Hydraulic hoses and fluid components supplier Hydroscand South Africa (SA) is looking to increase its market share in the mining sector through partnering with initiatives in the local communities where the mines which it supplies are located.

Hydroscand SA MD JJ Fourie says the company aims to develop relationships that are sustainable and encourage community growth.

“We have been largely successful in this sector and we want to grow that success where possible. A more focussed approach with a strategic community outreach plan has been implemented and we are expecting medium-term gains from this strategy.”

The company has also partnered with several existing customers to provide hydraulic and pneumatic components by offering “a total solution” which it plans to develop even further.

For instance, Hydroscand SA makes use of a tagging system to identify the details of each hose that it supplies. This information, which is included on the tag, is very customer specific, and it identifies when a hose was assembled.

“It also includes a description of the specific hose in question, a customer part number and the designation of the hose. This is helpful, as it indicates how long the hose has been in operation. In conjunction with our tagging system, we are developing a platform that can be implemented to monitor all hose use and display the detail in charts or very easy-to-read graphs,” adds Fourie.

He notes that this tool is aligned to global industry trends and developments, as it is useful when maintenance budgets have to be drawn up.

“Hydroscand SA is the approved supplier to some of the very large global original- equipment manufacturers operating in sub-Saharan Africa. We ensure that we work very closely with them to completely fulfil their requirements,” he highlights.

This, Fourie says, ensures that the company keeps abreast of industry movements. It also enables Hydroscand SA to forge its own new trends, which are application specific and fit-for-purpose in industry.

Further, he emphasises that, for Hydroscand SA to grow, expanding its current offering is crucial.

The company predominantly operates in the fluid conveyance market and, going forward, it aims to move into componentry and system design. This will enable Hydroscand SA to gain entry into the larger hydraulics and pneumatics market.

Fourie comments that the company’s global procurement power will result in more than 200 of its global outlets having hydraulic and pneumatic components readily available at very competitive pricing.

“This is a large undertaking and will be implemented over the next few years. Our customer base is looking for an all-in-one supplier and we have seen that, once they use the Hydroscand brand, they are very unlikely to look for another,” he concludes.