OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES Local capital equipment suppliers ensure the machines are delivered to site
New and used bulldozers, excavators, wheel loaders, tractor-loader backhoes (TLBs), rollers, graders and articulated dump trucks (ADTs) are among the most popular local capital equipment, used heavy-equipment supplier Mascus South Africa country manager John Smith tells Engineering News.
“These machines are always in high demand, as they are integral to most construction projects,” he states.
However, Smith notes that, in many instances, the size of the machines, such as the TLBs and ADTs, and the location of the site where the equipment will operate, make it “a logistical nightmare for companies to deliver the equipment”.
“However, local capital equipment suppliers are resilient and resourceful, and ensure that, in most cases, the machines are delivered to site on time,” he states.
Additionally, Smith says the majority of plant equipment and machinery used locally is imported from the US, Europe and Asia.
However, he highlights that there are local capital equipment manufacturers, such as KwaZulu-Natal-based Bell Equipment and Desmond Equipment.
Smith says the local construction manufacturing and supply industries in South Africa are in a healthy position.
“New capital equipment manufacturers and suppliers, such as Barloworld, Caterpillar, Komatsu, Volvo and Liebherr, provide the market with a variety of new equipment on a regular basis. However, the used capital equipment dealer network has leveraged the trade-ins of the new equipment sales.
“With our current exchange rate, used-equipment dealers are also exporting machines at highly competitive prices. Using reputable auction houses to sell disposable assets online is also playing a significant role in the sales process of used plant equipment and machinery locally,” he adds.