Volvo CE’s focus on China rewarded with market leading position

A decade after entering the Chinese market Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE), together with sister brand SDLG, have together extended their market leading position in wheel loader and excavator sales. Measured in units, the two brands invoiced 36,455 machines in the year-to-date October 2012, giving the company a commanding 13.7% share of the world’s largest construction equipment market.

This leading position is the result of a special focus on the needs of customers in China, evidenced by a host of China-specific new products, as well as extensive investments in new products, design, production and distribution. This week’s Bauma China 2012 sees yet more new products launched that cater to the special needs of Chinese customers.

Number 1 in wheel loaders and excavators

Much of the growth in demand comes from Volvo CE and SDLG’s ability to offer complimentary machines that attract the broadest customer base. The powerful mid-sized Volvo L105 wheel loader was unveiled at Bauma China, a machine with the ability to easily change attachments and quickly adapted to a range of varied tasks. Its six-cylinder Volvo engine gives high torque at low RPM for greater power and fuel efficiency. The show also heralded the arrival of the Volvo EC80D excavator, which is larger and heavier than any other machine in its weight class. It also has high digging forces, fast cycle times and offers excellent fuel economy in applications such as trenching, small-scale excavation, agricultural, landscaping and road construction.

Industry recognition

Along with tailored new products for the Chinese market, both Volvo CE and SDLG have been recognized for their innovative approaches during 2012, SDLG winning the Red Star Design award, while Volvo CE brought home the Red Dot design award, along with the title of ‘Best employer in the Chinese construction equipment industry’.

Strong brands to meet customer needs

Demonstrating the company’s ability to support customers across China, the clearly separated brands of Volvo and SDLG have also embarked on expanding their respective distribution networks. Volvo CE now has 4,300 mechanics and salespeople in 420 points-of-sale and workshops in China (including Mongolia).

With innovative solutions that meet the needs of customers in China backed up by an extensive dealer network to provide lifetime support, it’s little wonder that Volvo CE is the market leader in excavators and wheel loaders in China.