S
outh Africa is a country of stark contrasts.
Extraordinary success stories are often
matched by even more astonishing
failures. Despite its glaring shortcomings,
the unpredictable — and often explosive —
environment has proved to be fertile ground
in which some of the finest business ventures
in the world have taken root. One of the
country’s most remarkable success stories is
that of Bell Equipment.
The Bell story began in the early 1950s on
a humble farm in the heart of Zululand, when
the innovative thinking of Irvine Bell set in
motion a chain of events that led to the rise
of one of South Africa’s manufacturing icons.
Today, Irvine’s legacy, Bell Equipment, designs,
produces, and distributes world-class mining,
agricultural, and construction equipment
throughout the world.
Starting small
With a few minor changes, the machine was
adopted by the brick and timber industries, and
was used to gather logs and load transporters.
In 1977, Peter Bell designed the first
Bell Rigid Tractor, an invention that would
eventually lead to the development of the
articulated dump truck (ADT) — Bell’s
primary product today. The original Rigid
Tractor was purpose-built for haul work and
consisted of a truck-style drivetrain and a steel
chassis. It found a ready market in cane and
timber haulage, which then expanded into
earthmoving applications.
Rise of the ADT
By the early 1980s, the manufacturing
operation had outgrown the Empangeni
facility and in 1984, a new custom-built factory
located in Richards Bay was commissioned.
Around this time, the