$25m to be invested SPECIALIST TANK container major HOYER Global Transport is set to capture a bigger slice of the SA market as fleet expansion continues in response to healthy global demand. The Rotterdam-based company entered the SA market in 1999, setting up its manufacturing base in Port Elizabeth through an agreement deal with Welfit Oddy. It has, over the past three years, invested $65m in its newbuild programme and expects to invest a further $25m in the years ahead, Rotterdam-based managing director Michael de Rijk told FTW in Johannesburg. The nature of products transported in tanker containers – from chemicals to foodstuffs, wine and spirits – demands the highest quality standards, says De Rijk, and this is one of the reasons for the company’s decision to set up its manufacturing base in South Africa. Although the fleet is relatively young, says De Rijk, we invest a lot of money in maintenance and repair, often exceeding legislative requirements to ensure zero defect. HOYER is currently rated as the second largest tank operator in the world, and De Rijk is optimistic about growth prospects in South Africa, a market which it is yet to penetrate fully. In the past six years its fleet has grown from 2200 to 9000 and with approximately 1000 units ordered for next year, it will have in excess of 10 000 tank containers soon. “We see good potential in the southern African market, and will be exploring growth opportunities aggressively in the years ahead. This is also a driver for us to invest further in South Africa.”
