FOTON sees further growth in 2019
AT ITS Dealers’ Appreciation Night held at the City of Dreams in Pasay City last week, Foton Philippines eagerly reported the good news: The China-headquartered commercial vehicle maker rose from its 12th ranking in overall Philippine sales in 2017 to No. 9 last year, based on consolidated numbers from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors, Inc. (AVID).
“We’ve already reached the Top 10 in the (local) automotive market,” declared Foton Motor Philippines, Inc. (FMPI) president Rommel Sytin in a speech to dealers, bank partners, and members of the media. “Last year, I asked you guys if we could do it… you said ‘kayang-kaya (very doable),’ so I’m very, very sincerely grateful, and I thank each one of you… for making this dream come true for Foton.”
FMPI, under United Asia Automotive Group Inc (UAAGI), the official distributor of Foton vehicles in the country, also adopts the Filipino term “kayangkaya” as its “marketing campaign sets to reinforce the brand’s confidence by opening ‘bigger possibilities’ and creating grander ‘breakthroughs’ for the Filipino families and businesses with its product line and services.”
In a press statement, Sytin said the term “embraces the spirit of resilience and capability that has been in our brand’s DNA since the beginning. Over the years, we have invested in improving the reliability of our vehicles along with the continuous work on strengthening the customer experience through a focus on our after-sales service. That makes up the heart of this campaign.”
For her part, FMPI executive vice president Anna Maria Parado added: “We see this campaign as something relevant to the Filipinos. It does not just promote possibilities in capabilities; it also depicts our positive outlook in all situations, no matter how tough and challenging they get… Filipinos are known for resilience, and when rising to situations like these, Kayang-Kaya is something all of us can relate to.”
The company also paid tribute through a beautiful video presentation on its visionary chairman Dominic Sytin, who passed away late last year.
FMPI awarded and recognized exemplary dealerships, sales executives, service personnel, and technicians. Significantly, the Rookie of the Year dealership plum went to the Marilao showroom, the Vis/Min Dealer of the Year championship to Cebu North (Mandaue) and the NCR/Luzon Dealer of the Year prize to A. Bonifacio – which also copped the Overall Dealer of the Year honors.
Foton’s performance came despite a challenging 2018 which saw domestic total vehicle sales drop “for the first time in seven years as the industry reeled (from) higher automotive taxes,” according to FMPI VP for sales Levy Santos. The company also inched higher up in ranking in the truck segment – from fourth to third place overall. Santos continued that Foton remains bullish this year on account of the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program. “Light commercial vehicles, light- and heavyduty trucks, and heavy equipment are (necessary) to support the various infrastructure projects of government,” he declared, adding that this augurs well for Foton’s business this year. And it being an election year means the firm is anticipating a windfall from related spending.
Santos shared that the company is looking at launching a number of new commercial vehicles (including Gratour and Hurricane trucks) at the 2019 staging of the Manila International Auto Show in April. Eight new dealerships are expected to be added to the local FPMI network – bringing the total to 34 by year’s end.
“For 2019, our aim is to increase market share. Before, (it wasn’t) even one percent. Again, I’m appealing to everyone to work hard and do our best,” said Sytin. He repeated his challenge last year: “Kaya ba
yun (Is it possible)?” The audience, composed of dealer principals and representatives from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, responded with a resounding “yes.”