History

Extracts from article:

Sunday Tribune Entrepreneur of the week – JOHN FRYER
by Deon Delport

It all began in 1978 with the tooling of 6 shackle pins and bushes on a Bantum lathe in his garage. John Fryer did his apprenticeship on the mines on the Witwaterstand as a fitter and turner and then a tool maker. He and his fiancé, Carolyn came to Durban in 1964 with R175 in search of a new life. A job advertisement in the Sunday tribune secured him 14 years with Ace Manufacturing.

His climb to the top started with an angry resignation from the position of workshop manager in 1978. Going from R660 to R650 a month was his reward for four months of non-stop work to meet a target of R1 million in turnover. Fryer said he had plenty of time to think as he walked the 16km home. He was determined to go into competition with his old firm. “We had R330 in the building society. I bought a lathe and worked from 5am to midnight in the garage and Carolyn would deliver the products” John said. The business name was taken from the couples first names. Within 5 years, he bought his old firm. In 1980 he was the first person to buy a C&C lathe at the cost of R98 000, which he could do in less than a minute of what would take him an hour by hand. He said it was the best decision he ever made. Fryer said the employees were like family, “Everyone that has come here has stayed”. C&J Services brochure carries the motto, “To live quality it is necessary to strive for perfection every hour of every day”. “From the day I started I said I would sell my products on quality”

Today, C&J Services, still firmly rooted in Durban, are industry leaders in manufacturing and distributing of quality automotive components to the motor industry worldwide. Through the dedication and guidance of his daughter, Tracey Parry and son-in-law Shaun de la Porte, they have grown the company to 250 staff and four industry leading product brands. C&J's Durban facility spans over 20 000sqm that includes the factory, shevling and stroage, packing and dispatch, on site shop for walk-in customers as well as 3 conference rooms, a fully stocked showroom, research achchive room, SABS testing facility, 2 customer entertainment areas, an array of offices and an open plan sales floor and two staff canteens. Based on John’s strong foundations, we continue his legacy by constantly striving for product quality and expertise, customer satisfaction and ever growing product range to create a comprehensive service for our customers.