Gelvenor has been awarded a prize in Category E at the African Advanced Manufacturing and Composites show in Port Elizabeth last week, attended by 300 other delegates. The expo saw many high-profile players in the manufacturing industry gather to share ideas, network with peers and learn about new trends, advances and opportunities in the African manufacturing environment.

An important part of the programme was the celebration of key achievements through the handing out of awards in six different categories. The Nelson Mandela Bay Composites Cluster, a significant partner in the showcase, invited Gelvenor to submit any recently developed innovative fabrics for Category E of the awards. This floating trophy is handed out to acknowledge important and necessary innovations in composite fabrics.

Gelvenor put forward its cut-resistant composite textile developed to form the base of truck tarpaulins. Every year, the trucking industry faces massive losses from cargo theft due to tarpaulins being cut to steal the goods inside.

Gelvenor’s multi-layered fabric is designed for safety at base level, incorporating angled steel fibre to ensure that the tarpaulin is resistant to horizontal or vertical slashes or cuts. This revolutionary fabric saw Gelvenor being awarded first prize in Category E, a recognition of Gelvenor’s continuing innovation in textile design and development.

The awards ceremony took place on 7 of November and DTI Minister Rob Davies presented the awards to the winners of each category. The ceremony was attended by Gelvenor’s Sandy Stewart and Michael Roberts, respectively representing the sales team and the production team, who worked on the composite textile project. Sandy accepted the award on Gelvenor’s behalf and was honoured to bring the trophy home to the Gelvenor offices.

“This notable achievement has spurred Gelvenor to continue developing advanced textiles with innovation designed into the fabrics at a fibre level. We would like to thank everyone involved in the African Advanced Manufacturing and Composites show,” said Dicky Coetzee, Gelvenor CEO.

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