Mecomar, Feature Story 3 of LiuGong’s 20th Globalization Anniversary

“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.” – Casablanca

In early spring of 2003, a year after LiuGong announced the building of an “Open and Globalized LiuGong,” the President of LiuGong at that time, Zeng Guang’an, led inspectors to Casablanca — a love mecca famous for romance in Northwest Africa — and initiated LiuGong’s first overseas market inspection. The company’s first overseas dealer partnership started at that point. Just like the famous line from the movie “Casablanca” says, there are many places in the world, but first stop chosen has proved to be the right decision and certainly one worth remembering years later.

But the history of the successful collaboration goes back a little further. Before LiuGong officially conducted global business, there were two companies that regularly bought several LiuGong machines every year, and Mecomar was one of them.

Mecomar was founded in 1995.  After years of development, it gradually built up a reputation in the local engineering construction industry. Under the astute leadership of the founder, Mecomar has collaborated with almost all governments, municipalities, and local authorities in Morocco. It has also worked with a number of private operators within the solid and liquid waste management sector in Morocco and across many African countries.

In 1998, Mecomar management paid a visit to Chinese construction machinery companies. They focused especially on LiuGong, given the quality of its products and its serious development strategy, which met Mecomar’s expectations.

In 2000, Mecomar began working with LiuGong when it imported its first LiuGong machine — the ZL40B wheel loader. It became the first recipient of this machine type worldwide.

After years of globalization, LiuGong machines have improved greatly, and Mecomar has contributed a lot to this by providing a “testing field” as well as many suggestions for improvement. What remains the same is LiuGong’s attitude and spirit. “What differentiates LiuGong from others is that it is a modest company that is willing to listen to customers and partners, and it is always ready to make improvements as required by the market and customers,” said Mecomar General Manager, Rachid Berrada. He went on to remark that, “LiuGong has sent many technicians and service people here to back us up, while also collecting feedback on the machines.” From 2010 to 2016, LiuGong equipment has ranked 1st in Chinese exports to Morocco every year.

“Time proves to us that we’ve made the right strategic choice, and our market share keeps on growing from year to year.” Being LiuGong’s exclusive dealer in Morocco, Mecomar sells LiuGong’s full line of earthmoving equipment. It has ordered various types of machines, including wheel loaders, skid steer loaders, backhoe loaders, motor graders, excavators, rollers, forklifts, bulldozers, etc. Mecomar’s mobile teams have always found solutions to provide skilled technicians who offer 24/7 aftersales service throughout the Moroccan market. It also provides operator training at workshops and on-site.

Thousands of LiuGong machines are operating across North Africa. LiuGong equipment has been deployed for the completion of a number of large projects, including the Hassan II Mosque (which is the third-largest mosque in the world), the Tanger-Med Port (one of the largest ports in Africa, with over twenty 945E excavators in operation), multiple soccer stadiums and many other large-scale projects.

From September 2021 to February 2022, LiuGong’s 950 and 988ER ballasted boom excavators with rippers were delivered for an important port project in Morocco. The 988ER uses a 90-ton undercarriage, a reinforced swing platform, and a heavier operating weight to better adapt to the harsh working conditions. It is a highly effective tool for excavating and breaking medium and strong weathered rock, shale rock, red sandstone, etc. It is also suitable for breaking rock formations below 45 MPa. Compared to traditional excavator with hydraulic hammer and bulldozer with ripper, it has the benefits of high efficiency, low loss, low breaking and maintenance costs. It is also more eco-friendly and safer compared with traditional blasting operations.

“We have strengthened and crystallized the cooperation with LiuGong for more than 20 years, and we are very proud of this,” said Rachid. “Thanks to the mutual and continuous efforts of the teams, we will overcome all the difficulties of a market in perpetual evolution and change.”

Editor’s Note:

“For every target in the world, doing the routine results in nothing. Go for it! With great effort and courage anything is possible.”

Zeng Guang’an’s visit in 2003 started the wonderful partnership. 20 years is not a short journey. As time goes by and the partnership grows deeper, Mecomar and LiuGong will continue to work together on the road of cooperation and mutual success.

That is why Mecomar’s success plays a crucial part in LiuGong’s globalization journey.

Xu Le, Feature Story 2 of LiuGong’s 20th Globalization Anniversary

The United Arab Emirates is the economic and trade center of the Middle East. One of its cities, Dubai, is a desert oasis and a shopping paradise. Selling construction machinery products in such a place is a very unique experience.

In 2010, LiuGong Middle East was established in Dubai; the following year, Xu Le joined the team. Dubai presented her with a unique work environment. She is often noticeable at construction sites, mines, and oil fields since there are very few women.

It is very common for her to drive for 6 hours to visit customers. Encountering desert sand along the way, her car wheels sometimes get stuck. However, as a salesperson, this kind of difficult scenarios does not deter her and she always finds ways to overcome the challenges. “Despite having to cover two to three hundred kilometers a day, doing business involves visiting customers and understanding the local market,” Xu Le remarked.

Once, she was not able to meet a customer on one of these long customer visits and had to go back. When she revisited, the security guard at the site said to her, “I remember you, you came last time.” Xu Le was a little curious and asked why he remembered her. “Because there are no women here,” the security guard replied.

In the UAE construction machinery industry, practitioners and customers tend to be almost exclusively male. Xu Le’s coming onto the scene has blazed the trail for women in this industry and become a distinctive feature of LiuGong in the region.

But Xu Le was not initially a salesperson. In 2019, after having worked in HR administration for LiuGong Middle East for 8 years, she was sent to replace one of her UAE sales colleagues who was on leave. “Honestly, very apprehensive,” she recalls how she felt at the time, but she still wanted to challenge herself and seize the opportunity. Her job included tracking orders, visiting customers, negotiating deals, and maintaining constant contact with several strategic global customers. In the time leading up to her successful collaboration with the UAE railroad construction project, she forged ahead step by step and took on the challenge as it came.

When the customer visited LiuGong Middle East, the boss specially praised Xu Le, remarking, “She is great. She’s a good and competent salesperson.” The LiuGong Middle East General Manager was surprised, and said, “She’s not a salesperson, she’s our HR and administrative manager.” In 2020, Xu Le was recognized by the company and transitioned to sales, becoming LiuGong’s only female salesperson in the Middle East.

Since joining LiuGong in 2011, Xu Le has gone from HR administration to sales, and though the two jobs are very different, she believes that they are both guided by the principle of “Being an upright person and working in steadfast manner.” From HR administration work, Xu Le has gained experience in company management, personnel training, and the coordination and cooperation of various departments. Sales work, on the other hand, has given her a greater sense of mission — to grow the LiuGong brand in the UAE. In the first year of being a salesperson, her sales volume completion rate was 319%, and the sales revenue completion rate was 295% — achieving a breakthrough in the central enterprise’s sales of the “first set” of Chinese excavators in the UAE.

In the past two years, LiuGong has become one of the most recognized Chinese brands in the UAE market and its wheel loaders are widely praised, leading to 3% increase in wheel loader market share and 2% in excavator market share. With the support of professional aftermarket services, local customer satisfaction has also increased significantly.

In the 1990s, LiuGong took the lead in becoming one of the first Chinese construction machinery companies to start import and export business. In 2002, the strategy of “Building an open and international LiuGong” was proposed. 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of LiuGong’s globalization and the 13th year of LiuGong’s penetration in the Middle Eastern market.

“The company has expanded its business globally and insisted on creating value through cooperation. LiuGong leaders are supportive, tolerant, and are people-oriented. They work to develop employees. The team is also friendly and highly cooperative.” This is the reason why Xu Le was driven to join LiuGong, and why she has refused many external job offers, choosing instead to remain with LiuGong and maintain her loyalty all the way from her twenties to now when she’s nearly in her forties.

Along the way, Xu Le has witnessed LiuGong’s international development and her own growth. “Working here has enriched my life experience and made me more confident in my career development,” she remarked. She is proud of the company and herself, and intends to create even greater value while working to further develop and grow LiuGong in the UAE market with her team.

Editor’s Note:

Infinite Possibilities comes from a verse by a Zen master from the Southern Song Dynasty. Thousands of years later, the world has changed dramatically. For the companies in pursuit of globalization and localization today, one of the most important factors for success is to have employees who can identify and integrate with local culture —Xu Le is one of them.

During the 20 years of LiuGong’s globalization, the company’s business development and progress have brought many opportunities to each job position. The employees will thus continue to carve out new roles amongst the changes and innovations, proving their value in unique ways alongside the company’s achievements.

This is what globalization is really about. We truly thank colleagues like Xu Le who are able to achieve success in their different and changing positions.

Rudy Coetzer, Feature Story 1 of LiuGong’s 20th Globalization Anniversary

“It’s being who you are that really matters.” Rudy illustrates this passion, enthusiasm, positiveness, and energy at 74, which is not typical for her age.

Rudy works as the Administration Manager for LiuGong South Africa (hereinafter referred to as LGSA). Every day she drives her car to the office, and handles all the file work efficiently. Even among all the papers that are neatly stacked on the shelves, she can easily pick out any specific one in a second! Besides file work, Rudy is also responsible for inventory management, logistics, finances, and all forms of document handling. She works to maintain safe and secure operations at the company. Rudy rarely takes days off, and even works on weekends when machines are delivered from the port and unloaded.

Rudy first became responsible for the LiuGong brand in 2004. Before LGSA was established, she worked as the administrator of LiuGong’s dealer in Mpumalanga, Nelspruit, which dealt with the import and export of LiuGong machines across the Sub Saharan region. This was the start of her long and steadfast journey with LiuGong.

By gradually gaining more knowledge from her administrative work, particularly on the technical side, Rudy was promoted to Branch Manager of the dealer’s new branch in Polokwane, Limpopo Province. She has worked there for five years and attended to the administration, parts departments, and sales of LiuGong earthmoving machines.

“I felt astonished and surprised when I got a phone call for the job interview at the age of 64.” After eight years of operation in the international market, LiuGong had grown stronger and aimed to open a subsidiary in Johannesburg. When the previous General Manager was trying to find the right person to help start the company in 2010, Rudy came up and was highly recommended as the right person. Her familiarity with LiuGong and its products, along with her professionalism and dedication to work, enabled Rudy to successfully pass the interview and get the position as the Administration Manager of LGSA in August, 2011.

When LGSA was founded, there was a shortage of salespeople, so Rudy also assisted as a salesperson besides administration work. “I love working in the subsidiary. Every day seems like a new day for me. I’ve gained a range of knowledge,” Rudy said proudly with her iconic smile. She also remarked that, “People usually think that people at my age think slowly. But actually, we can’t afford to make mistakes. Although I don’t work for the technical department, it’s also my responsibility to help solve problems when I get phone calls reporting machine issues or when people come to me asking for machine information. This is because at the end of the day, it’s not about you and me, or other people, it’s about LiuGong.”

Rudy started from registering inventory and has visited a lot of people. “The yellow machines just got into my blood, and I’ve learned a lot about these machines. It’s really a big advantage for me.” From Rudy’s perspective, we should have a broad vision, be professional, and keep the conversation going with the customers.

Setting up the LGSA office to accommodate all the necessary functions and systems has enabled Rudy to perform her duties and combine the different cultures. When Rudy first worked for LGSA, she Googled a lot about China and Chinese festivals. Every time there is a Chinese festival, she expresses her good wishes to the Chinese colleagues. She even sends Red Envelopes to them during Chinese New Year. “When I first worked at LGSA, I thought that it was just like taking two stones and trying to tie them together. But we respect and learn from each other. Eventually we began to feel like a big family, and I like the rich Chinese culture.” Rudy remembers every one’s birthday, which is deeply appreciated by everyone who works with her. “She is just like our grandma,” said LGSA Service Engineer, Mr. Zeng Bo.

“The years that I have been working for LiuGong have been exhilarating and it’s been a huge learning curve, but one is never too old to learn and adapt. This is also true for LiuGong,” said Rudy. “LiuGong has grown in all sectors of the construction and mining industry across the world, and its professional and innovative staff have helped it grow from strength to strength.”

Editor’s Note:

2022 marks the 20th year since LiuGong’s globalization strategy was proposed and implemented, leading to greater success for the company. For an international company, 20 years is not a short period of time. The customers and partners who have joined hands with LiuGong during all these years, and the employees who have grown as the company has globalized, are all treasures we cherish. We recall key stories that are worth remembering, and record the milestones experienced to inspire us as we set out on the next journey.

Thank you Rudy, and thank you to all of LiuGong’s local employees dedicating themselves to the process of globalization. Globalization is a continuous process, and as time progresses, we form deep bonds with the people and companies we work with.

We can be better together and we can do better together.