Speaking to the theme, ‘Geared for Success’, Bell Equipment’s Head of Business Development, John Collins, welcomed the attendees. He explained that Bell, JCB, and the dealers are all interconnected gears working within the same system that need to support and drive each other forward, working in sync to deliver the best products and support, and create strong relationships for the benefit of their customers.
Gears need lubrication to function efficiently, and the conference provided just that, with JCB Finance’s Natasha Swanepoel, engaging with dealers about finance offers and exploring what JCB Finance can do differently to make their products and services more attractive to farmers.
According to ABSA’s Senior Agricultural Economist, Marlene Louw, who gave a detailed analysis of agri trends, the agricultural sector is in positive territory following the dry conditions experienced in 2024. Although facing unchartered waters in terms of geopolitics and unpredictable weather patterns, the country is seeing green shoots due to several factors, including the agile performance of logistics in the country and improved animal health, with diseases such as foot and mouth currently under control.
Visiting from JCB in the UK, Product Managers Georgina Williams and Ben Mansfield gave animated and informative presentations on the features and advantages of their respective products, namely the JCB Backhoe Loader and Loadall ranges.
Bell Equipment Product Manager, Emile van Wyk, gave an overview of the Bell Forestry & Agriculture product range. He focused on the tri-wheeled Versalift and Forklift, and the new high powered 200hp Haulage Tractor, making dealers aware that these products are highly customisable for various applications. He also discussed the Bell range of special attachments, encouraging dealers to consider potential opportunities they could create for their businesses and customers.
Gershwin Gabagas from the Bell Equipment Global Logistics Centre in Johannesburg spoke about the online parts portal and the aftermarket product offering while Factory Product Support Representative, Callum Bell, said there were 23 training courses planned in 2025 and encouraged dealers to take advantage of the training opportunities. He also emphasised the importance of keeping JCB’s LiveLink system up to date.
While predicted rainfall scuppered a planned visit to the Bell farm, delegates were able to kick a few tyres on the Bell test track at the factory where product specialists walked them around the Bell and JCB products. A demonstration of the locally developed Bell Motor Grader, and the opportunity to travel in a Bell ADT were standout moments of the session.
Other highlights of the conference were the factory tour, which gave dealers a better understanding of the design, engineering, and manufacturing capacity that exists at Bell Richards Bay, and the gala awards dinner where the top performing dealers were recognised.
