Terex Talks Expectations for Business in 2011 and Beyond

This awesome Q&A with Dean Barley, director of compact sales at Terex Construction Americas, comes straight from the company’s excellent blog – My Terex. Barley answers your questions about what is going on with the compact equipment industry in 2011 and how Terex is responding. Here we go:

1. What are some of the new technological developments in your line of compact construction equipment?

Barley: Terex recently launched a new line of skid steer loaders, offering both vertical and radial lift machines. These machines share many of the productivity enhancing features offered in our popular compact track loader line including: pressurized cabs; standard hydraulic joystick controls; load sensing hydraulics; soft shift for two-speed (in large frame loaders); robust chassis with 10.5-in. of ground clearance; mechanical faced axle seals for reliability; and easy access to service and maintenance points

Although hydrostatic technology is not new to the Terex wheel loader line, it is for many competitive manufacturers. In fact, Terex has a full line of hydrostatic wheel loaders, and we launched our newest model, the TL310, at CONEXPO. We have more than 30 years of engineering, design and manufacturing experience in hydrostatic wheel loaders. These decades of experience have placed Terex ahead of the competition in this market.

Our new TLB840 backhoe that was recently displayed at the World of Concrete is probably one of our best developments this year. This backhoe loader was designed specifically from feedback from our North American customers. It was designed and built to give operators the performance and reliability they expect in one machine. Its new curved boom allows closer loading into trucks and greater obstacle clearance while a powerful new slewing system eases backfilling and slewing uphill.

2. What are some of the requests customers have made in compact equipment and how have you responded?

Barley: We’ve responded with skid steer and compact track loaders. We’ve responded with variable flow hydraulics for the wide range of attachments that people are using with these loaders. And most Terex machines come with the option of a hydraulic quick attachment system.

3. What kind of trends do you expect to see in the future of compact equipment?

Barley: Manufacturers offering lower operating costs and more reliable equipment. At Terex, we work hard at keeping the total cost of ownership as low as possible for our customers. Terex also invests in new product development, working with machines in test environments prior to launch. We listen to our customers and act upon their feedback to develop what they need, not just what we choose to give them.

I do not believe that the model offering available for our customers will change dramatically from what we have today. Granted, the size class in certain products such as the compact track loader and excavator has increased, but it has only slightly moved in that direction over the past two or three years.

4. Are contractors and rental companies looking more towards compact equipment instead of heavier equipment?

Barley: I feel that trends are driven mainly by the market’s needs and will shift depending on the scale of the majority of construction and earthmoving projects that are currently underway.

5. What are your expectations for business in 2011 and going forward beyond, in North America and the world?

Barley: I believe that the North American market will continue to rebound in 2011, while the market outlook for beyond for Terex is excellent given the recent developments in our product offerings and the continued product improvements we’ve made. The introduction of Tier 4 products should generate additional channels to market used equipment outside of North America and support used equipment pricing, while the demand for new equipment should increase. I feel that Terex has now positioned itself as a supplier of choice for customers. We have invested smartly in the support and services available after the sale to take care of customer needs.