BANGKOK: Isuzu plans to have a larger share of trucks market in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in the coming year, Shintaro Mochizuki, president, Isuzu Operations (Thailand) Co. Ltd., has said.
“Despite the financial crisis the world over and its likely adverse impact on the demand for trucks, we are confident of increasing our share of the Saudi market in 2008 and 2009 due to its strong economy and ongoing boom,” he told a group of journalists from the Kingdom last week. “Our effort will be to expand our market share rather than concentrate on increasing sales volume,” he told the visiting scribes who also toured Isuzu’s trucks assembly plant.
“The Kingdom is one of the most important markets for us in the Middle East. Last year, we exported more than 20,000 truck units to the Kingdom out of a total of 30,000 units to the Middle East,” Mochizuki said. Worldwide, Thailand is the second biggest market for pickups, the first being the United States. Isuzu exported 631,000 units worldwide in 2007. “In the context of the current global financial crisis, which will impact all types of exports from the country, the company hopes to export 620,000 units by the end of this year, he said, adding that he is pinning hopes on the Kingdom, which remains No. 1 market in the world for Isuzu’s one-ton pickups.
For its 1.5-ton trucks, Thailand remains the second market after the United States. Customer satisfaction, rapport with the community and professional partnership with Isuzu vehicle users have contributed to increased sales, Mochizuki said.
“We have also been offering special services and conducting training and 4x4 driving programs for our customers throughout the year, in addition to imparting professional training for drivers and staging a regular truck driving and fuel economy contests for them,” he said. The over 50-year history of the Japanese truck maker is based on its rich past and experience, he said.
