Excellent Results for Komatsu Division in 2004 and even better forecast for 2005

Komatsu Division, the European Head Office of Komatsu Forklift Co., Ltd., which manufactures and sells forklift trucks in Europe, significantly increased production and achieved excellent sales results in 2004.

The news of the absolutely positive close of fiscal year 2004 arrived along with the appointment of Eiji Fukuda as General Manager for Komatsu Division. Forty years old and Japanese, Eiji Fukuda has many years' experience with material handling equipment behind him. Although appointed the manager of Komatsu Division just a short time ago, Fukuda, along with the entire Komatsu team, has already made an effective contribution to overhauling the company's marketing, improving and expanding relations with distributors in various countries and demonstrating particular attention to customer requests. The results of this “management policy” have not been long in coming.

“During 2004, in the context of an extremely competitive European market that grew by 7%, Komatsu Division increased its sales at a rate 3 times higher,” Fukuda commented. “The excellent results achieved are the outcome of the efforts of the entire Komatsu team, including Sales and Aftersales with its Service and Spare Parts departments, which dedicated itself to a common project. The objective I have set for myself for 2005 and 2006 is to continue down this road and improve on the order of 20% per year”.

Komatsu Forklift is present in the European market with a complete range of forklifts and warehouse equipment to cover all current material handling needs. “This year – says Mr. Fukuda – we will be introducing new models in the AX50/BX50 series, which we consider our flagship products: personally, after seeing them in operation at our Tochigi plant, I am absolutely certain that they will have unprecedented success.”

Komatsu Division has invested, and continues to invest, in training importers and dealers and today has one of the best after sales technical assistance departments. Already well-established in Western Europe, Komatsu Division has also expended considerable energy to construct an extensive and reliable network of importers and dealers with the aim of expanding its presence and competitiveness in Eastern European markets where it has already achieved important results in Russia and Hungary just to name two.

Among the various initiatives in Komatsu's 2005 plan is the new web site www.komatsuforklift.net, which will be on-line by the end of May. Available in 5 languages, the site will be a constantly updated source of information and support for customers and distributors, who will be able to find all the information sheets relative to products and the latest news about Komatsu.

An integral part of Komatsu Division 's marketing strategy is communication with the end-user, which will be achieved through a new advertising campaign.