Caterpillar APD Vice President visits Sri Lanka
Caterpillar Asia Pacific Distribution Services Division Vice President Jim Johnson visited Sri Lanka accompanied by Caterpillar Asia Pacific Region Regional Manager Steve Lanctot and District Manager Kevin Strydom. Jim Johnson is one of the most senior Caterpillar executives to visit Sri Lanka during the recent times and this was his first stop on a tour covering dealers in the Caterpillar India District.
Appointed this year in charge of the Caterpillar APD distribution operation expanding from Australia to China, Johnson is entrusted with the enormous task of spearheading overall Caterpillar growth in the region during extremely tough economic conditions. The slowing down of the economies in India and China as well as the decline in the mining sector in more traditional Caterpillar markets such as Australia and Indonesia are posing enormous challenges to all manufacturers alike.
With over 37 years of experience in the construction machinery sector Johnson is the ideal pilot capable of navigating the huge Caterpillar operation in these troubled waters. DuringthatperiodJohnsonhasheldmanysenior positions at Caterpillar and yet he is better known as a ‘Product Support man’ internally due to the long years he had spent in Product Support roles.
During his short visit, Johnson made time to visit the newly revamped UTE facility including the brand-new UTE training centre. This training centre is arguably the only exclusive facility in Sri Lanka equipped to train construction machinery and power generator technicians in the country. With the latest equipment and training aids, the UTE training centre is on par with many advanced training facilities available with Caterpillar dealers in the world.
The most important engagement of this visit was the meeting with key business leaders in the country. Many of the key decision-makers for construction equipment and power generation took time off from their busy Monday afternoon to meet with Jim and other Senior Business Executive from Caterpillar and UTE. In his address to the customers Jim emphasized the value of having such a long-term business relationship with UTE and how UTE adds value in the final step of the supply chain.
Also this visit was significant to UTE as highlighted by its Chairman Priath Fernando who pointed out that after over 25 years of merely trying to survive, UTE has doubled its turnover since 2009. These results and the improvements made in their service capabilities have been now noticed by Caterpillar. In turn, Caterpillar too has provided all possible assistance to help UTE achieve excellence in service and improve further in their pursuit to be among the top Caterpillar dealers in the world. United Tractor & Equipment (Pvt.) Ltd (UTE) has been the sole authorized dealer for Caterpillar in Sri Lanka since 1947. Now a diversified group with interests in construction and heavy machinery, power generation and distribution, material handling and storage, welding equipment and engineering services, UTE aims to become the best engineering solutions provider for an array of Sri Lankan industries catering to these markets.