RIYADH, 19 July 2007 — NKN Ltd.-Japan, the leading manufacturer of Constant Velocity Joint, conducted here recently a technical seminar on quality awareness of its products in collaboration with the Jeddah-based C.V. Joint Center which is operating all over the Kingdom.
More than 400 major distributors, retailers and mechanics attended the seminar held at the Riyadh Palace Hotel. It was also the second time that such a seminar was held in Saudi Arabia.
“It is necessary to educate customers on the quality and features of Automotive Aftermarket Brands in the Kingdom. Many of the customers are not aware of these brands and their unique features as replacement spare parts,” said Salah Abubaker Babatin, C.V. Joint Center managing director. He added that during the last two years, there was a big boom in the market for lower quality CV joints.
“Though there was a gradual increase in the consumption of Chinese-made CV joints, it fell down drastically and a great number of end users and retailers realized that such products don’t even have the minimum quality standards,” he said.
Rajeev M. Puthiyedath, assistant general manager of Auto Zone Spare Parts Est. and responsible for the sales and marketing of NKN C.V. joints throughout the Middle East and Africa, said that technical seminars have improved the quality awareness among the end users. “Continuous efforts to educate consumers will be one of the major challenges in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
One of the traders who attended the seminar added that although he was engaged in selling NKN CV joints, he never knew the advance technology involved in manufacturing them.
“I am very happy in having attended the seminar. I wish to see continuous efforts of the manufacturers to explain the quality and features of their products, which will improve the awareness in the automotive aftermarket industry in the Kingdom,” he said.