Scania heavy trucks, Peugeot commercial vehicles, Qualiprod earthmoving equipment, Irizar buses, Kearney Trailers, AFRIT and F+R Phakisa are just some of the companies that have already signed up to exhibit at The HeavyWeight Expo, which will be staged at the Tshwane Events Centre in Soutter Street, Pretoria West from March 23 to 26, 2010.

 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