Capital Equipment News April-May 2020

The Avant 800 series punches above its minimum 2 500 kg weight with a 1 900 kg lift capacity.

Loftie-Eaton says at the time the concept of the multi-tasking compact articulated loader with a wide attachment range was still foreign to the local market. With an array of advantages over the conventional skid-steer loader, the solution enjoyed a quick uptake. “The versatility of the Avant concept made it unique at the time. Avant is still the largest manufacturer of the compact loader in the world and with Scandinavian build quality, it was a very easy decision for us to start importing the equipment into South Africa,” explains Loftie-Eaton. Commenting on the uptake of the compact articulated loader solution in South Africa, he says the first five years were difficult, but during the last three years, there has been increased interest in this type of loaders and the market has enjoyed some growth during that period. This has also coincided with the arrival of other competitive brands in the local market. A key pillar of the Avant brand’s growth over the years has been AVANT SA’s support capabilities. “We pride ourselves in offering a good quality machine, supported by the highest levels of aftersales support. Some of our units have already done in excess of 10 000 hours and counting, working without any problems,” says Loftie-Eaton. The company also recently started offering a 2-year factory warranty, which is testimony to the confidence it has in its product. “We also offer our customers full-maintenance lease packages, service plans and rent-to-own finance options in- house,” he adds. With branches in the Western Cape, Gauteng and Durban in South Africa, as well is in Windhoek, Namibia, AVANT SA offers has a strong support base for its growing population of machines. b

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