Concrete pump manufacturer Putzmeister South Africa (PMSA) CEO Ludwig Geyser tells Mining Weekly that, during 2009, the company, like many others, experienced a decrease in turnover of nearly 50% despite the build-up to major events, such as the construction of the 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums and the Gautrain.

PMSA was contracted to work on a R40-million project as part of the construction of the Gautrain. This project is coming to an end, and given that the economy is only just recovering, there is little clarity surrounding new projects and contracts in the future.

The company has adapted accordingly to survive the downturn.

“We have changed our philosophy during this difficult economic period regarding certain aspects, such as importing spare parts. In the past, we would airfreight our equipment into the country, but we have now, because of competitors and everything being price related, opted to use sea freight as we can bring in larger volumes and reduce our costs,” says Geyser

While the market is expected to pick up only in 2011, after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the company remains optimistic and positive about the future.

The Braamhoek dam project, in KwaZulu-Natal, afforded Putzmeister the opportunity of introducing the tele- scopic conveyor belt, Telebelt, where it was used for the first time in South Africa; it is capable of pumping nonpumpable concrete and materials such as sand and stone. This application is also suited to the mining and construction industry.

The Braamhoek dam project, which forms part of State-owned power utility Eskom’s Ingula pumped-storage scheme, is a joint venture between construction and engineering groups Concor Road & Earth-works, WBHO, Edwin Construction and Silver Rock. The project is scheduled to be completed by the middle of 2010 and forms part of Eskom’s integrated strategic electricity plan to create additional electricity- generation capacity from diverse types of supply.

In October 2009, PMSA branched out into Africa with its South African branch taking responsibility to market Putzmeister’s pumps in 16 other African countries, from the north of Kenya across to the West Coast. He explains that PMSA’s profits also lie in after-sales parts and ser-vices, which are valued at about R10-mil-lion. The company also offers 24-hour field technician services and maintenance on standby.