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JOHN CHANDLER

ohn Chandler is the founder and managing SEEING FACTORIES GROW morning run, to being the kickstart when unsure of
director (MD) of Lean Systems and Projects, a what direction to take.
company focussed on Lean Systems training, John retired in June 2021 at 69 years of age, fully
Jimplementation as well as mentoring. He is intending to tour southern Africa in a camper van as In 2010 John was promoted to MD of Hesto Harnesses
currently, via his company, and Opis Advisory, acting had always been the plan. During the camper van test who were not doing well in the metrics of quality,
though, he received a call from the new Hesto MD
managing director of Technique Manufacturing, cost, delivery, or shareholder profits. That year, John
a tier one supplier to Toyota South Africa (SA) in asking if he was interested in implementing kanban watched a competitor walk off the stage with many
systems into the new Ford factory. This strangely,
business rescue. awards, while he left the function empty handed. The
excited him more than the camper van trip, but rather message was clear that Hesto at that point needed to
John grew up in in Amanzimtoti where he attended than be constricted to fixed hours, it was agreed that do something, but what?
Warner Beach Primary School, Kingsway High School the contract would be via a new company, and so Lean
and Natal Technicon. Systems and Projects was born. A meeting was called with all Hesto employees to
explain the problem and to find a solution. It was
John’s first job was an assembly operator at the Meanwhile, John started receiving calls from many agreed that the simple plan was to ensure they
International Harvester heavy truck and yellow different industries including the clothing industry, targeted prizes for the next year. If nobody cut
metal assembly plant in Umbilo Road in Durban. to view their factories and to provide training. The themselves, they could win a safety award. If nobody
His father, an old-style sales engineer at the factory, most exciting call was received in 2023 when he made a defect, they could possibly win a quality
decided that he should learn how to assemble trucks was asked to act as temporary MD for Technique award, and so on.
before training as an engineer. The assembly job did Manufacturing, a position still held today.
not last for long, but created a love of heavy trucks, “I think that my purpose and what excites me most, Very soon it became apparent that collectively,
employees were able to improve in the areas
equipment, and manufacturing.
is to see factories grow sustainably and to compete important to the customer as indicated by the
Probably because of the love of big trucks and with the best in the world. We have to increase award categories. Hesto now had a direction.
traveling, John applied to the South African jobs in a country that desperately needs more,” Later, a more sophisticated plan was drawn up
Railways and Harbours (SAR&H) to be a truck explained John. using input from many people, including customers,
driver. He was turned down and instead invited The accomplishment that makes him the proudest employees, shareholders and JV Partners. The result
to complete an aptitude test that resulted in is having always being part of teams that have was that Hesto began to win awards, and each award
him joining the SAR&H trainee civil engineering taken on and overcome the many challenges facing was shared with the entire workforce, always lighting
programme. The interviewer had decided that this South African manufacturing. This includes Toyota up the internet. The joint improvement plan and KPIs
candidate was applying for a job normally set aside SA, Hesto Harnesses and most recently Technique also meant that profits improved significantly.
for non-matriculants. The test resulted in John Manufacturing.
being requested to report to Johannesburg to start To keep one’s team motivated John says that
a five-year civil engineering diploma. These teams have collectively and individually faced employees need a greater purpose than arriving
many problems which could have created job losses. at work to earn a wage. They need to believe that
John then joined Toyota SA in 1980 as a buyer, Just to be associated with these teams from operator they are a part of the company and that they can
culminating as general manager of engineering in to executive teams during Covid, floods riots and make a difference in creating a sustainable future.
the Toyota Stamping Division. He spent a total of 20 other significant challenges creates a sense of awe, Employees must be proud of THEIR company and
years inside the Toyota fold. For most of these years pride and belonging, explained John. their role and responsibility in it.
John was directly involved in setting up aspects of
the Toyota Production System (TPS), often referred to JUST DO IT John’s biggest inspiration is Ralph Broadley, a past
as ‘Lean’. MD of Toyota Manufacturing, non-executive director
Over the years, John has received much good advice at Metair, and John’s appointed mentor back in 2010
His next move was to Hesto Harnesses, a Metair from many ‘heroes’. The advice that probably had when finding his feet as MD. Even now at 91, Ralph
company manufacturing wire harnesses for Toyota the biggest effect on his life, however, are the words checks up on John to ensure he remains on track.
SA. Again, his career in Hesto lasted 20 years, with used so often by his first manager at Toyota, George
the last 10 years as managing director. Over the Hunt: “Why don’t you just do it”. This sentence, In conclusion said John, “The impossible is only
years, jobs increased from 1350 to briefly, just over long before Nike adopted it, kicked into his head impossible if you don’t start the journey toward a
10 000 at the start of the Ford localisation project. in so many situations, from getting out of bed for a common end goal.”
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