One of Doosan's managers at the "Challenge 2010" gathering.

About 50 managers from Doosan's forklift businesses worldwide gathered at the company's Incheon plant last month to view the latest in the manufacturer's R&D developments.

Dubbed "Challenge 2010", Doosan distributors came from the UK, US and Europe to view the manufacturer's prototype models for a new reach truck and a hybrid electric counterbalance forklift.

While Doosan declined to reveal details of the two prototypes for Forkliftaction.com News, it says the international gathering to showcase the company's upcoming products proved to be encouraging for all attendees.

"It has been tough for our overseas distributors," says JY Moon, head of Doosan's overseas sales and marketing division. "[But] there are some signs of recovery and we are increasingly optimistic."

Moon claims Doosan's strategies have successfully lessened the impact of the global economic downturn, enabling it to maintain marketshare and even increase it in some areas.

Challenge 2010 is expected to strengthen the ties between the overseas sales teams, the Seoul-based sales support personnel and the Incheon R&D teams.

Doosan Infracore UK's general sales manager, Paul Watson, says the event gave the forklift manufacturer a "head start" on promoting the company in the coming months.

"We are very proud of our ability to listen closely to customer requirements and to adapt our product offering to suit them," he says.

Kun H Lee, managing director of overseas sales for Forklift BG, agrees. "To continue our growth, it is important that we maintain strong links with the marketplace."

Lee adds that the event allowed discussions about current technical improvements and future product development.