CARGOTEC CORPORATION, TRADE PRESS RELEASE 20 MARCH 2012 AT 11 A.M. EET
Cargotec has appointed Buffers USA Inc as distributor for its MacGregor and Allset brands of lashing equipment for the US East and Gulf coasts, Canada and Mexico from 1 April 2012. Established  in 1989 to develop Intermodal hardware for the North American market, Buffers USA  teamed up with Allset Marine  in 1991 and successfully changed the US marine twistlock market from the manual type to the semi- automatic.  Today Buffers USA handles over 6,300 part numbers and carries over 6.5 million parts at any given time in their four warehouses on the West, Gulf and East coasts of USA.

"We are happy and pleased to expand the business relationship with Buffers USA since customer service and product availability is important to Cargotec. With Buffers profound product knowledge and geographical footprint we will additionally increase the service level to our customers in the territory" said Marcus Näslund, Cargotec's Business Development Manager, Lashings.

"We are delighted to add the MacGregor brand to our line of Ships Lashing since it is a well-known and respected name in the industry and the MacGregor brand with Cargotec behind it, continues to have the largest market share of lashing for new ships that will require top level aftermarket service from well stocked warehouses" said John Hove, President of Buffers USA from their Jacksonville, FL headquarters.

The agreement starts on 1 April, so customers in the above mentioned areas should direct all enquiries to Buffers from that date onwards."

Cargotec improves the efficiency of cargo flows on land and at sea - wherever cargo is on the move. Cargotec's daughter brands, Hiab, Kalmar and MacGregor are recognised leaders in cargo and load handling solutions around the world. Cargotec's global network is positioned close to customers and offers extensive services that ensure the continuous, reliable and sustainable performance of equipment. Cargotec's sales totalled EUR 3.1 billion in 2011 and it employs approximately 11,000 people.

MacGregor is the global market-leading brand in marine cargo handling and offshore load-handling solutions. Customer-driven MacGregor engineering and service solutions for the maritime transportation industry and the offshore load-handling and naval logistics markets are used on board merchant ships, offshore support vessels, and in ports and terminals.

About Buffers USA: Buffers USA designs, manufactures and distributes products for the intermodal transportation industry including ship's lashing , container, van trailer and chassis parts, chassis twistlocks and pinlocks, cargo control for trucks and flatbeds, moisture control technology, thermal bulkheads, anti-theft products for containers and packaging and cargo handling products for warehouse operations as well as cargo protection inside shipping containers.  It operates through a dealer and distribution network in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central and South America. It has warehouses in Florida, Michigan, Texas and California.