Revamped stand to encourage positive customer experience

Industrial gases company African Oxygen, better known as Afrox, will be featuring a revamped stand at the Nampo Harvest Day show, from May 16 to 19, in the Free State, to enable its agricultural customers to view and experience welding machines and equipment in a suitable environment.

The company explains that the theme of the stand will convey its desire to be the preferred supplier of choice, allowing Afrox to demonstrate a range of welding machines, consumables, gases and support services on offer.

The stand will feature familiar and popular elements from previous years, such as live demonstrations, daily specials, welding workshop bays and product displays, as well as the Handigas mascot – which made its first appearance at the Nampo Harvest Day show last year – making it easy to spot.

“The new Afrox industrial metal arc welding (MMA) 221S is a robust machine that features a digital display with arc force and hot start capabilities and will be on special throughout the duration of Nampo 2017,” says Afrox arc equipment product manager Dewald Bodenstein. Other newly launched models will also being on display and available for purchase.

He highlights that the Afrox stand will include new Afrox industrial welding machines, which include two new MMA models, three new metal inert gas (MIG) welding models with multiprocess capabilities as standard and two new tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding models.

Along with the launch of the new welding machines, there will be a competition that will see a lucky customer of Afrox winning one of the newly launched Afrox industrial MMA 221S welding machines every day. The winners’ full prize will include an Afrox Transarc OHE 410 auto-darkening helmet and a 5 kg pack of Vitemax 3.15 mm welding rods. He explains that the value of the daily prize package is R20 000.

To make buying equipment from Afrox easier, this year, a ‘pay and collect’ service will be introduced. He points out that, with the pay-and-collect option, Afrox customers can take advantage of the discounted prices on welding machines and other equipment on promotion and then collect them from their nearest Afrox branch at their convenience.

“Afrox is dedicated to providing farmers with complete agricultural welding and cutting solutions, so, along with offering them products they can trust, we also aim to support all their agricultural needs,” he says.

Bodenstein explains that, to showcase Afrox’s versatility, the stand will include a large welding workshop where welding processes will be showcased through interactive projects. “Two live demonstration bays will be in operation – one dedicated to plasma and gas equipment and the other to MMA, TIG and MIG welding.”

Welding professionals will demonstrate processes, such as hard facing for farming applications, and visitors to the stand will have the opportunity for hands-on interaction with the welding machines and equipment that Afrox has available.

Lasting Business

Bodenstein explains that Afrox is celebrating 90 years of business in sub-Saharan Africa, supplying gas, welding consumables and equipment.

“This will include Vitemax, Afrox’s leading premium electrode for mild steel applications; a range of liquefied petroleum gas products that can be used in the agriculture sector, including the Handipack – a compact gas cylinder and cooker combo, as well as the two plate stove and the ARCmate range – a suite of lightweight and portable products aimed at the DIY sector,” he explains.

Bodenstein points out that the PortaPak welding and cutting set will also be on display at the show, as well as the Agrigas and Porta range of gas cylinders. The PortaPak allows work to be performed at remote locations and in elevated areas.