DEVELON has a very successful first year in Europe

DEVELON, formerly known as Doosan Construction Equipment, can look back on a very successful debut year in Europe and worldwide. The new Develon brand, derived from the words "Develop" and "Onwards," was created in early 2023 by rebranding the orange Doosan Construction Equipment brand.

Retaining the familiar orange color and type designation has ensured excellent continuity, with the Develon brand name being introduced throughout the organization. From the headquarters, production plants and other facilities in South Korea to corporate and dealer operations around the world. Under the new brand name, Develon is building on previous achievements around the world which goes back more than 80 years in history.

The brand was officially launched at the Conexpo in Las Vegas in the U.S. in March 2023. Subsequently, local trade shows around the world have all been used to further debut the brand on a more regional level. Other activities such as dealer meetings, customer events, media work and more took place to share the new brand with customers around the world and strengthen brand awareness. This included the first Global Develon Day event attended by customers and dealers, which took place in South Korea in the second half of 2023.

Develon praises customers, dealers, staff and suppliers

Europe has shown continuity in the industry as well as the rest of the world

introducing the Develon brand at major trade shows last year, including Samoter in Italy, Plantworx in Britain, TKD in the Netherlands and Steinexpo in Germany. In addition to the company's facilities in the Czech Republic, Germany, Britain and elsewhere, an extensive rebranding has taken place at the more than 80 Develon dealers in Europe, with changes to all existing facilities and vehicles.

Jayden Lim, CEO of Develon Europe, said, "I would like to thank all of our employees, dealers, suppliers and customers for their support during the transition period, all of whom have embraced the new Develon brand. Develon is also pleased with the fact that there is virtually no change in our core values, sales network, products and technologies - everything else remains the same."

Develon has continued to expand in the European market. Notable developments include the opening of a new European training center in Nantes, in western France, and the commencement of work on a new company-owned facility in Germany, expected to open in the second half of 2024, offering direct sales, customer support and training, and a parts warehouse. Also announced was the expansion and relocation of Develon's parts distribution center from Germany to Belgium, again targeting completion in the second half of 2024.

Corporate structure of Develon and Hyundai

A year later, it is important to confirm the organizational structure underlying Develon. HD Hyundai is the holding company under which HD Hyundai Infracore (HDI) and its DEVELON brand and HD Hyundai Construction Equipment (HCE) with its HYUNDAI brand will continue to operate independently in the market with their own brands.

In addition, HDI and HCE will cooperate under HD Hyundai XiteSolution, an intermediate holding company representing HD Hyundai's construction equipment business, to build more market presence.

Jayden Lim added, "In simple terms, Develon is the commercial brand used for our machines, parts, promotions, communications, dealer facilities, etc. And the HDI brand will be used more at the corporate level with official documents and titles.

"The new Develon brand name is also the beginning of a new era in our company's history, promising our customers to create added value for them through advanced technologies and innovation.''

Brand recognition/identity

The migration from Doosan to Develon happened very quickly and since the launch of the brand, Develon has expanded its product portfolio from its renowned medium to large machines, with a growing line of new mini-excavators designed in-house. To further strengthen their market position and by strengthening the brand's sales network.

Jayden Lim continued, "With this in mind, we have used (and will continue to use) many trade shows and events to help customers see that we are still pretty much the same company and product line and not a newcomer to the European market. Through these events, we have seen that our brand presence and trust among customers are strong and secure."

Innovative technologies and product line expansion

Starting in 2024, Develon plans to improve the balance between its sales regions and product portfolio to create a complete lineup that will help the brand become a top global player. For regions with less awareness, Develon plans to strengthen its dealer network while expanding its product range: the new bulldozer line and the new mini-excavators, including the first electric model. The company also plans to increase customer satisfaction by providing products that match market demand, such as options/upgrades for excavators and wheel loaders.

The development of electric machines remains one of Develon's main priorities, with a new 2-ton electric mini-excavator recently launched, and more compact models this year. The company has also developed electric battery packs as part of its strategy to expand its business to be more comprehensive and inclusive of electrification solutions. Through such efforts, the company aims to advance in the market where expectations for environmentally friendly devices are high.

Spotlight on Develon's expansion in Europe

Jayden Lim added: "Continuing into 2024, Develon will continue to work on technology R&D to transition its earthmoving equipment offerings to electric machines, and to transform its medium to large equipment to FCEVs (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles). We are developing a 14-ton wheeled electric excavator - the 14W EREV (Extended Range Electric Vehicle), which will be shown at Intermat and launched in the near future.

"We will also continue to develop the various technological building blocks that make up the future total solution CONCEPT-X. As a result, we were recognized in two innovation awards presented in January at CES in Las Vegas with our Smart Collision Mitigation system that prevents the risk of workplace accidents and X-Agent, an AI-based machine support solution that helps improve machine operation and productivity.

"Develon will continue to introduce innovative technologies to better shape the future of the construction industry and change the way work gets done. We will see this at Intermat, where we will demonstrate for the first time in Europe our Concept-X 2.0 autonomous construction machines and the latest construction safety features, including our exclusive Transparent Bucket feature. We will also have a significant presence at the Hillhead and Resource & Waste Management shows in the UK, Galabau in Germany and we look forward to holding our first Develon demo days in four years in the Czech Republic."