New Volvo Construction Equipment CEO Pat Olney made China the setting for his first major press conference, emphasizing the company’s firm commitment to growing the Asian market.
“Volvo is well positioned, both in China and the rest of Asia, to capitalize on the huge market opportunity and growth potential,” said Olney. “Our dual brand approach (Volvo and SDLG) offers a unique advantage to meet the needs of a much wider customer base. We will support this approach with products dedicated to this market, using local Chinese knowledge and leveraging an expanded Asian manufacturing and distribution footprint.”
Volvo CE recently introduced its new Volvo F-Series articulated haulers, G-Series wheel loaders and a China localized EC200B crawler excavator. The introductions follow a four-model range of China-specific excavators, made and marketed by Volvo’s joint venture partner in China, Lingong, under the SDLG brand.
Volvo also brought its Volvo Hose Service to China, aimed at improving machine availability for customers by allowing faster hose replacements, thus reducing downtime and cutting hose costs by up to 30 percent. With this initiative all Volvo dealers in China will be equipped with Volvo-approved hose-making equipment.
In design and manufacturing, Volvo has invested in a $30 million Volvo Technology Center in Jinan and an $88 million expansion and investment of the company’s Linyi facilities. The company has also invested $30 million in the Volvo excavator facility in Shanghai since 2003, and has developed an ambitious program to expand its distribution network in China.
“Volvo is committed to supporting the capacity, distribution and product offering in China and throughout Asia,” added Olney. “We will achieve this by a comprehensive program of investments in our Asian industrial operations, a strengthening of our dealer network and an expansion of Volvo and SDLG-branded products that are more closely tailored to the specific needs of customers in this region.”
