New dealers appointed for Hitachi mining equipment in Africa & parts of US

New dealerships have been announced for Hitachi mining equipment in both Africa and two states in the US. First off, 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. It is already a major mining and construction equipment dealer and in Africa also represents Volvo and Sandvik for example.

"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 recent bauma 2022 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."

In the US, Associated Supply Company, Inc (ASCO), a leading provider of construction, agriculture, and material handling equipment, has been awarded the Texas and Oklahoma sales and service territory for construction and mining equipment by Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas Inc (HCMA).

With over 60 years of experience, ASCO is well-established in Texas with 24 dealership locations supporting many other brands of equipment. "With a proven track record of successful growth, ASCO has a clear vision for the potential of the HCMA products to strengthen their current relationships with customers and build new relationships with the world-renowned lineup of Hitachi construction and mining equipment."

"We are excited to combine Hitachi's worldwide reputation as a premier manufacturer with ASCO's commitment to providing excellent customer service, product knowledge and industry relationships to create new opportunities for both of us," said Brax Wright CEO, ASCO.

"ASCO looks forward to joining our team with Hitachi, a world class manufacturer. Together we will offer the customer a superior option in our market. We are excited about this new opportunity we have to serve our customers with Hitachi," said Steve Wright President, ASCO.ASCO's other product offering includes CASE Construction Equipment, CASE IH, Doosan, Volvo Construction Equipment, Genie, K-TEC, Gradall, Sennebogen, as well as many other lines of well-known and respected agriculture, construction and material handling equipment.