CAT Spares Vital to Keep South African Industries Rolling
Mining, agriculture, forestry and construction are all industries that are vital in order to sustain the economy of South Africa and that of all other countries around the globe. Among the numerous factors that play a crucial role in keeping the wheels of these industries turning is specialised machinery. In this category, the part played by tracked vehicles and their essential spares, many of which carry the iconic CAT marque most frequently associated with the caterpillar track, should probably be ranked among the most essential.
Almost anywhere where construction workers are engaged in erecting a new tower block, you are likely to identify one or more of these tough machines by their characteristic yellow paintwork, busily engaged in some equally tough and important task. Designed to operate over the most extreme terrain and to tackle huge loads, like the insect larvae from which their name derives, they have a reputation for overcoming almost any obstacle they may encounter in the course of their mission.
Whether hauling felled trees through the forest, laying pipelines for a new housing project, or re-surfacing a highway with a new layer of asphalt, the CAT range of equipment includes a machine designed to tackle all of these tasks and many more besides. To keep them running, suppliers must also maintain stocks of all spares that are essential to their operation as well as various accessories such as buckets, backhoes, blades, shovels, grapples, and forks that can enable them to perform additional tasks.
In practice, it is a strong support function that has positioned one brand to set the standard for this entire, massive industry. A direct descendent of the original Holt Caterpillar Company that, with just a dozen employees, first began production in 1909, today’s operation offers a product range that includes more than three hundred different machines. More importantly though, today the company that was originally responsible for inventing the tracked vehicle boasts a comprehensive distribution and product support network that is without equal in the capital goods industry. World-class products of exceptional durability and proven performance, backed up by expert technical support and guaranteed access to crucial spares have combined to earn CAT a well-deserved reputation as a global leader within its various fields.
Keeping up with changing demands has always presented a challenge to manufacturers, but doing so is important, not just as a business strategy designed to maintain an adequate market share but, more importantly, as a means to facilitate progress. One new area in which this producer of caterpillar tracked vehicles is proving to play a significant role is in catering for the needs of the rapidly growing waste handling and recycling industry with a range of purpose-built dozers.
For those in South Africa and in many of the other countries in continental Africa, the supply of CAT products and their spares is synonymous with the name of one Johannesburg-based company. Kanu Equipment is among the subsidiaries of Torre Industries in which the African Agricultural Fund now holds a 40% share. In addition to the supply and support of heavy equipment form manufacturers such as Deutz, Titan, Bell, and Terex Finlay, Kanu addresses the needs of the mining, forestry, agriculture, earthmoving, and construction industries with CAT machinery and spares.
