INNOVATIVE PVC COMPOUNDS: Flourishing Family Business Flying into Fresh Markets

Running a successful family business takes a clear vision, time, commitment, strategic efforts, and great patience, all of which Innovative PVC Compounds has proven is not only very much possible but a pleasing experience. The Siddiqi family has built a strong and reliable brand that instils trust within the internal team as well as customers near and far.

Innovative PVC Compounds is a compounder of a wide range of PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) compounds which are formulated, developed, and delivered from its base in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

Innovative PVC Compounds has cultivated a dynamic team from bottom up. The factory team consists of loyal and dedicated members, serving for up to 13 years with the company. The admin team is built on the strong foundation of experience and conscientiousness with key team members working in the business since inception or soon thereafter. The production facility is headed by an accomplished Production Manager who specialises in plastics processing. Management is formed by three key areas – Finance, Operations and Procurements, and Sales and Marketing – all of which are led by family members within their relevant departments. The passionate and zestful nature of the IPC team allows for the business to grow with ambition and purpose, serving customers with the best customer service and quality compounds.

COLLECTIVE VISION

“When we talk about the future and vision of the company, we see it as a collective approach working with everyone’s strengths,” Saná, Marketing Director says. “Mubeen, the CEO, who also happens to be my father, has extensive experience in the PVC compounding industry, and how the market works – that is our foundation. Saalick, a highly qualified Industrial Engineer, and my brother, oversees all operations and procurements. Alongside our Production Manager Bheem Singh Verma who is an Engineer specialising in plastics processing, they ensure the business runs efficiently and effectively. Rumaisa, my mother, who has taken over the chairmanship of the board of directors has a well versed and overall knowledge of the industry due to the family being in the business for the last 28 years. She also brings in the CSR element to all areas of the business, with her extensive background in social responsibilities. I am an Honors graduate in Motion Picture Medium and have experience in media and marketing which gives me a unique perspective on the brand image of the business. Our collective vision is to merge all these skills and be known for delivering high quality compounds accompanied with excellent service.

“We are now in our 13th year of being a successful compounder in the industry, and it is our loyal and regular customers that have helped us to get to where we are today. We are always appreciative and grateful for their business, big and small alike,” she says.

“We specialise in PVC compounding primarily for the extrusion, injection, and blow moulding industries. Our product is based on is virgin grade compounds however we do encourage a closed loop system with our customer to ensure that material is reprocessed in sustainable ways for ourselves and the environment,” Mubeen mentions. “Our customers produce a wide variety of products from our PVC compounds such as window gaskets, seals, hose pipes, medical tubing, cling film etc. within the extrusion sector, and gumboots, shoe soles, footwear components, bottles, pipe and electrical fittings etc. within the injection moulding sectors.”

PVC is one of the world’s most common synthetic polymer plastics, with around 40 million tons produced each year. The market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

“My father has been in the industry for 28 years now, his knowledge of the markets and trends is invaluable,” says Saalick. “That knowledge, paired with Bheem’s experience in plastics processing are a few of the key factors that contribute to the success of the business.”

This is where a quality supply chain helps IPC to separate itself from others. By thoroughly evaluating and understanding operations within the supply chain, the company is able to hand pick those partner companies – locally and abroad – that can deliver inputs of the highest quality. With this level of attention to detail around strategic procurements, operations and distribution, the business has become the reliable and trustworthy compounder it is today.

“We feel very strongly about making sure our raw materials are strategically purchased and we take a lot of care in terms of who our suppliers are and the reliability of the source. We are members of the Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA) where our CEO has served on the board. For many years we have been following the Product Stewardship Commitment that the association sets out and do not use any hazardous raw materials in our facility,” states Saalick.

“We are true to our procurement policy in which we ensure that we have multiple suppliers and service providers in every aspect of the supply chain. We have suppliers from around the globe and ensure that we source the best raw materials to manufacture high quality PVC compounds for our customers. We put great importance on ensuring that our suppliers are not only reputable but also responsible players in the market,” says Saalick.

This approach has helped position the company in an extremely strong position for future growth, and that may come in the form of new collaborations, new geographies, and new products as IPC puts the experience at its helm to full use.

GROWING AMBITIONS

Although presence in South Africa is well-established, and IPC continues to grow the South African customer base while still working with customers in Africa and abroad. Growth on the continent has been strong, and the company supplies PVC compounds across sub-Saharan Africa. “We have regular customers in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya and other African countries,” says Mubeen, adding that IPC is also busy building its reach into Europe and the Americas.

“We go as far as the demand requires and we are experienced in shipping and exporting. Our customers are important to us from every corner of the world, and we do our best to supply all customers big and small, near and far with our high-quality PVC Compounds.”

On the product variation side, the groups success grew into the establishment of a new entity – Africa Roto Compounds (ARC) – in 2021. At the very beginning of the post-pandemic recovery, the group long presence in the plastics industry helped to lay the foundations for this new production line. “The new division produced linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) powdered material for water tanks, kayaks, portable toilets, road barriers and a variety of other roto-moulded applications. ARC is considered the sister-company to IPC, operating from the same premises and offices. With great delight to the team, the new business has gained great momentum over the past two years,” says Mubeen.

IPC and ARC are both busy developing new grades and product ideas, some requested by customers to introduce a new item into the market and other grade developments generated internally. The decades of experience of the industry in the management team is a great asset here as customers, existing and new, can trust the R&D that goes into product development. “Sometimes its ideas that become great products, or just experimenting to find alternative grade possibilities; we have a few up-and-coming products for the market. Some are still in development, while others are in process of being sampled, which is very exciting for our research and development team,” explains Mubeen.

QUALITY-CERTIFIED

Further reinforcement of the company’s relentless drive for quality comes in the forms of its soon-to-be complete ISO certification. The world’s leading formal independent recognition around quality in business, ISO certification cements trust in a brand. Aiming for ISO 9001 accreditation before the end of year, IPC will be one of few manufacturers in South Africa to hold the prestigious Quality Management Systems certification.

“We started the process towards the end of last year and have been working extremely hard in all departments towards improvements in facility and traceability to ensure that we are above the standard requirements,” says Saalick. Achieving this status, alongside growth into new markets and development of new products is recognition of the hard work put in by the team and family over the last decade and more.

When the pandemic hit, many manufacturers were forced to close or pause, but IPC continued. Not built to do ‘just enough’, the company managed to find a niche and thrive through ongoing production of safety materials used throughout the challenging period.

“In recent years, business has been great, and we are grateful for that,” Mubeen smiles. “We had some small dips with Covid, but we have been expanding in our own facility and that is only possible because of the demand from our customers. From 2018 to 2020, we realised exceptional growth. 2020 was tough, including the loss of the head of the family, my father, Mr Yunus Siddiqi, but even then, we did see growth in the business which was interesting to see and experience. It had a lot to do with industries and applications that we supply into. Safety footwear became an essential item, and we were just fortunate to see growth in that sector at a time when it was globally challenging. From 2021 to 2022, we have again seen significant growth and we hope and work towards continuing that growth in years to come.”

Currently, 50 people drive the business forward but with expansion on the horizon more may be needed. The family wants to bring passionate, ambitious, and energetic people into the business and focus on cultivating a zestful company culture.

“We want to be as professional as a corporate business but as intimate as a family business – it’s about getting the best for our customers.”

When continuous improvement is built into the core of the business, which is the team in this business, and when quality is non-negotiable, creating trust with the customers and ensuring high quality compounds is that little bit easier.

“We work towards making sure our brand is true to our values and beliefs and not only recognised but sought-after both locally and internationally. We do not necessarily want to be the biggest, but we do strive to be the best. We take our brand and reputation very seriously and have also recently received confirmation that our IPC logo is officially a registered trademark!” says Saná.