What does it take to go from a bright South African idea to producing the world's largest range of digital aircraft instrumentation in just three-and-a-half years? Passion, knowledge and the sort of courage that beats the big boys at their own game.
In light aircraft circles, the MGL Avionics' Stratomaster brand of instruments is the best-known and most highly respected worldwide. The reason is simple: the MGL Avionics product range offers over 20 electronic aircraft instruments at exceptional price/performance capability.
The company, started in Johannesburg by microlight enthusiasts Rainier Lamers and Ria van der Wel, specialises in the design and manufacture of computerised, electronic instrumentation for light aircraft. The combination of Lamers' background and experience in electronic engineering and Van der Wel's expertise in accounting, plus the conviction that they could produce top quality instrumentation at competitive prices was a key driver towards success.
As Lamers says: "The rest is almost history, even though most chapters are still to be written."
MGL Avionics exports all of its products and has representation in over 17 countries. A strategic move to Somerset West, Western Cape has enabled the company to extend its research and development capacity. It is working on a further 30 products, increasingly aiming at larger aircraft.
It recently signed an offset agreement with BAe Systems, which is seeing first fruit in assistance with tooling and certification of instruments. The company has also entered into a technology partnership with Aveotech International.
Local expertise and resources are utilised wherever possible, supporting electronics component distribution, circuit board manufacturing, tooling and production of mechanical items. Of course, all assembly work is done locally, both in-house as well as though outsourcing arrangements.
"Given the short time in business and the complex nature of the products, we believe this is an incredible achievement by any standards," adds Lamers proudly. "We also believe that we have hardly even started in the context of what we can and will do."
MGL Avionics is also a member of the dti Savant ICTE project, the global network that is putting South African ICTE on the international map. For information on the dti Savant programme, click onto http://www.savant.co.za.
For further information on MGL Avionics, click onto http://www.mglavionics.co.za or write to info@mglavionics.co.za.
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