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Investec Property unearths Komatsu’s next phase of its campus development

Posted On Tuesday, 25 July 2017 19:50 Published by
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Earth-moving equipment giant, Komatsu, has partnered with Investec Property to consolidate its head office operations, warehouse and distribution centres as well as its workshops and remanufacturing facilities into one centralised property.

Measuring approximately 300 000 square metres in size, the new Komatsu development will be one of the largest industrial campuses in the country.

As a central hub from which Komatsu will direct its extensive operations and activities in Southern Africa, the ownership and development of this campus in Gauteng signals the company’s unwavering commitment to doing business in the region.

“Our current head office support operations are conducted from three different locations and this makes it difficult logistically and limits our ability to effectively and efficiently support our operations and customers.  By consolidation all our head office functions into one campus we will enhance our ability to improve our customer support as well as have sufficient space for further expansion in the future.” said Mike Blom, Managing Director of Komatsu Africa Holdings (Pty) Ltd.

The requirements of the new Komatsu Campus are substantial and complex; the campus needs to have the space, technology and capabilities for Komatsu to serve the mining, construction and utility markets not only in South Africa, but all of Southern Africa

The project will put Komatsu‘s sales and service functions in an ideal position to capitalise on market resurgence opportunities within the short, medium and long term. At the same time, it will serve to improve further the extent of Komatsu’s field and technical service offerings.

Investec Property (Pty) Ltd, a division of Investec Limited, is one of South Africa’s best recognised property developers, property investors and property fund managers. Operating in South Africa for over 40 years, Investec Property has expanded internationally and has businesses based in both the United Kingdom and Australia.

Investec Property’s team of experts have provided a turnkey solution for the entire Komatsu Campus project – from concept and design, through the land acquisition, to construction and delivery of the completed developments.

“We are proud of the Komatsu development, which again demonstrates our ability to serve our client’s specific needs. The Greenhills property is exceptionally well located and we are proud to be able to provide Komatsu with a world class facility which will be their flagship development in Southern Africa,” said David Rosmarin of Investec Property (Pty) Ltd.

This first phase of development, a state-of-the-art Parts Distribution Centre measuring approximately 22 000 square metres was completed in just nine months.

The warehouse has the largest floor without a joint in the country, and rises 13 metres from floor to eaves. As a result, semi-automated turrets operating within the warehouse can retrieve items from the highest access points with an unprecedented degree of accuracy and safety.

The warehouse floor is an example of excellence in engineering design innovation and precision; the entire floor is based on a post-tensioned cabling system that makes use of 132 kilometres of steel cable.

The strategic decision to place the concentration of Southern African operations in one area will unlock some significant benefits. From a logistics and efficiency perspective, there will be improved workflow and productivity benefits, as well as the chance for face to face communication across all departments. Further to this, Komatsu will be able to ensure that they have built to the highest level of safety requirements in their facilities, ensuring that their employees areas of work are safe.

Customers will now have the opportunity to appreciate the entire Komatsu offering including products, parts and service capabilities in one single location. Another long-term goal for Komatsu is a training area, which will not only facilitate product demonstrations, but provide new operators with the experience of operating Komatsu earth-moving equipment. The new training centre will incorporate a “hand-on training dojo” or training area – ensuring greater skills training for the technical teams of support staff.

“Our long-term dream of consolidating into a single Komatsu Campus is fast becoming a reality. The first phase of construction has gone exceptionally well. Looking ahead, we will continue to consolidate our head office functions into the new campus. This will include the relocation of Isando Branch as well as Reman and the head office,” concluded Blom.

Construction on Phase 2 of the campus development started in July 2017. Komatsu has, since the commencement of the project, become the owner of the land, and Investec Property remains the preferred developer for the entire project, which is estimated at over a billion Rand.

The new Phase 2 unit is expected to be fully operational by September 2018. Completion of the new Komatsu Campus in its entirety is scheduled for 2021 to coincide with Komatsu’s 100th anniversary.

The 300 000m² Komatsu Campus site is located in Tunney, Germiston, Gauteng.

Last modified on Tuesday, 25 July 2017 20:00
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