MARKET TALK
ALL SET FOR BRIGHT FUTURE IN ASIA Vermeer Asia Pacific was set up in 2007, headquartered in Singapore. During the following years the company invested heavily in various innovations and expansions, leading to its significant growth in the region. Southeast Asia Construction recently talked to Mike Spaur, managing director of Vermeer Asia Pacific, and Todd Judy, managing director of Vermeer SEA (authorised dealer), about the company’s latest milestones and activities in Asia, and what the future holds. 1. Vermeer has been really busy in Asia for the last eight years. How important is this region to the company? Mike Spaur (MS): Asia is a very important region for Vermeer. Some of the largest orders in our history have been in Asia. Because of this, we have made substantial investments in the region for manufacturing, distribution and product support. Over the past five years, we have achieved growth in excess of 10 percent per year and we are planning to more than double current sales in the next five years. Our staff for the Asia Pacific regional office has also more than doubled in the past five years to support this growth.
2. Which are the biggest markets for Vermeer in Asia? MS: Currently Japan, India and China are our largest markets in Asia, but it is Southeast Asia that has experienced the highest growth over the past two years. In Thailand, for example, there is an abundance of gas installation projects across the country, many of which we have been involved in. Todd Judy (TJ): Other bright spots in Southeast Asia are Myanmar and the Philippines. We expect an increasing number of fibre cable installations to take place in these two countries. Singapore is also a good market at the moment due to the upcoming Changi Terminal 5 project, where our grinders are being used for biomass recycling.
Above, from left: Mike Spaur, managing director of Vermeer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd; and Todd Judy, managing director of Vermeer (SEA) Pte Ltd. Left: A Vermeer RTX 550 ride-on tractor works on a fibre cable installation project in Myanmar. Bottom: A Vermeer grinder being used in the preparation for the Changi Terminal 5 project.
3. Myanmar could be ‘the next giant’ in Southeast Asia, as the country is now opening up and has been attracting a large number of global manufacturers and investors. How well are you doing over there? TJ: We entered Myanmar about 18 months ago when a local customer approached us, and since then we have been quite active in the market. We kind of have to start from zero – some of our customers over there had never been around heavy equipment before. So product training is necessary. It is an exciting market, where people are open to new technologies and willing to learn. And because our equipment is simple to operate - everything is automated - inexperienced operators can pick it up easily. Continued on page 80...
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