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Wacker Neuson expands customer reach to West Africa with new dealership appointment in the Ivory Coast

Wacker Neuson South Africa is proud to announce the appointment of Batisseurs Machines Et Materiaux (BMM) as their non-exclusive dealer in the Ivory Coast.

This aligns with Wacker Neuson’s integrated strategy to roll out premium products and after-sales support to customers in Africa to meet the continent’s growing mining, construction and agricultural market sectors.

“It is important for us to have a ‘local heartbeat’ so that we are able to adapt our strategy to suit the different requirements demanded by these markets,” notes Dennis Vietze, Managing Director of Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa. “We believe that the best way to successfully achieve this is through a local company who has feet on the ground and a clear understanding of the markets, customers and challenges unique to their particular region. We are subsequently appointing new dealers on the continent as part of our robust African expansion strategy. ”

Before appointing a dealership, Wacker Neuson does its due diligence. Stefan Le Roux, Wacker Neuson Sales Manager Sub-Saharan Africa, explains that as the majority of their products are used in the construction sector, their analysis is focused more on a country’s construction outlook data rather than on the specific region. “We are also careful to appoint dealers who share our business principles because we firmly believe that the customer must experience the same excellent product and after-sales support, no matter where they are.”

The Ivory Coast was one of Wacker Neuson’s strategic target markets that showed immense potential and activity in the construction sector, which prompted the appointment of BMM as their dealer for this territory. “We are very pleased to have  BMM on board as a Wacker Neuson dealer,“ says Dennis.  We first met BMM at Bauma in Germany in 2022 to discuss vis-à-vis a potential dealership opportunity. BMM was a perfect fit, aligning with our growth strategy, delivering a premium after-sales service and serving customers with integrity. We look forward to a successful collaboration.”

With operations in the United Kingdom and the Middle East, BMM opened an office in the Ivory Coast capital of Abidjan in Q2 2023, establishing its foothold in West Africa. “Our objective is to establish our brand in the market as a high quality, acceptable price concept, paired with our value proposition of delivering  amazing customer care and great service,” says General Manager of BMM, Fouad Bardawil. “Wacker Neuson’s brand fits hand in glove with our differentiators of reliable, superior quality product and service delivery. We have identified sizable contractors in the Ivory Coast who understand the long-term value offered by higher quality products and this sector subsequently presents great growth potential. In parallel with developing the local market, we also plan to penetrate cross-border by forging relationships with customers in countries where we see growth opportunities including Ghana, Benin and Nigeria.”

BMM’s Ivorian operation includes offices, a warehouse and a fully equipped workshop. Customers in the region can expect the full Wacker Neuson product and after-sales support.

BMM’s initial Wacker Neuson light equipment fleet includes Internal and External Vibrators, Single and Reversible Plate Compactors, Hammers, Saws and Generators. Pedestrian and Ride-On Rollers, Breakers, Light Towers, as well as Clearwater and Trash pumps will be added down the line. Going forward, BMM will also offer Wacker Neuson’s battery-driven zero-emission product range. “Africa is gradually adapting to newer technologies over time so our battery-driven range of products will most definitely be available to BMM to meet this need,” adds Dennis.

Wacker Neuson is providing sales and after-sales training to the BMM team to enable them to skillfully serve customers across the region. The Wacker Neuson Head Office in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, houses a full training facility and in-house training is also offered throughout the year. “We have developed online training courses to accommodate dealers like BMM who are located further afield.”

Fouad concludes: “The professional support, including sales, product and technical guidance, that we’ve been receiving from Wacker Neuson is nothing short of impressive!”

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