Our company was founded in 1953 by an industrious Italian National, Vittorino Meneghelli who was seeking new challenges in South Africa to invest his personal knowledge in the brush trade, gained from a family business with history spanning several decades. Although being a qualified accountant, the results from being exposed so long to the family brush trade probably influenced his decision to attempt doing the same in his new surroundings and country.
From humble beginnings and with limited staff the business started growing and the production now needed to be marketed and administered in a professional manner. As the business became established and grew, more people were employed in handling the administrative, production, and despatching responsibilities. Paintbrush production became the main force of the business, and an expansion program entailed the acquisition of brush-filling machines to satisfy the needs of moving into the domestic broom and affiliated brush territory. The challenges were ongoing and dictated that paint rollers be added to the existing range, now putting the company in a position to offer the complete range of brushware and allied products to the domestic market.
In the mid 1960’s a mere 10 years after starting up the business, Academy Brushware had developed into a bustling organisation and dominated a large share of the domestic market and was also a founding member of the Local Brushmakers Association. A substantial range of its products was manufactured under SABS laid down specifications as determined and drawn up by the association.
Newly designed products were continually introduced on an on-going basis and the already substantial range on offer continuously expanded. During the mid-1970’s the Company was considered to rank amongst the top two brushmaking companies in the country. Always looking for new challenges, the company qualified and became an accredited user of the ISO 9001 Quality Standards business concept.
In 2002 the Management Team at Academy Brushware successfully concluded a management buyout of the company. Boasting over 60 years of manufacturing flair, Academy Brushware was acquired by Bidvest in November 2013. In July 2018 Sanlic House of Locks was incorporated into Academy Brushware. This division of our business distributes padlocks, keys, Safes & Security, Iron Mongery, Key Cutting & Accessories. Academy Brushware is currently recognized as the top-ranking brushmaking company in South Africa. The company produces a range of products recognised for its high quality over many years of manufacture. Its dedication to provide an excellent service and outstanding customer relations in the supply of superior brushware places it at the forefront of this industry. This is being achieved by applying the most advanced production methods in conjunction with modern technology, state of the art machinery and a workforce dedicated in their purpose to deliver the best.
The company produces and distributes a complete range of painting utensils and tools, from the traditional flat type paint brush, block brushes, sash tools, lining fitches, etc to a very substantial paint roller range offering a wide choice of fabric application for various purposes.
We have introduced a range of aluminium ladders which include A-frame, Lean To, Fibreglass & Extension Ladders. We also boast an industrial division where very exact and specific brushes are produced to satisfy the needs of the industry. These vary between handmade, wire drawn, or manually manufactured.
