Interview of Hirokazu Yoshida, General Manager of TCM (Anhui) Machinery Co., Ltd. Shanghai Branch

TCM (Anhui) Machinery Co., Ltd. is a Japan-funded enterprise established by TCM Co., Ltd., Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., New Casting Co., Ltd. and Western Japan Trading Co., Ltd. In April, 2007, the company started to produce forklift, counterweight for forklift and other casting parts in Hefei Economic Technological Development Zone. In July 2008, TCM (Anhui) Machinery Co., Ltd. was finished construction and put into operation, specialized in producing and selling forklifts, loader, port machinery, construction machinery, agricultural machinery, logistics equipment and parts of high quality and performance.

Recently, Chinaforklift.com (www.chinaforklift.com, English version: www.forkliftnet.com ) visited TCM (Anhui) Machinery Co., Ltd. and conducted a special interview to the General Manager Hirokazu Yoshida.

Hereafter is the interview of Hirokazu Yoshida in details.

Everything Begins Again After Sole-Funded

TCM (Anhui) Machinery Co., Ltd. was established by TCM Co., Ltd. which belongs to Hitachi Group. We set a sales company in Shanghai to manage more than 30 dealers in China. After establishment of the new company in July, our office address was moved to Dawning Center at Hongbaoshi Road in Changning District. As it was a joint-ventured company before there were many limitations and now everything is from the very beginning. From 1958 when TCM products were firstly introduced into China, the popularity and quality were well-received by Chinese markets, contributing a lot to the development of various industries, especially forklift. After 50 years, TCM made great investment again in Hefei, China in April 2007 to establish Japan-funded TCM (Anhui) Machinery Co., Ltd. We took part in CeMAT Asia 2008, held customer promotion meeting, and set a new website—www.tcmch.com.cn, in order to promote TCM products. 2009 is coming, and we will make more efforts to popularize our brands while the leaders from the Group Company also pay high attention on this field.  

Integration of Dealers to Promote TCM Brand

We will hold 2009 TCM Dealer Meeting in Shenzhen, China. In the future, we will appoint the authorized dealers of TCM brand through media, which is to protect the interests of dealers in a better way so as to promote TCM brand.

Currently, there was some illegal imitation of our products on the market, who also endowed themselves to be the second brand of TCM. On the back of this opportunity, TCM declared to the customers that the company only produced and sold TCM and TCMC products. If there was any other brand saying they were of TCM, customers could call the free hot-line to consult.

Stick to Localization of Products While Continuous Introduction of New Products

Currently, TCM mainly produces and sells 2-10t ICE forklifts and 1-3t electric forklifts in China. As the new company was opened, TCM launched newly-designed INOMA series 2-3t ICE forklifts (http://www.tcmch.com.cn/inoma/inoma.htm ). TCM paid a lot of attention on the localization strategy although the key parts were imported while other components were produced Japan-funded or foreign-funded and supplied by recognized suppliers after the certification of the company. In the future, we will insist on localization strategy of products while introducing new products to meet the demands of domestic users.

The company will also import forklifts from Japan and other products manufactured in TCM at Japan according to different customers’ requirement.

New Move of TCM on Forklift Research & Development

Keeping pace with other leading industrial truck makers in the world, TCM Japan Headquarter emphasized the research and development of products. The company has developed lithium ion forklifts as the most epoch-marking product. Although the product has not been put into domestic market and there is still a long time to enter China, we still believe in that with the development of China, there will be more new product programs transferred to be produced in China, which will greatly push the logistic course of China. 

Chinese Forklift Market Keeps to Be Charming

As the production and demand volume of Chinese forklift market increased more than 25% annually, China has replaced China to be the No.1 forklift sales market in Asia by the year 2006 and becomes the second largest forklift consumption market in the world after the U.S.A. Since from 2003, China kept the increasing rate of about 25% in every year. In the first half year of 2008, the rate was still on the way although it went downturn from August due to the influences of global financial crisis.

The whole market will be struggled in the next year due to this crisis. But the Chinese Government invested RMB 400 billion Yuan to pull the domestic demand, thus China still kept negative increase while the negative increase of economy in Japan had stopped. We trust that under the active measures of Chinese Government, the manufacturing and logistics industry will rapidly recover to positive increase.

The growth of material handling industry is undoubtedly the motives to push the demands of forklifts. Additionally, the pace of global manufacturing industry moving to China is fastening under the drives of lacking in capital and advancing in cost, which will in turn push the continuous and fast growth of forklift industry. The economic crisis was just a trial for us on the aspect of time. Therefore, we will face with the changes of market peacefully; meanwhile, TCM will enhance the construction of interior network and other issues so as to service our customer in a better way.

Thank you for your interview and best wishes for you.

About TCM

Anhui TCM Forklift Co., Ltd. is a Sino-Japan joint-venture enterprise established by Anhui Forklift Group, TCM Co., Ltd. and Western Japan Trading Co., Ltd. with investment of 14 million dollars in 1993.

Anhui TCM Forklift Co., Ltd. adopted Japanese technology to manufacture high-quality and high-performance forklifts to meet the demand of forklift market in China and the whole world. Taking technology introduction, continuous innovation, correct judgment, rapid activity, quality product and service as the principal, the company makes use of advanced design and manufacturing technology as well as enterprise management technology from Japan to provide forklifts at favorable price and high quality for all the customers. Anhui TCM Forklift Sales Co., Ltd. is the sales organization of the parent company in Hefei with business scope in Anhui Area, selling TCM forklifts, forklift parts and forklift maintenance and after-sales service.

Shanghai TCM Forklift Trading Co., Ltd. is a joint venture established by Anhui TCM Forklift Co., Ltd., Japanese TCM Co., Ltd., Anhui Forklift Group and Western Japan Trading Co., Ltd. with registered capital of 1.2 million dollars. Shanghai TCM Forklift Trading Co., Ltd. has a part storehouse of 600 m2 in Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone. The company provide TCM product, parts and after-sales service. Shanghai TCM Forklift Trading Co., Ltd. will provide the most excellent product and the most outstanding service for the customers.