Construction World August 2020

EQUIPMENT

Building Africa base WITH LOCAL PARTNERS “T he key to sustainable growth in Africa is partnering with locally owned

companies who have proven track records, are technically sound, have a strong market knowledge and business culture aligned with our own”, Taylor Milan, Africa business GHYHORSPHQW H[HFXWLYH DW =HVW :(* The company, a fully owned subsidiary of WEG, currently has 28 appointed partners in 22 sub-Saharan African countries outside of 6RXWK $IULFD DQG LV H[SDQGLQJ LWV IRRWSULQW into new sectors across the regions. With H[WHQVLYH PDQXIDFWXULQJ DQG DVVHPEO\ IDFLOLWLHV LQ 6RXWK $IULFD =HVW :(* LV GULYLQJ its African growth strategy through local partnerships with carefully selected Value- Added Resellers (VARs). “The local content mandate is playing an increasingly important role in the supply of equipment and services into the formal business sector across the African continent,” says Milan. “It brings services closer to the customer, while empowering local business and building local economies.” He highlights that the company’s VARs are also chosen for their technical and operational capability and capacity to offer FXVWRPHUV PRUH RI =HVW :(*̵V SRUWIROLR RI products and services. “While our early offerings focused primarily on electric motors, the company now promotes a comprehensive portfolio of electrical products and solutions ,” he says.

“These include geared motors, low and medium voltage drives and automation, panels, MCCs, E-houses, power and distribution transformers, mini- substations, a selection of traditional and renewable and hybrid power generation solutions as well as electrical infrastructure and mobile solutions.” Milan notes that the business is also diversifying beyond mining into other sectors, notably oil and gas. On a global level, WEG has been active in this industry for many years and has built a VWURQJ LQGXVWU\ VSHFLͤF SURGXFW SRUWIROLR and knowledge base. Other sectors where gains are being made in sub-Saharan Africa are agriculture, general industry, water, cement and utilities.

appointment of established local company Panaco as its VAR in the Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Magare Company Limited in Tanzania, and Repelectric in Kenya with a number of other DSSRLQWPHQWV FXUUHQWO\ EHLQJ ͤQDOLVHG across sub-Saharan Africa. ̸=HVW :(*̵V $IULFD QHWZRUN LV DOVR increasing the number of local repair facilities that meet OEM standards,” Milan says. ̸,W LV RI FRQVLGHUDEOH EHQHͤW IRU customers to have localised WEG-accredited repair facilities in-country,” he says. “This increases local support, while ensuring that equipment repairs are carried out in DFFRUGDQFH ZLWK :(* VSHFLͤFDWLRQV WR deliver the performance and longevity WKDW FXVWRPHUV DQG 2(0V H[SHFW IURP WEG products.” ƒ

The company’s on-the-ground presence has been strengthened recently with the CONFIGURING TOWER CRANES FOR OPTIMAL VALUE W ith higher buildings the order of the day, Potain tower cranes can be specially FRQͤJXUHG IRU EHWWHU VWDQGLQJ KHLJKW FUDQH H[SHUWV OLNH &UDQH +RLVW (TXLSPHQW SA, who have in-depth knowledge of tower FUDQHV FRQͤJXUDWLRQV̹ KH VD\V The process can be implemented by

According to Louw Smit, Sales Director at Crane & Hoist Equipment SA, this allows the hook height to be raised without the added cost of anchoring or jacking. The company is the southern African dealer for Potain cranes. ̸&RQͤJXULQJ WKH PDVW PDNHV WKH FUDQH more suitable for the high-rise structures that are popular in today’s construction sector,” says Smit. “It adds to the freestanding height of the tower crane itself, without the need to tie the crane onto the building. This saves time and money, as anchoring and jacking DUH H[SHQVLYH ̹ He highlights, however, that the special FRQͤJXUDWLRQ RSWLRQ QHHGV D KLJK OHYHO RI H[SHUWLVH DQG H[SHULHQFH ̸,W LV YLWDO WKDW contractors partner with technical tower

starting with bigger mast sections and then adapting to the normal mast size – giving a better hook height. This differs from the VWDQGDUG FRQͤJXUDWLRQ DYDLODEOH RQ WKH FUDQH̵V VSHFLͤFDWLRQ VKHHW DQG RIIHUV JUHDWHU ͥH[LELOLW\ DW UHGXFHG H[SHQVH WR the customer. Crane & Hoist Equipment SA deals in both rental and sales of Potain tower FUDQHV ,WV RZQ UHQWDO ͥHHW FRPSULVHV HLJKW top-slewing cranes and one bottom-slewing FUDQH ̸2XU UHQWDO ͥHHW LV ZHOO VXLWHG WR meet the needs of small and medium-sized projects, where lifting capacity of between 5 tonnes and 8 tonnes is required, with jib lengths of 50 metres to 60 metres,” Smit concludes. ƒ

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2020