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Galloway sitting pretty as Dauphin chair sales jumpISLA GALLOWAY
ISLA Galloway, managing director of Dauphin Office Seating, has brought the company a long way in five years in the driving seat. In 1994 turnover was lower than R500 000 and pre-tax profit R20 000 but, in the 16 months to June 1997, sales had jumped to R12.5-million and profit to R1.6-million. Capital employed has gone from R18 000 to just short of R2-million. The biggest decision was to separate the Dauphin business out of Grant Andrews Office Furniture by removing the exclusive distribution rights. "It was an amicable separation," says Galloway. "We were getting closer to our client base and felt we could serve them better directly." While going alone did initially take away the smaller order end of the market, Dauphin has nevertheless bloomed and this week opens a retail showroom in Rosebank, Johannesburg. "We have tried to maintain a family feel to the business," says Galloway, a finalist in this year's Businesswoman of the Year competition. "It was started by the German Dauphin family, who still have 24%." Stationery group Waltons bought 71%, then the entire Waltons business was bought by Bidvest a year ago. "This has been a very interesting change," says Galloway. "Bidvest motivates, supports and makes meaningful input, but it is nevertheless a demanding shareholder and expects good growth." Dauphin Office Seating focuses only on chairs. It imports the technical mechanisms, casters and bases from England and Italy, but assembly and finishing is done at the Industria factory. "Five years ago we had 12 workers in the factory, now there are 40," says Galloway. Imports are about 40% of the total cost, giving a competitive advantage against wholly imported chairs. Galloway finds it "morally indefensible" to import whole chairs when there is an opportunity to provide work for South Africans. Dauphin would also like to export and has had enquiries from neighbouring countries. Galloway has 5% of the equity, and senior staff were granted Bidvest share options upon joining the stable. One thing that bothers Galloway is some companies' penchant for seating to match one's rank. "Often, the CE has the fanciest chair but is hardly at his desk, whereas his secretary has to make do with a cheap chair providing no support even though she sits there all day. Or worse, the seating in the visitors'area is top of the range but the staff get second best. This is highly demoralising. We discourage this and recommend the right chair for each person." (Galloway assures me that my Times Media Dauphin-supplied chair has exactly the same mechanism as does the chief operating officer's, his is just a bit taller at the back.) Born in Zambia's Copperbelt, Galloway moved via Zimbabwe to Durban. Educated at Epworth School in Maritzburg, she worked in the hotel industry for Southern Sun before spending five years with Grant Andrews/Dashing Office Furniture. She has a diploma in business economics. A regular competitor in the Comrades and Two Oceans marathons, Galloway enjoys running and gym and, since buying a house, has developed a passion for gardening. Now there is a new bug: she loves being in the other type of driving seat. "In May, I took part in the Milia Miglia 1 000-mile classic car race around Italy. The Dauphin family is one of the sponsors of the race and Mrs Dauphin lent my Cape Town colleague, Shaun Weldon, and me a 1955 Mercedes 300 Gullwing. We drove from Brescia to Rome then back via Florence and Parma in 2½ days. It involved maps, time trials, log books and beautiful cities and countryside. Italy was delicious." Galloway will be travelling again this month when she visits Cologne's Orgatek, the world's largest furniture show. "In Europe, rival companies send one another their catalogues. It is important for Dauphin Office Seating to stay in tune with the trends," she says. Julie Walker
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