Business

Iconic 72-year-old family-run company in South Africa getting a new CEO

Bianke Neethling • 11 June 2026

Bell Equipment has announced that its current CEO, Ashley Bell, who is also the grandson of the company’s founder, Irvine Bell, is set to step down from the top job at the end of August 2026.

Now, Izak van Niekerk, who had worked at the company from 2013 to 2016, is set to take the helm.

Bell Equipment is a major, multinational heavy machinery manufacturer, with deep roots in South Africa.

The company was founded over seven decades ago by mechanic Irvine Bell, who opened a small engineering workshop in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal, in 1954.

Among his first inventions was a self-loading sugarcane trailer, which Irvine developed to serve the local sugarcane farming community.

A decade later, he would also develop the world’s first hydraulic three-wheeled cane loader.

As the years progressed, Bell Equipment expanded its operations, introducing new innovations to several industries, including the world’s largest production Articulated Dump Truck (ADT).

Bell was also the first to introduce onboard weighing, satellite-based telematics, and an autonomous-ready platform on its ADTs.

From the start, Bell Equipment was a family-run business, with Irvine, his wife Eunice, and her brother, Malcolm Campbell, involved in running the company.

As the firm grew, this family legacy continued, with Irvine’s sons, Peter, Gary, and Paul, playing pivotal roles in transforming Bell from an engineering workshop into a manufacturing powerhouse.

They spearheaded the company’s international expansion, pushing Bell’s renowned ADTs and other machinery onto the global stage.

Today, Bell exports its products to 80 countries, employs 4,000 people, and is listed on the JSE with a market cap of R3.6 billion.

Gary has remained on the company’s board, serving as its non-executive chairman and using his over 50 years of experience in the mining and construction machinery sector to continue his father’s legacy.

This family empire continued into the third generation, with Ashley having joined the Bell Equipment board of directors in 2015 as a non-executive director, before taking over as CEO in 2024, after Leon Goosen’s resignation.

Despite stepping down as CEO later this year, Ashley will remain on Bell’s board as a non-executive director.

To this day, the founding Bell family, through their investment vehicle, IA Bell & Company, owns a majority stake in Bell Equipment.

New man at the top

In announcing Ashley’s resignation, Gary said he has done a “fantastic job” leading the executive management team through a challenging period, during which markets have been in decline and global uncertainty has been a major theme.

“Despite the headwinds impacting our industry and business over the last two and a half years, considerable progress has been achieved in the ongoing implementation of our strategies,” he said.

This includes broadening Bell’s product range, optimising inventory, consolidating, and implementing cash preservation initiatives.

Now, Van Niekerk is set to take the helm, having served as CEO designate from 5 July 2026.

He holds a BSc Engineering degree, as well as a BCom Hons degree and an MBA.

“He brings with him strong engineering and commercial experience, and an intimate understanding of the yellow metal industry and the Bell Equipment operations specifically,” the company said.

Van Niekerk previously worked for Bell from 2003 to 2016. “During the more than 13 years that Izak worked for Bell Equipment, he contributed to the business in engineering, supply chain management, marketing, and sales and distribution,” the company said.

“On behalf of the board, we extend our congratulations to Izak on his appointment. He will be a great asset to the Bell team. He will be supported by a strong executive team and a dedicated board,” Gary said.