Scania sales chief Martin Lundstedt has joined others in pinning hopes on the BRIC economies.
In an interview with Bloomberg, he said that while the situation in the Europe is shaky at best, he expects BRIC nations to make up for any decline in sales from the European markets.
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According to Lundstedt, Scania is having “fine development” in northern Europe, while terming Southern Europe as a struggle.
Lundstedt said that the truck maker has emerged wiser from the previous downturn and is preparing itself to come up with a better way of tackling another slump in demand, if such a situation should arise.
The preparations include a new agreement with Swedish unions which allows the company to up its share of temporary workers to 30% from 20%.
The company’s plans for two of the BRIC nations were also discussed during the interview.
For China, Scania is targeting sales of 1,000 units in 2011, with the number expected to reach up to 5,000 over the next three to four years.
Lundstedt does not expect Scania to have a local production facility until the annual sales volume exceeds 10,000 units.
Reiterating the company’s plans, Lundstedt said that Scania plans to enter India in the next two years, with a local assembly plant in “the next few years.”
Lundstedt also reaffirmed the truck maker’s target of selling 150,000 trucks and buses by the next “peak in demand”.
