About Us
Brown Engineering Group (Pvt) Ltd is a multi-disciplinary engineering company servicing the Agricultural, Mining, Structural, Pipe & Tank and Materials Handling Sectors. The company has a proud history and track record dating back to the 1970’s. Since its inception, the company has operated from Southerton, Harare, Zimbabwe. Brown Engineering Group prides itself on manufacturing a diverse range of innovative, high-quality products, backed up by a prompt and efficient after-sales service. Our brand is a well-known, and trusted, surviving Zimbabwean brand that has years of regional exposure in Southern Africa. We have developed a strong and loyal customer following, and one important element about us is that our primary aim is ‘to deliver’ in every sense of the word - hence our slogan, ‘A passion for delivery!’
Vision
‘To be the partner of choice to the markets we serve, with the reputation as the regions most customer-centric engineering service that has, ‘A passion for delivery!’
Mission
‘To achieve and sustain a DIFOT (Delivery In Full On Time) Key Performance Indicator in excess of 95%.’
Our Story
Humble beginnings…
Brown Engineering Group P/L was started in May 1976 by Strath Brown, an iconic Zimbabwean farmer and entrepreneur. The company was known as J. S. Brown Industries P/L, and began its humble beginnings making wire tobacco clips (the Manu Clip) and was also credited with the development of ‘the tunnel’ tobacco curing concept.
A new generation…
In 1986 Andrew Brown took over the business from his father. The company became Brown Engineering P/L. The company entered a new era where-by the budding young agricultural engineer diversified the product range, built a new factory and brought rigorous and iron clad discipline and structure to all facets of the growing business. Under Andrew’s careful guidance the company became a regional exporter, often winning the coveted ‘Zimbabwean Exporter of the Year’ award.
A test of character…
The early 2000’s brought economic challenges. The young entrepreneur turned his hand to anything that would allow the company to survive. This is when the company developed the knack of diversifying and surviving, where other well-known and established engineering entities, less adaptable, fell by the wayside. One year the company survived making scotch-carts for government orders. From 2010 the company grew in leaps and bounds and was undisputedly the market leader in Tobacco curing systems with an impressive export order book.
A change in direction…
In 2013 Andrew Brown looked towards the future generation and identified the need for careful succession planning. Alastair Sole was a young entrepreneur running his own construction entity called SoleStruct P/L. Andrew encouraged Alastair to come and work at Brown Engineering and bring his construction expertise to further add to the company’s diverse operations. And so Brown Engineering P/L became further diversified, running plastics, manufacturing and construction operations. The company quickly put its footprint on the Harare construction industry by undertaking some sizeable turnkey construction projects in the fuel station and warehousing markets.
New blood…
Andrew and Alastair struck a management buy out deal during late 2016 whereby Alastair would slowly take over the business under the careful guidance and mentorship of Andrew. SoleStruct P/L was the take over entity which took over the interests of Brown Engineering P/L with the name being changed to Brown Engineering Group P/L.
A new path…
During 2017 whilst emphasis was still placed on the original Agri business, Alastair forged ahead with pushing the business into the mining and construction sectors with some notable achievements on mine upgrades and construction projects.
Focus…
2018 saw the business turnover more than double in the two years prior. Agriculture, Mining and Construction work were keeping the company busier than it perhaps needed to be. In late 2018 signs of economic headwinds induced further changes to the company strategy. The company made the strategic call to halt its construction operations and fully focus on its engineering and manufacturing work, servicing the Agricultural, Mining, Structural, Pipe & Tank and Materials Handling sectors of the engineering industry.
Our People
Brown Engineering Group prides itself on a diverse and dynamic staff that share the company ideals of drawing inspiration from our overwhelming sense to honour our name and track record and ‘deliver’.
Our Promise
‘Hi, I’m Alastair Sole, GM of Brown Engineering Group and I’m passionate about building on a proud history of a brand that delivers!
We want you to buy Brown’s for one reason: ‘We deliver’…
In today’s world, all competitors must come to the party with quality and competitive pricing structures, these are a pre-requisite for the game we are in.
To us, the customer's journey is at the heart of our business mission. We want to partner with you as you grow your business and be that trusted partner that can be depended on to deliver the goods.
It is from these founding values that our company slogan developed, ‘A passion for delivery!’
We hope to see you on the field and in the game.
Choose Brown’s – ‘We deliver.’
Alastair Sole
GM, Brown Engineering Group