176 CHAPTER 13 MES is a precision machine engineering business based in Durban, South Africa. Established in 2001, the company is owned and managed by brothers, Mike and Gary Church. MES has a proven reputation for the manufacturing and refurbishing of parts for a variety of industries including petrochemical, paper pulp, sugar, and print. MES is the manufacturer and distributor of the CMG Pump range, specifically designed for sugar industry applications. In 2013 MES was appointed the African distributor for Western States. Western States Anecdotes – Mike Church On accepting the Western States agency and going out into the field to various mills, it became clear that the previous agent could have done more to visit the mills. Despite this, not a single customer had a negative thing to say about the machines. This is a testament to a quality product that has stood the test of time in the field and even more so in the rugged mills of Africa. After selling our second machine to a mill in Swaziland and having had a successful installation and commissioning, I decided to take the field service team, Ed Dunsmuir and Steve Kirshner, to a game park. After a good day in the park, we were leaving to go back to our Hotel and we needed to open a gate to leave the park which was protected by an electric fence. I asked Steve the Electrical Engineer on the team to open the gate. There was a big sign that said ‘Caution- High Voltage, Rhino Proof Fence’. This warning seemed to go unheeded as he got the worst shock he’d experienced in a while. At the next gate, no one wanted to get out so we just hooted until the gate was opened for us. How does the saying go ‘Once bitten twice shy’.