The Grammer stand at Intermat Paris, 2006.

Global forklift seat manufacturer Grammer has underscored the importance of the Chinese market by opening a plant in Tianjin this month.

The factory, which has floor space of more than 10,000 square metres, will produce and assemble 13 seat types for off-road vehicles, trucks, buses, coaches, and trains.

The Amberg-headquartered company is pursuing a "double strategy" in China. Its Chinese plant will supply seats for the local construction machinery market. Grammer will also target Japanese and Korean construction machine makers manufacturing in China for the global market.

There will be 225 new employees in Tianjin; 130 for Grammer's seating systems division and 95 for its automotive division.

The Grammer group has produced suspension seats for agricultural machines and forklifts since 1954. Grammer's seating systems division comprises four business areas, forklifts; off-road (tractors and construction machines); trucks, buses and coaches; and railways.