When the owners of earthmoving equipment switch from one original equipment manufacturer to another, it is not always as a result of price alone. Other important factors also come into consideration as was recently shown when a leading Gauteng-based company took delivery of three new Bell 770G Graders. C.A.T.S. Plant Hire has been based in Johannesburg since 1969 when the late Frank Samons established the company in Fordsburg, one of Johannesburg’s older suburbs that dates back to the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand. C.A.T.S. is the acronym for Construction and Transport Services and the company is now run by his two sons, David and Peter Samons.

"Our late father started the plant-hire company after a stint in deep-sea fishing, which although it was successful, saw him feeling frustrated at not having a daily goal to attend to," David Samons says. "The fishing business ran on a week-long cycle and when his boats were at sea, he was kicking his heels on land." When David joined the business in the late 1970's, the company had six machines, five graders and a front-end-loader. He is currently the Managing Director and his brother Peter, a Chartered Accountant, is the Financial Director. "We have been fortunate to build up a loyal and solid customer base over many years," David continues. "Our machines are deployed right across South Africa and have been used at times in neighbouring countries such as Namibia, Botswana, the Caprivi Strip and Mozambique."

The C.A.T.S. Plant Hire fleet currently numbers 96 and is made up of motor-graders, compaction rollers, dozers, excavators and tractor-loader-backhoes. All machines are hired out on dry rates and the company’s own operators ensure that the equipment receives proper care and sustained maintenance. Day-to-day operations happen under the watchful eye of General Manager Charles Moore, and Belinda Ross and Theresa van der Merwe run the hire desk. Michael Clarke and Thabiso Modisane oversee out-of-warranty servicing and repairs, assisted by five qualified technicians and three service technicians.

As with any reputable plant hire company worth its salt, equipment uptime is paramount and for this reason C.A.T.S. Plant Hire replaces equipment regularly. "We were aware of the fact that Bell Equipment had become the local agents for Bomag compaction equipment. We bought two Bomag 212 D4 Single Drum Rollers and a Bomag BW24RH Pneumatic Tyred Roller during 2011/2012, a strategic move with which we could experience firsthand what Bell Equipment's back-up service was like.""We have been most impressed with the company's service, response times and parts availability and when we needed to replace motor-graders recently, we started asking other owners of Bell Graders about the product," he adds. "The general word in our industry amongst Bell Grader owners was that the machine delivered superior performance, maximum uptime and had great back-up service to boot."

This led C.A.T.S. Plant Hire to recently take delivery of three Bell 770G Graders which have been put into service immediately for some of their biggest clients in the road construction and rehabilitation industry. "Other factors that have given us confidence in buying equipment sold and serviced by Bell Equipment has been the warm reception we have received, considering that we are relatively new to their client list," David continues. "It is obvious that there is a positive spirit in Bell Equipment which filters through to their staff with clear accessibility to every level of management."

David further believes that Bell Equipment understands the nature of their business and this is brought home by the eagerness to give the operators of their Bell Graders some fine-tuned training to fully familiarise them with the machines. At a function to mark the handing-over of the three Bell 770G Graders, Gary Bell, Group Chief Executive of Bell Equipment welcomed C.A.T.S. Plant Hire to the Bell Equipment family and assured them of their value as clients. He also mentioned the investment Bell Equipment had made in establishing the Global Logistics Centre in Jet Park to ensure the highest levels of parts availability to minimise downtime. With C.A.T.S. Plant Hire firmly established in their niche market of supplying equipment for road construction and maintenance, the company is confidently looking ahead to a future with more machines supplied and serviced by Bell Equipment.