The company is present in the Western Balkans, while the equipment powered by Cummins engines includes underground loaders and dumpers, dumpers and hydraulic excavators used in surface mining for copper and coal, says Cummins Regional Leader Goran Galić.
Cummins West Balkans is a company that deals with sales and maintenance of diesel and gas-powered engines for all types of vehicles, but also mining equipment. What exactly do you do; who do you supply in Serbia, how long have you been present here?
– Cummins Inc. (www.cummins.com) is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, produce, distribute and service a broad portfolio of energy solutions. The company’s products range from diesel and gas engines to hybrid and electric platforms, as well as technologies related to powertrain, including battery systems, fuel systems, transmissions, filtration, emissions solutions and power generation systems.
Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (U.S.), since its founding in 1919, Cummins employs approximately 62,600 people who are dedicated to creating a more prosperous world through corporate responsibility priorities: education, environment and equal opportunity.
Cummins West Balkans is part of Cummins Distribution Business Europe, which supports more than 25,000 users across nine regions and from 25 locations around Europe. Cummins has been present in this region for decades. What sets us apart, however, is the fact that Cummins is present in Serbia directly, as a subsidiary of Cummins Inc. This, among other things, demonstrates an understanding for this market and the potential it offers, particularly in mining, and, at the same time, the desire to provide the best possible support to the end user and our partners.
What’s your experience in mining like; what equipment do you supply to the industry and are you also present elsewhere on the territory of the former Yugoslavia?
– Cummins is present in all mining regions: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, N.Macedonia, Bulgaria. The equipment that’s powered by Cummins engines in the Western Balkans includes loaders and dumpers for underground exploitation, dumpers and hydraulic excavators in surface mining of copper and coal, ancillary equipment (bulldozers, piplayers) in surface coal mining in Serbia. These range from 4.5L engines like the QSB4.5 to 60L models like the unsurpassed QSK60.
What are your experiences of doing business in Serbia; do you have major competition and how do you manage to stay competitive on the market?
– Cummins is certainly the world leader among manufacturers of diesel engines that drive mining equipment, especially when it comes to high-capacity equipment. The situation is very similar in the Western Balkans, where Cummins successfully retains its leading position. The key to maintaining this position is the service we provide to our mining partners. Our key task is to optimise the total operating costs of equipment for owners, so-called TCO – total cost of ownership. This implies minimising downtimes, remote monitoring of engine operation, extended service intervals, minimal response time for intervention, use of superior filtration technology, use of superior working fluids and genuine spare parts.
We are awaited in the future by the retaining and improving of our position, as well as the development of support for underground exploitation, which is, unequivocally, the future of this region. In addition to this, we also aim to maintain our leadership position in the implementing of new technologies that are also fast becoming a reality in mining.
