Epiroc future-proofs customer support in the Northern Cape with the opening of a new Local Distribution Centre in Kathu

Epiroc South Africa, the leading global productivity partner for the mining and infrastructure industries, caters to the Sub-Sahara African customer base from its world-class Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) in Jet Park in Johannesburg, Gauteng.

In an ongoing bid to bring equipment, consumables, spares and services closer to customers, Epiroc is proud to announce the opening of its brand new Local Distribution Centre (LDC) in Kathu in the Northern Cape.

Phillip Hanekom, who heads up Epiroc’s Regional Distribution Centre, says, “Our decision to create an LDC in the Northern Cape perfectly aligns with Epiroc’s regionalisation strategy. Our former facility in Kuruman was simply too small to adequately cater to our vision of growth for this territory.”

The new 700sqm facility which was officially opened on 14^th April 2021, stores consumables and spare parts based on the type of equipment customers are operating in the Northern Cape and will be replenished from Epiroc’s RDC in Johannesburg.

“Our Kathu LDC puts us in the favourable position of being able to increase our stockholding and assortment which adds tremendous value for our customers and end-users,” affirms Phillip. “In addition to substantially reducing lead-times, we are now also able to support our customers from a regional as well as from a local point with more stocked items.” He adds that in cases where the item is available in the LDC but is required for another region, the item will be redistributed ensuring seamless customer support.

The LDC operations are outsourced to a 3PL partner. Newly appointed Site Manager, Gavin Bond, will report to Bernhard Schiller in his capacity as Regional RDC/LDC Operations Manager. Epiroc has transferred five employees from its former Kuruman facility as well as from other areas, to service customers in the region. “As some of the employees are already experienced in warehousing and distribution we did not see an immediate need for training,” notes Phillip. “However, all new employees are being trained on the ERP systems as well as on all required health and safety standards to comply with both Epiroc and our 3PL partner standards”. Phillip adds that Epiroc is also importantly supporting the Kathu community by making use of local security and cleaning services.

“The Kathu LDC opens up an exciting new chapter in our commitment to expanding Epiroc’s business footprint and enhancing customer support in the Northern Cape. The new facility will assist us to grow our customer base as well as the volume necessary to support them, ultimately leading to business growth, job creation and equally important, local community support,” concludes Phillip.

epiroc 2021 support Kathu northern cape customer