Tigercat Industries, a global leader in the design and manufacture of premium forestry equipment, has announced a strategic addition to its Southern Africa team with the appointment of Craig Thompson as a Factory Product Support Representative. The move signals a clear commitment by Tigercat to enhance its regional service capabilities, particularly in light of emerging trends in equipment technology, such as hybrid and electric power systems.
Thompson, who will be relocating to and operating out of Port Alfred, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, brings a potent combination of hands-on mechanical experience and specialised technical knowledge to the role.
Craig Thompson’s expertise is uniquely suited to the evolving demands of the heavy equipment sector. His extensive background spans general automotive and specialised forestry equipment service. Crucially, he holds accredited, specialised knowledge in hybrid and electric vehicle systems, a skill set honed through training with industry giant Mercedes-Benz.
This focus on advanced, low-emission powertrains aligns perfectly with the growing global emphasis on sustainable forestry practices and the gradual integration of electric and hybrid solutions into heavy-duty machinery. As the search results indicate, the forestry equipment market is seeing a notable upswing in the adoption of electric and hybrid technologies, with some reports showing a year-over-year increase in electric unit shipments by as much as 40% in key markets. Thompson’s skills will be invaluable in supporting dealers and customers as the region potentially explores these next-generation Tigercat machines.
Thompson’s primary mandate is to support and develop Tigercat products while addressing the technical and operational needs of dealers and customers across Southern Africa. He will work alongside current Factory Support Representative, Jeff Cave, who is based in Johannesburg.
This two-person, geographically distributed team is tasked with providing factory-level technical and product support to Tigercat’s regional dealer partners: AfrEquip and Kanu Equipment. These dealers are critical to ensuring high uptime for customers operating in demanding environments throughout South Africa and the countries to the north. A robust factory support structure is vital in the heavy equipment industry, where downtime can translate to significant financial losses for forestry operations.
Thompson’s prior professional history provides significant insight into the scale and complexity of forestry operations he will now be supporting. Before joining Tigercat, he was contracted to provide technical support and fleet management for a large-scale wood products manufacturer and a substantial Tigercat fleet owner, PG Bison.
The search results confirm that PG Bison is a significant, vertically integrated South African company that has historically relied on multiple Tigercat Cut-to-Length (CTL) systems for its operations, including harvesters and forwarders. This deep, practical experience managing and maintaining Tigercat machinery within a major end-user environment gives Thompson a rare, customer-centric perspective on the challenges and solutions required in the field.
“We are thrilled to welcome Craig to the team,” said Gary Olsen, Vice President of Sales, Southern Hemisphere and Central America for Tigercat Industries. “His technical expertise, problem-solving mindset, and passion for innovation will be a tremendous asset. We are confident he will make an immediate impact.”
Thompson echoed this solution-focused approach, stating, “I am passionate about finding, designing, and implementing solutions to problems. I look forward to assisting with any challenges that come our way.”
The decision for Craig Thompson to relocate from Ugie to Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape positions him in a key province for South Africa’s timber industry. The Eastern Cape, along with provinces like KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, is a significant forestry region. Operating from Port Alfred provides a strategic base of operations that allows for more responsive technical and product support to the region’s diverse forestry contractors and fleet owners, ensuring minimal downtime for critical machinery.
By strategically enhancing its local support network with personnel possessing forward-looking skills, Tigercat Industries is investing directly into the future efficiency and productivity of its Southern African customer base. Thompson’s appointment is a clear indication that Tigercat is preparing to meet the challenges of next-generation, technologically advanced forestry equipment in one of the world’s most vital timber-producing regions.
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