XGMA
XGMA is yet another China-headquartered company that has been making headway in the Middle East’s PMV market over the last 12 months.
Wheel loaders represent the manufacturer’s most popular products in the region, but XGMA has also made significant progress with its lines of skid-steer loaders, motor graders, and compactors.
As one would expect, the Chinese construction market accounts for the majority of XGMA sales, but the Middle East also represents a lucrative and important territory for the manufacturer.
As vice general manager of Xiamen XGMA Machinery Gulf, Rocky Wu, told PMV: “Our annual sales across the region are around $50mn. This is a very important market for XGMA. We do a lot of business in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Libya, and the UAE.”
Komatsu
Komatsu has enjoyed yet another strong year in the Middle East. Its regional distributor network – which includes Galadari Trucks and Heavy Equipment (GTHE) in the UAE, and Abdul Latif Jameel Group (ALJG) in Saudi Arabia – has continued to strengthen the brand’s status amongst the local construction community.
In addition, healthy resale prices on the second-hand market serve to demonstrate Komatsu’s reputation in the Middle East.
GTHE recently announced the introduction of the Komatsu PC200-8MO crawler excavator to the UAE market, citing the release as a major strand of its strategy to achieve double-digit growth during the coming two years.
This level of confidence is indicative of the Japanese manufacturer’s product quality, and the regional trust that it has built.
Doosan Infracore
Doosan Infracore is another company with responsibility for an impressive array of equipment brands.
In addition to the construction machinery produced by Doosan Heavy, the South Korean group includes Doosan Portable Power, Montabert, and renowned manufacturer of compact equipment, Bobcat Company.
It has been a busy 12 months for Doosan Infracore in the Middle East, with the opening of a new parts distribution centre in Dubai during the fourth quarter of 2013. The facility has been built in a bid to reduce delivery times of stock orders from 27 countries spanning the Middle East and Africa, replacing the company’s former air cargo delivery model.
Moreover, Abu Dhabi trade show INTERMAT 2014 was chosen as the stage for the global launch of Bobcat’s T40180 telehandler; a reflection of the seriousness with which Doosan Infracore views the market in the Middle East.
Manitowoc
When it comes to lifting equipment, few companies can match the range of Manitowoc. In addition to its eponymous crawler cranes, the US-based firm also supplies Grove-branded rough-terrain cranes and Potain-branded tower cranes to construction professionals across the planet.
As part of its strategy to strengthen customer service, improve operational efficiencies, and enhance its decision-making process, Manitowoc replaced its regional management structure with a global, product line-oriented strategy earlier this year.
Speaking to PMV, Dave Hull, senior vice president for global sales and marketing at Manitowoc Cranes, said that this reorganisation will positively impact customer service across the region.
“With one product organisation directly responsible for that product throughout its life, we believe that we will have a more intense focus on customer needs,” he explained.
Indeed, customers in the Middle East seem to be responding favourably to the updated approach. UAE-headquartered Nouman Fouad Trading (NFT), for example, ordered 115 Potain tower cranes from Manitowoc during CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2014 in March of this year.
