Big CATs snapped up for Rs 16 million
Impulse buying of books or knickknacks at a trade exhibition is
commonplace, but two visitors to the recently concluded ‘Construct’
exhibition in Colombo set a remarkable precedent when they bought two
large road rollers on the spot, for Rs 16 million.
At ‘Construct’ exhibition in Colombo |
The two Caterpillar (CAT) machines were among several on display at
the giant 5,000 square foot stall of the brand’s local representative
United Tractor and Equipment (UTE) and a spokesman for the company said
one of the two new customers had even brought adequate cash to make an
impromptu deposit.
“There could be no better illustration of the optimism and confidence
that prevails in respect of the post-conflict resurgence of the
construction sector in Sri Lanka,” UTE Machine Sales and Rental, General
Manager Janak Edirisinghe said. “The spot purchase of these machines
also underlines the trust that the Caterpillar brand has earned in the
market,” he said.
He said the exhibition had also evolved into a forum for new and
existing players in the industry to gather knowledge on the best
practices, latest equipment and the various product support options
available. Foreign experts from Caterpillar were on hand to answer the
numerous questions that came up and to share with visitors their
experience from other markets.
UTE had also deployed Chinese interpreters at the company’s stall
throughout the three days of the exhibition and provided Chinese
language brochures for visiting representatives of Chinese contractors
involved in several mega projects such as the Hambantota Port,
Norochcholai coal power plant and the Katunayake Expressway. |