Gardner Denver Transport Grows in South Africa

Gardner Denver Transport is continuing to expand its product footprint globally and in Southern Africa which continues to be a source of considerable activity and success.

Together with its Distribution network Gardner Denver Transport is making significant inroads into various industries and market segments. 

For over 30 years Gardner Denver has successfully traded in Southern Africa, this has been achieved in partnership with Flow Safe Equipment, GD Equipment SA and Knorr Bremse SA with the range of Gardner Denver equipment being prevalent in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola and Zambia.

Gardner Denver is a market leader globally, providing innovative, cost efficient, environmentally friendly solutions in every region that it is represented. This is the same in Africa. 

The partnership with Flow Safe Equipment, now stretching in excess of 30 years and headed by Managing Director Shane Fitzgerald is a great example. Together with Gardner Denver the partnership has heralded tremendous success in the sale and installation of equipment for the Dry Bulk, Liquid Transfer, Animal Feed, Milk Collection and Fuel Distribution sectors. When OEM’s and End users need the right solution they come to GD.

Shane Fitzgerald of Flow Safe Equipment says, that the partnership with Gardner Denver has been beneficial to both parties, and with the regular visits to South Africa by Paul Pearson, Director of Transport Solutions | Gardner Denver UK. 

The wide range and high quality of Gardner Denver Products allows Flow Safe to continually increase market share.

This is important to our customers who know they have the backing and expertise of a globally recognised company when choosing what equipment to use.

Jim Ward, General Manager, Technical, of one of South Africa’s largest Transport Companies, Unitrans Supply Chain Solutions comments:

“Gardner Denver has been our supplier of choice for bulk compressor units (blowers) for many years. Recently adding the Tornado to our fleet has offered considerable operational and financial benefits. Their units are well proven, thoroughly tested, reliable and well suited to our arduous applications.
We have worked closely with their local agents Flow Safe in developing specialized solutions to specific vehicle applications, and they provide us with reliable and committed field service and support.

More recently the fitment of Hydrapak Oil Coolers has been highly effective in controlling hydraulic oil temperatures in high load, high ambient temperature applications, and these installations have proved to be reliable, strong and oil tight in heavy duty service”

A recent project was undertaken with Idwala Industrial Holdings Limited, the Johannesburg based leading producer of Minerals and Lime. Moving away from heavy and expensive diesel driven blower packs was required. The 6x4 Tractor units operated by Idwala make it very difficult to install Compressors. Flow Safe and Gardner Denver worked in partnership engineering a solution, today Idwala runs a new fleet of Gardner Denver Tornado compressors on these vehicles.

Gary Wood, head of Logistics at Idwala commented that “The horses (Tractor Units) that pull the bulk powder tankers make use of on-board compressors to pressurise the tanker. The latest technology, direct drive PTO-driven Gardner Denver “Tornado” compressor has been supplied and fitted by Flow Safe Equipment. The big advantage of installing these compressors onto the Idwala fleet is a payload saving of nearly 750 kilograms, which translates into additional efficiencies and cost savings.

State of the Art Milk pumping and farm collection systems have been supplied to premium milk producing and collection companies in South Africa offering appreciable benefits to the hauliers, reducing collection times and maintenance costs.

Gardner Denver will continue to invest and expand its presence on the African continent, together with the support of Flowsafe and an ever more focussed customer base desiring enhanced technology combined with lower whole life costs, the future looks very positive.