Babcock recently completed the delivery of 13 units of Volvo heavy earthmoving equipment to AfriSam’s Dudfield cement factory in Lichtenburg, representing one of its biggest orders to date. The order was awarded through an open tender process towards the end of 2014 and comprises six A40F articulated dump trucks (ADTs), one A40F 35 000 litre water tanker, three L220 wheel loaders, two L350 wheel loaders and one G940 grader. This is the latest batch of machines to be supplied by Babcock through its longstanding and successful relationship with AfriSam.
Afrisam replaces old fleet
Most of the new machines have been deployed in Dudfield’s limestone quarry in a load and haul capacity, with three loaders used in the cement production process, handling raw materials and semi-finished products. The Volvo machines are being supplied via a lease agreement and are being maintained 24/7 by an on-site crew that conducts daily, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance to ensure maximum uptime. A dedicated administrative team at our Equipment Head Office has been set up to manage the servicing of the machines at Dudfield. This involves utilising the Volvo CareTrack Telematics system to plan services.
A long-term partnership
The procurement of goods and services is a crucial component of AfriSam’s overall business strategy. Afrisam is committed to building sound long-term business relationships with suppliers. When the company decided to replace the old fleet at Dudfield, they were looking for a longer-term replacement strategy and maintenance of the fleet. The high asset base of the cement plant and the flexibility in the markets prompted the company to move away from owning the machines to obtaining them on an operating rental basis.
“Babcock proved its capabilities in the previous replacement cycle as a business and solutions partner, beyond being purely a supplier of yellow equipment. Babcock adapted its business process and outlook to cater for AfriSam’s needs in terms of partnering with financial institutions and providing trade-back opportunities.” - AfriSam Commodity Specialist, Prindha Naicker
AfriSam conducts supplier evaluations on a bi-annual basis and only those suppliers with a minimum score of 80% are nominated as part of its "Supplier of the Year" award. Babcock came third in this competition in 2014. “Relationships are synonymous with respect, as they are earned over a long period, and Babcock has definitely achieved this over the past several years” says Naicker.
Health and safety a priority
Babcock has helped alleviate unauthorised operating of equipment by introducing improved key control and has assisted with tyre change procedures, effectively managing the risks involved. The crew fully endorses, participates and adheres to AfriSam safety systems and voluntarily participates in all training programmes. The greater Babcock International Group (UK) recently recognised this sucessful partnership with a Customer Engagement Award. Safety is also of utmost importance to AfriSam, who have awarded Babcock several safety accolades over the past three years.
