Partner Profile: Q&A with Petromonitor Africa

Welcome to the first edition of ‘Partner Profile’, where we’ll be interviewing our network of partners around the globe to get to know their business, challenges and opportunities in their region and the value of being a Leighton O’Brien partner. This time, we sat down with Graeme Trautmann, from Petromonitor Africa, a valued Licensed Service Partner (LSP) for our Software solutions, Tank and Line Testing and Fuel Restoration and Cleaning technology in South Africa. Read on!

Petromonitor Africa team, a valued Licensed Service Partner (LSP) of Leighton O’Brien in South Africa.

Tell us about your business and what Leighton O’Brien technologies you deploy?  

Petromonitor is a contractor for retail and commercial energy companies. We also supply direct services to bulk fuel customers.

We deploy the Leighton O’Brien Wetstock Live and DWM (Daily Weekly Monthly) monitoring products to retailers, covering the entire Republic of South Africa where we supply Leighton O’Brien’s Tank and Line testing solutions too.

In 2018 the business invested in a Tank and Fuel Cleaning solution from Leighton O’Brien and we are focusing on growing all lines of revenue for the company.  We are staff-owned and managed and this makes our team highly invested in our growth and service delivery to customers.

When it comes to software, we are enormously energized by iHUB Fuel Management Platform and the broader appeal it offers to new markets.

Additionally, Petromonitor has taken the initiative over the years to onboard its own Licensed Service Providers’ network to expand Leighton O’Brien solutions’ reach in the African continent. As such, we have partners in Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana (x2) and Zambia with Namibia coming online by December 2023.

What do clients love about PetroMonitor’s work?  

Our clients regularly highlight our professionalism during in-field work and the fact that we approach all our projects with a can-do attitude to resolving issues, regardless of the complexity.

What are the key market drivers for solutions and services in your region?   

The growing focus on compliance to be in line with international standards and the presence of Leighton O’Brien’s brands in our markets is undoubtedly a driver in our segment.

There are also certain challenges within the region, such as low fuel quality, that drive demand for tank cleaning.

Petromonitor has devoted high degrees of energy to creating a solution for our customers that promises not only compliance and alarm management but also includes getting involved in product loss activities which help feeding the testing and cleaning segment of our service stack.

Why did you become a Leighton O’Brien Licensed Service Partner, and how has the partnership evolved?     

Petromonitor is Leighton O’Brien’s oldest Licensed Service Provider (LSP), with our partnership dating back to 1999.  We have seen the partnership evolve over time and are proud to have been involved in the development of the tank testing solution currently in use.

Our team has nothing but good things to say about the Leighton O’Brien team and we appreciate their long-standing commitment to our market.

What value and benefits has PetroMonitor derived from the partnership with Leighton O’Brien?  

Our business depends on the Leighton O’Brien partnership for its existence.  While we have secondary product lines, our primary source of revenue and supply of solutions is underpinned by the Leighton O’Brien software solutions, analysis and support.