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ELVIS GREEN

lvis Green is the owner and managing Elvis’s legacy is one of putting community before that relies on the performance of the entire company
director of ND Engineering. Born in Pieter- profit. “Every man wants to leave a legacy of some to achieve our strategic goals,” he explains.
maritzburg, he fondly remembers moving sort, and for me, I want to be remembered as a
Eto a newly created coloured suburb called person who always put community before profit,” A POSITIVE IMPACT
Woodland. Also located in Pietermaritzburg, this he reflects. His vision includes further growth for Rather than being inspired by any one person, Elvis
move marked the beginning of a journey that was ND Engineering. “We have plans drawn up for a new is motivated by the potential for anyone, regardless
deeply influenced by his upbringing. facility that will be one and three quarters the size of their social or financial standing, to make a
of our current premises. We’re just waiting for a few
After completing schooling, Elvis pursued a boiler- hurdles to be overcome, but that should happen positive impact on the world. “For this reason, I
making apprenticeship with the international within the next couple of months,” he shares. find motivation in leveraging my position to garner
company APV Kestner, completing it in 1977. positivity and hope for the future,” he says.
However, in 1987, due to sanctions on South Navigating life’s challenges, Elvis has always held Elvis is optimistic about the future of KwaZulu-
Africa, the company closed its manufacturing onto a piece of advice that has profoundly influenced Natal (KZN). He believes that with collaboration
operations, leaving many, including Elvis, without his journey. “Negativity is an overpowering human between the public and private sectors, KZN can
a job. “I applied to three companies – two in emotion that can cripple us all. In the face of leverage its unique location as the gateway to
Pietermaritzburg and one in Durban. All three overwhelming negativity, I am an eternal optimist,” Africa to harness significant growth opportunities
applications were successful, but I decided to get he asserts. “Hard work doesn’t always guarantee from an import and export perspective. “We have a
out of my comfort zone and accepted the position success, but in most cases, it’s a prerequisite to young population that is hungry for opportunity,
of estimator with the Durban-based company, ND mastering oneself, personally and professionally.” and it is up to business owners like myself to
Engineering,” Elvis explains. embrace this,” he adds.
Elvis recalls the 2008-2009 financial crisis as the
Looking back, Elvis is proud of his entire journey. biggest challenge he has faced. At the time, he was Elvis attributes much of his success to the values
“Even when I occupied humble positions in my the production manager at ND Engineering, and the instilled in him by his parents. “I grew up in a home
career, I’ve always been committed to the cause company had a full order book that extended for a where godly and good values and principles were
and worked diligently to grow professionally and year and a half. However, the collapse of the USA’s instilled in me and my four siblings. It is those
advance the businesses I’ve been employed at,” Lehman Brothers’ bank sent shockwaves through the values and principles that have made us who we
he says. Purchasing ND Engineering in 2012 and global economy, and ND Engineering was not spared. are in life and have enabled us to make important
building a new world-class manufacturing facility “I was on a business trip to China and when I arrived decisions at strategic milestones,” he shares.
in 2019 are standout accomplishments, but Elvis is back in South Africa, I discovered that 90% of the
most proud of the difference he has made in the projects on our books were on hold,” Elvis recalls. To The influence of his mother and the support of
lives of those who needed it most. compound matters, clients had frozen all payments, his wife, Debbie, whom he has been married to
putting the company in a precarious situation. for 45 years, have been the bedrock of his life.
GREAT STABILITY “Debbie has stood behind me in every decision
For the next two months, Elvis concentrated his and everything I’ve done in my life,” he acknow-
Elvis feels blessed by the success he has achieved energy on communicating with clients, and his ledges, expressing gratitude for the family they’ve
through hard work over many decades. “I’m efforts paid off. “At the end of January 2009, 90% built together, which includes four sons and
extremely proud that I’ve built a business that of the monies owed to us were paid,” he shares, one daughter.
has shown great stability in very trying economic expressing his gratitude to God during that critical
times,” he states. This stability has allowed him to time. Many companies fell by the wayside during Elvis’s life has been guided by a principle that
provide meaningful employment that goes beyond the crisis, but ND Engineering survived. has served him well in all aspects: “The more
a generic employer-employee relationship. ND bountifully you sow, the more bountifully you
Engineering employs 262 full-time employees and Elvis believes that obstacles are part of the dynamic reap,” he says. “All we really have is the day at hand,
offers full company benefits, including substantial world we live in and that there is no avoiding them. so do the very best with the day at hand, and this
investment in the tertiary education of employees’ “One can only plan and equip your team to adapt,” will take care of the future,” he advises. For Elvis,
children. “Our bursary scheme extends to youth in he says. For him, there is no substitute for an engaged being the best version of who you were created to
our community and covers vocational choices not workforce and a high-performance culture. “I always be is the goal, and it is a principle that has guided
directly linked to our field of vision,” he says. emphasise that as a business unit, we are a system him throughout his life.
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