Bell mark two decades of excellence in Germany
Bell Equipment celebrate twentieth anniversary of articulated dumptruck factory in Eisenach-Kindel
LAST week, Bell Equipment joined by government and business representatives and employees from Bell Germany to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their German factory in Eisenach-Kindel.
Since 2003, Bell articulated dumptrucks (ADTs) have been assembled at a total of 11 bays at the factory, which today offers a total of 18 000m2 of production and assembly space and employs 270 people.
‘We followed a vision,’ said Bell chief executive officer Leon Goosen, paying tribute to the achievements of his predecessor and current Bell Group chairman, Gary Bell, as the driving force behind the successful establishment of Bell's first production facility outside South Africa.
‘We needed to get closer to our customers,’ Mr Goosen explained, pointing out that today 75% of the world's production of ADTs goes to northern hemisphere markets.
The assembly plant, which opened in November 2003 after only five months of construction, marked the beginning of a long-term strategy that has transformed the company from a specialized niche supplier to a globally oriented construction machinery manufacturer.
Since 2019, Bell Equipment have also manufactured the dump bodies of their vehicles at the factory.
The event provided an ideal opportunity to recognize long-service employees and to present Gary Bell with an award acknowledging his more than 50 years of service to the Group.
In addition to the great commitment of the company’s own employees, Mr Goosen expressly praised the good co-operation with regional and municipal officials as well as the state economic development agency LEG, which have all supported the company in its goals over the past 20 years.
