One of Africa’s most famous grader brands, Mitsubishi, has been acquired by new stakeholders with ambitious plans for the future.
Under the new banner of Hidromek, the stalwart machines are set to become still more popular due to ongoing improvements to make them even more efficient and reliable than they already are.
While processes and procedures at the factory have remained largely unchanged, the new leadership based in Europe has brought about fresher, more modern thinking that is driving the machines to become up-to-date with modern requirements. Without changing the immensely successful design and construction of the machines, the factory is rather evolving and adding features that build on the original design and add extra value for fleet owners.
On African soil, the rugged simplicity and raw power of the machines has made them legendary and led to the machines gaining a strong following from users who require machines that can work reliably for extended periods, in rough terrain, with minimal support. Where lesser machines have battled and broken, the big Mitsubishi/Hidromek machines have excelled and soldiered on in the face of adverse conditions.
Africa tough
Peter Kaliszka of ELB Equipment, the long-standing distributor of Mitsubishi/Hidromek graders in southern Africa, says for decades Mitsubishi graders have made their mark in Africa where they have been used to prepare some of the most desolate and remote roads on the continent. Out in the bush, they perform without hassles and with very little requirement for maintenance.
This has earned them a reputation for toughness and reliability that is unsurpassed in the industry and is a driving force behind ever-rising sales amid fierce competition. Their popularity is due in part to the sheer simplicity of the machines which lack fancy electronics and potentially troublesome gadgetry which has become common-place on other leading brands. Instead, the Hidromeks’ have been cleverly designed to be near indestructible, using the best Japanese materials and designs to develop a machine with the least possible chance of failure. Likewise, instead of searching for efficiency through smaller high-tech engines, the Mitsubishi/Hidromek is equipped with a bigger engine that is hardly taxed when grading at low revs.
“The end result of this is a grader that is more economical than small engine competitors in hard working environments. Similarly, the engine is not strained and as a result is more reliable with less chance of breakdowns. That is why in over 25 years since the first machines went into operation in southern Africa, we have only ever replaced two engines (one as a result of drowning in a flooded river, the other as a result of misuse),” says Peter.
Conquering Namibia
One of the toughest testing grounds on earth is in Namibia where the machines have excelled. The country represents some of the toughest terrains on earth with conditions varying from hot sandy deserts to rugged mountains and even swamps in parts of the country. Apart from the tough terrain it is also sparsely inhabited with occasional settlements and vast distances between towns. This requires grader crews to head into the wilderness for weeks on end with enough diesel and supplies to reach far flung places and grade roads in order to keep communities connected.
Erich Bartsch of Barex Equipment, ELB Equipment’s dealer in Namibia, has sold a vast number of new Hidromek graders to Namibia’s road construction and maintenance crews over the past three years without a hitch so far. Based on his own personal experience in the 1990s as a mechanic for previous dealers, Windhoek Hire and Services, the graders are rock solid and worthy of staking one’s reputation upon. Since taking over the dealership and forming his own business 10 years ago he has sold many graders into the market place and is currently responsible for after-market support of the country’s large fleet of Mitsubishi/Hidromek graders dispersed across the vast country.
“Namibia boasts some of the best-graded gravel roads in the world even despite the rural nature of the country. It relies on our machines to maintain the toughest parts of the country’s roads and has done so for the past two decades when the newly-formed Government received a gift of 14 Mitsubishi graders from the Japanese government. Those machines proved themselves over and over and are still in operation across the country today,” Erich says.
Contractors’ favorite
He adds that contractors responsible for road construction and maintenance also rely on the Mitsubishi / Hidromek due to their low running costs and continuous availability. Fuel savings also play a major role with contractors who operate mixed fleets reporting fuel savings of the Mitsubishi/Hidromek amounting to approximately two-million Namibian Dollars over five years. “These are not my words; it is feedback from sub-contractors who have given me the figures.”
Contractors also prefer the simplicity of the machines with fewer things to go wrong and no need for out-of-town technicians in the event of a fault. This applies to all models from the Hidromek MG 460 18 ton to the Hidromek MG 431 16-ton and Hidromek MG 330 14-ton machines depending on the size of the roads required in particular areas. Fuel savings also help to keep the machines out in the field for longer where the size of the diesel bowser may decide how far the grader may venture into the bush to clear roads.
In far flung areas such as those in the North – surrounding towns like Oshakati – graders are essential for road building, as well as assistance with other infrastructural projects such as the delivery of water infrastructure and building such as schools and hospitals. Michael Nghulondo who owns Cango Construction in Ongwediva, recently insisted on buying a Hidromek MG 460 grader when his business began expanding into site preparation for construction sites as well as local road maintenance and construction projects.
Trusted machines
“I know and have worked with Mitsubishi graders in the past. As a result, when the requirement for a grader was warranted I personally insisted on purchasing a new Hidromek MG 460 to assist with the growing amount of projects we are undertaking for rural communities. I trust Hidromek and know it will be a good investment in years to come. I also trust the local support through Barex and sub-dealer, Northern Auto Repairs.
“Already my operators have built up a high level of respect for the machine and its ability and power compared with other brand-name graders that I have hired until now. It is clearly more efficient in terms of fuel which considerably stretches our budget. In fact, we are constantly surprised at how much work can be done on a single tank of diesel fuel. These graders are in line with my strategy for the future to grow the business to be self-sustainable. Out here our reputation is everything and we aim to become well known for our dependability and adherence to time schedules – so reliability is of the utmost importance,” says Michael.
Owner of Northern Auto Repairs, Braam Ellis supports Michael’s views adding that the northern region is in the grip of a severe drought. Budgets have been slashed and money is tight making efficiency a top priority for local contractors. “Payments can take some time to materialize out here, so as far as contractors are concerned it pays to have machines that deliver the quickest return on their investments and pay for themselves as quickly as possible.”
More to come
With the overall responsibility for grader sales across the entire sub-region, Peter says in conclusion that Namibia is just one example of the many countries in Africa, including South Africa, where the Hidromek grader brand is a trusted partner for road construction companies. Based upon its good reputation the brand is continuing to grow in leaps and bounds.
“In future, fleet owners who have become loyal to the brand will have more choices as newer and more sophisticated machines get added to the line-up to fill niches in urban and specialist applications. So watch this space.”
ELB Equipment, Desmond van Heerden, Tel: (011) 306 0722, Fax: (011) 918 7208, Email: [email protected], Web: www.elbequipment.com
