Founder And Owner / Director
Johannesburg, Gauteng, Za
Founded Consulmet at my own risk and cost in 1993. Began active business in March of 2000 with Consulmet's initial, self designed product lines, through the investment of all my personal resources and accumulated financial savings. Through the following years I grew Consulmet, once again at the risk of all my personal property and assets, succeeding through the torturous first 5 years in which most new company owners simply can not make the cut. During this critical phase, Consulmet's first and then many successive installations were carried out creating an impressive track record and installation list. Banking credit privileges and supplier accounts were established. Under my lead Consulmet grew into the export market with significant cooperation between the South African Capital Equipment Export Council and the DTI. Consulmet was ready to take its role as a manufacturing exporter of capital goods worldwide. During the period 2004 / 2005 agreements of understanding were entered into with new partners, who were granted ownership shares of Consulmet free of charge in return for adding to the customer base. The new owners in Consulmet pursued a different business agenda, and found the hard won, established platform of Consulmet most convenient for their purposes. I ended my participation in Consulmet in 2005 with the sale of my shares in the company. I thoroughly enjoyed my years developing Consulmet, despite never having worked so hard for so long before, nor risking absolutely everything on a business dream. No matter how a business may develop later, the true acid test of entrepreneurial talent and skill lies in the beginning years. Anyone can run an established business, but very few can create one from nothing but an idea. Unless you have been able to do that, you are really only another manager moving jobs. There is a great satisfaction knowing one has successfully done what so many dream of doing and so very few succeed, or are capable of doing.
