Modern Mining September 2017

MINING News

Barloworld opens state-of-the-art distribution facility

abreast of their orders when they come to the facility to collect spare parts. Customers will need to have their customer numbers handy as successful order tracking will take place using their customer numbers.  Barloworld Equipment has been invest- ing significantly in newworld-class facilities to boost capacity and improve service to its customers. The company recently launched a state-of-the-art components rebuild centre in Boksburg and a world- class Caterpillar-accredited training facility at Isando to develop a new pool of highly proficient technicians and help the com- pany bring more female employees into its fold in line with its gender diversity targets. Through ex tensive recruitment and training programmes, Barloworld Equipment is on a quest to have 40 % of its workforce composed of women by 2020, an initiative that is strongly supported by Caterpillar. Barloworld Equipment is today one of the world’s market leaders in the provision of heavy earthmoving machines, thanks to its 90-year partnership with Caterpillar that has been the bedrock for Barloworld Equipment’s expansion beyond South Africa and into 10 other Southern African markets, Iberia, Siberia and the Russian Far East. Barloworld Equipment has never looked back since 1927 when Charles ‘Punch’ Barlow, the eldest son of Barloworld’s founder, Billy Barlow, sold the first Caterpillar tractor to a sugar-cane farmer after he had won a bet against the farmer that the tractor could out-plough a span of oxen. After making the historic Caterpillar sale, Punch travelled to the United States to negotiate with Caterpillar to acquire a licence to make Barlows the sole and offi- cial sales and service Caterpillar dealer in South Africa. The official agreement between Punch and Caterpillar was signed on 17 August 1927, leading to the opening of dealer- ships in Durban and the Free State. “Our success as a company is rooted in our close and long-standing partnership with Caterpillar. As a result, we have both become global brands and Barloworld Equipment is very proud to be one of the world’s leading Caterpillar dealers,” said Sewela. 

Inside the new warehouse, which is a joint initiative of Barloworld Equipment and Caterpillar Inc. a principal supplier of Caterpillar machines to customers who mainly operate in the mining and construction sectors.

Barloworld Equipment recently crowned its 90-year anniversary as a Caterpillar dealer with the official opening of a new, state-of-the-art distribution warehouse that will dramatically reduce the time it takes for customers to order and collect spare parts for their machines. Barloworld Equipment Johannesburg, located at the iconic Barloworld Equipment’s Isando campus, was unveiled at a ceremony attended by senior execu- tives of both Barloworld Equipment and Caterpillar, customers, government offi- cials, and other key stakeholders. Dominic Sewela, CEO of Barloworld Limited, the parent company of Barloworld Equipment, said the investment in the launch of the parts distribution facility was true testament to Barloworld Equipment’s commitment to Southern Africa, where it is

“The new parts facility will dramatically improve the turnaround time from order to collection of parts for our customers. The reduction in the turnaround time will bring enormous benefits to our customers as it will quicken repairs and maintenance work on the machines we supply to them. “This will help reduce downtime and boost productivity for our customers, putting them in an ideal position to take advantage of an anticipated recovery in commodity markets,” said Sewela. The access controlled, 60 000 m 2 distribution facility – which will also accommodate Caterpillar staff – boasts an electronic tracking system that will reduce queues for customers and keep them and increasing demand from electric vehicles.” An SML is designed for larger, long- life mining and processing projects such as Ngualla, and may be granted over an area of up to 35 km 2 (as opposed to maxi- mum of 10 km 2 for a Mining Licence) and for the life of the orebody as stated in the Feasibility Study (compared to a ML of 10 years maximum). The SML application lodged for Ngualla is for a duration of 31 years over an area of 18,14 km 2 . 

Peak applies for Ngualla Special Mining Licence ASX-listed Peak Resources has lodged an application for a Special Mining Licence (SML) for the Ngualla rare earth mine and multi-stage processing plant in Tanzania. Managing Director Darren Townsend said: “The lodging of the SML application is a significant milestone for the project. The grant of an SML will allow the com- pany to move forward with discussions on funding arrangements for the devel- opment of the project with perfect timing in the current climate of rising NdPr prices

6  MODERN MINING  September 2017