JAC: Brand profile on rise in emerging markets

JAC releases the Chinese version of the S5, its first new sport utility vehicle for the year 2013, on March 19 in Beijing. Photos provided to China Daily

Top: Sales of JAC vehicles are growing fast among consumers in China, and JAC vehicles are also becoming increasingly popular in Africa; Above: A JAC dealership in Congo (Kinshasa) showcases a varied range of vehicles. Ranking among top automakers in China it has sold cars and trucks in more than 30 African countries.

Company has reputation for High quality, Great after-sales service

Because of its practical focus on responsible attitude and high-quality products, Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co Ltd is becoming an increasingly recognized brand in Africa among individuals and commercial clients alike.

International companies operating in Africa are also turning to the Chinese automaker in search of quality vehicles for their fleets.

For instance, Coca Cola's Algerian branch selected JAC's light truck several years ago because the company's local management was impressed by its high-performance, turbocharged engine.

Because of the trucks' performance, drivability and quality as well as the company's after-sales services, Coca Cola has become a loyal client of JAC in Algeria.

JAC is also the second-largest commercial vehicle brand in Egypt, with more than 5,000 vehicles on the roads.

JAC's presence in Egypt is another successful example of how a brand can grow from obscurity to achieve wide recognition.

Though many of its early customers may have been attracted to JAC vehicles mostly because of their affordability, the ability of the vehicles to perfectly adapt to harsh road environments in the country eventually won the brand a reputation for quality.

The high degree of satisfaction among customers created a strong word-of-mouth effect, which helped the brand build its client base in Egypt.

In 2008, JAC first brought a line of passenger vehicles to the African market. Its A-class cars, including the J3 and J3 Turin were added to the fleets of a number of local taxi companies.

In the past 13 years, some 50,000 JAC vehicles have been sold in Africa. Year-to-date delivery on the continent in 2012 totaled 13,000 units, up 82 percent from a year ago.

Accounting for 25 percent of JAC's exports, the African market is a key part of the automaker's push toward globalization.

In addition to high-quality, cost-effective products, the company's excellent service is also an important element of JAC's success in Africa.

JAC's service is strongly supported by its expansive network of dealerships, after-sales service facilities and spare parts distribution centers.

In its major markets, like Algeria, Egypt and Angola, JAC holds a service month campaign every year to provide customers with free vehicle checkups.

The company also visits users regularly to offer auto care and maintenance services.

According to the company, the focus of its customer service is solving problems rapidly and effectively.

In Angola, for instance, some users once complained about the loss of power in their heavy-duty trucks.

In order to solve the problem the first time, the JAC service team inspected the vehicles and discussed the problem all night long. They found lack of regular maintenance to be the cause of the problem. They offered maintenance services on site and gave training on how to take care of the vehicles.

These experiences have proven to be valuable. While solving problems for customers, the JAC team found it is necessary to offer more training to them.

"During the past 13 years, JAC has achieved great progress in Africa with the support of local customers," said a senior executive at the company.

"We will continue our efforts to improve product quality and services to better serve the African people. We eagerly seek cooperation with more partners there, and we hope to make further contributions to the growth of the local economy and the automotive industry," the executive added.

Company profile

Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co Ltd was founded in 1964 in East China's Anhui province.

It is a comprehensive automaker with the largest independently developed product portfolio among competitors in China, including light, medium and heavy-duty trucks, pickups, MPVs, SRVs as well as cars and vans.

It has a State-level technology research and development center in its home base of Hefei and also has overseas R&D facilities in Italy and Japan.

According to the company, it is also devoted to environmental protection and other social responsibility undertakings, with the goal of creating "Better Products, Better World" for human beings.

After nearly six decades of development, the company now has an annual production capacity of 700,000 vehicles and 500,000 engines, ranking among the top automakers in China, the world's largest automotive market by unit sales.

The company has led China in the exports of light-duty commercial vehicles for 12 consecutive years.

At present, the company has sold its vehicles to such regions as South America, Europe, Africa and Asia, and it has business relations with more than 100 countries.

It has about 100 4S dealer outlets and 14 assembly plants in foreign countries.

JAC is recognized by several State ministries and organizations as a recommended brand for exports.

machenguang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/22/2013 page23)