Hervé Quatrhomme, General Manager of the Cat Lift Trucks Middle East Office, explains: "The Middle East is very important to us and we want to make sure we can quickly reach customer sites in the region whenever we are needed. From our new base in the United Arab Emirates we will be able to respond much more efficiently to any request."

He continues: "Spending more time with the customer is our first priority. We will be there beside our dealers, helping with negotiations, giving advice and showing customers that we truly value their business.

Behind the scenes, we will provide dealers with a range of services, backed by the power and resources of our worldwide organisation, which will in turn benefit the customers. This will include sales and marketing support, training on products and product maintenance, and development of business plans."

Spending more time with the customer is our first priority.
Another key reason for establishing a stronger presence in the Middle East is to help Cat Lift Trucks in fully understanding the changing needs of the region’s lift truck users, dealers and materials handling market. Feedback from the Middle East Office to Cat Lift Trucks research and development teams will be crucial in meeting existing and future demands.

Mr Quatrhomme is no stranger to the area, having been Sales Manager AME (Africa and Middle East) for the last two years. He has over 25 years’ experience in the materials handling world, spending the first half of that career in product support – as a service manager and then parts manager – and then moving on to dealer network management.

The warehouse challenge

One of his big challenges in the Middle East will be to raise awareness of Cat®  warehouse products and bring their benefits to the attention of customers.

"People in this region are very familiar with Cat counterbalance trucks, and particularly with our large IC engine products, but until recently there has been relatively little interest in any manufacturer’s warehouse equipment.

We can supply businesses with a comprehensive range of highly durable, high-performance warehouse trucks to maximise their profitability. Our products have also been designed to lead the market in terms of their ‘user experience’, and we must demonstrate to buyers that the user-friendly features of these machines will increase the productivity of their operators.

A further advantage of working with Cat Lift Trucks is that our extensive product line-up allows all materials handling requirements – both counterbalance and warehouse – to be fulfilled by one brand and one contact."

He concludes: "I am excited now to be based in the area and to have daily contact with such interesting companies and people. We are building a clear understanding of local needs and look forward to expanding our Middle East operation to meet them."