Galadari Group helps boost of Japanese brands

On 17th July 2012, the Japanese Consul-General in Dubai, His Excellency Matsunaga Daisuke, met Khaled Soliman, Group Chief Executive Officer for Galadari Brothers, to commemorate the long standing and special relationship between Galadari Brothers and Japan. They also discussed ways to further cement the relationship between Galadari Brothers and Japan. Galadari Brothers is the exclusive distributor for two flagship Japanese brands in the UAE, Komatsu and Mazda, whose strong and steady sales performance has played a significant role in further bolstering the thriving UAE-Japan trade. Galadari Brothers also has a successful, well-established trading partnership with Itochu Corporation, the giant Japanese trading company. Trade between the UAE and Japan crossed the $50 billion mark in 2011, recording a 37.58 per cent growth over the previous year. Japan’s automobile exports to the UAE account for $3.17 billion in 2011, positioning the Emirates as its 10th largest vehicles export market in 2011 contributing 2.14 per cent of the total market coverage. Galadari Automobiles Limited (GAL), the exclusive distributor of Mazda vehicles in the UAE, has been in successful partnership with Mazda Motor Corporation for over 35 years. Galadari Trucks and Heavy Equipment Co Ltd (GTHE), the sole UAE distributor for Komatsu, has been able to position the Japanese brand as a market leader during the past several years of its strong alliance with the world’s second largest construction and earthmoving equipment manufacturer. GAL and GTHE, both with an impressive product portfolio, have been key drivers of Galadari Brothers Group’s remarkable growth as a diversified conglomerate with interests spanning automobiles, industrial trading, media, retail, engineering, hospitality, real estate, IT, travel and tourism. As a strong engine of the Group’s overall growth, GAL, which also enjoys the status as a pioneering automobile dealer in the UAE, holds strongly to its vision of achieving growth and success in partnership with Mazda by providing world class automotive products and quality after-sales servicing and support to ensure customers satisfaction. A testament to GAL’s enduring partnership with Mazda is the recent recognition the Galadari Group company has won from the Japanese automobile giant. GAL bagged two prestigious awards from Mazda Motor Corporation — Best GCC Distributor Facility and Performance Award 2011 and Runner-up for Global Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Award 2011. GAL, an industry pioneer and amongst the leading automobile companies in the UAE, achieved top honors in five categories: overall distribution and performance, customer loyalty, facility and 5S, Mazda-trained technical support team and product quality improvement. Axel Dreyer, General Manager of GAL, said the Dubai-based automobile distributor has taken a completely customer-centric approach to better serve Mazda clients. “After-sales service has been a major area of focus wherein we are striving to achieve excellence. We are investing heavily in upgrading the skills of our technical staff to keep pace with Mazda’s pace of innovation in product and technology, which in-turn translates into a better repair and maintenance services. There is a greater focus on improving the soft skills of our front-line staff. A whole gamut of initiatives has been initiated towards improving our services.” GAL is also focusing on modernizing its facilities. In Abu Dhabi, it opened a new showroom and will soon be unveiling a state-of-the-art facility on Shaikh Zayed Road with 64 bays on two levels. “We have envisaged the facility to be the best in the UAE. With this project, we are setting a benchmark for Mazda worldwide. Our aim with the new showroom is to deliver this ”young at heart ZOOM-ZOOM” message to our customers,” said Dreyer. GAL expects to complete the facility upgrade plan by end of 2013. GAL has also put in place a full-fledged Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Programme. The initiative includes a whole range of after-sales services that are aimed at creating greater value for the customer in terms of ease and excellence of service. Moreover, GTHE is the exclusive distributor of several other leading international brands in heavy earthmoving, construction, and materials handling equipment segment. GTHE, which has an excellent distribution network, with presence in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain, has been able to position Komatsu as a market leader in the UAE through its commitment to consistent quality, reliability, durability and after-sales service. GTHE’s parts and service facilities are located in Al Quoz Industrial Area of Dubai, Mussaffah Industrial area of Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Thanks to GTHE’s consistent support and cutting edge technology from Komatsu of Japan, the world’s second largest heavy earthmoving, construction equipment brand is well placed to further boost its market dominance, said a company spokesman. “Apart from a worldclass product, a strong sales force, committed service technicians, and good leadership have helped GTHE grow significantly over the last few years,” he said. Komatsu, also a leading manufacturer of electric, gasoline and diesel powered forklifts in the world, enjoys a strong UAE market share in this category too. From khaleejtimes