Steel distributor Böhler Uddeholm Africa and welding products supplier Unique Welding Alloys have joined forces to offer fabricators a range of high-quality welding consumables easily accessible through a national customer-focused network.

The strategic channel partnership brings Böhler Uddeholm Africa’s high-performance and standard welding consumables within Unique Welding Alloys’ customer-orientated sales and logistics operation, which has a national 14-branch network.

Böhler Uddeholm South Africa welding division GM Tim Sivewright says the company’s metal inert gas and tungsten inert gas wires, unalloyed and medium-alloyed flux-cored wires, and premium unalloyed and high-alloy manual metal arc stick electrodes were well matched to the requirements of distributors and end-users in South Africa.

The market will benefit by having access to a high-quality range of welding consumables backed by excellent stock availability and experienced customer service consultants located in strategically located centres.

“Partnering with a strong national distributor like Unique Welding Alloys dramatically expands our footprint and product availability to bring these products closer to the customer,” he says.

It also makes for a synergistic relationship between the two companies, with Böhler Uddeholm Africa seeking to expand its footprint for its products and Unique Welding Alloys embarking on a strategic drive to extend its offering to all market segments.

“With improved product visibility and support, we expect consumables such as our new double rutile premium mild steel 6013 electrode to become market winners, based on their excellent cost and performance,” Sivewright explains.

Unique Welding Alloys CEO Nazmi Adams says the addition of the Böhler range to the company’s product offering will enable it to service high-end customers such as those operating in the oil and gas, power generation, offshore and similar industries with critical welding applications.

“We’ll be better able to grow the premium segment of the fabrication market and further enhance our reputation as the leading national service-orientated distributor of gases and welding products. This position is built on our ability to offer a one-day delivery in most geographic locations, backed by excellent service support,” he says.

Adams became Unique Welding Alloys CEO in January and his vision is to make Unique Welding Alloys the most customercentric national distributor for gas and welding, supported by the most valued original-equipment manufacturer partners.

Unique Welding Alloys combines the backing of a South African giant with the flexibility to implement its strategy to offer its customers in fabrication the best market value proposition.