BENONI, South Africa—Rema Tip Top South Africa not only achieved remarkable market growth quickly in 2010 but in the process became the primary heavy duty conveyor belt manufacturing arm of parent Rema Tip Top GmbH.
After importing about 80 percent of its products from within the Rema Tip Top Group globally as well as from other suppliers in the past, the South African division acquired the shares of rubber conveyor belt maker Dunlop Industrial Products (Pty) Ltd. of South Africa in late 2009 to dramatically change the way it operated.
The addition of Dunlop's belting line means Rema Tip Top South Africa now exports more products than it imports. Previously, it offered conveyor belt maintenance service and belting accessory products, but now it makes the belts, the company said.
Rema Tip Top South Africa purchased Dunlop Industrial Products (which is not part of the Fenner Dunlop group of companies) to expand its reach and give it a strong conveyor belt base, according to Dries van Coller, head of marketing for Dunlop, headquartered in Benoni.
Dunlop Industrial Products makes a complete line of heavy duty conveyor belts at manufacturing plants in Benoni, Gauteng and Howick, South Africa, he said at the NIBA—The Belting Association conference held recently in Phoenix.
Basically, the alliance gives Rema Tip Top GmbH—a global leader in the production of conveyor belt maintenance, wear protection and corrosion prevention materials formed in Germany in 1923—a belt manufacturing operation and makes it a full service and technology provider for customers, van Coller said.
Rema Tip Top South Africa had been collaborating with Dunlop Industrial Products for a year and a half prior to the purchase before it decided to make the move and become a single-source company, he said.
The firm's priority is servicing the local market and it is honoring all existing contracts that remain in place, he indicated.
But it is also now supplying different markets, van Coller said, and new opportunities are opening for the company. He did not provide other acquisition details at the conference.