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Big 5 Dubai the ideal platform

DUBAI - The region’s leading exhibition dedicated to plant, construction vehicles, machinery and equipment will run until November 25, and is being seen as the ideal platform for showcasing new products and letting the industry’s leading players share their views on how best The Big 5 Exhibition can take it forward in the short and long term scenarios.

“Since Dubai is the hub of the region the Big 5 positions itself as a positive initiative for the region’s construction industry. Our outlook for the industry is optimistic for 2011 and further into the future and we believe that the worst times are now well behind us,” said Khaled Soliman, Group CEO of Galadari Brothers Co LLC.

Commenting on the association with JCB, a world class top brand in area of construction equipment, he expressed a sense of pride in the relationship. “Today, it is more important for the buyers to choose the right option of the construction equipment, as reliability, down times and delays can make significant cost difference. At JCB they think in the same way,” he added.

“As far as The Big 5 is concerned, it is a positive indicator for the construction equipment business in the UAE and our presence in this event as a Galadari-JCB combine proves our bonafides as the leading suppliers of heavy equipment in the market. This exposure in turn will provide a marked boost to our future sales in the UAE,” said Samer Khalid, Acting General Manager of Galadari Trucks and Heavy Equipments Company, or GTHEC, said.

GTHEC, part of Galadari Brothers, is exclusive distributor of UK-based JCB, which is the world’s leading manufacturer of backhoe loaders, telescopic material handlers, skid steer loaders and rough terrain forklifts.

With JCB’s launch of the new Eco loaders in the UAE market at this year’s Big 5 exhibition, JCB Sales Manager Khaled Abdel Wahab underscored the importance of the event and said, “with the new 3CX Eco and 4CX Eco models, JCB has reset the standard again with more productivity, higher efficiency, improved comfort and even greater versatility.”

“Nevertheless, we will embark on a more aggressive campaign to pitch JCB’s heavy-line products excavator, shovels and compaction equipment which we have on display at this year’s Big 5 PMV,” he added.

Back at the Big 5 PMV for the second year, JCB’s Dancing Diggers is a mechanical dancing troupe famous for dare devil stunts, magic and formation dancing, intermingled with a sprinkling of comedy during a musical performance. The four Backhoes used in the performance at the show are supplied by GTHEC.

UK-based JCB, currently seen as the third largest heavy equipment manufacturer in the world, has projected a doubling of its sales in the next five years for the Middle East region, according to a top official of the company.

The heavy machinery manufacturer said the company is investing heavily on R&D (research and development) and the new facilities in the region will provide the necessary impetus for the 100 per cent up in the market share in the UAE and in the region between now and 2015. The strategy is to make some of this investment into the distribution network and 10 new buildings are being constructed in the region at the moment.

“In the next five years we plan to reach this target and new products will also enjoy a similar increase in sales,” said Paul Murray, Regional Manager for Middle East, while talking with Khaleej Times at The Big 5 PMV.

“Our market share reflected a five per cent hike this year in the UAE market across 10 core products,” Murray said, adding: “We are also leaders for some products in the UAE.”

As far as specific segments are concerned JCB’s most famous product, Backhoe Loaders, enjoys on average of over 60 per cent of the market share while Telescopic Handlers rounds out at around 65 per cent, he said.

Murray also mentioned that the last two years were very challenging because of the global economic downturn. “We conducted a great deal of research during these two years and we have been able to successfully refocus our attention to assessing the trends in emerging markets and also introducing new products that are need based. We continued to invest in R&D to bring valid new products to the market.”

He said the company built 70,000 machines during 2007, but dropped to 30,000 during the last two years as the market applied the brakes.

The year, he said, with all out efforts JCB business rebounds to 50,000 machines. “We are very fortunate to work with our dealer network around the world to achieve the results,” he said.

—abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com