After five years representing global leader Metso Outotec in southern Africa, South Africa-based Pilot Crushtec has renewed its distributorship for another half decade.

Pilot Crushtec, despite periods of challenging economic conditions in recent years, has earned global accolades within the Metso Outotec distributor network, with Francois Marais, Director Sales and Marketing at Pilot Crushtec, saying the company has already won annual awards for Best Aftersales Distributor and for Best Sales Growth.

“We value this partnership with one of the world’s leading brands and have demonstrated through our solid performance the positive synergies that we leverage,” Marais says. “The years from 2017 through to 2019, in particular, saw exceptional growth year-on-year for both our Metso Outotec offering and our business as a whole.”

He highlights that the two companies’ offerings in the crushing and screening market complement each other very well, and they share a commitment to high quality products, service and support.

“For customers, the renewal of our distributorship confirms their faith in our products and strengthens their security of investment going forward,” he says. “It assures the market once again that their capital investments are being well supported through our extensive parts holdings and service excellence.”

The new agreement covers additional products and territories within the region, facilitating a wider offering in terms of new equipment and aftermarket aspects. According to Adam Benn, Director Capital Sales, North EMEA, Russia & CIS and Southern Africa at Metso Outotec, there was no hesitation in renewing the distribution agreement with Pilot Crushtec.

“Having just celebrated its 30th anniversary in business, Pilot Crushtec has built a strong reputation,” Benn says. “This applies not only to their supply of equipment and associated services, but their experienced team’s hands-on knowledge and can-do attitude to opportunities and challenges.”

He emphasised Pilot Crushtec’s investment in time and resources training their teams and their customer base – an effective strategy for keeping skills current and for listening to customers’ development needs. With technical facilities that, it says, rank among the industry’s best, the company manufactures plant locally while also offering a one-stop repair and refurbishment solution.

“Having a distribution network that is close to its customers is a fundamental part of Metso Outotec’s group strategy,” he says. “In addition to being well located, our distributors need to keep a good inventory of equipment and parts, which is something that Pilot Crushtec prioritises as a vital cornerstone of their business strategy.”