Puzzolana - New Facility Opens

"Our new state-of-the-art facility in Hyderabad is already open which has two main product portfolios – Earthmoving machinery assembly and Conveyor manufacturing from rolled steel to end structure. The phase II of the facility would be fully operational by January 2012 and we have started working on Phase III expansion plan of the said facility. Till date we have supplied over 1200 Plants and 2500 equipment across India and globally and have had tremendous success in Middle East and Africa," says Mr. Abhijeet Pai, Director, Puzzolana, in an interview with S. K. Khanna.

What is the current status of your upcoming manufacturing facility near Hyderabad for the manufacture of heavy duty equipment following agreement with Guidetti and Kopex?
The new state-of-the-art facility in Hyderabad is already open. Infact, the target of phase I was achieved and operation started early this year. We are now assembling the machines there which has two main product portfolios.

• Earthmoving machinery assembly.
• Conveyor manufacturing from rolled steel to end structure.

Phase two of the facility would be fully operational by January 2012 and we are also now working on Phase three expansion plan of the said facility.

What would be its complete products offering?
The new facility is mainly meant for the coal industry, conveyor and structure manufacture and assembly of earthmoving divisions. The main product lines will be Coal Handling Plants, Surface Miner, Feeder Breaker, Long distance conveyors, Longwall Equipment, Road Header, Wheel Loader, Mini Crusher, Bucket wheel reclaimer, Recycling equipment, and other earthmoving machinery.

Being a pioneer player in manufacturing quality crusher plants and setting up the same in the country and abroad; what is the total tally of plants set up so far in India and abroad winning not only the confidence of the customers but also setting up new benchmarks in cost as well as operational efficiency?
Today, we are very proud to say that we have supplied over 1200 plants and 2500 equipment across India and the globe. We have 1050 plants installed in India. The reason for this has always been quality product and quality service. We have partnered with our customers and passed on our volume benefit to them. They have in turn trusted us with volumes that have made us to expand our capacities to 24 Plants per month.

A word about your strong presence in export markets in different regions overseas. Also the current status of starting a venture in Brazil caters to South American market.
We have had tremendous success in Middle-east and Africa and are well-known in this area and catching up fast as one of the preferred suppliers. In some markets, we are already the market leader. In south America, we are in the process of creating a dealer network and at later date possibly a facility. We have two different strategies for Brazil and rest of South America. In Brazil, we are in discussions to create an SPV due to high import costs. Export is a big part of our Vision as Puzzolana being one of the top three crusher manufacturers in the world.

The year 2011 began with a lot of optimism about the onward growth of CE market in the country. But due to national and international economic headwinds, a sense of pessimism is setting in. How would these odds affect the growth of CE in the country? What would your company’s strategy to meet this challenge to maintain your leadership position in the market?
We have noticed that the CE market in India is giving mixed response. However, there are many projects and opportunities, we find financial closures are a big concern for one and all. Due to this, CE scenario volumes have definitely taken a hit however the requirement of India and developing countries are such that we are confident that we would definitely come out of this. Our successful strategy has always been to give a quality product and service along with the competitive cost of owning through the life of the product, and we will keep working with the same model. We are however adding new finance and lease options for our customers to benefit during these hard times.

What are your plans to participate in the forthcoming mega event—Excon 2011 and what new products and services are expected to be unveiled at this show?
We have always been a strong supporter of Excon and this year Puzzolana Group has taken up the largest ever booth. We are launching the much awaited Puzzolana Surface Miner, and the mobile crusher and also introducing our mineral processing vertical for beneficiation projects.

Do you think that this event would push up market sentiments?
Yes, we definitely feel this mega event will not only pep up the market but will also introduce new equipment and requirements that the customers from the world are looking for.