The company supplies conveyors, hose and power transmission products, with about 80% of production dedicated to producing conveyor belts for both the mining and industrial sectors, and a 38% share in the South African market.

All GEP products are sourced exclusively by Veyance Technologies.

It employs more than 400 people and is an ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14000 and SHAS ISO 18000 certified company.

The company recognises that empowerment is sustainable only if there is proper skills transfer and to this end complies fully with the Skills Development Act. Preferential procurement also supports its empowerment initiatives, with black economic-empowerment companies accounting for some 30% of procurement expenditure.

GEP has committed itself to opening service centres in outlying ‘mine-rich’ areas across the country.

Traditionally seen only as a supplier of products, it has made a strategic decision to now also focus on the servicing of products sold to clients as well as training clients on how best to use the products they have purchased.

The new service centres opened provide a one-stop shop for supplying, installing, splicing and maintaining GEP conveyor belts. At present, there are service centres in Saldanha Bay, Kathu, Welkom, as well as in Francistown in Botswana.

In line with its policy of expansion, the company has also begun an aggressive drive into the rest of Southern Africa. Headed by export manager Chris Nicol, the division has the mandate to secure opportunities, as far afield as Ghana.

Significant progress has already been made in Tanzania which, because of its gold and nickel mines, is a ready market for underground conveyor belt solutions and GEP has been called on to supply products to the Tanzanian cement industry. Next in line is Zambia, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

GEP’s ultimate vision is to penetrate the African market with both products and service centres, thereby providing a holistic and integrated solution-based offering to clients. Plans are afoot to eventually to establish a service centre on the Zambian/ DRC border which would cater to both countries.