Capital Equipment News July 2018

CONSTRUCTION NEWS

Specialised solutions at Wirtgen’s Road Technology Days

Some 4 000 customers and road construction experts from more than 100 countries attended the Road Technology Days held by Wirtgen, Vögele and Hamm on 19 and 20 April.

tors. Inspired by the slogan “Synergies powered by Wirtgen Group”, the three brands showcased coordinated machine and application technologies in opera- tion: a total of 25 machines milled, fed material, placed asphalt and compacted on an area of around 3 000 m² in two live demonstrations. “In the live demonstrations, we are not just presenting state-of-the-art technology and solutions for road construction; our customers also see for themselves how the machines of the Wirtgen Group work togeth- er in practice and the synergies this creates for the entire road construction process. That’s why the live demonstrations have always been a key feature of our Technology Days and why they’re unique in our industry in terms of both their form and their scale,” says Roland Schug, Head of Marketing at Joseph Vögele AG. ❂ the African growth industries,” says Rolf Najork, MD of Bosch Rexroth. The region is characterised by a lot of end-user business, such as servicing and spare parts for users of machinery. With its new subsidiary, Bosch Rexroth hopes to further expand this business. Hytec has a well-established marketing network in sub-Saharan Africa, and its associates are well familiarised with what local customers want. “We are combin- ing this high level of regional marketing knowledge with Bosch Rexroth’s product expertise and technological prowess. This will be a significant boost to our business on the continent,” Najork says. ❂

The focus of this year’s Road Technology Days held by the Wirtgen, Vögele and Hamm brands was on synergies, 3D applications and networked job site processes. The climax of the event was the live machine demonstrations. On the 370 000 m² site of Joseph Vögele AG in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, the three companies of the Wirtgen Group’s Road Technologies business sectors provided practical insights into the latest develop- ments in the fields of cold milling, cold recycling, soil stabilisation, paving and compaction. In addition to specialist talks by selected experts and technology exhibitions, visitors were also able to enjoy live demonstrations, factory tours and a machinery exhibition fea- turing around 70 exhibits. The high point of the event was a gala evening in the newly constructed 22 200 m² dispatch hall at the The Bosch Group is strengthening its business in Africa and further expanding its industrial technology portfolio on the continent. Effective February 28, 2018, Bosch Rexroth AG acquired all shares in Hytec Holdings (Pty.) Ltd., Johannesburg, South Africa. Hytec specialises in the marketing of hydraulic and automation solutions, and is the leading company in the field in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, the company and its roughly 770 associates generated sales of some €86-million. Hytec has about 40 branch operations, not only in South Africa, but also in Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Ghana and Kenya. In

Vögele headquarters. “A personal and professional exchange with our international customers is very important to us,” says Domenic G. Ruccolo, CEO of the Wirtgen Group. “That’s the only way we can develop tailored country- and customer-specific solutions in an industry with such diverse and highly differentiated requirements. This makes the Road Technol- ogy Days an ideal platform for exchanging knowledge and experiences.” Since 2005, the event has been held alternately at the brand headquarters of cold milling specialist Wirtgen, road paver manufacturer Vögele and roller manufactur- er Hamm. At this year’s Road Technology Days, the focus was very much on the interplay between milling, paving and compaction technologies and the corresponding syner- gy effects for road construction contrac- a first phase, Bosch Rexroth acquired a 50% stake in its marketing partner Hytec in 2014. “For Bosch, Africa has a lot of potential as a strategic market of the future,” says Uwe Raschke, the Bosch management board member responsible for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. “In the years ahead, we want to significantly increase our sales in Africa,” Raschke adds. Considerable opportunities are offered by the heavy investments being made in infrastructure projects in areas such as construction and power generation. “Together with Hytec, we can take better advantage of the market opportunities in

Bosch strengthens its operations in Africa with acquisition of Hytec

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS JULY 2018 34