PT Mandiri licensed as sole agent
PT Mandiri licensed as sole agent
JAKARTA (JP): A British manufacturer of construction and
agricultural equipment, JCB, licensed a Mandiri Group subsidiary,
PT Mandiri Tractor Utama, yesterday as its sole agent here.
"We have been operating as the sole agent of JCB here since
January. But today we officially signed a deal with JCB to become
its only distributor in Indonesia," said Herman Kasih, the
marketing director of Mandiri Traktor Utama.
The company will sell JCB's backhoe loaders, skid steers,
wheelloaders, telescopic handlers and rough terrain forklifts,
Herman said after the agreement yesterday.
He said his company was also the sole agent for Vibromax of
Germany and Pettibone of the United States. The company intends
to sell Vibromax's hand compactors and combination rollers and
Pettibone's carry lifts and truck cranes.
He said backhoe loaders, medium-size and multipurpose
equipment for construction, agriculture and mining would sell
well here. The company's products range in price from US$60,000
to $100,000.
The company hopes to sell to 25 percent of the heavy equipment
market next year, he said, because many foreign construction and
agriculture consulting firms operate in Indonesia. He said these
firms, many from Malaysia, the Philippines and Britain, were
familiar with JCB products.
"We've managed to sell more than 30 backhoe loaders. We expect
we will sell about 50 of them this year," Herman said, adding
that 400 backhoes a year are sold here.
He said PT Mandiri Tractor Utama had spent about Rp 10 billion
($4.3 million) setting itself up as a sole agent for the foreign
companies.
According to Herman, PT Mandiri Tractor Utama will become one
of the top five sellers of heavy equipment in Indonesia by late
next year. The others are PT United Tractor, PT Trakindo, PT
Mekasindo and PT Fajar Mas Murni.
When asked who owned the Mandiri Group, he said: "Pak Cosmas
(former minister of manpower Cosmas Batubara), some military
personnel and private businessmen. But I'm sorry I can't tell you
the details because we're not a public company." (bnt)