GAZ International Sales and Marketing Director, Andy Carroll, reveals what visitors can expect to see on the company's stand at the European Road Transport Show at RAI and gives some insight into GAZ's plans for activity in Europe.



GAZ is holding a press conference at RAI, The European Road Transport Show, on 25th October at 3pm in Hall 3, Stand 005

If you would like an interview with GAZ's President, Eric Eberhardson, GAZ International Chief Executive Officer, Martin Leach or GAZ International Chief Operating Officer, Steve Young, please ensure you book in advance.

To book your place email hazel@connect-group.com

To find out more about GAZ International www.eng.gazgroup.ru and the recent developments in the MAXUS van, chassis can and MPT/Combi van range www.maxus.com, visit our websites.

GAZ Group is not very well known in Europe. In Russia GAZ Group is the leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and has been for some years. Indeed this year GAZ Group is the largest automotive manufacturer in Russia.

The activities of GAZ Group cover light commercial vehicles, trucks, buses, construction equipment and powertrain - so a very broad range of activities. And in many of those segments GAZ Group has a dominant market position in Russia and the other CIS markets. GAZ International is a relatively new part of GAZ Group. It was set up last year at the time of the acquisition of LDV. GAZ International is responsible for the sales and marketing of all the products from GAZ Group in those countries outside of Russia and the other CIS markets.

Last year GAZ Group bought LDV Group. LDV Group is the manufacturer of the MAXUS range of vans. So you have the MAXUS manufactured in Birmingham in the UK and that is part of the LDV Group and LDV Group is a subsidiary of GAZ Group. We have two short term priorities. One is to launch and consolidate the sale of the MAXUS range in key European markets and secondly the European Road Transport Show, which is held in Amsterdam in October. GAZ is going to have a big presence this year at the European Road Transport Show and we are in Hall 3, stand 5 and we will be having a press conference at 3pm on press day, 25 October 2007. There speaking will be Eric Eberhardson. Eric is President of GAZ Group and also there will be Martin Leach, who is the Chief Executive of GAZ International.

On the stand we will have a wide range of the MAXUS product - panel van, Combi, the chassis cab for the first time on Continental Europe as well as some specific conversions including an ambulance version. On top of that we will also have a new concept vehicle on display.

We have embarked upon a plan to replace 90 per cent of our current product within the next five years. In addition to that we are evaluating a bridging strategy where upon we will take some of the product we are currently selling in Russia and adapting that for the European customer. So, with our European engineering resources and our Russian engineering resources we are evaluating some opportunities there and one of those studies will be on display at our stand. As of today MAXUS is available in the UK, Ireland, Luxembourg, Spain, France, Belgium and of course, the Netherlands. October sees the launch of a new global website for GAZ Group - www.groupgaz.com This website will have information about the full range of activities of GAZ Group.

European customers can easily find out more information about the MAXUS range - the website address is www.maxus.com For MAXUS in 2008 we will be launching the range in additional European countries such as Germany, Italy, Portugal, Turkey and Poland. And above and beyond MAXUS at a Group GAZ level we are also looking at several interesting opportunities to bring in product to the European markets.