Capital Equipment News May 2021

JCB wheel loaders are part of the company’s construction range to be distributed by Bell Equipment in South Africa.

JCB is a global leader in the backhoe loader market.

Bell Equipment Sales South Africa is the new official distributor of JCB’s full construction equipment range in South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia, effective May 1, 2021

The two companies are confident of taking the JCB brand to new heights in South Africa, leveraging each other’s solid standing in the market

The range The incorporation of the JCB product range into BESSA’s stable, explains McNeill, is a huge project for the company. “We are making significant changes to our offering, bringing in new products and taking out some that we have had in our stable for many years,” he says. For example, Bell Equipment will cease to distribute the Bell-branded, John Deere-designed and manufactured backhoe loaders, wheel loaders and bulldozers. Late last year, Bell announced that it had agreed with Deere to distribute Bell-branded, John Deere-designed and manufactured motor graders as a non- exclusive distributor until January 2023, and will continue to provide aftermarket, technical and product support to its customers operating Deere machines for a further 10 years thereafter. “From an operational point of view, John Deere has for some time expressed the desire to appoint dealers in South Africa that will sell its full construction product line. They have since chosen a

The extended JCB range allows Bell to compete in the telehandler and skid steer product segments for the first time

Traditionally, JCB products have done well in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape areas. Bell has, therefore, made sure that its support network is well kitted to support customers in those areas

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different distribution network and we have taken on the JCB product to replace some of the John Deere product lines in our stable,” he says. In fact, adds McNeill, the extended JCB range allows Bell to compete in completely new product segments. For example, Bell previously didn’t have telehandlers and skid steers in its product line. While the company has had its own version of a rough terrain forklift through its popular three-wheel machine, it has never offered a dedicated product to compete in the mainstream rough terrain forklift market. McNeill is especially excited about the JCB backhoe loader range, noting that JCB is an established market leader in that market segment, not only in South Africa, but globally. “From a company perspective, there is huge excitement within Bell. I have been

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