Port of Salalah

Container and heavy-duty materials handling equipment supplier Kalmar Industries has been awarded a contract to supply 42 Ottawa 4x2 terminal tractors to the Port of Salalah.

The port, located in the southern region of Oman, is undertaking a major expansion project. The expansion, to be completed by the end of 2011, will raise the port's capacity to 9 million TEUs per year. It is one of the fastest-growing terminals in west central Asia.
Kalmar recently opened a regional office in Dubai and Graham Boxall, sales director for the Middle East Region, says this enables the company to provide better customer support for this region.

"We are physically much closer now to our customers and they certainly appreciate that."

The Ottawa terminal tractors will service the quayside operation with Post-Panamax gantry cranes and will be delivered later this year.

Kalmar reports that terminal tractor sales for 2008 have increased by more than 100%. Mark Williamson, president for Kalmar's EMEA region, says the company has witnessed a significant change in the market as products designed for specific applications have been introduced.

Sales to Europe, the Middle East and Africa have more than doubled, he adds.