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.

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.