The Bell Richards Bay factory team of around two thousand five hundred employees gathered at the company’s test track at the end of June to celebrate the launch of the Bell Motor Grader – the country’s first premium designed and manufactured grader for the global market.

Joined by special guests from the public sector, finance and industry, the occasion marked the start of production, with the first units ready for sale in August for Stage 3 developing markets.

Chief Executive Ashley Bell said: “Today marks a significant milestone in the history and legacy of Bell Equipment – the official launch day for our new Motor Grader product line to the global stage, another Bell product proudly engineered, developed and manufactured right here in Richards Bay, South Africa.

“Our Motor Grader has been a product in the making for several years, and we have invested significant energy and resources in the development of this world-class machine. Through the development process, we have involved dealers, customers and application experts from across the globe to guide us, ensuring our design not only meets but exceeds the market expectations. We are confident that we have a premium product from a performance, ergonomics, durability and quality perspective.

“The launch of our range of Motor Graders represents the beginning of an exciting new era for Bell. Our existing network of dealers around the world has a product offering gap for a Motor Grader, which means immediate channels to market for us.”

Ashley said, when Bell first launched its ADT to market in 1984, the Bell team numbered about 300 people. Today, the company employs more than 3 500 people globally, has grown the Richards Bay factory floor area by fourfold and opened an additional factory in Europe.

He added that as the Bell Motor Grader gains market acceptance alongside the Bell ADT, which operates in over 80 countries around the world, Bell will have the opportunity to evolve from an ADT specialist to a broader ‘yellow metal’ manufacturer.

Commenting on the decision to manufacture the grader locally, he continued: “Not only is this a commitment to our factory and the Bell team here in Richards Bay, but also a strong commitment to our local community, the City of uMhlathuze, the province of KZN, and our country, South Africa. As a home-grown, South African family company, we understand the critical importance of growing local business, contributing to our local economy and creating employment for South African people.”

The Bell Motor Grader has a South African local content of about 70%, with over 1 000 local suppliers feeding into the factory daily.

After the launch, Product Manager Jeremiah Mokhomo gave an entertaining machine demonstration of the G140 model, from ‘waving’ the front tyres to show the 7° leaning capability for stability, to shaking its rear end to show the articulation, and easily grading a V-drain to show the machine’s power and precision.

The Bell Motor Grader range consists of three base models, each available in either 4WD or 6WD configuration. The G140 is well suited to all maintenance and light to medium construction tasks. The G160, with its increased power and performance, is designed to handle heavy construction applications, while the G200 is designed for bulk earthworks and the mining industry.

In addition to these three models, Bell has started production with the G140 ECO – the base spec unit for the G140 – which is well suited to public sector opportunities, lighter construction or agricultural applications.

SCAN THIS CODE to watch a short video of the Bell Richards Bay factory’s Grader launch: