CEA official distributor for Ditch Witch, Komptech

Leading agriculture and construction equipment distributor, CEA, has officially commenced operations as the Australian and New Zealand distributor of Ditch Witch underground construction equipment and Komptech waste recycling equipment.

CEA agreed earlier this year to purchase ELB Equipment, which distributes Ditch Witch and Komptech equipment in Australia, and has completed the transaction recently on July 2, 2020.

As part of the acquisition, CEA will also become the distributor of a range of other brands including Diamond Z, Screenpod, TrackStack, Hammerhead, Ring-O-Matic and Subsite; adding to its portfolio of products catering to customers in the infrastructure construction, utility maintenance, waste management and recycling sectors.

CEA currently distributes a range of well-known brands including JCB, Dynapac and Atlas Copco, and said the new additions will allow the company to expand its footprint across the country.

“We are really pleased to add these strong brands to our product portfolio,” said CEA CEO, Hylton Taylor.

“As a growing business, we are continually looking at how we better meet the needs of the ever-evolving market.

“Adding strong, well established brands to our portfolio strengthens our ability to support our diverse range of existing customers and provides the opportunity to interact with a whole new client base.”

As part of the acquisition, 55 employees from ELB Equipment will transition to CEA, ensuring key product knowledge and strong customer relationships are retained within the business.

“We’re excited to be joining CEA,” said ELB Managing Director, Christopher Malan.

“CEA is well known for its professionalism, extensive focus on core product lines, and supporting its staff to carry out their integral roles within the business.

“The ELB team is really looking forward to coming together with CEA to collaborate and build on the Ditch Witch and Komptech brands here in Australia and New Zealand.”

ELB Equipment head office and administrative staff will commence relocating to CEA’s head office in Horningsea Park in Sydney from early July, 2020, and ELB’s operations in Sydney, Adelaide, and Brisbane will commence consolidation with CEA’s facilities over the coming months.

It is anticipated that all ELB Australian facilities will be consolidated with CEA’s within 18 months. CEA said it is a priority of the business to ensure minimal disruption and downtime as the transition takes place.

“There will be a period of transition over the coming months as we move the ELB team in to the CEA premises but I am confident we can complete this quickly and with minimal disruption,” Taylor said.

“Since first announcing the acquisition, we have received extremely positive feedback from the market and we are looking forward to the future opportunities this will present to the CEA business.”