LANCE Schultz has been appointed managing director of the Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC) Eastern Cape, following his 12-year tenure as AIDC supply chain and supplier development manager.
Schultz fills the MD role which has been vacant since the AIDC Eastern Cape, fully-owned by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, became a separate legal entity from AIDC Gauteng in 2012.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday, Schultz said AIDC Eastern Cape was looking to spread its wings to petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and agro-processing, in a bid to support the mission of the Provincial Growth and Development Plan (PGDP) to diversify the Eastern Cape economy away from its mainstay automotive sector.
“We are adding to our strategy which is currently predominantly automotive, but we will expand to petrochemicals, pharmaceutical and agro-processing as part of PGDP,” said Schultz.
He added that the immediate focus of AIDC Eastern Cape would be sustainability, transformation and oper ational excellence in the automotive component industry.
“AIDC Eastern Cape will never forget its history and initial mandate to serve the priorities of government by assisting the Eastern Cape automotive sector become more globally competitive,” said Schultz.
“We want sustainable jobs and we are targeting existing companies and new entra nts. Through the first incubation centre in Mdantsane, I would like to leave a strong legacy of developing new entrants.”
The appointment of Schultz as MD of AIDC Eastern Cape is the final step in the full de-coupling of the Eastern Cape and Gauteng AIDC regional entities. AIDC Eastern Cape is an agency of the provincial government commissioned to assist the automotive component industry to become more globally competitive.
Schultz’s recent successes in the automotive sector helped boost efficiency in the automotive supply chain resulting in participating suppliers saving more than R10-million in annual savings and creating or retaining more than 160 jobs.
“The objectives of government and industry are not exclusive and the AIDC plays a key link between the two. When industry is productive and sustainable, then socio-economic and job growth takes place.”
Schultz has more than 20 years of experience in the automotive sector, having also worked for Mercedes-Benz South Africa for a decade and having been responsible for lean manufacturing projects and aspects of new model introductions. He has managed major supplier development projects in the industry, including establishing the Nelson Mandela Bay Logistics Park in Uitenhage.
He is married with two teenage children and holds an MBA and BTech degrees (operations management) from NMMU as well as a Bachelor of Science honours degree (industrial engineering) from Pretoria University.
He is the regional chairman for the SA Chartered Institute of Logistics and also serves as an advisory board member for the NMMU management faculty and as United Nations industrial development organisation benchmarking adviser. — siyam@dispatch.co.za
New auto industry chief will diversify
Schultz fills the MD role which has been vacant since the AIDC Eastern Cape, fully-owned by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, became a separate legal entity from AIDC Gauteng in 2012.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday, Schultz said AIDC Eastern Cape was looking to spread its wings to petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and agro-processing, in a bid to support the mission of the Provincial Growth and Development Plan (PGDP) to diversify the Eastern Cape economy away from its mainstay automotive sector.
“We are adding to our strategy which is currently predominantly automotive, but we will expand to petrochemicals, pharmaceutical and agro-processing as part of PGDP,” said Schultz.
He added that the immediate focus of AIDC Eastern Cape would be sustainability, transformation and oper ational excellence in the automotive component industry.
“AIDC Eastern Cape will never forget its history and initial mandate to serve the priorities of government by assisting the Eastern Cape automotive sector become more globally competitive,” said Schultz.
“We want sustainable jobs and we are targeting existing companies and new entra nts. Through the first incubation centre in Mdantsane, I would like to leave a strong legacy of developing new entrants.”
The appointment of Schultz as MD of AIDC Eastern Cape is the final step in the full de-coupling of the Eastern Cape and Gauteng AIDC regional entities. AIDC Eastern Cape is an agency of the provincial government commissioned to assist the automotive component industry to become more globally competitive.
Schultz’s recent successes in the automotive sector helped boost efficiency in the automotive supply chain resulting in participating suppliers saving more than R10-million in annual savings and creating or retaining more than 160 jobs.
“The objectives of government and industry are not exclusive and the AIDC plays a key link between the two. When industry is productive and sustainable, then socio-economic and job growth takes place.”
Schultz has more than 20 years of experience in the automotive sector, having also worked for Mercedes-Benz South Africa for a decade and having been responsible for lean manufacturing projects and aspects of new model introductions. He has managed major supplier development projects in the industry, including establishing the Nelson Mandela Bay Logistics Park in Uitenhage.
He is married with two teenage children and holds an MBA and BTech degrees (operations management) from NMMU as well as a Bachelor of Science honours degree (industrial engineering) from Pretoria University.
He is the regional chairman for the SA Chartered Institute of Logistics and also serves as an advisory board member for the NMMU management faculty and as United Nations industrial development organisation benchmarking adviser. — siyam@dispatch.co.za
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