Isuzu Truck SA acquires stake in KANU, ACT

This transaction will see Isuzu Trucks change from being a typical commercial Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to an enterprise type of business that has the capacity to initiate and build products according to client specifications.

"This acquisition complements our growth strategy. We believe the acquisition of KANU and ACT will definitely enhance our current business structure. The move to acquire these entities will centralise the process of buying our trucks where everything will be processed from one central point of contact," says Isuzu Truck South Africa COO, Craig Uren.

The directors of Isuzu Truck South Africa, with full support of Isuzu Leadership in Japan, have developed new strategies and plans with structures in place to lead the business into this new business cycle.

"Our scope of work and business is no longer only focused on what leaves the factory gate. Together with our dealers and supplier base, Isuzu Truck South Africa will have a more integrated relationship with current and future customers in the life of their trucks.

This acquisition also comes with a new appointment within the business. Current Plant Manager, Sipho Sandla will move into a new role as General Manager leading the KANU/ACT operation in Port Elizabeth, with outgoing owner of KANU, Tony Wright, staying on in an advisory capacity for a minimum of 12-months to ensure a smooth transition. In 1991, Sipho graduated with a Higher National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (B.Tech). To date, Sipho has been working as an engineer in the automotive manufacturing sector for over 23 years and has vast experience in all aspects of the assembly line.

"Isuzu Truck South Africa will continue to be one of the major contributors in the Eastern Cape's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). We believe that every truck we sell into the market possesses an economic opportunity with great return on investment. The more we sell, the more economies we create, and with that, the creation of new job opportunities. South Africa and the continent at large need greater and stronger growth for our economies to develop," concludes Uren.