As one of the largest SKF authorised distributors, Bolt and Engineering Distributors Group (B.E.D.) understands the vital importance of having a comprehensive and intricate understanding of their long-standing supplier SKF’s world-class agri-bearing and bearing products.
This imperative was the motivation behind a sales training day for the B.E.D. sales team that was held recently at the new SKF premises in Jet Park, Boksburg. Twenty-four members from the B.E.D. team attended the training day, in order to allow them to interact with the SKF product managers and learn more about the company’s extensive and high-quality product range and capabilities.
During the visit, the B.E.D. sales team visited the SKF warehouse, where they viewed the bearing remanufacturing division, where SKF produces machined seals, as well as the supplier’s training centre.
“Numerous products were showcased at various stations, with each of these featuring a product manager or expert who offered valuable information and advice about SKF products,” notes B.E.D. Group Bearing Division Administrator Hein van Jaarsveld.
“We had the opportunity to interact with the SKF product managers for Power Transmission products, the SKF Maintenance Product range - where products are applied in monitoring and instrumentation – as well as how to use the SKF Authenticate application, which assists SKF customers in identifying imitation products.
In addition to the above, SKF also demonstrated their bearing remanufacturing capabilities, what their services team had to offer, and the lubrication product range from Lincoln.”
Van Jaarsveld notes that the ultimate objective behind the training day was to strengthen the relationship between the SKF and BED teams, as well as to get a more comprehensive overview of the SKF product offering and gain further insight into SKF’s warehouse operations.
In this regard, the day proved to be a great success: “Our team members interacted closely with SKF’s product managers and found new sales opportunities that they were not previously aware of.
This will allow the B.E.D. sales team to have a far better understanding of SKF’s products and services moving forward, enabling us to find and identify new opportunities in the industry for the supply and application of SKF’s products – and ultimately to improve our service and offering to our customers.”
B.E.D. supplies a comprehensive range of locally produced and imported fasteners as well as quality tools, welding and cutting equipment and consumables, bearings, lifting products, PPE, industrial paints and thinners and oils and lubricants to South African industry, including the mining, engineering, materials handling, transportation, rail and agricultural sectors. The Group, established in 1983, is an industry stalwart with a distinctive ‘100/0’ core ethos of taking 100% responsibility, with zero tolerance for excuses.
B.E.D has been an official SKF distributor since 2014 and between 2019 and 2021, has grown its SKF sales substantially. Van Jaarsveld notes that this relationship has enabled B.E.D to become one of the largest SKF authorised distributors and grow each year.
He concludes that the training day has further enriched the very successful partnership between B.E.D. and SKF, and confirmed that they are ‘on the same page’ moving forward.
“Our relationship has grown from being merely being a distributor to becoming a true partner to SKF - with whom we share many of the same values. We are a proud and passionate Group with a firm ethos of ‘it is our business to know your business’, and this informed our decision to better understand SKF’s brand, and the various strengths and opportunities related to its products.
“Ultimately, the training day has firmly strengthened our relationship with SKF and will strengthen B.E.D’s sales and marketing of their products now and into the future,“ van Jaarsveld concludes.
Ends (620 words)
Note to Editors
About Bolt and Engineering Distributors (B.E.D.) Group
The Group has a solid track record and pool of experience built up over its 38 years supplying its product range to a wide variety of industry sectors, including agriculture, mining, materials handling, working at height and welding. Bolt Engineering and Distributors (B.E.D.) is synonymous with safety and quality and is dedicated in its support of a ‘proudly local’ ethos of developing enterprises and staff and supporting local suppliers and manufacturers.
The company furthermore enjoys long-standing relationships with customers and an impressive portfolio of premium international and local suppliers, based on its values of trust, integrity and taking 100 % responsibility and accountability. As such, B.E.D. has provided solutions for many key projects and customers throughout many different industries, and provides reliability of stock, sourcing and delivery to its loyal customer base through innovative in-house logistics and management.
Editorial Contact
Kendal Hunt
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Kendal Hunt Communications PR and Media Liaison Agency
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kendal@kendalhunt.co.za