Tokyo, Japan: IHI Shibaura Machinery Corporation has been named Bernhard’s Asia-Pacific Distributor of the Year 2014.
Steve Wilson, Manila-based Business Development Manager for Bernhard Asia-Pacific, said: “It was not just the strong sales numbers that won the award for IHI. Their absolute commitment to training and running seminars has been impressive.
“They put their strong sales figures down to owning their own demo grinders, which they have loaned to various customers for trials all over Japan. We have been enormously impressed with their ingenuity and intelligence and they are very deserving of this award.”
Koji Yagasaki, Sales Director for IHI Shibaura, said: “Thank you very much for this honoured award. It is always good to have hard work recognised. It’s been a tough time for sales in Japan generally with the decrease in the number of golf courses being built, but we are hopeful that our association with Bernhard will change that.
“We make a good team because I think Bernhard grinders are the only grinders that can ensure 100% performance of the Shibaura mower.”
Naoki Shimoda, Bernhard products specialist for IHI, added: “As a Bernhard distributor we concentrated on SEA (Speed, Ease, Accuracy) and demonstrated this at seminars and by loaning grinders to our clients.
“They could see for themselves that with this machinery you can always have ‘new’ blades and just how important grinders are for a successful mower maintenance programme. We have high hopes and will continue to work with Bernhard’s Mirai Takahashi to get the message across.”
Takahashi, Territory Manager for Bernhard Japan, said: “I want to thank the team at IHI Shibaura for their hard work. Japan’s golf industry has had a tough time since the 2011 earthquake, and IHI’s people have worked really hard selling our product and promoting its benefits across the country.
“I am very happy and proud to know that they are receiving this award and look forward to working with them long into the future.”
Bernhard is a long-time member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.