Manitowoc dealers gather in Singapore to share best practices and growth opportunities

The presentations discussed how Manitowoc and its dealers can help customers get more value from products and services.
There was also an Awards Ceremony to recognize many of the top-performing dealers.

Manitowoc’s Asia-Pacific Distributor Conference 2023 was held in Singapore this June bringing together industry leaders and key stakeholders from Manitowoc, and representatives from dealer partners across 13 countries. The conference included major focuses on product innovation and service support, as well as developing the potential for used equipment in the region.

“This conference was a great platform to discuss emerging trends, share insights, and foster collaboration with our valued dealer partners. We’ve expanded and invested in our dealer network in APAC over the past few years and together we are focused on shaping the future of our industry. With our experience, global operations, lean strategy, and industry-leading technology, we offer some of the best lifting equipment in the world. But we are always striving for more, so this was an important opportunity to show how we can help customers get more value from their operations,” said Brian Wang, senior vice president -- Emerging Markets, at Manitowoc.

Progress through product innovation

A major area of discussion was product innovation and its role in maintaining industry leadership in a fast-evolving market. Manitowoc is continuing to introduce market-leading products across its Grove and Potain brands that enable customers to extract more value and boost productivity, efficiency, and sustainability. Sessions at the conference highlighted the importance of new product development and particularly Manitowoc’s Voice of the Customer process where valuable insights from dealers and customers are fed back into the design phase.

Ensuring success through service support

The other major area of discussion at the event was the critical role of product support in maintaining long-term customer relationships. There were presentations on a range of service programs across maintenance, repairs, and technical assistance. Manitowoc has invested heavily in creating a robust after-sales network across Asia-Pacific to ensure the highest levels of machine uptime and customer satisfaction. A critical part of this is ensuring ongoing collaboration between Manitowoc and its dealers, and harnessing the latest technology, such as the advanced Grove CONNECT and Potain CONNECT remote diagnostic tools.

Used equipment to maximize value and sustainability

Among the new developments presented was Manitowoc’s updated and expanded used crane service capabilities. Using a new online platform, customers can now search a database of used cranes. There were presentations on the refurbishment of older cranes and case studies on dealers who have developed successful used crane programs. Used cranes offer huge benefits to Asia’s industry, not only as alternatives to new machine purchases but also in helping the industry reduce waste and boost its overall sustainability.

Best practice and celebrating success

APAC dealers shared their best practices in serving customers, including SB Siam of Thailand; Tidd Ross Todd of Australia; WATM Crane Sales and Services of Australia; PT Berlian Cranserco Indonesia of Indonesia; and Klaus World Equipment from India. The final highlight of the event was an Awards Ceremony to celebrate the dealers who have achieved success. Some of the companies recognized included: WATM Crane Sales and Services, for its work on Refurbishing a Manitowoc 16000; Tidd Ross Todd, for Training Excellence; S B Siam, for GMA Expansion in Thailand; Lift Plan Techno, for Customer Support; Agryle Equipment, for work as A Service Dealer; Korea International for Tower Crane Leadership, and Klaus World Equipment, for Infrastructure Support and Tower Crane Sales.

“This conference was an important part of our aim to drive product innovation, strengthen product support, and maximize the potential of the used crane business across Asia-Pacific. Our industry continues to evolve, so collaboration and knowledge-sharing between Manitowoc and its dealers will be crucial to maintaining market leadership. It set the stage for ongoing discussions, fostering innovation and service excellence to shape the future of our industry in Asia-Pacific,” said Marco Zucchet, director for sales, after-sales, and marketing at Manitowoc in Asia-Pacific.