A partnership between 600SA, a division of CFAO Equipment SA, and Battery Power Systems (BPS), is the perfect example of how mutually beneficial relationships that are built on trust can lead to the success of all parties involved.
Established in 1995, BPS has been active in the lead acid battery market since 2001 and is committed to forming long-lasting partnerships with its customers. As the exclusive South African supplier of Chloride Exide India Limited (CEIL) traction batteries – a brand synonymous with its exceptional quality and longevity – the company enjoys a rich history of being a preferred supplier to the mining and industrial sectors. This is particularly relevant in its battery solutions for the forklift industry, with 600SA being one of its prominent customers.
Jan du Toit, General Manager at BPS, notes that while the company may be small compared with many other battery importers, it is how the company does business that differentiates it from its competition and is a major contributing factor to its ongoing success.
“At BPS, we pride ourselves on our unique business model in that we do not target the end user, but supply battery solutions to equipment manufacturers such as CFAO Equipment SA instead. This allows us to keep our overheads low while allowing our customers to target the end user without competing against us as their supplier,” comments du Toit.
The company’s product range includes battery solutions for several industries and applications, including surface traction forklift batteries, cells and accessories; Planté batteries; mining traction batteries; solar and backup batteries; off-grid inverters and chargers; and diesel locomotive starter batteries.
“Our partnership with CFAO Equipment SA has seen us increase our stock holding and, in turn, boost our sales volumes,” says du Toit. “Having CFAO Equipment SA as a customer carries a lot of marketing weight as it is widely known that the company only procures products from suppliers that distribute quality products. This has also made it easier to prove to other potential customers why our product range exceeds the competition.”
Sonia Pretorius, National Sales Manager at 600SA, affirms that CFAO Equipment SA’s relationship with BPS is built on mutual respect and trust.
“At 600SA we believe that power is created through shared knowledge. It is this ideology that has formed the basis of our relationship with BPS over the years, to the point where there is tremendous trust between both companies. It is this sort of trust that speeds up processes and allows us to be agile enough to deliver these products to our customers timeously and reduce their downtime.
“BPS shares a similar set of values to ourselves, operating with a mandate embedded in performance, diversity and entrepreneurship, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the business for many years to come,” concludes Pretorius.