CBI-electric (Circuit Breaker Industries)

CBi-electric: low voltage Group, at a glance...

•  Established in 1949 as a joint venture within the Heinemann Electric Company in Trenton, New Jersey.
•  Part of the Reunert Group, which was listed on the JSE in 1948
•  Corporate Headquarters in Elandsfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa
•  International operations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and USA
•  CBI-electric: low voltage MD: Charl Osborne

CBI-electric: low voltage, previously known as Circuit Breaker Industries or CBI, is located in Johannesburg, South Africa. CBI-electric: low voltage is a supplier of quality low voltage electrical distribution, protection and control equipment. The foundations of CBI were established in 1949 as a joint venture within the then Heinemann Electric Company in Trenton, New Jersey, USA. After a merger with Fuchs Electrical Industry during 1986, a new company called Circuit Breaker Industries (CBI) was created. CBI-electric: low voltage is fully owned by Reunert, which is listed on the JSE.

With an exciting background of groundbreaking achievements, CBI-electric: low voltage has prospered for more than seven decades to become a leader in the design, development, and manufacture of Circuit Breakers, Residual Current Devices, Surge Protection, Wiring Accessories, and Metering Products. CBI-electric: low voltage supplies products to supply authorities, utilities, original equipment manufacturers, commercial property developers, and industrial, mining, telecommunication and general power distribution applications.

Over the past 70 years CBI-electric: low voltage has established itself as a supplier of specialised precision protection products in niche markets around the world. Based on the success of this strategy, the majority of our production output is exported.

Shareholders

CBI-electric: low voltage is part of the CBI-electric Group which is owned by Reunert Limited. Reunert is a leading South African company listed on the JSE in the industrial goods and services (electronic and electrical equipment) sector. Reunert manages a number of businesses focused on electrical engineering, information communication technologies and applied electronics.

Reunert strives to achieve first or second place in its markets through its brands CBI-electric, Nashua and Reutech.

Reunert promotes a decentralised management style, though operating decisions are made by the business units, the Reunert executive team defines and monitors long-term strategic plans and investment decisions. Significant capital allocation is approved by the Reunert board.

Manufacturing

A single circuit breaker may consist of approximately 50 individually manufactured parts. CBI has the manufacturing capabilities to produce over 25 million parts a month, all within very tight tolerances.  Manufacturing is CBI's core business and it’s the proficiency in this area that has allowed CBI to attain a majority market share in every region operated in.

CBI-electric: low voltage is a highly vertically integrated company, able to convert raw materials into finished products. All tooling required for the manufacturing of components is designed and manufactured in-house. CBI has one of the largest tooling design and manufacturing facilities in South Africa. All jigs, fixtures and test equipment required for the assembly and testing of products are designed, manufactured and calibrated in-house.

Testing Facilities

CBI-electric: low voltage is able to rapidly design, develop and test customised prototype products. This ability, combined with the growing need to meet various international safety standards, has led CBI-electric: low voltage to establish a testing and research laboratory.  CBI's testing facilities, the only private testing facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, comprises of a control room, with two 10 kA and one 65 kA fully computerised test bay. Circuit Breakers up to 65 kA can be tested against local and international standards for overload, endurance and vibration, thereby reducing the time required to develop a product from inception to completion.

Quality

Internationally recognised quality standards ensure that our products meet the most demanding requirements. All operations within the company are certified to ISO 9001:2015.  Annually CBI-electric: low voltage invests substantially in the training of staff to ensure that quality systems are maintained and effectively implemented.

CBI-electric: low voltage products are mark-bearing and approvals are audited periodically by local and international standards authorities, such as the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), VDE, UL, CSA, CCC, CRCC, NSW and Ukr - Testing.

CBI's commitment to meeting and exceeding the most stringent of international quality and safety standards, combined with a relentless drive to continually develop new intellectual property, has also enabled the company to make the leap from a local manufacturer to an international exporter of quality products.

Our Values

We create a values-driven organisation by:

• Placing our customers in the centre of our engagement model
• Creating technology solutions that enable our chosen customer’s purpose
• Promoting strong ethics and cultivating a high performance culture

Group Values

• Accountability - We act with integrity and take ownership of our actions
• Excellence - We deliver customer satisfaction by continually improving our status quo
• Teamwork - Together everyone achieves more
• People - We promote a fair workplace for all
• Respect - We treat everyone with dignity