“The cement industry has become increasingly competitive since Ash Resources entered the market over 30 years ago,” said Smith. “We believe that the completion of our BEE deal with Peotona, which has been in process for some time, will bring to fruition the long standing plans that Ash Resources and its other shareholder, Lafarge South Africa, have had with regards their business transformation goals”.

 

Peotona, a 100% women-owned investment group, has diversified interests in various industrial companies. They include investments in Ceramic Industries, De Beers Consolidated Mines, Fenner Conveyor Belting SA, Reunert, Western Areas Mines & Prospecting and Lafarge Industries.

 

Well-known South African businesswomen involved in Peotona are Dolly Mokgatle, Thandi Orleyn, Wendy Lucas-Bull and Cheryl Carolus, Executive Chairperson.

The finalisation of the agreement means that Dolly Mokgatle, will join the Ash Resources board.

“Alongside working on completing the deal with Peotona, Ash Resources has also been busy with the implementation of a number of empowerment initiatives. These have included devising comprehensive preferential procurement policies for suppliers from black-owned companies and, attending to employment equity issues such as the implementation of vital training and upgrading of employee skills. Developing our people is, and will remain, one of our key strategic priorities. We also have an active Corporate Social Responsibility & Investment policy,” Smith said.“Welcoming Peotona on board was yet another step in our ongoing transformation process.”

 

Being the South African market leader in fly ash products it is important that we obtain and uphold a BBBEE Rating that is acceptable to our Customers (and their clients), Partners and Suppliers. As a South African Company, we are fully committed to Government’s transformation initiatives. Furthermore, as a leading player in our Industry it is imperative that we exhibit our commitment.

 

We are therefore very proud of our first time round achievement in obtaining a Level 6 Rating (particularly as our applicable scorecard was Generic) with Value Adding Vendor status, thereby enabling our customers to obtain 75% procurement recognition when buying fly ash products from us.

 

Smith added “with the compilation & support of our new Board, together with our team’s commitment to change, I am very confident that we will improve our Status to Level 5 when audited later this year.”  

 

The company is regarded as one of the world leaders in ash technology, turning the waste products from Eskom’s coal-fired power stations into environmentally friendly and sustainable building materials. It has ongoing research programmes in place with leading international and local technical institutions to continually create more effective, environmentally friendly, cement formulations and high performance concrete mix designs for the construction industry.