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COVER STORY
February 2016
MODERN MINING
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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.