Kion Group aims to overtake Toyota
WIESBADEN, Germany

In conjunction with Linde AG’s merger with BOC Group plc on September 5, Linde AG has grouped its three materials handling brands into a new holding company, the Kion Group.

The newly-created gases and engineering company, The Linde Group, will be based in Munich, Germany, and Surrey, in the UK. Linde-owned Kion Group will be headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Hubertus Krossa, a member of the Kion Group management board, said the new group would combine the strengths of the Linde, Still and OM brands “under one roof” and better position the brands to “maximise cross-market synergies”.  However, all brands would be managed independently, a Kion corporate presentation said.

Forkliftaction.com News understands Linde, Still and OM’s existing worker agreements will remain unchanged but the new holding company has a new management team.

Kion Group’s management team is Krossa, 58, a Linde AG board of directors member responsible for the materials handling division since January 2005,  Dr Nedim Cen, 40, a former Credit Suisse managing director who was responsible for the bank’s mergers & acquisitions business in Germany and Austria, and Ralf Speth, 50, an ex-materials handling division management board member.

Krossa said Kion Group was “the undisputed market leader in Europe” and a leader in technological innovation.

Linde, OM and Still have traditionally been strong in Europe but are only just growing in the Asian and North American markets. Linde Material Handling managing director Georg Silbermann told trade press in June 2006 that Linde was targeting market share growth in Asia and the USA. (Forkliftaction.com News #265). The Linde brand has been present in China since the 1990s but, in July 2005, Linde Material Handling launched a second brand in China, OM, to capitalise on China’s growing forklift market.

In the corporate presentation, Kion Group outlined its goal to be a “global player with presence in all core markets” and “the benchmark for the materials handling industry, ahead of Toyota”, by 2011.

The group said it chose the Kion name because it was short, concise, melodic and familiar, with positive associations around the world. A superscript bar in its logo represented a forklift’s tyne.

The word originated from the language of the Massai, a nomadic ethnic tribe in Kenya and Tanzania. “Kion (gozi)”, according to the Kion Group, means “take the leadership”. Kion in Chinese characters means “proud of the victory”.

Consolidated sales of all three Kion brands for 2005 totalled EUR3.628 billion (USD4.639 billion), with Linde accounting for EUR2.346 billion (USD2.999 billion), Still EUR1.197 billion (USD1.531 billion) and OM EUR252 million (USD322 million). A total of 19,323 employees worked for the three brands worldwide (Linde, 62.2 per cent; Still, 31.6 per cent; and OM, 6.2 per cent). Production output was 125,300 units (Linde, 71,600; Still, 36,900; and OM, 16,800).

Linde AG acquired Hamburg-based Still GmbH from Quandt Group in 1973 followed by mid-priced forklift producer OM Carrelli Elevatori SpA in Lainate, Milan, Italy, in 1992. Linde Material Handling is headquartered at Aschaffenburg, Germany.

Exclusive: Qingpu factory to help Jungheinrich’s China ascent
SHANGHAI, China

The August 18 opening of a Jungheinrich plant, in Qingpu, near Shanghai, China, marks the Hamburg-headquartered group’s move into overseas forklift production. Forkliftaction.com News reporter Christine Liew spoke to Jungheinrich Lift Truck (Shanghai) Co Ltd managing director Jian Chen about the group’s Chinese activities.

He said Jungheinrich Group’s first “assembly factory” outside Germany, “emphasises the strategic importance of the Chinese market. The [Chinese] sales organisation and the factory will work closely” to serve Chinese customers better and faster.

The plant, in Qingpu industrial zone, about 60km from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, will initially produce forklifts for the Chinese market. In time, Qingpu will assemble Jungheinrich warehouse trucks for the Asia Pacific region. Jungheinrich also planned to localise parts production parts in the future and pass on savings to customers, Chen said.

“The success of sales makes further development of the assembly plant possible. The mutual support between these two units [sales and local production] will show a positive spiral of Jungheinrich’s success in China.”

Jungheinrich established a presence in China in 1997, through representation by a Chinese forklift dealer, Galaxy. In 2004, the group set up Jungheinrich Lift Truck (Shanghai) Co Ltd as a direct sales company. In July that year, a joint venture was formed with Chinese forklift manufacturer Ningbo Ruyi Joint Stock Co Ltd, based in Ninghai, Zhejiang province. Ningbo produces hand pallet trucks for Jungheinrich.

“[Jungheinrich] decided to work with Ningbo Ruyi because it is one of the largest hand pallet truck manufacturers in the world. Ningbo has the capacity to deal with Jungheinrich’s requirements and shows a persuasive performance,” Chen said.

Ningbo Ryui owner Chu Jiwang was a “person of integrity and charisma” and that also convinced Jungheinrich to work with the company.
“There are no intentions to work with further manufacturing partners in China,” Chen said.

Jungheinrich currently has six Chinese branches in Beijing, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Hangzhou and Qingdao. It also has a partnership with Nicehorse, a dealer in Nanjing and Chendu. About 100 people work in Jungheinrich Shanghai’s sales and after-sales companies.

The group will open three more branches in Shenyang, Fuzhou and Shenzhen in 2007 and, in 2008, “at least one branch” will open in Chongqing. The group considers it will have the “important China markets” covered by 2008.

Chen was effusive about Jungheinrich’s Chinese market growth but would not disclose numbers.

“The growth of Jungheinrich warehouse trucks in China is much higher than the market’s [growth]. In 2006, we expect a doubling of orders for warehouse trucks compared to 2005, in which we already achieved a very high figure,” Chen said.

China’s forklift market is booming and leading foreign manufacturers are interested in claiming a share. The China Industrial Truck Association (CITA) estimated the 2005 market size was 67,120 forklift units, 2004 was 60,651 units, 2003, 44,204 units and 2002, 33,221 units. Industry insiders think the market could expand to 111,200 units in 2009.

Jungheinrich is competing with Linde, Hyster and Toyota in China’s high-end warehouse truck segment. Chen says Jungheinrich will count on “three strategic pillars” for its success in China. “The best after-sales in China, the successful logistics system business and the excellent talent strategy” would ensure long-term success and rapid growth.

“The main advantages of [the Qingpu plant] are shortened delivery times and quicker response to customer demands. Chinese and Asian customers expect more comparable delivery times, as we can provide them in European markets,” Chen said.

Jungheinrich AG reported net group sales of EUR1.645 billion (USD2.103 billion) for 2005; 72 per cent of sales were made outside Germany. For the past five years, the foreign ratio of Jungheinrich’s group net sales has been at least 69 per cent. About half its 8,998 employees work outside Germany and most of the group’s sales outside Germany were in Europe. Apart from the new China plant, forklifts are produced at German-based plants in Norderstedt, Moosburg und Lüneburg.

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Konecranes launches new name
HYVINKÄÄ, Finland

KCI Konecranes has dropped KCI from its name, introduced a new logo and adopted “Lifting businesses” as a global tagline.

Group company names will start with Konecranes and the group’s three business areas’ names have changed to standard lifting, heavy lifting and service.

An extraordinary general meeting is likely to be held this year at which a new parent company name, Konecranes plc, will be proposed, a Konecranes statement said.

Heavy forklift manufacturer SMV Konecranes’ name was officially changed to Konecranes Lifttrucks AB on August 14.  However, the brands Morris, Stahl Crane Systems, SWF, R&M, Verlinde, Meiden and P&H will be retained to optimise market coverage, the statement said.

Hyundai adds to product range
GEEL, Belgium

Hyundai Heavy Industries Europe NV has introduced a four-tonne capacity towing truck and a 1.5-tonne capacity platform truck to its materials handling equipment range.

The equipment’s first public showing will be at the Prologistics 2006 trade show in Brussels, Belgium, from September 26 to September 28. A Hyundai statement said the machines would be available through Hyundai forklift dealers from January 2007.

Task Australia: new forklift, new distributor, celebrates 25 years
ADELAIDE, South Australia, Australia

By Daphne Haneman
Forklift dealer Task Australia Pty Ltd is exporting its new, Australian-made Sumi Boa legless stacker to Asia, India and Singapore.

Task this year celebrates 25 years of manufacturing forklifts in Australia.

Task’s parent company, Osko Forklifts, an Australian-owned, South Australian-based company, designs and manufactures the Sumi range of battery-operated electric stackers, forklifts and pallet trucks for Australian and selected overseas markets. Task also distributes the Max range.

Task has offices in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore and Shanghai.

The Sumi Boa legless (counterbalanced) stacker was released in November 2005 but the international patent was only finalised and awarded last month, a Task statement said.

The legless stacker was “the only lift truck manufactured in Australia that is benchmarked to world’s best practice through quality standard AS/NZS ISO 9001”, the statement said.

The legless stacker is a battery-operated pedestrian forklift with a lift height of 4.5 metres. Capacities are 700 kg to 1,200 kg. It has a 24V DC drive motor.

A Task spokesperson said because it was “legless”, the stacker was different from most straddle stackers, as it had “good ground clearance allowing it to fit into tight spaces”.

Task chairman Dean Rainsford said the new product was “exactly what is needed for our Asian distributors”.

Singapore Technology Kinetics (STK), part of the Temasek Group, is the exclusive distributor in India and parts of Asia of the entire Sumi range, including the legless stacker and the Conda stacker. STK will manufacture part of the BOA driveline for the Asian market.

The statement said the arrangement was expected to increase the group’s turnover by “AUD4.5million to AUD5 million”. STK has appointed distributors in Asia.

Task will honour its 25th anniversary of manufacturing forklifts in Australia with a conference in November.

Unskilled, non-English speaking foreign workers “a concern”
SYDNEY, New South Wales, Australia

By Daphne Haneman
Chinese and Italian forklift drivers and electricians at ABC Tissue Products Pty Ltd’s paper mill in western Sydney were allegedly working without appropriate licences, could not speak English and could not perform basic tasks.

An ABC Tissues spokesperson said the site was “non-operational for a couple of weeks while WorkCover did some things”. A WorkCover NSW spokesperson said workers returned to the site late last week.

The ABC Tissues spokesperson said ABC Tissues contracted construction work at the paper mill to Italian company A Celli Paper and “thereafter had no involvement at the site”.

ABC Tissues managing director Henry Ngai has released a statement that said ABC Tissues had met Australian standards.

“We have been assured that all workers engaged on that site meet Australian requirements in terms of the functions they perform on site and receive reasonable rates of pay,” he said.

“All aspects of the installation of machinery at the plant, including the supply of labour, become the responsibility of the company engaged to install the plant,” the statement said.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that forklift drivers and electricians were working at the site without appropriate licences.

An Australian worker at the site was “stunned to see one of the guest workers make a non-compliant Chinese power tool fit a socket by stripping the cord and inserting naked wires straight into the plug”, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

It said the workers were among 40,000 expected to arrive in Australia this year on business visas to fill a specific skills gap.

The WorkCover spokesperson said 27 improvement notices had been issued to ABC Tissues this year and management had complied with them all. They included “falls, use of interpreters, amenities, signage, security fencing and electrical matters”.

He said on-site interpreters were a requirement where workers had language difficulties.

In an ABC radio interview, Ngai said: “This country is short in workers - not easy to get. And good men, good worker is more difficult.

“People report to me and then I take care immediately. And then I get my project manager, Carlo, he also managing the people, to teach them the local safety feature.”

The WorkCover spokesperson said about 55 foreign workers were at the paper mill and WorkCover was monitoring the site. He could not confirm the number of foreign forklift operators.

ABC Tissues is a leading manufacturer of tissues and toilet paper with manufacturing facilities in Australia and New Zealand.

Manitou adds distributor to national network
SYDNEY, New South Wales, Australia

Manitou Australia has added to its distribution network by appointing National Equipment as a full line dealer for New South Wales.

Manitou commercial manager Stuart Walker said no other changes had been made to its network of industrial and agricultural dealers.  

He said Manitou’s industrial dealers were LiftRite Hire & Sales (Western Australia), Western Diesel (Northern Territory), NTP Forklifts Australia (Queensland, NSW, Victoria, and South Australia), and National Equipment (NSW).

Forkliftaction.com News inadvertently reported last week that National Equipment was the Australian distributor for Manitou.

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TCM’s All-New Three Wheel Electric Lift Trucks

TCM’s new FTB16-7 and FTB18-7 Class 1 Electric Three Wheel Lift trucks are clean sheet designs engineered to increase your operation’s productivity and profitability. Optimized to deliver reliable day-to-day performance, they also feature improved safety, easy operation, and reduced maintenance as top priorities. Their state-of-the-art features include: Move more material quicker and with greater control + Reduce your cost of operation with simplified maintenance. Read More...

Click here for more information on this product, including pictures.

TVH to distribute Sonatic®Kit for LPG trucks

viaSonic – a division of the German company Truma – found a partner in TVH for the world-wide, exclusive sale of the Sonatic®Kit. The Sonatic®Kit, based on an ultrasonic sensor system, is used for an accurate measuring of the fuel level in LPG-powered lift trucks. viaSonic was looking for a partner with customers and branches across the world; a solid base for the world-wide distribution of the Sonatic®Kit.

Click here for more information on this product, including pictures.

Task Australia: Family business to global entity
ADELAIDE, Australia

Task Australia is one of the few Australian forklift manufacturers exporting products overseas. Based in South Australia, it began manufacturing 35 years ago, designing baby safety capsules. Today, Task has become a forklift manufacturing success story. And snakes are part of its winning formula.

Click here for the full Industry Profile feature, including pictures.

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... much more online! Visit us.