Trade and Industry Minister, Dr Rob Davies visited Bell Equipment's manufacturing facility and head office in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal at the end of January where he toured the factory and celebrated the handover of the company's 50 000th vehicle.

Bell Group Chief Executive Officer, Gary Bell said in addition to celebrating the production of the 50 000th vehicle, this year Bell celebrates 60 years of manufacturing in South Africa to world class quality standards. As such, the company is proud of the ground-breaking technological advancements it has developed on South African soil with its team of local engineers that has seen it emerge as a global leader in the Articulated Dump Truck market, with engineering expertise and product quality that are comparable with other global players in the industry.

Appropriately the 50 000th vehicle off the company's production line was an ADT from the company's new E-series generation of trucks, which was presented to Radds Transport, a loyal Bell customer and a local company providing logistical support within the Port of Richards Bay.

Radds is currently the largest transport contractor in the Port of Richards Bay with a fleet of 40 Bell Wheel Loaders, eight Bell ADTs as well as 10 tippers and nine specially adapted excavators. The latest additions to the Bell fleet are 22 new Wheel Loaders delivered during 2013 and two B30E ADTs, including the 50 000th Bell vehicle. 

Co-owner of Radds Transport, Suren Radhalal says: "We are privileged to accept Bell Equipment's 50 000th vehicle into our fleet. Our D-series trucks perform well and we are confident that the new E-series trucks continue the company's proud heritage. We've never had any problem with our Bell ADTs - they are the best."

According to Suren he continues to support Bell Equipment because the company is a local manufacturer with a pleasing Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment rating. This, coupled with the fact that Radds employs locally and develops local suppliers has given the company a competitive edge when awarding contracts. "For the current contract we shopped around and no other supplier has a BEE scorecard to rival Bell. Our Bell machines have proven to be reliable and deliver good productivity and our Bell Sales Representative, Gary Heath, has always been there for us, giving good advice and looking out for our best interests."

In line with Bell Equipment's strategy to build closer relationships with the three tiers of government, the City of uMhlathuze in Richards Bay also took delivery of a Bell Tractor Loader Backhoe. Handed over by the Minister, the TLB will assist the Municipality with its responsibility of eradicating infrastructure backlogs as tasked by President Jacob Zuma. The TLB is locally produced alongside the ADT and likewise has market leading local content as called for by the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act.

uMhlathuze Municipal Manager, Dr Nhlanhla Sibeko said the partnership between Bell and the City of uMhlathuze supports the local municipality's policy of championing local suppliers wherever possible. "As a City we are extremely fortunate to have a manufacturer of Bell Equipment's stature as a ratepayer and major employer in our municipality. We are proud to include their equipment in our fleet and look forward to building on our relationship."

Bell Equipment Group Chief Executive Officer, Gary Bell congratulated Radds Transport and the City of uMhlathuze on their new vehicles and said that through their support of Bell, as a Proudly South African manufacturer, they were also supporting the development of local suppliers and meaningful job creation.