Marthinus W (Martin) Gericke

Own consulting business. Current contracts for Project Halo (Food Waste Control and Redistribution), and JWK Holdings.

Position

Director

Selected Accomplishments

• Start-up operation for Project Halo from conceptualisation.
• JWK Holdings business expansion and improvement in Retail Business.

Company Profile

Seemann’s produces a vast range of quality high end processed meat products produced at the Seemann’s main factory in Randburg, Johannesburg. These are sold as Retailer Private Label, and Seemann’s brand products. Seemann’s also owns two factory stores and supplies two recently franchised retail operations.

The shareholders sold the majority shares to a new equity partner, and I have resigned my position.

Turnover 110m to 160m per annum. Staff Complement 240

Position

Position of CEO since a MBO from Foodcorp in November 2010, with all functions associated with a position of this nature.

Selected Accomplishments

• Growing the business with national retailers by more than 300%
• Managing two manufacturing sites
• Franchising two company owned stores
• Opening of one additional corporate store
• Managing to keep abreast with stringent payment schedules to financiers
• The selling of majority shares to new investor
• Initial acquiring the finance from financial institution and individuals
• Management Buy Out from Foodcorp

The Cuisine Division was a fully owned division of Foodcorp. It comprised of the Seemann’s Processed Meat operation in Randburg, the Seemann’s Pie operation in Randburg, as well as Midrand Cuisine (Meal Solutions) facility.

The Seemann’s Pie operation produced three pie variants that were sold to all national retailers as well as forecourts. This operation was eventually moved to the new Pie Division during this time.

The Midrand facility is an advanced food processing facility which specialized in pouch technology for all food types. This was ground breaking technology and facility in South Africa.

Turnover 130m to 160m per annum. Staff Complement up to 320

Selected Accomplishments

• Successfully incorporated Seemann’s into the Foodcorp structure
• Decentralising the marketing and sales function to the head office
• Establishing and growing the product range of the Midrand facility and developing a retail offset for these products
• Relocation of the Pie Operation to the Foodcorp Pie Division
• Opening of one new corporate Seemann’s store
• Expanding the Seemann’s business in line with company strategy into the private label retailer market in line with corporate strategy
• On Board of Directors of First Lifestyle Group of Foodcorp
• Involved in overall strategy of ready meals and products for Foodcorp
• Shareholder of Foodcorp

December 2002 to June 2007
First Lifestyle Group, Divisional Managing Director

Company Profile
Accepted the position of Managing Director of the Seemann's operation in Randburg. Since acquiring the business from the original owners, First Lifestyle had struggled to manage the business successfully and profitably. They had faced a succession of three Managing Directors who were unable to affect the turnaround required by the holding company to continue doing business.

First Lifestyle group also owned Piemans Pantry, Gull Foods, Weber and Astoria/Fifers bakery.

Turnover 48 million to 130 million per annum. Staff Complement 220

Selected Accomplishments
• Transforming business into a profitable business by increasing EBITDA by 100% in first 8 months
• Stabilizing of staff turnover and productivity, expenses and operations
• Adapting to new business of production and food processing
• Growing profits by 26% per annum
• Opening of first company owned store
• Increased business with retailers
• Developing of new products including new Pie Range
• Served on the Board of First Lifestyle Pty Ltd
• Shareholder of First Lifestyle
• Moved with Seemann's when First Lifestyle was sold to Foodcorp

December 1995 to August 2002

Pro Liberis (Leeuwenhof Akademie), Bedfordview

Company Profile

Pro Liberis was the holding company (Section 21) of the first main stream Afrikaans Medium Private School in South Africa. I was instrumental in the acquiring of the premises, the selection of staff, marketing and promoting the school in the four months before it opened its doors in 1996.

School enrolment in January 1996 was 121 pupils. Numbers grew rapidly to 260 during the first year.

The school expanded into a high school in 1998, and went through two name changes during this time.

Turnover 2.5m to 25m per annum. Staff Complement 80

Founding Headmaster and Managing Director

Selected Accomplishments

• Set up the school from zero base
• Curriculum development of all standards into coherent whole
• Identifying and implementation of Cambridge Syllabi and examinations
• Managing a diverse Board, and vastly different groups of parents (financial, political and religious)
• Establishing a high school
• Successfully changing school name twice
• Buying four additional properties and expanding school with building projects
• Instrumental in starting up three additional similar schools
• Liaising with all major national universities to accept the Cambridge International qualifications as adequate (comparable to the National Senior Certificate) and indeed preferable, entrance requirements for university entrance. This is still the norm today
• Currently the school has more than 800 students and is extremely successful

St Dunstan’s Memorial Diocesan School, Benoni

Company Profile

English Medium private school in Benoni, Gauteng. The school was then 100 years old. I was tasked with improving the sport culture, as well as establishing a Design and Technology Department.

Position

Head of Department - Specialized Activities

Selected Accomplishments

• Rapidly becoming a major player in the Private School Sport arena
• Establishing Athletic and Swimming meets among private schools that are still held to this day.
• Managing all maintenance of school, and building 8 new classrooms.
• Instrumental in establishing a high school during 1998 to1999.
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