MAN in Ivory Coast: Official Launch of Vehicle and After-sales Service Distribution by BIA

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, June 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

• Friday 29 June 2018: Inauguration in attendance of the  technical adviser from the Minister of Transport of Ivory Coast and the Diplomatic Representatives of the German and Belgian embassies 
• Exclusive MAN import company & distributor in Ivory Coast, BIA represent several premium equipment brands in the following sectors: transport, mining and
  quarrying, construction and energy production 
• A modern structure, with around 85 employees including over 20 technicians with training and qualifications in respect of the requirements of the mining and construction sectors 
• A dynamic market which requires high-end lorries and reactive after-sales services   
• Upcoming openings envisaged over 2018: Cameroon and DRC 
• Symbolic delivery of over a hundred MAN trucks to Mota Engil for waste management in the city of Abidjan 

On 29 June 2018, MAN and BIA, their exclusive import company in Ivory Coast, officially launched their partnership in this country, under the distinguished patronage of the technical adviser of the Minister of Transports, Mr Amadou Koné and the Ambassadors of Germany and Belgium in Abidjan. For this occasion, over a hundred clients of the mining, transport and logistics domains were invited, including Mota-Engil, who received the first MAN trucks for the city of Abidjan. 

     (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/712722/BIA_MAN_Logo.jpg )

     (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/712723/BIA_MAN_Inauguration.jpg )

     (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/713448/BIA_and_MAN_Truck___Bus.jpg )

     (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/713449/Symbolic_Vehicle_Handover_to_Mota.jpg )

MAN vehicles are now distributed in Ivory Coast exclusively by BIA Côte d'Ivoire. BIA, with several years of experience in Ivory Coast, are enlarging their portfolio of tropicalised trucks by offering robust TGS-WW-type vehicles and trucks which can carry loads of up to 50 tonnes.

BIA Côte d'Ivoire are particularly focussed on the provision of an after-sale service for their clients.

Established in Abidjan since 2012, BIA have premises covering 7000 m², including a workshop with 8 benches, a spare parts warehouse (manufacturer original parts), a showroom and administrative offices. They also have mobile teams, who travel around the country in their 4x4 and with adapted tooling, can intervene rapidly.

To mark the occasion, Mr Romain Bia, Chief Executive of BIA Cote d'Ivoire, announced: "We are very pleased and eager to begin this partnership with MAN. This premium German brand offers extremely robust products which respond to the needs of users with heavy applications or who are covering a significant number of kilometres per year. MAN's industrial trucks series is ideal for BIA's current offering. The first MAN truck sales in Ivory Coast confirmed for us that these trucks are perfectly suitable for the Ivorian market. Today, the multitude of clients, both current and prospective, confirms the interest in these vehicles.".

Mr Adel Lünz, Head of the MAN Importer Center North, West, East and Central Africa, added: "We're really pleased to welcome BIA as our exclusive import company in Ivory Coast and we know we can count on their teams' professionalism to rapidly develop sales. This launch is the result of the collaboration between the MAN Center Importer of North, West, East and Central Africa and BIA. Of course, we're also keen to promote the openings in the six other countries in which BIA is our exclusive partner: Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and the Central African Republic."

During this launch night, Mota-Engil received a symbolic key to celebrate

the first MAN garbage collection trucks for the city of Abidjan. The order of 109 TGS-WW-type lorries, 6*4 in 33 tonnes and TGM 4*2 in 18 tonnes, coordinated by MAN's Big International Accounts department, marks the beginning of a dynamic collaboration in Ivory Coast.

Following this successful launch, BIA Group are actively envisaging other openings in their MAN vehicle distribution network in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo by the end of 2018.

About BIA Group 

Having been active in the public works and mining sector in Europe and Africa for over 116 years, BIA Group have set up business in over 20 African countries. BIA Group have therefore become an obvious and unavoidable partner in the mining and quarrying, construction, industry and energy sectors.

To assist their clients in getting the most out of their investments, BIA rely on several axes:

• Scaling: studies, advice, project management
• Optimisation: financing, new purchases, rental, second-hand purchases
• Protection: service contracts, technical services and spare parts
• Performance: training, telematic, fleet management

The BIA Group employs over 1300 people around the world, with more than 1000 of these in Africa.

About MAN Truck & Bus 

MAN Truck & Bus are European leaders in the commercial vehicle and transport solutions sector. The group offer their clients a large range of products: 

• Commercial vehicles supporting 3 to 44 tonnes
• Exceptional transport of payloads up to 250 tonnes. 
• Urban, inter-urban and long-haul buses, manufacture of bus chassis. MAN passenger transport breaks down into two brands: MAN and NEOPLAN (high-end).
• Vans (TGE)
• Engines for industrial and marine applications

MAN Truck & Bus is a subsidiary of TRATON Group (new name of Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH, since 20 June 2018) and have over 36,000 employees around the world.

MAN Truck & Bus AG
Importer Center NWC Africa
Oskar-Schlemmer Straße 19-21
80805 Munich