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Further accreditation will boost NovaMarine's service offering and revenue

Issued by Grindrod Limited on behalf of its subsidiary, NovaMarine.

NovaMarine, a marine safety and survival equipment provider based in Cape Town and Durban, has recently been approved as an accredited service partner for CSM safety equipment. CSM currently has over 200 international servicing stations globally and has added NovaMarine to its service network. NovaMarine’s 55-years experience, ideal location, multi-skilled technicians, and extensive client-base, makes the company a perfect fit.

Marcus Twine, CEO of NovaMarine, expressed his delight at becoming an approved CSM service partner. He said: “The NovaMarine sales and operations team have been working relentlessly for the last 3-years to land this partnership. CSM survival equipment is internationally renowned, and we need to partner with these brands to serve our customer’s needs better. Our customer service model revolves around service delivery and relationship-building, and we look forward to nurturing this partnership with CSM.”

Shanghai Star Rubber Products Co. Ltd is the specialised manufacturer of the CSM brand of marine inflatable life rafts and inflatable & non-inflatable rubber products. All products are compliant with ISO 9001:2008, and the products have been approved by classification societies such as ABS, CCS, DNV-GL, LR, NK, RS, and Rina.

Barbra Pieters, Sales & Service Co-ordinator for NovaMarine, added: “Our hard work to prove our service capabilities has paid off. Our team is excited, and we look forward to assisting our longstanding clients with the servicing and replacements of life rafts.” NovaMarine has since already received an order to service five life rafts, just days after the approval.

While the national lockdown affected most industry sectors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NovaMarine was earmarked as an essential services provider during this time and even extended its service offering to include a sanitising service for vessels. In addition, NovaMarine recently received it's South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) Certification for Inspection of Transportable, Refillable Gas Containers. This also includes approval as a high-pressure test station for testing of CO2 cylinders.

Pieters adds, “NovaMarine is an internationally known and trusted brand when it comes to marine safety, and we pride ourselves in providing a dynamic service offering to support our client’s needs. Our highly qualified and experienced service technicians are available 24-hours, 7-days a week, and perform offshore inspection, servicing, and maintaining marine safety equipment, ensuring fit for use at all times.

As CEO of both NovaMarine and ship repair and fabrication company Hesper Engineering, Twine commented: “We have made quite a few strategic internal changes within both companies in the last two years in a bid to align ourselves with the marine industry’s needs. We have now found a synergy between the two brands, which is starting to pay off.”

NovaMarine is owned by Sturrock Grindrod Maritime (SGM) and, along with its sister company Hesper Engineering, make up the SGM Technical Division within Grindrod Limited. SGM Technical offers solutions ranging from marine safety equipment and maintenance to steel/pipe fabrication, mechanical repairs as well as blasting and coating services.

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