General Motors Corporation and Isuzu Motors Limited announced their new joint venture, GM-Isuzu Camiones Andinos de Colombia Ltda., on May 8. The purpose of which is to strengthen their strategic partnership and expand their truck and bus sales in Colombia.
The joint venture builds on the long-standing partnership that GM and Isuzu have enjoyed in the region by establishing a company that is dedicated to the marketing, sales, service and after-sales of commercial vehicles. The new partnership is the successful result of a 2007 agreement that studied the potential of a JV and will focus on strengthening the leadership that GM and Isuzu have built in this segment.
“This agreement demonstrates our commitment to commercial vehicles and will serve to strengthen the leadership of Chevrolet buses and trucks that are Isuzu sourced for the Andean region. It will also continue to enhance the solid and close relationships we have with our clients” said Pablo Ross, president and managing director of GM Andean Region.
Yoshinori Ida, chief executive officer of Isuzu Motors Limited, said, “With this groundbreaking joint venture in Colombia, which recently began operations, GM and Isuzu have all the strengths needed to increase the truck and bus business in the region and enhance customer satisfaction. Our objective will be to capture the No. 1 position in all segments where we operate, offer the highest customer satisfaction, and become the industry standard”.
This partnership is another example of how the global advantages of two companies can combine to the benefit of both; Isuzu as a leader in commercial vehicle technology development that has global knowledge in the transportation sector; and GM with its extensive experience and resources in the Andean region, including dealerships, high quality standards, aftersales and service, and the leadership of the Chevrolet brand.
Maureen Kempston Darkes, president of GM Latin America, Africa and Middle East and GM group vice president, said, “We are honored to celebrate another strategic partnership between GM and Isuzu. This agreement further demonstrates our continued commitment to each other and marks another milestone in our history of global cooperation”.
With this agreement, GM and Isuzu will aggressively promote sales and increase the market share of N-Series and F-Series commercial vehicles that are developed by Isuzu in Japan, manufactured by GM Colmotores and sold in the Andean Region. The vehicles will be sold under the Chevrolet brand and will feature a “Technologia Isuzu” sub-brand.
