Oct 23, 2019 Silverton Radiators, Motus, Hugo Grobler
70 years on and Silverton Radiators still a major motoring force
Ask the average “petrol head” what his car has in common with the cars of 1949, and chances are that the radiator, ‘still the heart of a vehicle’, will be overlooked. Things may have changed, technology may rule nowadays, popular brands may have come and gone, but the radiator lives on.
In South Africa, one of the most enduring motoring names in the heat transfer and cooling sectors is Silverton Radiators. While the company has been around for 70 years, many brands that used its products are gone - relegated to the pages of automotive history.“In 1949, the company focused on repairing agricultural implements. Today, its offerings have kept pace with technology. As a supplier of OE or OE equivalent engine cooling products, the company provides the same technology and parts to motorists which are specifically designed to meet the tasks they perform.
Silverton Radiators also supplies intercoolers, condensers, viscous fans and also specialise in the repair and diagnostics of engine cooling related products on vehicles in various sectors such as mining and heavy-duty trucks,” says Hugo Grobler, Silverton Radiators National Franchise Manager at Motus. “Since its inception in July 1949, Silverton Radiators has expanded steadily. Cape Town was home to its first branch and Durban, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg followed shortly afterwards. In 1954, a branch opened in the Eastern Cape to supply car manufacturers. By the end of the decade ten branches were operating, and the factory’s facilities had expanded to cater for straight fin cores in both copper.The swinging sixties saw Silverton Radiators being acquired by Associated Engineering (AE) and the entry of the local content car manufacturing programme boosting Silverton’s business and the branch network grow to 21 outlets.
The highlights then came more often and, says Grobler; each decade seeing Silverton Radiators enhancing its position and product quality. Some of the significant developments were contracts with Volkswagen, Toyota, technical agreements with Nippon Denso, Japan in the 1970s. The decade also saw the introduction of louvred, corrugated finned radiators, thinner materials and smaller tubes.
Entering the 1980s with 46 branches, the company was split into OE and aftermarket operations, introduced franchising and saw its ownership change to Imperial Metal Industries (1981) and relocated to Benrose. In 1989, Silverton Radiators again changed hands, entering the T & N stable.
By 1990, Silverton Radiators had 85 outlets. Expansion into Zimbabwe took place and National Radiators in Kwazulu- Natal was acquired and relocated to Johannesburg. In 1997, T&N was bought and Silverton Radiators became part of Federal-Mogul, component manufactures from the USA. In 1999, the heat transfer interests were then sold to Behr, one of the world’s leaders. By this stage, the company had 132 outlets.“In the new millennium, aluminium radiators came to the fore,” says Grobler.
“As aluminium radiators cannot generally be repaired, the supply of complete radiators became common. When imported vehicles and radiators were added to the picture, the result was a shift in management focus from local manufacture to logistics. The emphasis is now on finding international sources of supply of products, purchasing, pricing, shipping and warehousing. Franchises adapted by providing a professional and competent all-round cooling system service as a counter to the” box shop” importer.
“In line with parent company Behr’s strategy of separating OE and aftermarket structures, Silverton Services (now known as Behr Service) began reporting directly into the aftermarket division of Behr Service Germany and its franchised outlets now numbers over 100 covering the whole of South Africa and neighbouring countries excluding Zimbabwe. “
“This change was followed by Behr Service Germany entering a joint venture with Hella, Germany, to form Behr Hella Service. The South African aftermarket operation followed suit,although the franchise network still trades under the Silverton Radiators banner.”
Since 1st September 2014, and now known as Motus Aftermarket Parts, Motus currently manages the Silverton Radiators franchise on behalf of Behr Hella Service. Motus controls distribution through its warehouses known as Parts Incorporated Africa.
“As part of the global Behr Hella Service Group, Silverton Radiators remains at the forefront of developments in the thermal management market and is uniquely positioned to be the dominant and largely exclusive provider of OE equivalent technology to the thermal management market. By integrating its unique strengths with its countrywide dealer network the company will continue to move ahead.”
“Times, cars, products and services may have changed, but after 70 years, our mission of providing customers with the highest quality and widest range of products and services with regards to engine cooling remains the same,” concludes Grobler.
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