Woodworking equipment supplier Austro has been appointed as the official distributor of Germany-based tools and tooling systems manufacturer Leitz’s tooling in Southern Africa.

Austro provides branded industrial equipment and supplies for the woodworking and related industries throughout Southern Africa and distributes products from many of the world’s woodworking equipment companies.

Included in its portfolio are wood machinery from Biesse and Fedler and Striebig, edge-benders and wood machines from Fravol and solid-wood-processing equipment from Weining.

Austro CEO Christian Neuberger says he is delighted to be working with Leitz, whose offerings will further strengthen Austro’s market position.

“The combination of Austro’s extensive local knowledge and technical expertise, together with the Leitz product offering, will make it easier and more affordable for local customers to improve operational effectiveness and make informed decisions about their tooling requirements,” says Leitz chairperson Dr Dieter Brucklacher.

He mentions that the ever-increasing competition in the industry also requires companies in the wood and plastics processing sector to increase quality in their products and service offering. “The total branch of wood processing is facing enormous challenges and, therefore, the complete value-added chain of the business becomes even more important.”

Leitz sales and marketing MD Alessandro Telesio highlights that Leitz’s cooperation with Austro significantly intensifies its presence in the Southern African market. He adds that it brings Leitz even closer to the customers and their requirements, as it forms the basis of providing customers nationwide with an expanded range of services and service facilities in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and East London, where all its services are available at any time in all key industrial areas.

Brucklacher notes that Leitz regards itself as a provider of customised technological solutions for all processing tasks, rather than only a producer of tools. The company’s spectrum of products encompasses the entire range of precision machine tools for global industrial organisations and craftsman’s shops in the wood- and plastic- processing industries. These products are used in window, timber, construction processing, panel processing and furniture production.

Neuberger adds that Austro’s partnership with Leitz will enable Austro to offer tooling solutions of the highest quality to individual customers and the manufacturing sector, which fits with its core philosophy of supplying only the world’s leading brands.