Grotto is a privately owned, stainless steel tank manufacturing enterprise, operating out of a purpose built, automated facility in Cape Town. The 3000 square metre facility employs over a hundred people, and is dedicated to the production of stainless steel vessels for the wine, general beverage, industrial, dairy, and beer industries.

Grotto opened in Cape Town in 1961, and focused on structural steel work throughout the 1960's and 1970's. In the 1980's an increasing proportion of the company's work was secured in stainless steel based industries and the company began to focus increasingly on the manufacture of vessels for the storage and processing of bulk liquids.

In 1994, the venture was sold by the original owner and acquired by the Forgeweld Group of Companies. Forgeweld is also privately owned and is one of the largest suppliers of carbon steel vessels in Africa, supplying predominantly to the liquid fuels industry. In 1995, a strategic partnership was formed by Grotto with Defranceschi Spa of Bolzano Italy, which facilitated the introduction of state-of-the art European process and manufacturing technology intended particularly at the South African wine industry.

In 1996 the company moved into a custom built facility near Cape Town International Airport where it has remained to this day. The company is now conveniently situated in a custom-built facility close to the harbour and airport, and with easy access to major roads in Cape Town.

By this time, production was focused exclusively on the manufacture of stainless steel tanks, and associated stainless steel equipment. The new premises was equipped with state of the art modern equipment, such as automated welding machines, cnc cutting equipment, numerous welding turntables, polishing machinery and specialized lifting equipment. Able to routinely handle vessels up to 20 meters in length and 5m in diameter vertically inside the works, the company manufactures vessels primarily in capacities from 1,000 litres to 300,000 litres. A purpose-designed external crane caters for larger vessels, up to 30 metres in length and 6 metres in diameter. Vessels larger than this are usually assembled on site.

Grotto quickly became a leading supplier of specialised vessels to the wine industry, and in 2000 consolidated its position in the South African steel tank market by acquiring the food and beverage division of Consani Engineering from Murray and Roberts. Many of the staff now employed by the company are thus veterans of the steel tank industry, and the company boasts a broad range of design, manufacturing and project management skills. The company is thus able to offer customized storage and process solutions that can be scaled to client requirements.

The acquisition of Consani's food and beverage business allowed Grotto to diversify its product range further and it now offers both standard and customized vessels to a wide range of clients across many different industries. Although most vessels built are thin walled and operate under atmospheric conditions, the company has extensive experience and a sound track record of manufacturing a wide range of pressure vessels, such as decompression chambers, pharmaceutical tanks, and various types of specialized fermentation vessels.

In addition to a number of blue chip South African companies with facilities across South Africa, such as dairies, breweries, and fruit juice and soft drink plants, Grotto's easy access to shipping has facilitated exports into other countries, - the company has successfully supplied vessels into both the east and west coasts of the USA, Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda, Mozambique, Nigeria, Malawi, Mauritius, Angola, Tanzania, the UK, India, and Cote D'Ivoire.

back to top