Construction World March 2015

CONSTRUCTION WORLD

MARCH

2015

EQUIPMENT

Put the the D’Avino brand

in context?

D’Av

ino was established in Italy in 1950.

The D’Avino self-loading concrete mixers

now available locally, are being built by the

D’Avino family. This family-owned business

is based in Naples, Italy. They distribute their

equipment worldwide, particularly to devel-

opmental regions such as South America,

Asia and Africa where batch plants may not

be available close to construction projects.

I was first introduced to the D’Avino

brand when I attended the Bauma 2013 show

in Germany. D’Avino subsequently exhibited

at the Bauma Africa show in 2013.

Why a self-loading mixer?

D’

Avino builds self-loading concrete mixers

that enable customers to mix concrete

according to the desired concrete design

on site. If one gets concrete from a batching

plant, this plant will use the concrete

design to get the desired MPa. This concrete

is then transported to site. These mixers

cost-effectively negate the necessity of a

batching plant.

The D’Avino mixers allow you to produce

concrete on-site using raw materials – to

the exact MPa required. The mixers set the

user free from timing issues and it allows the

contractor freedom to mix only the volume of

concrete that is needed.

Who are your customers?

We are at the initial phase of selling the

product: our target market will be any

contractor involved in low cost housing, those

doing construction in rural areas as well as

bigger companies.

In South Africa there has been limited

competition, thus far in respect of this kind

of solution but we are confident that we will

achieve significant market share.

What products do you offer?

offer self-loading concrete mixers from

1 m

to 4m

. Some of these are in stock while

others will be sold on an order basis. Gener-

ally speaking the 4 m

concrete mixer is the

product that interests our market most.

How does the machine do in

the South African context?

When a machine operates in a rural environ-

ment, everything must be uncomplicated.

The D’Avino complies with this criteria, it is

uncomplicated, includes components locally

available and is easy to maintain on site and

as such is ideal for South African operations.

We piloted a machine and utilised it for 1 250

hours which enabled us to do our own tests

to make sure that it functions optimally in the

South African environment.

The reason why the machine is ideal for

particularly the rural context, is that it is built

with standard parts. This makes the fixing

of these machines in remote areas easier as

such parts are normally readily available.

After-market support?

Our philosophy is that the salesman sells the

first machine and after-sales service the rest.

The brand offers parts availability. We also

have support from Italy – if it is a warranty

issue we fly parts in. As far as support is

concerned, I am satisfied that customers will

get the best service.

We are also a dealer for Doosan in Middel-

burg (Mpumalanga), which is in the middle of

the mining area: so we are on duty 24/7/365.

We therefore have an acute understanding of

the need for excellent and speedy after-sales

service. The infrastructure for after-sales

support therefore already exists. Most of our

competitors do not have a similar infrastruc-

ture to service that type of market.

Are there plans to have a

wider footprint?

It w

ill be increased to Cape Town and

Durban while an appointment has already

been made in Bloemfontein. The latter was

important as it is in the middle of a rural

environment. The appointed dealer, JIT

Exploration has an existing footprint into

the northern and southern Cape, and is well-

known and trusted.

What sets you apart from

other players in this market?

The D’Avino product has conventional and

unc

onventional machines. The 360 Delta 4

rotates 360° – it is the first concrete mixer that

operates on a 360 degree basis.

All the machines have excellent maneu-

verability and can get into small spaces, while

the weighing system is integrated into the

steering column – the operator has a running

total in front of him at all times while raw

materials are being loaded.

It is an extremely safe machine, offering

good visibility for the operator. I also regard

our after-sales services as something that

sets the brand apart. We will ensure that a

prospective customer has peace of mind that

he will be looked after.

Do you offer prospective

clients financing?

We do. Our associate company is Fast

Forward Fi

nance. It is an inter-group asset

based finance and related services sales

organisation which was founded in 2005.

There are sale, rental and hire options –

this will be worked out for clients based on

their needs.

What training is offered?

We have an operator trainer available who

also was the operator during the piloting

phase. We also will be able to give technical

assistance as our main technician has been

to Italy for training on the complete D’Avino

range of mixers.

COMMITMENT,

RELIABILITY

For over six decades, D’avino, the

Italian self-loading concrete mixer

manufacturer, has been building

strong relationships with their

clients through its exemplary

product and after-sales service.

Construction World

spoke to

Tienie Ferreira, director of

D’Avino South Africa, who

is importing the D’Avino

equipment to South Africa.

PASSION

and

BACK, FROM LEFT:

Derek Gerber, Tienie

Ferreira, Salvatore D’Avino and Dominico

D’Avino.

FRONT:

Gianluca D’Avino (left) and

Pasquale D'Avino.