Our locations enable us to produce in excess of over R 1 million worth of signs per month.

This value excludes any overtime or double shifts and given the vast amounts of unutilised
space, in particular, our Durban operation can easily be expanded should the need arise?

In each location, a pop-up factory could be set up in 24 hours

 

Modularisation in pop-up factories proves new market demand for manufacturers

Recently, manufacturers have increasingly used modularisation to seed a new market with a product to prove demand and strengthen a business case; without the initial capital cost and risk associated with a full-scale implementation.

Modularisation ranges from full-service pop-up factory to alignment of utilities and asset management systems.

As pop-up factories have proven demand, we have seen naturally risk averse manufacturers become aligned and supportive of market expansion projects. The benefits of modularization for manufacturers include:

  • Low/minimal business risk
  • Speed and agility
  • Seed a new market with a low capital outlay
  • Proving the business case and demand for low initial commitment
  • Operational alignment, asset management alignment

 

With Africa’s middle class growing fast, pop-up factories are a streamlined way to provide a fit for purpose supply footprint with minimal capital risk. Large global food and beverage manufacturers are already successfully developing and deploying this thinking in emerging regions.

Other key considerations for manufacturers around pop-up factories are:

  • The ability to leverage technology, local manufacturing and innovation to support growth
  • Lower cost efficiencies — in unit production terms — due to small output
  • The potential for short life if the market takes off — may be seen as wasted capital
  • More perceived risk around keeping high signage standards in modular facilities
  • A modular concept may be more efficient with services and utilities, generators, compressors, and complete sign shop and office shipped in pieces and then assembled onsite
  • The cube-like facilities can be shipped with solar panels to reduce power consumption in high-cost areas.
  • The pop-up factory is not suited to all markets and products. It is attractive in modest markets like Ghana, Mozambique, and Zambia, not established markets like Nigeria or South Africa where large signage companies and facilities exist. Pop-up factories present a low risk start up in areas where there are political risks, high costs for power and materials or onerous regulations and corruption.