Page 50 - TBN-2014-2

Mansoon Focus on Meeting Customer Needs
The first impression that I had upon meeting Teon Woon Kuai, the founder and the Manag- ing Director of Mansoon Automobile & Engi- neering Sdn Bhd for our exclusive interview was that he is humble and low-key. Throughout the whole in- terview, he kept telling me that Mansoon is a small company and that there is nothing to boast about.
Teon came up in a hard way from scratch as a body builder’s apprentice, slowly graduating to have his own business. Mansoon was established in 1980 as a com- pany that produces and sells trucks, trailers, semi-trail- ers, tippers and tanker bodies as well as repairing and maintaining trucks. In 1988, Teon decided to expand his business into used truck sales. He now imports used trucks from Singapore and sells them locally.
“We bought a small factory in 1990. As the location is not so visible, it was not so ideal. In 2007, we shifted from the old factory to the current facility, which is lo- cated at the Kuala Kangsar main road. This factory is bigger with 4.5 acres of built-up area, is highly visible and offers easy access and ample parking. ”
Teon’s far-sighted sensitivity to the market trend, as well as his efforts to enhance the company’s ability to consistently understand and meet customer’s needs have contributed to Mansoon’s rapid growth and di- versification into different businesses.
“Customers are always looking at how to maximise their profit and reduce their operating costs. The maintenance of rebuilt trucks is higher than that of new trucks. In addition, in view of the Malaysian gov- ernment’s attempt to ban the assembly of rebuilt com- mercial vehicles such as trucks and buses in 2015, we have decided to provide our customers with more options. This led us into selling new trucks.”
Mansoon became a Fuso dealer in 2008 and today it is the only Fuso 3S centre in Ipoh. The company also sells other truck brands such as CAMC trucks, JBC light trucks, Hohan heavy trucks, and Inokom trucks, etc.
Apart from selling new trucks, The company also has a small transportation business. “We started this busi- ness in 1998 during the Asian financial crisis”, says Teon. “It was the most challenging year for us. Banks had accumulated a rising proportion of bad loans and refused to make new ones. Without loans, the cus- tomers had no money to buy trucks, and we hardly sold a truck. We needed to survive and that is why we started our transportation business, and today we still keep this business,” he added.
48 truck & bus news › 2012/2
万顺聚焦于 符合客户需求
万顺车业机械有限公司的创办人，也是现任董事经理刁文贵在 采访中给我的的第一印象是谦虚和低调。在整个访问过程 中，他不断跟我说万顺只是间小公司，根本不值得报道。
白手起家的刁文贵，从车身制造徒弟开始做起，然后慢慢创业。成立 于1980年的万顺，最初的业务是制造和销售卡车、牵引车、半挂车、 翻斗车及油槽车车身，为卡车进行维修服务。1988年，他决定扩充他 的生意，并开始从新加坡进口二手卡车，然后在本地销售。
“我们在1990年买了间小工厂。不过由于地点的可见度不高，不是那 么理想。2007年，我们从旧工厂搬到现在坐落在瓜拉江沙路的工厂。 这个建筑面积为4.5英亩的工厂比较大，可见度高，进出容易而且拥 有宽敞的停车位。”
该公司得以迅速成长和朝多元化业务发展，主要是因为刁文贵的远见 和对市场趋势的敏锐度，还有他不断努力于加强公司的能力，以便了 解和符合客户的需求。
“客户总在努力追求最大的利润和降低营业成本。重建卡车的维修费 用比新卡车来得高。再加上政府计划在2015年禁止重建商用车如卡车 和巴士的安装，我们决定为客户提供更多的选择，这促使我们开始销 售新卡车。”
万顺在2008年成为扶桑代理，而今天它是怡保唯一的扶桑3S中心。 该公司也销售其他品牌的卡车如CAMC卡车、JBC轻卡、豪瀚重卡及 Inokom卡车等。
除了销售新卡车，该公司还从事小规模运输业。“我们在1998年，也 就是正逢亚洲金融危机时开始从事这个行业。”他说。“那年对我们 来说是最具挑战性的一年。银行因为累积了很多坏帐而不原意再借出 新的借贷。没有贷款，客户就没有钱购买新的卡车，我们连一部卡车 都卖不出去。我们需要生存，这就是为什么我们开始涉及运输业。今 天，我们仍然保留这个生意。”