June is youth month and this year it will be celebrated under the theme “Accelerating youth economic emancipation for a sustainable future.” No one epitomises the potential of youth more than 26 year old Dylan Petzer, who heads up several SMEs and says the support from his industry body in the tyre sector – TEPA (The Tyre Equipment Parts Association) – is invaluable and the ‘village’ behind his success.
As the owner of three businesses and with a passion for a positive shift in everything from climate change to workplace culture Petzer, who comes from Rustenburg, has a lot on his plate and on his mind.
His businesses are PVB Group (screening and vetting and consulting and secretarial services), VED Placements (a recruitment company that provides pre-screened employees to selected sectors) and Tekbyte SA (all aspects of data processing, including payroll processing, supplier on-boarding and ledger processing).
But that’s not all. This dynamic go-getter also serves as the CFO or chairman at various companies in South Africa.
TEPA national director Vishal Premlall explains that when Dylan was only 24 years old he was brought in, through his business PVB Group, as acting CFO at a SupaQuick franchise when the company was taken over in an attempt to prevent closure.
“It was a brand-new industry for him but in February this year he was able to hand the reins over to the new CFO after a positive return to profitability strategy was executed,” Premlall explains.
Dylan recalls walking in as a young male, younger than most staff and being met by blank stares from a demotivated workforce. Another massive challenge was skills loss within the company and within the industry.
“We took over during the Covid-19 pandemic; a time where so much knowledge, experience and industry know-how was lost. You could see this on a daily basis in the quality of rate of work. The only way to better this is to constantly up-skill your employees.
“We had open training programmes where anyone (regardless of position) could apply at no charge to them. Everything from health and safety and first aid to customer service management and marketing – if you wanted to learn you could apply.
We also identified individuals and signed them up for various management Bachelor degrees. Another programme we ran was a ‘no experience out of school’ programme where each year we would take in six individuals straight out of matric and train them in sales, customer management, as well as a basic crash course in the tyre and suspension industry. Most of them were always offered permanent positions afterwards,” Dylan says.
TEPA, a proud association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI), is no stranger to addressing skills loss, Premlall adds.
“A lack and loss of skills remains a major headache in the automotive industry. TEPA has opened up a network of support, ranging from IR & Compliance support to building connections with other industry players,” he says.
“We have also been instrumental in widening our ability to recruit, train and retain staff, and TEPA has successfully managed to provide oversight on an otherwise high-risk industry, both in illegal parts and industry safety and installation standards.”
Dylan deems it imperative to be a TEPA member.
“Being a TEPA member has over the last few years become vital in proving to large customers, especially fleet customers, that not only is your workshop clean, up to standard and compliant but that your employees are properly qualified and trained to provide the service.
“To this point, most fleets have made it a requirement to be part of their supplier network. About 48% of our business has been based on fleet clients. It was, and therefore remains crucial, for us to remain TEPA members.”
His advice to young entrepreneurs entering the tyre aftermarket space is to join TEPA because of the support they will receive.
“To say ‘it takes a village’ is an understatement when it comes to running a SME – it takes much more; it takes TEPA!
“The industry and related compliance is becoming more complex every day. Having a partner like TEPA to support you in times of uncertainty or challenge is vital. Having that knowledge and industry support is undeniably an advantage.”
The future looks bright, Dylan says, thanks to TEPA’s ethos and vision with which he is 100% aligned. “I’m excited to be a role player who is contributing to the continued success of the industry wherever I can.”
Premlall concludes that no small business is an island and encourages other young entrepreneurs to reach out for support networks like TEPA.
“In a country like South Africa with its volatile economy and fertile opportunities, having an expert at your side can make all the difference in securing those opportunities to become part of the bigger picture that will keep the industry afloat and providing jobs for decades to come. “It is very exciting to see youngsters of Dylan’s calibre already on board and making a massive impact.”
Find out more and how to join at www.tepa.org.za