Interview to Paco Pérez Salinas, commercial director of the Group Ausa, and to Josep Soler, director of sales of the Industrial division

J.S. In general lines, has been a good year because we have achieved a very important increase of the turnover, specifically of 22,6% with regard to the 2010. On the other hand, we have attained to go in in more countries and sectors and strengthen the commercial network in continuous expansion.

J.S. Definitely, the export has played a key paper, with increases with regard to the year 2010 that in some zones have surpassed 50%. They have closed operations very important so much by part of our subsidiaries as in direct sellings.

Besides, during the 2011, also followed a very favourable evolution ours range Urban, as well as products of our Industrial line like the Taurulift, that in addition to having a good acceptance in the construction have opened us the doors of other sectors, like the agricultural.

P.S. What have been able to appreciate is that we are in front of a company visionaria, able to advance to the events. In this sense, when still there are Spanish companies that are posing go out to the outside, Ausa carries years commercialising his products abroad, with a big international recognition. 43 years ago that have branch in France, carry 26 years with direct presence in United Kingdom, explain from 10 years ago with branch in Germany, finish to open subsidiary in Mexico, go to open próximamente in Brazil...

There is not more than seeing this room to confirm our international vocation, when checking that we are one of the two only Spanish manufacturers that has attended to the Pre Intermat (the another Spanish company was the manufacturer vitoriano of rippers Xcentric Ripper International, S.L.).

J.S. The sales in the outside keep growing and already suppose near of 85% of the total, with monthly beaks that have surpassed 90%. Because of the commercial strategy and of product, preveemos that these percentages keep growing, arriving to reach near values to 95%. We can say that we are near of a full internationalisation.

P.S. Sure enough, another of our big strategies is to try increase our presence in other sectors, as for example the agricultural, knowing that the construction is cíclica and that it is necessary to bet by this diversification to ensure the future of the company. We consider that Ausa has attained a good recognition in a so competitive sector as it is the construction, where does a very intensive use of the equipment, and think that the values of our machines are also extrapolables to the agriculture.

But this strategy of diversification is not new for Ausa. In fact there is not more than seeing the evolution that has followed during years our division Urban, that follows winning weight in the company and that has like aim contribute 30% of the turnover of Ausa in 2012. We have already it witnesses with these machines in places stood out like Amsterdam (where have closed recently the delivery of 13 machines), in Switzerland (the most demanding country in quality of the world), in Barcelona (with a very important fleet of our equipment) and in other a lot of Spanish and international city councils.

P.S. For example are following a good evolution in the rail industry or ‘railway industry', with products like our dumper of 10 t instrumented with diploris and hopper giratoria, an only version in the world (the hopper of this dumper turns 90º to the right and 90º to the left). It offers a cost by tonne very inferior to alternative equipment.

Obviously the rail industry, when requiring an important work of maintenance of the networks, is not so cíclica like the construction, offering greater continuity.

J.S. Precisely, in this long international path of Ausa of which spoke before, it is necessary to include that our products are presents in the Brazilian market for many years, have not gone in here as a result of the crisis. In fact, Ausa had in that country a factory and has kept there always a big commercial tradition. Now we have wanted to step more, opening filial own, because we consider that the situation macroeconómica that lives that country and more specifically, the sector of the construction, gives us the possibility to establish us now of direct form and with a greater depth of market.

P.S. As it signals Josep, Brazil is not an unknown country for Ausa and in fact can confirm that in 2011 was origin of an important quantity of our turnover.

P.S. Obviously, Spain is the country by antonomasia for this type of dumpers but is not less true that also there are other regions in the world where this machine enjoys of a remarkable penetration.

From my point of view, the dumper is a product to the that costs him go in initially in some markets, what demands an arduous work of explanation of his economic and technical advantages. But once that penetrates, throws roots and begins to grow.

J.S. Develop a new concept of machine in a market is complicated. And this is something that no only appreciates in the dumper but also in other machines, like the manipulador telescopic. There is not more than seeing the difference in the use of this team that gives today in two mature markets as they are the French and the German. In the second, in spite of the growth that has experienced the telescopic during the last years, the volumes are still ínfimos compared with which give in France.

J.S. What are appreciating in the emergent countries, especially in Sudamérica, is that the existence of companies for hire of machinery helps a lot to the growth of the dumper. It is a typical machine of the business for hire, as it has been able to check during years in Spain. And if in addition to having rent, is a market where there is demand of miniexcavators, facilitates still more our work since the combination miniexcavadora-dumper offers big operative advantages. In fact, in Ausa to this combination call it ‘Colgate' like metaphor of the good couple that does the brush and the pasta of teeth. Especially in Latin America, where Spain keeps on being a referent for a lot of countries and where the common tongue is a very important bow.

P.S. Carry in the company hardly a month and half, by what my first aim is to know well the company and the industry in which it is present. Although it shares details with the sector of the automotive sector of the that proceed, also has a lot of peculiarities in which I have to deepen.

What is evident is that the company has to keep growing to international level without neglecting the national market, putting in Spain the bases that allow us be smart to grow when the country recover , that will recover .

Can indicate him that during my stage of director of the Group Fiat in Argentina had to suffer directly the crisis of the 'corralito'. And that that said that it was “the economic fall bigger from the landslide of the empire austrohúngaro”, to the 6-7 years transformed in a market entirely in peak, that went back with even more strength that before the crisis.

With this want to say that although we carry from the 2008 suffering the crisis in Spain, and knowing that the 2012 also goes to be a year complicated, in a future the situation will change, and it is necessary to be prepared for this. Therefore, Spain will keep on being a key market for Ausa.

P.S. Mainly our new Taurulift 235H, a very interesting machine by his big manoeuvrability, by the positioning of the cabin in the leading part of the machine and by his compact dimensions, between other characteristics.

Also would like me stand out that in the stand will expose the Taurulift T144, to the that a British journalist, during his exhibition in Smopyc 2011, described like “the initiator of the subsegmento ultracompacto”.

J.S. The true is that this line of machines, the Taurulift, is following a very positive evolution because we have known to give continuity, in these models, to the values that have given world-wide fame to Ausa: compacidad, ease of use, reliability, capacity todoterreno… In definite, share our vision to give the leadership to the operator, developing the machine to his around.