Bobcat boosts parts availability for Middle East, Africa
New parts-distribution centre for Bobcat and Doosan Portable Power opens in Dubai
Equipment-manufacturer Bobcat is looking to enhance the availability of spare parts for customers in the Middle East and Africa with the opening of a new parts distribution centre (PDC) in Dubai.
Speaking on Wednesday at the opening of the centre at the Agility Logistics warehouse in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Bobcat representatives said the PDC would boost accessibility and timely delivery of parts to dealers in the region, given the central location of Dubai.
The centre, which will stock parts for both Bobcat and Doosan Portable Power, will serve about 25 dealers in the Middle East and East Africa.
“We sell a very big amount of our Bobcat machines here in this region. In fact, we sell more than 50% of our skid steer loaders in the Middle East and Africa,” said Erik van der Goot, head of parts for Bobcat and Doosan in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“Our strategy is to cover a big region within 24 hours with parts. Before we had this PDC, we were able to do something like over 70% coverage within 24 hours. With this setup, and with the help of our partner, we think we can increase this number by roughly 20%,” he said.
The rationale behind opening the centre was “to help our dealers, to improve our aftermarket business and the perception of our brand here,” said Gaby Rhayem, Bobcat’s regional director for the Middle East and Africa.
“It’s a big sign also of the commitment of the company. We come to Dubai, we make a big investment, we invite our dealers,” he told Construction Machinery ME. The opening of the centre coincides with a two-day conference being held for dealers in the MEA region, he added.
The centre currently houses about $3 million worth of inventory in Bobcat and Doosan Portable Power parts, Rhayem said.
While earlier, parts would take over a month to be shipped from Europe, the new PDC means that it’s only a matter of days for parts to be sent to dealers, saving them time and cost on shipments, he added. This could translate into eventual savings for end users as well, he pointed out.
