Pursuing an aggressive growth strategy in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa over the past decade has seen Fuchs Lubricants South Africa achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6% in sales volume since 2015. “This means sales volume has nearly doubled in this time,” said Paul Deppe, Managing director of the company and Regional Vice President for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Deppe was speaking at the official opening of Fuchs Lubricants South Africa’s expanded facility in Isando, east of Johannesburg. “This growth would not have been possible without the confidence of the FUCHS Group and its decision to support its subsidiary in South Africa.” More than R650 million has been invested in creating capacity at the South African subsidiary over the past eight years. “It is a confirmation of the group’s confidence in the country and a huge confidence boost for the FUCHS business in South Africa,” said Deppe.
Joining the event from FUCHS SE were Dr Ralph Rheinboldt, Chairman of the South African subsidiary and member of the FUCHS SE Executive Board responsible for EMEA, Dr Sebastian Heiner member of the FUCHS SE Executive Board and CTO, and Matthias Spethmann, Vice President of EMEA OEM sales.
“The completion of the expanded plant in Isando marks a significant milestone for Fuchs,” Deppe said. The project began in 2020 with the purchase of a site adjacent to its existing facilities to accommodate the company's growth. This expansion follows the initial investment in a new grease plant commissioned in 2018.
The newly built facility, which now spans six hectares, doubling its previous size, represents a R500 million investment in creating capacity and technological advances. The project includes a new office complex, warehouse, laboratory, tank farm, oil lubricants blending plant, and state-of-the-art filling machines. Completed in December 2024, the expansion has increased production capacity by over 40%.
The development has been a key factor in Fuchs’s growth. The company now employs nearly 450 people, up from 250 in 2015. No staff redundancies took place during this period, and the company continues to invest in employee training and upskilling.
FUCHS worked closely with several key partners to bring the project to completion, including global engineering firm DRA Global, which handled Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM). Other consultants that contributed significantly were the architects, GPD Studio, warehouse designer, ILS, the fire engineer, ASP Fire, plant automation specialists, Stadler & Schaaf, and the electrical engineer, Handson Electrical.
The new facilities include a modern office complex, which serves as the head office for South Africa and regional office for Sub-Saharan Africa. It is designed to accommodate 110 people in a sustainable, energy-efficient environment, certified ‘net-zero carbon’ by the Green Building Council of South Africa.
The new 7 000 m² warehouse, four and a half times larger than the previous one, incorporates SAP warehouse management technology supported by integrated scanning systems, and is designed with narrow and wide aisle racking for flexibility and to maximise use of space. The automated fire system conforms to NFPA standards and includes automated spill barriers. Sustainability elements include rainwater harvesting and a solar PV system which will increase total renewable energy supply to 30%.
A critical part of FUCHS value offering is quality control and product development. With the growth of operations, the laboratory has been renovated and upgraded to support this.
The expansion of the oil lubricants production capacity includes a new tank farm, blending plant, and filling hall designed for future growth. The tank farm includes capacity for 1 300 m³ of base oil storage, 120 m³ of heated additive storage and 300 m³ of blending capacity.
There are three new filling lines, an IBC and drum line, a 20 L filling line and Small Pack filling line currently configured to fill 5 L and 1 L pack sizes. All three lines are highly automated. The IBC and drum line features a diving head piston nozzle to limit foaming and a load cell with level sensors for accurate volume and weight measurement. The 20 L line and Small Pack filling line incorporate a range of measures like weight checking, cap sensing, induction sealer sensing, label vision sensing and batch code printing.
“The expansion is set to enhance FUCHS’s operational efficiency, quality control, and production capacity, supporting continued growth and customer satisfaction. The company extends its gratitude to its employees, consultants, and customers for their support throughout this transformative journey,” Deppe concluded.
For more information visit: www.fuchs.com/za
