Saiccor - The First 50 Years 5.8 MB - Sappi

The First Fifty Years
From 1953 Dr Hendrik van Eck took over the Chairmanship of both
IDC and Saiccor, although Cornish-Bowden remained on the Saiccor
Board until July 1956� Also from 1953 the number of Board members
increased to 12 (four from each partner)� Courtaulds kept the
chairmanship of Saiccor for IDC chairmen: Claude Cornish-Bowden,
Hendrik van Eck, Siegfried Kushke, Jan Kittshoff, Oakley Tainton
(an IDC man although not chairman), and Koos van Rooy� The only
non-IDC man to be Chairman of Saiccor (until the Sappi purchase
in 1988), was Norman Wooding, deputy Chairman of Courtaulds
who had the chair from 1983-1985� In 1961, Wilfred Sheldon became
the first Saiccor employee to achieve 10 years service (he resigned
from the Board on 29 October 1964)�
SNIA (through SAICI) started placing orders for plant and
equipment in September 1952� At the same time Saiccor bought land
for the factory, some 4 km upstream of the Mkomazi River mouth,
from the Illovo Sugar Estates (established in 1890)�
The first sod was turned in November 1952 and work commenced
with Rush and Tomkins doing the earthworks, Roberts Construction/
Concor (the local contracting company)– with Douglas Roberts in
charge – doing the civils and buildings, all under the control of
consultants CBI, headed by Mark Bernstein� Prof� L Manfredini of
SAICI had overall charge of all civil and building design and
construction� The rail line to the factory was opened on 5 November
1953 and the road in January 1954� (In 1862 the Natal government
built a harbour at the Mkomazi River mouth and for a short time
cargo vessels used it� Twin townships (North and South Barrow),
were laid out on its north and south banks� These names persisted
until 1924 when the whole area was renamed Umkomaas�)
In January 1953 Cantacuzene set up an office in Albany House
in Durban while the factory was being built� Each of Saiccor’s
partners had representatives at this office� From SNIA was Camillo
Pianto (Cantacuzene’s deputy), from Courtaulds was Bill Hastie,
Works Manager, and from the IDC were Oakley Tainton,
Commercial Manager, John Carrick, Secretary and Chief Accountant
(who retained the position until he retired at the end of April 1978;
he was appointed to the Saiccor Board in 1976), Stan Gay, Buyer
and Jock Mitchell, the Zulu-speaking Personnel Officer� Alec L
Thomson, Oakley Tainton and John Carrick became the first
employees to achieve 20 years service in 1973� Tainton was the first
to achieve 30 years in 1983�
Timberland was bought, with trees, from Rattray for £500 000
(including Waterton Timbers)� Although Cantacuzene signed the
cheque, the deal had been negotiated with the IDC, leaving
Rattray somewhat bitter because he felt he had not been given a
fair price�
8
Wilfred Sheldon