In these days of change and uncertainty it is often difficult to find a supplier that has more than 50 years experience. A remarkable exception to this rule is Dupleix Liquid Meters (DLM). In this era of job-hopping another achievement is the fact that the 115 personnel at DLM, where more than 20 years service is commonplace, boast some tens of hundreds of years of experience. This covers the entire range offered, including their valves, flow metering, level, over pressure protection and control products. While operating autonomously, DLM is a division of Protea Data Systems, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Unihold.
Metermatic is a subsidiary of DLM which designs and manufactures intrinsically safe products for the petrochemical industry, including presets and safety control systems. All the marketing and distribution of these products is done through DLM, including exports into the SADC countries. For its international business (80% of Metermatic's turnover is export) distributors in the Netherlands and France have been appointed, the latter looking after North Africa and Middle East. The Metermatic range of products is totally South African, but meet all international standards in terms of safety (CENELEC, ATEX 100 etc.). Metermatic won the Engineering Week Award in 1994/5 for its EM5 preset delivery system.
Besides Metermatic a number of other strategic acquisitions have been made over the last 10 years including Meter Systems Holdings, Safex Engineering, Longdale Engineering, Rienzi and Terminal Automation Systems. The incorporation of these entities has expanded both the product range offered and local manufacturing capability - DLM has four divisions namely control, energy, flow and level.
Control
The Control division is in the capable hands of Marc von Ruben who has spent his entire 20-year career with DLM. Marc is an expert in the area of industrial valves, instrumentation fittings, valve actuation and accessories, and more than ten principals make up his portfolio. Special mention could be made of two of these companies namely Habonim and HAM-LET, both from Israel.
Habonim is the manufacturer of the unique quarter turn 'Compact' actuator. This uses a patented rack and pinion design with four separate racks, each with its own piston, to develop torque around the central pinion. Through distribution of torque over four racks each one generates less torque, and at a given air pressure the actuator can produce the same output using smaller diameter pistons resulting in a highly compact and space-saving cube structure. Habonim offers a wide range of accessories, which include valves, limit switches, positioners and solenoids. Known as 'The actuator that delivers maximum torque for minimum air consumption', the Compact comes in a range of sizes and models.
HAM-LET is a new generation company that uses a fully automated plant to manufacture its innovative range of valves and fittings in a variety of materials for high pressure, temperature and vacuum applications. It also produces high tech components under the HTC brand name, which provide a complete line of ultra purity components that are widely accepted by industries with critical requirements (semiconductor, biotech and pharmaceutical).
Energy
This division, run by Gail Wilson, has a range of products for overpressure protection and control, including valves that are used where steam is generated, as in the power industry. DLM is proud to announce that as from May this year it has been appointed the sole South African distributor for the Bailey range of products from the IMI Safety Systems Group, this in addition to existing sole agreements for IMI Safety System's other products namely Amal (flame arrestors), Birkett (safety relief and pressure reducing valves) and Marston (bursting disks and explosion panels). Additional products supplied by this division include boiler valves and fittings, and valves and safety and pressure reducing valves for air, steam gases and liquids from a number of other European suppliers.
Flow
The Flow division concentrates its activities in the petrochemical industry. Besides the Metermatic product offering, principals include FMC Smith, USA and Germany (flow measurement and control including systems), FA Sening, Germany (road tanker fittings), Nitto Seiko, Japan (flow meters), Lubrizol, USA and UK (additive injection and blending systems) and OPW Civacon (earth monitoring, overfill protection, loading arms and couplings). DLM is a long-standing member of the Petroleum Equipment Institute. The National Sales Manager for the Flow Division is Wayne Walton.
Level
This division evolved from the attainment of the exclusive distributorship of the Solartron Mobrey range of products as from January this year. This strategic acquisition has added all types of level measurement and additional flow capability to DLM's portfolio. The General Manager is Dave Rosser who has many years experience with the Mobrey product range.
The DLM family
DLM is operated in a very personal way with especial care taken of the needs and aspirations of its staff. As one employee has put it "In this company you have a career, not a job!" The company's philosophy that it wants to develop and 'grow' its people is evident from the fact that management comprises many people who have worked their way up through the ranks. An example is the Sales & Marketing Director Gillian Darge who has held almost every position in the company from sales to branch, regional and divisional manager. Another equally capable lady in the current management team is Gail Wilson who started off some 22 years ago as a secretary, and is now National Sales Manager - Energy. The company MD, Barry Bamberger, in contrast is the 'junior' member of the team, having served a mere 13 years, some of that period as Financial Director.
This focus on keeping and developing personnel has also proved to be a major benefit in terms of customer relationships, as companies continue to use their well-known and trusted contacts within DLM. The training and development of staff is of course colour and gender blind, and management always tries to relocate staff into more challenging positions in which they have expressed interest. Staff also receive extensive in-house and overseas training.
Operational issues
Although products and systems supplied by DLM are often purpose ordered or manufactured, the company has an in-house stock in excess of R15m which is used to optimise service and support. Besides this stock DLM is also proud of the fact that virtually all repairs to supplied products can be carried out at its premises which include an in-house laboratory accredited to SABS 0259. Metermatic, as a manufacturer and exporter, is ISO 9000 certified.
DLM has a strong presence throughout the country in sales and technical support and regards this as a major strength as it is always close to the customer. There are seven branch offices situated within all the major centres of the country. All branches have their own technical support staff including SABS qualified verification officers. The company's head office in Kempton Park has occupied its present site for 20 years although extensive alterations and additions have been made to the buildings to cope with increasing business. Additions have included an in-house training centre, which is located next to a comprehensive demonstration area where the many product lines are displayed.
DLM is aggressively increasing its market share. Industries served include mining, power generation, food and beverage, paper and pulp, water and wastewater as well as petrochemical and chemical. The company is committed to supplying quality products to end users using its years of partnership with world leading suppliers to ensure the most comprehensive and competitive solution. To this end and to ensure that service and support remains at the highest possible level, DLM will also continue to invest heavily in 'its people'.
DLM
(011) 975 1171
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