“Volvo is a premium brand in Central and Eastern Europe. For decades now, Volvo has been the image leader in these markets, highly reputed for the outstanding quality and safety of trucks and, above all, for the extremely high long-time performance of the engines even under the harshest conditions,” says Robert Grozdanovski, managing director of Volvo Truck Slovak.
Quality, safety and care for the environment have been the philosophy of Volvo Trucks ever since the first trucks left the facilities in the Swedish town of Gothenburg back in 1927. The trucks had to be safe and durable as they had to operate under demanding conditions, the harsh Swedish climate and the poor state of the roads at the time. “For eight decades now, Volvo has lived up to this philosophy and has kept coming up with new technologies and new systems setting the standards for the trade. Time and time again, Volvo trucks have proven their advanced quality and their extreme longevity all across the globe.”
Today the Volvo Truck Corporation is one of the world’s leading heavy-duty truck brands, a true global player with a network of sales and service subsidiaries in more than 140 countries all over the world. Starting out in 1997 as an importer of Volvo Trucks, the Slovak company is fully integrated into this global network. “As a wholly owned subsidiary of Volvo Trucks, we provide Volvo transport solutions to the Slovak market,” says the managing director.
Born in Sweden, Mr. Grozdanovski has headed the Slovak company since 2007, after having been active for Volvo in Poland and the Balkan States before. “We sell the whole range of Volvo trucks such as the versatile Volvo FL with up to 290 hp for transport in and around cities or for municipal services; the Volvo FE with up to 340 hp for regional transportation, refuse handling or refrigerated haulage; or the powerful Volvo FM for regional transportation with up to 450 hp.”
Designed for transporting heavy goods over long distances, the Volvo FH features up to 540 hp with an economical 13 l engine. “All trucks come in a variety of versions and with a lot of options. So they can be fully adapted to customers’ specific requirements,” underlines Mr. Grozdanovski. “In addition to quality, safety and extreme longevity they excel by low fuel consumption. Top of the range is the FH16, the strongest truck worldwide with up to 700 hp and a 16 l engine, a top result of Volvo’s commitment to reducing the environmental impact of trucks. The FH16 combines unequalled power with exceptional driving comfort and safety.”
The latest addition to the range is the new FMX, which has been specially developed for heavy-duty jobs at construction sites. Coming with a wealth of new features, FMX easily masters heavy loads, rough terrain and steep gradients. “Volvo transport solutions do not end with selling trucks made-to-measure. They also include a comprehensive service offer including maintenance, repair and spare part services,” stresses the managing director. “Just like all Volvo Truck subsidiaries, we have established a network of service stations across the country, partly owned by us and partly by selected authorised service partners. So we are in the very reach of customers wherever they are. Moreover, the whole Volvo network of service stations across Europe is available to our customers.”
“We put emphasis on long-term relationships to customers, and our staff of 85 at present fully shares this approach,” underlies Mr. Grozdanovski. “Forwarding businesses, construction companies or log carriers are the major target groups. In the beginning, we presented our products and services on trade shows; now we have our own exhibition at our new headquarters, where potential customers can take a closer look at Volvo trucks.”
Over the past two years, Volvo Truck Slovak has been affected by the economic crisis with fluctuations in sales. The managing director takes a positive outlook at 2010. “There is a definite upwards trend, and customers are willing to invest. The quality of our products and services, the image of the brand and the reduced exhaust emissions are convincing sales arguments and a sound basis for future growth.