While its acquisition of SDLG has granted Volvo Construction Equipment a crucial foothold in China and emerging markets around the world, Volvo is still looking to grow its global brand.
"The key here is to understand the dynamics in each and every market ... you need to find a way of meeting the local customers' needs," says Tommy Streipel, head of Volvo CE's wheel-loader product line. "We've seen studies that divide world construction- equipment customers into groups [such as] feature lovers, service seekers, deal seekers and economists. We've stolen that idea with pride. Well, we took it and Volvo-ized it a bit."