Consol Glass

Consol Glass has been part of South Africa’s history for nearly 70 years, but it is anything but old-fashioned. Priding itself on innovation and engagement with the local community, the company pursues success in every area.

While Consol was officially incorporated as Consolidated Glass Works Limited in 1946, it has effectively been in business since 1944 when financiers Anglovaal acquired glass manufacturer Pretoria Glass. Pretoria Glass was innovative but small, however through clever investment and clear business insight, Consol has grown to be the largest glass manufacturer in South Africa. Although it is a local business, it prides itself on delivering world-class service to all its customers. In total the company employs over 1,400 people over its four sites.

Throughout its history, Consol has manufactured glass containers for drinks for international giants such as Diageo and Appletiser, as well as glass tableware. However, recently it has seen an increasing demand for glass food containers, which has led to steady growth in sales in a very competitive market. The firm now produces containers for everything from baby food to fresh salads and, of course, traditionally glass packaged products such as jams, chutneys and honey. This area of business has also attracted big name brands including Nestlé, Dickon Hall Foods and Mullins Food.

An additional trend that the company has seen is in the drinks containers arena. Innovative design has long been a feature of the alcoholic beverages market, but manufacturers of soft drinks, fruit juices and mineral waters have also shown increasing interest in this area. The primary reason for this change in demand is for these producers to be able to differentiate themselves from their competition – companies want eye-catching and recognisable containers to use as part of their marketing strategy. Not only will this allow consumers to identify their product at a distance, but also attractive designs draw in new customers who may not otherwise have chosen to pick up the product. In this way, by working together with its clients, Consol is able to increase its own productivity through increasing the demand for their clients’ drinks.

Consol has four factories located in Pretoria West, Bellville, Clayville and Wadeville, with the latter also serving as head office. Across these facilities, the company produces over 3 million units per day, predominantly for the food, drinks and tableware industries. The Pretoria West site, however, is focused on the production of speciality glass and produces containers for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, as well as the core business of food, drink and tableware containers.

While demand for glass containers is increasing at an industry level, Consol is not sitting back and waiting for business to walk in the door. In early 2011, Consol launched its consumer-focused “Choose Health” campaign, which is being promoted through a television advert and social media. Through these media, the company encourages people to make healthier choices in general, while impressing upon them that glass is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Key message points are that as glass is inert, the product will be uncontaminated by the packaging. Additionally, the company points out that glass is made from all natural materials – sand, limestone and soda ash, and is also the only packaging that does not require extra layers to protect its contents. Finally, it notes the 3000-year history of the use of glass as a container, as well as the fact that it is the only packaging material "generally recognized as safe" by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The televised element of the campaign has been recognised internationally for its effectiveness and excellence. In May it was nominated as one of the finalists in the New York Festivals World’s Best Advertising awards.

Aside from the personal health message, through the Choose Health campaign the company also highlights the recyclability of glass. Environmental responsibility is very important to Consol and is a key part of its corporate social responsibility strategy. The business is an active member on the board of The Glass Recycling Company, which was established through a partnership between national government, glass manufacturers, fillers and recyclers. The Glass Recycling Company is a national organisation that is supported by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and is responsible for facilitating the recovery of waste glass for recycling. As part of this initiative, Consol has its own recycling facilities at two of its factories – Bellville and Clayville.

Recycling is by no means the only element in the company’s corporate social responsibility strategy. Each of the four factories takes responsibility for different activities under this umbrella. The speciality glass site in Pretoria West is heavily involved in projects aimed at the development of children and raising their prospects. Pretoria School for Cerebral Palsied, Physically and Learning Disabled Learners provides specialist support for disabled children, as well as assessment for babies. This factory is also involved in initiatives with the Early Learning Centres in Atterdigeville and Pretoria Society For The Aged. Additionally, through its Belleville facility, Consol is also involved in the Bellville South Environmental Forum (Belsef). This organisation has brought together local industries and community organisations with the aim of addressing environmental concerns and reducing pollution. The company is also ranked as a level three BBBEE contributor.

Consol’s primary focus for the future is organic growth. The increasing demand for glass containers in the food industry, as well as procurement of new business with both new and existing customers in its other markets have led to the need for expansion. Construction began on a new factory in Nigel in June 2010 and is ongoing. This project increased glass container production by 25 per cent, or 220,000 tons, bringing total glass production over four billion glass containers per annum.

This new factory will also form part of Consol’s CSR initiative, with a R250,000 investment into education in the Nigel area announced at the soil turning event. The facility is also designed to be as energy efficient as possible and to minimise the company’s overall environmental impact. With such a focused vision of the future, both in terms of business and its interaction with the local community, it is clear that Consol will remain a major player in the African container industry for many years to come. www.consol.co.za