JCB’s diggers may be dancing but it is its order book that is singing as the company records sales worth over US$1.68 million.
The machine maker has taken orders for backhoes, loading shovels, lighting towers in the first three days of the Big 5 PMV event.
JCB made its debut, with its popular Dancing Digger display, at the Big 5 last year and, Paul Murray, regional manager, Middle East explained that its return is a demonstration of how important the region has become to the company.
“This event is not just about selling,” he said. “It’s about getting our brand out there. The Dancing Diggers, for example, had an audience of 4,000 people on the first day. We had people from Singapore, Japan – it’s great for JCB as a brand.”
JCB sales dropped from 70,000 units in 2007 to 30,000 units in 2009, but, according to Murray, this year has seen a pick-up in sales and JCB is on course to reach 50,000 units. Since the beginning on the downturn, the Middle East has become one of the most important areas for the company, as Murray explained, when the market slid in 2007 and 2008, it remained one of the few bright spots in terms of sales.
“This year will be the strongest ever turnaround for JCB,” he said. “The Middle East provided strong support when other markets dropped. Along with other emerging markets such as China, India and South America it has become very significant and a major part of our focus.”
The company is undergoing a programme of investment throughout the region especially in distribution and support. Murray said it is building new JCB-designed facilities for partners in Saudi Arabia, including homes for distribution in Jeddah and Riyadh, and other countries with strong potential such as Oman and Iraq.
“These represent significant investments for us,” he said, “but we’re thinking five, ten years ahead. We’re here for the long term.”
