Hitachi appoints new dealer for Africa’s mining markets

Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV (HCME) has announced a new dealer for customers in Africa. With its headquarters in Belgium, SMT will provide the complete range of Hitachi Zaxis and EX excavators with a targeted focus on the mining market.

Established in 2010, SMT has benefited from acquisitions of a significant heritage dating back to 1946. The company is active in 15 countries in Africa, where it has a total of 27 branches. In addition, it has a presence in Belgium, Luxembourg, and has two branches in The Netherlands, eight in Great Britain and 11 in Texas, USA. Across all regions, it employs 2,000 people.

“We look forward to developing a strong mining partnership with Hitachi,” says Jérôme Barioz, CEO at SMT Holding. “The mining market is booming in Africa at the moment, with high demand for gold. Our customers are looking for powerful and reliable equipment, with excellent after-sales support and a dedicated mining team. Efficiency is the key to their success.”

Representatives from both SMT and HCME celebrated the announcement at the Bauma exhibition. “It’s fantastic to welcome a new dealer to the Hitachi family in our 50th anniversary year and we look forward to strengthening our partnership with SMT,” says HCME President Takaharu Ikeda. “By extending our network with the right partners, we can get closer to our customers and achieve our aim to be a first-choice solution provider.”