about safety being important for customer service we are also talking about operator safety. For each item of equipment we give basic training plus have a technical back-up team. In terms of the equipment itself we can talk about the load and safety. Most high capacity access platforms have loads of 230kg - if you overload the basket it gives out a warning. People turn to our products to work in safety. Managers and procurers should keep in mind that an aerial work platform is equal to safety and time-saving.
CMME: Obviously one area where a lot of your competitors are concentrating is is on aftersales. Take us through your spare parts operation. MCB: We have around 85% to 95% of spare parts at our Dubai operation. In terms of spare parts we can fulfill a requirement within 72 hours to Qatar, Oman and Syria, etc - apart from the UAE where it’s no time!
CMME: Is it easier to deal with the GCC than say a country like Syria? MCB: We can talk about the grass always being greener, and when we talk about the GCC we can say it is on the green side. This is especially true in Saudi Arabia where we are going direct.
CMME: Is that difficult to do in Saudi? MCB: As you know it is not easy to enter into Saudi but we are doing well. We have our legs and hands there. We are aiming for the next level. We are there on construction sites because - as always - that’s the main part of a portfolio of a construction business. We’re the 14th biggest construction machinery company in the world and it is always the place where we first land.
CMME: Okay, but products such as yours are popular in ports, oil and gas, etc. MCB: In our business, we are facing cycles. We have to follow the projects, the construction works. A range of machines follows the evolution and progress of construction works: at each phase of a project, specific range of products is required.
CMME: And so there is a cycle that gets repeated? MCB: In an emerging country, construction will always be the best performing sector. In Europe, for instance, where the economies are well advanced, our products will be very much in demand in the industrial sector. First comes the construction, then the industrial sector when our machines are needed for the maintenance works.
“IT IS NOT EASY TO ENTER INTO SAUDI BUT WE
WE HAVE OUR LEGS AND HANDS THERE. WE ARE AIMING FOR THE NEXT LEVEL.” CMME: Is the forecast of growth in the Middle East because of your potential in the Saudi Arabian market? MCB: No, it is because of the market. For the last three or four years we have been talking about the recession, but when one market slows down, like the UAE, you get other markets picking up. That is where dealers and manufacturers can find a balance when you have a big portfolio. I think we can say that the recession is no more, and slowly we are picking up.
CMME: How does Haulotte quantify that? Are you seeing more sales than you did, say, a year ago? MCB: Yes the market is definitely picking up. In the UAE, for instance, the opportunities may be less but it is picking up.
CMME: Is that across the UAE or in a specific area such as Abu Dhabi? MCB: Is not specifically Abu Dhabi or Fujairah but but across the UAE. Investors are starting to money back into the country and that is a good sign. You can see that construction projects have definitely picked up by 5% to 10%. It’s going slowly but it’s going in the right direction. Compared to the last couple of years, 2012 should be a good year.
CMME: Is Haulotte preparing to join the rush to Qatar? MCB: On documentation everything is on the pipeline but the real live picture may take some time. We have some indications that it will be a good market maybe in five years time. When it comes to Qatar and Saudi they want to developed steadily they dont want another UAE.
August 2012
CONSTRUCTION
MIDDLE EAST
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