Fuchs Lubricants South Africa, a subsidiary of Fuchs Petrolub SE, in Germany, will invest more than R250-million in South Africa through the purchase of land and the development of an expanded warehouse, office complex and lubricants plant on this site.
The project is expected to be completed in October next year.
Fuchs Lubricants South Africa MD Paul Deppe says the project has been in the works for the last two years.
“Fuchs’ business in South Africa and export into Africa is growing and we need to plan for future expansion.
“We are concerned about the Covid situation and the impact on our markets, but Fuchs has always focused on making long-term decisions and we are confident of the future strength of our business in Africa. Our capital investment decisions are therefore not based on current situations, but on long-term strategies.”
A new warehouse system will provide much needed storage space and modernisation of systems, and will enhance efficiencies, adds Deppe.
“The project was approved in May, the land has already been purchased, and preliminary work has begun.”
The new project follows a R125-million investment in a grease plant expansion in Isando, Ekurhuleni, in 2018.
“Fuchs’ investment in a state-of-the-art plant to manufacture greases has made a significant contribution to our business,” says Deppe.
DRA Global was selected by Fuchs to provide engineering, procurement and construction management services for the project. Industrial Logistic Systems has been appointed as warehouse consultant and ICM Architectural Studio as the architect.