By now, your new working year is probably well underway. The festivities have drawn to a close and 2013 is something of a distant memory. Even so, it is only a short while since the Big 5 trade show was in full swing.
The four-day event, which was held at Dubai World Trade Centre towards the end of November, attracted tens of thousands of visitors from across the globe and showcased the latest and most innovative products from around the construction industry.
Co-located at the Big 5 for the third consecutive year was the PMV Live outdoor exhibition area. The sizeable paddock played host to some of the biggest stories – and indeed, the biggest machines – that the show had to offer. Exhibitors from across the PMV industry set up shop and brought along a raft of their flagship equipment in a bid to capture the attention of attendees.
Indeed, the size of PMV Live’s outdoor exhibition area was almost double that of 2012’s event – a reflection of the Middle East’s resurgent PMV sector, according to organisers. However, this wasn’t purely a showcasing exercise; new products were unveiled and serious business was conducted.
So, sit back and relax as we take you on a whistle-stop tour of the most interesting stories from PMV Live at the Big 5.
Boom Times
Terex-owned Genie enjoyed an excellent debut at PMV Live, receiving orders for two of its new ZX-135 articulating booms in as many days. The first sale came within hours of the official opening of The Big 5 2013. A second order was placed on the second day of the event.
Genie’s ZX-135 self-propelled articulating boom is capable of lifting a two-man team with a weight of up to 272kg to a height of over 43m. The machine’s brand new X-design drive chassis allows it to be transported on the back of a low-bed trailer without any additional permits.
“We managed to sell the first boom to a customer from Iraq just two hours after the show opened on Monday,” said Sharbel Kordahi, general manager of Terex Aerial Work Platforms. “We received another order for a ZX-135 on the second day of The Big 5 from a customer in Saudi Arabia. Two machines in two days is an excellent rate of success.”
Loading Platform
XGMA used The Big 5 as a platform to showcase its H-Series wheel loaders in the Middle East. The Chinese firm exhibited a exhibited at PMV Live for the second consecutive year.
The manufacturer used the available space to its advantage by exhibiting some of its H-Series wheel loaders in the flesh. In comparison to their predecessors, the latest generation wheel loaders feature improved performance, higher efficiency, and enhanced reliability.
“The wheel loader is our best-selling product,” said Rocky Wu, vice general manager of Xiamen XGMA Machinery Gulf. “Annually, XGMA sells approximately 36,000 wheel-loader units to the world. These machines are extremely popular.
“Our annual sales across the region are around $50m,” he added. “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.”
Hyundai takes centre stage
With perhaps the most visible stand in the PMV Live outdoor exhibition area, Al Wasit Machinery used The Big 5 2013 to increase awareness of the range of Hyundai construction machinery available to regional customers. The authorised distributor seized the opportunity to showcase some of the manufacturer’s lesser known products.
Whilst Al Wasit displayed a comprehensive range of Hyundai construction equipment at the show, it paid particularly close attention to the manufacturer’s skid-steer and backhoe loaders. As Abu Dhabi branch manager Abdullah Hakan Izmirligil explained, not everybody knows that Hyundai produces these lines, so it is important for him and his colleagues to spread awareness.
“We are showcasing Hyundai’s new H930S and H940S backhoe loaders as well as the latest HSL650-7A and HSL850-7A skid-steer loaders,” he told PMV.
“These machines have only recently been introduced to the market and Al Wasit is keen to show prospective customers exactly what they can do. When it comes to backhoe loaders and SSLs, Hyundai is not a name that immediately springs to mind. Al Wasit intends to change this. We are committed to building awareness of all products offered by the manufacturer.”
Al Wasit’s strategy appears to be paying off. Sales of both backhoe and skid-steer loaders have increased dramatically during the last 12 months, according to Izmirligil. Indeed, 2013 was a good year for the UAE distributor across the board.
“In 2013, Al Wasit finalised 50% to 60% more sales than it did in 2012,” said Izmirligil. “This situation has been aided by the opening of our new branch in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi. We have significantly improved our after-sales support across the region, and we are investing a lot of time and effort into this market.”
As a longstanding exhibitor at the show, The Big 5 represents an important part of Al Wasit’s strategy for growth.
“As you can see, this event draws construction professionals from all over the world,” said Izmirligil.
“A large proportion of those in attendance work in the Middle East but we have also been visited by individuals from North and Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and even from Europe. We have been involved with this show since the beginning. I am confident that The Big 5 and PMV Live will continue to play an important role for Al Wasit Machinery.”
Near sell-out for UME
United Mechanical Equipment (UME) sold 80% of its displayed products during the course of The Big 5 2013. The UAE-based distributor for SANY, Dingli and Feeler received interest from across the GCC.
UME achieved significant success with its range of SANY rough-terrain and truck cranes, and with Dingli’s line-up of articulated, telescopic, and scissor lifts.
“SANY 4×4 cranes are typically used in the oil and gas sector,” said UME sales manager Hansraj Bhatia. “At present, there is significant regional demand for these machines and truck cranes also remain popular across the Middle East.
“The success of Dingli-brand lifts has been particularly impressive,” he continued. “This is the first year that UME has brought Dingli products to the show. We have showcased articulated, telescopic, scissor, and vertical lifts, and they have all sold extremely well.”
Over the course of the four-day show, UME received orders for 80% of the products that it had on display. As Bhatia explained, trade shows are useful platforms for business.
“For us, it is very important to exhibit at shows such as The Big 5,” he said. “We have had plenty of visitors and we have done lots of business. The market looks extremely promising. UME expects its sales to increase by more than 35% in 2014.”