Capital Equipment News February 2016

ISUZU TRUCK SOUTH AFRICA defies the odds

S ince the company was constituted in 2006, Isuzu Truck South Africa has been the headlight in the lo- cal truck industry, having forged a niche for themselves, despite underlying odds which have seen the demise of many manufacturers. The company with chief operating officer Craig Uren, at the helm, has embraced all the uncertainty prevailing in the market and managed all the variables in order to remain competitive whilst not losing sight of the customer-centred approach to pro- viding solutions that increase productivity and profitability. “The industry has been through declines in 2001 and 2009 and the strategies we applied then are no different to what we require today to keep our business on track and even to grow. Success comes with being able to analyze the problems and institute growth and development

sponding 14.9 % overall market share, en- sured that ITSA ended as number the one supplier for the third year in a row. In all, the full spectrum of the product range con- tributed to the overall results, each having increased their market share, the N-Series, from 23 % to 27 % and the F-Series, from 29 % to 33 %. “We have now positioned the brand where we want it to be and have strategies in place to maintain that level as we are still in a growth stage of that strategy. The results we achieved in 2015 are definitely not the end point but merely part of the journey. I cannot foresee any major hurdles to hinder our progress except perhaps some major global or local events. The market will how- ever dictate where the limit will be, if any”, said Uren. The acquisition of Kanu and ACT in the Eastern Cape was a bold move for ITSA and the results in the four months since

strategies without pressing the proverbial panic button”, says Uren.

“The perspective of the rest of the world is that the demand for trucks has not been severely impacted as they have faced similar pitfalls such as fuel prices, politi- cal upheavals and immigration crises. The drought and our internal politics with load shedding, bad administration and labour unrest make our situation unique com- pared to the rest of the world. We have had the same problems for years now but our businessmen always find a new operational level and a paradigm that is always positive about the economy”, added Uren. The year 2015 can be considered as the best year ever in the short history of ITSA for not only was it the most challenging but also the most rewarding as the results anticipated for the ten year plan were achieved one year earlier than expected. The 4550 units sold in 2015 and corre-

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