An emerging coal mining group’s decision to invest in Bell Articulated Dump Trucks (ADTs) has a direct downstream benefit for three thousand five hundred employees at Bell Equipment as well as for the more than one thousand suppliers to the manufacturer that supply a vast variety of components that go into each Bell ADT.

So said Bell Equipment Group Chairman, Gary Bell, at the official handover of 12 Bell B45E ADTs to the Alfieri Group at its Ikoti coal mine near Breyten in Mpumalanga recently. The ADTs, locally manufactured at Bell Equipment’s factory in Richards Bay, will be used in the coal sector around Breyten area, providing meaningful jobs in the area.

Bell acknowledged that while the Alfieri Group had a choice of eight or more different manufacturers of haulage vehicles to choose from, its decision to acquire a wholly owned South African product proved yet again that ADTs manufactured and supported by Bell Equipment could compete on the global market and do so with confidence.

“Despite current economic and social challenges within the country, Team South Africa has proven yet again that it can create a world-class product, and this is further borne out by the fact that only about 15% of our ADT production is sold in South Africa with the balance eagerly snapped up by wider world markets,” he said.

Alfieri Director, Branden Moodley said the company had been “influenced by the consensus in the market that Bell ADTs were the haulage machines of choice and that Bell had shown us that they understood our business and the challenges we face. We thank Bell for taking us seriously and ensuring that we bought the correct trucks for the job”.

The Mining Equipment Manufacturers of South Africa (MEMSA), of which Bell is a member, played a significant role in inviting key stakeholders to attend the event. Although numbers were restricted due to Covid-19 regulations and protocols, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s Director General, Advocate Thabo Mokoena, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s Shawn Moses (Regional Industrial Development Division) and Mzwakhe Mbatha (Automotive Sector Desk) were all in attendance, clearly demonstrating government’s support for the sector.

MEMSA CEO, Lehlohonolo Molloyi highlighted MEMSA’s commitment to supporting member initiatives. He went on to say that “the more we support local innovation, the more we can create local jobs”.

MEMSA is a champion of proudly South African mining equipment manufacturing companies working hard to positively impact on the national economy through manufacturing, job creation and skills development, which is in line with government policy and its drive to support local content. In addition, on behalf of MEMSA, he thanked stakeholders for supporting local mining equipment manufacturing companies saying that their support of the mining supply chain is greatly valued.