Barloworld SEM operations manager Brandon Arnold has been chosen out of 19 000 employees in 41 countries as the 2010 winner of the Barloworld CEO Award, an annual tribute to exceptional performance by an individual employee of the corporation. This was in recognition of the pivotal role he had played in establishing SEM as a key player in the South African low-cost wheel loader market.

SEM is a Caterpillar-owned Chinese wheel loader brand that was introduced into South Africa through Barloworld Handling, a division of Barloworld Limited, in October 2008.

“Today, directly as a result of Brandon’s initiatives, SEM’s share of the Chinese wheel loader market in South Africa is 25%, despite having had to compete with well established brands offering a wider range of products and solutions,” says Barloworld Handling CEO John Blackbeard.

“Large corporates typically struggle to enter the lower-cost capital equipment market because of inflexibility and an inability to respond swiftly to change. Brandon’s entrepreneurial approach, illustrated by his ability to switch focus onto different market segments, has been central to Barloworld’s strong performance in this competitive environment.

Blackbeard says Barloworld SEM is providing Barloworld and Caterpillar with a brand-new customer base and creating a strong platform for sustainable growth. “Caterpillar China has lauded the success of Brandon and his team and has used Barloworld SEM as a reference in the worldwide rollout of SEM.”

Brandon Arnold was one of six CEO Award finalists judged by Barloworld CEO Clive Thomson, who said, “When I went to China two years ago to visit the SEM factory and consider the appropriate distribution model for South Africa, I had envisaged a two to three year period during which we would incur losses before gaining critical mass in this business. Brandon has exceeded all expectations from year one.”

With SEM sales into South Africa buoyed by a growing list of customer referrals, Barloworld SEM is rapidly expanding its footprint in the high-volume mid-construction and coal markets.

Its drive into this segment of the market has been bolstered by the recent introduction of a larger wheel loader model, the 175kW SEM 669B, which has a rated load capacity of six tons and is available with a 3.3m3 rock bucket or 5.5m3 coal bucket. Complementary product ranges will also be launched in the near future.

Barloworld SEM                                                                   
Tel: (011) 898 0000                                                  Contact: Mr Godfried Heydenrych                                Email: gheydenrych@barloworld-equipment.com