Leading supplier of innovative automation technology, Festo South Africa, has increased its distributor network to ensure greater access to their products and services. The shift in the company’s business model will lead to a 20% increase in Festo’s customer facing sales force and an investment of over R5 million in sales resources.
Festo has already invested substantial resources in the development of a market-leading online shop, sales interaction department, and direct deliveries. Recently, Festo South Africa reaffirmed their expansion strategy with the inclusion of Bearing Man Group (BMG) as one of their official logistics distributors.
The addition of BMG as an official distributor provides for increased access to Festo’s products throughout South Africa and Africa, ensuring customers have easier contact to its world class logistics, ample stock supplies and market-leading technical expertise.
With the inclusion of BMG, Festo products are now distributed through 12 BMG stores in South Africa’s major cities, 150 local distributors nationwide and almost 200 throughout Africa.
Describing the expanded sales network, Warren Harvard, National Sales Manager for Festo stated, “Our aim is to provide customers with greater access to Festo products and services. More distribution points will benefit those customers who prefer counter sales facilities to collect their parts and seek technical support. Those customers who wish to place an order over the phone or through our Online Shop and receive next day delivery, will still enjoy the same service that they come to expect from us. “
“This addition to our distribution network allow us to commit our resources to gain efficiencies in other areas. A direct outcome of increasing our distributors has been that we no longer require counter sales facilities in some of our branches. We are instead deliberately reinvesting these resources in Sales Engineers and our Didactic training facilities, resulting in a significant increase in our sales force and affording our customers with more time and access to our Engineering support team.”
The increase in distribution channels supports Festo’s long-term business strategy. “Ultimately we want to grow. Over the last 40 years, Festo has grown steadily within the South African market and we intend to continue that growth over the next 40 years. To achieve this, we recognised the real need to ensure our products become more widely accessible through an increase in our distribution channels for our customers, while at the same time investing resources in our online support structures and Didactic training services” Harvard explained.
Our distributors enable us to now offer even more convenience and access for our customers to our vast range of products and support services.
“By employing more Sales Engineers regionally, we will be in a position to increase the level of support, training and product knowledge to our customers. We have always taken pride in being able to offer unique services, specialised technical support, and efficient logistical processes that enable our customers to fully access and utilise the world’s best automation technologies. Now, with our increased distribution network, we are able to do more with our resources and ensure that our customers receive the best possible products, support and training so that they are able to enhance their own business interests,” Harvard stated.
For more information contact Russell Schwulst, Festo, 08600 FESTO, [email protected], www.festo.com
| Tel: | 08600 FESTO (33786) |
| Fax: | +27 11 974 2157 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.festo.co.za |
| Articles: | More information and articles about Festo |
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