current CEO Ian McCrystal in 1995. In 1998, the business acquired a local cutting consumables manufacturer. In 2002, these two companies merged to form First Cut. Central to this deal was the negotiation of an agreement with Neill Tools UK, to manufacture their products under licence in South Africa. Since then, the consumables division has pioneered innovation in the business, and provided the foundation for First Cut’s ensuing diversification and continued success. In the ensuing years, various acquisitions followed, the most notable being Bandsawing Services in 2002, facilitating First Cut’s entry into the capital equipment market. The subsequent conclusion of a deal with the Everising Machine Company provided a sound base from which to begin selling capital equipment to the structural steel, sheet metal, tube and pipe industries. This capital equipment is predominantly comprised of integrated solutions utilising the latest CNC technologies. The First Cut Capital Equipment division has enjoyed significant growth and, today, is at the forefront of the industry in South Africa.