Metso Outotec and Malaysia-based company Power Ram Sdn Bhd have signed a distribution contract which covers Metso Outotec’s aggregate crushing and screening equipment and related parts and support.

As of June 2021, Power Ram will sell and rent Metso Outotec’s mobile and stationary crushers and screens, provide spare parts, crusher wear parts and screening media as well as technical support and maintenance services for aggregate producers and contractors in Malaysia and Singapore.

“With the new partnership we will have a stronger local presence, which allows us to service our existing customers and support them through the continued lifecycle of their equipment more efficiently,” said Shaun Fanning, vice president of aggregates at Metso Outotec in Asia Pacific.

“Availability of equipment and fast and easy access to service is very important for aggregate producers and contractors. We are very pleased to be able to combine our premium brand offering with Power Ram’s local expertise for the benefit of the customers.”

“Power Ram’s business philosophy has always been to enhance our performance by utilising resources, know-how and experience,” said Ky Kok, director at Power Ram. “Partnership with Metso Outotec suits very well our philosophy. Our aim is to focus and support the parts and service support for the existing customers, explore new opportunities and maintain Metso Outotec presence in Malaysia and Singapore.”

Power Ram supplies construction equipment and aftermarket services to construction customers including quarries and mines, as well as undertaking earth and rock excavation projects. The company employees 45 people, with its head office in Selangor Darul Ehsan and aftermarket division including warehouse in Kuala Lumpur.

New marketing approach

Metso Outotec has also announced a new marketing approach aimed at closer engagement with its customers and stakeholders. “The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we all interact with each other, and we recognise that our customers are looking for safer and more diverse ways to engage with us.”

The company said it will be moving towards a more market-specific and multi-channel approach to its customer engagement strategy. This strategy will focus on: having local representation either through its sales organisation or distribution partners; an increased focus on regional Metso Outotec branded events, in partnership with its distributors where applicable; and increasing the ways that customers can engage with the company digitally, whether it is via websites, through webinars, or via online tools and events that help customers explore problems and solutions.

As a result of the new strategy, Metso Outotec has decided not to attend both MINExpo 2021 and Bauma Munich 2022.

“Despite our withdrawal from exhibiting at these two tradeshows, we will ensure that some commercial representation will be present, focused on targeted meetings and relationship-building. These will take place in the form of physical, digital, and hybrid events. Where we have physical events, we aim to minimise as much as possible travel and ensure a safe environment where we avoid having large crowds of people,” stated Metso Outotec.

“We have not ruled out future participation at these or other large tradeshows, instead, we will allow our customers’ behaviours and preferences to drive our ongoing marketing strategy development. Currently, it is still planned for Metso Outotec’s McCloskey brand to be featured at Bauma.”

The company stressed that physical interaction and face-to-face engagement will remain a key component of the Metso Outotec strategy. The goal is to augment that with the increasing possibilities that new technologies bring, allowing for greater efficiency, sustainability, and personalisation.

“Our goal is to be closer to our customers and to provide them with the tailored content that they need in the formats that will best suit them,” said Lilli Nykänen, VP of Marketing at Metso Outotec. “A flexible and adaptive approach is being taken for this across Metso Outotec products and services, as well as across the industries that we serve.

“Over the past year, the company has explored many digital-first marketing initiatives including the launch of the Liveroom virtual showroom and the Packed with Performance webinar series. These have been met with great enthusiasm from our diverse customer base and are things we will continue to build on moving forward.”