Capital Equipment News December 2021

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

Erik Bergvall, new MD of Scania Southern Africa.

increase service levels, while reducing the impact on the environment, Bergvall is well positioned to support both Scania’s internal team and a strong growth in customer rollout. Scania Southern Africa’s increased ability to support its customers’ business growth through one-on-one partnerships, unrivalled fuel efficiency and advanced technological innovations are heralding a new era for local transport operators. While driving these changes, Bergvall is looking forward to building on Scania’s reputation as a leader in the local transport industry. Bergvall will take up his position in January 2022. Focus on aftermarket The new MD arrives at a time when Scania Southern Africa continues to invest in its support network. The company believes that key to supporting the sustainable profitability of the transport sector is ensuring transport operators have convenient access to the maintenance and repair services they require to maximise uptime. With a footprint of over 45 dealerships, Scania has built a formidable service and repair network that ensures customers have access to world-class workshop facilities. The addition of a new independently- owned dealership in Polokwane, located close to major roads, provides Scania customers located locally, as well as across the greater Limpopo region, with sales support for both trucks and buses, access to state-of-the-art workshop facilities, a full complement of vehicle servicing equipment and highly-trained technicians. “As an independently-owned dealership, we are proud to support the management team’s entrepreneurial spirit and the new job opportunities the dealership will create,” says Marius Steenkamp, GM Operations, Scania Southern Africa.

New MD for Scania Southern Africa

B ergvall has served in numerous senior leadership roles during his 14-year career with Scania. Most recently he was MD, Scania Middle East where he delivered strong growth in both vehicle sales and after sales, while introducing several new sustainable transport solutions to the Gulf region. Prior to this, Bergvall was regional director, responsible for the Northwest Region at Scania Germany. He holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Linkoping University of Technology in Sweden. Bergvall’s focus as MD for Scania Southern Africa will be on strengthening Scania’s customer proposition, with particular emphasis on the launch of new innovations designed to increase customer profitability and operating efficiencies. As southern Africa’s transport industry looks to adapt and embrace the benefits of digitalisation aimed to improve efficiencies, reduce costs and Following Scania’s global decision to integrate several changes to its commercial operation, which will see a strengthened strategic transformation across Scania Group’s regional hubs, the company has announced the appointment of Erik Bergvall as the new MD for Southern Africa. Bergvall takes over from Fabio Souza, who will return to Brazil at the end of the year as the MD of that market, writes Munesu Shoko .

4

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS DECEMBER 2021