LiuGong forms Canadian subsidiary

LiuGong is demonstrating confidence in Canada with the formation of a new Canadian subsidiary. LiuGong Canada will focus on dealer development, parts and service support, product training, and customer engagement, growing LiuGong's presence across Canada's provinces and territories.

Canada's construction, infrastructure, resource, and industrial sectors face significant demands for productivity, reliability, and long-term value, says the company, and this new organization dedicated to Canadian customers is prepared to closely address those needs.

The announcement was made in Montreal on August 31 with a ceremony hosted by Dongchun Li, vice president of Guangxi LiuGong Machinery Co., Ltd.; Andrew Ryan, president of LiuGong North America; and Jim Miao, general manager of LiuGong Canada. The event welcomed more than 100 dealers, customers, vendors, and employees from across the company's Canadian network.

"We are building a Canadian organization for Canadian customers," said Miao. "That means building a team here that understands this market, working closely with our dealers, and bringing the resources of LiuGong directly to the people who depend on our equipment. Our customers know their business, and our dealers know their communities. Our responsibility is to give them the products, parts, technical support, and factory resources they need to succeed."

LiuGong is dedicated to Canada

Canadian equipment owners can look forward to dedicated local support behind their machines as the new subsidiary continues to strengthen its relationships across the country.

"We are building a business in Canada, not just selling equipment here," said Andrew Ryan, president of LiuGong North America. "That means investing in our dealers, our parts and service capabilities, and the people who support our customers. Trust takes time. We are prepared to put in the work and earn it."

LiuGong Canada will support the company's portfolio of construction and material handling equipment, including excavators, wheel loaders, dozers, motor graders, compact equipment, forklifts, AWPs, and battery-electric machines.

More than 75,000 LiuGong battery-electric machines are working in the field worldwide, and more than 20,000 of those units are wheel loaders — including machines that have passed 25,000 hours of operation and continue to deliver good productivity levels for customers well into that stage of the life cycle, says LiuGong.

The company's battery-electric equipment has found success in Quebec, where Groupe Bellemare, an industrial services and transportation company, has been operating one of the first fleets of mid-size electric machines in North America. Bellemare's 856HE MAX wheel loaders and the 924FE excavator are supported by LiuGong dealer Groupe Gymdex, which is one of LiuGong's longest-serving North American dealer partners, having represented the OEM since 2008.

LiuGong says it will extend the resources of its global engineering, manufacturing, and R&D organization to the Canadian market to further strengthen local access to technology, expertise, and equipment needed for Canadian operations.

During the launch event, leadership noted that LiuGong Canada is currently seeking new dealer partnerships, particularly in Ontario and B.C.

Opportunity in the Canadian market

LiuGong aims to more than double its North American business in the next five years, to over $500 million, and Canada is an attractive market for the company.

"[Canada] is very open to trade with China, and we believe we've got great partnerships with local dealers that can help to support these growth objectives," said Ryan. "By 2030, we'd like to have a business of more than $150 million transacting in Canada each and every year predictably and to further grow from that baseline."

Canada's strength in construction, industrial manufacturing, mining, recycling, agriculture, and forestry industries bolsters that ambition. Ryan noted that LiuGong is the number one unit volume producer of wheel loaders worldwide and within the top ten for excavators. 

"We have further then taken those products and gone through customization programs for cabin configuration and performance of those machines to make sure they meet the requirements of North American and specifically Canadian operators for cold weather for the rugged applications that we face here in Canada," he said.

The establishment of LiuGong Canada further positions the OEM to serve the country with a Canadian leadership team that understands the Canadian market and equipment owners across the country.

"We're focused on how each opportunity we have to interact with our customers adds value and contributes to their overall ROI on their relationship and the investment that we make in equipment," said Ryan. "We intend to make sure that we do that effectively in Canada and come up with unique solutions for Canada to make sure that our Canadian customers can win. When they do, we can expect our business in Canada to grow."