Gotrade, the authorised dealer of Palfinger cranes in the UAE and Oman and the trading arm of Gorica Group, is expanding the Palfinger product offering in both markets to include loader cranes, access platforms and crawler cranes.
Currently, the majority of Palfinger cranes that sell in Oman and UAE are in the 10–25mt class. This is also where the bulk of Palfinger models have demand and have proved to be the best long-term investment from the cost of ownership perspective, according to Jaka Bolcina, deputy general manager, Gotrade.
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“Over the past few years, Palfinger cranes have proved their performance in the most demanding local conditions and applications. We have provided the local block industry with a dedicated block crane catered to local demands in terms of lifting capacity, features and overall quality. Currently, we are probably the best performing block crane supplier in the UAE and we are catching up in Oman as well where we have penetrated the market with strategic clients. The second application where we have been extremely successful recently is waste management where we have provided innovative solutions at affordable prices to various customers in Oman and the UAE,” says Bolcina.
Palfinger access platforms, too, have been well received in the market, according to Bolcina.
“Over the past year we have been very successful in demonstrating that Palfinger access platforms are the best in the GCC market. The superiority in design, compactness and the quality of craftsmanship of Palfinger access platforms are unparalleled to other access platforms available in the UAE or Oman. Whilst other brands may have a substantial price advantage, and are aggressive in promoting that benefit, we offer end-users a solution that rarely anyone can match in terms of profitability and performance. We definitely see potential in truck mounted access platforms in the UAE and Oman,” he says.
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Gotrade plans to introduce a crawler crane in the GCC in 2020 which combines a crawler unit and a high capacity loader crane unit in a single machine.
“The crawler crane we will be introducing next year combines the features of two machines for a niche market that has the most demanding off road applications. Its ability to detach the crawler unit from the crane unit has big advantages, and its 115-mt capacity coupled with a fly jib and aerial basket offers a versatile tool that can tackle many applications where a traditional truck cannot reach due to its size or remoteness of the area. I personally think that any rental company investing in such a product would get faster ROI than from their current fleet of average performing machines,” says Bolcina.
Bolcina elaborates on the opportunities available for factory mounting Palfinger cranes with vehicle bodies manufactured by Gorica Industries.
“Having a single source for procuring truck mounted cranes is certainly an advantage for any client, especially if the resources of Gorica Industries, the top body builder in the region, and Palfinger, a world leader in crane manufacturing, are combined. Such a partnership would provide customers the quality assurance for engineering and mounting of the vehicle and crane.”
“In 2018 we invested heavily in our facility in DIP-2, Dubai, to offer high-quality mounting services at affordable prices. We are probably the only provider on the market that entirely follows the mounting guidelines of both truck manufacturers and crane manufacturers.
However, at the moment, certain type of cranes can only be mounted in European Competence Centres. These are complex machines with multiple electronic systems and bigger capacities. Nevertheless, we are continuously investing in machinery and training of our local technicians so that in future we can offer the mounting and set-up of bigger machines locally. I think we are on the right track to offering such services from our Middle East competence centre not only to UAE and Oman, but other markets in the region,” says Bolcina.
