 So, if you may please just tell us about Bearing International and what it does. Perfect. Thank you again for the opportunity. I'm going to keep it short because we can have a long discussion at RBI. Welcome to the Private Property Farming Podcast. My name is Mbali Nwokor, your host. Once again, thank you so much for choosing the Private Property Farming Podcast as your preferred podcast to learn all things around farming. Every week we bring interesting guests, interesting topics, and we have interesting conversations. We deep dive into a specific topic and just jargons and systems and processes that I think can help you at the end of the day be an exceptional farmer, help you at the end of the day become a great professional in the agri-industry, whatever career you're looking to explore. I think we are definitely exposing so many opportunities that the agri-industry has to offer. Yet again, if you have any questions and comments for our guest, please feel free to comment on the comment section below and we're happy to answer all your questions. It's an exciting one, episode 129, slowly getting to episode 150, I'm looking forward to that and keep supporting the podcast. If there's any topics that you want us to cover on your behalf also please reach out to us right here on the Farming Podcast. Now let me introduce our guest for today and we're going to be talking about reliable agricultural equipment, how to operate them, how to use them, what is it, etc. And just talk about a wide range of agricultural equipment. Some you may have heard of before, some not. And we have a guest from Bering's International and his name is Johann Streicher, who is the Area Business Unit Leader for Bering's International. Johann, thank you so much for joining us, how are you doing? Balie, thank you for having me, I'm doing quite well, thank you in yourself. It's a pleasure, great. Not a lot of people know about Bering's International, I myself don't know what you do in the industry and I'm always excited to hear about new businesses. So, if you may please just tell us about Bering International and what it does. Perfect, thank you again for the opportunity. I'm going to keep it short because we can have a long discussion about B.I. Bering's International forms part of the Udaika Group, the company has been in existence for more than 60 years. Nationally, we have got a branch network of about 40 to 50 branches in strategic locations, let's call it. We supply a big range of products. Most of the people, if they think about B.I. or Bering's International, they think Bering's as the name states. In many cases, it's not actually just Bering's, it's VSD's, electric motors, power supply, transmission products, industrial consumables. So it's quite a big range of products that we do not just Bering's. And of course, one of the markets that we're focusing on at this stage is the agricultural sector, because we believe that's where the economy can benefit the most from at this stage. That's where we need to support our fellow farmers to keep the people fed and keep food on the table. So back to B.I. It's a company we existed for 60 years plus. We supply industrial consumables, products, chains, Bering's, gearboxes, motors, VSD's. We serve as a whole range of sectors, agricultural sectors, from livestock to tobacco to fisheries, it's a whole list. I can go through them. It's implement manufacturers. We do some milling applications, beef and poultry farms, irrigation and production, fruit and vegetables, fishing and tobacco sectors. So yeah, we've got a, I won't say one stop shop, but I think we're getting close to. Yeah, that's such a wide range of a portfolio. But maybe if you could just bring it a little bit of home, you know. So do farmers procure directly from you or do you supply agricultural organizations like tractor organizations, implement organizations like you mentioned livestock? What is it that you do within the livestock sector? Is it regarding the tools and equipment? Maybe just bring it a little bit closer so we can understand in much, in much detail. OK, yes, we do supply OEMs, meaning the implement manufacturers as well with with Bering's Peltransmission, the oldest. We do supply the customer direct as well, the end user, if you want to call it. So yes, we supply the farmer direct, we could sell people on the roads in the field. So like I mentioned, we've got about 40, 50 branches nationally. We've got knowledgeable, I won't say experts, but we've got good people in the field and they service the sectors. Yeah, they go to the farms, they service breakdowns. We've got a 24 seven breakdown after our number. So if you have a harvested that broke down in the field while you're harvesting, we can supply, we can deliver on site, we can identify, we can procure, we've got a special source in the department as well. If it's a product that we don't stock, we can procure from overseas. Normally, the lead times differ at the stage of the economy and the global situation is a bit longer than normal. But yes, we can create for special applications and special requirements. Wow. I'm glad you mentioned or gave us the example of if a farmer is plowing in the field or harvesting in the field and the harvester breaks down, they can call you. So now tell us what's the difference between you as in bearings international versus the company in which the farmer bought his or her harvester. So let's say there's a breakdown in the field. Why should I call BI instead of the company that I procured the harvester form from? What's the difference there? I believe it's a service I can mention as well. Our salespeople are quite knowledgeable, they're eager, they're willing to help. They've got extensive knowledge of the farming sector as well as the industrial sector. Most of them are farmers, depending on the strategic location of the branch. Of course, but yes, I would say his internet is off. You cater for the one, tier two and tier three market sectors, as you might call it. If you want to put it in easier terms, it's a cheap, middle class. And of course, some people label it an expensive item. So yes, we cater for the whole range of bulk volume and of specialized items. That's fantastic. And what is your role, Johan, as an area business unit leader? I mean, what is it that you focus on? And maybe, yeah, maybe let me just start off there. Which what is your role within being an area business unit leader? And which areas do you particularly look after? My scope at the moment is for support and, yeah, looking after, I've got about 12 to 13 branches that I put directly to myself. In all of those branches, there's branch managers, as well as the salespeople or the salesforce. Mostly, my work is just with the branch managers. I do travel the nationwide or the whole country. And that's up from Velcom to Alasras. I can go into the details. I'm going to keep you busy for a while. But yes, it's polyphonic. The other cultural branches, polyphonic, Velcom, Skunda, Betel, Whitback, Middleburg. Basically, the whole, I felt Limpopo that, yeah, yeah. So yes, I service the branches. I support them. I help them with price negotiations. Yeah, mostly, farmers are difficult customer. It's high production, high volume, high intensity. So yes, we try our best to keep them happy and service them as per their requirements. And based on your experience and obviously servicing various branches who have direct contact and relationship with farmers, how has the COVID, the global pandemic affected the farmers directly? And how has it also indirectly affected you as bearings international? You're selling a lot of parts, I can presume. Maybe farmers weren't procuring a lot of machinery. Just maybe give us your perspective of how you as an industry have been impacted by the global pandemic. On the farmer sector, to be honest with you, I think they were essential suppliers. They didn't have such a big influence on our business in terms of supply to the customer or to the farmer. We did have, after ours people, we did have people in the rotational shifts. If you want to pull it in the branches, and we weren't able to supply and to assist the farmers. They were working through the pandemic, and that's why it's such a privilege for us to be able to support them or to supply them with products, because we know what they did through the pandemic, or the effort they went and all the risks they took. While we were isolating or self-quarantining or being safe against the COVID pandemic, they were working. They were supplying us with the necessary products that we have to keep on the table or people are feeding. So yes, it's a privilege for us to service them and to be able to assist where possible. I don't know, I know different sectors of the agricultural process has been affected by COVID and been quite badly. The fertilizers, I don't have the technical expertise on those sections, but I know it's a tough market at the moment yet. Absolutely, absolutely. You said you mentioned you have a lot of agricultural parts and components that assist the farmers to operate effectively and efficiently as well. Have you seen a rise in sales as well in agricultural equipment, like tractors, implements, and maybe does that sell a positive story obviously with the growth of agriculture? To be honest with you, I don't think I can elaborate too much on that topic because we don't supply the tractors and the implements, we just supply the parts for them, but based on our sales and the history of the COVID pandemic, yes, I think some farmers expanded quite a bit. All pros and cons, there's some sort of opportunity and some expanded, but on our business, yes, COVID was tough, it's still tough on the economy and on businesses, but we were fortunate enough to be able to go through and supply the farmers through their time as well. That's fantastic, and as technology keeps rapidly expanding, the world is pushing farmers to farm sustainably smarter, efficiently, effectively, all these big words that could obviously make the farmer just stand out at the end of the day. How does bearings international position themselves from a technology perspective? Maybe are there any new products we should be looking out for in the market that are in line with technology innovation? Anything that you could share with us? Of course, yes, the market is dynamic. We had bearings international, we tried to evolve with the market, stay ahead of the trends, so we do have new products that will be launched, we have new products on the way as well, but I think what differentiates us from a lot of other businesses in the market is we specialize more on our core products. We don't expand too much so that we can't focus on specific items, we keep our specialities to what we do at BI, and like I mentioned earlier, we are part of the Udaiko Group, which has in excess of 30 other companies, let's call it sister companies that we can draw from, that includes diesel engines that includes technology with satellites, it includes telephones if you want, and just a few months ago we even applied KDAG, the gas company as well. We are expanding, we are a dynamic company and we can supply whole range. If we don't stock at NBI, like I mentioned as well, we can source through our sister companies and international if the requirement. As an area unit manager working for an international company that's actually been around, you said I think it's 60 years, not many companies can post such a long-standing history in the agri sector. What do you think makes bearings international or BI so successful to have been around for many, many years and be trusted by many farmers? Yes, on that point as well, I think we live a certain value. We promote our brand, of course, and then of course we work with people every day. I think we are a corporate company, but I think we still got the human core in BI. If you come to a branch and visit the branch and show you can experience what I mean, it's difficult to explain in words, but we still see a person for a person and we still service them as the requirement. We understand frustrations, we understand the emotion of the human being. So I think that's one of the things, especially with the farmer and the sector, it's a different kind of business if I want to put it like that. You don't work with systems, you don't work with online portals and that type of system. So yes, I think that is what makes BI different in a lot of I know it's a great area, but yeah, we've got some good people working for us. Fantastic, and as a service business, service orientated business, what are some of the maybe the top three key things that you would advise the farmer, especially when handling machinery equipment? How can we ensure that our machinery and equipment can last a season of the season? What advice do you give to your customers when they come to BI and they say, I need this service, this service, but how well can we look after our machinery or equipment, especially in times where there's high prices, inflation prices and interest rates are going up? So just one or maybe two or three things that you could advise the farmer to take care of their machinery or their equipment? I would say firstly that we as BI, we don't just sell a product, we sell a service with the product, it's the whole basket. So if a farmer or customer requires something, we won't just say listen for example, this is your product and we send you off and you're good to go. We will do our best to identify in the first place and then afterwards give you options. We won't say this is a cheaper one, this is expensive one, we'll give you the options with the benefits pros and cons and in our experience what will be the benefits of using certain items. So we will do our artwork, we've got like I said technical knowledgeable people, we can do the designs for you, we've got departments that can assist with that as well. So yes, we will sell the whole basket to our customers and be as efficient and as effective as possible. Okay, fantastic. Where can people find you Johan, any website, any go-to contact, email or contact number where farmers and just make basically our audience can reach out to you? No problem, yes I can give you our email first number, they can direct your call from there to one of the 40 plus branches and that will be 0118990000 Okay, or we can visit the website www.bearing.co.za, one easy one and of course there's an email address as well, I can give you mine, that's J-O-H-A-N-S for sugar at www.bearing.co.za Fantastic, thank you so much for coming on to the show and just maybe just telling us a little bit more about Bearing's International. I think a lot of our audience today have learned a thing or two about what you guys do and maybe just keeping abreast of all the changes that are happening in the industry, knowing that over and above your equipment and machinery or tool company, they can come to Bearing's more so that they get an array of services, there's a sales team, there's a technical team and I think that's a very critical component in the agri industry to have technical advisors. So thank you so much Johan for sharing knowledge about your organization and also what you do and how exactly you work with the farmer because customer service is key at the end of the day. Perfect, thank you buddy, thank you again for having us on and again if there's any questions please put me an email or give me a call. We're definitely well. That was Johan Streicher from Bearing's International, he's the area business unit leader for Bearing's International and we spoke about their service offering, how they work with farmers, so some of the key components you as a farmer could think of when it comes to servicing your tractor and equipment and machinery. He also mentioned a few examples in terms of for example if you're harvesting and your harvester breaks down in the field, you can contact them as opposed to your other trusted or preferred service providers because they've got an array of products, they've got many, many branches I think you mentioned plus minus 40 of them and a lot of a lot of technical advisory that comes with their assistance. So please reach out to them, he did give his contact details, his email address and the main head office contact details to connect you with the branch nearest to you. So if that was not a mouthful then I don't know what is, I hope you stay tuned for the next episode of the Farming Podcast and I will see you then, take care.