NET is to be the exclusive distributor of its construction equipment in the Czech Republic, while EURO stroj Slovaki, based in Bratislava, will cover that country.
The agreement applies to mini, medium and large Zaxis excavators; rigid dump trucks, and ZW wheeled loaders. It also covers special application machines, light compaction equipment and Hitachi Sumitomo crawler cranes.
Founded in 1991, the company is managed by director Květoslav Třetina. In 1992, its subsidiary, Moreau Agri, was established to distribute agricultural equipment. Following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, another affiliated company, Mannet, was set up in Slovakia.
The 40,000m² headquarters of NET and Moreau Agri are strategically located in Huštěnovice, Babice, in the south-east of the country to enable close cooperation with Mannet. This comprises a 2,000m² central warehouse (opened in 2014), service facilities, and a sales and administration office.
NET and Moreau Agri have a total of eight branches and 13 service centres throughout the Czech Republic. The newest site opened in Prague earlier this year, which coincided with the company’s agreement with Hitachi. It employs a total of 160 people, and an additional 90 are employed by Mannet in Slovakia.
With 65 service staff and 65 fully equipped service vans, the company places a strong emphasis on after-sales support.
“We have increased the number of our service centres to ensure that we can be closer to our customers,” says product manager Igor Sýkora. The company offers all elements of the Hitachi Support Chain after-sales programme, including genuine parts, a weekend service and customer helpline, and regular training for service employees.
EURO stroj Slovakia was founded by Peter Majoroš in May 2010 as Austro BMH, and was renamed EURO stroj Slovakia in March this year, shortly after it became the official Hitachi dealer for the country.
EURO stroj has 11 employees working in two branches and a 150m² workshop, which includes space for a large supply of spare parts. Servicing and repairs are provided at three service centres in Bratislava, Lučenec and Prešov.
The most important sectors of the Slovak market for EURO stroj and Hitachi are construction and quarrying.
The construction market is expected to grow by 4% in 2015 following stabilisation in 2014, according to a report by analytical and research company PMR.
Business confidence has also grown in recent years due to transport infrastructure construction investment plans.
“There is clearly a lot of potential in Slovakia for Hitachi construction equipment,” says sales representative Ján Benčo.
“We are looking forward to replacing the backhoe loaders that are still popular among some of our customers with new Hitachi excavators and wheel loaders, and growing our market share.”
