Technique / R&D / Laboratory

When Colas bought Vialit back in 2000, Kobus Louw’s career changed overnight. “Sharing of information and expertise, new equipment, especially in our lab… I entered a completely different world!” he declares enthusiastically. Kobus joined Vialit as a chemist. Since becoming Regional Technical Manager in 1992, his job has taken him to a number of different countries, including South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Kenya, to name but a few. His responsibilities range from product development to technical support and training. His colleagues see him as an emulsion and road maintenance expert and he is regularly asked to speak at conferences by the South African government. But Kobus remains modest: “I’m lucky to have been in the job for 38 years and to have had a mentor who taught me so much.”
 

For Kanjana, Laboratory and R&D Manager for Sami Bitumen Technologies, a Colas company in Australia specializing in the import and marketing of bitumen and the production and distribution of special binders, Colas’ international dimension is a reality and an opportunity. “I particularly appreciate the fact that working for Colas gives me the chance to gain experience working overseas”, she says. Born in northern Thailand, Kanjana, who has a degree in pure chemistry and a Master's in environmental sciences, joined Tipco, Colas’ Thai subsidiary, first as a quality control technician, then as research and development manager. The irony is that she grew up in a remote village and had to take a boat to go to school every day, and yet she ended up helping to improve her country's road network! After two years working for Colas in Mauritius, she then took her road binder and micro-surfacing expertise to Sami Bitumen Technologies in Australia. “I’m lucky to be working in a multicultural environment with colleagues of 10 nationalities”, she explains. “Working for Colas gives me self-confidence. Every day, I say to myself: “I’ve got the skills, I can do anything.”