New Heights with JCB CEA

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CEA’s Greg Sealey tells Roads & Infrastructure what JCB’s foray into electric scissor lifts means for its Australian customers.

With the help of distributor CEA, equipment manufacturer JCB has established a reputation in Australia for innovative products backed by a reliable and comprehensive support network.

From the versatile Teleskid to a growing range of electric technology – and with the possibility of a green fleet of hydrogen machines on the horizon – Australian contractors have long had access to a range of unique solutions for almost any challenge. 

Greg Sealey, CEA General Manager of Distribution, says CEA is always ready to help JCB explore the potential of the Australian market.

“For JCB and CEA, it’s about expanding our product offering to align to the needs of the market, and opening up opportunities to interact with – and develop partnerships with – new customers,” he says.

With a view to expand its product line into new territory, JCB recently introduced a line of electric scissor lifts into Australia – the manufacturer’s first foray into access platforms.

This range was first unveiled to the world in 2017, though the first units only began making their way to Australian shores last year. 

Sealey says that while there’s only so much room to innovate in this space, JCB and CEA will look to distinguish their offering in other ways.

“They’re quite simply designed products, and most brands offer very similar ranges,” he says. “Our push is more about our relationships with our customers, and their trust in the JCB brand.

“Australia is a big access platform market too, and we don’t see that slowing down any time soon. So, we’re taking the opportunity to reach new customers that we don’t typically sell to.”

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Leveraging quality

According to JCB, the electric scissor range is 100 per cent electric, built with high quality componentry, and designed for operator ease-of-use, ergonomics, and safety. The range is also compatible with the JCB LiveLink telematics system – an added bonus for any customer already managing a fleet of JCB machines. 

Sealey expects the 5.71-metre S1930E compact scissor lift and the 7.91-metre S2632E scissor lift to be among the best sellers in the JCB electric scissor range.

“Those two sizes make up more than 60 per cent of this market overall, and are also the most competitive segment,” he says. “Rental businesses are our initial target, where we can focus on customers who aren’t necessarily aligned to a specific brand, but who are looking to work with a highly professional business – one that can offer a diverse mix of products, as well as the capacity to provide next-level service and support.

“The access platform market is very mature with a number of main players cemented in the space,” Sealey says. “So, for us the challenge is around differentiating ourselves to be able to compete with the cheaper, lower ‘spec’ product being introduced into our market.

“We can’t necessarily compete on price with those products, so we are leveraging our relationships and reputation for good service with our customers to make in-roads in that way.”

Though it’s still early days for JCB electric scissors in Australia, Sealey says the early signs have been good.

“We’ve really only just entered the market, at the moment we have units out on trial for customer feedback,” he says. “But so far, our customers’ experiences have been positive, particularly with regard to overall quality and usability.

Once the word gets out, Sealey expects that the electric scissor range will quickly settle into its place among the existing range of JCB machines – backed by dedicated sales and product support experts, as well as CEA’s existing Australia-wide network for parts.

“JCB and CEA have been represented in the Australian market for a very long time, and we’ve always stood by the equipment we distribute,” he says.

“I believe CEA’s ever-growing presence in the market across all our brands instils a level of confidence in the machines we sell, as well as the back-up service and support we provide.” 

This article was originally published in the May edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.