The MTS Parts team at their workshop in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.

Ponsse, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of cut-to-length logging equipment, has been working hard to enlarge their footprint in South Africa and to give their customers the best service available in forestry. To this end Ponsse has now appointed a new retailer, MTS Parts, based in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, to be responsible for the sales and support for all Ponsse machines in South Africa.

MTS Parts has joined forces with Green Projects, previously the sole distributor of Ponsse Equipment, to strengthen the Ponsse brand and family-orientated Ponsse culture in South Africa and neighbouring countries.

MTS Parts has more than a decade of experience in the forestry and agriculture equipment industry, and is a market leader in the supply and maintenance of forest machines and equipment. The company offers a wide selection of equipment, solutions and services from its base in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.

“Green Projects will be acting as a Ponsse sub-dealer under MTS Parts in the KwaZulu-Natal area,” explained Chris Odendaal, Managing Director of MTS Parts. “Frank Uzzel from Green Projects will be responsible for all Ponsse sales and after sales in KZN, but will also be assisting MTS with sales in other areas as well.

“We will be working closely with Green Projects to grow Ponsse locally in South Africa and in neighbouring countries,” said Chris.

The Ponsse Cobra harvesting some big gum.

In addition to the Ponsse dealership, MTS Parts is the sole distributor of Dezzi equipment in Mpumalanga. Dezzi is well-known for manufacturing bulk-handling equipment for forestry and agriculture.

MTS Parts also manufactures hardware for a variety of sectors including forestry cut-to-length harvesting, earthmoving and the sugarcane industry nationwide. The extensive in-house range of products is marketed and distributed throughout South Africa. This has earned MTS the reputation of being a one-stop shop for all bulk-handling equipment, services and solutions.

Chris said that the MTS Parts team believes strongly in establishing long term relationships, and they view customers as part of the MTS ‘family’ where their needs and requirements are always the number one priority.

MTS Parts’ field service aims to ensure maximum uptime and productivity for customers.

“We have been building our business around transparency, reliability and integrity, which in turn has seen us garner respect, trust and loyalty from our customers. We strive to bolster this reputation by continuing to offer unprecedented levels of products, service and solutions,” says Chris.

The addition of the Ponsse brand to their stable links MTS Parts with a leading global manufacturer of forestry harvesting equipment.

Ponsse forest machines are based on environmentally friendly cut-to-length (CTL) logging, where trees are felled, delimbed and cut into various log assortments before they leave the forest. The product range covers all size categories from first thinning and harvesting of forest biomass for energy to heavy-duty regeneration felling, specially adapted for all logging sites, from soft soil to steep slopes.

The H7 Euca harvesting head is suitable for use on both wheeled and tracked machines from 16 to 22 tons.

Purpose built
All Ponsse machines and their key components are designed and built in the company’s factory in Vieremä, Finland, which is one of the most modern forest machine factories in the world.
Today, Ponsse’s machines operate in 40 countries, and the family-owned business employs more than 1 800 people around the world.

Continuous investment and development have been Ponsse’s cornerstones since the 1970s, and over the past few years Ponsse has invested heavily in its R&D and production capabilities. The 15 000th Ponsse machine rolled off the line at the company’s new eco- and ergonomically friendly factory in 2018.

Thanks to the investment, the amount of testing and quality control has increased considerably. For example, the factory now features a state of the art optical 3D scanning unit which is used to inspect all forest machine structures to ensure they meet the quality requirements.

The manufacturer expects the 1 000th Ponsse Scorpion, the flagship of the model range, to exit the production line soon. Latest models include the Ponsse Cobra harvester and the Bison forwarder.
MTS Parts’ vision and goals are in line with Ponsse's own values and goals, which enables us to assist harvesting companies to achieve better profitability and efficiency, said Juha Vidgrén, who chairs Ponsse’s board of directors.

The Ponsse Elephant King forwarder is rugged and productive.

Parts, back-up and support
MTS holds a wide variety of parts in stock and also offer an export service for parts and components. The MTS workshop is fully equipped to carry out minor and major repairs and maintenance to all types of bulk handling machinery and hydraulic cylinders. In addition, they rebuild hydraulic components, engines, transmissions and other industry-specific machines. The workshop also includes a general engineering facility which enables the MTS team to manufacture components when necessary.

To maximise convenience and minimise downtime for customers, MTS offers a field service staffed by highly trained and skilled technicians.

Contact Chris Odendaal for a quote on new Ponsse equipment or parts:
mobile: 082 575 7447; email: chris@mtsparts.co.za

*First published in SA Forestry magazine, July 2020

Related article: Green Projects puts Ponsse on the map in South Africa