Industrial products supplier BMG relocated its regional service centre and opened two new facilities in September, with BMG KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) regional manager Keith van Wyk noting that the expansion will help the company meet the increased regional demand for engineering consumables and support services.

In a recent press release, Van Wyk noted that the sugar industry – both in South Africa and in neighbouring African countries – is “an important growth area for BMG”, and that the “streamlined KZN operations” offer complete process solutions to the sugar sector, enabling all industry players, from cane growers to refiners, to access “all essential quality branded products and essential support services”.

“This integrated approach guarantees lower production costs and higher efficiencies in the sugar industry,” said Van Wyk.

The consolidation of BMG’s KZN workshop facilities and field services into a centralised hub over seven years ago resulted in massive growth for BMG and it has since become necessary to expand the operation from one facility to three, to accommodate further expansion.

The three newly refurbished operation locations comprise the sales branch that moved from Imvubu Park to Riverhorse Road; the new 1 810 m2 engineering facility in Mahogany Ridge; and the materials handling, gaskets and chain sectors now being housed at a 1 100 m2 modern, well-equipped workshop in Westmead.

The Mahogany Ridge facility will focus on ensuring optimum performance and extending the service life of hydraulic systems used by sugar industry players. Additionally, this facility will consist of a ‘drives’ division team that will offer technical support and repairs for drives and gearboxes as well as any products from leading brands, including Hansen, Nord and Sumitomo.

Further, the Westmead facility – which will operate in conjunction with the Mahogany Ridge facility – will foster the maintenance of chains and the provision of chain products. This means that this facility will carry out processes such as stripping chains, inspecting and reassembling them, and refurbishing them with new parts.

BMG will also ensure that sugar industry customers have access to a range of Tsubaki high-performance chains, which offer improved robustness and reliability for enduring harsh conditions in sugar processing and production.

“BMG provides technical solutions for any problems our customers in the sugar sector face when using conveyor chains. We can adapt the materials used and modify the heat treatment of a chain’s components to match the specific application and operating environment – whether in the sugar cane field, or in the mill or refinery,” explained BMG KZN regional engineering manager Hylton Doyle.

The company’s technical support facilities – Mahogany Ridge and Westmead – will work closely with 11 KZN branches to provide customers with “unmatched” support services and increased accessibility to renowned brands.

All sugar industry players have access to an array of “essential quality” branded products and efficient support services, which are on offer from BMG’s streamlined KZN operations. Therefore, sugar industry players can increase their efficiencies and reduce production costs.

BMG engineering specialists and 24-hour technical support services will ensure that sugar cane growers, millers and refiners are afforded efficient services, extended product life, energy and cost savings, and a general increase in reliability for their specific operations.

“Through the provision of engineering solutions, BMG is able to ensure high productivity in cane fields and during processing and refinement; the company proudly boasts a depth of experience in the sugar sector,” Van Wyk concluded.