Southern African Hyster dealer Barloworld Handling has started trading as BHBW (Pty) Ltd following approval by competition authorities of the joint venture partnership between Barloworld Limited and German trading group, BayWa AG. The joint venture came into effect 1 March 2017.
Late last year, Barloworld and BayWa announced that they had signed an agreement to establish a joint venture to further their materials handling and agriculture operations in southern Africa. Barloworld South Africa and BayWa each have a 50 percent stake in BHBW, which will build on Barloworld’s Handling and Agriculture businesses in southern Africa.
Barloworld Handling was the exclusive southern African distributor of Hyster lift trucks and warehousing equipment since 1929, and had over decades established itself as a leading supplier of materials handling equipment and solutions to the local market.
“In cooperation with BayWa and our principal Hyster-Yale Company, we look forward to continue expanding these solutions and our footprint,” says Godfried Heydenrych, Barloworld Handling Chief Executive who continues as Chief Executive of the new JV.
The company’s Hyster line-up, which ranges from warehousing equipment to reach stackers lifting up to 52 tonnes, was recently expanded to include the long-awaited “back to basics” Hyster XT series of counterbalance lift trucks, while the Utilev range of utility lift trucks for low-hour applications has also found great favour in the local market.
On the agriculture side, the new company will continue the distribution of Agco brands Massey Ferguson and Challenger, and introduce new solutions around agricultural mechanisation, digital farming and agronomy, also drawing on BayWa’s expertise as one of the leading agricultural traders worldwide and the world’s largest distributor of AGCO products.
BayWa AG, Godfried Heydenrych
Tel: (011) 898-0200
Email: gheydenrych@bwhandling.co.za
