Shinrai is a Japanese word that translates to trust, capability and reliability – all terms that Hitachi customers are familiar with. These are philosophies that the giant from the land of the rising sun has embodied in the world of construction equipment for all of its history, as it has carved its reputation on quality on job-sites around the globe and within the hearts and minds of its customers.
The Middle East is no exception to this. In the decade plus of its direct presence in the region, Hitachi Construction Machinery Middle East (HMEC) has become one of the default names for performance, power and productivity on job-sites not only in the Middle East but also in the wider surrounding regions, such as North and East Africa. And that reputation has been built on Hitachi’s prowess in excavators of all sizes, huge and robust mining excavators and rigid dump trucks, a variety of wheeled loader models, compact earthmoving equipment and even crawler cranes.
Conspicuous by its absence in Hitachi’s line-up for the region, however, was that vital tool that the Middle Eastern job-site swears by – the backhoe loader. But no longer. The Japanese giant has now launched the BX100 Shinrai Power backhoe loader, unleashing the same Hitachi expertise and reliability on the very important backhoe loader (BHL) market in the region.
Every market in the world, geographically speaking, has its peculiarities and preferences. Developed ones, such as Europe or Japan, like their mini excavators and compact loaders; mining-heavy markets of course see greater sales of dumpers and giant excavators. In the same vein, the Middle East is backhoe loader territory, just like its neighbour market – India.
India knows a thing or two about manufacturing backhoe loaders, being the world’s largest producer of the machine as well as its biggest consumer, with around 50% of global production sold in this one country alone.
While the Middle East does not have India’s market numbers – and neither its manufacturing prowess – the versatile model with a loader at one end and an excavator arm at the other is equally the go-to equipment of choice in our region. This means that any leading manufacturer in the regional market needs to have a popular ‘BHL’ in its arsenal.
And Hitachi’s arsenal has received a big boost with the introduction of the BX100 Shinrai Power.
But what made the company take the plunge on the BHL for the region now, something it had not done before? Manabu Arami, President, HMEC, says now means never too late.
“For Hitachi the backhoe loader is a new product in our line-up for this part of the world. We have selected to offer it here because we at HMEC believe that there is a well-defined market, both in terms of specific geographical areas where the backhoe loader is in demand as well as for specific tasks for which it is preferred,” Arami explains.
Hitachi aims for a healthy market share
“We have been discussing this product market combination for a while. The backhoe loader is of course by no means a completely new product. It has been here for decades; but we feel that we can have a healthy market share. There’s enough room for an extra brand in the market, especially if the product is as good as the one we are offering.”
Piet Van Bakergem, General Manager, HMEC, adds that the Middle East market continues to grow and Hitachi anticipates that this will go on for a while, as will demand for specific types of equipment associated with that growth.
“After the Covid-19 pandemic, investment in infrastructure – such as roads, smart cities, etc. – is active and ongoing. Many places in the region, like Saudi Arabia, are testament to this. So we’re entering the BHL market because it’s a big market; there’s always demand and even growth in this segment and after Covid there is more infrastructure being built, so we’re seeing more demand for the machine. Therefore, this is a good time,” says Van Bakergem.
“And what we also see is that cities such as Doha, Abu Dhabi or Dubai are now being completed; therefore in many places, tracked equipment is not allowed to enter for the reason that it may damage the built environment. So it has to be wheeled equipment, such as a BHL, whether for maintenance or minor rebuilding tasks. This is another reason that we believe this product stands a sure chance of being successful.”
Another reason for Hitachi introducing its BHL in the region is the fact that it has always strived to be a complete solutions provider for its customers, and Arami explains: “Our dealer network has many loyal customers. Those customers quite often want a one-stop shop for their equipment needs. One of the main reasons for this is that they want more simplicity and uniformity in their parts inventories. So it makes sense for us to offer the BHL, so that when they constitute their fleet with Hitachi excavators, loaders and our other equipment, they do not have to go looking elsewhere for a BHL.
“Having said that, we think customers will be loyal to this new machine of ours when they use it based on its performance itself, and not necessarily only because of brand preference.
“An important aspect on our radar for the BHL are equipment owners who have, let’s say, 20 pieces of Hitachi equipment. They don’t want to go to another manufacturer for just a BHL. We already have a good relationship with the customer, and now we can offer the BHL as well. So, this makes our product-line more complete, and encourages one-stop shopping.”
Even from the dealers’ point of view, Arami adds, the BHL introduction provides greater economies of scale: “Now they have one brand and one parts centre to provide everything correctly. Also, they now have a very popular and in-demand BHL model to approach their customers in the future, giving them an extra line to other customers.”
Which brings us to the model itself – the Shinrai BX100 – and why it is a popular and in-demand machine in several markets already.
In Van Bakergem’s words: “The BX100 has a powerful 99hp engine and a massive 400Nm of torque at only 1,350 rpm. Its standard bucket is a 1.1 cubic metre tilt bucket. It is built with robustness in mind and has already proven itself to be reliable and capable of withstanding the toughest conditions. It has earned the other name that we have given it: ‘Shinrai power’. Shinrai in Japanese can mean qualities such as trust, reliability and confidence – all of which the BX100 inspires in the end-users.”
Explaining the features and advantages of the machine he further explains that the BX100 has three pluses: high productivity, low lifecycle cost, and maximum operator comfort through ease of operations and safety.
“The BX100’s high productivity comes from its powerful, reliable and fuel-efficient engine, coupled with its world-renowned and proven driveline. In terms of low lifecycle costs, it has features such as the best-in-class dump height for easy loading, lower fuel consumption in both loader and backhoe operations as well as easy and low-cost maintenance for more profit per hour. Its design and build also incorporate capable structures that are built to last a lifetime,” Van Bakergem adds.
“When it comes to operator comfort, ease of operations and safety, great attention has been lavished on all these aspects. The cabin has a safe, simple and comfortable cabin and an easy and comprehensive operator console designed for simplicity and functionality while in operation. The cabin is also a wide-view one, which further contributes to safety and easier operation.”
Customised and proven in the region
All that being said, the BX100 from Hitachi is a product that is of course not manufactured in the Middle East and was not built originally for the region specifically either. So, playing the devil’s advocate, PMV Middle East points out there may be some scepticism among customers as to its suitability for this region, which is one of the harshest in the world.
Putting such doubts to rest, Van Bakergem explains: “The bottom line is that the machines are made by Hitachi. We have global resources to produce machines and all such resources are up to the same exacting and demanding Hitachi standards and specifications. If a machine is dressed in our distinctive orange livery and sporting the Hitachi badge, then it is already the most reliable, robust and productive unit in its category because we take such pride in what we provide our customers.
“Where exactly we may produce a machine or order it from for our territory here is based on various criteria and business decisions. But regardless of that, what is common in all Hitachi machines is the same level of quality.”
But with each region having its own unique demands – and the Middle East being among the most demanding – how suitable for this region is a product built in another geography? Hitachi has taken utmost care of the suitability aspect of the BX100 by testing it extensively in the harshest conditions that the Middle East can throw at it and modifying and customising the machine to suit this region to the T.
“In the Industry, everyone knows where the countries with the harshest conditions are – the Middle East, and specifically Saudi Arabia. We sent the BX100 to all corners of our territory, and KSA was one of them. For months on end the model was carefully tested, evaluated and proven. Our engineers followed up on all aspects of its performance and all parameters were evaluated by our expert team with decades and decades of experience and expertise. Anything that could be subject to improvement was communicated to production and improved – so the end product will be available as a ‘Reliable Solution’, as we like to call it.
“The BX100 is a truly capable machine. This capability is backed by its high-torque-at-low-rpm engine with enough reserve power across its entire spectrum to provide confidence in its capabilities. Add in its spacious cabin with controls that are easy to work with, a fully mechanical drive train, and the lowest operating cost in the market and this is the one BHL to go for if you’re in the market for a BHL,” claims Van Bakergem.
Elaborating on a crucial modification that the BX100 underwent for the Middle East, he adds that this was the cab air-conditioning. “In our region air-conditioning is of course a vital feature in any machine because of the super-hot temperatures that we experience here. This is where our testing proved that the BX100 needed an upgrade. To be safe and efficient, operators need a conducive in-cab environment and the right temperature is absolutely necessary. So the AC unit in the BX100 was upgraded to provide more cooling that is demanded by the high job-site temperatures that we have most of the year in this region, higher than perhaps any other region.
“The BX100 is more than powerful-enough to support an upgraded air-conditioner and this is one very apparent change that we made to the machine among other minor tweaks to make it suitable for the Middle East.”
The HMEC general manager adds that interest in a Hitachi backhoe loader has been high in the region for a while from both existing and prospective customers. “The accessibility of the product, commercial wise, is attractive in this region. The backhoe loader is a very commonly-used multifunctional took in the Middle East, to fulfil many tasks, such as trenching, pipelaying, earthmoving, loading, maintenance, etc., to mention only a few.”
Hitachi ready with after-sales support network
So now that the Hitachi BX100 Shinrai Power has been launched in the Middle East, what sort of support for the machine can customers expect? A piece of construction equipment, after all, is only as useful as the uptime that its after-sales support network can provide. However well a model is made, it will have normal wear parts that need replacing in a set time-period. If a customer is left hanging for parts availability or paucity of a technician to fit that part, then the illustrious history of the Hitachi brand has no meaning.
“We’ve been readying for this launch for a while now and all support systems are in place. In fact, that’s one of the first things that we do before introducing anything new on the market,” Van Bakergem assures.
“We had a dealer launch event sometime back and you will see the product on job-sites in the region before year-end. The BX100 not only provides Hitachi brand quality but also uses our Global e-Service, which provides various data, such as on machine operation and technical information, and manuals by Hitachi Construction Machinery. The HMEC warehouse is already prepared to ensure parts availability and provide essential training to dealers.”
In conclusion, Arami says: “The Hitachi BX100 Shinrai Power brings the same Hitachi quality and excellence to the BHL segment in the region that our customers have trusted us with for decades now. It is a machine that brings new levels of reliability, productivity and peace-of-mind for customers and is ready to live up to the Shinrai name.”