In South Africa, September celebrates a number of significant events including Arbor Week, with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRR) acting as the country’s champion of indigenous forests and trees.

September also sees the World Environmental Health Day and other international reminders of our need to manage our natural resources sustainably and combat accelerating climate change.

The DALRR has called for the public and organisations to get involved in greening their communities and partnering with local government and community-based organisations to coordinate the planting, care and management of all vegetation across urban and rural areas.

The department notes that trees provide more than just ornamental beauty in our open spaces. They provide benefits such as building materials, paper, fibre, oils, gums, syrups, pharmaceutical products, fruit and nuts while also preventing soil erosion. Trees also produce oxygen while using up environmentally detrimental carbon dioxide – they are the filters of our planet.

Incredibly, trees also provide rich nutrients for our soil through fallen leaves, they reduce flooding from rainfall run-off, they lessen sound pollution by deflecting sound waves, act as a windbreak and insulator during harsh weather, as well as providing habitats for wildlife.

In these ways, trees help to not only clean our air, but to reduce our energy costs, improve the productivity of our soils, preserve water supplies and contribute to a beautiful, liveable planet. According to Forestry South Africa, a forest producing 10m3 of wood per year will remove the carbon from the equivalent of 14 million m3 of air each year.

Hardwood trees grow extremely slowly and can reach tremendous sizes – capable of doing incredible work for our environment and impossible to replace in their function. Nathan Chapman, co-founder of sustainable building materials group Eva-Last, says this is why the industry needs to champion the use of alternative materials that protect our natural forests.

“Years ago, timber was in favour in construction and architecture for its look and feel, but it is clear that environmental sustainability and climate change imperatives outweigh any possible aesthetic benefits of using natural timber. At the same time, composite products for decking, cladding and other architectural finishes have come such a long way that they give away nothing in look and feel to real wood. There really is no reason to select timber any more,” says Chapman.

Eva-Last’s range of decking, cladding and beams includes some of the most advanced profile technology on the market. “It’s not just about the look and feel of the product. Over the last two decades we have introduced several patents that improve profile strength across framework spans while reducing profile weight and increasing product longevity significantly, even in the harshest environmental conditions. Our composite alternatives are also highly rated for fire resistance and non-slip surfaces, so in all ways these products are advancements on what timber can offer as a building material,” says Chapman.

He says warranties on Eva-Last products like the Apex range have expanded to cover three decades of use. “This is just unthinkable with real wood, which requires constant maintenance and upkeep, as well as being susceptible to warping, cracking, fading, staining, moisture ingress and destruction by environmental threats like termites. Now, decking, fencing, screening and railing can be put up and left up, requiring nothing more than the occasional clean, as a feature of a property that will not deteriorate or look scruffy in a few years.”

Eva-Last’s Apex, Infinity and Eva-Tech decking ranges are also secured with the company’s proprietary fasteners, under the Hulk brand, which ensure a consistent, flawless and invisible fastening finish. “This eliminates another key drawback of natural timber, which is that it is prone to cracking and coming loose from its fasteners over time, through weather cycles and under heavy use. With some of the most natural-looking, lightest and most durable products ever created available to customers these days, a truly sustainable approach to beautiful architecture and construction is possible – with none of the drawbacks,” says Chapman.

Eva-Last celebrates women in the building materials industry The construction, building materials and engineering fields have for years carried with them the stigma of being male-dominated industries. For three women working at building materials group Eva-Last, however, passion is purpose and outdated perceptions will not stand in their way. 

Shelley Galliver, Eva-Last’s marketing director, has more than two decades experience in the building materials industry and says the relatively specialised nature of the industry has worked in her favour. “Building materials is a niche market, so if you can grow your profile and credentials in the industry, there are opportunities out there.” 

Galliver obtained a degree in marketing and started her career in various positions at PG Bison before becoming a brand manager. “That was where I found my lane – I just loved my job because it required a deep understanding of all aspects of the product, including technical and production, to better market the offering. I was soon overseeing most of the company’s brand portfolio.” 

Moving to Alpha Cement, as a marketing manager, she expanded her responsibilities from brand management to full marketing management; first in a division and ultimately across the whole business; and then to the Dawn Group – as marketing director for brands such as Cobra taps and mixers and other strategic marketing director roles in the group. Galliver then took a brief sidestep into explosives with Maxam. “By that stage I had developed a real love and passion for building materials, so when Eva-Last came calling I was ready to move back into the industry.” 

Throughout her career Galliver has worked in male-dominated workplaces, and she believes some companies can make the mistake of reinforcing perceptions about the gender divide even when they set out to address workplace equality. “By hiring men for technical positions and women for less hands-on work, barriers can remain in place. It’s really about what you can do in the role. I can honestly say that, given the opportunities I was given, if you are competent, confident and can demonstrate that you’re there to add value, you are treated equally.” 

Working in marketing has provided a double barrier to being taken seriously. “A lot of people don’t understand the strategic role of marketing. Once they see that you understand all aspects of the business and can help drive strategy, you quickly gain their respect. Anyone in a technical field – even in marketing – has to understand the various routes to market and the different requirements of the channels to be able to market their products or brands effectively. This is what I find exciting about the industry – it is so diversified, you are marketing your brand to people who are often not your direct customers, but whose needs must be understood for your brand to be the product of choice,” says Galliver. 

Nikita Norman, Eva-Last’s Durban branch manager, says from high school to her family’s technical leanings – even including completing a welding course during her studies – made her aspire to study engineering or architecture. A qualification in architectural draughting got her into the company in its early days. “I was one of the first women here and we all had to fill many roles at once. I was draughting for project installations while also working up new decking board profiles and clips, while also being involved in sales. I’d also pick up phones and handle walk-in customers, which made me work on parts of my personality to become better at sales.” 

Like Galliver, Norman loved being at the centre of the business. “From architecture to sales is quite a move, but it meant I had to understand the business and our products intimately. I needed to be able to answer any questions a customer might have. Many people think women are not technically inclined, but my sister is an engineer and I believe women should not allow themselves to be steered by the attitudes of others. It can be challenging to work in this industry, but we have an all-female team of three here in Durban and for the most part our contractors and customers simply want someone who is technically minded and can solve their problems.” 

Norman says a passion for the products she works with goes a long way. “The company is vibrant and has a lot of momentum and innovative sparkle. The industry in general is also evolving very quickly in terms of the products being developed and how architects are putting them to use. To be at the forefront of technical developments in the industry is exciting and would hate to have missed that opportunity by taking a ‘safer’ route in my career.” 

Caitlynne Collender, a research and design product manager at Eva-Last, also took the draughting route into the industry and has remained on the technical development side rather than sales. “I started helping to draw up new products, which became my main focus rather than project designs. I worked directly with the research and development team, bringing in new technologies, and we have been changing the industry with our patents, which is very exciting.” 

Intimately involved in the development of Eva-Last’s Hulk fasteners range, Collender says she also benefited from a family used to designing and building things. “My dad is very hands-on. I grew up around yachts and boats, fixing and building things. I was also friends with many people who worked in technical trades, and draughting is one of my core passions. The company lets me do just that and provides the tools for me to do it, so I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve also worked with many men who have daughters, so they’ve always been comfortable around women.” 

It hasn’t always been that way. “When I showed up to register for a technical college course, the man who would go on to be my teacher asked me if I was there to register my husband. That stank. Then I was also overlooked at graduation where all my male peers who received fewer distinctions than I did were celebrated. I think the industry is catching up and making things right, and we are seeing fewer women pigeon-holed into roles. The women at Eva-Last are raring to take opportunities and run with them,” Collender says. 

Advice from the Eva-Last team is to not take a backseat. “Be willing to get involved and understand all the technical aspects of the business and product. That’s the baseline for being able to work with highly technical people in engineering teams. You need to speak their language,” says Galliver. 

“Never give up. If you have a passion for a technical field, just forge ahead. You need to take chances because this is a rewarding and interesting field,” says Norman. “Don’t listen to anyone else – if you get a gap, take it and do what you need to do. You can learn many things online and upskill yourself without depending on others who might slow you down. I’m very grateful for the opportunities I have been given, but remember to speak up for yourself,” Collender adds.  

Exposed posts, beams and trusses have been used for centuries to provide aesthetically pleasing and functional features to architecture – particularly for vaulted ceilings. Though the traditional materials used for such architectural framing included hardwoods, their weight, susceptibility to decay and environmental impact have encouraged architects to look for sustainable alternatives.

The innovation behind Eva-Last’s Lifespan range of forest-friendly trussing materials has combined market-leading composite materials with lightweight aluminium components to create incredibly versatile profiles to complement any space.

Lifespan brings together a surface with a natural timber appearance and the concealed high-performance longevity of aluminium with none of the drawbacks of wood; warping, cracking, fading, splitting and susceptibility to environmental conditions.

By installing Lifespan in either vertical or horizontal applications, a commercial or residential space can benefit from the character, visual warmth and aesthetic features, to exude rustic elegance.

Lifespan’s endless versatility also provides design opportunities to create eco-friendly pergolas, cladding, screening, railing and other decorative architectural showpieces that benefit from longevity and performance far superior to natural timber. Lifespan’s span capabilities significantly exceed those of other composite products. With its aluminium hollow core and Eva-Tech composite external layer providing long-lasting protection and a range of attractive finishes, Lifespan comes with a 10-year warranty.

“Through a tri-extrusion process to bond the elements of Lifespan together, this range of products is highly resistant to severe climatic and biodeterioration conditions. Lifespan has been engineered to meet industrial norms and architects have benefited from its light weight, while requiring no reinforcement and less time to install thanks to easier handling. It also requires no maintenance and upkeep, unlike real timber,” says Eva-Last CEO Marc Minne.

A major benefit for all end users is Lifespan’s environmental credentials, making use of recycled materials and solar energy in manufacturing. “Lifespan helps to preserve valuable natural resources while providing finishes and aesthetics that are indistinguishable from the timber appearance we all know and love. This – along with UV resistance for both indoor and outdoor applications – makes Lifespan the ideal choice for any exposed beams and trusses, such as in the post-and-beam loft style,” says Minne.

Underneath its beautiful exterior, Lifespan offers market-leading technical specifications in flexural stability, weather resistance, application opportunities and biodegradation through attack by organisms like termites, fungi and bacteria.

Johannesburg, SA (June 14, 2021) – Building materials group Eva-Last has appointed John Westermeyer as director of sales enablement and programme management, signalling a new era for the South Africa-based group as it scales up its international distribution.

With more than 20 years’ experience as a sales and marketing professional for leading international companies such as American Express, British Airways, Philips and Lixil, Westermeyer’s strategic marketing management and analytics skills have laid the foundation for his role at Eva-Last where he will coordinate routes to market for a broad array of Eva-Last products.

Eva-Last CEO Marc Minne says Westermeyer’s task in this newly created role will be to maintain, build and develop sales programmes in various territories globally. “John is a strong candidate from a sales and marketing point of view, but he’s also great at analytics. Our product mix depends heavily on the particular sales channels in each territory, which means there is a great deal of complexity that needs to be managed, monitored and optimised as we scale up our international reach.” 

Westermeyer will also head up Eva-Last’s new loyalty programme, the Contractor Rewards Programme, which will reward contractors for selecting Eva-Last products through a tiered rebate system. “Again, this is a tremendously complex programme that has the potential to deliver great impact for Eva-Last, and John is the perfect person to implement this important programme in the next phase of our global growth strategy,” says Minne. 

While the growth phase presents an exciting opportunity for Westermeyer, he says there is more to the company that rounded out an irresistible offer. “I’ve been an avid recycler and urban vegetable gardener for years, so environmental causes are close to my heart. The more I found out about Eva-Last’s green credentials, and the more I discovered the team’s passion about their contribution to environmental stewardship, the more I was drawn to Eva-Last.” 

Eva-Last’s track record over 15 years was also a factor. “To see what the team has accomplished in that time is incredible, especially because there is still so much remaining to do. You sense a tremendous energy in the organisation even as their feet remain grounded about the challenge of global growth that lies ahead. I am excited to be joining with the main task of improving sales efficiency in reaching customers. Sales enablement at this scale is definitely a rare opportunity at a South Africa-based company, and I look forward to taking Eva-Last products to market in the most efficient and sustainable way,” Westermeyer says.