Established by Les, Johnny and Ivy Gemmell in 1982, plant equipment solutions provider L&J Gemmell Plant Services spent its first 20 years renting trucks, graders, rollers, tankers and tractors to road construction and property development contractors, with operators on a subcontract basis.
Today, the 32-year-old company mostly operates as a mining equipment hire company for opencast mines in South Africa, having broadened its service offering to include excavators, articulated dump trucks and associated mining equipment.
L&J services a niche market that requires specialised equipment and experienced operators with the appropriate technical skills. The company’s Johannesburg-based headquarters comprise 1 350 m2 of fully equipped workshops and offices on a site area of 25 000 m2. Backed by fully equipped mobile service vehicles, L&J provides an ‘all-in’ hassle-free service with minimum stoppages.
The family-owned company, which prides itself on its high-quality workmanship, only hires qualified machine and equipment operators. With a staff complement of about 50 employees, L&J’s current capital equipment comprises 30 t to 100 t excavators and 40 t articulated dump trucks. The Gemmells have considerable experience in managing employees and, with their personal knowledge of the machinery, have the respect of their staff, which assists in job efficiency.
L&J’s customers include Johannesburg-based mining services provider Trollope Mining Services, local coal miner Vunene Mining, earthmoving equipment provider Plantcor Mining & Plant Hire and clay plaster brick manufacturer Clyde Brickfields.