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Wednesday, 22 August 2012 02:07 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The construction industry’s leaders showed off their latest innovations at Sri Lanka’s largest construction exhibition, ‘Construct 2012’ held recently at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre.
United Tractors and Equipment (PVT) Ltd. (UTE) shone at the exhibition’s construction machinery and equipment show, of which they were the main sponsor, for the fourth consecutive year.
‘Construct; was attended by customers, enthusiasts and industry stakeholders alike, who came in droves to witness the industry’s cutting edge technologies. The innovations that UTE displayed at the event were true to their company’s philosophy, ‘The journey continues... long after the sale’.
“When we evolve our business we always consider the long term,” said UTE’s CEO Riyad Ismail. “This year we have placed a great emphasis on services such as product link, which lets you monitor your machinery in real time through the web, and on our training programmes.”
The training programs that UTE promoted can be broadly divided into two different categories, technician training and customer training. UTE have implemented Caterpillar’s accredited ABC training program for technicians here in Sri Lanka.
The training program is a three-year course that can be entered into by school leavers and emphasises hands-on training, with real work experience. Graduates who complete the program are absorbed into the company as electrical or mechanical technicians based on their performance and aptitude achieved during the training. The UTE training division booth was a very popular feature at the event, garnering a lot of attention from the younger visitors.
“We wanted to fill gaps in market with our training program,” said Ismail. “Currently there is a shortage of qualified technicians in Sri Lanka which is a concern we needed to address, and there are limited options for school leavers here as there are hardly any vocational training programs catering to this sector. We are not only addressing our staff needs, but also giving school leavers an opportunity at a promising career as qualified professionals.”
Apart from training, UTE’s booth also displayed many of the CAT machines they have on offer and many clients visited the booth to purchase their desired models at the exhibition itself.
The ‘Product Link’ booth by UTE also introduced a new feature of CAT that will be launched in Sri Lanka. ‘Product Link’ will allow customers to monitor all of their machinery in real time, through the internet. An innovative three part product that consists of hardware that will be placed in the CAT machines, a connection to the mobile cellular network and web server based software solution. ‘Product Link’ will make it easier for CAT machine owners to monitor their vehicles than ever before.
The exhibition organised by the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka is a key event in the industry’s calendar in the South Asian region. Now in its 12th consecutive year, ‘Construct’ draws participants both local and international, from different sectors of the construction industry. It allows construction firms to share their latest offerings and for visitors to gain an understanding of the industry.
