Question: Mr. Vettorel - how long have you been working with Baoli?

Marco Vettorel: Our collaboration with Baoli began in 2016 - initially very cautiously, with the order of the first machines. We were surprised by the result. Our impression of the trucks delivered was extremely positive and we were very satisfied with the quality. We then stepped up our efforts to promote this brand by familiarizing our technicians with Baoli products through specific training courses. We can now say that the Baoli brand accounts for a significant proportion of our business. After all, Baoli enables us to successfully serve even those customers who only have basic needs for their forklift fleet. As a dealer, we therefore try to always have enough Baoli trucks in stock. We currently have almost 25 vehicles in various configurations ready for delivery. This enables us to meet our customers' requirements very quickly.

Question: Were there never any problems or even doubts about the collaboration?

Marco Vettorel: There were indeed problems with the Baoli products during the initial phase of our collaboration - i.e. the phase of getting to know each other. However, these were mainly related to the availability of spare parts. Necessary parts were difficult to obtain, which significantly increased repair times. This changed abruptly when Baoli EMEA set up a center in Rolo, Italy, from which all sales, customer service and marketing activities in the EMEA region are managed. This center is now of fundamental importance for the supply of spare parts or even new forklifts. Or, to put it another way: This center has noticeably improved our confidence in the brand.

Question: So are you convinced today that Baoli is a quality brand?

Marco Vettorel: Definitely. Our sales figures show that the market perceives the Baoli brand as a reliable and high-quality brand. In 2021, Baoli recorded almost 1,400 orders on the Italian market. This corresponds to a market share of around 1.6%. By May 2022, more than 800 orders had already been received. So it looks like we will sell even more Baoli forklifts this year than last year. When you also consider that the brand was only founded a few years ago, achieving a market share of 1.6 % is a really good testament to the work that has been done. However, we should not rest on our laurels: there is still plenty for us all to do to make the brand even more successful on the markets.

Question: What would you describe as the most important quality features of a Baoli product?

Marco Vettorel: Baoli products are robust, simple and safe - without any unnecessary technical accessories that could affect the reliability of the machines over time due to possible breakdowns. Our customers also greatly appreciate the fact that the vehicles are built with little plastic and lots of metal instead. This gives the impression of unparalleled reliability. This is why Baoli machines are often sold to customers where the decision-maker is also the future user of the truck. If he is impressed by the quality and functionality of the design, the sale is usually closed.

Question: How important is it for you that Baoli is part of the KION Group?

Marco Vettorel: Very important! It is easier for us to present the KION Group's strategy to customers and to make it clear that Baoli can also have its place in a market that has already grown and also clearly stands out from the offerings of other Chinese brands. After all, RENT is part of a group of companies in which other KION Group brands are also represented. This enables our customers to compare the models of different brands and choose the most suitable product for them. Baoli expands our product diversity enormously and, in my opinion, this is particularly important for our business and also for our customers.

Question: In your experience, how important is the product price for your customers' purchasing decisions?

Marco Vettorel: Price is of course an important factor for many of our customers, even if it is not the decisive one. Our customers often say: "This is exactly what I was looking for and what I need". In my experience, customers who have not been in contact with Baoli products before rate them in this order according to the criteria of quality, price, service and the value of the used vehicle. If we succeed in making a positive case on all four points, then a purchase is usually concluded. With Baoli machines, we very often succeed in making this argument.

Question: How do you conduct a typical sales negotiation?

Marco Vettorel: These negotiations are of course very individual. However, this much can be said: selling Baoli products creates a very strong relationship with the customer. In this day and age of dematerialization and digitalization, we try to maintain an "old style" customer relationship. Almost all negotiations take place at the customer's premises. This is also where the vehicle is presented, tested and evaluated together.

Question: Do you have any ideas on how the business with Baoli could be expanded further?

Marco Vettorel: In my view, the collaboration is going very well. For example, we have started to target some market segments already occupied by other providers together with Baoli and to develop corresponding strategies. I am sure that we will generate a lot more market share together.