Established in 1985, WR is a proudly Namibian, family-owned company that has over the years established itself as a leading force in the earthmoving and plant hire industry across Namibia. Operating nationwide, the company currently manages a fleet of 70 machines, with a foothold across mining, contracting, road maintenance, demolition and hard rock excavation.
Driven by a strong family foundation, WR is led by founder Robert Wirtz and his son, Alex Wirtz combining experience with a forward-thinking approach to modern plant hire and earthmoving solutions.
With an existing extensive range of Liebherr equipment in its stable – comprising a large fleet of excavators (A 904 C, A 924 C, R 920, R 926 C, R 934 B, R 954 C, R 974 B and R 984 C), wheel loaders (L 550 and L 580) and crawler dozers (PR 744 and PR 764) – WR recently purchased its first Liebherr ADT, the 28-tonne payload TA 230. The unit was supplied by LH Equipment Sales, the authorised Liebherr dealer in Namibia.
Application
According to director, the Liebherr TA 230 has been deployed at a gold mine near Karibib, where it is playing a key role in hauling fill material for the construction of a slimes dam.
The site is currently operating with a fleet of competitor ADTs, owned and operated by WR and Teichmann, another contractor on site. “The arrival of the first TA 230 on our site creates an ideal opportunity to directly compare it against competitor units in the same size class, in real working conditions, allowing the machine to showcase its performance, efficiency and reliability,” says Wirtz.
Reasons for Liebherr
WR has long been a strong proponent of the Liebherr brand, with over 30 Liebherr machines running in its fleet. The decision to introduce the TA 230, explains Wirtz, was a natural progression, aligning with WR’s long-term strategy of investing in premium, high-performance equipment.
Having previously operated a different ADT brand, WR identified the right moment to transition and expand into the Liebherr ADT range, confident in the brand’s engineering excellence and long-term value.
In fact, Alex Wirtz knows the TA 230 quite well, having spent time in Kirchdorf, Germany, from 2018 to 2021, where he completed his apprenticeship in Industrial Mechatronics Engineering at Liebherr. During this time, he closely followed the development of the TA 230 and witnessed firsthand the level of engineering and innovation that went into the development of the machine.
“What stands out most is how Liebherr has combined advanced technology with simplicity. From fault finding to routine servicing, the machine is designed to be user-friendly, efficient and easy to maintain. That is exactly what you need when running a large fleet in demanding conditions,” says Wirtz.
Support matters
Apart from the premium product that continues to prove its mettle across applications, Wirtz says that the support from Liebherr-Africa has been a key factor in WR’s continued partnership with the Liebherr brand. “The Liebherr-Africa team has consistently provided excellent support over the past 30 years. From sales to technical assistance, the level of service we receive makes a real difference. When you operate a fleet of this size, reliability and support are critical – and Liebherr delivers on both,” says Wirtz.
Tendayi Kudumba, General Manager of the product division Earthmoving at Liebherr-Africa, says that aftermarket support is critical in plant hire and earthmoving because it directly impacts machine uptime, safety, operational efficiency and long-term asset value. In such industries, where equipment downtime is out of the question, OEM and dealer support – including genuine parts stockholding and technical support – ensures that machinery operates at peak performance, even under extreme conditions.
Growing uptake
Having made its local debut in June 2022, the Liebherr TA 230 has seen a steady uptake, with six units running in Zimbabwe and 14 in South Africa. “The machine”, tells Kudumba, “has already proven itself in some of the toughest operating environments in southern Africa”.
“The ADT market in southern Africa is very competitive, but we are very happy with the sales performance and enquiries of the TA 230 to date. Several customers have shown immense interest in the machine, and we expect to put more units into the market soon. We are grateful to WR for taking delivery of the first TA 230 in Namibia, and we look forward to the expansion of their Liebherr ADT fleet in the near future,” says Kudumba.
For Wirtz, the introduction of Namibia’s first Liebherr TA 230 marks an exciting step forward for WR Plant Hire. With a strong legacy behind the company and a clear vision for the future, WR continues to invest in equipment that sets the benchmark for performance, efficiency and reliability in the Namibian market.
“As a company, we are always looking to stay ahead by investing in the best equipment available. The Liebherr TA 230 is a perfect example of that commitment, and we are excited to see it perform on site,” concludes Wirtz.
