PRODUCT FOCUS
Finance for capex-heavy assets has always posed problematic , specifically for the smaller construction outfit . Through Zoomlion Capital Finance , the company is able to assist in obtaining the finance required to help fund crane requirements . Initially founded in China , Zoomlion Capital Finance has since become one of the leading finance companies in the world , developing a complete range of finance solutions .
“ We are not a bank but rather a solution to financing Zoomlion products ,” Bates says and adds , “ We consider our customers as partners in business and aim to support and satisfy their requirements .”
With this in mind , Zoomlion now provides new financial instalment loans , as well as a traditional product range , to its customers . Since January 2012 , this new service has been managed directly through the support of Zoomlion South Africa .
Yaman says that JCH ’ s equipment is traditionally financed through the banks .
Replacement and maintenance
Regular fleet replacement ensures that only the best , reliable machines are on offer and Yaman comments that this is capex-challenging exercise because of the high value of the equipment . “ Our strategy is to replace equipment , not re-man or overhaul , and in the past five years , we ’ ve spent over R500-million in replacing cranes . This included selling off some of the older units . We prefer not to sell packages of cranes in South Africa but rather to Europe , Saudi Arabia , and into Africa generally .”
The decision to sell a crane is based on both the number of running hours as well as the age of the unit as , with age , reliability becomes an issue and maintenance costs also escalate .
While all equipment maintenance is carried out by JCH in their workshops , Yaman adds , “ Obviously , spare parts come via the OEMs , and any specialist work that we require , we ask for their input . For this reason ,” he reiterates , “ we have chosen to stick with two renowned brands ; we are assured of the backup and service we require to keep our machines in peak running condition .”
Liebherr is also an expert in used cranes , with many years ’ experience in
Johnson Crane Hire
A Liebherr 750 lattice boom crawler crane manoeuvres a wind turbine ’ s nacelle unit into place on a Johnson Crane project .
marketing used cranes . It guarantees maximum safety and a long service life of used mobile and crawler cranes with its reliable global service network . This includes its own repair centres and the fast delivery of spare parts . Every machine is tested in depth by a crane expert before it is sold , enabling it to guarantee maximum safety of used machines . An optional warranty for Liebherr cranes is also available .
Concord has a continual focus on the upgrade of its fleet and claims to be committed to an ongoing fleet renewal programme to offer clients modern cranes with the latest in safety and mobile crane technology .
In 2014 , Crane Link Zoomlion South Africa opened a 5 000m 2 warehouse that includes offices , maintenance facilities , product demonstration spaces , machine operator training areas , workshop bays , a parts warehouse , and a wash bay .
It also installed a training simulator for the QY110V mobile crane at the facility — the first of its kind in South Africa at the time . “ Our Midrand Sales , Service and Support Centre has state-of-the-art facilities that can facilitate any crane repair or service required ,” Bates says .
Lifting trends
Commenting on the state of the lifting sector , Yaman observes : “ The state of
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AUGUST 2018