The Manitou group, world leader in the manufacture of all-terrain materials handling, is inaugurating the new premises of the Manitou Southern Africa subsidiary in Chloorkop, near Johannesburg, in South Africa. Owing to significant growth in the region over recent years, the subsidiary has moved to larger premises that are better equipped to serve its customers.
Present in South Africa for 40 years, the Manitou group expanded its structure in 1997 with the opening of a subsidiary in Spartan, near Johannesburg. Manitou Southern Africa has since seen strong growth across Southern Africa, in the construction, industrial and agricultural sectors. Furthermore, the proximity to its customers and its technical expertise have allowed it to develop highly innovative machines and attachments for the mining sector.
"With an 'off-site' storage area and a warehouse converted into a workshop to respond to the high demand for after-sales services, the Kempton site could no longer fulfill our requirements and above all the needs of our customers. We were looking for larger premises best suited to our business. The choice of proximity in moving just 8 km away has allowed us to obtain the support of all of our teams," says Lindsay Shankland, Managing Director of the Manitou Southern Africa subsidiary. The subsidiary now covers 15,000 m², notably comprised of a 4,980 m² workshop and offices situated in a two-story building, i.e. a 35% gain in space. A 5,000 m² warehouse will also be added to the new site in 2018.
The construction of the Chloorkop site on the new Proton industrial estate was begun in August 2015, allowing for the arrival of the subsidiary's 108 employees at the new premises as of the end of August 2016. The subsidiary of the Manitou Group has also customized the layout of its new facilities on the Proton industrial estate.
"Johan Smith, Information Technology and Transport Manager for Manitou Southern Africa, supervised the project from A to Z, alongside myself and Abbeydale Building & Civils (Entrepreneurs). And I have to say that the results have greatly exceeded our expectations - the site is fantastic," says Shankland.
Needless to say, the Manitou Southern Africa subsidiary is relying on these new premises to best meet the growing demand in this region.
