Equipment manufacturer plans to pick up pace
Bell Equipment to push production capacity up by 20% to 25% from last year
HOMEGROWN heavy equipment manufacturer Bell Equipment aims to lift its performance to 80% capacity to produce up to 4 000 vehicles this year.
Bell Equipment Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gary Bell said he feels confident about accelerating production from last year’s combined 55% to 60% capacity between its Richards Bay and European factories.
‘We have manufactured 50 000 machines over 30 years, but that is not that significant.
‘Going forward, we’re expecting to be producing some 3 000 to 4 000 machines per year.’
The company’s principal manufacturing plant in Richards Bay has the full capacity of 5 000 machines a year to supply African and Asian countries with a range of trucks, haulers, loaders, tractors, backhoes and custom equipment.
‘The exchange rate and the weakening of the rand will have more of an influence in making our commodities increasingly competitive on the world market, which should more than offset the recent repo rate increase,’ said Bell.
‘Likewise, Bell ADTs will be more competitive due to the weakening of the rand.’
Bell said the company adds significant value to locally produced products through its manufacturing process.
‘Essentially, the steel used in these machines comes from iron ore mined in South Africa at about R1 200 per tonne, and we convert it into machinery at R120 000 per tonne.’
After Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies visited the company for its 50 000th vehicle handover celebration ceremony last Friday, Davies said his meeting with Bell management provided him an opportunity to discuss ways of improving synergies between the local manufacturer and government in line with the Department of Trade and Industry’s policy of industrialisation and localisation.
Bell encouraged government to improve on the support to the industry and other industries in order to take the country forward.
‘As a company we are committed to support the government’s vision of five million jobs by 2020 and the infrastructure programme support.
‘Currently we employ 3 500 people and 2 000 hail from Richards Bay alone’, said Bell.
In line with Bell Equipment’s strategy to build closer relationships with government, the City of uMhlathuze took delivery of a Bell tractor loader backhoe (TLB), handed over by Minister Davies.
The TLB will assist the municipality with its responsibility of eradicating infrastructure backlogs.
