CHINA - In 2007 Finnish owned Konecranes opened its factory in Lingang which assembles empty container handlers, reach stackers and heavy forklift trucks originally exclusively for the home market. This week the company held an opening ceremony to celebrate an extension doubling the production area with a view to increasing lift truck production now the plants products are being shipped to its customers world wide.

The ceremony was attended by distinguished guests from the local authorities of Lingang New City; Matti Heimonen, the Consul General of Finland; Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO of Konecranes Group and Ryan Flynn, Senior Vice President and Head of Konecranes region Asia-Pacific.

In his speech Pekka Lundmark highlighted that the importance of China in Konecranes' strategy is growing all the time. “Thanks to the improved conditions and added manufacturing space in Lingang we can now take the capacity and quality to the next level”, Lundmark said.

Konecranes has about 1,600 employees in China, of which 62 work in Lingang and the company sells its wares through around twenty sales offices and service locations throughout China. The group has other production sites in the country at Shanghai (hoists and cranes), Dalian (port cranes) and in Jingjiang, where Konecranes mainly owned subsidiary crane and hoist manufacturer Sanma is based.