20 Years of Offering Replacement Spares for Earthmoving Machines in Doha
Alcat Heavy Equipment Parts & Services (Alcat) in Doha, a joint venture between Dahbashi Engineering and Al Cat Contracting LLC, was set up in 2002 to serve the heavy equipment market in the Gulf state.
How the Joint Venture Was Formed
Alcat built on a business that was remotely managed by Dahbashi to help cater to the demands of the country’s ambitious growth plans by working with contracting companies that had embarked on road and infrastructure development across the island kingdom.
Saleem Ahmed, CEO at Dahbashi, said that the joint venture was one of the best decisions they had made and that “the Doha JV agreement” was the precursor and the template for its expansion across the Gulf and the broader region.
The joint venture was set up on the invitation of Dahbashi’s customer, Al Cat Contracting LLC. Ahmed added, “We have the management contract for managing the entire operations across Doha as part of this set up. This means we have a great proactive relationship and can offer our customers in Doha spares that can often reach them faster than the local dealerships.”
What Solutions Alcat Offers to its Customers
Alcat caters to heavy equipment and contractors that are in infrastructure building including buildings, roads, etc. They serve anyone that has and owns heavy equipment from leading names like Caterpillar, JCB, Komatsu, Perkins, Cummins and Volvo among others.
Abdul Bari, manager at Alcat, said that although the joint venture still represents the product portfolio from Dahbashi, it has now expanded to include other products that complement the existing product line.
Alcat’s Competitive Edge in the Market
He said, “When we started in 2002, there were not as many players in the focused sector as we were. However, we have access to the Dahbashi proprietary systems developed in-house which has made it easier for us to plan, offer and execute on our value proposition to our customers.”
With 90% of its business from repeat customers, Alcat has recently seen the best quarter yet as it grows alongside Qatar’s steady progress and growth.
Bari added, “One of the reasons for us doing well is CAT, Komatsu and JCB dealers are quoting 2-3 weeks deliveries while we mostly quote ex-stock; 3-4 days or 7-10 days max. We attribute this to the fact that we anticipate our customers’ needs and manage our inventory so that it is there where they are, reducing their downtime and making their operations more cost-effective.”
The two companies are now focused on growing their business not only in Qatar but in a few neighbouring countries too.
