“What happened 15 years ago is not what's going to happen in the next 15,” he said. “Are you going to address it? Are you going to ignore it? You've got some big decisions to make. Get involved, make inquiries, and start building relationships. The day has gone by when you can ignore it.”
He said that while the US market is “big, bold, and beautiful” and self-supporting, with a very long product cycle and a high level of personalization in terms of upfitting, there are numerous reasons why the global market needs to be explored:
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Many “heavy” manufacturers are owned by Europeans, including Mack and Freightliner.
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The emissions EPA10-Euro 6 relationship. “We need commonality. Therefore, we're going to get one platform — three or four engines that will suit the whole world. That wasn't possible five, 10 years ago. The technology you see in Europe will come across. Be ahead of it. Say, ‘I need to be ready.’”
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The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) are expanding rapidly and may present opportunities for companies based in the US.
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The global recession means US manufacturers must consider existing non-US products within a global portfolio, as illustrated by the One Ford Plan.
Campbell said that China and India increased sales by an average of 61% in a 12-month period. Brazil is almost at US levels and is now Volvo's largest market after being fourth two years ago.
“Why would you ignore markets going at 60% to 70% annum?” Campbell asked. “India and Brazil are not difficult to get into. There are sectors that would suit a lot of well-received products that are in the US. The global market is up 40%. It hasn't had a recession.
“You can close your ears to it or you can say, ‘Fine.’ There are opportunities that weren't around five years ago. Four Chinese manufacturers make more in one year than the whole US Class 1-8 industry. That wasn't happening three years ago.”