< PreviousG erman Gulf Enterprises (GGE), the authorised distributor of Doosan heavy equipment and Putzmeister in the UAE, delivered two Putzmeister BSF 42- 5.16 HLS (42m) pumps and a Doosan DL300A wheel loader this year to Abu Dhabi based CK Beton Ready Mix, which specializes in the production and delivery of ready-mix concrete in the UAE. CK Beton operates two batching plants and has a fl eet of eight truck-mounted concrete pumps and 35 mixer trucks. The company’s previous purchase from GGE in 2019 was a Putzmeister BSF 42-5.16 HLS pump. The Putzmeister 42-5 truck-mounted con- crete pump has improved maneuverability and weight indices for 4 axle chassis. It is equipped with the OSS system, which allows working in limited spaces. The concrete pump’s length is less than 12 meters; it has a vertical reach of 41.6m and gross horizontal reach of 37.3m. The BSF 42-5.16 HLS confi guration provides an output of 160m3/h (piston side) and delivery pressure of 85 bar. CK Beton purchased the Doosan DL300A wheel loader to transport aggregate within the premises of the batching plant. The DL300A is a large Tier 2 machine with operating weight of 17.64 tonnes, engine power of 156 kW (209 HP) @ 2,100 rpm, and bucket capacity of 2.7 ~ 3.3 m3. Having been a customer of German Gulf GERMAN GULF ENTERPRISES DELIVERS 42M PUTZMEISTER CONCRETE PUMPS AND LARGE DOOSAN WHEEL LOADER TO CK BETON READYMIX Enterprises for the last eight years for parts and service, the CK Beton management de- cided to increase their cooperation with GGE by investing in new Putzmeister and Doosan equipment, according to Raafat, general man- ager. CK Beton Readymix. “Putzmeister concrete pumps help to place concrete at far off locations of a site, especially at heights. They are fl exible enough to change the locations of pouring concrete, particularly on bridges and dam construction sites where concrete in small quantities is required to be poured daily at various places. We are looking to add Putzmeister concrete pumps to our fl eet to expedite delivery of upcoming projects,” said Raafat. DEALERS 20 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.pmvmiddleeast.comDECEMBER 2020A l Tayer Motors, the offi cial Ford Trucks importer-dealer in the United Arab Emirates, has won the Champions Award 2019 from Ford Trucks’ dealers in 44 countries worldwide for its overall performance. The accolade comes as Al Tayer Motors records a strong nine months for its trucks business in 2020 with a growth of more than 50 per cent in the fi rst nine months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. The dealership delivered a solid performance with major wins in the established construction and waste management segments with major inroads into the transportation, cargo and logistics segments. Bahattin Topçu, managing director - Middle East & Africa, Ford Trucks, said: “The Champions Award is granted only if there is great success in all aspects of business perfor- mance. This prestigious award acknowledges the contribution of Al Tayer Motors’ business performance in the last fi nancial year. Of course, all this can be possible only with assuring great customer satisfaction as the key enabler for full-fl edged accomplishments. The Al Tayer Motors team achieved this with its undivided focus on the brand, investment on high quality human resources and its well- analyzed business processes. It is great to see the team strengthening Ford Trucks image in the UAE and we proudly celebrate them with this well-deserved award. Customer satisfaction will further be escalated to a new level with the opening of the brand-new Ford Trucks 3S facility in the near future.” Al Tayer Motors signed the Ford Trucks brand in 2014 and has since successfully established and strengthened its presence in the heavy commercial vehicles sector in the UAE. The dealer retails the full range of Ford commercial vehicles in the UAE including the award-winning Ford Trucks F-MAX, Con- struction series and Tractors & Road series. Ashok Khanna, chief executive offi cer, Al Tayer Motors, said: “Winning the Champi- ons Award from Ford Trucks is a tremendous achievement and recognises the hard work of the entire team in promoting the brand and providing customers with excellent after-sales services across the UAE. We strive for excellence in everything we do and it is something that our stakeholders and cus- tomers have come to expect of us.” Earlier this year, Al Tayer Motors also won Ford’s ‘The Chairman’s Award’ for 2019 from among dealerships in over 50 markets worldwide, and ‘The President’s Awards for Service and Sales’ for 2019. The awards are given based on parameters that include the top annual results achieved in sales and ser- vice customer satisfaction indexes, as well as vehicle and parts sales achievements, which record scores given to the dealership by Ford customers throughout the year. Randy Krieger, president, Ford Direct Markets, commented: “Al Tayer Motors winning these awards this year is a tribute to the fundamental focus the company puts on customer satisfaction. From the executive management attention, to the peerless facilities, to the detailed customer satisfaction processes and metrics, even down to the comprehensive training and new-employee induction process, Al Tayer Motors lives its commitment to customer satisfaction throughout every facet of the organization.” AL TAYER MOTORS WINS FORD TRUCKS’ CHAMPIONS AWARD 2019 Bahattin Topçu, managing director - Middle East & Africa, Ford Trucks, presenting the award to Ashok Khanna, chief executive offi cer, Al Tayer Motors. DEALERS 21 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.pmvmiddleeast.comDECEMBER 2020COVER STORY 22 DECEMBER 2020PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.pmvmiddleeast.com People-centric initiatives jointly led by Putzmeister and its dealers helped boost sales of concrete pumps and transit mixers this year in the GCC PUTZMEISTER CLOSES 2020 ON A HIGH NOTECOVER STORY 23 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.pmvmiddleeast.comDECEMBER 2020 A nticipating a tough year at the start of the pandemic, Putzmeister Middle East sent a clear message of support and commitment to its employees, business partners and end users in the region. The priority would be to create a stronger people-centric environment to support all stakeholders via every channel available. For starters, Putzmeister initiated web- based technical, sales and service training for its local partners and machine operator training for end users. The company also launched the Putzmeister Experts mobile app which provides data sheets, company news, calculators, and guidance on machine operation, maintenance and servicing. Paul Bruns, regional director - Middle East and Africa, Putzmeister Middle East, says: “The COVID-19 crisis has challenged us economically as well as personally, but downsizing was never an option for us. We had the advantages of an established product portfolio customised for this region and well-trained service engineers within our dealer network to off er regular inspection, operator training and ensure high level of parts availability. Together, with our employees, we doubled down on improving customer relations and learned a lot over the past few months. We have grown closer to our business partners and customers despite the distance and have been able to make enormous gains in effi ciency.” New customer-centric initiatives were led by Putzmeister’s sales and service managers. For example, Khodor Ali Taki, product management and service manager at Putzmeister Middle East, organized web- based technical training sessions for dealers and end users, off ered daily troubleshooting support remotely and created a WhatsApp group for customers to seek support. “Customers appreciate the opportunity to have direct communication with the manufacturer, and Mr. Ali Taki is a well experienced and respected member of our team amongst our business partners and customers, adding huge value to our presence in the Middle East,” says Paul. It was equally crucial to deliver equipment The Putzmeister Middle East team: Front row: Ardith de Lemos, assistant to the regional director. Back row (L-R): Mohammad Sabah, regional sales manager; Paul Bruns, regional director - Middle East and Africa; Yazan Al Zoubi, parts manager; and Khodor Ali Taki, service manager. COVER STORY 24 DECEMBER 2020PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.pmvmiddleeast.com and spare parts on time despite logistical restrictions so that dealers would be able to fulfi l orders. Yazan Al Zoubi, parts manager at Putzmeister Middle East worked with Putzmeister’s business partners to expedite large shipments of parts shortly after the lock-down started in Europe in order to safeguard availability of parts in the region. “We launched campaigns in our biggest markets to promote delivery of parts directly to our customers. Putzmeister also introduced a parts management system linking our dealers with our own central warehouse for better inventory control, which has improved our lead time,” says Paul. Optimising customer relationship management paid off sooner than expected for Putzmeister. The manufacturer has had a Putzmeister’s 56-5 and 51-5 truck-mounted concrete pumps. successful 2020 in the Middle East in terms of product and market development, and the company’s actual sales has exceeded the forecast sales for 2020. “We were able to gain market share during 2020 as we were able to sell more machines this year than we had budgeted in the beginning of the year. That is the result of a fantastic team eff ort including Putzmeister, our partners, and the local authorities who have done an amazing job in re-establishing the trust in a healthy economy within such a short period of time,” says Paul. Product categories that performed exceptionally well for Putzmeister in 2020 include truck-mounted concrete pumps and transit mixers. This year, Putzmeister launched its heavy reinforced P10 HR and P 12 HR transit mixers in the Middle East, receiving an overwhelming response that led to the sale of 170 units in the region. Also, Putzmeister’s industrial pumps division recorded its fi rst sale in the UAE. “Truck-mounted concrete pumps continue to perform well in all markets due to their reliability, long-life wear parts and additional cooling capacity, which together result in low total cost of ownership. All Putzmeister truck- mounted pumps are equipped with ergonic output control (EOC), which signifi cantly reduces fuel consumption. We were able to sell a good number of our new BSF 51-5.16 HLS pumps this year, which is equipped with a piling application. The robust machine design and the possibility to do piling jobs up to a depth of 20 meters without the need of a crane has been very well received by our customers,” says Paul. COVER STORY 25 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.pmvmiddleeast.comDECEMBER 2020 The MEDCO team with the Putzmeister Dealer Award. (L-R): Emad Kharabsheh, national parts manager; Rami Dawoud, operations manager; Emad Mukhalalaty, commercial manager; Mohammed Khashoggi, owner; Faysal Abdullah, owner; and Russel Brooke, general manager. MEDCO ON COURSE TO BEAT 2019 SALES WITH SUSTAINED DEMAND FOR PUTZMEISTER CONCRETE PUMPS I n Saudi Arabia, Middle East Development Co. (MEDCO), the dealer of Putzmeister concrete pumps, managed to increase sales and market penetration of Putzmeister in the country. Rami A. Dawoud, operations manager, MEDCO, explains, how the company navigated the crisis by expanding its sales staff and focusing on training rather than downsizing. “We started the year out strong, but the onset of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown that followed dramatically slowed down our sales. The priority for us this year has been market share and area coverage. During this period, we invested in expanding our sales team and consequently increased our coverage. This gave us the ability to participate and aggressively compete for every deal in the market which has generated very positive results for us and Putzmeister, which also supported us to a great extent during this period and worked very closely with us in order to achieve our market share and sales goals,” says Rami. “Another key factor was the continuous online training Putzmeister provided which greatly enhanced our product knowledge and our ability to support our customers. The end results of all the eff orts are apparent in our sales fi gures: it looks like we will match if not exceed our sales of 2019,” he adds. Rami expects 2021 to be a remarkably interesting for the heavy equipment industry as MEDCO enters the new year with a robust order book, on the back of several deals being closed in the last quarter of 2020. “We see all the signs for 2021 to be a good recovery year for the heavy equipment industry, as we expect a lot of mega projects that were on the back burner in 2020 to resume next year. Projects such as NEOM, the Red Sea project and Qiddiya will shape the future market for not only concrete pumps but all heavy equipment. That said, everybody is cautious about a second wave of COVID-19 currently sweeping across Europe, and the market will bounce back as we get closer to releasing a vaccine, which we expect to be available in 2021,” says Rami. Paul adds: “All in all, I think we have good reason to believe that the GCC markets will continue to thrive. With the Expo 2020 Dubai on track for October 2021 and progress in the Vison 2030 plans of the UAE and Saudi Arabia, there’s huge potential for growth in the sectors that we serve. The demand for concrete has stabilized, and we see good signs for recovery as projects materialize in 2021.” COVER STORY 26 DECEMBER 2020PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.pmvmiddleeast.com T he appointment of Zahid Industries as the new dealer of Putzmeister transit mixers in Saudi Arabia in mid- 2020 has been instrumental in the sale of over 150 units in less than six months. Zahid Industries is a manufacturing division of the Zahid Group which produces superstructures such as concrete mixers, tippers, tankers, reefers, bulkers, and trailers, along with the assembly of electrical control panels, sound attenuated units, and niche drilling products for the oil industry. Alaa Akra, general manager, Zahid Industries, says: “Delivering such a large quantity of mixer trucks in a few months is an achievement for us as well as an indication of the market potential. Zahid Industries and Putzmeister are reputable brands and our association has met with a favourable market response, which was more pronounced considering the COVID-19 crisis and that it was our fi rst off ering of Putzmeister transit mixers in Saudi Arabia. Our unique off ering is our neutral ability to assemble and mount the mixers on any truck brand operating in the market.” Paul Bruns, regional director – Middle East and Africa, Putzmeister Middle East, says: “We introduced Putzmeister transit mixers in the Middle East in 2017, launching them in Kuwait, and now they’re available in Saudi Arabia. We approached Zahid Industries looking for a strong partner that had the experience in the localization strategy for Vision 2030 and also had a customer base in Saudi Arabia’s heavy-duty truck market. Strategically, this is a benefi cial association for Putzmeister because of Zahid Group’s market leadership, dedication, and expertise. We’ve received an overwhelming response in Saudi Arabia, and we look forward to a long-term, successful partnership with Zahid Industries.” Putzmeister transit mixers are imported from Germany into Saudi Arabia as semi knocked-down components and then assembled at Zahid Industries’ factory in Jeddah. The 150 transit mixers sold thus far are the P12 heavy reinforced (HR) models. ZAHID INDUSTRIES DELIVERS OVER 150 PUTZMEISTER TRANSIT MIXERS IN LESS THAN SIX MONTHSCOVER STORY 27 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.pmvmiddleeast.comDECEMBER 2020 Basim Elmelegy, product manager, Zahid Tractor & H.M. Co., says: “The customers investing in heavy reinforced models are ready-mix companies operating in harsh construction and off -road environments, and they require drum capacities that can help optimize the delivery time from the batching plant to site.” Putzmeister transit mixers trace their lineage to Intermix, the Germany-based concrete equipment manufacturer of concrete mixers that Putzmeister acquired in 2012. Since then, the integration between the two companies has accelerated the production of Putzmeister mixers at a rate of 5 percent, annually. The transit mixers are consistently built as standard with boron/magnesium steel. This heat-treated steel off ers high wear protection and ensures a long service life. The Putzmeister P 12 HR version weighs 5,700 kg and is built for rough road conditions. According to Harald Schmidt, sales director, Intermix, the following technical features make Putzmeister/Intermix mixers superior to their closest competitors – an optimized drum geometry, increased water volume as a safety reserve for liquid concrete, low point of gravity for safe transport, low construction of the mixing device, enlarged platform with ergonomic railing, simple and safe cleaning, grating closed at the bottom as a knee splash guard, and closed mixer frame. “The mixer capacities supplied in the Middle East and Africa are similar to those in Europe. However, the product design of the mixers has been adapted for the conditions in the MEA region,” says Harald. Basim says: “In addition to having German technology, Putzmeister transit mixers have features that cater to specifi c customer needs in Saudi Arabia, such as slump meters to help drivers monitor the concrete inside the mixers without the need for physical inspection and the facility to add water from both sides of the mixer.” Basim shares his outlook for 2021: “Demand for trucks is certainly increasing from the construction sector, mainly housing projects. However, new orders and deliveries will depend on the COVID situation and how it aff ects businesses next year. Having performed exceptionally well this year in the mixer truck category, we expect considerable growth in 2021.” Basim Elmelegy, product manager, Zahid Tractor & H.M. Co., and Alaa Akra, general manager, Zahid Industries, with the Putzmeister Dealer Award. Trucks mounted with Putzmeister transit mixers at the Zahid Industries’ factory in Jeddah.M AN’s new TGX range has been elected International Truck of the Year 2021 by a jury of 24 commercial vehicle editors and senior journalists, representing 24 major trucking magazines from throughout Europe. The prestigious award was handed to Andreas Tostmann, CEO, MAN Truck & Bus, during a virtual ceremony that took place at MAN’s headquarters in Munich, Germany. With a winning score of 155 votes, the German truck manufacturer’s fl agship fought off the strong challenge posed by Volvo Trucks’ new FH range. Based on the International Truck of the Year (ITOY) rules, the annual award is presented to the truck introduced into the market in the previous 12 months, which has made the greatest contribution to road transport effi ciency. Several important criteria are considered, including technological innovation, comfort, safety, drivability, fuel economy, environmental footprint and total cost of ownership (TCO). While retaining a strong family feeling with the present heavy-duty generation, MAN’s new TGX range represents a big step forward in terms of comfort, safety, fuel effi ciency, connectivity, advanced service portfolio and human- machine interface. MAN involved a total of around 300 transport companies and more than 700 drivers in its fi ve-year development process for the new generation of heavy-duty trucks. These people weren’t only asked about what they thought an innovative vehicle should deliver but were also given the opportunity to provide continuous feedback during the development process. The jury of experts defi nitely thought that this collaborative approach had delivered results. During extended test drives carried out last February in Bilbao, Spain, and more recently, between Germany and Austria in July, the Truck of the Year jury members appreciated the improved cab aerodynamics that - together with the D26 and D38 Euro VI d engines, optimized drive axle and GPS-assisted cruise control - contribute to a reduction in fuel consumption. Moreover, the jury praised the human- machine interface of the new truck range, Andreas Tostmann, CEO, MAN Truck & Bus. Gianenrico Griffi ni, president, ITOY. 28 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.pmvmiddleeast.comDECEMBER 2020 HEAVY-DUTY TRUCKS MAN TGX NAMED INTERNATIONAL TRUCK OF THE YEAR 2021based on an easy-to-read, fully-digital colour instrument cluster and the turn-and-press control system (SmartSelect) of the secondary display, along with the multifunction steering wheel. Finally, the ITOY journalists appreciated the wide array of assistance and safety systems, aimed at reducing the driver’s workload in every operating condition and at improving traffi c safety. The members of the jury described their impressions of MAN’s TGX in individual video messages during the awards ceremony. Martin Schatzmann from Switzerland said: “MAN’s TGX got my vote because it’s good for both drivers and businesses. It wasn’t only the innovative electronics, the modular cab concept and the new safety features that impressed me, I also really liked the driver’s dashboard. What I liked best: MAN chose not to use touch screens.” Charleen Clarke from South Africa commented: “The new MAN has got lots of things right. But three features were decisive for me. The interior now feels more upmarket, safety features abound in the TGX and it simultaneously achieves fuel savings in excess of 8%. MAN’s TGX is a truck that will delight both drivers and businesses.” Summing up the jury vote, Gianenrico Griffi ni, president, ITOY, commented: “The new MAN TGX represents a major step forward in terms of driver comfort, fuel effi ciency, connectivity and human-machine interface. So, there is no doubt why the new MAN TGX was voted Truck of the Year 2021. It is a future-oriented truck that meets the transport needs of today and tomorrow.” Andreas Tostmann said: "For more than 5 years now, the team has been working with a single objective in mind: to develop the best truck for drivers and our customers and to get it out on the road. This coveted award is a great recognition of the outstanding work of our MAN team.” This is the eighth time that MAN has won the ITOY accolade. The fi rst MAN truck to win the award was the MAN 19.280 model in 1978, followed by the 19.321 in 1980, F90 in 1987, F2000 in 1995, TGA in 2001, TGL in 2006, and TGX and TGS in 2008. 29 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.pmvmiddleeast.comDECEMBER 2020 HEAVY-DUTY TRUCKSNext >