Doosan Infracore has changed its name to Develon, company directors announced in a media event at World of Concrete. Doosan staff began working to find a new brand name to replace Doosan following the August 2021 sale of Doosan Infracore to HD Hyundai, formerly Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings Co.
The name Develon was chosen to convey the company’s drive to “develop onward” to bring innovative solutions to the construction equipment industry through technological transformation and the development of exceptional equipment and services
Develon officials said the correct pronunciation of the new brand name is with the accent on the middle syllable. “Pronounce the word the same way you would pronounce ‘develop,’ ” said vice president of sales Adam Howard, emphasizing that “Develon” essentially means “develop onward.”
“We believe the new Develon brand will help us build on the success we’ve had in North America over the past 30 years and throughout the world for more than 80 years,” said Todd Roecker, vice president of growth initiatives.
Develon will continue to work with customers and partners in construction, logging, recycling, mining, rental and agriculture. Efforts will also be placed on advancing sustainable development through alternative energy sources of power for construction equipment.
The announcement at World of Concrete is the first of many in a series of steps to launch the new brand. Visitors to Conexpo-Con/Agg in March will see the next phase of the launch with newly branded construction equipment in the outdoor Develon exhibit. This will include the latest developments in the Concept-X autonomous equipment solution and live demonstrations at the outdoor exhibition in the Festival Grounds lot (F9153).
“Our commitment to the construction equipment industry and advancing new technologies has never been stronger than it is today,” said Roecker. “Develon anticipates changes in the industry and prepares solutions to address these challenges. This is evident by our ongoing development of the world’s first autonomous jobsite solution — Concept-X — and the work we are doing with alternative energy sources like electricity and battery packs for our mini excavators.”
After ConExpo, continued efforts will be made to advance the brand at the local dealer level through updates to signage and machine decals. Customers are likely to begin to see newly branded machines at their local Develon dealerships and on jobsites as early as the end of the second quarter of 2023. Develon officials told RER that while changes to decals on equipment can be accomplished quickly – and customers will see the changes at the ConExpo show – it will take several more months to change the branding on company literature, components, software and a wide range of areas where the name of the company is stated.
Continuing growth in North America
In North America, Develon will continue supporting its more than 180 dealer locations in the United States and Canada. Develon North American operations will remain headquartered near Atlanta, in Suwanee, Ga., where the company continues to offer a training center for dealership service technicians.
The company will maintain exceptional parts availability through its two regional parts distribution centers: one in Atlanta and a second in the Pacific Northwest. A customization plant in Savannah, Ga., will still play a key role in supplying machines to Develon dealers and customers: getting products into the hands of customers faster, with the configurations they need for their applications.
“Our dealers and customers should expect the same strong support from Develon in the future,” said Roecker. “We are committed to the long-term success of the new brand and ensuring our customers have the support they need to be successful. Develon makes best-in-class equipment, excelling in performance, durability and reliability. That commitment will remain constant.”
Develon will continue as a subsidiary in the Hyundai Genuine group alongside Hyundai Construction Equipment. These two subsidiaries will remain independent construction equipment companies under HD Hyundai. Together, the two brands will position Hyundai Genuine as a global top-5 player in the construction equipment industry.
“We’ve grown our construction equipment offering in North America with our line of mini-excavators and most recently the addition of dozers,” said Roecker. “These product expansions represent our goal of providing a full line of equipment for our dealers and our customers. We believe that this demonstrates our commitment to North America, and we look forward to continued growth here for many years to come.”
