Anhui HeLi, a giant Chinese forklift maker, is eyeing Thailand as its production base for industrial vehicles.

Zhang Dejin, chairman of Anhui HeLi, said yesterday that it planned to expand its business into Southeast Asia to reap benefits from the coming Asean Economic Community in 2015. The company will set up a forklift assembly plant that year, with total sales expected to reach 3,000 units.

"The new plant is expected to cost US$30 million [more than Bt900 million] and its output is to serve the Asean market," he said.

Anhui HeLi is the No 1 forklift maker in China and No 8 in the world. "We don't want to miss this opportunity to use Thailand as our production base," he said .

The company has introduced Heli forklifts in Thailand through Siam Sun Autosales, its local dealer - an experienced marketer of industrial vehicles equipped with a great service team.

The sales rate in Heli forklifts is increasing, said Zhang.Akradech Wongpituchroj, managing director of Siam Sun Autosales, said it signed a memorandum of understanding to import and market Anhui HeLi's Heli brand in Thailand and also in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

He said the company also imported Chinese G-series forklifts, which share the same standard production technology as Japan and Europe. The G-series has a low-emissions engine. Akradent said the company expected to sell 400 of the forklifts - up from 200 in 2011. For the Heli forklifts, the company expected to see total sales of Bt1.5 billion this year, up from Bt900 million last year.