“We followed a vision,” said Bell CEO, Leon Goosen, paying tribute to the achievements of his predecessor and current Bell Group Chairman, Gary Bell, as the driving force behind the successful establishment of Bell’s first production facility outside South Africa. “We needed to get closer to our customers,” Goosen explained, pointing out that today 75% of the world’s production of ADTs goes to Northern Hemisphere markets.
The assembly plant, which opened in November 2003 after only five months of construction, marked the beginning of a long-term strategy that has transformed the company from a specialised niche supplier to a globally oriented construction machinery manufacturer.
The event provided an ideal opportunity to recognise long-servicing employees and present Bell Chairman, Gary Bell, with an award acknowledging his more than 50 years of service to the Group.
In addition to the great commitment of the company’s own employees, Bell CEO Leon Goosen expressly praised the good cooperation with the regional and municipal officials as well as the state economic development agency LEG, which have all supported the company in its goals over the past years.
