.png){kind=avatar}
Under the theme of ONWARDS 2024, Develon held the company’s first European Dealer Conference in Valencia in Spain in late February 2024. This was also the first European conference under the Develon name since rebranding from Doosan Construction Equipment last year. The company normally organises these meetings every two years and the last one was held in Barcelona in April 2022.
The 2024 event had an audience of 161 attendees, 116 of which were personnel from Develon European dealers from 23 countries. These were joined by several members of the HD Hyundai Infracore executive team from Korea, as well as managers from various areas of the company.
Keynote Speech Celebrates Successful 12 Months
Mr Seunghyun Oh, CEO of HD Hyundai Infracore, opened the meeting with a keynote speech about Develon‘s strong performance since rebranding in 2023. He spoke about the company's achievements, new product and engine introductions and the continuing expansion of the company facilities and its dealer network in Europe. Alongside these developments, Develon continues to produce new innovative technologies designed to shape the future of the construction industry and how work is done.
Mr Oh also described the global market outlook and the strategic direction of the company. He confirmed record high global production levels in 2023 for Develon excavators and wheel loaders plus record high sales of mini-excavators in Europe.
Since the brand’s launch last year, Develon has expanded its product portfolio and invested in extensive dealership facility rebranding which has further strengthened the established sales network throughout Europe. The collaboration and hard work of dealers ensured the brand transition has been a smooth process without any major disruption to operations.
Collaboration and Dealer Awards
The Valencia conference provided a platform for invaluable insights, collaboration and opportunities to continue the collective success of both dealers and the manufacturer within a very competitive construction equipment industry. In recognition of their achievements in 2023, a number of performance awards for dealers across Europe were presented including:
Best Customer Care Grausch y Grausch (Poland)
Best Pioneer Somatec MTPI (France)
Top Sales Performer Centrocar (Iberia)
Top Compact Performer Kellands Plant Sales (UK)
Best Brand Ambassador Real Machinery (Finland)
Special Achievement Award Atlas Hannover & EBAG (Germany)
Best Product Expert Garnea (Czech Republic)
Best Aftermarket Enhancement Anema Arum (Netherlands)
The conference was followed by a gala dinner with the third day involving a regatta sailing event on the Valencian coast with 13 yachts taking part, providing a very positive contribution for team-building and motivation among all of the participants.
Further Expansion for Develon in Europe
Since the rebranding to Develon was announced in January 2023, the company has continued to expand in the European market. Notable developments include the opening of a new European Training Centre at Nantes in the west of France and work commencing on a new company owned store in Germany, targeted for opening in the second half of 2024, offering direct sales, customer support and training and a parts warehouse. The expansion and relocation of Develon’s Parts Distribution Centre from Germany to Belgium has also been announced, again aiming for completion in the second half of 2024.
Continuing to Grow After More Than 80 Years
Under the ONWARDS theme, the European Dealer conference showed participants that Develon is building on the success of the new brand. Derived from the words, DEVELoping and ONwards, the DEVELON brand is fostering the achievements in Europe dating back more than 40 years and throughout the world for well over 80 years. Develon will continue to produce new innovative technologies that will further solidify its status as a global leader, providing equipment and solutions for the global construction industry.