New entrant in the commination sector, Keestrack SA is aspiring to create a legacy that transcends meeting customers’ specific requirements to become an exemplary corporate citizen
The growing need for variety in the South African Crushing and Screening market means that there is always room for new products and services. And as a new player in the game, Keestrack SA is aiming at not just establishing a niche for itself in the delivery of top-drawer quality but also breaking new ground in empowering communities in which its operations are located as far as possible. Bearing in mind that the needs of each environment are unique, Keestrack SA has a selective range of heavy duty Crushers & Screeners specifically suited to local conditions. From its broad range of mobile equipment it has four different types of machines at present in SA: a mobile Stacker, Apollo Jaw Crusher, Frontier and an Explorer 1800 Triple Deck Screener. As if custom-made for local conditions, the models suit the South African industry requirements, explains Zdenek (Stan) Fischer, Managing Director. “We will soon also import one of the models from our Impactor Range of crushers in order to offer the full range of our main products locally,” he adds. As of now, Keestrack SA is importing all the machines completely assembled until it has set up a fully-stocked spares and maintenance depot, says Fischer. “Once established, we’ll definitely be looking at local manufacture and assembly of machinery in order to add to the local content of our products.”
Industry veteran
Though new in South Africa, Keestrack is an industry veteran whose integrity is unquestionable. Headquartered in Belgium, it has been designing and manufacturing screeners and crushers for over 30 years and ranks amongst the best-selling mobile screens and crushing equipment in the world. Worth mentioning, states Fischer, Keestrack was the first company in the world to come up with direct feed screens. The company has bragging rights to some of the cutting edge innovations in the field, he adds. “Even today competitors cannot match the results we’ve had with this design which is the industry standard to this day. Because of this feature, the applications for our equipment have multiplied as the screen can be used as a pre-screen for rough material or as a precision screen for fines.” After developing the first Frontier model, the range was extended with the introduction of the compact Combo screening range, then the heavy-duty Novum and finally the Explorer range. What is more, Keestrack has expanded the Destroyer range of mobile impact crushers over the years to ensure its technology stays ahead of the market. The company acquired a complete range of Jaw Crushers, followed shortly by the first cone crusher coming off the production line, resulting in a product range for all types of mobile screens, mobile impact crushers, mobile jaw crushers, mobile cone crushers and mobile stackers.
One step at a time
Keestrack SA’s approach will be one step at a time. Being fairly new to the South African market, it will initially concentrate on targeting Junior Miners, Contracting Companies and Quarries and then further expand into the current market space via locally establishing Agencies in strategic locations across RSA and Dealerships north of the country’s borders to the rest of the continent.
Empowerment initiatives
Keestrack SA is conscious of the deplorable economic disparities persistent in the country and is looking forward to playing a pivotal part in addressing this challenge, resources permitting, reveals Fischer. “As we expand, we will include previously disadvantaged individuals in our employ, including women and people with disabilities. Besides, as our national footprint grows we will engage agents from previously disadvantaged backgrounds who will employ people from communities around their operations.” In addition, the company hopes to transfer pertinent skills in the area of crushing & screening to its employees through on-the-job-training. “Basically, our empowerment initiative will both be direct and indirect, covering significant sections of the amended Broad Base Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) codes,” says Fischer. The Keestrack SA has offices in Johannesburg and Mpumalanga with a scope for further expansion as and when need arises. Fischer is ably assisted by the talented and vastly experienced Hein Van Staden, the Operations Director and Hennie van Staden, the Sales and Marketing Director.