Powerplus Machinery Cambodia is changing the face of construction in the Kingdom, empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to own their heavy equipment as the sector grows unabated.

In the first half of this year, there was a total of 2,522 construction projects across Cambodia, with an estimated investment capital of $3.84 billion, according to a July report from the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction.

Investment capital increased by around $450 million or 13 per cent in that period compared to the first six months of last year, while the number of approved construction projects rose by 475, or 23 per cent, it added.

And as the construction sector in the Kingdom continues to boom, Powerplus – through the attractive leasing and financing on offer – is enabling sub-contractors to grow with it.

“We are allowing Cambodians to own their machinery through monthly instalments. They are currently paying to rent a 20-year-old secondhand machine, but we can help them own a brand new Powerplus through leasing for the same amount,” said Dennis Tan, deputy managing director of Powerplus Machinery Cambodia.

In October, The Post reported that Powerplus Machinery Cambodia has teamed up with Acleda Bank Plc, signing a memorandum of understanding to provide financing for SMEs to tap into the Kingdom’s booming infrastructure sector.

“We are proud to join hands with Acleda to offer financing for Cambodian businesses to expand their capital expenditure and invest more in improving the country’s infrastructure,” Powerplus Machinery Cambodia managing director Tho Da said at the time.

Present in Cambodia since 2015, the company offers market-leading heavy equipment such as dump trucks, vibratory rollers, crawler cranes, backhoes, bulldozers, motor graders and asphalt mixing plants. Powerplus machines are currently involved in road construction along National Road 5.

“Powerplus is an American brand which incorporates top quality components from the US, Europe and Japan. Capitalising on the lower cost of production in China, we are able to pass on this saving to our customers and offer our products at very competitive prices.

“Our business revolves around supplying machines you can count on, and customer satisfaction is vital for us at Powerplus Machinery Cambodia.

“We provide more than simply selling quality construction equipment – we provide a holistic solution, from the selection of equipment to operator training. We also help our customers finance their heavy equipment purchases and support them closely with dedicated top-notch after-sales services. This is backed by a steady inventory of spare parts and Powerplus’ global distributor network and parts depot worldwide,” Tan said.

The Singaporean describes how construction firms in the Kingdom have traditionally procured their machinery – and how Powerplus is transforming that model.

“In the market now, for example, many SMEs are renting 20-ton class excavators for $3,500 to $4,000 a month. These are often far from brand new – they are usually 15- to 20-year-old machines that frequently break down due to their age.

“However, if you get a Powerplus excavator of similar configurations and capacities – in this case, we are referring to the brand-new Powerplus PP220E-IX excavator – you only need to pay monthly instalments of $3,500 for two years to own the machine. All you need is to raise a 30 per cent deposit, payable to Acleda Bank, the leasing partner of choice for Powerplus in Cambodia,” Tan said.

Tan recounts the history of Powerplus, with its founder’s insistence on quality allowing the newcomer to compete with the industry big boys, eventually growing into a major player itself.

“In the early 2000s, together with a team of engineers from the R&D department, [Singaporean founder] Datuk Derrick Ong studied industry leaders, adopting the best technology for various types of equipment and improving on it, thus leading to the creation of Powerplus in 2004.

“Having to compete in a market saturated with long-established brands was no easy feat. But this formula would later see Powerplus gain market acceptance in more than 100 countries across six continents, positioning itself as a world leader in the construction industry,” Tan said.