Bryan Whittal steps down after more than half a century at Vereeniging Foundries
After a career spanning nearly six decades Bryan Whittal (74) a director of Vereeniging Foundries finally stepped down on Thursday (30 June 2022).
VEREENIGING. – Bryan has been with the company founded by his late father George Whittal and his partner Wilfred Kappmeier since 9 February 1965 when he started there as an apprentice.
The foundry was established on the 16th of December 1963, a little more than a year before Bryan joined the company.
He joined the company right after finishing school.
During his career, which spanned a total of 57 years, four months and 21 days, Bryan has gone from an apprentice to a tradesman to a foreman to a foundry manager and finally director.
Speaking to Vaalweekblad on his last day of work Bryan said he is looking forward to retirement but admits that it is going to be “one hell of a change”.
Bryan was usually the first at the office at around 06:30 – half an hour before the rest of the staff showed up – and more often one of the last people to leave.
Bryan jokingly said that he will now have a lot more time to play bowls and drink beer.
The 74-year-old who matriculated from General Smuts High School in Vereeniging – he was in the same class as former Springbok rugby player Gerald Bosch – is a keen sportsman who in his younger days participated in soccer, cricket, tennis, golf, badminton, and squash.
He is still very active on the bowls scene.
His grandson, Gareth Whittal, is a bowls player of note and has been selected for the Sedibeng Bowls team, something Bryan is proud of.
Now that he has a lot more time on his hands, Bryan is also looking forward to visiting the bush more.
Bryan is very passionate about the bushveld and loves travelling.
He has been to Maasai Mara (a large game reserve in Kenya), witnessed the Great Migration in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, been to the Kruger National Park, visited the Timbavati Game Reserve in Mpumalanga and has also travelled to Namibia and Botswana.
As a parting gift the company gave him a weeks timeshare at Ngwenya Lodge on southernmost edges of the Kruger Nasional Park every year.
Bryan is also looking forward to a trip to the Kgalagadi in August and going to the Kruger National Park in December.
Employees of Vereeniging Foundries held a farewell braai for Bryan on the afternoon of Thursday 30 June.
Andreas Kappmeier, a director at Vereeniging Foundries (whose father established the company along with Bryan’s father) says Bryan has worked for the company nearly his whole life.
