Capital Equipment News January 2019

face-to-face communication across all departments. Further to this, with the new state-of-the-art facility, Komatsu has ensured the highest level of safety requirements in its operations, ensuring that employees’ areas of work are safe. Foundation for future growth From the onset, the requirements of the new Komatsu Campus were substantial and complex; the campus needed to have the space, technology and capabilities for Komatsu to serve the mining, construction and utility markets, not only in South Africa, but across southern Africa. Tetsuji Ohashi, CEO and president of Komatsu Ltd, says the project puts Komatsu’s sales and service functions in southern Africa in an ideal position to capitalise on market resurgence opportunities within the short, medium and long term. At the same time, it will serve to improve further the extent of Komatsu’s field and technical service offerings. “What we have done today is sowing the seeds for future growth,” says Ohashi. “The development clearly reflects our confidence in South Africa and its future. It serves as the launching pad to meet our objective of growth through innovation,” says Blom, adding that it will also enable Komatsu to render support in the much- needed expansion of the local economy through the seamless supply of equipment to the mining, construction and utilities markets. Guest of honour at the facility’s unveiling, Dr. Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry, thanked Komatsu, which he terms as one of the leaders in the local earthmoving equipment, for its confidence in South Africa and southern Africa at large. He adds that the government is working hard to create a thriving environment to attract investments of this nature into the economy. He noted that recent investment pledges of over US$120-million by several investors are a true indicator that South Africa is in the right direction. “We are on a journey that will lead to deeper and stronger relationships between Japan and South Africa. We already have 282 Japanese companies present in South Africa in one way or another,” says Davies. “I am glad to learn that remanufacturing is part of Komatsu’s core business in South Africa and quite a number of components they use include locally-manufactured ones. We are

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Komatsu’s training centre offers 36 courses and has provided training to more than 2 300 people over the past three years

The parts distribution centre, a massive 21 000m² facility, is 23% larger than the previous premises, and carries an inventory of about 40 000 line items valued at R885-million

Komatsu Africa Holdings has unveiled its new industrial hub built at a cost of R985-million in Tunney, Germiston, east of Johannesburg

Measuring approximately 300 000 m² in size, the new Komatsu development is said to be one of the largest industrial campuses of its nature in the country

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS JANUARY 2019 9