Volvo Construction Equipment is one of the major global construction equipment manufacturers that started operations over 180 years ago in Eskilstuna, Sweden. Over the years and through mergers and acquisitions, as well as in house development and organic growth the company today ranks as one of top companies in its field.
As per Volvo CE press release, growth in most markets helped the Company deliver a solid first financial quarter 2019, with sales up 15% and profitability up 26%.
The Middle East Observer, had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Shahir El Essawy, Project Director for Volvo CE Hub South (Middle East & Africa) for standing on his views regarding the challenges the company face in the Egyptian & African market as well as his perspectives on the New Capital’s project and its future prospective as an active participant in the project’s development.
1. The high cost of equipment is usually the challenge for major projects in Africa, how competitive can Volvo CE be in Africa?
At Volvo CE we look beyond the initial cost of buying a machine and focus more on reducing Total Cost of Ownership over the entire lifetime of our machines. We ensure that our customers secure the right machines for the job and we work hard to reduce downtime, fuel consumption and required maintenance. Which is why, due to our low owning and operating costs, we are very well positioned in a demanding and fast-growing market such as Africa.
2. What do you see as challenges in the Egyptian market verses African countries?
We know that in Egypt in particular, projects are launched quite fast with a short completion date so machine availability and short lead times are very critical these days. The country is clearly going through a time of economic growth, which is especially true in the construction sector, so we need to be ready to provide the solution that these major projects require.
3. How do you see the New Capital project’s ongoing progress and futuristic perspective ?
The New Capital project is progressing in an extremely impressive manner. This was one of the biggest planned city projects ever to be launched yet it is almost complete, just a few years after it was first announced in 2015. When you see all the highways, tunnels and the incredible infrastructure all coming together, you can clearly see that this is the future for capital cities being built in front of our eyes.
4. Can you tell us your insights into the sustainable structure of this city as well as your insights into the benefits and challenges with a project of this scale?
A project of this scale, with all its modern designs and principles implemented across its entire construction and development, is a privilege to work on. It is very exciting for Volvo CE to play a key role in seeing this come together, however it does come with its challenges. There are high demands on our machines’ productivity levels, as well as an expectation of uptime, low operating costs and fuel efficiency. But we have always been confident that our machines are able to deliver on all of these requirements. The fact we are able to provide the most sustainable construction equipment solutions and help build an environmentally smart city that is helping to reduce overcrowding and congestion is a testament to our vision of building a better world.
