Bomag agency changes hands
Babcock Equipment has relinquished its Bomag dealership with the German-based original equipment manufacturer with the termination effective on 1 January 2009.
In future, the marketing and sales will be handled by Bell Equipment who will also be responsible for maintenance, parts supply and after-sales technical support.
Explaining the rationale for this change, Babcock Brands CEO, Mark Hughes, says: “Eight years ago Babcock Equipment took on the exclusive franchise for Volvo Construction Equipment in South Africa. At that time this did not conflict with the Bomag product range. This all changed in 2007 when Volvo bought the Ingersoll-Rand Road Equipment Division to develop its own line of road construction machinery. This obvious conflict of interest has left us with no option but to make a choice between the two ranges. As sales of Volvo machines and parts represent the major share of our business, the decision had to be made in favour of Volvo. After much discussion over the past year it was decided to relinquish the dealership and this has been awarded to Bell Equipment.”
“Whilst we have enjoyed a tremendous relationship with Bomag over the past 20 years, we naturally are disappointed that circumstances beyond our control have led to the change. We are equally excited at the opportunity the introduction of the Volvo Road Machinery range presents,” he adds.
Hughes says that Babcock Equipment has always held Bell Equipment in the highest esteem as a competitor and fully supports Bomag’s decision to appoint them as their new distributor. “Given our shared approach of commitment to customer support, we are sure the Bomag customers will enjoy the same excellent service and we wish Bell Equipment well in all their endeavours going forward.”
In discussions between the two companies, both Babcock Equipment and Bell Equipment have committed themselves to ensure that the handover is seamless. All warranties of new units and machines that are still within their warranty period are issued by the German principle and will continue to be honoured under the same terms and conditions going forward. The spares holding will be handed over to Bell Equipment who will also be responsible for all maintenance and service.
“The process of the transfer will uphold one principle – which is to ensure Bomag customers experience a smooth and seamless transition,” concludes Hughes.
Bell Equipment Sales South Africa (Pty) Ltd Managing Director, Bokkie Coertze said that the company is excited to welcome Bomag and its customer base into the Bell Equipment family. “Bell Equipment and Bomag's parent company, the Fayat Group, share strong family-run business values and we look forward to turning this opportunity into a success.”
Coertze believes the company is well positioned to accept the baton from Babcock Equipment as Bell Equipment has extensive geographic coverage and prides itself on first-class customer support. He added: “Bell Equipment has achieved success in the South African heavy equipment market, particularly in the mining and construction sectors and this partnership will bring us closer to achieving our strategic goal of offering a one-stop shopping experience to better support our customers.
“As part of our philosophy to provide world-class customer service, and to ensure we are able to meet the challenges associated with a new product line, we will be investing in additional sales staff and after-market skills, such as parts and servicing, to support the partnership.”
Coertze added: “Bomag is a world leader in compaction and road building equipment and as such the product line dovetails perfectly with Bell Equipment's strong reliable construction and mining machinery solutions, and will boost our mission to be Africa's first choice equipment provider.”
For further information please contact:
Mark Hughes. CEO, Babcock Brands
Tel: (011) 230 7300
Fax: (011) 397 2686
Bokkie Coertze, MD, Bell Equipment Sales South Africa
Tel: (011) 928 9840
Fax: (011) 928 9753