Partners in Success

The formation of strategic business units in close consultation with Caterpillar is proof of Gmmco’s continued pursuit of excellence. Formed in 1967 when the GP-CK Birla Group took over Blackwood Hodge Equipment, hitherto distributor for Terex products, Gmmco made headlines when, on February 26, 1986, it became the Indian (western, central and southern) dealer for renowned heavy-duty machinery manufacturer, Caterpillar Inc, USA. Over the past 25 years, Gmmco has made major strides, and today, it is a Rs 1,600 crore company with 75 full-fledged branches and 1,500 employees operating out of over 100 establishments. The company was ranked at an impressive 199 among the Top 500 Best Performing Mid-Sized Companies in a recent annual survey by India Inc magazine. It offers a wide range of solutions for various sectors of the economy, which are as follows. Infrastructure Gmmco is an active stakeholder in building the India of tomorrow; it serves core sectors such as roads, airports, ports, urban development, construction, quarrying and mining, oil and gas, power and marine, not just by selling products and services but also by offering one-stop solutions to customers. Mining With customers comprising the likes of Coal India Ltd (CCL, SECL, WCL, NCL & MCL), Singareni Collieries Company Ltd, Hindustan Copper Ltd, Neyveli Lignite Ltd, NMDC, MOIL and GMDC, the highlights of Gmmco’s mining capabilities are as follows: Supplying 14 Cat 773-d, 60-tonne trucks valued at Rs 25 crore to promote mining contractor for deployment in Malanjhkand Copper Project (2008-09) Supplying 22 large-capacity 240-tonne dumpers to South Eastern Coalfields Ltd with a 12-year maintenance and repair contract Commissioning the largest bulldozers at NMDC, Donimalai Commissioning four 992-k front-end loaders at NMDC Sealing the largest hydraulic excavator deal for a pipe-laying application at Corrtech Intl Commissioning the first 988-h front-end loader at Central Coalfields Ltd’s Kathara coalfields India’s first CAT-certified re-building of Ambuja Cement’s D9R dozers Achieving over 34,000 operational hours at Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) Getting an order for over 30 machines (15 × 962H, 8 × 966, 2 × D9R, 6 ×140 k) from Sesa Goa, one of the largest producers of iron ore in India Construction Gmmco offers a wide range of indigenous as well as imported Caterpillar construction equipment including backhoe loaders, hydraulic excavators, motor graders, off-highway trucks, track-type tractors (dozers), and wheel loaders. The machines boast best-in-industry features and outstanding product support. Marine Gmmco has been selling and servicing Caterpillar engines for over 25 years and provides total propulsion systems to meet the unique requirements of customers. The company offers generators tailor-made for power management, diesel electric propulsion (DEP) units for propulsion purposes and so on. It has tie-ups with major shipyards in the country, with a dedicated projects cell for specialised support. The company has provided marine engines for Mumbai Coast Guard boats as well as various marine applications such as water barges, survey vessels, tugs, anchor handlers and tug support vessels, pilot launchers, patrol crafts, diving support vessels, interceptor boats, cement carriers, RoRo LoLo applications, bulk containers, dredgers and offshore supply vessels. Oil and gas Over 400 of ONGC’s Caterpillar engines are supported by Gmmco and TIL, and so are over 100 engines owned by private drilling contractors at any point in time in India. These engines are used in critical operations like power packs on jack-up rigs and land rigs, emergency gen-sets, fire water pumps, cranes and well servicing. Gmmco not only provides new engine solutions but also offers quality support to ensure high uptime of Caterpillar products. The company’s five-star certified workshop facilities include top, in-frame and major overhauls in the shortest possible timeframe. Meanwhile, Gmmco Power, a subsidiary of Gmmco Ltd, is the Indian distributor for Perkins and brings the entire range of Perkins engines to Indian users. Gmmco also offers wheel loaders from SEM, tyres from Eurotire, technology solutions from Trimble, and other allied products, accompanied by strong product support and after-sales service infrastructure. Focus on people Significantly, Gmmco, over the past 25 years, has absorbed, assimilated and implemented many of Caterpillar’s world-class facilities and processes to train its people. The company’s ‘people focus’ is evident from its best in class talent management processes, leadership development and simulation-based as well as hands-on technical training. The four-star certified learning centre in Chennai helps train field personnel in support and service. Gmmco has strong organisational values such as passion for product support, excellence in action, delivery on commitment, enduring partnership and teamwork, deeply embedded in its DNA and has won awards for excellence in implementing Six-Sigma Processes. Recently, the formation of strategic business units in close consultation with Caterpillar is proof of Gmmco’s continued pursuit of excellence. Cheers to a bright future The recent silver jubilee celebrations held on February 28 were a fitting finale to the more-than-successful Gmmco-Caterpillar partnership. Several senior officials from Caterpillar lauded the role played by Gmmco in nation-building. And everyone agreed that the partnership has way further to go. As H Jayaram, ED & CEO, Gmmco, said, “We have a committed, dedicated team in Gmmco; we have the Caterpillar focus and we are sure that we will definitely make our journey from what we are today, which is $400 million to $1 billion.” (Communication by the management of the company)