Goscor and Weir Mineral partnership sparkles

Cape Business News

There are some companies whose quality is instantly apparent and Weir Minerals in Alrode, Gauteng is one of them. From the security personnel at the gate and the reception staff who are bright and welcoming to the shining white lines that demarcate the parking to the condition of the magazines on the waiting room table, everything is professionally and carefully organised and maintained.

“We must be like that,” says warehouse and logistics manager, Billy Dooling. “We receive more than 8 000 parts per day and ship out more than 10 000. Also, we handle very heavy plant and machinery and safety is a major priority. The bottom line is that absolute professionalism and attention to detail are a prerequisite,” he says.

Given this business ethic, it is obviously a significant compliment to become an important supplier to Weir and, according to Dooling, Goscor Lift Truck Company (GLTC) fully deserves this privilege.

“We decided to do things a little differently about a year ago, and put the materials handling contract out to tender. Goscor won this on the basis of their outstanding product, a competitive pricing structure, their superior service and support ability – we had had some experience of this in the past – and, very importantly, because of their ability to supply us a range of machines for various applications. In this sense, they are a one-stop-shop for us enabling us to increase efficiencies by dealing with one supplier across a range of machines,” says Dooling.

He adds that part of the deal is that Goscor supplies a permanent on-site technician, which is a major advantage as downtime is kept to the barest minimum.

In the past year Weir has acquired 38 Goscor machines including 4 x Crown turret trucks; 3 x Bendi forklifts and 31 Doosan forklifts ranging in capacity from 2.5t to 9t.

In addition, Goscor has provided a fully equipped battery bay with a spare battery for every machine. “This facility is a significant boost to our efficiency as it, in conjunction with the system we follow, also helps to minimise downtime,” says Dooling.

“With the turret trucks we can work at heights of up to 12m in narrow aisles, with the Bendis we can operate in extremely narrow aisles both inside and outside with the same machine and, with the Doosans, we can lift a wide range of items from the smallest pallet of stationery for our stores to the heaviest crusher or pump,” he says.

Darryl Shafto GLTC MD says that that Goscor’s relationship with Weir Minerals is an excellent example of how a partnership between supplier and customer produces the best results.

Founded in 1871 Weir Minerals is a global business employing circa 14 000 people in 70 countries. It designs and manufactures highly-engineered products and services for the minerals, oil and gas, and power industries. Weir’s products include slurry and dewatering pumps, crushers, screens, cyclones, valves, mill liners and a range of rubber products.