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Motors pledges after-sales support for Foton vehicles
By Moses Akaigwe (igwemos@sunnewsonline)
Friday, August 8, 2008
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Foton Auman
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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In the past few years, two major factors have been combining
to rev up the tempo of transaction in the auto market: They
are the increasing availability of finance schemes arranged
by vehicle marketers and banks, as well as the increasing
presence of Chinese brands which have widened the choice for
buyers in all the segments.
The obvious result is that patronage for used vehicles (tokunbo)
is gradually receding as many big and small companies now
prefer buying Chinese vehicles to meet their needs, owing
to comparatively low cost and satisfactory performance.
Unfortunately, many of the importers took undue advantage
of the situation by rushing to China to bring in commercial
vehicles to feed the market at low prices, but with scant
regard for after-sales support as they lacked even basic facilities
like workshops, replacement parts and service personnel.
They sell the vehicles to customers at low prices but mostly
the buyers end up frustrated due to the aforementioned reasons,
and as a result, dump the vehicles.
But, determined to chart a new course and make a difference,
a new auto marketer, Asian Motors Limited, entered the market
with Foton, a Chinese brand, in 2006. Contrary to the general
perception, Asian Motors is a well structured organized company.
Foton is the largest automobile company in China and is one
among the three largest manufacturers of the commercial vehicles
in the world. It produced and sold more than 400,000 vehicles
in the year 2007 with an annual turnover of 3.7 billion US
dollars. Foton has tie-ups with Mercedes Benz, Perkins, Caterpillar
and Cummins in the manufacture of its engines for its vehicles.
Asian Motors Limited came into being a couple of years ago
as a subsidiary of Transauto Pte Ltd, Singapore, which is
co-owned by Tolaram Group, the parent-company of various reputable
organizations in different economic sectors of Nigeria. Other
companies owned by the Tolaram Group are: De-united Foods
Industries Limited (makers of Indomie noodles), Multipro Enterprises
Limited, Panabiz International Limited, Lucky Fibres (Nobel
Carpets) among others.
To ensure smooth motoring and satisfaction for its customers,
Asian Motors focused on building on the indigenous technical
team and infrastructure for after-sales service support right
from day one when it started its operations in 2006. It initially
imported and sold 1 and 2.5 ton vehicles from Foton in 2007,
while at the same time, building the spare parts stocks and
continuing the training of the local service team to support
the customers for the two models of light duty trucks.
When the satisfied customers started asking for other models,
then Asian Motors went ahead and imported the five and six
to vehicles along with the double cabin pickups towards the
end of 2007. The success recorded in selling and servicing
the vehicles, naturally spurred the company to go on and import
the single cabin pickups, panel delivery vans, SUVs, tippers
and trailer heads for other customers in 2008.
The company plans to bring mini buses and city buses in the
near future to meet market demands. All the vehicles have
been successfully launched one by one owing to their firm
belief in customer’s satisfaction and continued efforts
towards excellence in after sales services.
As part of the next phase of its expansion, Asian Motors Limited
has already started the assembly of the heavy duty trailer
heads and tippers. It has registered one more company in name
of Asian Motors LFTZ Enterprise at Lagos Free Trade Zone,
Lekki for the assembly line. This will provide employment
opportunities for the local people around that area and will
lead to cost reduction on brand new vehicles in time to come.
Also planned is the fabrication of body parts for the vehicles
soon in Lekki. The body will be customized as per the requirement
of the customers and will include aluminum boxes, water and
diesel tankers, semi-trailers etc. For the body fabrications,
Asian Motors has joined hands with one of the major manufacturers
of Indoesia in the name Antika Raya, Indonesia, under the
banner of Aston Vehicle Body Manufacturing Company.
Apart from expanding horizontally, Asian Motors is shortly
opening offices in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano, to address
the requirements of the customers at every major city in Nigeria.
It is also coming up with main workshop, spare parts yard
and warehouse on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway before the end of
the year.
The Foton range available in Asian Motors stable are Forland
light and medium duty trucks of 1 ton, 2.5 ton, 5 ton and
6 ton capacities, as well as Auman trailer heads (30,40 and
45 tons).
There are also single sand double cabin, as well as 4x2 and
4x4 pick-up powered by petrol and diesel engines, delivery
vans, 15-seater air-conditioned mini buses, 41 to 55-seater
luxury buses, and construction equipment like dumpers. Forklifts,
semi trailer and oil tankers are also in the line-up.
Daily Sun learnt that corporate organizations like De-United
Foods (Indomie Noodles), O’Noodles makers, Park ‘n’
Shop, Dangote, VGC Water and IPWA, have Foton vehicles in
their fleets, while Oceanic, Intercontinental, First Banks
and Bank PHB offer finance facilities to Foton customers.
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