However, the markets are currently still developing very differently. While Baoli already has a very prominent presence in Italy, its market share in France and Austria is still modest. We asked Olivier Le Bozec, Baoli country manager in France (pictured), and his counterpart in Austria, Roman Tahetl, how the brand is developing in their markets.

Mr. Le Bozec, Mr. Tahetl - How has the market in the entry-level forklift segment developed in your area of responsibility in the recent past?

Olivier Le Bozec: In France, this market in particular is growing very dynamically. According to my estimates, the entry-level industrial truck segment has at least doubled in the last twelve months.

Roman Tahetl: In Austria, the overall market for industrial trucks rose from 8,473 to 11,922 vehicles last year. Asian suppliers, who mainly cover the entry-level industrial truck market, grew by around four percent last year.

How high do you estimate Baoli's percentage share of these markets to be?

Olivier Le Bozec: We currently have a market share of around 0.5 percent. That doesn't sound like a particularly high share at first, but it is a very respectable figure for France. After all, Baoli has only been in serious business there for four years and development is still in its infancy. However, I am pretty sure that we will grow very quickly in France.

Roman Tahetl: We will soon achieve a market share of 1.5% in Austria. That's very impressive when you consider that we only entered the Austrian market with Baoli in January 2022. In just a few months, we have already impressively demonstrated that the "Baoli model" works very well in Austria.

How has the Baoli dealer network in your country developed over the past twelve months?

Olivier Le Bozec: We have acted very stringently in recent months and trained our dealers and their sales staff very intensively. Fortunately, we have succeeded in acquiring six new dealers for Baoli in France.

Roman Tahetl: We were also very successful in acquiring dealers in Austria and are now working successfully with eight dealers. After starting from scratch at the beginning of 2022, this positive development is very, very pleasing.

How many new dealers do you want to acquire for Baoli in your country in the next twelve months?

Olivier Le Bozec: We still have a great need, and I hope that at least twelve new dealers will join us in the coming months. Demand is particularly high in the north of France. Benoit Pasquier, a new sales professional, is now working on developing the industrial truck market for Baoli.

Roman Tahetl: We want to start our business in Austria with ten dealers - so we need two more - and then we will see whether we can manage. We will also take a close look at the regions and analyze in which regions we have further demand.

In your opinion, what are the reasons why retailers in your country choose to work with Baoli?

Olivier Le Bozec: The clear structures, loyalty and consistency of BAOLI are certainly the most important reasons for a positive decision.

Roman Tahetl: In Austria, all dealers want to have one brand under contract wherever possible. In this way, we attract small dealers in particular, who are able to build up their own fleet thanks to this contract. But the price and discount structure is also important in this decision. All dealers receive the same discount from us and a sufficiently large sales area. As all dealers in Austria know each other very well and constantly exchange information, there is no significant competition or price war between them.

Is it important for your dealers that Baoli is part of the international KION Group?

Olivier Le Bozec: In my experience, the reputation of the KION Group plays an important role in the dealers' decision to choose our company. For example, KION offers a guarantee that spare parts will be available for more than a decade. In addition, the umbrella organization guarantees very comprehensive quality control.

Roman Tahetl: I can only confirm that: Being part of the KION Group is an important argument for most dealers to work with Baoli. There are corresponding guarantees - and that is a very important factor in my eyes.

How are your dealers reacting to the new Baoli vehicles?

Olivier Le Bozec: In France, dealers are initially positively surprised by the high quality level of the vehicles manufactured in China and are then very impressed by the trucks. They keep telling us that Baoli trucks have a very good chance of being successful in our market, the entry-level industrial truck segment.

Roman Tahetl: Unfortunately, we're not quite there yet in Austria. Our dealers are still very cautious in their assessment of the vehicles and want to inspect and test them extensively first. However, I am also firmly convinced that we will develop Baoli into one of the leading brands in the entry-level segment in this country.

So your dealers are convinced above all by the quality of the components installed?

Olivier Le Bozec: They definitely are. Mainly because we use tried and tested components that are used by many forklift truck manufacturers. The Doosan engines that Baoli installs, for example, underline the brand's very high quality standards. With these high-quality supplier products, our forklifts need fear no comparison.

Roman Tahetl: Unfortunately, my answer to this question is not as clear as that of my French colleague. As we have only been active on the Austrian market for a few months, I think it is still too early to make a realistic statement here.

Do you think the current range of Baoli vehicles is sufficient?

Olivier Le Bozec: At the moment, there is certainly room for expansion to cover all conceivable requirements. However, as Baoli is planning an extensive expansion of its product portfolio, this situation will quickly improve significantly.

Roman Tahetl: I would answer this question in exactly the same way. I agree that the current range of vehicles will not be sufficient in the long term and should be supplemented - but that is already planned.

How do your dealers rate the price-performance ratio of Baoli vehicles?

Olivier Le Bozec: Our prices have risen over the past year and a half due to increasing import costs, rising raw material costs and the global economic situation. However, we must always keep one thing in mind - and we also communicate this to our customers: Baoli forklifts offer significantly more quality and service than other suppliers in the entry-level segment. Anyone who buys a BAOLI forklift also always buys a comprehensive after-sales service.

Roman Tahetl: In Austria, the price-performance ratio of Baoli forklifts is rated very positively in my experience to date.

Do you see ways to optimize cooperation with Baoli dealers?

Olivier Le Bozec: Improvements are always possible. The Baoli vehicles could be presented more prominently in the showrooms of our partners in order to anchor our brand even more firmly in the minds of our customers.