September 10 - South Africa's Barloworld Transport has acquired an 80 percent shareholding in specialised transport provider Kumkani Heavy Haulage.

The acquisition will see Kumkani Heavy Haulage rebranded as Manline Kumkani.

Founder and managing director of Kumkani Heavy Haulage, Ryan Wall, will stay on in his current role. "Kumkani has some of the most advanced heavy haulage equipment available worldwide, that can safely and economically move any load," said Wall. "This offering is enabled and supported by a well-trained and skilled operations team, and we look forward to bringing these assets to complement the expansive Barloworld Transport offering."

Manline Kumkani will specialise in the modular abnormal sector, transporting loads over 80 tonnes. It will operate a fleet of 80 Goldhofer modular axle lines and 14 dedicated trucks. It will form part of the Specialised Business Unit within Barloworld Transport, alongside Manline Mega, Barloworld Cranes and Timber24.

The Manline Mega division will concentrate on moving project cargo and abnormal loads weighing up to 80 tonnes using its fleet of 50 trucks. The unit plans to add another 20 trucks to its fleet in the next six months.

"There is dynamic growth ahead for Manline Kumkani, with plans afoot to expand the fleet over the next year," says Andrew Nicholson, managing director of the Specialised division of Barloworld Transport. "This initiative will be supported by the continued expansion of Manline Mega."

www.manlinegroup.com

www.barloworld-logistics.com

www.kumkaniheavyhaulage.co.za