Canada-headquartered tyre management and supply company Kal Tire is expanding its presence in Africa, especially in South Africa.

Kal Tire has more than 650 team members servicing 61 mine sites in West Africa and South Africa through its mining tyre group.

“We have had a strong presence in Africa since 2009, and we have continued to look for
opportunities to expand and bring our mining tyre solutions and our expertise as an
international service provider to more sites in Southern Africa and West Africa,” says Kal Tire mining tyre group senior VP Dan Allan.

The organisation began servicing mine sites more than 40 years ago in Canada and now services more than 150 mine sites across five continents. In Africa, Kal Tire has gained experience operating in South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mali, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“When our customers in Africa need us, we are in a position to marshal our resources and
expertise to move in and help them, and that’s led to more growth across the continent,” he says.

Referring to compliance with the Mining Charter and broad-based black economic empowerment regulations, Allan says Kal Tire acknowledges that the requirements of both the charter and South African legislation are complex, and can be difficult to implement – thus, it is important for the business to remain in good standing.

In 2015, Kal Tire acquired Tredcor Zambia, strengthening the organisation’s footprint within the Zambian earthmover market and expanding the tyre brands that Kal Tire can provide customers with. “Our mission is to always represent brands and products that offer the right fit for the customer’s application,” notes Allan.

Operations in Botswana began in January with tyre supply and management at a single site, and quickly grew to three on-site operations in that country. Kal Tire also recently expanded into Mauritania, where team members train and supervise local tyre fitters at a gold mine to ensure safe tyre operations. Kal Tire is now also providing its exclusive Ultra Repair service on the same mine site.

The Ultra Repair service is a product and process developed by Kal Tire involving the repair of large ultraclass earthmover tyres with extensive damage. To repair such tyres, Kal Tire uses its Ultra Repair patch to restore the tyre’s original strength, integrity and performance at a fraction of the cost of replacing the damaged with a new one.

Unlike other patches, the Ultra Repair can be used on ultraclass tyres with damage of up to 63″, and the patches stand up to even the most extreme conditions without bulging.

“Whether it is in Africa or Canada, our customers operate in challenging environments and
we knew it was critical to ensure Ultra Repair would be able to stand up to extremes,” he says, adding that hundreds of tyres have been saved from being sent to scrap piles around
the world using this technology.

Only technicians that have passed Kal Tire’s own special training and stringent certification process are allowed to perform an Ultra Repair. This certified service is now available in Canada, the UK, Chile, Colombia, Australia and several African countries, including Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Ghana.

Meanwhile, for some customers, Kal Tire has created alternative commercial models that are focused on aligning the goals of both the customer and Kal Tire, thereby ensuring the company measures success the same way the customer does.

Another service Kal Tire has been providing a growing number of customers with is the
management of the tyre logistics chain, including inventory. “Owing to tough market
conditions, customers in Africa and beyond have asked us to take this on for them. Everyone
is mindful of their balance sheets and no one wants to carry excess inventory. “For us, it is
another example of how we can apply our unique expertise and presence to offer a tyre
management service that delivers significant value,” concludes Allan.