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A Closer Look Realistic and Ready Tim Frank knows what it's going to take for Sany to succeed in North America, and he's betting on dealers to see the potential. By Joanne Costin well capitalized dealers with strong management teams – proven entities." Coming into the market with a limited line of products presents challenges – Sany offers excavators, crawler cranes, rough-terrain cranes, port reach stackers and empty-container handlers. But Frank says the company is here for the long haul, and he's out to convince dealers about the potential. To date, 26 dealers have signed on to represent cranes and excavators, with the majority based on the East Coast. "We offer dealers a very attractive profit opportunity," said Frank, "and we will add more products over time. Our goal is to ultimately become the dominant products they carry." International Construction Yellow Table 2013 Rank Company Country CE Sales 2012 CE Sales in US $Million 2012 Share 1 Caterpillar U.S. 40492 21.8% 2 Komatsu Japan 21012 11.3% 3 Hitachi Construction Japan 10248 5.5% Machinery 4 Volvo Construction Sweden 9394 5.0% Equipment 5 Sany China 7929 4.3% There is a beginning for every foreign manufacturer trying to break into the U.S. market. No matter how big or successful you are somewhere else, you can't succeed in the U.S. without a strong dealer network. Tim Frank, appointed chairman of Sany America in May 2012, knows the realities of the market. Prior to becoming chairman, he consulted with Sany on global strategic planning and before that he was vice president of retail distribution and senior vice president of operation strategy and marketing at Volvo Construction Equipment in Asheville, N.C. "We recognize the reality," said Frank. "There is a limited supply of quality dealers, and everyone wants Source: KHL Group Sany is already dominant in China with a full line of products including concrete pumps, crawler cranes, truck cranes, pile driving machinery, road construction machinery, port machinery, and wind turbines. In 2013, the company ranked No. 5 in the world according to KHL Group's annual Yellow Table survey, which ranks the Top 50 construction equipment manufacturers based on revenue. While 90 percent of the company's sales are currently in China, Sany is committed to becoming a global player – and North America is a key target for its expansion. Sany's goal is to have 40 percent of sales coming from outside their homeland. According to Frank, the U.S. and Canada currently represent 35 percent of the revenue that comes from outside of China and is the fastest growing region in the world for Sany. Sany America doubled its revenue last year, and expects it to double again this year. According to Frank, excavators are currently selling above their expectations and the company has a three-month backorder for machines. Sany America was formed in 2007 and the first machines distributed were concrete products. In 2010 they began marketing crawler cranes 42 | www.cedmag.com | Construction Equipment Distribution | June 2013 42_A Closer Look_KP.indd 42 5/31/13 1:03 PM