From his humble beginnings producing pencil boxes in his parents’ backyard as a 14-year-old, founder of GFP Machines, Gys Potgieter has become a trusted and respected name in the woodworking machine industry.

Woodworking – in one form or another has always been part of Gys Potgieter’s life, from pencil boxes to lamps, bookshelves and side-tables, to supplying furniture shops on a regular basis with his own unique designs from the age of 16 years. Potgieter established GF Potgieter Enterprises, and with its Duralog brand, it quickly grew into a household name, supplying furniture on a large scale to many of the country’s biggest retail outlets.

Gys has always remained true to his passion for woodworking. For him, craftmanship is a language of patience, perfection and determination – creating natural objects of lasting beauty.

GFP Woodwork Machines is a culmination of Gys’s 34 years’ experience as master woodcrafter and continued focus on his passion. Today, he regularly travels to countries around the world to source only the best pre-owned and new woodworking machines.