Retractaline is a leading South African manufacturer of a comprehensive range of laundry care products and accessories. Company owner, Chris Frost said, "There are very few households in South Africa
that do not have a Rectractaline product. It is the first thing I look for when I visit a home."

First established in 1984, the name Retractaline developed from a product name in 1994 to now being an iconic household brand name associated with a wide range of laundry products.  These products include: rotary clotheslines; retractable clotheslines; wall mounted dryers; clothes airers; ironing boards; and laundry accessories including pegs, laundry hampers and bags.

Driven by the need to expand, the company has recently relocated to the Dube TradeZone. Frost said that he received a nudge to grow his business. He explained, "When my biggest customer started importing generics of my range, I realised that I needed to ensure that my products were competitive and covered a wider range of price points in order to regain and grow market share."
He added that he had to get ahead of the game and make decisions based on the economic climate. In order to compete in a global market it was necessary to invest in premises, plant and equipment that would be able to manufacture products ultilising interational best practice and rates.

The company started operating from the Dube TradeZone on the 1 December 2015. The various advantages of building premises at the Dube TradeZone, which has been declared an Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) include tax benefits, the accelerated depreciation of assets, employment incentives, as well as a 98 year lease on land.  Not having to pay for the land up front also ensures additional capital is available to invest in plant and equipment. As an owner manager dependent on utilising restricted capital this move was described by Frost as 'a no brainer' with great cash flow benefits.

Innovation has always been a key component of the company's success in producing quality, durable,
and reliable laundry products.  Frost describes himself as being hands on in the inhouse development stages.  The manufacturing process is then handed over to a very competent team led by the factory manager, Anand Haripersad who has been with the business since inception.The local community has benefited well from Rectractaline's presence at Dube TradeZone as a source of employment opportunities. Since the move to the new premises the company has doubled its workforce and will double this again within the next year. The staff complement currently includes administration and sales staff, packers, assemblers, key machinery operators and engineers. The company prides itself on its skills training programmes, which are conducted in-house to suit the product development and manufacturing processes.

Frost's plans for the future include expanding his range of designs and solutions as well as stepping-up production.  In addition, as an alternate to traditional importation of house brands, he is focused on offering a competitive house brand solution to his clients.  These include Makro, Builder's Warehouse, Game, Pick n Pay and independent hardware outlets. Frost intend to refocus on expanding his export range next year. Products have been exported to Canada, USA, Ireland, Switzerland, UK, Australia and New Zealand.

"An advantage of being an owner manager is that you can make decisions and act upon them quickly," said Frost.  The ability to be responsive to market needs has ensured that Frost is a market leader in his
field and is in the right place to meet current economic trends with assurance.

www.retractaline.co.za