Launch of new trucks as part of Caterpillar and Navistar partnership has been delayed by at least four months
By Greg Bush | July 20, 2010
The local launch of the new Cat on-road trucks, originally planned for July, has been rescheduled for November, Glen Sharman of NC2 says.
NC2 is a joint venture between Caterpillar and Navistar International.
Sharman remained tight-lipped about the delay, saying finding suitable launch dates in preceding months were an issue. Another was coordinating the availability of NC2 corporate VIPs from the US for the launch.
However, Sharman says there is a possibility that new Cat CT 610 and CT 630 trucks might be available for sale before the official launch.
“The good thing about all this is we’re getting more and more people going to the dealerships generating a lot of excitement,” Sharman says.
“It’s all about holding that strategy out a bit longer, getting that excitement and leveraging it a bit more when we do a road show and for next year’s Queensland Truck Show.”
Sharman says another important piece of the puzzle is the large new facility for Cat dealer Westrac, currently being built in Tomago, near Newcastle. Once complete, Westrac’s head office will be relocated to the new site from Parramatta.
“We have an excellent dealer network and it’s going to be one of the market strengths,” Sharman says.
“We aim to be one of the market leaders in terms of that and customer service.
“We’re really moving fast but we’re making sure we do it efficiently and right the first time.”