Exclusive: The Partnership Between LiuGong and Atlantic Industrial Equipment

Recently, Atlantic Industrial Equipment has partnered with LiuGong and Nova Truck Centres to offer the complete LiuGong North America product line – wheel loaders, excavators, mini excavators, Dressta dozers, skid steers and 31 models of Class 1, 3, 4 and 5 industrial forklifts.

To get an insight into how the partnership was being built, Conmart had an exclusive skype interview with James Bond, the President of Atlantic Industrial Equipment.

Conmart: Why Atlantic selected LiuGong and thought it would be a nice fit for the Canadian market?

James: I spent 10 years working with the market-leading brands and saw the warranties were not increased at all with the rising price. When we were looking at the brands we’re about to bring in, LiuGong checked all the boxes for us: the competitive price, the market-leading warranty, and the uncompromised quality.

Conmart: What makes Atlantic to offer the complete product line of LiuGong North America?

James: Actually that is one of the reasons why we work with LiuGong. Beyond the earthmoving equipment like the excavators and wheel loaders, LiuGong even has the material handling equipment such as the forklifts. In Atlantic Canada, the majority of the machines that have been sold in the market are 15t, 20t and 30t excavators and wheel loaders, LiuGong’s tough equipment has perfectly matched the market. And after doing a fair amount of market research when the forklifts become available, we decide to put them into the offering for the quality, maintenance capability and the market-leading: 5 years/ 10,000 hours warranty.

Conmart: How would you describe the partnership between Atlantic and Nova Truck Centres?

James: It’s a very natural partnership for us and lots of our customers are saying this is a very smart move. Now our clients can buy dump trucks and excavators with one account of their trusted organization.

Currently, with the support of Nova Truck, we have three locations in Nova Scotia and over 60 OEM-trained technicians who have worked in mining and construction industries before. In addition, Nova Truck built the brand new 40,000 square-foot facilities that I’m working in right now with parts departments and shared computer and software systems for warehousing and accounting. This makes us in a competitive position and brings more value to our clients with reduced overhead costs.

Conmart: How far do you think the Chinese construction equipment manufacturers can go in the international market?

James: If I look at LiuGong as the model, there are few things that manufacturers whether they are from China, Germany or Japan need to really consider if they want to be successful: First of all, they need to offer a quality product that is accepted in the market and they also need to build a strong dealer network, because without the parts and maintenance support on the ground level, customers will not buy your product.

Conmart: What is the most important factor to consider when advertising products in construction equipment industry?

James: The key for any manufacturer is to get the machine in the hands of the customer and the customer will grow the brand for you. I believe a customer’s testimonial saying this machine does exactly what I need it to do at a very cost-effective rate is more valuable than anything. And that’s why we are so focused on the first couple of machines and making sure those equipment go to the right customers.

Conmart: What changes have been made with LiuGong North America during the pandemic?

James: Without the physical visits, we have to do a lot of Zoom calls and online training sessions during the pandemic, but the headquarters of LiuGong North America has been providing responsive service right from the product managers, especially during the sales training sessions. LiuGong really know the value of the dealers, and trying to help us as best as they can.