Mr. Wilfried Theissen, Managing Director, Putzmeister
How do you see the current market scenario for concrete equipment in India? What are your growth expectations for 2017 onwards for CE in general and Putzmeister in particular?
From 2012 to early 2015 the market for construction equipment and particularly concrete pumps had shrunk by more than 30%. The infrastructure development initiative, taken by the current government, had started to show its benefits by the end of 2015.
2016 is looking much better than 2015, between Q1 and Q3 there has been a 30% rise in sales of construction equipment as compared to the same period in 2015.
2017 and onwards should grow at a steady pace of around 7-10%. Putzmeister is continuously extending its customer portfolio and therefore we should be above the market average.
How does Putzmeister look into the backhand and telematic/remote monitoring support to its customers?
Putzmeister’s range of pumps from E smart stationary pumps over to the new generation truck mounted pumps as well as our batching plants have the latest controllers and PLC.
This improves the running of the equipment, gives the customer the operational feedback needed to plan his maintenance schedule as well as save cost and enable eco-friendly operation.
Software can be remotely accessed, to do trouble shooting, updates and monitoring.
What is Putzmeister doing to achieve a higher level of energy efficiency in its products?
As mentioned, our PLC controls the operation of the machines and gives the power when necessary. This reduces noise and fuel consumption.
Furthermore, we have developed a much more efficient hydraulic flow and cooling system and reducing the quantity of hydraulic oil from 250 to 70l.
Our machines are compatible with Euro 3 and Euro 4 engine specifications which reduces the emissions Cox and Nox.
How do you find the market response to your recently introduced Ultimate Batching Plant and New Generation Truck Mounted Boom Pump?
Putzmeister new generation truck mounted Boom Pumps have delighted our customers and are the market reference. The new electronic features as well as the lightweight construction have helped our customers to improve their efficiency and cost.
Our ultimate batching plant the MT1.0 and MT 0.5 are making very good progress. It is our first year in the market but our customers are enchanted that they have finally an excellent alternative to the dominant players in the market.
Being one of the largest concrete equipment manufacturers in the world, what does Putzmeister think about knowledge sharing and training for the Indian customers to ease their jobsite challenges?
We at Putzmeister don’t just sell machines and plants but we bring solutions to our customers. We understand their needs and requirements and have application as well as process solutions for all their issues.
In our training centres all around the country we organize training sessions for the machine operators which are always followed by extensive training on the jobsite and field support.
Is the CE sector fully geared to usher in the GST regime from April 2017? How do you see the impact of it on the industry?
I think that currently nobody is fully geared because nobody knows the final details yet. But I’m pretty sure that in the coming months all this will be sorted out in collaboration with the government.
Concerning the impact, it can only be better than what we have now. It should tremendously help doing business, speed up the transportation of goods and parts, and to some extend, reduce administrative costs.
What products and services will the company launch/display at the bauma Conexpo 2016?
Putzmeister will surprise its clients and the general public at Bauma ConExpo and show once more that we are a true leader in the field of concrete technology and customer support.
Please allow me to reserve the premier of the show content to my customers but please come and visit us, you will not regret it.
NBM&CW December 2016
