XIAMEN, People's Republic of China -- Italian container-handling giant Fantuzzi Reggiane SPA may double its Chinese operation in the wake of booming sales in the Asian market.
Fantuzzi last year entered the Chinese market through a 70/30 per cent joint venture with investment group China Merchants, buying into Noell Crane Systems' China operation at Zangzhou, near Xiamen. Noell China is a separate entity to the German company, Noell Crane Systems, which Fantuzzi acquired early in 2000.
Fantuzzi's Australasia general manager Terry Mulqueen would not detail specific contracts Noell China had filled, but said it currently had orders for ship-to-shore and rubber-tyred gantry cranes at two major Chinese ports.
"Business has been booming in China. We are very happy with the progress being made in the Asian market and we are considering a 100 per cent expansion of the current facility," he said.
Business is increasing across all the Fantuzzi Group's international operations, with more than 100 orders currently on the books.
Expansion of Fantuzzi's Lentigione lift truck and reach stacker factory, in Italy, announced last year, is well advanced, and Mr Mulqueen said the factory would be increased by 60 per cent by the end of 2001.
The company is also building a new facility at Ravenna, Italy, for exclusive production of mobile harbour cranes. Both the Lentigione and Ravenna plants are expected to be at full capacity by 2002.
In Australia, Mr Mulqueen said 16 machines for two major orders were nearing delivery.
Brambles Industrial Services, which made headlines in 2000 when it sold its forklift rental pool, the largest in Australia, to Nacco Materials Handling Group, is awaiting delivery of nine new Fantuzzi machines for its shipping company.
Five are 36-tonne capacity tyne/gantry machines and the other four are 45-tonne capacity gantries, equipped with 20-40ft spreaders. Mr Mulqueen said the machines shared common componentry, which meant cost savings for Brambles in servicing and spare parts. Australian stevedore P&O had ordered seven three-high Noell straddle carriers for its Melbourne port operation.
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