History
Progress Dental laboratories was established by its founder a German named Willie Schroder in 1959. Willie Schroder was the son of Orpa singers who lived through the turbulent political times of the late 1930s in the lead-up to the start of the 2nd World War. Willie’s parents saw that war was coming so in their wisdom they shipped their eighteen-year-old son Willie to South Africa in 1937, to keep him safe from being drafted into the German army and being sent to war.
Willie Started as an apprentice Dental Technician shortly after arriving in South Africa. It was common practice in the 1930’s and 40’s for a technician to work at a dental practice doing the day-to-day work of a Dental Technician.
In 1957 Mr Schroder felt decided to go it alone and registered Progress Dental Laboratory (Pty) Ltd but only started the Laboratory in 1959.
Willie ran a large successful business which he sold the Laboratory to Grigor Weightman his employee of the seven years. Grigor has run Progress Dental as it Managing Director up until today. The laboratory has gone through various iterations, It is a Prosthetics Laboratory specialising in Vitallium Chrome Skeletons, plastics and Implant cases, and recently the Laboratory has gone Digital doing Crown & Bridge and all digital work flows.
