Komatsu equipment sales to rise
Komatsu equipment sales to rise
Rendi A. Witular, Bogor
Publicly listed PT Komatsu Indonesia, a unit of Japanese
heavy-equipment producer Komatsu Ltd, forecast sales of its
construction equipment to soar by at least 78 percent this year
on higher demand from mining, logging and agricultural companies.
Komatsu spokesperson Petra Ho said the company had expected
sales of construction equipment to reach at least 1,400 units
this year compared to 786 units last year.
"Expansion in mining, agriculture and logging have triggered
more demand for our construction equipment as they increase
output amid higher prices of their commodities," said Petra
during a media gathering recently.
"Our sales for the equipment will probably rise by at least 78
percent this year," she said.
Petra said the company projected mining companies to account
for 51 percent of the total construction equipment demand,
followed by logging companies with 22 percent, agricultural
companies with 10 percent and construction companies with 17
percent.
Total domestic demand for construction equipment this year was
expected to reach 4,180 units, with Komatsu expected to account
for 39.8 percent of the market share, followed by Caterpillar and
Hitachi with 29.1 percent and 15.6 percent respectively, said
Petra.
Komatsu has also projected sales of its components to rise by
10.5 percent to 11,000 tons this year from 9,950 tons last year.
The company has also estimated its total sales this year to
increase by at least 72 percent to US$160 million from $93
million last year, with profits from operation is also expected
to rise by 100 percent to about $20 million from $10 million.
Japan's Komatsu controls 68.42 percent of Komatsu Indonesia,
while the investing public holds 19.5 percent, with the remaining
27 percent is owned by several institutional investors.
The company is likely also to benefit from higher demand in
the construction business next year after a new government takes
office and public works are expected to proliferate.