Malben Engineering: investing in people, quality and excellence for over fifty years
“Customer- and people-centric” is how Operational Director Luca Smargiasso describes industry stalwart, automotive component manufacturer Malben Engineering, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The company, which operates two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Nigel, Gauteng, is very well-known and respected for its strong tool design and manufacturing capabilities; as well as the supply of high-level welded assemblies, using the latest technologies and world-class surface finishing, including plating and e-coating, exceeding exacting customer corrosion standards.
Malben is also the first South African automotive component manufacturer to import and trial green, low-carbon steel. Malben has supplied Ford MC SA at 1st tier level since 1978, and other 1st tier automotive suppliers. It has received Ford’s Top 20 Supplier of the Year Award five times – and recently scored 98% in an international Responsible Supply Chain Initiative (RSCI) supply chain audit – the highest score ever achieved by a local supplier.
Malben was also announced the winner of the Environmental Stewardship category in the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA) Awards for Excellence at the end of 2024. Proudly local, Malben is a member of MIBCO (Motor Industry Bargaining Council), and automotive component manufacturers’ association NAACAM, with solid faith in both to represent and champion their interests.
Firm family foundation
Smargiasso says the family – and the greater ‘Malben family’ of staff – are the custodians of the Malben brand that his father, Amerigo Smargiasso – and five other founding partners – established back in 1974.
Additional capacity and tooling were urgently needed in the 1970s by South Africa’s fledgling automotive sector – and these highly skilled artisans worked seven days a week, often only returning home in the early hours of the morning. The name ‘Malben’ represents the first letters of the hometown from which each of the Italian founders came, and has been retained as part of the company’s proud legacy.
Major milestones
By 1978, automotive stalwarts BMW and Ford were added to Malben’s original customer base of Fiat and Alfa Romeo. In 1998, the company opened its plating facility and in 2002, its e-coating facility. A second plant opened in December 2021 – despite the Covid-19 pandemic at the time. Today, Malben offers a fully vertically integrated service, which includes tool manufacturing, component production / assembly and surface finishing.
“Malben Engineering was founded on a passion for supplying a world-class product through agile decision-making and authentic, people-centric values. We have also invested in succession planning, with innovative and passionate young managers ensuring that our quality and production performance are maintained,” explains Luca Smargiasso.
Moving with the times
Malben has seen the automotive sector transform from purely manual systems, to its very first welding robot in 1988, and all the way to today’s highly automated systems.
“One of our key differentiators is that we have also entrenched a culture of ownership in our people. That is where real sustainability comes in – it is inter-generational and broad-based,” Smargiasso observes.
He also pays homage to his father’s approachable personality and daily dedication: “The key is my father’s continued presence on the factory floor. He – and our mother – are examples of passion and commitment.
We will continue to nurture and develop future leaders, as we grow the business internationally. Already, we supply automotive components for vehicles exported to Europe, North and South America – and are confident about manufacturing and supplying directly in those countries,” Smargiasso concludes.
