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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
MAY
2017
During his time with the firm, Goosen exceeded financial
targets despite the challenging market, and he made
significant contributions to increasing the business’s market
share and improving customer relations.
“Goosen has an excellent
understanding of our
industry and its challenges,”
comments Richard Patek,
group president of Astec
Aggregate & Mining, of which
Osborn is a subsidiary. “He
believes in an entrepreneurial
approach to business that is
founded on a customer focused
philosophy. This is supported
by strong leadership skills and
interpersonal attributes. We are
delighted to welcome him to the
Osborn family.”
One of the oldest, most environmentally-aware cleaning-product
manufacturers in Namibia, Elso Holdings was established in 1956
under the leadership of founder Rene Rusch. The latest addition of
GCE equipment to the company’s product portfolio represents the
next stage in its ambitious growth strategy for the Namibian region.
The main brands to be distributed across Elso Holdings’ seven
locations in the region are Ghibli, a leading manufacturer of wet and
dry commercial vacuum cleaners and scrubbers. Delfin industrial
manufactures vacuum cleaners and suction units for solving
particular material cleaning and recycling problems. However, the
flagship product range to be distributed by Elso Holdings is GCE’s
Tennant range.
“Namibia as a market is definitely picking up, especially with the
recent discovery of large platinum deposits in the Swakopmund
area. Then there is the Husab uranium mine, one of the largest in the
world,” GCE General Manager Greg Venter comments.
He also highlights Namibia’s NAD86-million Walvis Bay port
expansion project, which is on target to be completed by May 2017
by developer China Harbour and Engineering Company (CHEC).
The ambitious project will create a new island from reclaimed
land, and almost double container capacity from the current 375 000
TEU a year to 650 000 upon completion. Covering 40 ha, the new
terminal will have a quay length of 2 100 m.
Apart from mining and infrastructure development, the Namibian
retail sector is also booming, with two new shopping malls in
Swakopmund alone, and one in Walvis Bay. “It is an important
growth market for us, and in tandem with Elso Holdings, we will be
ideally positioned to take advantage of all of these opportunities,”
GCE national sales manager Peter Esterhuizen explains.
With its array of chemicals and other consumable product for the
cleaning industry, it is a natural fit to add the GCE product range.
“There are natural synergies between us, and it will empower
Elso Holdings to be able to offer a total solution to its customers.”
Osborn appoints new MD
Johan Goosen joins Osborn from Atlas Copco,
where he managed Drilling Solutions and, in his
most recent role of regional business line
manager, was responsible for Mining and Rock
Excavation Services.
NAMIBIAN DISTRIBUTOR
Goscor Cleaning Equipment (GCE) is extending
its footprint in the mining and retail sectors in
Namibia with the appointment of Elso Holdings
as its official distributor, with effect from the
beginning of the year.
In addition, certain specialised product ranges such as GCE’s Makro
and Elgin road-sweeper range will also be available from
Elso Holdings.
Commenting on the decision to partner with the company, Venter
points out it is a well-established and highly-respected Namibian
company, and shares the family-orientated business values and
ethics that underpin GCE’s continued success in South Africa.
Esterhuizen reveals that Elso Holdings is in the process of
establishing its own workshop facility to allow its fully-trained
technicians to offer complete customer service and aftermarket
support. In addition, the company will have a full stockholding of
consumables and critical spares for the GCE machine population
already operating in Namibia, in addition to expanding its equip-
ment footprint.
“We do aim to offer a refurbishment service in the future, but
the main focus at the moment is to get the technical team up and
running so that it is able to maintain and repair the GCE equipment,”
Esterhuizen elaborates.
GCE’s national technical support manager has already paid a visit
to Elso Holdings to assist with training requirements, while the sales
staff paid a visit to the Johannesburg head office in February for
specific product training.
“We were on the lookout for a partner hungry enough to grow
its own business. Elso Holdings has an ambitious growth plan, and
was looking for a reputable equipment supplier to take it to that next
level. Its footprint in the Namibian region is critical, and it operates in
a market segment complementary to us. We look forward to building
on this important relationship,” Venter concludes.
Rene Rusch, CEO of ELSO Holdings cc, with Rondhir Haripersad, Goscor
GM for Africa.