As real-estate developers and general contractors tighten their purse strings, the company expects to move at least 50 of these, capturing 10 per cent of the nascent market.

Part of the firm's marketing strategy is to correct customers' perception of Doosan Infracore, a subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate Doosan.

"Particularly for our heavier, 20-tonne-plus excavators, which are among the most expensive models, buyers tend to think that they shouldn't pay so much for Korean products," Sanchai said.

Doosan has a steep hill to climb as it only has 4 per cent or Bt200 million of the excavator market, trailing Komatsu at 28 per cent, Kobelco at 27 per cent and Caterpillar's 25 per cent.

Sanchai hopes that familiarisation trips to Doosan's Korean plants later this year will help dispel the misconception.

Doosan has set Bt1.5 million for its initial marketing push. Marketing expenses will be split evenly between the distributor and Doosan thereafter.

The marketing activities will be in line with Doosan's global strategy. The Korean chaebol would like to join the world's top five in the infrastructure business by 2010 with US$6 billion (Bt215 billion) in revenues.

Ki Nan Tsui

The Nation