JUNE 2013
2
cover story
F
ounded in the United States in the late 19th
Century, the New Holland brand has developed a
well established reputation as a manufacturer of
high quality construction and agriculture equipment.
Through its new distributor, MB Plant SA, this range of
construction machinery is now again fully represented
throughout South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho.
MB Plant SA background
According to Frank Reid, Managing Director, MB Plant
SA, “Some 1500 machines were sold into the South
African market in the last six years, so when the licence
became available, we saw it as an excellent and rare
opportunity to represent a range of reliable and well
known equipment in the southern African market.
MB Plant SA took on the distributorship of the full,
comprehensive range, from the small skid steer loader
to the the heavy line excavators and wheel loaders,”
he adds.
MB Plant was formed through a joint venture with the
majority shareholder, MB Holdings Company – which
has a long and successful background in oil and
mining – based in Oman, “They were keen to expand
their business interests in southern Africa and saw this
as a key opportunity to get into an industry that ties in
with their strategy. Established in mining, the venture
was seen as synchronistic. They were also keen to build
a closer relationship with Fiat industrial, which is home
to the Iveco range as well as the Fiat Powertrain engines
and transmissions,” says Frank.
He continues, “The balance of the shareholding is
shared between a local empowerment company –
Ukuvula, based in Port Elizabeth – who have extensive
experience within the construction sector, and senior
management.” He adds, “We have strong financial
backing and extensive construction industry expertise.
Go big or go
MB Plant SA is definitely not a ‘fly-by-night’ company,
we are committed to South Africa and are here for the
long haul.”
Operations in South Africa began in January 2013.
As ‘the new kid on the block’ Frank stresses that their
strategy is based on a detailed three-year business
plan: “The first year will always be challenging, that’s
to be expected, as we need to re-establish the brand,
the bona fides of the product and regain customer trust
and buy-in.”
A vital aspect of MB Plant SA’s tactic is to ensure that
customer support and spare parts are the focus of its new
delivery model. “We realise that we only have one shot
at this,” Frank declares, adding, “Using an Americanism,
we have decided to ‘Go big, or go home’ – and we are
definitely not going home!’”
In this regard, he explains that MB Plant has rapidly
ramped up its staffing complement over a relatively
short space of time: “The vast majority of the people
we have employed have extensive experience within
the construction industry, having come from other
reputable brands. I have appointed well proven, top
class senior management who have worked for me
previously and they in turn have set up teams of people
who have worked for them previously and with whom
they have rapport and trust.”
MB Plant have already set up their own sales and service
operations in premises located in Pomona, Gauteng
and Westmead, Durban. Dealers have been formally
appointed to cover the regions of Eastern Province,
Limpopo, Free State and southern KZN/Transkei with
further appointments following before year-end.
MB Plant SA maintains a rigid policy of only hiring
reputable and highly skilled specialists with extensive
experience in its industry. Competence and a good
On 31 August, 2012, the New Holland Construction (NHC) distribution license for South Africa became
available. As a brand of CNH Global, a subsidiary of Fiat Industrial, New Holland Construction reverted to the
mother company – who appointed a new strategic partner, MB Plant SA, to sell and support the product from
the beginning of 2013.
