In the last two years, Rockwell Automation sub-Saharan Africa and JB Switchgear Solutions have won many large contracts in the local and international industrial markets by supplying and serving various industries with the single-source supply of industrial automation information-enabled solutions alongside fully integrated and networked intelligent Motor Control Centres (MCCs).

This collaboration has afforded both companies a strong foothold in a very competitive market. By retaining their independence, the Rockwell Automation / JB Switchgear Solutions collaboration has proven that when company strengths intersect, a more cost-effective, high-performance technical solution can be possible. The Rockwell Automation / JB Switchgear Solutions relationship is also based on parallel business goals, and is supported by holistic and extensive pre- and after-sales services.

The key differentiator of this collaboration is that both companies are completely independent from one another on both technical and commercial levels. As much as Rockwell Automation does have a globally competitive OEM low voltage MCC delivery capability with its “Centerline” product line, the collaboration brings together the highly competitive, high-performance and compliant Allen-Bradley product portfolio with the highly competitive, high-performance and compliant “Eagle Series” MCC product line of JB Switchgear Solutions.

The '”Eagle Series” product line has proven vastly flexible in configuration and compliance, and delivers a truly tailored MCC solution that meets every demanding requirement – without the high price tag.

Johan Basson, Managing Director of JB Switchgear Solutions, explains that, “when MCC manufacturing and switchgear supply and control are no longer independent, by way of OEM manufacture delivery or official partnerships, the final aspect of a buy-in and fair bidding are compromised. When you remove this aspect, both the MCC manufacturer and the switchgear and control manufacturer can transform their approach to business to ‘let’s find a solution that works for you’, and not necessarily the one I’m trying to ‘punt’.”

By retaining their independence, both companies are able to offer a more fit-for-purpose solution while remaining competitive with market prices, ultimately delivering an economical, single-source solution.

This collaborative approach has awarded the two companies various local and international projects throughout Africa, including their recent contracts to mineral sands expansion projects in Sierra Leone; containerised MCCs to greenfield diamond mining operations in Lesotho; as well as their foothold in South Africa’s second largest Phosphate deposit, located in the Western Cape.

The success of this collaboration is also attributed to the companies’ parallel business goals: quality products and solutions that are supported with at-the-customer services that begin long before the contract has been officially awarded. “Part of the success of our collaboration is that we both show a willingness to guide and assist customers without the expectation of a sale,” explains Adrian van Wyk, Business Manager for Power and Components at Rockwell Automation, Sub-Saharan Africa. “By doing so, we are not only able to support customers with solutions that aren’t prescribed by ulterior motives or official agreements, but we strategise together to find the most efficient, cost-effective solution.”