our proposed dates for the HeavyWeight Expo 2011 are as follows:

Proposed date: 2nd to 6th March 2011

For any updates or queries in this regard please get in touch with us.

HeavyWeight Team

Dura Equipment Sales and Hart-Top Trading and Engineering, two of the more than 170 exhibitors showcasing the products and concepts from the heavy vehicle industry in the halls and outside display areas of the Old Pretoria Showgrounds, each reported sales on Tuesday, the opening day of the Expo.

Dura delivered a R775 000 refurbished Bell B25C 6×6 articulated 25-ton dump truck (ADT) to a customer in Carletonville straight off their stand at the Tshwane Events Centre.  Dura’s Kobus van der Merwe commented:  “We’ve been waiting for a show like this for a long time and we’re very pleased to be a part of it.  It provides us and our colleagues in the yellow metal (predominantly earthmoving equipment) business with a great opportunity to network with our colleagues, get some valuable exposure for our brand and even make some sales like we did on Tuesday.”

The company boasts what is one of the biggest stock yards in South Africa alongside the N14 between Johannesburg and Witbank, with more than 70 units displayed on a 51 000 square metre lot.  The cheapest vehicle costs around R250 000 with the most expensive being a R3-million excavator

Stefan Hartslief of Hart-Top reported sales of two three-axle, hydraulic neck, slope deck lowbeds at R440 000 each.  The company, which has a factory in Chamdor, Krugersdorp and showrooms in Boksburg, custom makes lowbeds and trailers for a variety of applications, but primarily for transporting earthmoving equipment.  They vary from 38- to 75-ton payload capacity.  They also sell provide a range of custom-made Radium and Muva agricultural implements and sell late model, low hour original earthmoving equipment.

“The beauty of a show like this is that we all get a chance to get together and do business, often assisting each other with business and showcasing our products in a very pleasant environment,” said Hartslief.  “We’ve had quite a few enquiries in just the first two days.”

The Workshop and Aftermarket Show (WATS) is running in conjunction with the HeavyWeight Expo and opened its two-day programme on Wednesday.  With over 100 exhibitor stands in Hall J, WATS is also running 30-minute mini seminars covering the full aftermarket spectrum from general vehicle diagnostics, fuel injection, gas analysis and engine management to correct testing of new generation alternator voltage regulators.

Yesterday was also the second day of a programme of workshops with top class speakers and tailored to the needs of the heavy vehicle industry.  These included presentations by Gavin Kelly of the Road Freight Association, who spoke about the implications of proposed regulatory changes for the road freight industry, and South African Petroleum Industry Association environmental advisor Anton Moldan on ‘Cleaner fuels: implications for the economy’.

The HeavyWeight Expo, which is endorsed by the Retail Motor Industry (RMI), offers free entrance and parking and is open to anyone who is interested who can produce a business card at the gate.

It ends on Friday with a unique auction to be conducted by Van’s Auctioneer’s of Pretoria.  It will provide the heavy vehicle industry with the ideal opportunity to sell off excess stock, demonstration models and factory guaranteed stock.  A crowd-pleasing attraction on Friday is likely to be the  ‘world’s strongest man’ demonstration in the main arena where some really big humans will be taking on some really big vehicles.

Ends

There was also the first of four workshops presented by Cape Town-based Omega Investment Research, which addressed the economic outlook for the heavy vehicle industry in Southern Africa.  Among the speakers were Jeff Osborne, CEO of the Retail Motor Industry (RMI) organisation, which has endorsed the HeavyWeight Expo, and Stewart Jennings, president of the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM).

The first national exhibition and conference dedicated to the latest products, services and concepts in the heavy vehicle industry was officially opened at the Tshwane Exhibition Centre in Pretoria West by the deputy minister of agriculture, Dr Pieter Mulder.

The inaugural HeavyWeight Expo, organised by the Tshwane Business and Agricultural Corporation (Tshwabac) and incorporating the fifth annual Workshop and Aftermarket Technology Show (WATS), has attracted over 170 exhibitors whose products are displayed in three of the biggest halls at the Old Pretoria Showgrounds, covering some 17 000 square metres, and also in a 30 000 square metre outside display area.

In his opening address, Dr Mulder spoke about the challenge of food security and producing enough food in the world to feed the growing global population.  He said that, in order to meet these needs, the world’s farmers would have to produce 2% more food each year until achieving an increase of 50% in 2030.  This production would have to double again by 2050. 

He said it was clear that farming as it is know today would not be able to cope with the challenges of limited productive land and the ever-increasing pressure of food security.  The answer lay in technology and the transfer of skills which would improve productivity and enable the farmer to do more with less.

It was against this background that a commercial exhibition and conference like the HeavyWeight Expo was of utmost importance in South Africa, as it created an environment conducive for export and production opportunities.  These opportunities were essential to building our economy and in the fight against unemployment.

The HeavyWeight Expo was a shop window for the economic activities of a very important sector in our economy in South Africa, he added.  In addition, he believed that it would contribute towards a more positive economic atmosphere in South Africa.    

NAACAM’s Jennings, in stressing the economic importance of the local component industry, highlighted some worrying statistics that impacted on local vehicle production.  For example, he pointed out that car imports accounted for as much as 65% of total sales in January.  Local manufacturers produced fewer cars last year than in 1995 and the figure was 31% down on 2008. 

“We need high local content to protect existing jobs and create new ones,’ He said.  “NAACAM, who collectively employ nearly 300 000 people (compared to some 93 000 in manufacturing), is about vehicle production and the more vehicles we build here in South Africa, the better it is for local labour.”  The current strength of the Rand against the Euro (28% up on February 2009) had also impacted negatively on vehicle production.

The RMI’s Osborne spoke about trends in the motor industry and gave an overview of the industry’s 2009 performance and his views on 2010.  While he acknowledged that there were signs that the slump in industry sales might have bottomed out (January and February sales were up on the same period last year), he predicted that 2010 would be a year of consolidation in the motor industry and that a modest growth in new vehicle sales could be expected at best. 

He suggested an industry sales total for the year of 427 952, 8,28% up on 2009 but still and similar to the sales levels in 2003 and 2004.   

Ends

The inaugural HeavyWeight Expo, organised by the Tshwane Business and Agricultural Corporation (Tshwabac) and incorporating the fifth annual Workshop and Aftermarket Technology Show (WATS), has attracted over 170 exhibitors whose products are displayed in three of the biggest halls at the Old Pretoria Showgrounds, covering some 17 000 square metres, and also in a 30 000 square metre outside display area.

In his opening address, the minister spoke about the challenge of food security and producing enough food in the world to feed the growing global population.  He said that, in order to meet these needs, the world’s farmers would have to produce 2% more food each year until achieving an increase of 50% in 2030.  This product ion would have to double again by 2050.  This meant that in just 20 years’ time we would have to produce half as much more than we are [producing today.

There was only around 1,5-million hectares of farmland under production in the world and to meet the needs of the future another 1,5-miilion hectares would have to be found by 2050.  This equated to a country the size of India and was clearly not possible unless all the rain forests were cut down.

Pressure on the planet’s water sources was also an issue, he said. 

With this in mind it was clear that farming as it is known today would not be able to cope with the challenges of limited productive land and the ever-increasing pressure of food security.

The answer lay in technology, he said, including the technology represented by the vehicles and products on display at the country’s first HeavyWeight Expo, and research and the sharing of knowledge through training.  With this technology productivity will be improved and the farmer will be able to do more with less.

It was against this background that a commercial exhibition and conference like the HeavyWeight Expo was of utmost importance in South Africa, as it created an environment conducive for export and production opportunities.  These opportunities were essential to building our economy and in the fight against unemployment.

The HeavyWeight Expo is a shop window for the economic activities of a very important sector in our economy in South Africa, he added.  In addition, he believed that it would contribute towards a more positive economic atmosphere in South Africa.

The Expo is open to the public on Friday.

• (100ton vehicle) weighing 75ton DW are recorded in the 2005 “Guinness Book of Records as the largest tractors on-highway in the World”
• Dimensions 12m (l) x 3.8m (w) x 4.515m high
• Ballast block in 27ton on the back axles
• Power plant CATERPILLAR 3412E 671kW/912hp 10×10 tractors
• They operate with the largest transmissions on-highway Dana Spicer 16000 series with 8 forward and 4 reverse
• Axles are supplied by Kessler in Germany
• Test vehicles are hand built in Champs-sur-Yonne in France taking 18 months to complete
• Fuel consumption is 5.2litres per km

NICOLAS Tractomas D75

• (75ton vehicle) weighing 65ton DW
• Dimensions 10m (l) x 3.8m (w) x 4.515m high
• Ballast block in 18ton on the back axles
• Power plant CATERPILLAR C27 709kW/950hp 8×8 tractors
• They operate with the largest transmissions on-highway Dana Spicer 16000 series with 8 forward and 4 reverse
• Axles are supplied by Kessler in Germany
• Test vehicles are hand built in Champs-sur-Yonne in France taking 18 months to complete
• Fuel consumption is 4.15litres per km

The show will have four units parked with a total mass of 260ton DW!

 Fanie Fourie, HeavyWeight Expo Programme director, is upbeat about South Africa’s first national exhibition dedicated to the latest products, services and concepts in the heavy vehicle industry. “Despite the depressed economy things are looking up and we are accumulating an impressive list of exhibitors.

 “Obviously there is still some hard work ahead of us. Our marketing team has been strengthened with the addition of Marketing Executive Erna Oosthuizen, who has many years of experience in the Expo business,” added Fourie.

 “We are confident we will have an excellent representation of the heavy vehicle, bus, construction, plant and equipment, special and agricultural vehicle sectors of the transport industry and that the inaugural HeavyWeight Expo will meet its objective of showcasing this industry and providing a meeting and shopping place for all the major players.

 ”We are also enjoying excellent support from component suppliers, like Parts International and SAC Truck Parts,” he said.

 The fifth annual Workshop and Aftermarket Technology Show (WATS) will be running in tandem with the HeavyWeight Expo for two of the four days and Johann de Bruyne, managing director of CAELEX and affiliated companies who are the prime movers behind WATS, echoes Fourie’s confidence.

 “Just in the past few months we have seen a very definite shift upwards in the mood in the business community, which is reflected in the economic indicators and in the increased interest being shown in WATS,” said De Bruyne.  “Things are looking very positive and we believe we will be in a strong position to mount the best show we have ever staged.”

 Already about 40% of the WATS floor plan (128 stands) has been booked and confirmed with a further 20% in process with three months still to go to the opening of the show.

 Three of the biggest exhibition halls at the old Pretoria Showgrounds have been made available to exhibitors.  Halls C, J and L will provide around 17 000 square metres of exhibition floor space and in addition there will be a further 30 000 square metres of outside space.

 The HeavyWeight Expo is endorsed by the RMI and will also feature industry related business conferences and workshops organised by Omega Investment Research.

 Exhibitors will also have access to the services of Total Relationship Management (TRM), specialists in customer relationship management in the automotive arena. 

 For further information, visit www.heavyweight.co.za or contact Fanie Fourie, telephone 012 327 1487, Sonja Terblanche, telephone 012 306 0312, Rene Zeelie, telephone    012 3271487 and Erna Oosthuizen 082-578-5630

Established in 1990 by Dr Denis Worrall, Omega has conceptualised, initiated and managed over 200 events in 20 countries and 30 major cities around the world. Omega specialises in business-to-business events with the accent on trade and investment.

“We see huge potential for a highly focused event such as the HeavyWeight Expo,” said Denise Spaull, Omega’s General Manager: Corporate Strategy. “The heavy vehicle industry, which serves and supports many sectors that are crucial to the regional economy, is a very specialised sector that has not had its own dedicated event platform in Southern Africa until now.”

Apart from the exhibition that will showcase latest products and concepts, the HeavyWeight Show will offer five three-hour workshops that will feature topical and industry specific themes developed in close consultation with independent stakeholders. There will be top class speakers who will discuss current topics and trends relevant to the sector and Q&A sessions will be an important element.

The workshops will be of interest to all of the industry’s stakeholders from manufacturers and suppliers to financiers and end users in the construction, mining, agricultural, logistics and transport industries as well as government. “We hope to attract at least 500 delegates to attend the workshop sessions, which will run parallel to the exhibition,” said Spaull.

One session will focus on the economic outlook for the heavy vehicle industry in Southern Africa in light of the global recession and its impact on the region in general and specific sectors such as construction, mining, transport in particular.

Another session will deal with the Department of Transport’s (DoT) proposed changes to the National Road Traffic Act aimed at relieving the secondary road network and revitalising the railways. The new act has caused controversy among transport, logistics and freight stakeholders, who feel that improving the quality of roads and introducing better policing should be the Department’s main objective.

A third session will focus on environmental issues, fuel quality and clean technology in the transport sector – issues that are rapidly gaining global importance and which will have an impact on the heavy vehicle sector in Southern Africa sooner rather than later.

Other themes that will be discussed in the workshop sessions include equipment financing in a credit-tight environment, the construction industry post the 2010 FIFA World Cup, motor industry incentive programmes and much more.

“At the end of the day we want to provide stakeholders in the heavy vehicle industry with a strategic platform to discuss latest trends and network with peers, customers, suppliers and government stakeholders,” said Spaull.

Enquiries regarding participation in the workshops can be directed to Kim Smith at Omega Investment Research on tel. +27 (0) 21 689 7881 or email: kims@omegainvest.co.za

 Speaking to journalists at the media launch of the inaugural HeavyWeight Expo 2010, which will be held in conjunction with the fifth annual Workshop and Aftermarket Technology Show (WATS) at the Tshwane Events Centre in Pretoria West on March 23 to 26, 2010, Osborne said the timing of the show, which is endorsed by the RMI, was perfect.

 “It will be an historic show.  It is a unique opportunity for the heavy vehicle industry to showcase their equipment, network with colleagues in the industry and sell their products. 

 “We are living in tough economic times,” said Osborne.  “But the timing of this show is perfect.  We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel, with heavy vehicle sales improving month on month, although they are still well down on last year’s figures.  It is time to look ahead and grasp the opportunities that exist.  There is unprecedented infrastructural growth ahead of the football World Cup in South Africa in 2010, which presents huge opportunities for sales of heavy vehicles and buses.”

 The banks had been exercising tight financial restrictions since the introduction of the National Credit Act and it had not been easy to get credit, Osborne added.  “It is time for the banks to start taking risks again.”

 The RMI was pleased to endorse the HeavyWeight Expo, he added.  “We have no doubt it will be a great success.  There is a need for it and, with the calibre of people who are organising the HeavyWeight Expo and the WATS Show, we are sure it will be a resounding success.”

 The HeavyWeight Expo will also incorporate industry related conferences and workshops and will be the gathering place for the major players in the industry, from bulk transport to passenger transport and materials handling, construction plant and equipment, agricultural applications and special vehicles. 

There will be categories for heavy commercial vehicles, buses, trailers, mobile cranes and lifting equipment, fork lifts, earthmoving plant and equipment, mining equipment, road construction and maintenance equipment, agricultural vehicles and special vehicles (like dumpers, tippers, mixers, tankers, emergency vehicles and security vehicles).

 For further information, visit www.heavyweight.co.za or contact Fanie Fourie or Sonja Terblanche, telephone 012 327 1487. 

 “The Tshwane Events Centre is proud to host this first ever confex dedicated to the heavy equipment sector in South Africa. We have identified this exhibition-cum-conference as a need within the industry which was confirmed by major role players,” says Wim du Toit, CEO of TSHWABAC, organisers of the event .

 Tshwane Events Centre and HeavyWeight Expo Director, Fanie Fourie, is excited about the enthusiastic response received since the HeavyWeight Expo was announced earlier in September.  “We are expecting around 80 representatives of the heavy vehicle, bus, construction plant and equipment, special and agricultural vehicle sectors to attend the official launch function of the inaugural HeavyWeight Expo,” said Fourie.

 “All the major players have expressed an interest and once we have fully briefed them on what the show will offer them, we will be getting into the hard marketing of the exhibition.”

 “The excellent response we have received so far reinforces our belief that it is time for a show of this nature, that will showcase the heavy vehicle industry, which is a key sector of the transport business,” Fourie added.

 Three of the biggest exhibition halls at the old Pretoria Showgrounds have been made available to exhibitors.  Halls C, J and L will provide around 17 000 square metres of exhibition floor space and in addition there will be a further 30 000 square metres of outside space.

While the HeavyWeight Expo, which is endorsed by the RMI, will provide a unique platform for the leading manufacturers, suppliers and service providers to display their products and do business with existing and new customers, industry related business conferences and workshops will be organised by Omega Investment Research.

 Omega was formed in 1989 by Dr Denis Worrall, former South African ambassador to Australia and the Court of St James.  It is a specialised consultancy globally active in African investment promotion, trade facilitation and business development.  Omega is also active in the related fields of international conference and event organising, market research and intelligence-based consulting.

 Exhibitors will also have access to the services of Total Relationship Management (TRM), specialists in customer relationship management in the automotive arena.  TRM provides a range of services aimed at enhancing customer care and customer satisfaction strategies and boosting customer relationship initiatives.

 Jeff Osborne, CEO of the RMI, comments: “The RMI, which is in its 101st year of existence, is pleased to offer the HeavyWeight Expo its full support.  We enjoy a world class automotive industry in South Africa, as was evidenced by last year’s Johannesburg International Motor Show.  We believe that the creation of an additional show dedicated to showcasing the heavy vehicle industry is entirely appropriate and we urge all players in the industry to give HeavyWeight Expo 2010 their full support.  It is being organised by enthusiastic professionals who enjoy an impeccable track record and, I am sure, it will be a great success.”

The fifth annual Workshop and Aftermarket Technology Show (WATS) will run in tandem with the HeavyWeight Expo for two of the four days.  The 120 or so WATS exhibitors will occupy one of the three exhibition halls.

 For further information, visit www.heavyweight.co.za or contact Fanie Fourie, telephone 012 327 1487, or Sonja Terblanche, telephone 012 306 0312.

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HeavyWeight Expo Team