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Dry Ice International brings economic inclusion to Port Elizabeth

By

Deon Roux and Athol Trollip

Dry Ice International, a leader in dry ice manufacturing and blast cleaning in South Africa, hosted an exclusive event on 11 May 2017 in Port Elizabeth. The company made an announcement that will play a pivotal role in boosting the local economy and supporting growth in a region which has faced numerous challenges around unemployment, investment and trade deficits.

“For the past three years, we have conducted research into the Eastern Cape, specifically Port Elizabeth and East London and we have found that they offer a lot of potential,” says Deon Roux, CEO and Business Owner, Dry Ice International. “Core vertical industries with a strong presence in the Port Elizabeth area rely on the work we do and solutions we tailor make to suit their requirements. This research and insight inspired our decision to host this exclusive event and to make one of the biggest announcements in our company’s history. Guests attending were under the impression that it’s only an Expo to demonstrate the different ways of using dry ice. Little did they know that we are actually launching our factory here in PE that will service the rest of the Eastern Cape region.”

The event has been designed to foster networking and relationships with more than 200 leading decision makers from core vertical industries in Port Elizabeth and its surrounds, and had an impressive keynote speech from Athol Trollip, Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan. Through this event, Dry Ice International has created a platform for companies to find synergies and work together to generate sustainable growth and development in the Port Elizabeth area. The company is committed to engaging with local communities and businesses to foster mutually beneficial relationships that can support economic inclusion and education.

“We believe that good primary and secondary education are the building blocks to promoting the economic sector of South Africa,” says Roux. “We want to focus on primary education in science and chemistry in Port Elizabeth, as we have in other parts of the country. Our goal is to engage with local schools to help educate students in Dry Ice, manufacturing, CO2 and useful applications. We are already doing this with great success in Gauteng and learners who have attended our sessions have walked away with a rich insight into science, chemistry, manufacturing and their practical applications.”

Dry Ice International will be making a strong push towards education and development in Port Elizabeth as it forms part of the company’s corporate social investment programme and ethos.

“Over the past 24 months, many vertical industries have invested billions of Rands into expansion and upgrades at their plants, improving their capacity and functionality,” adds Roux. “Most of the industries in the area have taken this tack to improve economic inclusion and drive local business, prioritizing the potential of the area.

We have been inspired by this commitment and we are very excited to announce the launch of 5 new developments in our product range:

  • Dry Ice 4 Leisure for people who like spending time outdoors or camping and want to keep their meat etc. frozen. Dry ice will keep your products frozen for up 8-10 days;
  • Dry Ice 4 Special Effects is when dry ice is placed in warm water, which we have seen here today;
  • Dry Ice 4 Hunting for the serious hunters who wants to take that trophy home, but need to keep it cool in transportation;
  • Dry Ice 4 Fishing for when you go out on the deep sea and want to keep the bait cool, or to keep the fish that were caught cold;
  • Dry Ice Blasting for automotive.”

To support the growth of local industry, Dry Ice International is planning to work with representatives from the various industry sectors to establish stronger ties and build mutually beneficial business relationships. The goal is to make a positive impact on business and community and to ensure that the company always uses local suppliers and services when required.

“We are committed to introducing, and keeping, capital flowing in the Port Elizabeth region,” adds Roux. “Most of our Gauteng suppliers have been working with us for more than 15 years and have helped us make Dry Ice international into the company it is today. This has inspired us to look for suppliers in the Port Elizabeth area with whom we can establish equally successful long-term relationships. We believe in networking and will engage many local business organisations going forward.”

Author: Magdél Steyn
Website: http://www.magdelsteyn.co

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Port Elizabethan

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