Lowvelder’s drive for growth leads to the MD’s office

MBOMBELA – Over the years, Mr Raymond Obermeyer who originally hails from the city, has become a trusted point-of-contact for SEW-EURODRIVE clients located in the Lowveld.

His excellent performance at SEW-EURODRIVE has resulted in him being officially appointed as the company’s new managing director.

“I have been with the company for nearly 27 years. I have seen it grow from a small distributorship to a fully-fledged Eurodrive which is well respected in the international SEW world. South Africa is a key player in the field of IG (industrial gears) and I was part of the team which brought this to South Africa. I have a love of people and the product and I believe my drive and passion will ensure we grow from strength to strength. We have a good team and I think we have made great strides in placing ourselves on the IG map for South Africa,” says Obermeyer.

When Obermeyer is not busy at SEW, he enjoys his other hobby – farming with avocados and nuts. He loves nature and wildlife and is also involved in various charities.

“It was a great honour and surprise to be chosen for this position. It all happened quite suddenly but I am very excited about the opportunity. I have a great passion for SEW,” said Obermeyer.

Obermeyer assumed responsibility for his new position – which involved a relocation to Johannesburg – in July this year. As a result, the local contact for regional sales is Mr Jonathan McKey, while Mr Glyn Scott can be contacted for any operational issues in Mpumalanga.

“Our company has grown so much in the past 10 years. In my new position I would like to continue with this growth and also consolidate on systems, procedures and quality. As the company grows these operational issues become more and more pertinent to make sure clients get their jobs on time and at the level of quality they expect from SEW-EURODRIVE,” added Obermeyer.

He was initially the branch manager in Mbombela before his promotion to operations and logistics general manager three years ago.

Since then, he has been instrumental in the upgrading of SEW-EURODRIVE’s facilities countrywide.

All factories have been equipped to handle additional tonnage and have been fitted with load test benches, tooling upgrades and new assembly lines. He was also involved in the streamlining of process-flow in the factories, which has led to optimum productivity and reduced delivery times.

Obermeyer replaces outgoing MD Ute Schoeman, who has stepped down after 12 years of service to open up her own business as a business and marketing consultant in the industrial sector.