Construction machines and equipment, spare parts and services provider Wacker Neuson has celebrated its fortieth anniversary in Africa with the launch of a new training academy at its facility in Florida, Johannesburg.

This milestone also comes in a year that saw the company achieve its best month on record in April, Wacker Neuson sub-Saharan Africa MD Dennis Vietze said, noting that this achievement was despite challenges posed by the pandemic and civil unrest in the country.

He explained that Wacker Neuson had decided about eight months ago to develop the academy, as the company was keen to invest in developing people and furthering skills.

He said the company wanted to equip people to be able to operate and understand its machines, rather than only having theoretical knowledge.

The academy boasts a compact equipment practical training area, where technicians can provide training on any of the machines that Wacker Neuson offers.

An advantage of having the academy at the company’s facility is that these machines are on hand for this training.

Moreover, there is also a light equipment training centre, which enables multiple training opportunities to happen concurrently.

The academy also boasts two classrooms to supplement the service training.

Vietze told Engineering News on June 3 that one classroom could accommodate about 40 people and the other about 30 people.

There is also a test pit in the outer area of the facility, which can be used to provide operational training, and to showcase the benefits of machines and how to use them to their full capacity.

Two teachers with a combined experience of 40 years in the industry will run the academy.

Vietze said the academy would be operational from July.

GROWTH STRATEGIES
Vietze said the company had moved to an indirect sales approach in South Africa and that this had contributed to the company’s growth.

He noted that Covid-19 was a particularly challenging period for the company; as was the July 2021 unrest and looting that flared up in parts of the country. However, it persevered and also used learnings from this, and in April, was able to record its best month on record.

Vietze said growth was also being driven by the agricultural sector in South Africa, with the company having bolstered its footprint by signing three major dealerships with agricultural companies – a shift away from its construction focus.

Notably, this includes Wacker Neuson having signed a new dealership agreement with AFGRI Equipment, in May.

Moreover, the company has also implemented EquipCare, a telematics solution, for its machines.

Wacker Neuson machines are equipped with a telematics module to deliver information on locations, use and work progress, besides other elements.

This allows the company to inform customers when a machine is due for a service, while also helping to prevent operator mismanagement, among other benefits.

Vietze said this solution followed on from the company implementing Smart Glasses during the pandemic at all of its dealerships, to allow technicians to assist customers with machine issues remotely.

This has engendered considerable cost savings, Vietze noted.

Vietze was also pushing for Wacker Neuson’s electric equipment to gain traction in the country, especially in light of high fuel prices; however, he noted that pickup was still quite slow compared with European countries.