Equipment manufacturer crushes the competition

Equipment manufacturer Pilot Crushtec walked away with top honours when it was named Gauteng Exporter of the Year last week. Exporters gathered at a luncheon in Hyde Park to celebrate the achievements of Gauteng companies in the face of fierce international competition. The event was hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Johannesburg (JCCI) and sponsored by Absa. The judges of the prestigious award found the company had been able to remain competitive and had overcome the many obstacles in the exporting industry such as the decrease in demand, currency woes, the fluctuation of the rand and trade regulations to remain a global player. Accepting the award on behalf of the company, Paul Chappel said honouring exporters was of utmost importance. “The export industry is critical to the economy and if we want to make sure South Africa and Africa remain at the top, we must continue to get our goods out of the country.” Chappel attributed the company’s success to its long history in the exporting industry, its commitment to clients, and initiatives in difficult times. “Looking at the list of previous winners, we are in good company and want to improve on our achievements next year.” Pilot Crushtec is considered one of South Africa’s leading suppliers of crushing, screening and material-handling equipment for mining, quarrying and the construction industries. The equipment manufactured by the company, which is designed to operate in extreme conditions such as temperature fluctuations of between 45 degrees Celsius and -5 degrees Celsius, is marketed in over 20 countries worldwide. “Africa, however, remains key to our company,” said Chappel. “We believe there is much development taking place on the continent providing many opportunities to businesses in South Africa.” Also awarded the Large Manufacturing prize, the company is best known for the world first stone crushing and mineral processing machine, the Twistertrac, which is a “truly South African” development that was designed and engineered in South Africa. Advocate Mark Nowitz, President of the JCCI, said the achievements of all the winners would hopefully inspire other businesses that wanted to grow and increase their profits by exporting. He said a record number of entries had been received for the eighth annual award and judging had taken several rounds, including site visits to all the finalists.