'Plascon is firmly rooted in Botswana'

WANETSHA MOSINYI
Staff Writer | Thursday February 14, 2008 00:00

 

Speaking to Business Today at a ceremony to award the company BOS ISO 9001:2000 yesterday, Jamieson said the unbundling was only at shareholding capacity and did not affect their day to day running at Plascon.

At the end of 2006, Barloworld unbundled most of its subsidiaries in order to focus its business on sales and service. The group then listed all its manufacturing businesses on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

The result was that the coatings division was separated from the Barloworld Group and is now known as Freeworld Coatings, of which Plascon Botswana is a subsidiary.

Jamieson says the company, which makes most of its products here in Botswana and exports some to South Africa, Malawi and Zambia, is in the process of being officially registered as Freeworld Plascon Botswana.

Backing up Jamieson, Barloworld Equipment Executive Director Ian Duthie says Plascon Botswana was unbundled because it demonstrated that it could stand on its own as a business.

Duthie refutes claims that Barloworld Botswana was to move its headquarters to South Africa. 'I can assure you that Barloworld Botswana is committed and staying in this country and Barloworld South Africa is staying where it is,' Duthie says. 

The history of Plascon Botswana dates back to 1987 when it was established in Francistown, under the defunct Financial Assistance Policy, trading as Astra Paints.

This was changed a year later to Crown Paints following the signing of a technical assistance agreement with Plascon South Africa.

In 1988, a depot was opened in Gaborone. After the conclusion of what is described as 'an extremely successful FAP programme' several years later, an additional factory was set up in Gaborone.

In 2002, the company changed its name to Barloworld Plascon Botswana, in line with group policy.