“Last few months have seen a growing demand for compaction equipment and motor graders in the market. Since there is a lot of idle equipment available with contractors and hirers, it is getting deployed first. September saw the compactor sales exceed 250 units, probably the best in the past more than a year. Demand for other road building machines is expected to grow as well.,” says Rajendra Raina, General Manager-Marketing, Escorts Construction Equipment Ltd while talking about the current trends in procurement of road building equipment.

Major buying factors
Speaking on the major factors a buyer should consider before making a decision of buying road building equipment, Raina observes, “While selecting road building equipment, the productivity of the compactors, fuel consumption vis-à-vis the output (not per hour consumption), cost of maintenance, and  quality and cost of after-sales service should be considered. As for technology, almost all the compactors incorporate contemporary technology and there is not much to choose from.”

Cost of owning – driving factor
Focusing on the factors driving the procurement decision making apart from pricing, productivity and durability, Raina says, “Cost of owning over a period of 3 to 5 years rather than the price and the resale value should be a decider. Some of the manufacturers are offering heavy discounts and freebies to improve their market acceptance. Deferred payment terms, subvention and extended warranty make the commercial terms attractive and influence decision making.”

Lease or buy?
Stressing on the factors a buyer should consider while determining whether to lease or buy road building equipment, Raina observes, “There are three major deciding factors – the tenure of the contract or quantum of work; cost of owning and operating versus rate of lease rentals; and one time contract versus core activity of the company.”

Why Escorts?
Proudly boasting about Escorts USP, Raina says, “A brand that has been enjoying the trust and patronage of customers for more than 30 years now, speaks for itself. Escorts soil compactor model EC 5250 has the highest recall for it offers value for money. Resale value of this machine is a proof for the retail hirer.”

Escorts offers a 12.5-tonne Soil Compactor model EC 2420, Tandem Vibratory compactor HD 85 and mini tandem vibratory roller EC 3664. The company also offers bolt on pad foot shells for its soil compactors. “The entire Escorts compactor range incorporates contemporary international technology adapted to Indian applications, site conditions and operator use. Escorts dealership network offers service and parts proximity to the user sites to ensure high uptime which is critical for this equipment,” Raina said.

Escorts has been upgrading various models of compactors in keeping with the newer road compaction norms defined by MoRTH/NHAI and other regulatory bodies. “Escorts is the biggest supplier to DGBR who deploy these machines in some of the most hostile terrains and working conditions like Zojila, Kargil, Leh, Shimla and North East,” concludes Raina.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Cost of owning over a period of 3 to 5 years rather than the price and the resale value should be a decider.

Rajendra Raina,GM – Marketing, Escorts Construction Equipment Ltd