Modern Mining February 2016

COVER STORY

outgrown the previous premises we occupied. It’s a purpose-built, state-of-the-art facility which not only meets our current requirements but has been sized for future growth. I would venture to say that it is a world-beating devel- opment – certainly, I’ve seen nothing that matches it, either locally or overseas.” The energy-efficient complex includes 12 large 9 m wide workshop bays (able to accom- modate trucks of up to 100 tons such as the Terex TR100), overhead craneage of up to 40 tons, dedicated washing bays for yellow metal vehicles, an industrial spray booth, a steel fabrication section for dump truck repairs and 900 m 2 of office space. “The branch is now able to handle full rebuilds,” says Vaughan. “Previously machines requiring rebuilding would have to be brought up to Johannesburg, so this is a real plus for our customers.” Looking ahead, Vaughan says that 2016 is shaping up to be a difficult year for all equip- ment suppliers. “Major markets such as mining and construction are struggling, particularly mining, and it seems to be the consensus of economists that we’re unlikely to see a revival

in the short term,” he observes. “Having said this, Babcock is more than holding its own. We’re profitable and far from retrenching we’ve actually grown our employee comple- ment in recent months. We’re excited by the addition of new machines from Volvo CE to our range and by the acquisition of the Terex Trucks dealership and look forward to fur- ther building both these famous brands in the Southern African region.” 

An EC750D at the new Middelburg branch. The machine, currently

Volvo’s flagship excavator, is equipped with a new Volvo D16 Tier 3 engine able to deliver 374 kW.

February 2016  MODERN MINING  21