It’s been one year since the familiar brand of orange construction equipment, formerly known as Doosan construction equipment, was renamed Develon.
Company officials hosted a special media event on Jan. 17, 2023, in Las Vegas. It was during this event that Develon leaders unveiled the new brand for the first time, marking the beginning of a new era for the construction equipment manufacturer.
Under the new brand name, Develon is building on its success in North America over the past 30 years and throughout the world for 80 years. It has produced innovative products and solutions that have further solidified its status as a global leader in construction equipment and solutions in the construction industry.
“Early on, Develon took a strategic approach to launching the new brand,” said Todd Roecker, vice president of growth initiatives. “We leveraged CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023, helping customers recognize that we were the same company and product line, not a new entity to the North American market. We had a lot of interest and buy-in from dealers and customers. Since then, we’ve had tremendous achievements, including rebranding and expanding our product offerings, growing our dealer network and building on the success of the new brand.
“Another example of our early success was participating in the AEM Celebration of Construction on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It was there that we joined other leading manufacturing companies to showcase the Develon brand and the latest safety features for the construction industry, including our exclusive Transparent Bucket feature.”
Innovative technologies and expanded product line
Since the transition, Develon has introduced innovative technologies to better shape the future of the construction industry and change how work is done. It demonstrated Concept-X2 autonomous construction equipment at Conexpo in March. The company showed safety innovations such as the optional around view monitor (AVM) camera system, object detection technologies and the industry first and only transparent bucket which is standard on all -7 Series 2023 and newer wheel loader models. Efforts have also been focused on advancing sustainable development through alternative energy sources of power for construction equipment like mini excavators.
The company also increased its product offering, adding a second dozer model: the DD130. It expanded its mini excavator lineup with the DX42-7, DX62R-7 and DX63-7. In 2024, Develon will launch its first compact track loader.
“By growing our construction equipment offering quickly and efficiently in North America, we can now be a full-line, single-source provider for our dealers and customers,” said Roecker. “Because of this expansion, we have established a stronger presence in the construction industry and look forward to continuing this momentum in the years to come.”
Increased trade show participation
After its the success at CONEXPO, Develon is increasing its participation in industry-wide trade shows as well as other local and regional shows this year. The company is exhibiting at World of Concrete and The American Rental Association (ARA) Show. Develon will also be making its debut at World of Asphalt in March and Equip Exposition in October.
Develon had a larger presence at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Jan. 9–12, showing full-size autonomous equipment prototypes for the first time in North America. The company also focused on promoting equipment that can create a safer job site and environment for customers.
“Trade shows are an important way to get our brand out there, where we can tell our own story the way we want it to be told,” said Roecker. “They open up opportunities to show off new products and innovations and reach new customers who are working in various applications that our company is interested in exploring.”
Growing dealer network
Another result of Develon’s rebrand and growing industry presence is the expansion of its dealer network to more than 200 locations in the United States and Canada — a new pinnacle for Develon dealership locations.
“Every dealer worked hard on converting their dealerships to the new brand when it was announced, from signage to new machine decals and uniforms,” said Roecker. “Because of their efforts promoting Develon in their markets, we’ve received more interest from new dealers and customers. We’ve also been able to hire better talent as a result. This transition of the company name would not have been successful without the support from our dealer network.”
Superior Standard Warranty
A major launch in early 2024 is the 36-month, 5,000-hour full-coverage standard warranty on a purchase of a new Develon mini excavator, crawler excavator, wheel excavator, log loader, road builder, wheel loader or dozer.
“We’re pleased to offer one of the best construction equipment warranties in North America,” says Roecker. “We’re also very aggressive with our finance programs and rates as low as 0% for 60 months. We have some of the best finance rates in the industry and have an outstanding dealer network to support these programs. We are looking forward to expanding on and developing new programs for our customers.”
Looking to the Future
Since the name change, Develon has focused heavily on promoting the brand. However, as the company moves forward it will be putting a larger focus on connecting with customers, dealers and the industry.
“We will place an emphasis on telling the story of who we are so that we can create more meaningful interactions,” said Roecker. “In addition, we’ll add more products to our portfolio, like the compact track loader, and will be aggressive with our warranty programs. We’ll also focus on adding the right dealers and partners to make ourselves more competitive and to satisfy customers. We’ve got a lot in store and are excited for the future of Develon.”
