Tag Archive for: France

France awards medal to Masatoshi Kimata

France awards medal to Masatoshi Kimata: Kubota recently announced that its Chairman and Representative Director, Masatoshi Kimata, has been awarded the prestigious National Order of Merit Medal by the Republic of France, an award which is usually reserved for French citizens.

The Kubota Group established in France in 1974 , at the same time that Kubota Europe S.A.S. was founded to export its tractors to European countries. More recently, in 2014, in an attempt to make a full-scale entry into the European upland farming market, Kubota established a manufacturing plant for upland farming tractors in France. Today, about 1,000 employees are working at five local subsidiaries, which are responsible for research and development, production, sales, and after-sales services.

France awards medal to Masatoshi Kimata

France awards medal to Masatoshi Kimata

So, in recognition of Kubota’s long-standing services to economic development and the creation of jobs in the country, and on behalf of the company, its Chairman, Masatoshi Kimata, has been honored by the Republic of France.

The National Order of Merit was founded in 1963 and is usually awarded to people who have made remarkable contributions to France in the areas of cultural and economic activities, and this year Kubota had the honour of receiving this prestigious award.

During the award ceremony, which took place on June 30th at the French Embassy in Tokyo (Japan), Mr. Kimata dedicated a few words of gratitude: “It is a wonderful honour to be awarded this decoration, which would not have come about without the dedicated efforts of everyone concerned. Ever since 1974, when Kubota first made inroads there, France has hosted our core operations in Europe, allowing us to increase our presence in the region by distributing tractors, construction machineries, and industrial engines. For us, France is, and shall remain a vital location for the Kubota Group.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Record Engcon tiltrotators sales in France

Record Engcon tiltrotators sales in France: Engcon is a world-leading supplier and global manufacturer of tiltrotators and accessories for excavators.

Expanding internationally has been Engon’s strategic focus in recent years, to great success. In France, Engcon’s French subsidiary has seen strong growth, and 2019 was no exception. Delivering results that far surpassed its annual target, ranking third overall in the Engcon Group, behind far more mature markets such as Sweden and Finland.

Record Engcon tiltrotators sales in France

Record Engcon tiltrotators sales in France

Engcon started operating in France in 2002, and has since established itself as a market leader. Long-term local investments are now producing good results, such as the opening in 2015 of the French regional office in Mennecy, and a large storage facility holding about 1,500 spare parts to be able to rapidly serve French customers. The demand for tiltrotators in France has been steadily increasing. During the period 2015–2019 sales increased by 400 percent.

”Since 2002, we have been working hard to establish the tiltrotator as a phenomenon in the French market and in 2015 we started to really see an impact. A number of operators who are innovators have managed to influence the adoption of our products, which is evident in the 2019 results. In short, it was an excellent year driven by favourable market developments. But we must not settle for that, which is why we continue to implement our ambitious development plan”, says Patrick Régnier, Sales Manager at Engcon’s French subsidiary.

Why French operators love the tiltrotator
The success in France is based on a number of factors. Engcon’s biggest strength is that the parent company Engcon Group, is a world leader in the industry. Engcon can initiate major changes and create new standards in the market. Based on these standards, the French subsidiary advises users, and guides them based on their needs and the type of work they perform.

Another important strength is the ability to sell a complete system and not just tiltrotators. Customers have understood the benefits of combining Engcon’s wide range of products and accessories.

”The launch of the automatic quick mounting system with EC-oil by default gave us real momentum. The French love the offer and it has contributed greatly to our increased sales”, continues Patrick Régnier.

A demo says more than a thousand words
Engcon’s slogan on the French market is “A demo says more than 1,000 words”. To meet and learn from customers the subsidiary invested in a truck and a mini excavator, so that Engcon staff could travel around France and demonstrate Engcon’s products. The purpose is for end users to directly discover through a demonstration all the benefits that Engcon’s products bring to excavators and operators: safety, efficiency and profitability.

Engcon’s French team, which consists of eight people in March 2020, will grow further during the year to meet customer needs and demand, which is expected to contribute to continued growth. Plus, more service partners will be contracted in order to be closer to customers.

”A strong presence in the field is required to serve our existing customers and at the same time attract new customers. We want to become the Engcon Group’s largest subsidiary within five years and the tiltrotator should be as common a sight in France as it is in the Nordic countries. Now it remains to be seen how to address the ongoing Corona pandemic and its challenges. I hope we get through this quickly, not least for human health and well-being”, concludes Patrick Régnier.

Engcon continues to expand globally, with investments in North America and Asia (+ Australia) and in emerging markets in Europe.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.