Tower crane and hoisting distributor SA French says it will actively expand into Africa and regain the ground it has lost during the prolonged downturn in the local construction industry.

CEO Quentin van Breda told Engineering News at a media event hosted by the company earlier this month that SA French was expanding into Namibia, Mozambique and Botswana, and would expand into the Democratic Republic of Congo within the next six months.

“We hope to add Kenya and Tanzania to that list,” he pointed out, adding that, with strong financial backing, the company was aiming to become the dominant supplier of lifting solutions on the African continent wherever they were required.

Following two solid years of growth and with a large number of African contracts completed, the company, which is wholly owned by industrial engineering equipment and financing solutions group Torre Industrial Holdings, has been expanding its fleet and tailoring its service offerings to fulfil its ambitions.

Having endured tough trading conditions since the economic slump that started in 2008, Van Breda, who was reappointed CEO of the company last year, said the path the company had travelled to regain its position made it stronger than ever before.

He explained that the company had to grind out an existence during the economic slump and was forced to use every reserve it had to keep its doors open.

“When the markets turned positive we wanted to be in a position of strength and decided to completely rejuvenate the business with the assistance of boutique investment banking operation AfraAsia Corporate Finance,” he pointed out.

AfraAsia provided restructuring guidance and full financial support that enabled SA French to delist from the JSE’s AltX exchange with Torre Industrial Holdings’ mirror listing and simultaneously conclude a 100% sale of newly established diversified industrial holding group Torre Industrial Holdings.

Van Breda noted that SA French was focused on and in tune with the changing requirements of customers.

The company is also in a position to leverage opportunities, which abound within the group, including shared customer databases and access to geographic locations of the Torre group companies, such as supplier of parts for earthmoving machinery Tractor & Grader Supplies and fork rental company Forktech.

“Torre Holdings, trading as SA French, has been restructured and is ready to resume its leadership position in the world of cranes and hoisting in South Africa,” he said.

SA French remains the exclusive African distributor for Potain tower cranes and for diversified ranges of complementary materials handling equipment and related products from leading European suppliers.

A large rental fleet is also available and provides customers with lifting solutions ranging from light materials handling applications to extra-heavy lifting applications, with full engineering support offered through the company’s in-house engineering department.

“Under the wing of Torre Industrial Holdings, SA French is in a better position than ever before and we are ready to take on any lifting challenge on African soil,” Van Breda concluded.