Industry news
Midas Expands Footprint
Midas Group further strengthens its position as the leading service provider for motorists across Southern Africa
by acquiring the exclusive rights to distribute Behr Hella product and manage the Silverton Radiators franchise
and Behr Hella air conditioning agents.
“The Silverton franchise and Behr agents
enhance our capacity even more to deliver
a truly compelling workshop service
offering for the motorist.”
S
outh Africa’s leading distributor
and franchisor to the automotive
aftermarket, Midas Group, has
signed an exclusive distribution and
franchise management agreement with
Behr Hella Service in South Africa,
effective 1 September 2014.
“Midas Group was approached to
be our partner, being the leading
Automotive Aftermarket distributor
in Southern Africa, having extensive
infrastructure and vast experience in
Logistics, Franchising, Training and
Marketing, says Willie Fourie, managing
director for Behr Hella Service South
Africa (Pty) Ltd ”
The network includes the highly regarded
Silverton Radiators franchisee network,
which for the last 60 years has developed
a broad range of products and services for
the engine-cooling sector.
“Much of our current success is dependent
on the strength and character of our 560
franchised retail and workshop outlets
in Sub Saharan Africa,” says Warren
Espinoza, chief executive officer for the
Midas Group.
Behr Hella Service in South Africa will
have joint responsibility for product
development together with Midas Groupowned Parts Incorporated Africa (PIA).
PIA is the distributor of branded,
guaranteed, quality parts and will handle
warehousing, logistics, sales and customer
support for the air-conditioning and other
Behr Hella product ranges.
According to Franchise and Technical
director for Midas Group, Gerhard Braun,
the Silverton Radiators franchise and
Behr Hella Service air-conditioning agents
will form a part of the workshop end of the
Midas Group business, which consists of
Motolek, ADCO, CBS, ACD and Battery
Hub, a network of independently owned
workshops specialising in vehicle service,
maintenance and repairs, plus the latest in
automotive diagnostics solutions.
Says Braun: “We’re proud to partner
with such an illustrious organisation as
Behr Hella Service and we look forward
to welcoming the Silverton Radiators
franchisees and Behr Hella Service agents
into the Midas Group family.”
This will see a network of 124
franchisees and 70 agents across the
country joining the dynamic Midas
Group franchise family.
RECOGNISING A TRUCK’S BLIND SPOTS/ NO ZONES
Eugene Herbert of MasterDrive says
that In the preceding months there has
been a significant increase in their truck
driver training courses. He says that
what is becoming increasingly obvious is
how “ignorant” the drivers of light motor
vehicles are when it comes to interacting
with trucks – sometimes resulting in
serious consequences. Drivers of cars
sometimes assume that drivers of tractortrailer trucks can see the road better
because of their higher vantage point.
But the truth is heavy trucks have major
no-zones, or blind spots, that can
dramatically limit the driver’s ability to see
other vehicles on the road.
| words in action
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That’s why it’s important to remind drivers
of this simple rule: If you can’t see the
driver’s face in the side mirror of the
truck, the driver can’t see you. A solid
understanding of these blind spots can
help a driver avo id placing their vehicle in a
precarious position. You may want to pass
this advice along as a friendly reminder to
other road users who are not as familiar
with the challenges truck drivers face.
Follow the rules and, together, we should
enjoy a safer drive.
september 2014