PFK Electronics: A sober yet passionate look at sustainability

PFK Electronics

#TT100Winner of the 2016 Award for Sustainability,

Category for large enterprises

A sober yet passionate look at sustainability

Drunk driving is a headache worldwide, which is why more and more countries are turning to alcohol ignition interlocks to keep inebriated motorists off the roads. Interestingly, quite a number of these countries are purchasing devices from a South African company, PFK Electronics.

“Our units are designed and made here in South Africa and are used predominately across North America and Europe, including countries like Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom. As an example, PFK supplies the government of Sweden, where it is legislated that motorists convicted of driving under the influence are required to use an interlock device,” says Marco Valente, Managing Director of Sales & Marketing.

The company’s range of interlock devices, branded Autowatch Interlock, provides an alcohol ignition interlock breathalyser system that will not permit a driver to start the vehicle before passing a breath sample test. Once the vehicle is moving, the unit can be configured to request breath samples to monitor the sobriety of the driver.

If a breath sample is above the legislated limit of a country or the limit set for the driver, the interlock device sends a notification via GSM communication to a control centre, where the vehicle will be immobilised as soon as the ignition is turned off. Fleet managers also use this product feature to adequately manage their risk, as well as to reward safe drivers.

Valente says PFK is passionate about proactive risk and asset management to ensure continued organisational asset and employee sustainability. 

The importance of exports

PFK’s success in global markets is impressive. Approximately 70% of its products are exported, with over three million vehicle security systems operating in the United States alone and 100 000 telematics systems in Russia. In the OEM market, international customers include Bentley, General Motors, Volkswagen, Renault France, Ford, Lotus UK, Proton Malaysia and Tesla USA. In all, PFK’s distribution network spans over 25 countries and it has sales offices in the UK and Sweden.

“Exports are key for sustainability and we are constantly on the lookout for new markets and new distribution partners,” says Valente.

In South Africa, the company contributes a massive 80% of the local car alarm, immobiliser and vehicle security aftermarket.

Some of the factors fuelling PFK’s success are its insistence on quality (its international certifications include ISO/TS 16949, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001), excellent design and manufacturing systems, and strong relationships with customers, staff and partners.

Then there is the sheer love of technology and the excitement of developing something new and different. “Over the years we’ve invested in a variety of different solutions driven more by excitement than financial gain at the time,” says Valente.

As they say in the classics: If you do what you love, the world will love what you do.

About PFK

Since opening its doors in Durban in 1985, it has grown into the largest automotive electronics manufacturing company in South Africa, with solutions that include vehicle alarm and immobiliser systems, stolen vehicle recovery, driver behaviour profiling, insurance telematics, fleet management telematics, video telematics and; under the PFK Shurlok banner, Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) approved plastics, instrument clusters, harnesses, among others, as a first and second tier OEM supplier.