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36
Members of the
Board
Directors
John Carter -
Chairman
Robert Plattner -
Managing Director
Jochen Kofahl -
Non-executive Director
Zambian born and schooled in Zimbabwe,
John has degrees in agronomy (Natal) and
in business (UCT), and then qualified as a
stockbroker on the JSE. Over the years he
has worked in a wide range of agricultural,
commercial and financial organisations in
many roles up to MD and chairman across
Southern and East Africa. His first contact
with Hydraform was in 1992 and is related
in more detail on page 40. By 1996 he
had agreed to join the board of directors.
As such, his influence over the years has
contributed significantly to the integrity,
value and importance of Hydraform and
its low environmental impact building
process with high value and aesthetically
pleasing finishes, designed especially
for the developing world. He is justifiably
proud of his contribution to building the
company and is highly optimistic on future
prospects for the company both in terms
of further expansion and gaining access
to new earning streams to enhance
Hydraform’s growth and success.
Born in Salzburg, Austria, and educated
at its technical college, Robert also
completed his compulsory military training
therebeforedeciding it was time toexplore
and travel. He arrived in South Africa in
1982 for a holiday and decided to stay. His
first business in his new country was a car
workshop with a petrol station, which he
opened in 1984. Three years later he met
Jochen Kofahl and a mere 12 months later
joined him to sell and market the machines
that Jochen and Hydraform built. That
role took Robert to many countries in
Africa for the purpose of introducing the
Hydraform building technology. That his
efforts – and those of his successor in sales
and marketing – have been successful is
well illustrated by the numerous, but far
from comprehensive, list of case studies
gracing this magazine. Over the years he
has furthered his business education, and
in 2012 Robert took on the role of group
managing director, a position in which he
continues to this day.
As told on page 2, Hydraform would
not exist if not for Jochen, who founded
the company in 1988 on a whim and
to fulfil a dream. The principles of
Jochen’s original design remain in place
today: a range of blockmaking machines
that can produce a quality soil-cement
interlocking block ideally suited to the
dry-stacking method of construction.
Crucially, the machine had to be so
simple to operate that it could relatively
easily be used by unskilled labour.
Although Jochen has retired from an
active role in the company, he remains
involved at board level and is secure
in the knowledge that he has created
something so worthwhile that some of
his children want to continue fulfilling his
legacy. His dream is for the company
to continue expanding and improving
its product range while introducing
more complementary products, thereby
becoming a one-stop shop for an
affordable, environmentally friendly
building system that creates jobs as a
valuable by-product.