Supplier of container handling equipment and provider of support services for the shipping sector BLT SA, which was established in January, is planning to expand its reach.

The predominantly women-owned company, based at the Durban harbour, is focused on servicing the South African shipping sector.

The company offers a range of container handling equipment, including the supply of new and refurbished variable-reach trucks, mobile container handlers and terminal tractors.

The company is a distributor for equipment manufacturer B&W Mechanical Handling Equipment, which supplies a range of harbour equipment, including link conveyors, grab hoppers, surface feeders, radial boom stackers and mobile ship loaders.

The company’s range also includes international equipment manufacturer Taylor’s container handlers, which efficiently handle empty and loaded containers, as well as Australian equipment manufacturer Mobicon’s con- tainer handling systems, which lift heavy loads on and off trucks, and carry containers around sites and into warehouses.

Also included in the company’s range are California-based truck manufacturer Capacity’s terminal tractors, which handle diverse tasks in container terminals and distribution centres.

BLT SA is also the sole South African distributor for Meclift variable-reach trucks, which are designed for fast, efficient and safe container handling.

Marketing director Charity Gumede says the company has been well received by the local industry so far, although competition in the market has been tough.

“We are working in a very demanding industry, but we are holding our heads high. We ensure that we provide the best service possible and keep up to date with the latest industrial technology. We are also committed to providing productive and dependable equipment for our customers.

“It is important to build good business relationships in this highly competitive sector and we have managed to secure supply, service and distribution agreements with some of the world’s most respected materials handling equipment manufacturers. This enables us to offer the local market the latest international products,” she says.

The company supports its range of materials handling equipment through a technical advisory, spare parts and support service.

“We have a technical manager, a workshop manager and an oper- ations manager, who collectively have 82 years of experience in the earthmoving and mate- rials handling sectors. We offer experienced technical advice.

“We have a variety of spares for all the machines we supply and a fleet of rental equipment. We strive to offer a professional and personal service in the country,” says Gumede.

She adds that BLT SA also implements ongoing in-house staff and management training programmes to ensure staff are informed about the latest technical knowledge for equipment selection, application and repair.

Going forward, the company plans to establish a training centre for women, which will teach them how to operate BLT SA’s equipment effectively.

“This will enable us to provide a full package for our customers, comprising a machine and a driver, as well as maintenance, support and spare-parts services,” says Gumede.

BLT SA is a Level 3 broad-based black economic-empowerment contributor, which focuses on empowering women in a predominantly male-driven industry.